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Apple's Final Cut Pro X uses AI to auto-crop videos for social media
Apple released a major update that includes improvements for remote collaboration.
Intel’s multi-angle cameras come to three Premier League soccer stadiums
Intel's work in sports can be found across the world's best leagues, from the MLB, NBA and NFL in the US to Spain's La Liga soccer tournament. Over the past few years, it has been trying to make games more immersive for fans, using camera technologies that offer people more viewing options than a traditional broadcast, like enjoying matches in virtual reality or watching 360-degree video replays. And now Intel plans to bring this to the English Premier League. Through a new partnership with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City (three of England's biggest clubs), Intel will start utilizing its True View tech at their stadiums, which will capture "every match from every angle," the company says.
Facebook and RED unveil their Manifold 3D VR camera
Facebook and RED are finally ready to show their 3D VR camera after months of teasing. They've revealed Manifold, a ball-shaped array that uses 16 of RED's Helium 8K sensors (with 180-degree Schneider lenses) to capture a complete, 60FPS VR video in one scene, including depth information. The The result is high-quality 360-degree video that reacts when you move your head. You might not walk directly through a video, but you wouldn't be stuck in one camera position when watching with an Oculus Quest or a similar six-degrees-of-freedom headset.
Facebook and RED are building a camera for 3D VR video
Most VR video isn't immersive in the truest sense. You can spin around, but you can't lean forward or step to the side to get a better view. Facebook and RED are helping to fix that -- they're partnering on an "all-in-one" camera that offers six degrees of freedom for 3D and 360-degree video capture. The team-up will combine Facebook's depth detection technology with RED's low-light performance to record all the 3D information in a scene (not just those in well-lit areas) to give you the freedom to walk around in a video.
The Rylo 360-degree video camera now works with Android
Rylo is one of a handful of 360-degree cameras that only requires an editing suite as big as your smartphone. Much like the cheaper Insta360 One and more expensive GoPro Fusion, Rylo's companion mobile app lets you play editor and director. Users can set specific focal points or objects for the frame to follow within a 360-video after the fact, before sharing their masterpiece to Instagram or Facebook. With two 208-degree lenses, 4K video resolution and auto-stabilization tech, it's a pretty neat little camera. Since launching last fall, though, it's only worked with iPhones and iPads, but today, as promised, Android support has arrived.
GoPro's Fusion camera is ready to work with a few Android phones
GoPro's ability to nail the experience with its 360-degree Fusion camera will rely on its marriage of hardware and software capabilities, and now the latter is getting a boost. An update to the company's Android app allows certain phones (listed below) to pair with the camera and share 360-degree stills or video clips. There are only about ten models on the compatible list, and just like on iOS, capabilities vary by platform, however, GoPro expects the list to expand as "we continue to improve stability, image processing and overall performance on the platform." Until then, Pixel and recent Galaxy owners are among those with one more reason to consider the $700 camera, even if some other Android users don't.
Facebook adds a sound and music library you can use for video
Facebook has a bunch of new tools for video creators. First up, it has launched a community hub for 360 degree video (which isn't live for everyone just yet) that gathers educational bits like how to use 360 degree cameras, how to edit said videos and a primer on spatial audio. Speaking of editing, the social network has also launched 360 Director, a page with tools for adding annotation, setting zoom level, and the ability to save a video as a draft, among others. Facebook will also loan out the pricey cameras, starting with the GoPro Fusion and ZCam S1 at launch.
BT Sport to offer 360-degree video highlights and replays
Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Allie weaves through three defenders before whipping a cross into the feet of Harry Kane. You jump out of your seat, only to let out a groan as the linesman blows his whistle and raises a flag for offside. But was it offside? You're not so sure. If only you could get a different perspective... Enter the BT Sport app. The British broadcaster has announced today that it will soon offer 360-degree highlights and instant replays. They will be shown alongside standard replays for "a minimum of" 20 sporting events — including the UEFA Champions League, the Premier League, the FA Cup and World Title boxing — over the next six months.
Facebook is working on VR 'Venues' for live concerts
Mark Zuckerberg wants virtual reality to be less isolating, so Facebook is working on "Venues." Think of them like VR social spaces where you can meet up with friends to watch concerts like the ones Live Nation is pumping out. Venues make a lot of sense when you consider Facebook's push for live video, sports and putting things like VR streams and 360-degree photos and video into the News Feed. Zuckerberg said that Venues will also play host to movie and TV premieres as well.
Twitter's Xbox app can stream live 360-degree video
Twitter launched on the Xbox One last fall, and did so with a focus on video. Today, an update adds some new video types, most notably live 360-degree video. Given that just about every platform has been focusing on 360 video lately, so it's not surprising to see Twitter look to expand the places where users can watch it. The Apple TV has supported live 360-degree video for a while now, so it's not a huge surprise to see it arrive here as well.
