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Did you know you can change the direction of the iPhone Panorama feature?
iOS has always been about intuitiveness, but every once in a while, it assumes a little too much. That seems to be the case with the Panorama photo feature, which, at first glance, appears to only allow panoramas to be shot from left to right. If you were under this impression, it's totally understandable, but there is indeed a way to reverse it! Simply tap the large, white arrow on the panorama slider to reverse it direction. The arrow will flip to the right side of the screen and you can now record your panorama from right to left. Ta-da!
Easter egg-filled panorama of Seattle is Microsoft's latest Photosynth art project
After all the panoramas, street views and 3D flights of fancy through cityscapes, how can Microsoft make the next one different? Apparently, by teaming up with over 100 of Seattle's local artists and performers to cram this 360-degree panorama full of imaginative easter eggs (like the airship seen above). Dubbed the Gigapixel ArtZoom, Microsoft unveiled it tonight at the Seattle Art Museum but like other Photosynth projects, anyone with a browser can dive in right now. 2,368 twenty-two-megapixel images were shot from the Bay View condominium building and stitched together with Microsoft's Image Composite Editor software -- it's the same system behind Windows 8.1's panorama feature and Bing Maps. Click and zoom through the resulting image on a Where's Waldo-style search for the performers (inserted via separate photoshoots after the original shoot and highlighted with additional info) on its dedicated website here, or check after the break for a behind the scenes look at how it was made.
Some cool camera tricks in iOS 7's Panoramic mode
Apple originally introduced the ability to capture panoramic photos in iOS 6. In iOS 7, this feature was moved up to the big leagues, now occupying its own dedicated mode from within the Camera app. While taking panoramic shots is a great way to capture photos like wide landscapes, here are a few camera tricks you can play with in panoramic mode that you may not already be familiar with. Multiplicity One trick is to take a photo featuring the same person in different locations, all within the exact same shot. To do so, begin panning and once you've passed over your friend or family member (aka a willing test subject), have him or her run around behind you to another location, soon to be panned itself. The result is multiplicity and a fun photo result. You can, of course, make it a tad more interesting by assuming the same pose in each shot. Also keep in mind that this trick works best without any moving objects (i.e., people, cars) in the background. Vertical Panoramas Another trick worth trying is a vertical panorama, otherwise known as a vertorama. You can do this by panning vertically instead of horizontally. To do so, your camera must be in landscape mode. The result is often an eye-catching photo. Pan from right to left By default, panoramic photos in iOS scan from left to right. You can easily take a panoramic photo in the opposite direction by tapping the large white arrow. This reverses the orientation and you're now good to go.
Microsoft updates Photosynth with ultra high-resolution and 360-degree objects
Microsoft's Photosynth software has its fair share of fans. The high-tech panorama capture has always excelled at stitching together stunning images. The latest beta update brings a host of enhancements to the table that ensure Redmond wont be eclipsed by its competitors in short order. For one, the new Spin Photosynth allows you to walk around an object, snapping pictures that are then pieced together in a 360-degree 3D model. The servers doing all the heavy lifting are even able to identify moving objects, such as the birds in the spin around Haystack Rock after the break, and smooths the transition between pictures. Microsoft has also added support for ultra high-resolution imagery. In the second example after the break, a flight to Everest, you're able to glide your way through the Himalayas. Each full-size frame is a stunning 60 megapixels, which allows you to zoom in and view the glaciers and rocky crags in stunning detail. If you're interested in checking out the new features before they hit prime time, you can sign up for the technical preview here. But, be warned, it's on a first come first serve basis, so there's no guarantee you'll get into the program.
Google launches Views hub to showcase Photo Spheres and panoramas in Google Maps
As slick as Android's Photo Spheres can be, they're typically hard to find unless someone posts them for you. Google is making that discovery almost trivial by launching Views, its new Google Maps section for Photo Spheres and panoramas. The page both streamlines importing photos from Google+ and simplifies tracking them down by their author, location or popularity. Google also includes its Street View galleries, giving explorers fast access to professional tours alongside the usual amateur photography. Not many of us can contribute to Views when Photo Sphere only works with a few of the latest Android devices, but everyone can at least see what they're missing at the source link.
