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Apparently everything about the iPhone 6 is already known
Well, that's it, everyone! According to this BGR story, there's nothing left to know about the iPhone 6; we have all the information already. Wait, no we don't. The "insider" mentioned in the headline is none other than Ming-Chi Kuo, analyst with KGI Securities. Granted, Kuo has had some reliable reports about unreleased Apple products in the past, but he's also been wrong -- a lot. And not just wrong about small things, like the TouchID sensor being convex (it's recessed and flat) or his insistence that the iPhone 5s would have a 128GB model at launch, but bigger things, such as all-new Retina MacBooks and the launch of a "low-cost" iPad mini. So, with that all in mind, allow us to react to this allegedly thunder-stealing report that "may have taken all the mystery out of Apple's upcoming next-generation iPhone launches later this year." Beginning with the main flagship iPhone 6 model, Kuo reports that it will indeed feature a new 4.7-inch display panel. The analyst also says Apple's new iPhone will feature a big design overhaul that is much thinner, and the bezel on the sides of the display will be reduced by between 10% and 20% so that the phone can still be used comfortably with one hand despite the larger screen. Interestingly, Kuo believes that Apple will add NFC chips to this year's iPhone models. The new iPhone phablet will feature a full HD 1,920 x 1,080-pixel display that measures 5.5 inches diagonally, according to Kuo. That works out to a pixel density of 401 ppi. Apple's first phablet will seemingly sport specs that are very similar to the smaller iPhone 6 model, including the A8 processor, NFC and Touch ID. The battery will be much larger, however, with Kuo suggesting that it will be between 50% and 70% bigger than the current iPhone 5s battery. Kuo also says that the power/sleep/wake button on both new iPhone models will be moved from the top of the phone to the side, so it can be reached more easily on the larger phones. Many large Android phones have the power button situated on the side as well. The analyst claims that Apple will switch from Gorilla Glass to sapphire crystal to cover the iPhone's displays, but possibly only on the high-end models with 64GB of memory. This is due to supply constraints, Kuo said, though ultimately Apple will supposedly move all of its iPhone models to sapphire.
Road Not Taken's quirky cast of characters in gifs
Steam, PS4 and Vita game Road Not Taken features a lineup of lost, lonely and lovable characters. Some of them hang out in the town square, some are worried parents of children who've wandered into the forest, others are those scared children, and still more are beasties of various sizes and shapes. The game allows you, the hooded and magical finder, to form relationships with these NPCs, 15 years at a time. Whenever you enter a forest to save lost children, one year of your life passes. After 15 years, you die and have a chance to start anew, making new friends and lovers, with some talents from your previous life carried to the new one. Spry Fox has shared a few of these characters and settings with Joystiq in the best way possible – gifs. Check out the adorable art style and spooky things of Road Not Taken below. There's also a contest happening right now that asks you to submit a sound effect for the in-game fox. Yes, the contest is called "What does the Spry Fox say?" [Images: Spry Fox]
Tumblr gets two-step verification, makes your GIFs more secure
If you've scrolled through Tumblr lately and thought to yourself, "Hey, this could use some added security," the blogging platform has your back. Today the outfit announced that it's adding two-step authentication as a means of keeping your account safe. Authentication codes are sent either via a text message or an app like Google's Authenticator, and work akin to basically every other service that uses them: simply input the code with the rest of your login credentials and you should be good to go. Tumblr says that the verification process won't interfere with using the mobile apps, but you'll need to create a one-time password via your account settings page in order to sign in on your device. From the sounds of it, this shouldn't take any longer than finding your next favorite Emma Stone GIF might.
