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Soundtrap Capture simplifies mobile recording and music collaboration
Soundtrap is offering artists a way to easily record song ideas on the go with its free Capture app for iOS.
'PUBG' is quietly changing video games with its 3D replay technology
The new replay tools offered in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds are so much more than standard video-capture technology. In fact, it isn't video capture at all -- it's data capture. The 3D replay tools allow players to zoom around the map after a match, tracking their own character, following enemies' movements, slowing down time and setting up cinematic shots of their favorite kills, all within a 1-kilometer radius of their avatar. It's filled with statistics, fresh perspectives and infinite data points to dissect. This isn't just a visual replay; it's a slice of the actual game, perfectly preserved, inviting combatants to play God.
Capture new job creation tools in GTA Online this Friday
Rockstar will launch the capture jobs creation system in GTA Online this Friday, April 11 and is offering a rewards boost in select online missions until then. Starting Friday, Grand Theft Auto 5 players can use the GTA Online Creator Tool to build missions using one of four capture job variants: Contend, GTA, Hold or Raid. For those unfamiliar, Rockstar describes the capture jobs as a "GTA twist on classic capture the flag style confrontations." To get players accustomed to the job style's unique brand of action, the developer upped the reward levels for all official capture jobs in GTA Online. Until Friday, jobs like "GTA: All Abhorred" and "Raid: High Road" will earn players double the GTA$ and RP. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Warface raids towers, captures new modes
Crytek issued a new update for the PC version of Warface this week, adding two new modes to the multiplayer game. The free-to-play FPS received a co-op mode known as Tower Raid, shown in a new trailer for the game, in addition to the Capture versus mode. Crytek also renamed the Claymore mine in the update, changing it to the "Directional Mine," and increased the item unlock progression speed in both co-op and versus modes. Crytek provided the full patch notes in a post on its GFace social platform. There's no word on whether these modes will wind up on Xbox 360 as well. Warface entered its beta phase on the platform earlier this month, and requires an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play. [Image: Crytek]
YouTube Capture for iOS update adds clip splicing and iTunes soundtracking
Those who like to record their YouTube moments while on the go have just received a handful of useful tools. Thanks to an update for the video streaming site's Capture app for iOS, users can now film and edit together multiple clips in order to create seamless footage before uploading. The ability to trim and rearrange individual clips is also built in now, as is the ability to tack on sounds from both YouTube Audio and personal iTunes Libraries. And to match all of those other iOS 7-clad apps, the software has been dressed in the latest aesthetics. Isn't that nice?
Microsoft: Xbox One will capture game footage at 720p even if source is higher res
One of the many uses for Microsoft's vaunted 300,000 Xbox Live servers for the Xbox One is to power the Game DVR, which lets you record, edit and re-visit your many exploits. Platform chief Marc Whitten told a panel that the resolution will be limited to 720/30p video, even if the game itself is higher resolution (Forza Motorsport 5 is 1080/60p, for instance). The console will automatically record the last five minutes of your gameplay, and can even save the last 30 seconds of action on command without interrupting play. Whitten added that all of that footage would be stored in the cloud, letting you edit and share content via Upload Studio. Games will create "magic moment" videos from such footage, which you can view from the Xbox OneGuide, your personal DVR collection and the gamer cards of other players. That sounds like a lot of footage, even for 300k servers -- which may explain why Microsoft limited the resolution to 720p.
Google+ Hangouts Capture tool lets you snap screenshots with a click
Beginning soon, Google+ users will be able to take screenshots of content within a Hangout using the new Capture tool. Once the feature rolls out, simply click the camera button at the bottom of the Hangout window to grab a frame. The addition helps to simplify workflows a bit, while also serving to boost privacy -- unlike third-party screenshot offerings, this integrated tool notifies fellow users in your Hangout whenever someone enables the feature and when a picture is taken. Additionally, snaps are saved to a shared album, which other attendees may access from within the Hangout or through your photo albums. Privacy-obsessed users beware, though: You'll only be notified if the official Google tool is used -- apps like Skitch and Grab can still snag frames without a public warning.
