photo
Latest
iRovr: social networking for iPhone only
Our good friends over at DLS just posted some news about a service called iRovr, which purports to be a "unique social experience" made exclusively for the iPhone. Basically, you sign up, and are given a set of email addresses to which you can send content directly from your iPhone (including blogs, photos, videos, and even comments), which is then archived on their pages. It's definitely an interesting concept, and even if you aren't ready to join yet another social networking service (especially since Twitter is already on the iPhone, and Pownce is sure to follow), I actually entertained myself for way longer than I planned to just browsing through the content that's been uploaded.You have to give iRovr credit for using email hackery, a squeezed design, and probably a heck of a backend just for getting this all working smoothly together as an app that is completely accessed only by the iPhone. I'm sure an app like this is just what Jobsy had in mind when he spoke of the "very sweet solution."
The DS Life: Leg Show
The DS Life is a new weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handheld and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at gmail dot com.This week's gam-filled shot comes from "Asianleggy," a professional photographer whose collections you might already be familiar with, depending on how deviant your tastes are. Step past the post break for the full image and some notes on his previous work.
Skitch opens doors with invite-only public beta, begins sending out copies
We may have been playing with Skitch and teasing you with screenshot galleries since the app's debut at Macworld '07, but today is the day that some of you can finally start teasing someone else for a change. That's right: the plasq crew have officially opened the flood gates and have begun sending out Skitch beta copies to users who signed up (you can now sign up at the official Skitch site). Not everyone will receive their copy right away, mind you: by 'invite-only public beta,' I mean that copies will more or less be sent out at a moderate but steady pace and only to those who sign up, as plasq wants to make sure they can maintain control over testing (after all: it is still a beta) and ensure their slick MySkitch photo sharing service can handle the load.That said, if you get a copy, start testing away! It's a beta, so it'll act funny and it just might eat the family cat. Just remember: Skitch will be a commercial app when released as a 1.0 (though no official word on price yet), and the plasq crew is still kicking around whether they need to split some services or features off into a Pro version, so send in that feedback.
TUAW Exclusive: Video of Pixelmator in action
Click To Play The moment I saw John Gruber link Pixelmator - a powerful new Core Image-based image editor with support for layers, a wide variety of tools, iLife/iPhoto, Automator and more - I had to get a closer look. I remember the days of Apple hyping Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and all the power of Core Image, and then never seeing a formidable editor make use of them. Sure there are a few apps that make use of Core Image in one way or another, but nothing really struck me as truly leveraging all there was to leverage in Apple's Core image.While Pixelmator may technically be vaporware according to Gruber, I managed to snag an exclusive demonstration video of the app in action from its developers, brothers Aidas and Saulius Dailide (who you might be interested to know also founded Jumsoft). The demo showcases some impressive Pixelmator features, including working with multiple layers and objects, opening Photoshop files and moving layers from one image to another, taking a picture with an iSight camera and embedding it into the current working image, and even some slick blending modes.From what I see here, I can definitely say 'wow', especially since Pixelmator is expected to ship in late July for only $59. Stay tuned for more info as soon as we can nab it.
Go!Cam heads to Europe May 16th
Months after the initial Japanese release, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is finally announcing the release of Go!Cam, the PSP camera. The video and photo camera will release on May 16th and will retail for €49.99 (£34.99). Go!Cam has a built in microphone and the ability to change the direction of the camera lens vertically by 180 degrees. The European equivalent of Chotto Shot appears to be Go!Edit, an application which allows users to edit their photos and videos.''Go!Cam is fantastic news for all those PSP owners looking for something new, fun and creative," said Stephane Hareau, PSP Marketing Manager, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. "With Summer around the corner and the ability to turn your PSP into a mini camcorder and capture all the best moments in your life, this is yet another reason to get a PSP and to take advantage of truly portable entertainment. It demonstrates yet again the potential, versatility and evolving nature of PSP.''No American release has been announced yet.
