Tag: Camera »

While not a replacement for Instagram, Facebook Camera is a good first step in this month+ old union of the two companies. Released today, Facebook camera looks to streamline the viewing of photos and the uploading of them.

The app allows you to apply simple filters to images, tag people, upload multiple images at once, and post a note about the group of photos you are uploading to your timeline.

In quickly testing Facebook camera, it's a very well made app. Much better and more reliable than the main Facebook app for uploading images. Perhaps that is their plan? The only feature I was left missing was the ability to specify an album to upload images into.

Worth checking out if you upload images to Facebook regularly.

The iPhone is packed with all sorts of sensors: GPS, gyroscope, facial recognition (camera), and more. It also has a fairly decent camera. Triggertrap combines the features in this powerful piece of equipment to set up automatic triggers for the iPhone camera. Users can set up some interesting automatic triggers with Triggertrap, like "take 50 pictures over 10 minutes" or "take a picture every 200 meters."

Triggertrap offers 12 different trigger modes including time-lapse, sound sensor, facial recognition, and distance-lapse to name a few. The app also has an automatic HDR mode, HDR time-lapse, and a manual long-exposure mode.

Triggertrap even sells a dongle and connection cables to perform its automatic functions on SLR cameras. Customers can buy the Triggertrap Mobile Dongle for $9.99 and a connection cord that works with their camera that’s also priced at $9.99. There’s also a Twin Head Flash Adapter for using Triggertrap with flashes instead of cameras.

Triggertrap is $9.99 but a free version of the app exists with limited modes (time-lapse, seismic, and cable release modes).

I used to play both the piano and guitar. And one of the minor, but quite annoying, tasks that I had to do was try to turn a page in my sheet music while still playing the song. I wish I would have had an iPad and an app like MagicReader.

Most prominent of features in MagicReader is the ability to turn a page by simply turning one’s head. The app uses the front-facing camera on the iPad to detect when the user is turning his or her head and then flips the page for them. Uses for non-musicians include reading while eating, reading while typing on a keyboard, and reading while holding a baby.

MagicReader can use PDF and Zip files formats. Also, image formats that can be used include .jpg, .png, .giff, .tiff, and .bmp.

Developers plan to update with new features including landscape mode and hands-free book selection. MagicReader is available for free on the App Store.

Camera+'s 3.0 update releases today on March 14th, and with it comes many new features, most important of which is the introduction of new APIs to integrate Camera+ features anywhere. For users, a widget to easily share Camera+ features is available and testable from here, allowing users to display their shared photos on their personal spaces.

Developers can also integrate Camera+ access in their app. For example, it's now possible to take a photo using Camera+ in Tweetbot, preaparing and editing it there before sharing it with the world, or to easily edit already-taken photos in Camera+ before sharing them with the world. The apps supporting these new Camera+ 3.0 APIs at launch include Tweetbot, WordPress, Foodspotting, Twittelator Neue, and Twitteriffic. Interested developers can read the documentation and download the necessary files from here.

As for the app itself, now it is easier to work in multiples: namely, multiple photos can be imported from the Camera Roll at once, and sharing to multiple services at once is now possible. The free update is available now.

It's no secret that I had a great time with Plan X. I loved the premise, I loved the implementation, but above all else I loved the rather crazy style of it all. Now I and others like me can enjoy a little evil mayhem with or without any kind of internet connection thanks to Extrafeet's latest bizarro creation, Tap and Zap.

The idea is fairly straightforward. Users simply tap on their desired weapon, of which there are five (the Dapper Zapper, Freeze Ray, Goo Gun, Mini Vaporizer, and Plasma Pistol), then tilt their iOS device and viola! The app automatically superimposes an image of the selected firearm over the screen while displaying a background as seen through the camera. Tapping the screen shoots. So now I can crush those who would disobey me with or without access to my Plan X account! Mwahahahaha!

Okay so it's not totally revolutionary or anything but it's cute and pretty funny. It's also available right now for $0.99.

Part One: 16 - 25
Pocket Informant - While iCal is nice, sometimes we need a more robust solution - hopefully one that works seamlessly with Google calendar. This is that app. While there's no universal app yet, we find this one to be compelling enough on either device type.

American Presidents for iPad - With over 300 gorgeous vintage images and photographs, this is an educational app for everyone. There are biographies of every US president, a historical timeline, and detailed quizzes on the text itself. Presidential history never looked so good.

