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Facebook launches Instagram-like "Camera" app
What do you do after spending a billion dollars buying a popular photography app? If you're Facebook, you then release your own branded app that does the exact same thing. Yes, Facebook has just launched the Facebook Camera app. The app allows you to take photos or select current photos from your iPhone's camera roll and upload them directly to your Facebook Timeline. Like Instagram, Facebook camera allows you to apply filters (though there are only 16 for now) before uploading your pics. Besides filter support, the app also allows you to crop and rotate your photos, batch upload them (something the current Facebook app can't do), and follow your friends' photo feeds. All in all, if you're an Instagram fan, you won't be too impressed with Facebook Camera because Instagram can do much more (such as hash tag, tilt-shift, etc). And fans of Instagram, worry not. The Instagram app is still alive and kicking on the App Store and shows no signs of going anywhere. Facebook Camera is a free download.
Platter: novel photo-sharing social network for keen cooks
How do you launch a social networking site in this day and age, long after the likes of Facebook and Twitter seized the world? One answer is "micro-social networks": designed with a clear and specific purpose in mind, they can fulfill that purpose better than any of the generalists like Facebook. Platter is a new micro-social network app dedicated home cooking. It allows you to take pictures of food you make and upload them to show the world, tagging them with the you used ingredients. You can then search through those ingredient tags, finding inspiration for something to make with the ingredients you have to hand. As you'd expect, you can also do the usual social networking things, like follow people whose food you find interesting, and post comments and "likes" on pictures. "Why do I need this?" you might ask. "I have Instagram and Twitter, Facebook and Foodspotting. Why do I need another app?" Well, the Platter team cleverly identified that in fact none of these apps are exactly what you need if you're a home cook looking to show off. Instagram has plenty of food pics, but lacks the ingredient tagging feature. Twitter and Facebook are more general purpose. Foodspotting is designed around the idea of taking pictures of food when eating out, not for home cooking. Platter is complementary to these services. To underscore this, it has (as you'd probably expect) the ability to cross-post pictures to Facebook and Twitter. These cross-posts are in the form of links to Platter's attractive web interface (self-promotion alert: that's my own Platter page), from where you can drill down into individual pictures. This web view feature is already fuller-featured than Instagram's pared-down approach, as you can navigate from users to pictures and back again, and the Platter team are planning on expanding this further in the future. %Gallery-156011% Technically, Platter works pretty well. It's been developed by a small team of five people (for both iOS and Android versions) alongside their day jobs, and early on there were some rough edges that betrayed the app's homespun origins -- the occasional layout glitch or failed post. Subsequent patches have mostly fixed the problems. There's still the odd interface quirk -- I didn't find it particularly easy to navigate through the app at first, and sometimes tap targets seem to be frustratingly unresponsive -- but nothing too annoying. I couldn't test the Android version, but I must at least note that it has one -- so your Android-toting friends aren't left out in the cold. There are some usability decisions that are quite refreshing, too. There's no fancy/hackneyed (delete according to your biases) photo filters, for one thing; if you're suffering from Instagram Fatigue you may find this a relief. The app also doesn't enforce a trendy square crop on photos; when users view your images, they'll see the aspect ratio you took them in, giving you the flexibility to compose shots as you see fit. However, note that the layouts in-app often use square thumbnails, which can result in some weird cropping. Of course, the app can import pictures from the Camera Roll as well as take them live, so if you'd prefer you can use any app already on your camera to shoot, crop, and post-process images. Image compositing app Diptic seems to be a particularly popular choice. Platter's approach to tagging us also interesting. Unlike Twitter or Instagram's free-form approach, the ingredient tags are set by the system, and you can't add to them yourself; this promotes a clean hierarchy of tags that isn't littered with duplicates or misspellings. However, so far, the tag names are resolutely