Aluratek's 10.5-inch ADMPF110 digiframe does HD movies, too
Since the medium-sized digiframe market is getting so crowded these days, it's leaving manufacturers with little choice but to spruce up their offerings or get left in the crowd. Thankfully for us all, Aluratek has decided to bolster its stance by throwing down a 10.5-inch digital photo frame that not only sports a sleek, classy design, but also ups the ante in the specs department. The 1,024 x 768 resolution seen here has definitely made an appearance on another (albeit larger) frame before, but it touts 256MB of built-in memory, USB 2.0, compatibility with CF, MS, SD, MMC, and xD flash cards, and support for JPEG, Motion JPEG, AVI, and MP3 file formats. Additionally, a bundled wireless remote allows you to control the still / video slideshows from afar, and the audio output enables users to crank things on the home stereo whilst utilizing the integrated display. Best of all, the pricetag isn't one to balk at, as the $199 Aluratek is asking for here isn't too greedy at all when compared to the (mostly lacking) competition. [Via PopGadget]
Reader WoWspace of the Week: Patrick and Kyle
This week, on a very special episode of Reader WoWspace... Two men, brought together by fate share a destiny they never thought was possible. This summer, from the producer of The Odd Couple, and the director of The Crying Game comes an experience you'll never forget - Patrick and Kyle's WoWspace!Okay, maybe not earthshaking, but I do find it interesting that it's a shared space. Do any of you share your WoWspace with another? If so, send it in! Here are the details:Patrick and Kyle's WowSpace from Southern Wisconsin.Characters from Left to RightGorgas - Level 70 Warlock (Skywall PvE)Rebourn - Level 14 Warlock (Arthas PvP)Budenhagen - Level 70 Rogue (Arathor PvE)
HoudahGeo geocoding with Google Earth integration
We have posted about several differing geocoding solutions for the Mac. All of these programs allow you to embed location information in the EXIF data of your photographs, thus specifying where the photo was taken as well as the time, date, etc. The newest entry into the Mac geocoding sweepstakes is HoudaGeo, which has just been released as a public beta. Like some of the others, it allows you to tag your photos either by importing tracking data from a GPS device (syncing using the time stamps) or by using an interface with Google Maps. Once the photos have been tagged you can export them to Google Earth with a single click:HoudaGeo is a free download while it's in beta but will eventually be shareware.
Bunnies make good cupcakes
Bunnies probably don't like to be eaten, but that didn't stop Flickr user protozoider from making these Rayman Raving Rabbids cupcakes. Some of them look like they're going to eat you! The set includes instructions on making your very own (somewhat creepy) rabbid cupcakes, and features pictures of the best efforts, and some of the not-so-successful. The secret? Bunny-themed cake pans for Easter cakes. Creative, we must admit ....See also: Metareview: Raving Rabbids Bunnies can't stand Christmas Bunnies do not value privacy Bunny tries to milk prancing cow
Delicious Hordecake
This is certainly the best WoW-themed edible item I've seen yet. What impresses me is that even the wood-looking part of the shield is edible -- that can't have been easy. Apparently the person who made this has a habit of making awesome cakes, which makes sense; you wouldn't expect a cake this nice from a noob cakester. She's been dating a WoW player, and made him this for his birthday. I wish my girlfriend was this supportive of my WoW habit...At any rate, head over to flickr for a few more photos, including really big ones if you want to print out a life-sized version and pretend. Seen any other good cakes lately?[thanks, Nelson]
Hands-on with the i-mate Momento 70
Thrown together by well-traveled ODM Inventec, i-mate's new Momento series of digital picture frames break some important ground. First of all, they do WiFi -- a seemingly obvious feature for this category of devices that's inexplicably missing from a majority of the mainstream models currently in the marketplace. Next up, the Momento is among the very first commercially available devices to support Microsoft's SideShow concept for secondary displays that should (theoretically, anyway) untether all manner of information from the PCs on which it typically resides. In that respect, the Momento is very much a first-generation device -- but as a picture frame, we came into the hands-on expecting a certain level of refinement, now that they've had a few years to ripen on the vine. Does the unit deliver on its promise as a highly connected, Vista-compatible accessory? Does it deliver as a plain ol' frame, for that matter? We took the $200 Momento 70 -- the smaller of the two, clocking in at 7 inches of diagonal real estate -- for a test drive to get some answers.%Gallery-1792%
Gigapan robot snaps panoramic views, assembles results
We're absolutely certain there's a vast array of naturally gifted photographers out there that don't need a robot to do a man's job, but for those of us who can't hold our elbows perfectly still and snap a dozen or so photographs in a panoramic pattern without ruining the entire shot, Gigapan's got you covered. The robotic shooting platform was developed by Carnegie Mellon University and the NASA Ames Intelligent Robot Group, and can manhandle almost any digital camera in order to capture a wide-angle view of any particular scene without the breaks we humans often inject. The robot will click away depending on a timer and the number of snapshots that users program in, resulting in a very high resolution, widescreen image of a crime scene, vacation overlook, or your entire basement wall of Transformers posters. Moreover, the team has developed accompanying software to "piece together" the resulting images, leaving a nearly flawless reproduction of a panoramic view with an immensely increased level of detail. Expected to cost "around $200 or less," the Gigapan could be in civilian hands as early as next month, after which we'll have to start an entirely new photo contest devoted to cramming as many miles as possible into a single, uber-wide shot, but for now, be sure to click on through for a small taste of what this monkey can do.[Via Primidi]
Wii Warm Up: Channels
There was some recent ruckus over the (lack of) functionality of the Weather Channel, but we haven't spent a great deal of time discussing the rest of the Wii channels. Does the browser get much play on your Wii? How about the photo channel? While it doesn't have too many features, a little living room photo manipulation can be fun in a group. How about your Mii Plaza? Is it packed to the max, or somewhat sparse?So today's question is: have you just dipped a toe, or have you gone all out, gathering on the sofa for YouTube videos and checking the weather in the morning? Can you think of any other channels you'd like to see added?