Friday Favorite: Voila captures your screen with ease, on sale now
Given the issues with my former screen-capture app-of-choice Skitch, I recently went on the hunt for a replacement that can grab screenshots and handle video capture. I've finally landed on Voila. While it isn't perfect, Voila offers plenty of functionality and does almost everything I need. As is pretty standard for a screen-capture app, Voila lets you grab whatever is on your screen however you need it, either in a full-screen grab, from a specific window or from a drag-and-drop selection. You can grab videos in almost any configuration. I mostly use it for snapping rectangular pictures, but you can grab circular or polygonal pics as well. Voila even has an in-app browser and a connection to your webcam, for even more options. Once the picture has been captured, you can add annotations, blur or adjust it as you like and then export the file using an in-depth "Save As...". Unfortunately, this process isn't as simple as I'd like. You must hunt to find some functions, and while hotkeys can be set up, the Re-size function doesn't have a clear one. There's a re-size option on the save screen, so even when Voila doesn't have exactly what I'm looking for, it does have some fairly smart shortcuts. There are a few bugs in the app as well. One bug I'm getting recently has my pictures being saved as just a white screen rather than whatever I captured, but the support team has been more than ready to help with any problems or concerns. As for video capture, I think that's where Voila really shines. It's got a very powerful and steady video-capture functionality. You can select a window or draw a selection on the screen, and you can choose to use an external mic for audio, grab your computer's audio or use your Mac's internal mic as needed. Again, there are some small issues: The included YouTube connection won't accept videos if you've used a strange ratio when drawing a selection on the screen. But that's only a minor issue. I've still been able to just drag the videos out of the app, and then upload separately to YouTube. Voila isn't without its problems, but an app like this is designed for so many different use cases that it's not surprising there are a few hiccups. Plus, Voila is right in the middle of an awesome sale. It's only US$4.99 on the Mac App Store. If, like me, you were looking for a Skitch replacement with a little more functionality, Voila might be just what you need.
Hauppage releases the HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition, now with HDMI
Hauppage has released the second version of its "Gaming Edition" Personal Video Recorder, which allows you to record streams of video from a television, gaming console or PC directly on to your Mac. We took a close look at the last version of this device, and it worked well, but completely without the benefit of HDMI. This new version, however, includes an HDMI port, which means you can record video on it at up to 1080p resolution. The box is listed at $169, but you may be able to find it cheaper online. The biggest drawback with this unit, however, is that you'll need to buy the software used on the Mac to capture video from it, and that can run you about $29.95. But if you specifically need a Mac to record the video, the box works well, and that added HDMI port means you have even more options (including buying an iOS HDMI adapter from Apple and even recording video straight from an iPhone or iPad).
Hauppauge's HD PVR Gaming Edition works, but with some issues
Game capture is a bigger and bigger business lately -- with YouTube views earning money for partner channels, indie devs needing to capture video footage of their games, and lots of players just wanting to record their own gameplay for various purposes, there's a big call these days for full, HD video of gameplay captured from video game consoles. Hauppauge has been making the HD PVR for a little while now: It's a run-through set-top box that's designed to capture video footage, specifically from a satellite or cable box (so you can record an HD TV signal as it comes in). But just a few months ago, Hauppauge also introduced the HD PVR Gaming Edition, basically the same box, but designed to work directly with the top video game consoles: The PS3, Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii. And with the help of an app called HDPVRCapture, Hauppauge's box works with your Mac computer. I've run the system through its paces, and I can say that despite some issues I had with setup (and a few missing features), the HD PVR Gaming Edition is an excellent way to capture high quality video game footage. Getting the unit plugged in was the hard part: All of my video game systems are well-ensconced in my entertainment center, so having to dive back into that tangle of wires was probably the hardest issue I had. For most of the capture, I used my PS3, so I had to pull the component cables out of my television, and then run the included cables with the HD PVR from the PS3 to the unit, and then a separate component cable from the PVR to the television. To go from the box to my Macbook, there was just a simple USB cable, so that part was super easy in comparison. The HD PVR itself has plenty of options: You can run through the component video hookups as I did (along with right and left audio), or run with Optical video out and in. On the front of the unit, there are also connections for SVideo, if you happen to be running