YouTube’s heatmaps show where eyes linger in VR videos
YouTube's growing library of VR content is a definite asset in Google's struggle to dominate the virtual reality sphere. The video platform isn't just improving the consumer experience either, as it did when it added shared virtual viewing rooms and live voice chat back in May. To help content creators figure out which parts of their 360-degree videos are working, YouTube has introduced heatmaps to show where -- and when -- people are looking in the freeform movie format.
GoPro's Fusion could make 360 video cool, if it nails the software
Yesterday GoPro CEO Nick Woodman presented the Fusion 360/VR camera to the world for the first time at Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado. The company teased an image about a month ago, but it turns out that was a bit of a trick. The deliberate use of lighting hid the true shape and form of the camera. Fusion is actually bigger than it looked. GoPro has long considered itself as having outgrown the "action cam" label, instead positioning itself as an enabler for stories beyond the reach of your phone's camera. Put in those terms, Fusion, and 360 video in general, could make more sense.
Samsung adds UFC fights and more live events to Gear VR
Soccer. Basketball. Golf. While plenty of sports are being shot in 360-degree video, the format is still the exception, rather than the rule. For Samsung, which wants to sell as many Gear VR headsets as possible, that just won't do. To solve the problem it's teamed up with the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the X Games and concert organiser Live Nation for a slew of VR programming called "VR Live Pass." The first events will be available from June through the Samsung VR app, with near-global access provided you have a headset handy and a stable internet connection.
YouTube is bringing 360-degree videos to your TV
Google's I/O 2017 developer conference isn't just about its search engine getting smarter. The company has also announced that YouTube's 360-degree videos are coming soon to TVs, expanding beyond smartphones and web browsers for the first time. "It's not just about the size of the screen," YouTube product manager Sarah Ali said before demoing a 360-degree video from Coachella. "It's about giving you an experience that [traditional] TV just can't match."
Valve brings 360-degree videos to Steam VR
While it's not quite as immersive as a full virtual reality experience, 360-degree videos and photos are becoming more common (especially on Facebook and YouTube), and now Valve has released a Steam 360 Video Player. It uses adaptive streaming from a company called Pixvana, which should enable playback with just one click on your Rift or Vive headset. According to the FAQ, even if you don't have a headset, it will soon support playback on the desktop with control and navigation by mouse.
Watch NASA's first 360-degree live stream of a rocket launch
Rocket launch videos are typically captured from afar, putting you in the shoes of a spectator in the crowd. NASA's live coverage of an Orbital Cygnus spacecraft's ISS resupply mission, however, will take you to the launch pad itself. For the first time ever, the agency will broadcast a live 360-degree video of a rocket launch on the NASATelevision YouTube channel tomorrow, April 18th.
Gorillaz are throwing a house party in mixed reality
Your favorite virtual band Gorillaz has a new album called Humanz on the way (as well as a TV show, it seems), and the record has had an active promotional campaign so far. The group has shared a series of social media "books" that detail what the band members have been up to the past few years, they've shared some new songs, and now, they've just released a mixed reality app.
Explore Japanese gaming culture in 360 degrees with MatPat
Matthew Patrick is best known as the guy on YouTube who uses math, science and rabid curiosity to build intense, unexpected narratives from the stray plot threads of movies and video games. As the Game Theorists' MatPat, he asks if Mario is secretly a sociopath and questions if Sega's blue hedgehog really is the fastest mascot in gaming -- and then backs up his allegations by covertly teaching viewers about actual psychology and the speed of sound. Now he's expanding his passion for making entertainment educational with a travel show called The Global Gamer. Oh, and he's doing it in 360-degree virtual reality -- and you can watch the launch exclusively right here on Engadget.
Facebook's Gear VR app helps you find 360 photos and video
A ton of 360-degree photos and videos are uploaded to Facebook every day. The challenge, if you own a Gear VR headset, is finding the best stuff in the Oculus Video store, or amongst the deluge of selfies and viral videos that make up most News Feeds. To help, the social network has built a new app for Gear VR called Facebook 360. It's a basic interface with four tabs that help you browse and launch 360-degree media. "Explore," for instance, lists the most popular uploads, while "Following" collects everything posted by your friends, and the pages and people you follow.
Vimeo now supports 360-degree video
Virtual reality hardware wouldn't be anywhere without content to play on it -- that's why so many big video companies are putting resources towards immersive, 360-degree video playback. Facebook and YouTube have both supported 360 videos for a while now, even letting users livestream (provided they have the right gear, of course.) It may be a little late to the party, but Vimeo is also getting into the game. While there's no livestreaming to be found yet, the platform now fully supports 360-degree video uploads and playback in a variety of ways.