Brit speak rather than American orientated; so it's "coriander" and not "cilantro", "aubergine" rather than "eggplant", "courgette" over "zucchini". My Colonial cousins may find this jarring. Update: a full complement of US-style food words have now been added to Platter's ingredient tags. As for the actual content, the food, I've definitely found Platter to be inspirational. Not only on a "what can I make with this level" but also simply from a presentation point of view. And it's particularly good to know, when looking through pictures, that these are all shot at home in an amateur's kitchen. Looking at professional dishes on Foodspotting inspires me to eat; looking at amateur dishes in Platter inspires me to cook. Platter is also building a fun community. The developers of the app are all very active on the network, commenting on dishes and running competitions. There's a sub-type of user who delights in naming their dishes with the most groan-inducing puns you can imagine, such as my personal best, "steaks on a p(l)an(e)". Chatting with Platter I spoke with Will Hodson, director of Platter, about the future plans for the app. How did the idea for Platter come about? "Platter occurred to me as I developed another project with Channel 4's 4iP scheme. They were looking for ideas that could drill down into people's food habits; I thought of something like food Twitter... but didn't want to share it with a media giant!" What sort of team put Platter together? Is this a full time thing, a sideline gig, or what? How many of you are there, what are your backgrounds, and how long did it take? "Platter was co-founded by me and four developers. Most of us are fairly recent Cambridge graduates, working in software and programming. I met these guys as a client for another job, was struck by their competence, and we all got on." How do you feel the launch has gone? Are you finding a good audience? "Our press coverage is a testament to the appeal of the concept. We've been featured or recommended in all UK broadsheets as well as Evening Standard and Stylist. ABC News in the US recently named us as the number two app for food photos in the world (just behind Instagram). "Launch has gone well. I wanted to give this a serious food-loving hardcore and we have it. Our featured cooks read like a who's who of British food blogging: we have two of MSN's Most Influential Foodies on board, a Masterchef Finalist and most of London's top bloggers." Some of the food bloggers Will mentioned include Food Urchin, Gin and Crumpets, Meemalee and Leluu. I forgive him for not mentioning my own sparsely-updated food blog, Objection: Salad!, which has won precisely zero awards from MSN's Most Influential Foodies. It must have slipped his mind. What are your immediate plans for the app? New features? US localisation? Bugfixes? "We are in discussions with investors now. There are big plans afoot. First, expanding tags to cover dishes' influences as well as their ingredients. So if my dish inspires you to try something similar, you can tag my influence in your photo. This is almost a new currency of approval in social media. It also means communities can form around cookbooks and suppliers, taking Platter way beyond Instagram into food-specific functionality. Second, we'll open up our website for logged-in use. It will also enable curation of one's favourite dishes. And third, we'll look to put down some roots in the States. "Finally, we are looking into Instagram integration, via a similar solution to that used by Foodspotting -- users post pictures to their Instragram feed with a special hashtag, and we pick that up and re-post the picture to Platter." You lead on both iOS and Android at once. That's somewhat unusual. Was that tricky to manage? Did it definitely bring in more users than if you'd led with one platform at a time? "Android was fine to develop for because our Android guy has been fantastic. Marketing it has been a nightmare however. If you type in Platter on Google Play, it assumes you mean 'Plate'. So it's tricky to find our app. You'd expect better from Google. We're still committed to the Android App but most users are on iPhone." Anything else you'd like to say to our readers? "We've got this far with no budget and limited time, yet we've still established Platter as a great place for food photos. As we push out to embrace more home cooks making fantastic dishes around the world, Platter will become the place you go to decide what to eat." I can't say any more than that, really. One of the privileges of writing for TUAW is being able to help smaller apps find a wider audience. I've really enjoyed Platter in the six or so weeks I've been using it, and I wish it every success for the future. You can download Platter for iPhone for free from the App Store.
