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PSA: Apple will replace your iPhone 6 Plus' wonky camera
Did you buy an iPhone 6 Plus sometime between last September and this January? Do you notice that your shots taken with its back camera come out all blurry? Yeah, it's not just you. Turns out, a limited number of these phones shipped with a manufacturing defect. However, Apple is aware of the issue and has already begun issuing replacements for the iSight camera. If you think that you have one of these borked units, go to this website and type in your phone's serial number. If your unit is part of that bad batch, Apple will replace the camera (not the entire phone) at no charge. Also, if you're rocking one of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6's, don't worry; none of those units suffered from the defect. [Image Credit: Getty Images]
Doing it wrong: A visual history of awkward iPad photography
Did you know that Apple hasn't changed the 5-megapixel camera on the iPad for three models running? It's probably fair to hope that the company adding something to the tablet's imaging prowess at tomorrow's event. That said, is it really true that the best camera is "the one that's with you," if said snapper is a 9.7-inch slate? We decided to take a little trawl through some of history's most notable iPad photography incidents to find out if people really are holding it wrong. [Image Credit: Michael Sohn/AP]
Burberry fashion show in London to be captured exclusively with the iPhone 5s camera
Next week's London Fashion Show hosted by Burberry will be photographed by the fashion company exclusively with the new camera on the iPhone 5s, Burberry and Apple announced tonight. The company will use the iSight camera in the iPhone 5s to capture and share photos and video before, during and after the runway show in London on Monday, September 16. In a press release, Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPhone & iOS Product Marketing, said, "iPhone 5s makes it even easier to take great photos with the world's most popular camera. We're thrilled to see the amazing photos and HD video Burberry has captured with the incredible all-new iSight camera." The new iSight camera in the iPhone 5s offers a 15 percent larger sensor with bigger pixels, measuring 1.5 microns. It also has an aperture of ƒ/2.2 and a new dual-LED True Tone flash. Given that it now comes in Space Gray, white and silver, or white and gold, it seems even moreso like a natural fit for a fashion show. Announcing the partnership with Apple, Christopher Bailey, Burberry's chief creative officer said, "This collaboration celebrates our relationship and shared foundation in design and craftsmanship. We have a mutual passion for creating beautiful products and unlocking emotive experiences through technology, which has made it intensely exciting to explore the capabilities of iPhone 5s. We're inspired by what this could mean for the future as we continue to explore the merging of physical and digital experiences."
Apple introduces new iPod touch without rear camera for $229
Apple has introduced a new model of its iPod touch. The new iPod touch comes in a 16 GB capacity and lacks the rear iSight camera of other iPod touches with Retina displays. This new model of iPod touch does still feature the front-facing FaceTime camera. With the introduction of this new low-cost iPod touch it appears Apple has discontinued the old fourth-generation 3.5-inch screen iPod touches. Besides lacking the rear iSight camera, the new low-cost iPod touch with Retina display only comes in black or silver colors. Its siblings that have a rear iSight camera and come and 32 GB or 64 GB capacities are available in multiple colors. The new low-cost iPod touch does contain the same A5 chip and comes with the same Apple Earbuds as its higher-priced siblings, however. The new 16 GB iPod touch without the rear iSight camera is US$229.
Apple details iPhone 5's new camera: 8MP, 'same as iPhone 4S but thinner'
Apple's got a new camera in its brand new iPhone 5: 8-megapixels with a 3,264 x 2,448 backside-illuminated sensor, five-element lens, and f/2.4 aperture sits on the rear of the new device. "Same as the iPhone 4S, but thinner." 25 percent thinner in fact, to match the now slimmer iPhone. The branding remains the same -- it's still the iSight -- but a few new bells and whistles have been added alongside the thinning. A new dynamic low light mode, for one, and a fancy sapphire crystal cover. The phone's new A6 processor also helps out, offering a "smart filter" for better color matching, as well as speedier capture and still capture during video. In terms of functionality, there's a new panorama mode, that allows picture stitching for multiple images into one larger shot (a whopping 28 megapixels in total) -- it looks like the 4S is getting this function as well, though it's unclear if it'll be via iOS 6 or what. Photo sharing is also getting expanded, adding more social functionality -- images can be shared with multiple friends or family members, and then those folks can comment. But you only care about video, don't you? You'll be glad to hear that it's getting expanded as well. The rear camera still offers 30fps 1080p HD capture, albeit with better image stabilization. The front facing camera now features 720p video for all your extreme close-ups. Speaking of FaceTime, it will be available via LTE on the iPhone 5. But on all mobile networks? We're not so sure just yet. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 2012 event hub!
