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Polaroid's new $99 instant camera uses autofocus to change modes
More than a year after Polaroid Originals gave us the OneStep+, it's ready to share another old-school, analogy camera: the Polaroid Now. This time around, Polaroid Originals has traded the dual lenses for a new autofocus lens, and it has stripped away some of the connectivity features, like those that made remote selfies possible.
Pixel 4 will automatically screen robocalls and center your Duo videos
To keep its phones from steadily getting worse over time, Google plans to roll out bigger updates, called feature drops, to its Pixel devices. The first feature drop, rolling out this month, will bring the latest Call Screen features and improved Duo video calls to the Pixel 4. And even if you have a slightly older Pixel, the feature drop will let you add Portrait Blur to photos you've already taken.
iOS 13 makes it easier to browse, view and edit photos and videos
Aside from the introduction of that system-wide dark mode in iOS 13, Apple is also making it easier to browse, view and edit your photos and videos. At WWDC 2019, the company showed off a new version of its Photos app that's designed to "remove duplicates and clutter and focus on your best shots." Powered by machine learning, this feature will put your best shots front and center, and you can narrow them down by selecting the new Days, Months and Years tabs. With Days, for instance, the pictures or videos that system thinks you'll like the most will get more real estate on your screen. And you can pinch-to-zoom to view all of your pictures in one go, as well.
Google explains the Pixel 3's improved AI portraits
Google's Pixel 3 takes portrait photos that are more accurate than its predecessor could take when new, which is no mean feat when you realize that the upgrade comes solely through software. But just what is Google doing, exactly? The company is happy to explain. It just posted a look into the Pixel 3's (or really, the Google Camera app's) Portrait Mode that illustrates how its AI changes produce portraits with fewer visual glitches.
Christie’s will auction AI-generated art for the first time
In October, Christie's Prints and Multiples art auction will include a portrait of a man named Edmond De Belamy, one of 11 portraits of the Belamy family. The man is depicted in a dark coat with a white collar, his facial features indistinct. Blank areas around the work's edges suggest it was unfinished. To many, the work may appear right at home at an auction house such as Christie's. But Edmond isn't real. In fact the entire Belamy family is a work of fiction. And the portraits weren't painted by a human, but by AI.
Apple's Portrait Lighting uses AI to color our memories
People already hate inane Snapchat-like AI photo filters, but a new trick called Portrait Lighting on Apple's iPhone 8 and X might cause even more dismay. Here's how Apple VP Phil Schiller describes it: "You compose a photo, the dual cameras and the ISP sense the scene, they create a depth map, and they actually change the lighting contours over the face." At first glance, that sounds like a nice, innocent feature, but it might one day create much more consternation than puking rainbows.
Instagram Direct doesn't care about your photo orientation
Instagram Direct debuted in 2013 as a way to send photos and videos, well, directly to your friends on the photo sharing service. The Facebook-owned company has added more features to the system over the intervening years, like threaded messaging, disappearing messages and live video. Instagram Direct's latest update adds two more features aimed at creating a more robust messaging service: non-square images and links.
Apple releases iOS 10.1, adds Portrait mode to the iPhone 7 Plus
The Portrait mode for Apple's iPhone 7 Plus has been in the works for months, and now it's ready for the masses... sort of. People with the 7 Plus who are running beta software have been able to shoot photos full of artificial bokeh for over a month now, but Apple just pushed out its iOS 10.1 update, which means Portrait mode is here (along with a bunch of bugfixes and support for transit directions in Japan). Now, here's the thing: Even though you don't need to be enrolled in the iOS beta program to use the feature anymore, the feature itself still isn't completely done. Once the update is installed, the camera app asks if you'd like to "try the beta" when you swipe into the new Portrait position.
Art exhibit lets you draw on a 3D self-portrait
Most self-portraits are, by definition, solo affairs. However, artists Alon Chitayat and Rosalie Yu are blurring those lines a bit. Their Skin Deep art installation lets you draw on 3D-scanned models of the creators, giving their self-portraits your own creative spin. You don't even need any special tools -- all you do is doodle on specially marked paper, and webcams translate the relevant sections to textures. While you sadly won't have an easy time trying Skin Deep yourself (it was made as part of New York University's Interactive Telecommunications Program), it's easy to see the underlying concept applying elsewhere. You could see games where players personalize their characters, or 3D painting programs where real-world art adds some flair to digital masterpieces.