that, or composite video from another console. The hookups on the box are solid, and the component video worked well. The HDPVRCapture software allows you to set a bitrate for recording the video, which mainly just affects hard drive usage (more video information obviously means more hard drive space used). To test, I first set the bitrate super low (at 1000 kbps), and as a result, the output video was grainy and hazy, albeit still usable. Running at a higher bitrate, however (I kicked it up to around 10000 kbps), creates really beautiful video -- full 1080i footage, perfect for playing on any HD television or projector (or, more likely, YouTube's HD settings). In fact, the video file that I created by running the device for about 30 minutes was so big and so HD that my little years-old Macbook actually had trouble running it, at least until I closed some other apps. Editing or even viewing video of that quality could be a problem if you have an old computer to work on. But most video editors will have computers much more powerful than my little laptop, so high quality video shouldn't be a problem. The HDPVRCapture software has plenty of options for recording and converting the video afterwards (the streams I recorded came out as .m2ts files, easily converted into .mp4 for playing on most video systems), and there are also controls for video light levels and sharpness, along with an option to hook up to iCal for a recording schedule (in case you do want to use this with a cable system to record TV shows). There's also a few network options, so you can hook up the software to automatically send recorded footage to a network drive, streaming it live or later on. I did have a few issues with Hauppauge's box, however. First and foremost is the lack of an HDMI connection -- the component video looked great, but I usually run my PS3 with an HDMI cable, so to set the box up, I had to actually switch the system's video back over to component to use it. Elgato makes a competing box that only runs on HDMI, and since Apple sells an adapter that will send your iPhone or iPad's video out to HDMI, that's a connection that's sorely missed here. Unfortunately, that might be a dealbreaker for a lot of people, including me. The other big issue I had was with the audio. If you want to just record straight gameplay video, the HDPVR will let you do so without a problem. But if you want to record commentary on that video, or bring in audio from another source while recording, the HDPVR capture software won't let you do that. I thought it'd be simple enough to hook into the Mac's internal mic while recording and mix it into the footage, but that's not an option. If you want to record commentary for YouTube, you'll need to record your own commentary separately, and mix the two later. Same deal for streaming: The app does have an option for streaming the captured video out to a third-party app like VLC, but there's no way to see the video directly on your Mac as it comes live off of the box. That means that if you want to stream the video online (through a service like Twitch.tv or Ustream), you'll need to cook up your own solution, by setting up VLC or getting the signal some other way. It'd be nice if this was all built into the HDPVRCapture software (especially since this is the Gaming Edition), but it's not. And finally, the HDPVRCapture app is a nice piece of software, but it doesn't come cheap. While Windows-based software comes with the Gaming Edition box, we Mac users need to buy our software separately, for an extra $29.95. I believe the developer of the app works for Hauppage directly, so it's unclear why we need to buy the app when Windows users don't. But the box is $199.99 already, so if you need to run with it on a Mac, the extra $30 is probably something you're willing to pay. Still, despite those issues, the HDPVR Gaming Edition does do what it says on the box. Especially if you are already using component video for whatever game console you want to record from, all you'll need to do is plug it in, install the app on your Mac (gritting your teeth through the $30 charge), and then hit record. If you would rather run on an HDMI connection, it's worth shopping around: The Elgato box runs natively on the Mac, so it's a good candidate, and there are a few other cheaper options with different features out there as well. Whether you just want to capture some of your awesome gameplay, or you're thinking about starting up your own Yogscast channel, this box will help you do it (and lest I forget to mention, there's also a pretty groovy green LED that lights up when you're recording!). But if it's not exactly perfect for your setup, it's definitely worth looking around at other options before you choose what to buy.
Windows Phone exec exits five months after being poached from Samsung
Microsoft's Gavin Kim was a high-profile capture for Redmond, as it poached the former Samsung and Motorola exec to bolster its Windows Phone marketing team. Now, just five months into the job, he's departing after marshaling the "Smoked by Windows Phone" campaign into the world. The company wouldn't go into specifics beyond saying that it was a personal decision to leave and Microsoft bears him no ill will -- but then that's what they always say. He'll be replaced by Eugene Ho, who now has the job of continuing the burgeoning platform's upward trajectory and winning around those European carriers who've greeted it with little more than apathy.