Google's Street View takes you up Mount Fuji, crampon free
In contrast to its happy visits to the Eiffel Tower and Burj Khalifa, Street View's exploration of Dead Island may have given you the wrong impression of Japan. Luckily, one of the country's most picturesque symbols, Mount Fuji, was recently scaled by what must be some of Mountain View's most athletic trekkers. The fruits of the 12,400-foot climb and incessant photo stops are 14,000 separate panoramas, including many sunrise shots only available to diligent night climbers. They're now live on Maps, so hit the source or panorama after the break for a far less taxing peek.
Insert Coin: BubblePod clockwork turntable lets your phone capture 360-degree images
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. The problem with capturing panoramic stills with your phone is that you need to keep a steady motion when panning around, but we all know that only a robot can perform such feat perfectly. That's why this little BubblePod caught our attention. The device is essentially a mini clockwork turntable so no battery is required -- just wind it up, slip an iOS, Android or BB10 device into the silicone grip, fire up the BubblePix app and hit the BubblePod's release button for a steady 40-second rewind. The sample panoramic shots (or "bubbles") we saw have almost no visible stitching, and the app can simultaneously record an audio clip to capture the atmosphere as well. Better yet, in addition to its rubberized base, the BubblePod is also built with a universal tripod mount plus a wine bottle insert mount! This Kickstarter project will offer a unit if you pledge a minimum of £15 (about $23) for the limited early bird offer or £20 (about $31) later on, plus £5 (about $8) to ship outside the UK. Do check out the demo video after the break, and feel free to grab yourself a BubblePod before funding ends on July 9th. %Gallery-190789%
Google Trekker to put the Galapagos Islands on Street View, one tortoise at a time
Google's Street View Trekker has already captured some dramatic scenery in its young life, but we haven't seen it venture far beyond US borders. The company is making up for that in style through its recently completed image-gathering expedition to the Galapagos Islands. The visit will produce 360-degree shots of 10 representative areas chosen by the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Parks Directorate. There's more involved than just stunning Google Maps imagery, however: the panoramas will help document any threats to the local climate and wildlife. While we'll only see the results of the Galapagos trip later this year, it's good to know that they should help both humans and slow-moving reptiles in equal measure.
iPhone cameras are everywhere at one of America's best scenic spots
My last visit to Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah was in pre-iPhone days. My, how things have changed. I went to Bryce on a landscape shoot this week with my usual semi-pro equipment: Canon 5D, Manfrotto tripod and the usual gaggle of batteries, timers and other esoterica. I was especially interested in seeing if people were toting different equipment in the age of the smartphone. I expected to see Android and iPhones snapping away, while the pros and semi-pros were hanging on to their expensive DSLRs. It wasn't quite what I expected. I saw a lot of iPhones in the crowds of people gathered at the rim of Bryce Canyon waiting for the sunset. I saw a couple of Android phones, but there could have been more. I walked up to a large group of young girls from Tennessee and asked how many were using iPhones? Every hand went up. I asked them if they were still using their old point-and-shoot cameras, and everyone had dropped them for an iPhone. The main reason? Instagram and other photo-sharing services. No one mentioned Apple's Photo Stream. You just can't get photos to friends with a point-and-shoot. None of those girls were into editing photos, it was mostly shoot and send. I asked about the iPhone HDR feature. The most frequent answer was "huh?" More marketing needed by Cupertino. I showed some of the people up there how easy it was to activate HDR, and let them compare the results. Sunset at Bryce Canyon is the perfect place for HDR. All were amazed, so I helped create some new converts. The biggest surprise were the pro and semi-pro shooters. Many had iPhones, which they would take out of a pocket for a moment, usually to shoot a panorama. One woman with a big Nikon said she loved her camera, but there was nothing like capturing a quick panorama with the iPhone. Easy to do, plenty of megapixels, and easy to send. A guy from Georgia with all kinds of pro equipment told me the same thing. %Gallery-188525% So here I was at one of the most beautiful scenery spots in the world and iPhones were everywhere. Young, old, novice, semi-pro and some pros. It's amazing that a company trying to make a better cellular phone has had such an impact on photography. Planning or accident? How about you? Have you dropped your point-and-shoot for an iPhone? And those of you with DSLRs, are you tempted to haul your iPhone out at times too? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
Google patent details augmented reality overlay for sat nav
Google's been granted a patent that puts quite a few of its favorite ideas together, namely Maps Navigation, Street View and augmented reality. The application describes a system combining garden variety GPS guidance with panoramic images, 3D models, full-motion video and even live feeds to enhance the route display -- all in the correct 3D driver's view perspective. The idea is to ease navigation by making your screen-view of the road more or less match your view in the windshield, but who knows? Maybe one day you may be able to drive without even looking outside.