Here's how the first 3D-printed presidential portrait was made
One of the highlights of the White House's first-ever Maker Faire was another first: a 3D-printed portrait that recreated the President's head with uncanny detail. But just how did this eerily realistic image come to be? The White House is more than eager to explain, apparently. As you'll see in the clip below, the bust's creators (Autodesk, 3D Systems, the Smithsonian and the University of Southern California) surrounded President Obama with 50 LED lights, 14 cameras and handheld 3D scanners to capture every nuance of his skin. After that, they used high-resolution 3D printers to recreate the hyper-detailed model. It's not clear if this will become a custom for future US presidents. However, it's easy to see this technology becoming a valuable historical tool -- you could always know exactly what heads of state (and celebrities, for that matter) looked like in their prime.
Grandma plus iPad equals artistic expression
Reddit user Oxide42 posted the above photo of his grandmother with the following caption: Bought my Grandma an iPad. She's 84 and never had a tablet, and wanted it for "art." I bought ArtRage for her and left her alone with her new toy for 30 minutes. This is what I came back to. Nice work, Grandma! ArtRage for iPad is currently on sale for $2.99, but talent is priceless (and apparently ageless, too).
ThinkGeek and Aperture Science do what they must, intro more Portal-themed goods because they can
Been yearning for more Portal 2-inspired goods from ThinkGeek? Fret not, dear test subject, the company's got some products ways that should satiate your desire for Cave Johnson-approved chachkas. Newly up for grabs are a $15 Aperture Science shower curtain, a $35 motion-sensing plush turret and a $40 Cave Johnson talking portrait -- think Billy Bass, but with a Portal twist. ThinkGeek's also announced a $30 Companion Cube cookie jar (the perfect companion for its Portal cookie cutters) and a $30 PotatOS Science Kit, complete with an insult-spewing "talking GLaDOS module." Sadly, the latter duo don't have an official release date just yet, and are merely listed as "coming soon." Of course, like the cake, they could just be lie. For the sake of science, portal past the break to find a press release with more details.
Kyle Lambert paints portraits with the iPad
UK-based visual artist Kyle Lambert put together a slideshow for Macworld that showcases the power of the iPad in the hands of professional. I couldn't create anything nearly as nice as this, but Lambert has been able to create a life-like portrait using only his fingers, the Brushes app for the iPad and an iPad as the canvas. It doesn't look like much when he starts with his rough outline, but the finished product is amazing. We won't spoil the fun by spilling his secrets here. You will have to travel to Macworld and learn the tricks of the trade from the expert himself.
Sprint rides the Express to Budget Town, available now for $20
Do you choo-choo-choose the Sprint Express, or does it choose you? The Now Network's mixing things up this holiday season by adding its own branded device -- in reality, a reworked Huawei Boulder that Sprint slapped its name on -- to the low end of its smartphone lineup. Known simply as the Express, it's a portrait QWERTY Android 2.3 handset that will set you back $20 with a two-year contract (after a $50 mail-in rebate). What you'll get in return for that hard-earned Jackson is a 2.6-inch QVGA (320 x 240) display, 3.2MP camera, 256MB of RAM, 512MB of internal storage (with expandable microSD slot), a 1,500mAh battery and a 3G mobile hotspot that supports up to five devices. We doubt it'll be the first stop on anybody's Black Friday shopping list, but we think it may actually get penciled into the schedule somewhere.