Facebook likes Karma app, buys the whole darn thing
What does one do after generating billions from an initial public stock offering? Go shopping, of course. After falling short of expectations following its somewhat helter-skelter IPO debut, Facebook simply shook off the whole thing and acquired itself some good Karma. No, we're not talking about that Karma. Instead, Facebook purchased the startup responsible for the Karma social gifting app. The move was apparently made to bolster Facebook's mobile chops -- an area the company considers ripe for opportunity. Just recently, Facebook also acquired mobile stalwart Instagram and the Lightbox team, for example. As for its newest purchase, Karma will be allowed to "continue to operate in full force" despite its recent status change, according to a blog post by co-founders Lee Linden and Ben Lewis. Details weren't disclosed about how much the deal was worth but judging from celebratory nature of their post, it doesn't look like Linden and Lewis will "Unlike" the agreement any time soon.
Facebook snaps up mobile photo sharing firm Lightbox, decides Instagram isn't enough
We get the impression that Facebook is on a big mobile photo sharing kick: just weeks after it bought Instagram for a cool billion, the social network has just hired the staff behind Lightbox. The two-man team of Nilesh Patel and Thai Tran is bringing its mostly Android- and HTML5-focused knowledge over to Facebook, where it's hoping to reach many, many more people. You'll have to wait awhile to see what the Lightbox team brings to Facebook's ever more mobile platform, but you'll also want to hurry if you want to keep anything hosted on Lightbox: the service shuts down on June 15th. As a consolation for the shutdown, the startup's code is being posted to GitHub so that the fruits of its efforts live on in open-sourced form.
Facebook redesigns mobile site and apps, takes a tip (or two) from Instagram
Maybe it was inspired by the other app's most recent update, or perhaps by Zuck's newly-minted commitment to mobile applications. Regardless, Facebook's redesigned its iPhone / iPod and Android apps along with its pocket-sized site, clearly taking some design tips from none other than its fresh acquisition, Instagram. As you can see in the image above, the news feed is now showing one large post rather than the usual two or three (at least on the iPhone / iPod variant), this mainly due to pictures now being up to 3X larger than before. Facebook didn't note any other major changes, and there was no mention on when, or if, this snap-driven design will make its way onto some of those not-so-mobile devices. Be sure to keep an eye out for the redesign, as it's said to be rolling out as we speak.
Rumored FTC probe could delay Facebook / Instagram deal, Toaster filter will have to wait
If you were hoping that Facebook's buyout of Instagram would wrap up quickly and let you directly integrate your heavily filtered photos into Timeline, you might be disappointed. Citing the ever-present "people familiar with the matter," the FT believes the Federal Trade Commission is orchestrating a competition probe. These kinds of investigations are common for most deals over $66 million -- we suspect the $1 billion Instagram pact qualifies -- but could add six months to a year to Facebook's originally planned spring closure date. The deal is still expected to go through, and you can keep tilt-shifting your photos to death in the meantime; just don't expect those shots to blanket friends' Facebook walls anytime soon.
Instagram for Android updated with tilt-shift capabilities, all becomes well on Earth
Something tells us #teamiphone is going to adore this. Instagram has just updated its much-ballyhooed Android app, bringing the version to 1.1.0. What's new? Tilt-shift for "supported devices," enabling cameraphone shooters to add entirely too much blur to shots that could've used a tripod to begin with. We kid, we kid. But seriously, the download awaits in the source link.
TwitPic launches app, way too late
TwitPic, which was the first photo sharing service for Twitter (and probably the most popular for a while, at least until competing services like Instagram stepped up) has finally released an iPhone app. It's ill-timed to say the least, considering that Twitter now has an official service (built into the official app and Apple's iOS), and several third-party apps hook into TwitPic. But if you remain a big TwitPic user, the free app is probably worth grabbing. You can manage and upload your own photos and videos, and browse others' content as well. It may be a little late, but for those still making use of TwitPic's service, this app should come in handy.
That's right, folks: Instagram now supports HTC One X
Upon it's debut, one notable smartphone was curiously absent from Instagram's list of supported devices: the HTC One X. Thankfully, all of that worry is now behind filter lovers, as the latest update for this Android app has added support for HTC's premiere superphone and its stellar camera. In addition, the refresh is said to deliver better support for all devices based on NVIDIA's Tegra 3 platform, provide better support for tablet users and squash a nasty bug that'd caused Instagram photos to not appear in the gallery. With this issue behind us, we can now resume living our lives without worry or fear.
