time-lapse
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The Hubble Telescope caught a supernova outshining every star in its galaxy
The Hubble Space Telescope got a rare look at one of the most awesome light shows in the universe, catching a supernova that outshone every star in its galaxy.
GoPro's Max gets much-needed 360 time lapse features
The 360 camera is getting a firmware update that adds a few features that were missing at launch. The addition of time lapse in 360 mode fills a glaring gap in the Max spec sheet.
Google is adding time-lapse mode to every Pixel camera
Pixel phones are getting a new camera mode. Google announced today during its I/O developer conference that a time-lapse option will be coming to all Pixel smartphones. The feature is available out of the box on the new Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL, and will be made available in the camera app on Pixel, Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 devices following an upcoming update.
Google researchers create amazing timelapses from public photos
There are a zillion digital photos in the public domain and scientists have just figured out something very cool to do with them. A team from Google and the University of Washington have developed a fully automated way to create time-lapse videos of popular tourists landmarks using images from Flickr, Picasa and other sites. Here's how it works: first, the researchers sorted some 86 million photos by geographic location, looking for widely snapped landmarks. Next, the photos were ordered by date and warped so that all had a matching viewpoint. Lastly, each photo was color-corrected to have a similar appearance, resulting in uniform time-lapse videos (below).
Pico: Use your iPhone to program DSLR time-lapse photographs
iOS 8 brought the power of time-lapse photography to a whole new audience, some of whom probably now wish that they could use their digital SLR cameras to shoot higher resolution time-lapse videos. Pico (US$50 minimum pledge) is a Kickstarter campaign from Minnesota-based Mindarin that brings sophisticated time-lapse capabilities to almost any DSLR through a tiny device that you program with your iPhone, then plug into your camera. The Pico team was kind enough to send me a pre-production version of Pico for testing, along with access to a beta version of the iPhone app. When I say that Pico is tiny, I mean it - it's a round "lozenge" about an inch in diameter and about 7/16 of an inch thick, with a standard headphone jack sticking out of one side. Inside the plastic case is a battery that's designed to last for eight years. The entire thing weighs just 0.4 ounces (11 grams), so it's not going to weigh you down. By itself, Pico can't do much other than look like a large cherry cough drop (well, it does have secret powers I'll disclose in a minute, but bear with me here...). But plug it into an iPhone's headphone port and run the app, and suddenly you can program Pico to do amazing things with your DSLR. The Pico app currently provides a simple interface for programming a time-lapse. You enter how long you want to have your camera continue shooting, the interval between exposures, and even a start time if you wish to have the camera begin shooting a specific time. Turn up the volume on your iPhone, press the "Send" button on the app, and it programs the plugged-in Pico device. Now, take the included adaptor cable, plug it into the remote port on your DSLR, and watch the magic happen automatically. What's great about Pico is that you can just set it, put your DSLR on a tripod, and let it get to work without worrying about accidentally bumping your camera. Eventually, the team plans to add some other capabilities to the Pico app: taking multiple photos as varying exposures to help in making High Dynamic Range (HDR) images, adding Bulb Ramping (used to compensate for natural changes in light, like day to night sequences), and Speed Ramping, which adjusts the interval length during the timelapse to speed up or slow down the created video. That secret power of Pico I alluded to earlier? Well, there's a manual mode built in if you don't happen to have your iPhone with you. You just press and hold Pico, and it begins beeping once a second. Count the number of beeps to reach the desire interval, and then just let it continue shooting until you unplug Pico to stop it. For DSLR-owning iPhone users, this is a wonderful accessory that can help you stretch your photographic capabilities. The project is currently 60.5 percent funded with a month to go; let's see if TUAW readers can push this one over the top.
A new app takes Time Lapse photos in HDR
Apple's new Time Lapse feature in iOS 8 has spawned several apps that want to improve on the basic time lapse capability. That brings us to the aptly named Time Lapse with HDR app (US$1.99) from Lucky Clan. It's an additional feature for the company's Time Lapse app which I reviewed this summer. The app adds a simple HDR button on screen to invoke the feature. This feature can only be enabled under iOS 8 and it's going to work best on the new faster iPhone 6 and 6 Plus phones, although the app is universal. The Time Lapse feature without HDR needs only iOS 7 or above. The app provides an automatically generated preview after a bit of recording to show you how things are looking. The app is billed as the first HDR time lapse app, but actually I reviewed another capable app with similar functionality back in July. Time Lapse with HDR is easy enough to use. Choose an interval between one frame a second and one frame every 60 seconds, engage the HDR mode and press the record button. I tried some shots from a moving car, and also shot a time lapse video from a high hill to get an image of moving clouds. The quality was excellent. The HDR effect is natural, rather than over-the-top. I have a dedicated little HDR time lapse camera from Brinno, and I thought this app did just about as well. Time Lapse with HDR doesn't have night modes or any adjustments like the Brinno, but this app will satisfy many users. There's a sample video available on YouTube, but frankly, my own tests looked a bit better. Your videos are saved to the camera roll; there are no post-processing options. Time Lapse HDR works well, and will give your outdoor time lapse photography an edge.
