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Camalapse: Make your own panning time-lapse iPhone movies
So, you've always wanted to be able to take one of those cool time-lapse iPhone movies that slowly pans from one direction to another? Now you can do it easily and inexpensively with the Camalapse, a US$25 accessory that works with a Glif ($20) or other iPhone tripod mount to give your iPhone a spin as it's taking a movie. Design Basically, the inventors had a simple idea. Take something like a one-hour mechanical windup kitchen timer, put a tripod mount on top of it, and voilà! You can use your favorite time-lapse photography app while the iPhone (or other lightweight camera) slowly pans around up to a full 360°. The kitchen timer Camalapse takes exactly one hour to make a 360° spin, or it can be set to do 90° in fifteen minutes ... you get the drift. And since the device is essentially a timer, it ticks as it is slowly rotating and some early versions apparently "ding!" when the device has finished the rotation. I think that's a brilliant idea, and I find it discouraging that the bell has been removed. There's also a threaded socket on the bottom of the Camalapse so you can stick it on a tripod or other mount. The device weighs only about 2 ounces, and is about 2 inches high and about 2.5 inches in diameter. Functionality It works as designed, with no frills and no batteries required. As such, it runs at a fixed rate -- basically 360° per hour or 6° per minute. If you want a faster or slower pan rate, you're out of luck. But for most people, I think they'll like the ability to set this device up with a Glif and iPhone on top of it and let it rip. Of course, you'll need an app to actually take the photos. I did a search in the App Store using "time lapse" as a keyword, and found that the aptly-named TimeLapse ($1.99) has some of the better ratings in this genre. The app rings upon completing a time lapse session, therefore making that internal bell in the Camalapse unnecessary. It's quite easy to use and well-implemented. After installing the app and setting it to take 15 minutes -- 90° -- of images, I let 'er rip and here's the result. Notice the smooth panning, even if the video subject isn't the most exciting: Conclusion If you need a way to slowly pan your iPhone or another small camera to take time lapse movies, then the Camalapse is the accessory for you. It's simple in concept and does a fine job without adding unnecessary fluff. That being said, I wish it did a bit more. Pros Inexpensive Marked for 15, 30, 45 and 60-minute rotations Needs no batteries Very lightweight and compact Perfect for creating stunning panning time lapse movies Cons Only pans from right to left (counterclockwise) Rotation speed is not variable Who is it for? The iPhoneographer who wants to start shooting panning time lapse movies Many thanks to our friends at Photojojo for lending a Camalapse for testing
Insert Coin: Etcher, the fully functional Etch A Sketch iPad case
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. Visions of the iPad as a modern-day Etch A Sketch have so far been primarily decorative: they've been more about remembering youth than recreating it. That's why Ari Krupnik & Associates' officially-sanctioned Etcher iPad case project on Kickstarter stands out. Those knobs? They work, and they're Made for iPad certified. And, as the Etcher is a product of the digital era, your creations in the custom-written app can be saved and shared to Facebook, Flickr or even YouTube as a time lapse video. Shaking the Etcher will still erase your image -- it just doesn't have to disappear forever this time. Your pledge level determines not only what variety of Etcher case you get, but how much control you get over the project. Committing $45 is all it takes for the nostalgic red, but if you spend $60, $75 or $100, you'll have the additional options for blue or a special backer-only color. Those at the $100 level get to vote on what color they and the $75 pledge-makers will see. A $175 outlay will provide early access to the software development kit as well as a say in what open-source license the code will use. Moving up to $210 or $360 will give you that control as well as an accordant five or 10 Etcher cases. If you like what you see, you have just over a month to contribute and make the iPad drawing add-on a reality.
Visual Spicer creates a 7-foot tall papercraft Gundam, films the entire process as a timelapse (video)
Believe it or not, the massive seven-foot Gundam you're looking at was mostly constructed out of paper -- 720 sheets, to be exact. The papercraft artist behind the model, Taras Lesko (aka Visual Spicer), began creating it nearly a year ago, and estimates that it took him about 350 hours and four to five months to complete. As explained on his video commentary, the process started with building a store-bought model for photographs, using the shots to render it in 3D on his computer. After that, he created various templates using a variety of programs, which were then printed, cut and assembled into place. Notably, the final product has 1,250 total parts, weighs in at about 10 pounds and packs an internal 12-piece foamboard skeleton to stand. All of that is only the part of the final product, though. Taking it a few steps further, he created a bevy of "fantasy shots" (like the one above) with his brother, Ivan -- and of course, Photoshop -- and even filmed both endeavors as timelapse videos. According to Taras, the aim was to make something "bigger and better" than the four-foot papercraft Gundam, which he made nearly three years ago and burned to ashes on video prior to this project -- we'd say mission accomplished. You'll find the construction timelapse video after the break, along with more related vids and photos at the source link below. [Thanks, Christos]