Apple's new iPad shows up in Hong Kong, teases with sample photos and video clip
Looks like Vietnam ain't the only place that got an early taste of the new iPad, which is due out this Friday around the world (unless you're super tight with your delivery man, of course). Hong Kong magazine PCM just informed us that it got hold of a 4G flavor of Apple's latest tablet, courtesy of a very mysterious person (especially considering the 4G version isn't yet available in this region). Within the little time it spent with the new iPad, PCM managed to do plenty of comparisons with the tablet's predecessor, particularly with their camera and graphics performance. While pretty much everything's been beefed up, PCM claims that the new lens isn't as wide as before, and it also notes that the extra 50g is pretty noticeable -- obviously we shall see for ourselves on Friday. Hands-on video and sample video clip embedded after the break, and head on over to the source link for more comparison shots.
Apple's March 7th event roundup: the new iPad, Apple TV refresh and everything else
Weren't able to keep up with all the news from the unveiling of Apple's new iPad today? Don't worry, we've got you covered! Whether you're looking for more info about its Retina Display and LTE-connectivity, the refreshed Apple TV or related bits, we've listed links to our coverage of everything "new and noteworthy" after the break. Happy perusing! Oh, and be sure to check back to our the archive of our liveblog and pre- and post-event broadcasts for a few extra doses of "amazing."
Here's the first sample shot from the new iPad's 5MP iSight camera
See that? That's the first shot we've been able to secure using the new iPad and its "iPhone 4S-esque" sensor. For those unaware, it's rocking a five megapixel sensor and plenty of niceties grabbed from the 4S, and the shot here is entirely unedited in any way. To be honest, it's pretty impressive given the exceptionally challenging lighting situation that we were facing in this here room, with a well-lit backdrop and a poorly lit foreground. Looking for the full resolution version to pore over? Hit up the source link, and forgive us if it loads upside-down.P.S. - It's 1.3MB.For more coverage of Apple's iPad event, visit our hub!
TUAW's Daily Mac App: Kaleidoscope Camera
Camera-equipped Macs can be an endless source of amusement for kids and big kids alike. Whether it's recording stupid faces in Photo Booth or playing with one of the myriad of fun little camera-based apps, being silly on camera is just plain fun. Kaleidoscope Camera is a simple little US$0.99 app that'll keep the kids amused for a little while longer. It produces a beautiful kaleidoscope effect using your built-in iSight or FaceTime HD camera and allows you to record the results to standard definition MOV files. There are no settings. Simply fire up the app and watch as your motion creates some quick and colorful imagery. It'd be nice to have some sort of control over the angle of the virtual mirrors to allow you to adjust the pattern created, but alas, no such luck. For $0.99 Kaleidoscope Camera is a fun, uncomplicated toy. If you're stuck for things to do and bored on a rainy afternoon, check it out on the Mac App Store, or hit the break to see what I made with it in about 30 seconds. If you've got any family favorites for keeping the kids amused using your Mac's camera, help us and your fellow readers out and post them down in the comments.
TUAW's Daily Mac App: Rear View Mirror
The Mac App Store is full of useful apps, but it's also full of pretty silly little ones. Today's Daily Mac App is a mix of both. Rear View Mirror, is an app that helps you see what's happening behind you using your iSight or FaceTime HD camera. It essentially gives you a rearview mirror analogous to what you have in a car, displaying a video feed from your camera in a re-sizable simulation of said mirror. The app will display images from the top left, top right, the entire top, or the full feed from your camera. The idea is that you place it at the top of your screen somewhere out of the way, allowing you to see anyone sneaking up on you from behind. If you've ever worked in a coffee shop, library or any other public place where people come and go behind you, you've been worried about people sneaking up on you from behind or if you're just plain nosy, then this fun little US$0.99 Mac App Store app is for you.