How Apple implemented time-lapse video in iOS 8
One of the great new software-based camera features Apple tossed into its bag of iOS 8 tricks is the ability to take time-lapse video footage. Curious as to how Apple implemented the feature, designer Dan Provost of StudioNeat -- purveyor of the Glif -- recently conducted a number of tests to determine what the iPhone's camera software was up to behind the scenes. Provost soon discovered that Apple's time-lapse feature was cleverly designed and works to ensure that even longer clips don't unnecessarily eat into your device's storage: What Apple means by "dynamically selected intervals" is they are doubling the speed of the time-lapse and taking half as many pictures per second as the recording duration doubles. Sounds complex, but it's actually very simple. This is an efficient way to assemble a time-lapse. When you start recording a time-lapse, the app only captures 2 frames per second. If the recording period extends beyond 10 minutes, the app switches to capturing only 1 frame per second, and deletes every other frame it had captured in the first 10 minutes. An elegant solution, to be sure. Make sure to check out Provost's full post for more details regarding the nuts and bolts behind iOS 8's time-lapse feature.
Instagram's Hyperlapse app gets a sped-up selfie mode
Regular selfie vids just won't cut it anymore. We live in the age of Hyperlapse after all, and now Instagram is offering the high-speed option for that front-facing cam. With a new update to its standalone iOS app, the filter-driven outfit allows you to employ its time-lapse tool to document those vacation selfie moments and more. All you have to do is tap the appropriate icon on the app's home screen to toggle between cameras before capturing the footage and beaming it to Instagram, Facebook or your phone's library. The new version is live in the iTunes App Store now, so have at it.
Instagram's new Hyperlapse video app is a time lapse powerhouse
The video capabilities of the iPhone took a massive leap forward today with the release of Hyperlapse, a powerful new time lapse photography app from Instagram. Hyperlapse uses Instagram's stabilization technology to shoot cinematic time lapse videos. Instagram's stabilization technology smooths out your videos, removing any odd bumps or shakes, to create professional-looking time lapse videos from the palm of your hand. Normally getting shots like this would require a Steadicam or expensive tracking equipment for your camera. Videos shot with Hyperlapse can be sped up to 12 times their original speed, then shared to Instagram, Facebook, or your camera roll. Best of all, the app doesn't require you to make an account or log in before you can get started. You just download, point, shoot, and watch. You can download Hyperlapse for free right now in the iTunes store, and watch a preview of what Hyperlapse videos look like below. If you're interested in the development of the app, Wired has put together a wonderful piece interviewing the team behind it, which you can read right here. TUAW will feature a full hands-on review of Hyperlapse in the next few days.
Instagram's Hyperlapse app turns shaky video into smooth time-lapse
The videos you see on Instagram right now are rarely worth writing home about -- after all, most people just slap filters on them and cast them out into the social ether. As it turns out, the folks at Instagram have cooked up a new to create truly beautiful shareable videos with a new app they call Hyperlapse. In traditional Instagram fashion, it's a breeze to use: all of the heavy lifting is done behind the scenes, so all you have to do is record what's happening in front of you and choose how fast (between 1x and 12x) you want the resulting creation to play back. The end result? Some incredibly smooth, downright entrancing time-lapse videos that don't require a desktop to make.
Microsoft's found a way to smooth out your GoPro shakycam footage
GoPro footage is great when well-shot, but the jittery results from less-talented individuals can induce nausea or seizures. If you're interested in doing sped-up time lapse shots, however, Microsoft researchers have created an algorithm that makes them video game-smooth. Their technique is not like regular video stabilization, however. Instead, the "Hyperlapse" method first calculates a 3D camera path and rough geometry of the scene. Then it creates a smooth new optimized camera path, which is used to stitch and blend existing frames to create new output frames. The team has created several sample videos as shown below, and we've got to hand it to them -- despite some artifacts, the final results feel like nearly like flying.
Beautiful iOS 8 time lapse video shows a father's morning with special needs child
One of the features of iOS 8 we're most excited about is the ability to shoot time lapse videos natively. While there are apps available in the iTunes store that add this feature, we're looking forward to seeing what people will create when they discover the feature themselves. Take baby William for example. William has a rare form of Downs Syndrome called Mosaic Downs Syndrome which requires his father to run through a complicated series of therapy activities in the morning. His father has made a beautiful, genuinely moving, video showing their morning routine using the new time lapse camera feature in iOS 8. From physical therapy in the form of "gymnastics" that must be done four times a day to play with favorite toys, feeding, and getting William ready for his nap, the video shows a busy morning in the life of a father and his special son. This is one of the advantages of a feature like time lapse becoming common rather than something you must know about to seek out in the App Store. When the ability is in the hands of everyone, it becomes easier for stories like William's to be told, and this is an incredible story of love to witness.