Daily Update for April 9, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Facebook acquires Instagram for $1 billion
Facebook confirmed on its website that it has reached an agreement to purchase Instagram. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says, "I'm excited to share the news that we've agreed to acquire Instagram and that their talented team will be joining Facebook." The release says the photo-sharing app developer sold for US$1 billion. Instagram's CEO says that the company will continue to offer its flagship apps for iOS and Android as independent products.
Facebook to buy Instagram
How's this for some big news on an otherwise slow Monday? Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has let slip that his company plans to buy popular photo-sharing app Instagram (pending all of the standard regulatory approvals, naturally). According to a report from All Things D's Kara Swisher, Facebook will pick up the social app, which got its own long-awaited Android version, for a cool $1 billion in cash and shares. Ole Zuck confirmed the news on his personal blog, adding that the deal won't affect Instagram's integration with competing social networks: We think the fact that Instagram is connected to other services beyond Facebook is an important part of the experience. We plan on keeping features like the ability to post to other social networks, the ability to not share your Instagrams on Facebook if you want, and the ability to have followers and follow people separately from your friends on Facebook. Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom confirmed via his site's blog that the service, "is not going away," adding, "The Instagram app will still be the same one you know and love." Check out some PR on the subject after the break.
Instagram for Android update adds support for tablets, WiFi handsets and SD card installs
It's only been three days since Instagram launched on Android and the only thing that seems to match the influx of new users is the pace at which the company is pushing out updates to enhance support and tweak a few glitches. The latest one to hit today (1.0.3) promises expanded support for tablets and WiFi handsets, app installation on the SD card for storage-limited users and fixing an audio mute bug during capture. If you haven't delved into its photo sharing and filter features already, check out our hands-on to see how this highly anticipated app has made the transition to Android, or just hit the source link below and install it yourself.
Instagram for Android hands-on
By now, you've got to be familiar with Instagram. Sure, you may have never used the app, which until mere minutes ago had yet to make its way beyond iOS, but you've surely seen the results, in tweets, emails or littering your Facebook feed. And beginning this very moment, you can join in on the fun, even if you've never owned an Apple device. We took instantly to Instagram for Android -- the app offers an experience nearly identical to the iOS version, though the ability to capture and manipulate images on a larger device brought a unique twist to the wildly popular image manipulation experience. We decided to start off our snaps with a Samsung Galaxy Note, which not only offers a brilliant 1280 x 800-pixel display, but also a 5.3-inch surface on which to frame images and preview filters. Beyond the enormous variety of capture tools now available, it seems that not much has changed -- your favorite filters are still there, making those smartphone shots glow just as brilliantly as before. And, if you happen to despise the Instagram effect, this would probably be a good time to take that long-planned holiday from social media -- if it hasn't already, your screen is about to explode with colorful perfect squares of image funk goodness. Update: It appears that the Android version has yet to add the selective focus tool or Flickr and Posterous integration available in the iOS app. You can, however, brighten up the image and add or remove a frame.
Instagram comes to Android, available to download now
We've waiting for what feels like forever, but the Android contingent can finally carry on with life knowing that at least some things are (semi) fair. Yes, Instagram is now available for Android. Keeping with tradition, the app itself is free to download, and the outfit seems overjoyed with finishing up what it's (accurately) calling "one of the most anticipated releases on the Android platform to date." It's also clear that the team has done more than a simple port, and while the exact same filters will be found here as on the iOS version, the team has worked to make the app responsive and fluid on Android's vast landscape. We are told, however, that there are a few features that will not be included in the first version of the Android app (Tilt Shift / Blur, Share from Feed, Live Preview and Share to Flickr), but upcoming versions are intended to bridge any differences.For now, any phone running Android 2.2 or above (with support for OpenGL ES 2) is compatible, but Android tablets are not. There's a maximum resolution support of 2,048 x 2,048, and the company assures us that the "exact same filters and algorithms are implemented on both [iOS and Android builds], so there is no difference in the output other than the raw image quality that differs between phones." Eager to get going? Head to Play on your device, or visit the source link below.Update: Check out our hands-on!
