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Camera+ 5 adds 'The Lab' in free update (Updated)
Tap Tap Tap has shipped version 5.0 of Camera+ for iPhone (US$1.99) as a free update to existing users, bringing a new destination -- The Lab -- for making adjustments to your photos and adding fun. The Lab includes: Clarity Pro: an update to the Camera+ Clarity feature that adds both adjustability and a new Vibrancy Boost for making photos really pop Straighten: which gains an auto-straighten feature Tint: tone your pictures to your specs, or use a dice roll to pick random tint settings Duotone: even more control of your tinting Soft Focus: adjustable soft focus for making those selfies look professional Film Grain: miss the graininess of fast analog film? You can add grain to your images... Sharpen: fix some slightly out-of-focus shots Blur: make perfect shots slightly out-of-focus. Go figure. And a lot, lot more... I found the app to be a lot faster than I remember, although I have no quantitative proof of that. The Lab won't work on the iPhone 3GS due to processor requirements, but those users get access to a subset of the tools. One really fun feature of The Lab is the ability to make iPhone wallpaper in the iOS 7 mode. As the release notes point out, you just grab a photo, crank the blur up, add saturation, apply an iPhone wallpaper crop and you're ready to roll. Last new feature? A new, more iOS 7-ish icon. There's a lot more in the update that we'll let you find on your own -- if the update hasn't installed itself yet, manually update because this is one you'll want to jump on. UPDATE: If you use the Day One app for keeping a personal journal, do not upgrade to Camera+ if you can help it -- it breaks the former integration with Day One.
Camera+ adds layered effects, effect packs
Tap Tap Tap has released version 3.9 of the powerful Camera+ app for iPhone this morning, as well as version 1.4 for iPad. The new release has a major feature that should make the more than 10.5 million users happy -- the ability to layer effects in the iPhone app. If you don't already own Camera+, it will be on sale for US$0.99 through Sunday, August 4. If you do have Camera+ on your iPhone, prepare to be amazed. Multiple effects can be added and removed, rearranged, and the intensity of each filter can be tweaked separately. A dynamic preview shows you exactly how your photo is going to look prior to saving it. Tap Tap Tap is also announcing the release of The Hollywood FX Pack, a set of 9 new effects and 9 new borders available for in-app purchase. It's inspired by movies and TV shows, and includes effects with names like Neo, Silent Movie, Enterprise and Gotham. The bizarre image at the top of this post was produced with the new Dreamstate effect, part of the Hollywood FX Pack. A few new widescreen cinematic crops -- 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 have been added as well. As an example of how layering works, the image below shows the result of adding five separate filters at various intensity levels: Action at 40 percent, Faded at 31 percent, Hipster at 79 percent, So Emo at 38 percent, and Vibrant at 89 percent.
Camera+ 3.0 now available, integrated into other apps via API
The popular Camera+ app (US$0.99) has just received an update to version 3.0 that adds new functionality as well as an API that has already been used by a number of top name developers to add the Camera+ functionality to a variety of apps. When I say that Camera+ is popular, I'm not exaggerating -- the app is the 10th best-selling iPhone app of all time, and the 7 millionth copy of Camera+ was recently sold. Not only does the app have a beautiful new icon (see above), but it has added features that will expand the popularity of this iPhoneography app: There's a new service that allows images to be shared to multiple sites simultaneously with a tap. Not only can you blast images to a number of Twitter accounts, but also to Facebook and Flickr -- all at once. A new "shoot and share" workflow. The normal Camera+ workflow involves shooting as many photos as you'd like, and then editing those photos after a shooting session. With shoot and share, each image is edited immediately after being taken. This is perfect for images that are going to be shared on social networks. There's now a way to add multiple images at one time from your photo library to the Camera+ Lightbox for editing. The Clarity feature, which provides automatic enhancement to images, has been tuned to provide better results. Camera+ 3.0 has added new focus and exposure locks that are incredibly useful when taking tripod shots with a Glif or other iPhone tripod mount. As noted, Camera+ developer Tap Tap Tap has also made an API available for adding the amazing camera and "darkroom" functionality of Camera+ to other apps. So far, the WordPress, Tweetbot, Twitterrific and Foodspotting apps have added the capabilities. If you're a developer who would like to add Camera+ to your app, check out the API information here. For the rest of you, go get the update now or purchase the app already!