Apple's awesome iOS Camera feature they didn't mention on stage
Apple spent a whole lot of time talking about photos today during its WWDC 2014 keynote address. From iCloud Photo Library to smart image adjustments, there is clearly a lot to be excited about for iOS shutterbugs. But there is one feature that wasn't mentioned on-stage, yet it has appeared on Apple's iOS 8 teaser page: time-lapse videos. According to Apple's website: Capture the experience of the sun setting, a city street bustling, or a flower blooming with the new Time-lapse mode in Camera. iOS 8 does all the work, snapping photos at dynamically selected intervals. The result is a video showing an accelerated sequence of the photos over time. Just set up your device to shoot what you want. Swipe to select Time-lapse mode, tap the Record button, and let Camera record as long as you choose." That sounds pretty nifty, and while that functionality has already been done in third-party apps, getting it for free right in iOS is always a welcome addition.
Daily App: Lapse It Pro is a robust time-lapse tool that's easy for everyone to use
Time Lapse photography allows you to record a scene or landscape as it changes over time. With the right tools, you can create stunning videos of a busy city or a beautiful sunset. With its small size and non-retractable camera lens, the iPhone is perfectly suited to capture time-lapse photos. One of the best apps for capturing photos over time with your iOS device is Lapse It Pro from Interactive Universe. Unlike traditional iPhone photography where you fire up your camera app and start taking photos right away, time-lapse photography takes some preparation. You need a tripod or some other stand that will hold your iPhone for the duration of the capture. Don't try to do it by hand, unless the resulting shakiness is part of the effect that you are trying to create. You'll also need a power source for long-term captures as the app will quickly drain your battery. On the app side of the equation, you must spend a few minutes configuring the app to capture photos according to your needs. The app allows you to set the interval for capturing each frame, the capture limit (frame count, length of time or a manual limit determined by the user who can tap the stop button) and other variables such as resolution and brightness level. The app even includes a scheduling feature, allowing you to setup your capture rig, configure the app and walk away knowing your overnight captures will take place right on time. There are also multiple settings for the rendering engine, which will determine the quality of the final time-lapse video. You can change the encoder, the quality, and the frame rate. The frame rate is adjustable, so you can try different rates to get the best mix of fluid motion and playback speed. If you are unsure what a setting does, you can tap on it, and the app displays a brief description of the feature and how the changes affect the photos. When you have completed your capture, Lapse It allows you to edit the resulting collection of photographs. You can trim the series of photos and remove frames that you don't need. You also can add effects or music to the resulting video. When you have finished tweaking the images, you can render the output with the ability to save the video to your camera roll or publish it to an online service. If you need inspiration, Lapse It Pro has a social feature that allows you to view time-lapse captures from other users. You also can share your own projects and inspire others. Users can favorite clips in their Lapse It feed as well as view and add comments. There's also a profile that you can use to provide information about yourself. You do need a login to access the social side of the app, but it is available for free. With a decent tripod and Lapse It Pro, you'll be creating excellent time lapse photos in no time. The app has a well-designed interface that manages to pack in a lot of options without being overly confusing to the user. I also appreciated the useful tips that'll help new photographers get their bearing as they venture into time-lapse for the first time. Lapse It Pro is available from the iOS App Store for $1.99 and is compatible with the iPhone.
Thalia Lapse HD/R lets you take high-quality time-lapse movies in HDR on your iPhone
Thalia Lapse HD/R is an unwieldy name, but it's an app that does something that has been a bit of a holy grail for iPhone photographers. The app takes time-lapse sequences, but that's not the unique part. This US$2.99 app takes multiple exposures and tone maps them to give you a high-quality finished HDR movie with much better dynamic range than you would get taking single shots. The app also includes de-ghosting, so if there is any variation within the multiple shots, like blowing vegetation, it will be automatically eliminated. The app outputs in Apple Quicktime format at 1080p resolution, and you can add music from your iTunes library. In addition, the app lets you adjust the saturation, for striking colors or something more subdued. You can take your movie at resolutions other than 1080p, including VGA and 720p. You can also select how many seconds each frame will occupy in playback. The app uses the sensors in the iPhone to let you know if the phone is level, which is a great idea. A tripod or some type of steady platform is needed for this app to be effective. You're not going to be able to handhold your camera and get any worthwhile results. For my tests, I used a Joby GorillaPod stand, which was perfect for this kind of work. It's also important to have plenty of battery or be hooked up to a power source, because hours of photography will keep the screen on and that is a battery eater. Thalia Lapse HD/R is a really terrific app with some unique features. The HDR capabilities are the standout feature, and the app works as advertised. To have all this capability in a smartphone is a wonder, and if you've wanted to explore HDR time-lapse photography, you no longer have any reasons not to try it. Check out this online video to get an example of how the app works. Thalia Lapse HD/R requires iOS 6 and is optimized for the iPhone 5. It is a universal app, but I think it's best suited for the iPhone 5's high-resolution camera. %Gallery-193403%
Laika Believes in this cyber elephant speed-painting video, too
In this latest burst of time-lapse Laika Believes concept artwork from the folks at Minicore Studios, artist Devin Lawson breathes life into a distinctly ominous-looking cyber elephant. Well, we say life – in this case "soulless unending servitude" may be more appropriate.
