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Facebook's 3D photos will work with Insta360's 'tiny planet' images
Insta360 rarely disappoints when it comes to adding new app features for its 360 cameras. In the latest update for the One X, users will be able to upload "tiny planet" photos as 3D photos to Facebook, so long as your Facebook app is also up to date. The process is simple: Just pick your desired 360 shot, choose to share via Facebook, and you'll see the new "3D Planet" option which exports your image as a 3D photo. Then it's just a matter of creating a new post in the Facebook app, select "3D photo" and then pick your freshly made 3D planet.
Facebook's mobile apps now take 360-degree photos
Standalone cameras and apps that can take 360-degree photos and videos are a must if they're essential to your job or if they fit your lifestyle. But if you find yourself taking spherical images merely once in a blue moon, you may not need them at all. Facebook's iOS and Android apps can now capture 360-degree photos without the help of a third-party application or an extra device. All you have to do is launch the app and pick the "360 Photo" option at the top of your News Feed. Press the blue button and follow the path on screen to complete a full spherical image -- you can then choose the photo's starting point.
Insta360's 'affordable' 8K VR camera is up for pre-orders
With the recent VR announcements at Facebook's F8 conference, things are certainly getting a lot more interesting in the 360 content space, especially with the new hardware that can shoot in six degrees of freedom for an unprecedented level of immersion. However, the current wave of professional-grade 360 cameras are still cost-prohibitive for many studios, with the Nokia Ozo asking for $40,000 and the original Facebook Surround reference design costing about $30,000 to build. This is where Insta360 comes in with its $3,499 8K VR camera, the Pro, which is now open for pre-orders ahead of tomorrow's NAB Show in Las Vegas.
Arqball modeling app now works almost anywhere
A while ago, we covered the Arqball Spin, a special stage which, when used with an app, allowed anyone to create a 3D model of any object by rotating your iPhone's camera around it a few times. Back then, the whole thing was more idea than actual product, because you needed a special setup (so your iPhone could line up and see what you were modeling at exactly the right angle). However, Arqball has now released a new version of the app, and it's a lot more adaptable. You can now use essentially any rotating stage (from a record turntable to a lazy susan), and the free app will let you capture and model almost any object. There's also a beta version of the app out for Android as well (though that doesn't matter much to us iOS users), and Arqball is also working on a feature that would let users import video of a spin from somewhere else, for example a higher quality DSLR, and/or share finished spin videos out to anyone else. The details on that aren't final yet -- Arqball says sharing may require an extra service fee of some kind. But clearly the tech is moving forward. In the future, getting a 3D view like this may be as simple as just taking a few pictures yourself.