Camera+ updated, VolumeSnap returns at last
In August of 2010, tap tap tap's Camera+ got pulled from the App Store because it implemented a feature which violated Apple's Developer Agreement at the time. VolumeSnap allowed Camera+ users to use the "+" volume button on the iPhone as a physical shutter switch for taking photos with the iPhone. After a four-month hiatus, Camera+ came back to the App Store with a redesigned and improved interface, but VolumeSnap was nowhere to be found. Things certainly changed over the next few months; Apple "Sherlocked" the VolumeSnap feature for iOS 5's own Camera app. It worked exactly the same way as it did in Camera+, and I imagine tap tap tap must have been a bit peeved at Apple for a while. Camera+ has now been updated with the VolumeSnap feature returned in all its glory, and as you can tell from the release notes, tap tap tap is pretty excited about it. The feature works just like Apple's, um, borrowed implementation: press the "+" volume button to take a picture while you're in the app and lining up a shot, and snap, there's your picture. You can still use the touchscreen shutter button instead if you prefer, and tap tap tap also has instructions for disabling VolumeSnap if you decide you dislike it (though I can't imagine why anyone would). VolumeSnap makes an already great photography app even more useful. Though the whole saga hasn't exactly made Apple look like the good guy, at least it eventually came to its senses and allowed this great feature through.
How to photograph jewelry with an iPhone 4
You know those beautiful photos of jewelry that you see in ads and catalogs? The folks at Modahaus wanted to see if their table top studios could be used with an iPhone 4 to make images that would be good enough for a professional photographer to sell. The results were astonishingly good. The Modahaus studio comes in three sizes, ranging from 8.5" to 24" wide, and use a set of translucent and opaque backdrops that work with studio lights to create varied lighting effects. The crew at Modahaus used Tap Tap Tap's Camera+ app, a Glif tripod mount, a GorillaPod flexible tripod, and lights to take some very professional photos. Similar setups are available from other vendors as well. ThinkGeek, for example, has the $49.99 Portable Photo Studio, complete with lights and collapsible lightbox. With an iPhone 4, the right lighting, a good camera app, skill, and some patience, you could be shooting professional-quality product images.
Camera+ 2.2.1 adds SMS sharing, on sale for 99 cents
Camera+, which will remain my preferred iPhone camera app even after iOS 5 debuts, rolled out a minor upgrade that included a major feature from the upcoming Camera+ 2.3 -- sharing via SMS. The sharing works by uploading your photos to taptaptap's server, then sets up an SMS text message with a URL for you to paste in. While it's not directly embedded such as with the native iPhone app, it is a fast way to share photos via SMS from Camera+. John Casasanta explains that Apple hasn't extended the knowledge of making MMS messages with attachments to 3rd-party developers at this time. Other fixes include: An issue where people weren't able to login to Facebook to share images Improved launch time Crashing issues on older iOS devices Other performance enhancements and bug fixes To celebrate the first anniversary of Camera+'s release, the price has dropped to US$0.99 for a limited time. Even if you think you're going to be wowed by the camera improvements in iOS 5, the feature set in Camera+ will continue to make it a top recommendation for any iPhone.
tap tap tap makes a million - in both sales and profit - from Camera+
With much glee, tap tap tap announced today that not only has it sold the millionth copy of Camera+ for the iPhone, but it's also made a million dollars in revenue from that app plus the effects pack that's an in-app purchase (after Apple's cut, of course). Fellow blogger Steve Sande reviewed Camera+ a few months ago and found it a worthy addition to your iPhone photo-app arsenal. Camera+ is currently on sale for 99 cents. taptaptap's John Casasanta also took the occasion to muse on the future of the mobile market, gnash his teeth at grubby venture capitalists and make the argument that there will always be a role for high-quality paid apps in the iOS world.
