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Apple's 2020 iPhones may use laser-assisted 3D cameras
Apple's plans to improve iPhone photography might go well beyond adding a third rear camera. Bloomberg sources say the tech giant is developing a 3D camera system that uses a laser scanner to capture depth information at distances much greater than the dot projection system used in Face ID on current iPhones. Augmented reality is reportedly the main focus, since this would help gauge dimensions, but it would also help with portrait mode photos that currently have to rely on software to detect foreground objects.
Facebook Messenger's camera fakes portrait mode photos
Facebook Messenger's camera just caught up to Instagram's in a few key areas, and then some. To start, you can snap software-based portrait mode photos -- if you don't have a dual-camera phone (or one with clever AI photography), you can still get that blurred background for your headshots. You can also shoot animated Boomerang loops if you want to capture a brief bit of movement without recording a whole video.
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.
iPhone XR may take portrait photos of non-humans through an app
The iPhone XR can take some quality portrait mode photos with its single camera, but there's a catch: for now, its reliance on software-based object detection limits it to photos of people. You might have more flexibility before long. The developers of the camera app Halide have found enough available depth data to snap portrait shots of non-human objects, starting with pets. The depth map is crude and could lead to more "temperamental" photography than with the iPhone XS' dual cameras, particularly in situations where there's not enough difference between the foreground and background. However, it's at least "usable."
Instagram 'Focus' fakes portrait mode on single-camera phones
You no longer need dual cameras or a Pixel 2 to take DSLR-like portrait photos with your phone... provided you're using Instagram. The social service has rolled out a Focus camera mode that will soften the background the moment it detects a face in the scene, giving you that portrait mode effect no matter how many cameras your phone has. It's available on the iPhone 6S and newer Apple devices, as well as "select" Android handsets.
Google's Pixel 2 portrait photo code is now open source (update: not quite)
Of all the AI-related features inside the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, the portrait mode is arguably the most impressive -- Google manages to produce dramatic-looking depth-of-field effects without relying on dual cameras or other exotic hardware. And now, it's sharing some of those secrets with the rest of the world. The company has opened up the source code for DeepLab-v3+, an AI-based image segmentation technology similar to that which helps Pixel 2 phones separate the foreground and background. It uses a neural network to detect the outlines of foreground objects, helping to classify the objects you care about in a scene while ignoring those you don't.
Pixel 2’s ‘Portrait Mode’ unofficially makes it to non-Google phones
While Google's Pixel 2 didn't change much from its predecessor, which came out only a year before, one of the newer smartphone's standout features is the background-blurring Portrait mode. But this photo tech might not be exclusive to Google's flagship phone anymore: Members of XDA Developers community got Portrait Mode working on other devices, from the original Pixel to non-Google devices running Android Oreo.
Apple invests $390 million into Face ID and AirPod tech
Apple has made another investment with its Advanced Manufacturing Fund (AMF), awarding Finisar $390 million. If the name doesn't sound familiar, its work will. Finisar is the company behind the iPhone X's Face ID, Animoji and Portrait mode for selfies -- all of which rely on vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL). It's also responsible for your AirPods' proximity sensing tech. The investment means Finisar will set up shop in a 700,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Texas in addition to expanding its research and development team.
Essential Phone joins the portrait mode photo party
The Essential Phone's camera was one of its bigger weak spots at launch. A few months (and a handful of updates) later and things have gotten better. The latest patch adds a portrait mode along with an exposure compensation control. As Android Police notes, the patch also includes a tweak to the device's JPEG compression algorithm that'll hopefully boost image quality, along with the usual stability fixes.
Apple's new iPhones use AI 'Portrait Lighting' to improve shots
Apple's iPhone 8 and 8 Plus cameras are similar to those on the previous models, and the new iPhone X has a similar dual camera arrangement to the 8 Plus. While the hardware hasn't changed dramatically, there are some interesting new software features, though, most notably one called "Portrait Lighting." Taking advantage of the camera's multi-focus feature, it can separate you from the background and blur it out, as before, but now uses AI to examine the contours of your face and "light" you in a variety of flattering or dramatic ways.
The Morning After: Tuesday October 25th 2016
While you were sleeping, we found out where you can still buy a Galaxy Note 7 (don't), Apple added Portrait mode to its flagship iPhone 7 Plus, and we're thinking about what Microsoft has planned for later this week.
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.
BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 beta ready for download: better portrait mode and Android app support
That Michael Clewely is a man of his word. Not only has the PlayBook OS 2.1 beta version arrived just when he promised, but it also brings some handy additions that nudge the tablet a little closer to the land of fulfilled potential. There's portrait support for the Email, Calendar and Contacts apps, along with full device encryption and some smaller tweaks like .png screenshots and improved email folder support. The Android runtime has also been bolstered to allow multiple apps to run in separate windows, access the camera module and support in-app payments via the BlackBerry Payment SDK. There'll be more stuff in this update, according to RIM, but we'll have to wait (there's that word again) until the commercial release. You'll find the beta registration link below.
BlackBerry PlayBook gets demoed in portrait mode
It's brief and a bit blurry, but in the midst of a 14-minute demonstration of the BlackBerry PlayBook the folks from Lotusphere Podcasts scored something of a first: a demo of the tablet finally using portrait mode. Unfortunately, we don't get a look at much more than the home screen and the keyboard, and it appears that the functionality might not be perfected just yet -- the PlayBook used for the first ten minutes of the video was the usual horizontal-only deal, and the portrait-enabled model was quickly put back on the table after the brief demo. Hit up the source link below for the complete video, and look for the portrait mode to make an appearance around the 10:55 mark.