Microsoft brings Photosynth to Windows Phone 8, touts new camera integration and controls
It certainly took a little longer than Photosynth fanatics had hoped, but Microsoft's highly-rated application is available on Windows Phone 8 at long last. Just as we'd heard, Photosynth will seamlessly integrate with the WP8 Lens, allowing users to easily launch the panorama features without having to leave the main shooting interface. In addition, Microsoft gave the app a couple more boosts, including the ability to quickly adjust to different lighting scenarios thanks to more white balance and exposure locking controls, as well as making it easier to view Photosynths your dear friends would like you to see via Twitter, Facebook or email. Eager to give it a go? Then look no further than the source link to see what the Mango crowd has been enjoying for months.
Seeing Azeroth from a bird's eye view
We've seen plenty of cool WoW screenshots in our day, but these bird's eye view images of Dalaran, Kun-Lai Summit (above), Lordaeron, Stormwind and most recently Orgrimmar still caught our eye. To capture these stellar views, Masserah of Arthas takes anywhere from 65 to 95 screenshots (at 1366 x 768 resolution on ultra settings), which he stitches together using the free app Hugin. This is the time-consuming part of the process, as Hugin can take two or three hours to piece a large scene together. Once Hugin has done its thing, Masserah manipulates the scene to give the fisheye effect and then goes into Photoshop to smooth out imperfections and correct colors. These aren't the first WoW panoramas Masserah has made -- he has a gallery of panoramas, tilt-shifts, and other cool shots dating back to 2006. "I tend to come and go, and do these in waves," Masserah says. "I'm always on the lookout for the next scene, but I rarely get off my butt to do so." So why take WoW screenshots in the first place? "I'm from Ireland, and more often than not the weather didn't cooperate with my photography," Masserah tells us. "I realized one day that I spent hour upon hour staring at a virtual world through a camera, and just started snapping scenes from around Azeroth. The small mercy is that a screenshot is about one-eighteenth the size of a professional photograph, and loads and processes much faster." And, while we aren't professional photographers ourselves, we definitely approve of these results.
LG flaunts Panorama VR feature on Optimus G Pro (video)
Since creating regular panorama shots is so last year, LG's come up with a new option for its Optimus G Pro. We first heard about Panorama VR camera app during the launch of the 5.5-inch handset, and now the Korean company's just outed a YouTube video showing how it works. It looks very similar, but not identical to Google's latest Photo Sphere update, letting you pan in different directions while photos of the scene are captured and stitched automatically. The software compiles it into a large panorama file that lets you pan and zoom into the scene, exactly like the recent Android 4.2 option. We've reached out to LG to see if there's any relation between the two apps, but more choice is always better anyway, no? Check the video after the break to see it in action.
Record-breaking 320-gigapixel panorama of London is a cause for celebration, vertigo
While the Shard might be the new darling of London's skyline, the BT Tower's still got a few tricks up its sleeve -- such as this record-breaking 320 gigapixel panorama of the English capital. In total 48,640 images, shot with four Canon EOS 7D cameras were stitched together to create this 360 vista. Want a little more perspective? The press info claims that if this were a physical image, it would be almost as large as Buckingham Palace -- or in more concrete terms -- 60,000 times larger than an average iPhone photo. Of course, what good would a gigapixel image be without a where's waldo-style hunt? So, UK residents who have a keen eye can try spotting BT's Buzby mascot for the chance of winning some prizes. Us? We're just trying to hunt down a cab. Set your sights on the source for big picture.
Google delivers Grand Canyon panoramas to less-than-patient tourists
Google must take as long to sift through vacation photos as everyone else. A few months after it sent its Trekker cameras to sweep the Grand Canyon, the resulting panoramas are at last showing on Google Maps. The expansion gives us 360-degree views from paths spanning roughly 75 miles, including tougher routes like the South Kaibab Trail. The views won't fully convey the majesty of standing on the canyon's edge, but they're quicker than booking a hiking expedition in Arizona -- and certainly easier on the legs.
