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Adobe Lightroom update makes edits easier on desktop and iOS
Adobe brought true RAW file edits to Lightroom mobile for iOS a while back and now the company is updating the interface to make photo tweaks easier while you're on the go. First, Adobe redesigned the edit view to make it friendlier for one-hand use. This includes a slider-based UI for making adjustments and putting the tools you use most often, like showing the before and after images, where you you can get at them quickly and with one hand.
Plex's machine learning tech auto-tags photos for you
Plex has made it easier for premium users to organize their photos and to unearth specific snapshots from their massive collections. The service now auto-tags photos based on what its new machine learning technology sees. If the tech detects a dog in a photo, for instance, it could tag that image with the words "dog" and "puppy." Since tags are useless if you can't sort your images with their help, Plex has also updated its web app's interface to be able to search tags. Further, the interface will now display related images based on the tags you look up.
Instagram adds Boomerang clips, mentions and links to Stories
Instagram has been making regular tweaks to its Stories feature since it debuted a few months ago. Today, the social network is adding a trio of tools to the collection of photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. First, you can now choose to use Boomerang to capture clips for Stories. All you have to do is swipe right from your feed to access the Stories camera. Under the record button there will be an option for Boomerang mode. Once selected, simply tap record to shoot the short burst of photos that will play forward and backward in your Story.
Adobe brings full RAW support to Lightroom on Android
While iOS users have enjoyed full RAW support in Adobe's Lightroom mobile app since this summer, the Android faithful had to be content with the company's own DNG RAW format. Thanks to an update to the software today, Android users will now get the same functionality. Adobe has revamped the version of Lightroom mobile to include a technology preview of full RAW support. The new feature set includes the ability to connect a camera directly to a phone or tablet to access files if you have the necessary cable to do so.
Adobe's powerful Photoshop Fix app finally arrives on Android
Adobe isn't always quick to bring new creative apps and features to Android. It took the company over a year to deliver a version of Photoshop Fix for those devices. After making its debut for iOS last October, the mobile software brings some powerful desktop editing tools to phones and tablets that run Google's OS. Tools like the face-aware Liquify tool to adjust facial expressions are here alongside Heal, Smooth and other adjustments that can make precise changes to images from a mobile device.
Even Windows 10 tablets get an Instagram app before the iPad
Instagram brought its filter-driven social network to Windows 10 mobile back in the spring and now it's doing the same for PCs and tablets running Microsoft's OS. The photo and video app is now available for desktops and slates, meaning its now an option across all Windows 10 devices and a true universal app. Just like the versions for other operating systems, Direct, Explore and Stories are all tools here for viewing photos and videos alongside capture and editing features.
Google's Pixel phones arrive with full-res photo and video storage
In addition to unveiling its new Pixel phones at its big keynote today, Google revealed that its new handsets will come with unlimited cloud storage for full-resolution pictures and videos. That's a big deal if you plan to take advantage of the devices' 4K shooting capabilities and shoot stills at full 12.3-megapixel resolution. It's worth noting that the company already offers something similar with Google Photos, but the current arrangement still doesn't necessarily guarantee images will be saved at their fullest resolution.
Amazon takes aim at Shutterfly with photo printing service
Photo printing is the latest addition to Amazon's slate of services and that's not great news for the likes of Shutterfly. Amazon Prints outputs snapshots for as little as 9 cents each and offers photo books starting at $20. What's more, options like post cards and calendars will soon be added, too. The online retailer debuted Prime Photos in 2014, giving subscribers unlimited photo storage as part of their $99 annual fee. It also offers a standalone storage option for $60 a year. With Amazon Prints, the company has a way to make money off of the photos it's storing for customers.
Instagram gets pinch-to-zoom on iOS, Android update in tow
The feature you didn't know you wanted for Instagram has finally arrived: pinch-to-zoom. Surprised it wasn't already there? Don't be. Originally, Instagram didn't support large enough images to warrant enlarging -- but last year, that changed last year when the company bumped its default image size up to 1080 x 1080. Now, we're seeing the fruits of that upgrade: starting today, iOS users can pinch and zoom any image or video in their feed. On Android? Sit tight. Instagram says the update will roll out to additional platforms in a few weeks.
Apple patenting a way to collect iPhone thieves' fingerprints
Apple's done a lot to curb iPhone theft via the "Find my iPhone" feature and encryption that locks out users if an incorrect code or fingerprint is used too often. However, it's thinking about getting more proactive, judging by a recent patent application. It claims a method of "capturing biometric information for identifying unauthorized users," including fingerprints, video or audio. The information could be stored or send to a server, where police could presumably use it to figure out who nabbed your device.