Microsoft talks Windows 8 portrait mode, really wants you to be proud of it (video)
If Apple is that paranoid friend that has four deadbolts on his door and a loaded weapon in every room, then Microsoft is the over-sharer who tweets where, when and what he had for lunch -- including both before and after photos (and we're not talking about pictures of a clean plate). Redmond wants you to know about everything it does -- no accomplishment is too minor for a lengthy explanation of the what and why. Take for example, portrait mode. Windows 8 will have one. We know what you're thinking, "well I would frackin' hope so," but the devs want you to know this isn't just some feature they slapped in the OS knowing people would expect it. The team studied users both familiar with and new to the tablet form factor. They looked at grip, posture and when people chose to rotate their slates. And, if you're some weirdo who likes reading things on their side, there's a rotation lock option. For more details hit up the source link and the video after the break.
Motorola Admiral outed as mystery Sprint Direct Connect device, strikes a pose for the camera
That unnamed Motorola smartphone coming this fall to help usher in Sprint's new CDMA-based Direct Connect service? It appears to be the Admiral. If the name sounds familiar, its trademarked logo actually appeared simultaneously with the Samsung Epic 4G Touch. But it's so much more than a name now, thanks to a tipster who sent in an image of the device next to some well-detailed specs. The Admiral will likely be a portrait QWERTY Android 2.3 device powered by a 1.2GHz single-core Qualcomm MSM8655 CPU, and will feature a 3.1-inch VGA display, 5 megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording and a stellar 1,860mAh battery. Oh, and it's a rugged phone that's built according to 810G military specifications. If this truly is the mystery Motorola Direct Connect smartphone we've been waiting for, it's bound to turn a few hard-hat-donning heads. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Motorola Pro+ announced with Gingerbread, few other improvements
As it turns out, Plus is becoming the new Moto sequel. Soon after announcing the Defy+, a phone that offers a moderate bump in specs from its predecessor, HelloMoto is back at it again with the Pro+. This obvious follow-up to the Motorola Pro (or Droid Pro, as it's known in the US) doesn't bring much of an improvement to the table. It's adorned with the same 1GHz CPU, 3.1-inch VGA (640 x 480) display, 512MB of RAM and five megapixel camera; the largest differences in the new model are the inclusion of Android 2.3, 4GB of internal storage, an improved battery (1,600mAh) and a rounded design -- in contrast to the original's squared look. It's due in Asia and Europe starting in October, so keep an eye out... if that "Plus" is enough to excite you. Head below for the full press release.
Nokia E6 available to pre-order in UK, still on track for June release
The pre-ordering frenzy already began for the Nokia E6 in other parts of Europe, but the baton finally landed in the hands of UK Symbian enthusiasts. The sleek and sexy portrait QWERTY is up for grabs SIM-free on the official site for £349. We imagine this may not be enough to entice the average Joe, but then again, any folks interested in doing a pre-order have likely been eyeing this device for quite some time now. We can understand the intrigue, as this is an ideal upgrade for E71 or E72 owners: it's the same overall design, but adds Symbian Anna and a 2.46-inch capacitive touchscreen that employs the same pixel density (326ppi) as the iPhone 4's Retina Display. If pre-orders aren't your style, we're expecting it to land in stores sometime near the end of June. But if you just have to be the first kiddo on the block to own an E6, move onward to the source link to start the pre-order.
Dell Venue Pro arrives in the UK at long last: £459 off contract, shipping in 10 days (update: Germany also)
Time for a quick memory check: remember the WP7 slider that Dell announced some months ago? That's right, it's the Venue Pro -- the one that's been struggling to meet demand in the US due to some mysterious reworking. Well, here's some good news for the folks on the other side of the pond: starting today, Dell's UK store is taking orders for this unlocked slider for a hefty £459 ($745), and the first deliveries are expected to arrive in 10 days. Man, these wicked people from Round Rock sure love making us wait, but better late than never, right? Update: We've been informed by our friends over at BestBoyZ that Germany's also getting the Venue Pro today for around €534.
Motorola Pro: the Droid Pro takes a European vacation
You do realize that Mobile World Congress is underway in Barcelona, right? To celebrate, Motorola just announced a Eurofied Droid Pro under the more succinct Motorola Pro moniker. The portrait QWERTY candybar features Android 2.2 running on a 1GHz processor and 3.1-inch HGVA touchscreen display. But this pup's all business with the ability to remote wipe the device and SD card and integrated VPN, Quickoffice, and complex password support. See it in action after the break.
