GoPano
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Record everything with this dive-friendly 360-degree action cam
Remember 360fly? The panoramic camera from EyeSee360, which built the panoramic GoPano iPhone lens, has been on the scene since early this year at NAB. Now, the WiFi- and Bluetooth-equipped 360fly camera has been given the nod by the FCC, and an attached review manual gives us a better idea how it works. As the company showed earlier, it's a single-lens 360 degree horizontal and 240 degree vertical fisheye lens that has "the widest field of view on the market." It uses an iOS 8 or Android 4.3+ app that turns your Bluetooth LE-equipped smartphone into a 360 degree video viewfinder with full remote control.
GoPano Micro brings 360 degree video to iPhone 5, now on pre-order for $69
Not all Kickstarter projects take flight, to say the least, so it's nice to see one like GoPano Micro that not only went somewhere but is continuing to evolve. The company has just put a new version of the 360 degree camera lens adapter on pre-order, this time for the iPhone 5. The tiny lens is mounted to a case for Apple's latest smartphone, and lets you film while panning in any direction by swiping the screen left or right -- as shown in the video for the last model, after the break. It even lets you scroll around the video after its been recorded, since it films the entire circular panorama at once. It'll run you $69 to grab one, including a second case for the iPhone 4/4S, so if you're looking add to your bag of cinematic tricks, click on the source.
GoPano 360 degree camera with new app updates, case at CES
We originally took a look at the GoPano lens attachment from EyeSee360 last year when it was released -- the lens sits on the back of your iPhone, and allows you to take a full 360 degree picture with a free iPhone app. Since the project went live (it was funded by Kickstarter), EyeSee360 tells TUAW at CES that it's sold very well, and there are updates coming for both the product and the app. For the app, the company is planning an update soon that will add some social sharing options. Already, the app will upload 360 degree video to the main GoPano.com site, which it would like to be seen as "The YouTube of 360." These videos don't need an iPhone or any special software to be viewed, so while the original video may be warped (the lens basically shoots a circle of video on the iPhone's screen, and must be put through the company's software to be seen correctly) users can both save and share their videos online through the main site. The app will be updated in a few weeks, however, and that update will bring options to send the videos directly to Twitter, Facebook, or services like Dropbox, so we'll see more 360 videos than ever online. There will be a Facebook app for embedding the 360 videos, too. "The goal," according to the rep from EyeSee360, is to eventually "take it to broadcast" television, so the company was also showing off a prototype version of a full lens made for a high-end Red camera as well. The RED camera rig Finally, the company is also planning an update to the lens, though all they had to show us so far was a very early model, not anywhere near ready for release just yet. The new model follows what they said was a whole lot of customer feedback -- customers are worried that the lens (which currently is just inserted into the custom iPhone case) might fall out, so EyeSee360 is working on a version that instead slides and locks in to a slot over the iPhone's camera, meaning that even if the phone is moved around, the lens should stay securely fastened on there. Again, that model isn't set for release just yet. But it's clear EyeSee360 has plenty of ideas on how to improve its lens, and plenty of orders post-Kickstarter to fulfill. As more and more users upload and share 360 degree videos created with the GoPano, it'll be interesting to see where those videos end up and how they're used in the future.
Tamaggo 360-imager concept hands-on
Why settle for a boring 62-degree view (the field of view of a 35mm lens) when you could be taking in the full 360? Well, we suppose iPhone attachments are needlessly bulky, and throwable camera orbs can easily concuss bad catchers -- but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have options. The Tamaggo 360-imager, for instance, might be a pretty good option. This egg shaped (Tamaggo / Tamago, get it Japanese students?) camera natively snaps 360-degree images -- at least we trust it does, the non-functional unit we saw on the CES show floor mostly just fit our hand well. Snapping 360-degree images seemed like an easy enough task -- a large silver button sits comfortably on the device's top, representing the shutter. On the eggs bottom we found a spot reserved for a 2-inch touchscreen, specifically designed to be viewed while holding the device aloft. The images can be viewed on the PC using an included application, offering you a Google street-view like look at your latest vacation pics. All in all, the Tamaggo seems like a very comfortable camera to use, and promises a fun gimmick -- we're just sad we didn't get to actually use it. Either way, we'll take a crack at the panoramic egg once its ready for prime time. Daniel Cooper contributed to this post.
GoPano Micro brings 360-degree video recording to the iPhone 4 (video)
We've seen still photos shot in the round, but wouldn't it be nice to snag some panoramic moving pictures every once in a while too? Well, the folks at EyeSee360 certainly think so, which is why they've given the iPhone 4 some 360-degree video recording capability with the GoPano Micro. Comprised of a plastic case for your handset, a detachable 360-degree lens, and a GoPano app, the system lets iPhone fanboys do a circular pan with the swipe of a finger. That put you in the moviemaking mood? Well, you can't get your hands on one just yet, but the venture has already reached its $20,000 funding goal, so those willing to invest $50 can head over to Kickstarter to reserve one of the first GoPano Micros off the production line. Before plunking down your hard-earned cash, however, check out all the full-circumference cinematic fun after the break.