Visualized: Space shuttle Endeavour goes on a crosstown journey through LA streets
The space shuttle Endeavour finally bid adieu to its fans in Southern California last weekend, not in the air, but on city streets. The L.A. Times captured this remarkable feat in a time-lapse video, and it's quite a sight to see the orbiter sailing past suburban houses and fast food drive-thrus. Along its 12-mile crosstown trip from LAX to the California Science Center in Exposition Park, the shuttle atop a special transporter had to maneuver past trees, utility poles and of course hundreds of enthralled residents. This came weeks after it made its farewell tour over the California coast perched on a Boeing 747. Take a peek at the Endeavour's final fascinating journey at the source.
Sony announces PlayMemories camera apps, will arrive on the NEX-5R first
On top of the NEX-5R announcement, Sony has unveiled new camera apps that will grace the rear screen of the aforementioned WiFi-enabled shooter first when it arrives in October. PlayMemories will feature downloadable software that can be installed on your Sony kit after purchase, offering new functionality for the device. The set of applications will feature the following options at launch: Picture Effect+, Bracket Pro, Multi Frame NR, Smart Remote Control and Direct Upload. The outfit plans add Photo Retouch alongside the Time-lapse and Cinematic Photo apps mentioned in today's presser sometime after the initial offerings roll out. When paired with PlayMemories Online, Mobile or Studio, you can view and transfer captured photos and videos on compatible TVs, smartphones, tablets and PS3 consoles. If more information is what you're after, consult the PR below to gather some more details.
Magic Window time-lapse desktop adds scenes, we look behind the curtain
I've looked at Magic Window a couple of times, first for the iPad and then in its OS X incarnation. The Mac version of the app has been updated today and now includes a total of 60 stunning scenes to spruce up your desktop or to use as a screensaver. The app is also on sale for $2.99 to celebrate the release of Mountain Lion. On the iPad or any iOS device Magic Window provides pretty time lapse images, but because of multitasking limitations in iOS you can't do anything else while the images display. On a Mac, you get a screensaver, or as I like to use it, as an ever-changing desktop background. You can display sunsets or sunrises over cities, or natural landscapes, all displayed in gradual time-lapse fashion. Having an app like this has always made me wonder what is behind it technically, so I put the question to Josh Michaels who developed Magic Window. Creating the time-lapse photos is quite a project. The scenes are captured with a Canon 5D Mark II camera (a pair of cameras, actually, so there is a backup). An intervalometer controls the time lapse parameters. Josh and his crew carry a tripod, ten batteries, 4 lenses and 2 TB of portable storage. Each image in the series is 21.1 MP and is processed using Lightroom, then with Final Cut plus some custom plug-ins and tools. Each setup takes 1-4 hours to shoot, and there are the inevitable issues with weather or someone walking in front of the camera. Josh says they have even been busted by security while shooting. It's especially rough in Las Vegas, he says, because casino operators just don't trust cameras, especially on tripods, and most especially when they are in one place for a long time. Magic Window is a very nice way to add some beauty to your desktop that subtly changes as your day moves on. The app is on sale for US $2.99 through the Mac App Store. An update to the iPhone and iPad versions will be out about the time iOS 6 is released. Check the gallery for some behind the scenes shots of the images being created. %Gallery-161491% #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Insert Coin: Radian lets you use your camera, iPhone and Android device for time lapse projects (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. We've seen our fair share of time lapse tools at Insert Coin, ranging from last year's Triggertrap to the more recent Timelapse+ and Genie rig. Now we're throwing in another Kickstarter project into the mix, a motion time-lapse gadget called the Radian. Shaped like an oversized hockey puck, the Radian works with any camera that has a trigger-release input and can be used with or without a tripod. The device can be programmed through either an Android or iPhone app and lets you disconnect your smartphone once you've got your settings dialed in. Otherwise, you can use the Radian to take time-lapse photography with your iPhone or Android smartphone as well. A pledge of $150 gets you the standard Radian, while ponying up extra moolah nabs you a charcoal-colored variant as well as other goodies. If successful, delivery is slated for January. For more details, check out the video and source link after the break.