Cinemagram update takes all the work out of making animated gifs
Playing around with Cinemagram's moving photo feature is pretty darn fun, but it comes at a cost: effort. Unlike publishing a Vine or an Instagram video, you need to think about it; what part of this photo do you want to animate? Did you map out the moving area correctly? It's a lot of work. Well, it used to be. The app's latest iOS update takes all the guesswork out of creativity, adding a new camera mode that automatically creates Cinemagrams without your input. Presumably, the update will make it easier to snap and share moving pictures on the fly, giving you a reason to pick it over its competitors. The update gives users the ability to add captions to Cines as well as the ability to share to Pinterest -- unfortunately, the app hasn't automated that just yet.
Pinterest adds the ability to play GIFs, makes your boards much more interesting
You'll now be able to play GIFs on Pinterest, meaning your cooking, exercise-inspiration and arts-and-crafts boards are about to get a lot more lively. Sure, you've probably seen a GIF or two on the site already, but the new ability to view the graphics in their full, animated glory without clicking through is definitely welcome. And thanks to a play/pause button, you'll be able to start and stop them as you please. According to the Pinterest blog, GIFs will soon be available on the mobile apps -- for now, though, they're limited to the desktop. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be porting our favorite animated photos from Tumblr (along with an Engadget classic or two) to a brand-new board.
Trio of gifs paint The Vanishing of Ethan Carter as pretty, eerie
Screenshots are so 2009, so instead developer The Astronauts has opted to issue three new glimpses at The Vanishing of Ethan Carter in the Internet's favorite movie format, the gif. Problematically, The Astronauts are duly proud of their work and wanted to make these gifs as grand as possible, resulting in moving images that were approaching 20MB in size. The above gif, and the two below the break, have been reduced in size and quality to prevent our readers' computers from bursting into flames, but if you'd like to see the original versions visit The Astronauts website. That gif above is a demonstration of what The Astronauts call "photogrammetric technology," a process that makes rendering highly detailed scenes both quicker and more efficient. It won't replace artists per se, but will instead augment their work.
Tumblr Android app adds auto-playing GIFs, photosets and landscape viewing
Tumblr and animated GIFs are practically inseparable at this point, so we're happy to report that the microblogging platform's latest Android app update enhances that marriage. The next time you hit the mobile dashboard you'll see that GIFs start playing automatically. What's more, you can now scroll through the app in landscape mode and make photosets within it too. However brief the change log may be, it's even more evidence that the Tumblr overlords have a preference for Google's mobile OS -- the company's post doesn't mention when these features might arrive on iOS.
Flipboard iOS app update introduces animated GIF support
Flipboard users with Android devices have been able to enjoy the mindless fun of animated GIFs for some time now, but their iOS counterparts have only been able to look on in envy. Casual hyperbole aside, Flipboard's latest iOS update -- available today -- brings GIF support to the app along with a slew of GIF-friendly magazines for your perusing pleasure. Now, GIF aficionados (is there such a thing?) can enjoy titles like Just GIF It, GIF Pop and GIF Me a Break. The update also includes top stories in the tech, news, business and sports sections as well as the obligatory bug fixes. You can get your paws on the update by clicking on the iTunes link below.
Microsoft updates Blink for Windows Phone 8 with GIF-like clip creation (video)
If Vine still leaves you pining for the choppiness of GIFs, Microsoft's got you covered -- on Windows Phone 8, at least. Redmond's Blink app, which helps smartphone photographers capture bursts of images, has hit version 2.0 and scored the ability to create short animated clips, aptly dubbed Blinks. In addition to the bite-sized videos, the latest update bakes in camera settings in capture mode, sharing to social networks and web galleries for shared creations. Microsoft Research also released Blink Cliplets for Windows 8 and RT, which allows users to layer static and dynamic elements atop footage. Hit the break to check out the new release of Blink in action, or jab the first source link for the download.