Instagram opens signup page for Android port, release date still unknown
It's no secret that one of the most popular apps to ever hit the App Store will soon be coming to Android, and if you'd prefer to be one of the very first on your block to be notified... well, there's a website for that. Instagram has just opened up a signup page for Android loyalists, enabling folks to input their email address and await word on the download going live. Sadly, there's no hint on the aforesaid page that gets us any closer to a specific release date, but hey -- it's one less unspecified thing you have to remember, right? Pop that source link if your interest has been piqued.
Nokia Creative Studio brings panorama capture to Lumia handsets (hands-on)
Nokia recently launched a new photography app called Creative studio which is available in the Windows Phone Marketplace exclusively for its Lumia handsets. Part panorama stitcher, part photo filter and part image editor, the app lets you take new pictures or chose shots from existing albums and tweak them to your heart's content. It features ten Instagram-like effects (including vignette and auto-enhance) plus seven common adjustments (such as crop and sharpness). We took the app for a spin and the UI is pretty slick, with an optional side-by-side before and after view of the photo you are currently editing. Once done, you have the option to continue applying additional effects and making further adjustments, save the image or share it. Twitter, Flickr and Facebook are supported, but sadly there's no integration with Windows Phone's People Hub -- you'll have to login to each service in the app itself. Check out the screen shots in the gallery below and hit the break for more impressions and some samples.
Instagram and Hipstamatic to announce photo-sharing partnership
Historically, Instagram has been the definition of closed. It's only available on one platform (iOS), and no third-party services were allowed to port content in via an API. According to Fast Company, that's changing today. It's bruited that Instagram will be opening its doors ever-so-slightly to one Hipstamatic, enabling users of the latter to tag their photos with lenses and filters, and then push them into the Instagram universe. It's being likened to Foursquare users pushing their check-in information to Facebook and Twitter, and it's bound to increase the visibility (and revenue) of Hipstamatic. Hopefully it's just the first deal of many to be cut, but on the real -- we're pretty sure an Android version of Instagram should've taken priority over this. Just sayin'.
Panasonic Lumix GF5 accidentally leaked by Hong Kong spokesperson?
Frequent social networkers will tell you that Instagram's usually plastered with food photos and self-portraits, so we were quite surprised to see a product leak over there. After some careful inspection, we're pretty certain that the above picture shows a legit Panasonic Lumix GF5, which from this angle bears much resemblance to the GF3 bar the grip. To add credibility here, the uploader is none other than Hong Kong celebrity Angelababy who happens to be the brand ambassador for Panny (oopsie!). Unsurprisingly, the twee model has already removed the offending picture from her account, but the direct image link still works.You may be wondering: shouldn't this Micro Four Thirds camera be the GF4 after the current GF3? Well, much like Chinese superstition, Japan also prefers to steer clear of the number 4 as it sounds the same as "death" in Japanese. For instance: there was no Lumix LX4 before the LX5. As for specs, Chinese website Nphoto reported earlier this month that the GF5 will also feature a 12-megapixel sensor but with a better signal-to-noise ratio and topping at ISO 12800, while on the back it'll have a much sharper LCD with 920k dots (instead of just 460k on the GF3). Judging by the looks of things it shouldn't be long before we see Angelababy presenting this new camera for real -- let's just hope that she gets to keep her job.
Instagram hits 27 million user milestone, teases Android app at SXSW
Rejoice, photo filter fans, Instagram is heading to Android "very soon," according to founder Kevin Systrom. Speaking at South by Southwest, Systrom raved about the app's growth, boasting of its 27 million registered users. "They're not excited about it because it makes your photos look beautiful," he says, "They're excited because it networks people across the world and it's the single fastest growing thing in mobile period." The Android version is currently being tested in a private beta, and it's reported to be superior than its iOS counterpart. "It's really, really fast," Systrom said. Don't look so surprised, he did tell us, after all, that iOS was just the beginning.
