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Instagram says it's not changing your feed... yet
The internet flung into a panic today as users prepped for Instagram to change how images display in its feed. Earlier this month, the filter-driven photo app announced that it would switch from a chronological order of photos to an algorithm-based approach like Facebook does with the News Feed and Twitter's option for organizing Timelines. The idea is to push things the software thinks you'd like to see more to the top, but, of course, this means you're likely to miss out on some things, too. Based on the high level of panic and the service being inundated with posts begging followers to turn on notifications, Instagram took to Twitter to assure us that nothing is changing yet.
Rumor: Google's Android camera will get smart with Goggles
Google might be working on a new feature for Android cameras that allows smartphone photo-snappers to search for information directly from their pictures, SlashGear reports. This tech would essentially combine Google Goggles, a visual-search app that's been around for years, with your Android camera (or Google Camera, if you're really into brand-name apps).
Google Photos will suggest albums after your next trip
Sure, Google Photos is clever enough to craft stories when you return from a trip, but you probably want more than that. Wouldn't it be nice if it could organize those photos into albums so that you're not left sifting through pictures yourself? You're about to get just that. Google is trotting out a Photos update on Android, iOS and the web that automatically suggests new albums, choosing what it thinks are the best shots. It'll add maps, too, and let you caption the album to help relive the moment.
Google is shutting down Picasa in favor of Photos
Google has been steadily migrating its resources towards the Photos ecosystem since the company first announced it at last year's I/O developers conference. It's already shut down Google+ photos in lieu of the newer service and linked Photos to your phone's native camera app. Today Google announced that it will shut down Picasa. The move will occur over the next several months, beginning on May 1, 2016. Take note, however, that the Picasa desktop application won't work after March 1st. Current Picasa users simply have to log into Photos -- all of their content has already been moved over. Update: The Picasa desktop app will continue to function, but after March 15th, you shouldn't expect any more updates. It also sounds like the download link will be going away, so you might want to also keep the install file stashed somewhere safe.
Firewatch Photos will print and ship your in-game snapshots
In-game photo modes are cool and all, but beyond sharing your Driveclub or Arkham Knight snaps via social media, there isn't much you can do with them. Well, in the PC version of Firewatch (out this week, and on PlayStation 4) you can go a step further and have them printed and mailed to you from the folks at developer Campo Santo and publisher Panic. There's an in-game disposable camera, you see, and photographing artist Olly Moss's gorgeous landscapes is highly recommended; $15 nets you a set of 4" x 6" prints and they'll ship free "almost anywhere." TechnoBuffalo notes that after finishing the game you're presented with a link to an online store to place an order for your shots; that publication's photos are embedded below.
Facebook, Instagram make text art from your photos
Who knew that Facebook had a secret artistic side? Mathias Bynens did, at least. He recently noticed that Facebook and Instagram automatically turn many public photos into ASCII art just by adding a file extension to the end of the web link -- ".html" if you want a color image, or ".txt" if you'd prefer it in black and white. I've tried the trick with a few of my photos (see above and below for examples), and it definitely works -- the results have a great lo-fi vibe that could work well for a Facebook background image or even a poster.
Google links your camera app and Photos library
Inside the Android version of the Google Photos app, a chunk of users have noticed a new option that makes it easier to access your cloud-centric library after taking a photo. As DroidLife explains, by swiping to the Assistant tab some people now have the option to enable a "Jump from Camera to Google Photos" shortcut. Agree to the change and you'll notice a tiny circle in your camera app whenever you fire off a new shot. So instead of launching the Gallery, or whatever app equivalent your Android phone ships with, you can tap this and jump directly into Photos instead. It's a neat trick, although we wish Google had a better way to integrate the two apps -- this seems like a welcome, but slightly messy workaround.
You can share your iPhone 6s' Live Photos on Facebook
Live Photos on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are supposed to add a dash of life to your memories, but what good are they if you can't share them with your Facebook friends? You might not have that problem after today. Facebook's iOS app now lets you share those animated snapshots on the social network. While viewers will need a device running iOS 9 to see the effect, this could give your friends one more reason to check out your baby pictures. Be prepared to wait a little while to try this, however. Only a "small percentage' of users can try Live Photos right now, and the wider roll out will continue into the new year.
Adobe Lightroom for iOS brings another desktop tool to mobile
Adobe continues to make its mobile photography apps more powerful, and a new update for Lightroom mobile on iOS delivers more of that. Leveraging another useful feature from the desktop, you can now employ a Point Curve mode to make adjustments in the Tone Curve and Split Toning tool. In other words, you now have more control when you add a tint or tone to the shadows and highlights of an image using Split Toning, for example. Lightroom mobile also allows you to "shoot through presets" now, too.
UK man arrested in VTech kids app hacking scandal
Police have arrested a 21-year-old UK man in relation to the VTech kid's app hacking scandal that compromised the accounts of up to 6.3 million users. The crime unit said he was being held on "suspicion of unauthorized access to computer[s] to facilitate the commission of an offense," but cautioned that the investigation was still in the early stages. The man was arrested in Berkshire, west of London, but his name wasn't released. As a reminder, the breach last month affected users of VTech's Learning Lodge app and Kids Connect chat program, and allowed the attackers to collect photos, chat logs and other private information.
Google Photos' new albums make it easier to share memories
When the time comes to collect photos from your weekend camping trip, Google Photos now has a way to do so with ease. With the image repository's new shared albums, all you have to do is share a link with the folks you'd like to contribute. If this sounds familiar, Google first detailed the updated sharing at its Nexus event back in September. You and your fellow collaborators can also receive notifications when new photos or video are added to the library. Of course, Google Photos offers unlimited storage, so you won't have to worry about eating up your allotted space.