Apple 'captures' new iPads due to WiFi complaints
Ah, it's that old Apple chestnut, reception issues. Apple is investigating complaints from customers over poor WiFi-connectivity on its new iPad. According to a lengthy forum thread, many users are experiencing connection drops and poor performance. An internal AppleCare document has now leaked to 9to5Mac, explaining how Apple is to "capture" and replace 3rd generation tablets that suffer from the intermittent connectivity. The issues appear to affect the WiFi-only model of Apple's latest hardware, with SIM-connected variants apparently safe due to the black antenna panel. Employees are told to test that iPads aren't suffering issues due to software kinks and return wonky units to engineers for testing and a full health check. Check out the leaked internal memo (and compare symptoms) over at the source.
Daily Mac App: Screeny 2 let you capture video of your desktop with ease
Inevitably, there's going to be a time when you need to capture video of your screen. Someone might ask you to demo an app or document a bug, and you'll need have a reliable application to grab a quick video of your desktop. Instead of scrambling, you should be prepared and have Screeny installed on your Mac. Screeny is a lightweight, inexpensive screen capture app. It sits in the menu bar and launches with a simple click. The feature I like the most is the flexibility of the screen capture window. You can choose to capture the whole screen, capture a region with a preset dimension like 640x480 or capture using a custom dimension. The custom option is helpful as it lets you position the capture box right over the content you want to record. It's great for capturing a section of your browser window without revealing all your open tabs, for example. If you don't want video, you can just press the camera button to take a quick screenshot. Besides your desktop, Screeny also lets you capture video from the webcam on your Mac. Video recordings are saved alongside your movies in the Screeny folder. They are recorded and saved in QuickTime MOV format, which makes them easy to edit on your Mac. Images, likewise, are saved alongside your pictures in the Screeny folder as PNGs. Screeny is flexible and at US$14.99 is very affordable. I've been using Screeny along with the Reflection app to grab some videos of iOS apps in action. Capturing is quick and easy, and editing is a breeze with iMovie. Screeny is not as robust as Camtasia, but it's a fraction of the cost which makes it appealing for users who need to capture desktop videos every once in a while. You can buy Screeny from the Mac App Store.
DollyCam app lets you stabilize iPhone 4 videos, we go hands-on (video)
Apple's iPhone 4 can serve as a great little camcorder when you're in a bind, but it's never been our go-to cam for video shoots. Not only is its small sensor not best suited for high-quality HD shooting, but the smartphone form factor can be awkward to hold, resulting in shakier than normal footage. A new app called DollyCam, which also supports iPad 2, helps soften the blow of the latter, letting you successfully stabilize videos -- with a few drawbacks. We took our iPhone 4 out to test a watermarked free version of the app in New York City, shooting a scene first with the phone's native app, and then with DollyCam. It won't replace a hardware solution like the Steadicam Smoothee, but it's significantly cheaper and more convenient. The only major issues we noticed were related to softened sound capture of all things (pay close attention in the video past the break), and the fact that the app can't process in real-time, so a minute-long video clip will need about five minutes to process. The app does crop your footage slightly, as can be expected. You'll also need to remain in the app as it's processing, though you can also stabilize videos later, after completing your shoot. Overall, it's an acceptable solution, especially considering the $2.99 price tag. Jump past the break to see original and stabilized clips, and browse through the gallery below for a quick look at the interface.%Gallery-130039% [Thanks, Jon]
Kogeto Dot takes panoramic video with the iPhone 4
The Kogeto Dot is an interesting little device. It's a lens that attaches to your iPhone 4 and allows you to shoot 360 degree panoramic video with the iPhone's little camera. Engadget tried it out, and they found it a little awkward -- you have to hold the iPhone perpendicular to the floor as you shoot, which means you can't actually see the screen unless you're holding it high above your head. But usability really isn't the emphasis here -- the lens comes with an app that will straighten out your video and even allow you to stream it right from the iPhone, so portability is the main driver in this case. The company also has a standalone panoramic capture system already, so they've got some experience in the field to play off of, even if the actual iPhone implementation is a bit hacky. The Dot is currently available for preorder for US$98, pending actual production of the item. It'd be cool to see some video shot on location in this way, though for most panoramic shots, odds are you'd have gear built more specifically for the task.