TourWrist puts a twist on the photo sphere (hands-on video)
You've heard of Instagram, right? Are you familiar with Microsoft's Photosynth and Google's Photo Sphere on Nexus phones and tablets? How about Apple's brilliant continuous-scan panorama mode on iOS devices? Well mash all this up and you get TourWrist, an app / social network for sharing photo spheres. The app started life as a social network for virtual tourism and gained one million users since launching in 2010. Here in Las Vegas, the company just launched the latest version of TourWrist with a focus on capturing photos spheres. Unlike Microsoft's and Google's approach, which stitches 360-degree images from discrete pictures, the app uses continuous-scan like Apple's panorama mode. The resulting photo spheres are truly impressive and look significantly better than the competition, especially when captured in tricky lighting conditions. All 360-degree images can be shared with other TourWrist users, Instagram-style, and with other social networks by linking to an HTML5-compatible viewer. Take a look at our gallery below and peek after the break for our hands-on video and sample photo sphere captured on site.
Using the iOS 6 panorama photo feature
iOS 6 surprised many iPhoneographers with the inclusion of an unexpected panorama photo feature. Panorama photography using the built-in Camera app on iOS 6 devices has quickly become one of the favorite features of Apple's newest mobile operating system. TechHive's Derrick Story has provided a post today covering tips for using the feature for exciting photos and iPhoto products. Unlike rival apps like Debacle Software's Pano (US$1.99), iOS 6's panorama feature takes photos in one continuous shot -- almost like shooting video. And unlike Occipital's 360 Panorama ($0.99), the panorama is taken in one horizontal or vertical plane instead of in a virtual sphere. iOS 6 assembles the image as one big photo (up to 28 MP and averaging about 16 MB, says Story) covering up to 240 degrees, and that image can then be opened and viewed in iPhoto for iOS ($4.99). Story notes that Retina iPads and the iPhone 5 both have enough horsepower available to let photographers view or zoom in and out of them. But the real trick is to use the panoramic shots in iPhoto (iOS or Mac) slideshows, where they are automatically panned in a "Ken Burns"-like effect, or in the Origami slideshow effect. The latter effect shows the panorama unfolding -- very effective for a slideshow. Horizontal panoramas can also be used in iPhoto books, spanning two full pages for a stunning effect. Have you personally used the panorama feature of iOS 6? Let us know in the comments how you like it. If you haven't used the feature yet, be sure to check out Story's post and then give panorama photography a workout.
Butlers, lunar rovers, snakes and airboats: the best of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute
How was your week? We got to spend a couple of days trekking around the Carnegie Mellon campus in Pittsburgh, PA to check out some of the latest projects from the school's world renowned Robotics Institute -- a trip that culminated with the bi-annual induction ceremony from the CMU-sponsored Robot Hall of Fame. Given all the craziness of the past seven days, you might have missed some of the awesomeness, but fear not, we've got it all for you here in one handy place -- plus a couple of videos from the trip that we haven't shown you yet. Join us after the break to catch up.
Visualized: GigaPan circa 2006
GigaPan sure has come a long way in a few short years. Sure, it's no Epic Pro, but this old device marked S/N 15 is a pretty cool piece of history for those who love really hi-res images. We spotted it on the shelf of an office here at Carnegie Mellon, clutching on to an old PowerShot point-and-shoot. According to its owner, the tangled device dates back to around 2006. We knew it looked familiar....
LG Optimus G review: a quad-core powerhouse with Nexus aspirations
More Info LG Optimus G: hands-on with Korea's latest powerhouse LG Optimus G for AT&T hands-on LG Optimus G for Sprint hands-on You've heard it before: the more things change the more they stay the same. It wasn't that long ago that we reviewed LG's flagship Optimus 4X HD, the world's first quad-core HSPA+ handset. Despite representing the company's best engineering and design effort to date, it wasn't quite able to match the competition's global offerings -- Samsung's mighty Galaxy S III and HTC's lovely One X. Today, just a few months later, quad-core LTE superphones are the state of the art. Samsung's selling the global Galaxy Note II, HTC's just announced the One X+ and LG's betting everything on the Optimus G -- the first handset to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro together with an LTE radio. The Optimus G is a pivotal device for the Korean manufacturer, especially in the US, where rival Samsung is massively popular and LG's success has been hampered by a series of forgettable products (hello, Intuition) and a lackluster track record for software updates. It's so critical that LG even invited us to spend some quality time with the Optimus G at the launch event in Seoul last month. In the US, LG's partnering with Sprint and AT&T and there's strong evidence that Google's upcoming Nexus will be based on the Optimus G. So, does the company's latest powerhouse measure up to the competition? How different are the US versions from the Korean model? Does LG finally have a winning formula with the Optimus G? Find out in our review after the break.
