Camera

Sony to supply 12MP camera for iPhone 6s with RGBW subpixels for better low-light photography

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony is a longtime supplier of best-in-class mobile cameras for iPhones and iPads. That said, it's hardly a surprise that the company is now rumored to retain its role as a sole supplier of CMOS sensor for the next iPhone's back-facing iSight camera, according to fresh news reports published in the Japanese media.

While the current-generation iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature Sony's eight-megapixel Exmor RS ISX014 sensor out the back with 1.5 Focus Pixel technology, the next iPhones are understood to incorporate a higher-resolution twelve-megapixel Sony module with RGBW subpixel technology that should improve the handsets' photography performance in low-light conditions.

Shazam gains camera support for scanning QR codes and images with Shazam camera logo

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 21, 2015

Music identification app Shazam now lets you scan QR Codes thanks to the latest update with camera support.

Now any image that contains QR codes or the Shazam camera logo can be scanned within the app to unlock additional content, interactive experiences, special offers and other embedded content.

Olloclip launches new telephoto and ultra wide-angle Active Lens for latest iPhones

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Joining its existing range of various lens attachments and special cases for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Olloclip on Wednesday announced a new Active Lens accessory that combines a telephoto lens with an ultra wide-angle lens.

The pocket-sized accessory requires no extra parts, can be snapped on both front and rear-facing cameras and ships with three wearable pendants to keep your lens safe and within arm’s reach.

Analyst “confirms” 12MP camera with smaller pixels for the next iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 30, 2016

Apple's forthcoming iPhone refresh — presumably an ‘iPhone 6s’ and ‘iPhone 6s Plus’ — is set for a major upgrade in the camera department as Apple has reportedly relented and decided to join the megapixel race with a twelve-megapixel iSight camera on the back of the new phone(s).

But the megapixels don't tell the whole story.

According to Kevin Wang, IHS's Technology Research Director for China, the pixel size will be smaller, raising questions about the camera' performance in low-light conditions.

Watch Bentley’s second ‘Intelligent Details’ film, shot and edited on latest iPhones

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 15, 2015

Last year, car maker Bentley produced a documentary video to promote its $300,000 Mulsanne, using specialized accessories and a few App Store apps to shoot and edit the promotional film entirely on the iPhone 5s and iPads.

Now Bentley has upgraded to the latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets to shoot a new short film, officially part of Bentley's 'Intelligent Details' series, with a little help from stabilized camera systems, professional lenses and filters and apps like FiLMiC Pro.

Apple buys Israeli camera technology company LinX Imaging

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2016

In a bid to potentially boost its mobile imaging prowess, Apple has purchased an Israeli camera technology company called LinX Imaging for a reported $20 million, according to a Dow Jones report cited in a tweet by CNBC and later confirmed by Apple.

LinX, which builds miniature multi-aperture cameras designed for mobile devices, could help improve imaging features of future iPhones.

And because its technology is also used in tablets and so-called ultrabooks (ultra-thin notebooks akin to Apple's MacBook Air), there's a reasonable likelihood that we may see significantly improved cameras come to Apple's Mac computers and iPad tablet lineup.

RecordPause lets you pause and resume video recording in the stock Camera app

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

RecordPause is a recently released jailbreak tweak that allows you to pause and resume the stock Camera app while shooting video. Some of the more popular social media apps, like Vine and Instagram, have a similar feature. Now, thanks to RecordPause, you can pause and resume video right from within the stock iOS camera as well.

Camera+ gains Today widget, full iPhone 6 support, direct Instagram sharing and better white balance

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

My favorite camera and photo-editing application, Camera+ for iPhone from Taptaptap, has received a long-overdue refresh Wednesday.

Now the app finally takes full advantage of the new screen resolutions provided by the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus because “there’s just no substitute for a pixel-perfect, custom UI designed specifically for your megaphone.”

The previous versions used automatic scaling, which resulted in a blown up interface that didn't feel at home on new iPhones. Also new in Camera+ 6.2: advanced white balance control using a dial.

You'll also love direct sharing to Instagram and a handy Today widget which not only lets you quickly open Camera+ from anywhere, but puts handy photo tips and inspirational photo quotes of the day right into the iOS Notification Center.

How to disable the camera on your Mac

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 19, 2023

Every Mac that Apple ships, sans the Mac mini, comes with an iSight camera embedded in the bezel at the top of the display. If my memory serves me correctly, Apple's computers were one of the first to really popularize the standardization of built-in cameras.

I'm probably not alone when I say that I rarely, if ever, use my MacBook Pro's iSight camera. In fact, it's become more of a worry to me when thinking about the potential hacking and privacy concerns. I'm far from a tin foil hat wearer, but I have to be honest and admit that the thought has crossed my mind before... you know, the one where hackers view my iSight camera unbeknown to me.

With all of that said, wouldn't it be nice if you could disable your Mac camera with a simple software tweak? Inside, I'll show you how to do just that.

QR Mode turns the stock Camera app into an awesome QR code reader

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

In some countries, like Japan for example, QR codes are prolific and people user them often. Although that's not the case in the United States, and probably never will be, it does seem like there has been an uptick in QR code usage in the last few years. A new jailbreak tweak called QR Mode will certainly help its cause, among jailbreakers at least.

QR Mode is by far the best looking and best functioning QR code reader on Cydia, and it's even better than standalone app offerings found in the App Store. Its feature set is well-rounded, its implementation seriously impressive, and it doesn't feel overly intrusive. Although it suffers from a few bugs, QR Mode is well worth its $1.99 asking price, especially if these bugs can be stamped out.

PhotoRes: adjust the aspect ratio of photos taken with the Camera app

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Notice the interesting aspect ratio of this photo? This was done on the fly using PhotoRes, a free new jailbreak tweak available on Cydia's BigBoss repo.

PhotoRes allows users to select from over a dozen pre-defined aspect ratios along with adjusting the resolution of photos taken with the stock Camera app. Once the settings are established, you can begin taking photos using the changes immediately, as no pesky resprings are required.

Nutshell for iPhone lets you create beautiful cinematic stories from your photos in an instant

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 11, 2015

Nutshell Camera from the team at Prezi should probably be the latest addition to your iPhone photography arsenal.

Available free in the App Store, it's really easy to use. Just pick three photos from your Camera roll, add some fun captions and graphics and let Nutshell do its magic. The app will map your photos to video, creating an instantly shareable cinematic story.

Your visual vignettes can be shared with the web at large by posting them to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or sent to via SMS, email, WhatsApp and more.