Roxio debuts $100 Game Capture device to record your console heroics
Looking to record some of your marathon Call of Duty sessions for posterity and (potential) internet fame? Then you likely won't find a much cheaper or easier solution than Roxio's new Game Capture device, which will be available later this month for just $99.99. As you might expect, however, that bargain price comes with one fairly big drawback -- it will only capture video at 480p, although you can apparently still play at up to 1080p on your TV. PC gamers can also make use of Roxio's new PC Game Capture software to record their games, and both options include a variety of editing tools that will let you handle transitions, commentary, background music, and other basics. Head on past the break for the complete press release.
Alganon patches Phase III PvP update
Destruction, terror, and mayhem came to Alganon this past November with the arrival of the game's first PvP patch. This week, the free-to-play fantasy MMORPG is tweaking the functionality with Phase III of its planned PvP rollout which includes a couple of noteworthy additions. First up is the new tower mechanic. In a nutshell, the towers are PvP-enabled zones that automatically flag players for conflict five seconds after they've entered. Temporary promotions will be in effect for characters from levels 10 to 49, and statistics and action levels will be raised to level 50 for the duration of a player's time in the tower zone. The towers can also be captured, which brings bonuses to every member of your faction in the zone. The Quest devs have also added local and world defense chat channels to facilitate battlefield communication. Finally, the new patch has also increased the renown level cap to 10 and there is new PvP gear for sale at various capital city quartermaster NPCs. Read all the details on Alganon's 2.5.2 patch at the official website.
Hauppauge officially announces HD PVR support in Windows Media Center
If you're thinking about going the Media Center DVR route but can't or won't get hooked up with a CableCARD don't forget there's another option available to pull in those premium channels now that the $199 Hauppauge HD PVR is supported as a TV recorder in Windows 7. There's been a few updates since the feature was added in beta back in June, which lets users select programs via the Media Center guide to be captured and encoded in MPEG-4 over the device's component video inputs (HDTV resolutions up to 1080i and 5.1 surround sound are supported) while the PC controls connected satellite or cable TV set-top boxes with an included IR blaster. There's still a limit of one tuner per PC and a thread over on TheGreenButton reveals the experience can still be a bit glitchy, but if you've just got to have Windows Media Center and NFL Sunday Ticket then some compromises will be necessary.
Capture Skype video calls with SkypeCap for Mac 3.0
Earlier in the week TUAW reported on the release of Skype 2.8, which allows screen sharing and now provides better video calls as well. There are many different ways of capturing Skype audio & video -- we use eCamm's CallRecorder to record the TUAW Talkcast every week, for example -- but there are other ways to tackle video recording. I use my favorite screen capture application, Snapz Pro X from Ambrosia Software, to nab Skype videos now, but I find that if I bring up other screens while I'm capturing, I end up ruining the video.The recently released SkypeCap for Mac 3.0 is able to capture both audio and video chats from Skype, and since it taps into the Skype video stream you can open other windows on your Mac without capturing them as well. The application also converts the captured video into a number of formats, including MP4, .swf, and .flv. If you're in the market for a Skype audio/video recorder, you may want to look at SkypeCap. However, the price tag (US$49.95) of the application is a bit out of line for what it does. CallRecorder also captures Skype video at a third of the price (US$14.95), and has a good reputation as a solid program. Do you capture Skype video calls? If so, what's your favorite Mac application for grabbing them? Leave a comment below.Update: Looks like we jumped the gun on this one. Version 2.1 is the only version available for purchase and download at this time.[via MacTech News]
Terminal Tips: Change your current screenshot format
Do you like using the built-in Mac OS X screenshot utility but dislike the format of the output file? With this simple Terminal hack, you can easily change the file format of the image. Open Terminal.app (/Applications/Utilities) and type the following command: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpgYou can replace "jpg" with your desired file format (example: tiff, pdf, png, etc.). If you wish to change it back to defaults, Mac OS X originally grabs screens in png format. To activate the changes, just logout of your account and then log back in. Want more tips and tricks like this? Visit TUAW's Mac 101 and Terminal Tips sections.