Witness for iPhone turns your Mac into a home alarm system
If you have $40 and a recent Mac with an iSight camera, then you have the makings of a simple home surveillance system thanks to Witness. Developed by Orbicule, Witness is a surveillance app that turns your Mac's camera into a motion sensor. The application runs in the background on your computer and will begin recording video or photos if motion is detected. The system includes a free remote iOS app compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. When an intruder is detected, Witness will send a notification to your iOS device and your web browser if it is open. Photos and video captured by the Witness app are available online and can be viewed using a web browser or via the Witness Remote application. While it is not as robust as a dedicated multi-camera home surveillance system, Witness is an inexpensive alternative that would work well in homes where the computer is located near the door or other routes of entry. Besides intruder detection, it can also be used to spy on others in your house or office, which is especially useful if you want to find out who is lifting all the pens from your desk or stealing the cookies from the cookie jar.
Ask TUAW: Mac mini as Time Machine server, baby monitoring with a Mac, and more
Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we have questions about accessing a shared Google calendar, baby monitoring, sharing music between user accounts, scanning over an Airport Extreme, using a Mac mini as Time Machine target, and more. As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Leave your questions for next week in the comments section at the end of this post. When asking a question, please include which machine you're using and what version of Mac OS X is installed on it (we'll assume that you're running Snow Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify), or if it's an iPhone-related question, which iPhone version and OS version you have.
Repair service finds iPad's camera slot
The folks at Mission:Repair have received iPad replacement parts from Apple. While checking them out, they noticed a slot that seems like it could accommodate an iSight. So they pulled an iSight camera from a MacBook pro and guess what happened. It fit perfectly inside the slot in the iPad's frame. In the picture at right, you see the iPad's frame (above and below) and the MacBook Pro's iSight (center). And to add a little more fuel to the fire, some eagle-eyed event watchers claim that the iPad Jobs held on stage at last Wednesday's event actually did have what looks like a camera along the top bezel. What does this mean? Will future iPads sport an iSight? Probably. But that doesn't explain why the 1st generation's case has the slot. It must have been pulled at the last minute for reasons of cost, function ... who knows. If you're not going to buy one until it's got a camera, it looks like your prayers will eventually be answered. [Via MacNN]
DIY iSight night vision camera
Now that most all Apple computers come with their own built-in iSight, the standalone iSight has taken a bit of a back seat. It always was a gorgeous piece of Apple art, though, and I really wanted to use it in a functional way. An easy way was to attach it to the Mac mini I have in the baby's room, acting as a video baby monitor, but the iSight doesn't do that well in low light, and of course works not at all in no light. And while the audio was just fine, there are some neat new "push on motion" capabilities in camera monitoring software that I liked. It will even record on motion, thanks to today's update. "Night vision" is predicated on the idea that infrared light bounces off of objects the same way that any other kind of light does, only that our eyes can't see IR light. So while a room could potentially be brightly lit with an infrared light source, you would see only darkness. Fortunately, camera CCDs aren't human eyes and many are as sensitive to IR light as they are to the visible spectrum. So, ostensibly, all you need is an IR light source. Heck, even a television remote control would do the trick, albeit dimly. The problem is that cameras that are not intended as night-vision cameras have an IR filter built-in so that the camera's reaction is limited to light sources the human eye can see. And, specifically, on the external iSight, that filter is a coating that's bonded to a small block of glass inside the iSight. Now I had a project. After first scoring a broken iSight on Craigslist, should I need parts, I took the iSight apart, took out the glass block, and removed the IR coating in a quick bath of sulfuric acid. [Do not try this at home unless you know what you are doing, please. –Ed.] You could see the film slide off the glass. Once the iSight was reassembled and an IR light source applied, bingo! Night vision. The only downside has been that because sulfuric acid is a bit of a blunt-edged instrument (to put it mildly), whatever was giving it the ability to correctly sense the rest of the red is now gone. In the gallery, you can see the result in the last image. Ah well. If I ever want it to return to regular function, I can drop in the intact lens from the broken iSight. But for now, the increased range is a great asset. My iPhone is a little monitor that follows me around the house and pushes notification of any motion. Special thanks to Jason Babcock, for blazing the trail on iSight tear-downs. %Gallery-79853%
