Camera

Instagram gains pinch-zoom on photos and videos, a new button to improve low-light shots

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 31, 2016

Instagram today announced that users of its free of charge iPhone app can now use the familiar pinch-zoom gesture to zoom in on photos—and videos—found in their feed and elsewhere in the app. I've long craved for this feature: in fact, I've been using iOS's system-wide Zoom feature to get a closer look at photos in the Instagram app that interest me. Just yesterday, Instagram pushed another update which brings out a new low-light button for its built-in camera.

Samsung allegedly readying dual-camera Galaxy S8 with 4K screen for February 2017 unveiling

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 31, 2016

Samsung's Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, along with the recently launched Note 7, may not be enough to steal Apple's thunder as the Cupertino firm preps to unveil its next iPhone on September 7.

According to the rumors, a sophisticated dual-lens camera system is expected to give the iPhone 7 DSLR-like features with RAW camera capture, optical zoom, better lowlight photography and more.

With that in mind, little wonder that Samsung is now reportedly looking to update its flagship smartphone line with dual cameras of its own.

Faulty speakers and dual-cameras could cause iPhone 7 shortages at launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 30, 2016

Apple's suppliers are ramping up production of iPhone 7 parts ahead of the big reveal on September 7, but some manufacturers have been reportedly experiencing serious defects in the waterproof speaker and dual-camera modules for months now, and are yet to be resolved.

As a result, customers may initially face iPhone 7 shortages at launch as Apple's supply chain deals with low yields, according to a recent report in Nikkei Asian Review. An industry source familiar with the matter did not name any suppliers beyond indicating they're struggling to produce iPhone 7 parts in volume.

Claimed iPhone 7 specs detail screen resolutions, cameras, chips, batteries & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 29, 2016

Alleged specifications of Apple's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus refresh were leaked this morning on the Chinese social network Weibo by an unknown source. The document appears to detail several technical aspects of the forthcoming devices, including display resolutions, next-generation cameras, chips, batteries and other features.

DJI’s new iPhone-friendly Osmo+ gimbal camera has 7x zoom and shoots 4K video

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 25, 2016

The other day, whilst browsing an array of incredibly cool gadgets from Chinese drone maker DJI, it only took me like five minutes to decide to put their Osmo gimbal camera on my “wants” list. Good thing I didn't buy the thing right there and then as DJI today announced an upgraded versions, the Osmo+, with up to 7x zoom and 4K video capture.

If you're not familiar with premium-built Osmo imaging devices, these things sport an advanced gimbal which keeps the camera flat and steady no matter how you move it.

Apple researching a system that would capture biometric data of thieves via iPhone sensors

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 25, 2016

An Apple patent application published Thursday by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) describes methods of capturing and storing biometric information of thieves via the iPhone's sensors, including fingerprints, photos, videos and a wealth of other forensic data.

Titled “Biometric capture for unauthorized user identification,” the proposed and somewhat controversial security system would leverage machine learning to proactively capture an unauthorized user's fingerprint and a picture after unsuccessful Touch ID/passcode attempts or if user-defined criteria have been met.

Apple taps Primax Electronics for some of dual-lens camera modules for iPhone 7 Plus line

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 23, 2016

Citing a report in the Chinese-language Economic Daily News, Asian trade publication DigiTimes reported this morning that Taiwanese supplier Primax Electronics will manufacture some of the dual-lens camera modules for Apple's upcoming iPhone 7 Plus flagship smartphone model.

The supplier recently increased its camera module capacity by ten percent, boosting output to twelve million CMOS units per month, of which seventy percent are thirteen-megapixel models that the iPhone 7 Plus might use.

QuickShoot Pro 3 lets you take photos & videos from anywhere in iOS

Anthony Bouchard ∙ August 20, 2016

QuickShoot Pro 3 is now available in Cydia for those of you who are using the Pangu jailbreak for iOS 9.3.3. With it, you can take photos and videos from just about anywhere in iOS without even leaving the app or interface you're in.

In this review, we'll talk about what makes the jailbreak tweak useful, how it's used, and what it can do.

Leaked camera sensor hints at optical image stabilization for 4.7-inch iPhone 7 model

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 18, 2016

French blog NowhereElse.fr posted this morning claimed photographs of the iPhone 7's back-facing iSight camera sensor. The leaked image strongly indicates that the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 model will have optical image stabilization, a feature previously exclusive to iPhone 6/6s Plus models.

Instagram gains Events channel highlighting media posted during specific events

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 18, 2016

Instagram yesterday announced a new Events channel in the Explore section of its free of charge iPhone app. Currently limited to users within the United States and resembling Snapchat's Discover channel with Live Stories, it brings in one place all of the photos and videos posted on the service during specific events, such as concerts, sports games and more. Like the rest of Explore, the new Events channel is personalized for you and highlights events you might like.

Instagram update brings camera improvements to Stories feature

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 16, 2016

Instagram's new Stories feature caused quite a stir as some users took issue with the fact that the Facebook-owned photo sharing service basically ripped off Snapchat Stories. Be that as it may, Instagram's iPhone application, which is available at no charge on the App Store, has just received a nice update which packs in a few useful camera-related improvements to the Stories feature.

Leaked video shows Camera app running on a working iPhone 7 prototype

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 4, 2016

Earlier this morning, we ran some pretty convincing photographs which appear to picture a functional, powered on iPhone 7 running Apple’s internal testing software, called SwitchBoard. Geekbar, the Chinese team who leaked these photos, has now published on Weibo video evidence to convince naysayers. The fit and finish of the claimed device shown in the photos and on this video screams an Apple product.