Adobe's Lightroom app for Apple TV helps show off your photos
There are already ways to show of your photography skills on your television via the Apple TV, but Adobe is making those in-home exhibitions a bit easier. The company released a Lightroom app for the set-top box that allows users to pull in those snapshots quickly. Any photos that you've synced with Lightroom on the desktop, mobile or web are all available to display on your television. Adobe says the goal is for users to be able to share their work with anyone and anywhere, all while keeping top-notch image quality. Let's be honest, offering a way to show images on the largest display in your house definitely fits the bill.
VSCO update simplifies how you capture, edit and browse photos
Last time we heard from VSCO, the company trotted out a separate photography app for GIFs. Turning its attention back to its flagship software for snapshots, the VSCO options for both Android and iOS are set to receive a substantial update to better balance creativity and discovery. First, a retooled gesture-based UI lets you easily flip back and forth between the photography editing tools and a feed of images from the folks you follow in the app. The overall look of the interface is simplified, too.
Google Photos celebrates first birthday and 24 billion selfies
Happy birthday, Google Photos. In the year since its launch, the service has created 1.6 billion animations, collages and movies from your snapshots, according to a post on the Google blog. More than that, there've been some 2 trillion labels, with 24 billion of them categorizing selfies. All told, the search giant says that thanks to the cloud backup option, the app's 200 million users have collectively cleared 13.7 petabytes of storage from their phones. If you'll remember, opting for high quality photo uploads offers unlimited storage, but choosing original quality counts against your overall Google storage. That may change in the future if you own a Nexus device, though.
Google Play is getting a dedicated VR section
Google is unpacking a lot of virtual reality news at its I/O developer conference today, and to make sure you can discover that content easily, the company is adding a dedicated VR section in the Play Store. That virtual reality hub will serve up immersive mobile games from the likes of EA and Ubisoft, as well as video streaming from Netflix, Hulu and HBO Now, among other services. You'll be able to get news reports from USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and CNN with sports-related stuff from the MLB and NBA. Google's own photos, Play Movies, Street View and YouTube videos will work on the new Daydream VR platform as well.
Spaces proves Google still doesn't get social
Yesterday Google launched Spaces to help small groups work together with shared images, links, videos and, of course, text. It's tough not to compare the service to Pinterest or Facebook Groups (it even has stickers that post as soon as you tap).
Google adds commenting capabilities to shared albums in Photos
Google is rolling out two new features for its Photos service: the ability to comment on shared images and albums, and a tool that suggests photos to add to specific albums. The commenting ability allows users to leave messages on albums and pictures that have been shared with them -- without leaving the app. Google Photos isn't a social networking service on its own, but the new functionality takes cues from sites like Facebook that allow commenting on images.
Facebook's 360-degree photos are coming to your News Feed
Back in September, Facebook introduced support for 360-degree videos in your Newsfeed. Soon, that same treatment will apply to photos too. The social network announced today that starting in the next few weeks, you'll be able to snap a panoramic photo sphere on your phone and then upload it to Facebook. You can also use other 360-degree cameras to take those shots too, like the Gear 360 or the Ricoh Theta S. As for viewing said photo, you can either tilt your phone around to get the full view, or drag it around with your finger or mouse cursor.
Facebook respects European privacy, skips facial recognition
Last June, Facebook launched an app called Moments that allows you to share event photos with friends. The software uses facial recognition to who's in the pictures for easy tagging and organizing. In the EU, regulators had already taken Facebook to task over its "tag suggest" facial recognition feature that scanned photos for your friends so you could easily tag them on the site. European data authorities haven't changed their stance on the feature, so Moments wasn't available there or in Canada until now.
Google Photos for Android gets a manual backup option
Sometimes a seemingly small update can have a large impact on your favorite app. That might be the case with Google Photos, which has just received a manual backup option for Android phones and tablets. Before, you needed to specify whether the app should be uploading your photos over a WiFi connection, or at any time using a WiFi or mobile network. If you have a plan with a strict data cap, you're probably using the former -- but sometimes, just sometimes, you'll want to break that rule in order to quickly sync and share your smartphone snaps. Well, now you can.
Edit all you want, because Google Photos will keep your originals
If you're prone to overfiltering, cropping and general meddling with your photos, you just keep right at it -- if you're using Google Photos on Android. The app has been updated to ensure it keeps the original shot irrespective of how many times you resize, shape and brighten it. Now, users can save their edits or save a new copy of the photo, but irrespective of which, the original will also stay filed away inside the Photos app. The new feature is inside version 1.17 -- and I'm telling you that now so that no-one goes crazy with the cropping before they're sure they've got the right update.