TUAW Holiday Gift Guide: Displays
A display, whether it's a primary, extra display for a portable, or a desktop secondary, is something that's very useful, and makes a great gift. Here's a few gift ideas for displays to use with your Mac. Dell ST2210 This display offers a 1920x1080 resolution, a 21.5 inch viewing area, and is available for only $189. It has a DVI and VGA port, which means that you might need an adapter to connect it. There's also a 24 inch model of this display, the Dell ST2410, if you're looking for something a little bit bigger. Samsung XL2370 If you're wanting another option, there's the Samsung XL2370. It's LED backlit, like the Apple LED Cinema Display, and can be purchased for around $399. It has a display resolution of 1920x1080, and it features a DVI and HDMI port, so you'll need an adapter to hook it up to a Mac with a Mini-DVI or Mini DisplayPort. Apple LED Cinema Display The Apple LED Cinema Display offers unique features that make it easy to connect to a Mac, like the MagSafe connector that charges a MacBook. The display is measured at 24 inches, and can display a 1900x1200 resolution. It also features a built-in iSight camera, a mic, speakers, and a three-port USB hub. You can purchase it for $899, though refurbished models have shown up for $599 from Apple. 27 inch iMac The 27-inch iMac, can be used in Target Display Mode as a monitor for another Mac with a Mini DisplayPort. It offers a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels, and it's LED backlit. You'll just need a cable to do so, and you can purchase a Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable from Apple or Monoprice. Of course, the iMac is a computer, so we aren't suggesting using it primarily as an external display. Do you have any suggestions for displays? Leave a comment and let us know!
Apple releases updates improving printing, scanning, iSight cameras and QuickTime
Over the past few days, Apple has been releasing updates for printer and scanner drivers in Snow Leopard, iSight cameras in LED Cinema Displays and QuickTime 7 for Windows. First, Apple released printer driver updates for Snow Leopard for Lexmark printers and Brother, Canon and HP printers and scanners. Next, Apple released a firmware update for the iSight camera that's built into the Apple LED Cinema Display. According to Apple, this firmware update corrects an issue with the built-in iSight camera on the LED Cinema Display where the camera may not be recognized by applications. Finally, Apple released QuickTime 7.6.5 for Windows, which fixes an issue where applications weren't reliably loading libraries required by QuickTime at startup and the incorrect display of QuickTime movies embedded in a webpage using custom scale attributes. All of these updates are available from the Apple Support downloads page and Software Update.
The mighty mini, take two: DIY video baby monitor
What do you get when you combine a new parent on maternity leave with a love of gadgets and Apple products? Why, you get "baby monitor overkill!" In response to Dave Caolo's recent ode to the Mac mini, I figured it was time to step up. I had two things gathering dust: my old standalone iSight, a gorgeous example of Apple design sadly idle since the advent of built-in iSights, and a lovely new Intel Mac Mini that was recently scored on sale at MicroCenter with plans to set it up for my older two kids once I could get my hands on a small LCD monitor. I figured in the meantime it would serve nicely as a baby monitor, since I couldn't find a matching transmitter/receiver pair among the various baby monitors I had accumulated over the years. My idea was that it would live discreetly, headless and tailless (monitor, keyboard, and mouse-free) in the baby's room, and broadcast both locally on my network and also wide-area so grandparents could tune in remotely. For the initial setup, I needed a monitor, but fortunately my TV has a PC (VGA) port, which I used to configure the mini. I set it to login automatically to the main account and join my Airport network. In System Preferences, I enabled screen sharing and added iChat as a login item. In iChat, I enabled Bonjour and instant messaging, added myself as a buddy, and restricted chats to preapproved users under security preferences. Because