imagemanipulation
Latest
Adobe is using AI to catch Photoshopped images
While picture editors have tweaked images for decades, modern tools like Adobe Photoshop let them alter photos to the point of complete fabrication. Think of sharks swimming in the streets of New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy, or someone flying a "where's my damn dinner?" banner over a women's march. Those images were fake, but clever manipulation can trick news outlets and social media users into thinking they're real. By the time we figure out that they're phony, bombastic pictures can go viral and it's nearly impossible to let everyone know the image they shared is a sham.
Reuters bans RAW photos in questionable bid for authenticity
News agency Reuters will no longer accept photos shot in the RAW format, saying its freelancers are now required to submit JPEG photos shot in-camera. It told PetaPixel that it made the unusual move partly to speed up workflow, but also because RAW allows photographers to do too much image manipulation, and "our goal is not to artistically interpret the news," according to a spokesman. It said it would only permit images made from the original JPEGs, provided they had just "minimal processing," including cropping and level correction.
BlackBerry granted gesture recognition patent for touch-free image manipulation
If BlackBerry lives to see 2014 (and beyond), it could end up delighting smartphone users with some neat gesture recognition tech. In a recently surfaced patent filing, the company formerly known as RIM outlines a method for selecting onscreen images using hand or finger movements above a display. By synthesizing a combo of images -- one taken with IR, the other without -- the software would be able to determine the intended area of selection. And just in case there was any doubt this feature would be headed to smartphones and tablets, the docs go on to specify its use within "a mobile communications device, comprising: a digital camera... [and] a cellular subsystem." So there you have it -- you'll either potentially see this hands-off editing tool pop up in future BB devices or BB simply stands to make a some nice coin in licensing fees.
Poll: Vote for your favorite Frankengadget!
We had a great time combing through your Frankengadget mash-ups, and while there were many worthy submissions, we sadly had to narrow it down to just five. Our submission deadline has since passed, but now the real fun begins -- it's time to vote! Scroll through the gallery at the bottom of this post, then make your pick in the poll below, selecting just one winner (you can use the thumbs above as your guide). Your top selection's creator will get to take home their very own copy of Adobe Creative Suite 5.5. Voting closes at 12PM ET on Friday, and the winner will be announced on the Engadget Show later that evening, so stay tuned!%Poll-70022%%Gallery-136983%
Did Apple shrink the Samsung Galaxy S in Dutch lawsuit filing?
We haven't had a chance to head on down to The Hague to have a look-see for ourselves, but Dutch tech site Webwereld spotted some more inconsistencies in Apple's Samsung lawsuit filings. This time the culprit is a shrunken Galaxy S, standing side-by-side with an identically tall iPhone 3G -- when in reality the Samsung phone is seven millimeters taller than its Apple counterpart, and slightly wider as well. The image, filed in the Netherlands, is part of an intellectual property suit against Samsung, and came to light just days after accusations that Apple manipulated photos of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that it submitted to a German court. While misleading, this latest error isn't nearly as concerning as last week's shrunken Tab -- which could easily be described as image manipulation, considering that the tablet included in that filing represented an incorrect 4:3 aspect ratio, while the Samsung device has a 16:10 display. Update: The phone pictured above is the Samsung Galaxy S, not the Galaxy S II. [Thanks, Florian]
Did Apple alter photos of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in its injunction filing?
Previously, on Apple Versus Samsung: Cupertino's finest sued Samsung for making "similar" products -- a legal spectacle that most recently culminated with an injunction blocking the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 across Europe (with one exception). The case hinges on Apple's assertion that Samsung is ripping off its designs, but tech site Webwereld spotted signs that perhaps Apple's claims are exaggerated, and that the outfit might have even gone so far as to alter images of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to suit its case. The comparison shot you see up there is lifted from page 28 of a filing made by Freshfields Bruckhaus Derringer, Apple's European lawyers. Both devices look pretty identical with an aspect ratio of 4:3 -- except in reality, the Tab has a 16:9 16:10 aspect ratio and is far narrower than Steve's magical slate. Of course, we might never know if this was actually a malicious move on Apple's part -- certainly, Samsung's legal team isn't saying anything. For now, though, if you're game to play armchair attorney, head past the break for a comparison shot of the competing tabs as we actually know and love them. [Thanks, Jack]
New image manipulation software results in a skinnier you on film, leaves the real you feeling inadequate
German researchers have developed a new form of image manipulation which really gets to the heart of the matter: we all want to be skinnier and have better looking muscles. The new software, developed at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, allows both pro and amateur filmmakers to 'dramatically' alter the physical forms of the people on screen -- a process which was previously limited to tedious and time-consuming frame-by-frame techniques. The technique was developed by the team doing full 3D scans of 120 men and women of various shapes and sizes, then merging them into one seriously awesome human form, resulting in a person which can be easily manipulated into pretty much any shape necessary. This malleable form can then be mapped to the actual person on screen, and manipulated for the desired effect in one single frame, and that is then applied to the rest of the film. Video is below.
ImageWell 3.5 is available
I love XtraLean Software's ImageWell. In fact, nearly every image I post to TUAW has been edited with ImageWell (we've written about it several times). I think it's the perfect application for when something like Photoshop is overkill. That quick crop, resize, border, etc. can be done in a flash with ImageWell.Version 3.5 became available this week, with a slew of great new features, including New sharpness filter Two new shapes The return key now executes a crop (Yay!) Other minor fixes There's more, of course, and you can get the full run-down here. Among the recent influx of quick-and-dirty image manipulation software, ImageWell is a gem.ImageWell requires Mac OS 10.3.9. Note that version 3.5 will now cost you $19.95US for a single license. Previously, a free version was available as well as a moderately priced "Xtras Pack." This version includes all of the extras and is free for current paid users (A seven-day free trial is available for everyone else). As the day-to-day workhorse it has been for me over the years, twenty bucks is a bargain.