Camera+ 2.0 is in the App Store, contains 328% more wow
We let you know yesterday that Camera+ was coming back to the App Store with a host of changes. The development team has given us the heads-up that Camera+ 2.0 (on sale for $0.99, normal price is $1.99) is now available in the App Store, and the changes are amazing. The team at tap tap tap obviously listened to feedback from customers and reviewers. The SLR screen that made the app so unique was also a bit of a UI hindrance, so it's been removed. The entire user interface was reworked to make it much more intuitive and unified. As part of the UI changes, Touch Focus and Touch Exposure were improved to make them much more usable. When these features were added to Camera+ early in its life, I found them to be extremely powerful, but quite tricky to use. Menus are now larger, and included on both the camera screen and the Lightbox. The app also used to be slow in launching, which was irritating when you wanted to get a quick shot of something. The developers significantly improved the start-up time so it's not so slow. You'll probably remember my comments in the original review about the somewhat freaky image stabilization feature, which didn't work too well. Never fear, it's been fixed.
Camera+ coming back to the App Store
Do you remember Camera+? It was the amazing US$1.99 photography app from development house tap tap tap that ended up getting yanked from the App Store after the developers used the iPhone volume button as a camera shutter button. In a postscript to a blog entry today, tap tap tap let it slip that Camera+ is on the way back to the App Store. The teaser comment says that it's currently in review, and that this will be the "biggest update yet." Let's hope that they stay within the sometimes ridiculous guidelines for App Store approval, and that the app is as successful in its second incarnation as it was in the first. Camera+ might face an uphill battle for renewed market share, however. One of the cool features of the app was its ability to share apps to Twitter, Facebook and Flickr with one tap. Since Camera+ went missing, the relatively new and free Instagram app has become very popular, and it also features easy sharing and fun filters. However, Instagram doesn't have the zoom or exposure controls that made Camera+ so useful, and a recent update deleted a popular filter (Poprocket) that was enjoyed by many users. However, competition is good for those of us on the receiving end of the app wars, so it's good to see that Camera+ is going to be back soon. TUAW will let you know when the new version is available on the App Store and what those exciting new features might be.
Camera+ pulled from App Store for 'volume button as camera shutter' workaround
From the "It Was Only a Matter of Time Department" comes news that Camera+, the top-rated photography app from developer tap tap tap, has been pulled from the App Store, most likely for violating Apple's developer agreement. Apple previously rejected an update to the Camera+ app which would have allowed users to use one of the iPhone's volume buttons as a mechanical shutter button while using Camera+. This is a feature many iPhone photographers have wished for -- tapping the screen to take a picture is far less stable than pressing a physical button -- but Apple cited "user confusion" in rejecting the Camera+ update which included the feature. tap tap tap posted (and later deleted) instructions on Twitter that allowed users to enable the "volume button as shutter" functionality via a back door workaround. This is most likely what got Camera+ kicked off the App Store; other apps with "hidden features" or "easter eggs" like this have been banished from the App Store before, like a flashlight app that allowed users to stealthily enable internet tethering. Apple's well within its rights to react in this manner when developers put "hidden" features in their apps. On the other side of the mobile pond, Android users are currently getting hit by a trojan posing as a media player app which then sends unauthorized SMS messages to premium-rate numbers. While Apple's "user confusion" excuse for not letting Camera+ use the volume buttons as a shutter doesn't necessarily fly (how often are you going to mess with the iPhone's volume while taking a picture?), tap tap tap's "workaround" was out of line, at least in principle -- if Apple's not going to let a flashlight app secretly enable internet tethering or allow apps with blatant malware on the App Store, then it shouldn't come as a surprise that "hidden" functionality, however innocuous, will get your app banished. Hopefully this ban is only temporary until Camera+ gets updated without the "workaround" in place -- or, better still, Apple could recognize that many users have triple-digit IQs and stop citing "user confusion" as an excuse for denying useful functionality. Either way, I hope Camera+ comes back eventually.