I didn't want to connect via screen sharing every time I wanted to initiate a chat, I typed the following into Terminal so that it would auto-accept any incoming video chats: defaults write com.apple.ichat AutoAcceptVCInvitations 1 After that, I set it adrift on the network. From my main computer, I watched the mini pop up on Bonjour after reboot, and we were off and running. While this worked great for my own local use, it had some inherent restrictions: remote users (aka "grandparents who love to watch sleeping grandsons") couldn't join the chat easily. Spouses at work had issues with company restrictions on AIM. Plus, it was iPhone-unfriendly; the holy grail for me was turning the iPhone into a video terminal that followed me around. I went through a few different ideas: private channel on Justin.tv (great for multiple viewers, but awash in advertising, restricted at work, and unavailable on iPhone), Skype (great video, automatic call acceptance and limited iPhone capabilities, but terrible for multiple viewers), and complicated setups involving QuickTime Broadcaster. Not wanting to reinvent the wheel (well, no more than I already was doing), I hit upon SJKM's iCam software, which is an iPhone application & accompanying cross-platform video streaming tool specifically designed for video monitoring, available in the iTunes store for $4.99. Initially dismissed for lack of audio, it has since enabled audio monitoring and non-iPhone web access, making it an almost perfect setup. Why "almost?" Well, for reasons I cannot quite figure out, the video is much choppier than AIM, Bonjour, Justin.tv, or Skype. But it works over 3G and Wi-Fi, and it connects multiple viewers without requiring conference setup. And now, with SJKM's latest update, iCam can run in the background and push notification will alert me to sound or video motion. I have not yet enabled that feature, as it is a $.99 add-on and still pending Apple approval in the store. Ultimately, I ended up using a variety of different applications, but I can report a lot of very satisfied relatives dreamily cooing at the computer screens from Portland, OR, to Philadelphia, PA. All thanks to the mac mini and the standalone iSight. And one very cute baby (if I do say so myself.)Upcoming: that's great, but can you make it work in the dark? Adventures in IR.....
Get your 25 seconds of fame with Tweetube for Mac OS X
If you're a Twitter fan and a Mac user, you'll appreciate a new tool from RADSense Software -- Tweetube for Mac OS X. Tweetube is a free application that uses your iSight camera to record a 25 second video which is then uploaded automatically to Tweetube. A tweet with an embedded link to the video is sent out, and the world can then see your smiling face.It's also easy to share YouTube videos with your Twitterpals by logging onto the Tweetube site, and then either entering a YouTube URL or doing a quick search. After you add your tweet, a link is sent off to your Tweeples. Tweetube received a few seconds of fame earlier this week when comedian Dane Cook recorded a 25-second blast in his usual high-speed rant mode. If you use Twitter, give Tweetube a try!
Family.app gets updated to 2.3, fixes iSight/iPhoto features
If you have been following Saltatory Software's Family.app, then you know how great it can be for easily creating family trees. Recently updated, this application allows you to easily track your family's genealogy. The new update fixes some bugs that occurred with Leopard, like the iSight/iLife integration. Some of the updates to Family include: You can now export your Family file to PDF, and it will still be crisp if you zoom in. The iSight and iPhoto/iLife integration work again in 10.5. You can now zoom in 120% when in the main editor. Updated Family bubbles to make Family files look better in general, especially in printing. Minor bug fixes regarding text input. There is a fun little fade out when you close windows. Made it so that dragging a new connection is easier than before. Dragging a connection is not as particular about where you click like it was in 2.0.2. If you want more information about this update, or would like to download Family.app, you can visit the Saltatory Software website. Family is $29.95US for a personal-use license and it requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher.
Apple finally refreshes Cinema Display: 24-inch, LED backlit, $899
Another rumor to tick off the list, Apple just announced the 24-inch Cinema Display. LED-backlit, check; Mini DisplayPort, check; $899 list price, check; MagSafe adapter, check. In fact, it has a tri-pronged cable that also includes USB . Other specs include a native 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, built-in iSight camera / microphone, integrated stereo speakers and a 3-port USB hub. Can you wait 'til November?%Gallery-34486%%Gallery-34476%
