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Cycloramic teaches users a DIY phone hack so the app keeps working
We first covered Cycloramic in 2012 thanks to the inventive photography app's clever way of taking hands-free panoramic shots. Users simply placed the iPhone standing up on its flat edges and the app would activate the device's vibration function to spin the phone around to in a circle. You can set the device to spin 360 degrees, or 720 or 1080 if you want a longer shot. It's a solid app. Then came the sleep curved edges of the iPhone 6, and suddenly Cycloramic had a problem -- you can't rest your phone on its sides anymore. Cycloramic could have just abandoned the app they've poured so much effort into, or they could find a work around, perhaps using equipment that customers already possess. To that end, Cycloramic has released this video showing iPhone 6 users a DIY hack that keeps their app functioning using just the basic iPhone USB charger. You can watch the video for yourself here and purchase Cycloramic on the iTunes store, here.
Cycloramic spins your iPhone 5 by itself
Reader Jonathan H. just sent us word of a new app in the store called Cycloramic, and I just had to post about it right away because it's kind of blowing my mind. The app is available for US$0.99 right now, and it's meant only for the iPhone 5, because here's what it does: When the app is run and your iPhone is placed vertically on a flat, smooth surface (like glass or granite), the app will make your phone vibrate in such a way that it "spins" around slowly. You can see it working in the video below, although the video's soundtrack of course doesn't reveal the phone's vibration element grinding itself away. I had to see this in action, so I downloaded the app for my iPhone 5, and sure enough, it works. The app will take a video, and you can set it to spin 360 degrees, or 720 or 1080 if you want a longer shot. I don't know exactly what the app would be used for, but it's a cool party trick, and what a crazy way of using the vibration function. If the iPhone 5 was built any differently, this would not work the way it does. But somebody out there discovered that when the iPhone 5 vibrates while standing up, it spins around at a steady rate, and thus you have Cycloramic. More power to whoever that was -- I happily gave them my 99 cents, and it was worth it. I'm not sure if this is one of the most brilliant things I've ever seen or one of the most stupid, but as far as I can tell, it's going to work out well for them.