How to use your iPhone's volume buttons for shutter control in Camera+
If you use Camera+ -- and you should; we love it -- you might have been excited by the recent talk of using the volume control buttons on the side of your iPhone to take pictures with. We've all found fumbling with the touchscreen button a little fiddly from time to time, right? I've come worryingly close to dropping my iPhone on occasions, shooting one-handed, fingers contorted into a claw, trying to curl my pinky over to the centre of the screen. Camera+'s developers tap tap tap must feel my pain, because they recently added this much-requested feature to a new version. Unfortunately, Apple rejected it from the App Store, because repurposing the volume controls could "potentially result in user confusion." Tap tap tap is philosophical about this decision, saying they understood Apple's position and that they hoped they would change their minds in the future. Although a few other camera apps do offer the use of volume control as a shutter release, these were either only available via the jailbreak store or the developers smuggled the feature through under Apple's nose. However, it turns out the current version of Camera+ (v1.2.1) has this feature, albeit hidden away-- but it's a snap to activate (pun intended). (Thanks to Dan at UneasySilence and everyone else who sent this in!)
TUAW review: Camera+ for iPhone
Last week, TUAW featured a post about how development house tap tap tap has been able to string together a series of App Store successes. In that post, we used tap tap tap's sales stats for Camera+ to demonstrate the company's success not only in the U.S. App Store, but internationally as well. That post got me intrigued about the Camera+ app, so I purchased it for installation on my iPhone 4. What I found is a US$1.99 app (it's currently on sale at that price, so buy it soon) that is a must-buy for any iPhone owner who likes to dabble in photography. The UI for Camera+ is the first clever detail in an app that's chock-a-block with little wonders. What you see after launching the app is what appears to be the viewfinder on an DSLR camera with a small LCD display below. On that display are two buttons -- Take photos and Lightbox. Take photos does exactly what you would expect -- the screen zooms up from the viewfinder view to a full-screen iPhone image of what your camera is facing. On the iPhone 4, of course, you have the choice of either the front-facing camera for self portraits or the high-resolution (5MP) camera for taking pictures of other people or objects. When you're ready to shoot, you can either just press the traditional shutter button or turn on image stabilization. %Gallery-97828%
Tapbots releases Calcbot, Macheist makes it cheap
taptaptap, Tapbots, and Macheist have released a very well-designed calculator app for the iPhone and iPad called Calcbot -- it's available for 99 cents right now on the App Store. I would say that I don't know why we need another calculator app on the store, but this one's designed by Tapbots, so it's basically a clinic in UI design for the iPhone: clean and beautiful Retina Display-enabled buttons, gorgeous animations, a swipe-to-access extra set of functions, and the ability to go back and look at past calculations and even email them off. Basically, this is a calculator app you want to take a look at, even if you already have a calculator app. Plus, Macheist is sweetening the deal as usual -- that 99 cent price is for a limited time only, and if you do pick up the app, you can spread the word about Calcbot on Facebook and pick up a free copy of the Socialite social networking app for Mac, which will allow you to manage all of your various social personalities all just one place. That's a $29 value right there, so you're basically making $28 on the deal -- excellent offering.
tap tap tap reveals secrets of how to succeed in the App Store
tap tap tap, developers of a number of popular iPhone apps, recently posted an entry on their in-house blog about how they made their most recent launch -- Camera+ -- succeed in the App Store. According to the company, the classy photography app launched very successfully, making over $250,000 in the first month of sales. tap tap tap doesn't advertise their apps anymore, although it was part of their strategy for their early successes. Now they feel that contests (they gave away an "ultimate camera package" worth about $10K, and have also held weekly best photo contests) are a great way to get free publicity through social media channels. The company also placed the app in the App Store at a reasonable $1.99 introductory price, although the price is expected to jump up to $4.99 eventually. Read on for more tips about how they pulled off a success like this.