The Stilly-est camera app ever
no, no, No, No, NO! It all started innocently enough this morning when Dave Caolo pointed out a Tumblr page devoted to GIFs from an app named Stilly (US$1.99). Now, thanks to Dave's keen eye for the absurd, I have wasted untold minutes looking through a long page of GIFs and started making my own with Stilly. The app is simple, making an animated GIF of whatever motion happens to flash in front of your iPhone camera when you push the large red-and-yellow shutter button. You really have only one setting -- you can choose to change colors between your images, resulting in an even more jarring GIF than usual. The eyebrows of doom! Your final product is stored to the Photos app camera roll, and you have a choice of sharing the GIF to Tumblr or sending it as a message. Note that choosing the Tumblr destination actually gives you the opportunity to send your images to many more places: other camera apps, Google Drive, Dropbox, Path and more. The jittery GIFs won't be popular with everyone; some of them are almost enough to make you want to cough up a hairball. But Stilly is just enough fun to be worth the two bucks.
Cinemagram expands its horizons to Android, lets you create animated GIFs on the fly
The iOS legion has been able to play around with Cinemagram since February of last year, but now it's finally time for Android users to also experience what the app's all about. And while there are certainly other animated applications on the platform that are somewhat similar, Cinemagram stands out from the majority due to its built-in social features -- think of it as an Instagram of sorts, where other users can easily comment on and keep up with your recent four-second creations. What's more, the app allows other tidbits like special effects to be added to videos, while the ability to share these "GIFs on steroids" to Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr are also options within Cinemagram. It's even already had one update, adding the ability to delete creations within the app. Hey, perhaps this could be the solution to all your Vine-induced sorrows.
Google+ profile photos can now be animated GIFs
Rejoice, animated GIF fans! Google+ profile photos can now use the ubiquitous file format. Social networkers can upload their picture of choice, crop it accordingly and revel in spreading internet memes and the ancestors of Vine clips. If you need help finding the perfect avatar, Mountain View has just the search feature you need. Not sure what all this moving image buzz is about? Feel free to take a crash course in web history.
Nintendo's Flipnote Studio 3D brings extra dimension to 3DS doodled GIFs
Nintendo's Flipnote Studio (aka Moving Memo Pad) brought shareable animated sketches to users when the wildly popular free app first launched for the DSi console many moons ago. Now, Nintendo's brought it up to date for Japanese 3DS users with Flipnote Studio 3D, supporting stereoscopic 3D images with three layers of depth along with six colors. As before, wannabe animators in that country will be able to share their artwork in AVI or GIF formats with friends on the 3DS network at no charge, or post to a larger audience on the Hatena World Flipnote Gallery for a fee. You can check the video after the break for more, but it would help to understand Japanese -- or be able to parse YouTube's inscrutable translation. Update: We've replaced the Japanese YouTube video with a new English version after the break, so all the aforementioned parsing and translating is no longer needed.
Vimeo absorbs iOS app maker Echograph, bets on the GIF-making craze
It's not often we hear about Vimeo making any type of acquisition, but today the company let it be known that it has picked up the team (and assets) behind Echograph, an iOS application that focuses on turning videos into animated GIFs. What's more, Vimeo, as part of the move, is making Echograph a gratis download going forward, marking a notable shift from the previous charge of about three bucks for the app. According to Vimeo, Echograph creator Nick Alt will also go from CEO of Clear-Media, the app's previous owner, to taking on the role of Vice President of Mobile at the video-focused firm, adding that his "proven track record of building innovative video apps made it a perfect fit for Vimeo." No details were given on the deal's financial terms, but we can only imagine a good amount of fancy GIFs were made in order to help celebrate the new property.
PBS traces the history of animated GIFs: deal with it (video)
PBS's Off Book has a new short doc available online called Animated GIFs: The Birth of a Medium which, as you may have guessed, traces the history and evolution of the animated GIF over the course of a very informative six and a half minutes. The makers don't settle the dispute over pronunciation (and, really, who could), but they do mine its origins as relic of internet eras past to a post-modern staple of web 2.0 culture. We could tell you more, but that would just ruin the fun. Head on after the break to watch the episode in full.