Pandigital unveils 10.4-inch video-playing digital photo frame
Apparently Pandigital put up some stellar sales figures over the holidays with its foursome of video-playing digital photo frames, and now the company is raising the stakes by tossing out a 10.4-inch edition with 256MB of internal memory. The PAN10-2 features a 1,024 x 768 resolution, 350 cd/m2 brightness, 500:1 contrast ratio, and a 178-degree viewing angle. Additionally, the frame will play back MPEG 1/4 and AVI movie clips, MP3 files stored on the internal memory, and of course, roll through slideshows of your favorite galleries. You'll also get a wireless remote to control the action from afar, and if the quarter-gigabyte of built-in space isn't roomy enough for you, feel free to cram any of your SD, xD, MS, MSPro, MSDuo, CF, or MMC cards in the flash card reader for nearly limitless fun. So if you weren't able to woo your secret Santa into gifting you with a digiframe last month, you can pick up this 10.4-inch rendition for $249.99 in "mid-February."[Via PhotographyBlog]
Happy Apple New Year!
Thanks to reader Nik F. for sending in this slo-mo logo from Lars Ivar and Karl Otto. If you have a favorite logo shot, let us know in the comments.From all of us here at TUAW, best wishes for a happy and healthy 2007!
Lifehacker script to automate Project 365 with iSight-enabled Macs
Photojojo is a community focused on photography tips, tricks, DIY projects and other kinds of picture-taking goodness. Recently, they introduced Project 365, essentially coining a(nother?) term and offering tips for those take-a-picture-a-day-for-a-year-or-three projects that broke out on the interwebs over the last year or so.Inspired both by this Photojojo post and the recent 'snap a pic of users who commit invalid login attempts' hack, Adam Pash at Lifehacker penned a Photo projects for the New Year post in which he put together a script that can automate this process on iSight-enabled Macs, more or less taking the effort out of your own Project 365. The script can be set to run each time you login (properly, of course) or at a specific time of each day, and Adam includes instructions for tweaking them to your needs. By default, they're set up to snap the pic and save it in ~/project365/pics/, adding a timestamp to the name of each file to help you keep track of everything when you're ready to make your YouTube debut.I think this is a fantastic idea, and now that I have an iSight in both my MacBook and iMac, I think I might actually take a crack at this myself. A big thanks to Adam for putting together such a cool script, and be sure to check out Photojojo's original Project 365 post for tips, motivation and ideas on what to do with 365 pictures of you and/or your stuff.
Flickr hearts Wii
Flickr has been infected with all sorts of shots of the Wii in action, and WiiNintendo gathered several of the best to show off the new console. Several of these look like they might be from family gatherings ... and we can't wait to pack up our Wii for the holiday family tour coming up this weekend. We may even have to share some on Flickr, since it seems that Wii action shots are the new cat pics. Hmm. Maybe we should encourage the cats to play with the Wiimotes. Cutting edge, here we come!
Griffin ExpressCard 5-in-1 reader out
There are others like it, but this one is from one of our favorite vendors: Griffin has released an ExpressCard/34 reader for SD, Memory Stick/MSP, MultiMediaCard, xD, and also (assuming you haven't lost your card adapter) Memory Stick Duo/Micro, miniSD, microSD, and the other MMC flavors. Naturally tangy and faster than your average USB bear; pick one up for your favorite MacBook Pro-toting photographer. $30 direct from the big G.
Wii - now with bonus Bluetooth functionality? [update 1]
You'd think a company like Nintendo would hype up all the features of its new console to the point of abject sin, right? Well, all you savvy tech guys out there, there may be at least one Nintendo isn't telling you about.Some readers over at the Official Nintendo Forums are claiming an interesting ability of the Wii: it has the capability of receiving Bluetooth signals from various devices, including cellular phones. Apparently, one is able to go right into the Photo Channel of the Wii and immediately access pictures from a nearby Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, with no hassle or setup, as long as an SD card is inserted into the system. This is an extremely convenient way to view pictures from a cell phone on a larger screen, and would be a welcome addition to the functionality of the Photo Channel.With the Wii's apparent ability to receive and transmit Bluetooth to any generic device, might we see Bluetooth headset compatibility for voice chat in the future? Not having to buy a proprietary headset would be awesome, no?[Update 1: Alas, this has been proven 100% false. Why are people such jerks?][Thanks, Nick!]
A beautiful Remote Play video [Update 1]
Remote Play really is quite an amazing feature, for those of you with PLAYSTATION 3s. PSP GadgetZ took this lovely direct-feed video of the PSP accessing the PS3's XMB, and it's amazing how quick and seamless the transition is. The video shows you the PS3's impressive Photo slideshow playback, and music visualizations (which easily trump the PSP's new visualizations). It also shows you how videos play with absolutely no lag or loading at all. Wow! I'm very impressed. The PSP really has become a "virtual PS3." Now, how do I get a PLAYSTATION 3 without selling one of my body parts? [Update 1: Gizmodo unfortunately tells us that the PS3 is non-functional while in Remote Play mode. What? I hope Sony fixes this in a future firmware upgrade. You would think with the massive power of Cell, it can send a signal to the PSP AND do other things.]