TUAW First Look: Digg's iPhone app
Digg released its official iPhone app this morning, and after playing with it for a little while, I can tell you that it does what it says on the box: it will let you browse, interact, and comment on the popular news aggregator without many problems (there was one major issue -- I'll mention it in a second). However, in general, the app isn't all that different from the interface they released a while back. Sure, there are a few app-y touches, but mostly the app just feels like a Digg-specific browser. I suppose that's what they were going for. The app works pretty easily -- you can dive in and view the top, recent, or upcoming stories in any of Digg's categories, and clicking on each headline sends you to an in-app browser with the page displayed (as best it can be -- of course Flash movies don't work, and lots of the really popular links on Digg are murdered via bandwidth already). At the bottom of each page, you'll find buttons to like or dislike the story (sorry, Digg or Bury), a button to save the story if you're logged in to your Digg account, and the option to share the link. When you select the share option, you can send it off to the iPhone's clipboard, Twitter, Facebook, or Email.
TapTapTap creates 10,000 iPhone apps mosaic
This is awesome. TapTapTap, in order to celebrate over 10,000 apps in the App Store, has created a mosaic of (what else?) an iPhone loaded up with apps -- out of the icons of App Store apps. It's crazy. You can see the entire thing full scale over on Flickr, and World of Apple is selling a poster of the image for $50 if you want to jump right over all the trouble of printing it out yourself..There are quite a few Apps I don't recognize in there, but I did notice the WebMD app, the Warcraft Characters app, Pyrus, NetNewsWire, and a few others I've got installed on my own iPhone. Very cool idea, and very neat way to show off just how many thousands of apps have arrived in the App Store already. Thanks, Alex!
More App Store sales figures
Last week, iPhone app shop tap tap tap released preliminary sales data for its iPhone applications. The figures were interesting (and impressive), but at the time, only seven days of data was available. As Steve Jobs told the Wall Street Journal on Monday, the App Store's first month generated about $30 million US in sales, and I was interested in how that would translate on a micro level. Yesterday, tap tap tap's John Casasanta posted its full July sales totals (save a few territories, which will likely have little effect on the final tally), allowing us to do just that.As with the data released last week, the numbers are extremely impressive. Apple's reporting process calculated sales from June 29, 2008 through August 2, 2008. However, as John notes, because the App Store didn't launch until July 10, 2008, the sales data is actually for 24 days.For tap tap tap's two applications, this is the breakdown:Where to Go (App Store link) sold 24,094 copies at $2.99 a copy in 24 days.Tipulator (App Store link) sold 3,168 copies at $.99 a copy in 24 days.After Apple's 30% cut, tap tap tap's net revenue was $52,815 US for 24 days. Wow. That averages to just about $2200 US a day. Read on for more analysis.
iPhone dev tap tap tap releases sales figures
John Casasanta from iPhone app shop tap tap tap has released the company's sales data for the week of 7/28/08 to 8/3/08. John is one of the guys behind MacHeist, and as such has a history of being open about sales figures; still, releasing this information is a bold move.Although the only available data was for the last week of sales (though the tap tap tap blog says it will be updated if they get access to past figures), it is still really interesting to to gauge the figures and evaluate, at least to a small degree, how one publisher is doing at the App Store.For tap tap tap's two applications, this is the breakdown:Where to Go (App Store link) sold 3193 copies at $2.99 a copy in seven days.Tipulator (App Store link) sold 353 copies at $.99 a copy in seven days.After Apple's cut, tap tap tap's revenue was nearly $7000 for the week. Not too shabby. Even on this micro scale, this is further evidence of the long-term market viability for iPhone applications. This isn't surprising, but it is nice to have some solid sales data to backup the download tallies. Furthermore, John discusses the relative marketing costs associated with iPhone apps as compared to traditional software. So far anyway, it appears that lower upfront promotional costs are needed to ensure a good return. Of course, we're still in the first month of iPhone app sales, as more and more apps come to the store and the "newness" factor starts to wane, marketing costs will likely have to increase.The future of the App Store is exciting and this kind of news is encouraging, especially in light of some of the snake-oil applications that threaten to turn the App Store into Palm Store 2.0.
