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FocusTwist lets you focus photos after taking a picture
A new app called FocusTwist by Arqball lets your iPhone do what a US$400 Lytro light field camera is used for. Like the Lytro, the FocusTwist app lets you adjust the focus a picture after you have taken it. However, the method of after-focusing is completely different in FocusTwist than it is in the Lytro. The Lytro uses specialized hardware and software (you can read about it here). FocusTwist, on the other hand, has a bit of trickery up its sleeve. The app actually takes several photos at different focus points when you expose an image. Users can change the focus by tapping different parts of the image. Arqball's back-end servers handle the image processing, so the images can even be refocused by any friends you've shared a photo with. Because the FocusTwist app takes a succession of rapid images at different focal lengths, the after-focusing feature only works well if you manage to hold your iPhone very steady while taking a pic. For best results, a tripod is handy. FocusTwist is US$1.99 and available in the App Store now.
FocusTwist app for iOS gives you Lytro-esque refocusable images
Arqball has just released the FocusTwist app for iOS that lets you selectively focus after taking an image -- without investing $400 in a Lytro light field camera. It works by automatically taking several shots with different focus points from your iPhone's camera, delivering the best results if you hold very still and have subjects in the near foreground and far background. You can then change focus by clicking different parts of the resulting image, which is hosted on the company's server and can be shared via a link. After playing with the app ourselves for a bit (see the More Coverage link), we've got to admit we're stupidly hooked -- you can grab it at the source for $1.99.
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.
Hands-on with Arqball Spin, the app that lets you create interactive 3D models
Sometimes, standard two dimensional photos, even those taken by a 41-megapixel sensor, simply aren't enough to accurately depict a three dimensional object. Enter Arqball Spin, a free app that lets anyone with an iOS device create high-quality 3D models of whatever they like. Using the iPhone's camera, the app takes a series of images and uses some software black magic to create the finished product. The model, or "spin", can be cropped and adjusted (brightness, saturation and contrast) like a regular photograph, plus users can create custom annotations to identify or comment on specific parts of the "spin" as well. Viewers can then rotate the model 360 degrees and zoom in on any part that piques their interest. While it's currently an Apple-centric affair, support for DSLRs and other hi-res cameras (by uploading videos to the company's website for processing) and other mobile platforms is in the pipeline. The app works best if the object is situated on Arqball's stage, which rotates at an optimal three RPM -- the stage isn't available yet, but the company's going the Kickstarter route to get the capital needed to start manufacturing. Those who pitch in now can grab a stage for $60, and it'll cost $20 more if you want to wait until it's on sale. Of course, the app still functions if you want to hold your iPhone or iPad and walk around your subject, but you won't get near the quality result that you can when using the stage. Because the "spins" are hosted on Arqball's servers, they can easily be embedded on any website via HTML. By making photo-realistic 3D modeling so easy and accessible, Arqball sees this technology as a perfect fit for online retailers, educators, and, ahem, even gadget reviewers. While the app holds obvious commercial appeal, the company's not counting out casual users, and hopes to see a future filled with user-created 3D content. We got to see the app in action, and walked away thoroughly impressed with both the speed of the app and the detailed models it produces -- but you don't have to take our word for it, see a sample spin and our hands-on video after the break.