Flickr's Gear VR app takes you inside 360-degree photos
We've known Flickr was planning to jump in the VR game since September, and now its first project has arrived. The photo repository's app for Samsung's Gear VR lets you browse its collection of "VR Photos" with the help of the headset and the requisite Samsung handset. By "VR Photos," Flickr means its library of 360-degree equirectangular images and the photo site boasts over 14,000 total. This view of the Aurora Borealis from Finland will give you an idea of the types of images you can expect to encounter.
Twitter no longer crops the photos in your Timeline
A small change, but one that's welcome all the same. Starting today Twitter.com will no longer crop the photos in your timeline, saving you a click to see holiday snaps, selfies and anything else the people you follow have been posting. It also means that when you upload an image, especially anything in a square format, you don't have to worry about how it'll appear on the web. That's good news for shutterbugs and news organisations, although power users will probably be disappointed in the move, which ultimately sacrifices tweet volume for visual media.
Adobe Lightroom mobile on Android is now available for free
Adobe ditched the Creative Cloud requirement for Lightroom mobile on iOS back in October, and now it's doing the same for Android. With an update to version 1.4 for the Android app, the photo-editing software is now free to use. This means that you'll no longer need that desktop software subscription to use it. However, if you want your edits and files to sync on the desktop, you'll have to splurge for Creative Cloud.
VTech's data breach includes children's photos and chat logs
News of VTech's data breach affecting nearly 5 million customers first broke last week, and now it appears other kinds of info were easily accessible to hackers. Motherboard reports that the company kept photos of parents and children alongside "a year's worth" of chat logs on its servers where prying eyes could easily find them. The same hacker that alerted Motherboard to the initial vulnerability late last week found that VTech left the images and conversations from its Kids Connect service exposed as well. The company says that while images and sound clips are encrypted with AES128, the chat logs were not.
Data-mined photos document 100 years of (forced) smiling
Here's an odd fact: Turn-of-the-century photographers used to tell subjects to say "prunes" rather than "cheese," so that they would smile less. By studying nearly 38,000 high-school yearbook photos taken since 1905, UC Berkeley researchers have shown just how much smiling, fashion and hairstyles have changed over the years. The goal was not just to track trends, but figure out how to apply modern data-mining techniques and machine learning to a much older medium: photographs. Their research could advance deep-learning algorithms for dating historical photos and help historians study how social norms change over time.
Motorola's Chicago flagship store is the antithesis of an Apple store
Motorola has exactly one retail store, and it's located in the heart of Chicago's downtown Loop district. I happened to be in the area recently and stopped by on a Friday afternoon before its grand opening. As I found, it is, in many ways, the antithesis of an Apple store. Whereas Cupertino's retail locations feel cold, sterile and a little disconnected, Moto's outpost is warm and welcoming, with an earthy décor and smiling staff at every turn. It's outfitted with bright colors, wood panels and leather accents, while devices like the Moto X, G, E and 360 share display space with plants. What's more, the store encourages you to drop its handsets on the floor to prove how durable they are. Given all this, it's a wonder the company doesn't plan to open any more stores outside its home city.
Google Photos saves space by deleting images you've already backed up
Google Photos is a handy way to backup and organize images, and starting today, Android users are getting new features to help with the task. First, a "Free Up Space" option in the Settings menu will automatically delete photos stored on your mobile device that have already been backed up in the cloud. To make sure that you don't delete any copies that you might need on your phone or tablet, you'll have to confirm the action before it happens. You'll also be able to nix any photos stored on your device's SD card from inside the app so they won't continue to be visible there. On the web, you can opt for the smaller "High quality" setting after photos have been uploaded in "Original quality." Doing so not only saves space with smaller files, but those files won't count against the storage cap like the full resolution images do. The new features are hitting the app today on Android devices, so you should see the changes soon.
Facebook Photo Magic asks you to send pics to photographed friends
Facebook is testing out Photo Magic, a new facial-recognition feature that prompts users to send photos via Messenger directly to the people in the shots. The test hits Australia today on Android, with an iOS rollout planned for later this week. Photo Magic uses the same tech as Facebook's Moments and tag-suggestion features, and for your friends to receive photos of themselves, they need to have Moments installed, Verge reports. When you open the updated Messenger app, it'll scan your smartphone's camera roll (after you give it permission to do so) and select a snap that features you and some Facebook friends. You can then send it to those folks with one tap; Messenger will open up a new group thread if there are multiple people in the shot. After that, if you take a photo with some Facebook buddies, Messenger will offer the option to send it right to them. Of course, users can opt out of facial recognition in Facebook's settings page. Photo Magic should make its way to countries outside of Australia within a few months. [Image credit: Shutterstock]
Adobe's Photoshop iOS apps are ready for use on the iPad Pro
If you're a designer or photographer, you're likely champing at the bit to get your hands on an iPad Pro for creative work. To prep for the larger slate's arrival, Adobe updated both Photoshop Fix and Photoshop Mix to take advantage of the tablet's tools. The duo of apps play nice with iOS 9's split-screen multi-tasking, wrangle larger image sizes (Adobe didn't specify how large, though) and offer "basic" support for that newfangled Pencil. Of course, you'll be able to make use of that split-screen feature on other iPads as well. New versions of both apps are available over at iTunes via the source links down below.