Camera+ - This one gets a lot of play on our personal iPhones, bringing a ton of extra funtionality we really wish the native Camera app had, including multi touch exposure adjustment, grid line compotition help, and loads of effects and post-processing abilities. Also, it's super easy to share to a ton of different services, not just the default Apple ones.

1Password - Seriously, we have a ton of passwords out there. Some we use a lot, and remember, while others, well, not so much. We're guessing you do, too. Enter 1Password, the super vault of all those pesky passwords that we can't seem to keep track of any more. There's a version for iPhone only, iPad only, and a universal version.

Sketchbook Mobile - Feeling creative? Artsy, even? Want to doodle a little while you wait for your constantly late friend to show up to the cafe? Pull out that iPhone and sketch a little, why don't you? The smaller version of this app (there's also a pro version available for iPads) packs quite a punch in a tiny little package, including multitouch navigation, up to 6 layers per image file, and 10 levels of undo and redo.

Band of the Day - We're huge music fans, so finding this app was a happy day indeed. Selected as App of the Year runner up in Apple's own Rewind section, BotD updates us daily with free songs, reviews, bios, charts, sharing, videos and the like. It's also, you know, free, which earns it some points, though we'd gladly pasy some money for this level of awesome.

Jamie's Recipes - Jamie Oliver is a chef for the everyman and everywoman. Each of the included 12 free recipes is easy to make and the food is approachable by a wide range of palates. Many more recipes can be downloaded as in-app purchases, each with its own theme, making this recipe app well worth a look.

Instapaper - Here's the original and still the best too-long-didn't-read-but-want-to-read-it-later app out there. Instapaper lets users save web pages for later offline perusal with a simple browser extension and a mobile device. We're also still happy this is a one-person operation, showing us all that independent development is still a thriving industry. If you don't have this app yet, you should.


Shop Savvy - Here's a simple idea, well-implemented, made possible by that powerful networked computing device with a camera you have sitting in your pocket. Scan a bar code at any store, and Shop Savvy will find it online as well as locally, telling you if there are less expensive options out there for you. This is a daily must have app, even when it's NOT the holiday season.

Localscope - This app uses the geo-tagged info from local search engines, social networks and media sharing services to connect you to the people and places around you. Walk around the places you frequent and try this one out - you'll be amazed at how fun and informative it can be.

We hope you've enjoyed the best apps of 2011. Come back on Friday to see our top five favorite apps and games of 2011.

Previously, on 148Apps:
Favorite Games, 6 - 15
Favorite Apps, 16 - 25
Favorite Games, 16 - 25

This week at 148Apps.com we delved into the latest from the developers of Hipstamatic, the "disposable" Hipstamatic D-Series app. 148Apps founder Jeff Scott says, "I got a chance to try out the new app and can report that Hipstamatic D-Series does indeed bring back the nostalgic memories of sharing a disposable camera and swapping double prints into the digital age. It’s a great idea and well executed. There’s even the anxious need to burn the last shot by taking a picture of your foot, just to get the roll developed quicker. It’s indeed very fun.

Delve further by reading the full run-down on 148Apps.com.

At GiggleApps.com, reviewer Amy Solomon took a close look at the first interactive book from The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library, There's No Place Like Space. Solomon says, "There’s No Place Like Space, although a creative, fun and educational book, is not written by Seuss himself, although it is written in a Seuss-like style. I enjoy this book, as does my son, but my husband and I did comment to ourselves that the text is not as well-written as the classic books by Seuss."

Read the full review at GiggleApps.

Finally, 148Apps.biz site editor Rob LeFebvre reported on a new report from mobile analytics company Flurry. LeFebvre writes, "Flurry shows the fact that developers are making more money on iOS than on Android, even as the numbers of Android OS enabled smartphones continues to increase, commanding as much as 53% of the market, according to an NPD Group study released yesterday as well."

Intrigued? Read more on 148Apps.biz.

As your advent calendar continues to count towards December 25th, don't forget to vote for our 2011 Best App Ever, and keep track of the latest news, reviews and contests via our Facebook and Twitter streams.

This week at 148Apps, once we were all finished with our Halloween and post-Halloween merriment, writer Lisa Caplan explored the vast landscape of camera replacement apps for the iPhone. Caplan writes, "Apple has done a lot to improve the native camera app with iOS 5 and lucky iPhone 4S owners are already taking the highest quality iPhone images ever. But, even with the tune up, many of the most requested features from manual adjustments to photo bursts, darkroom effects to more sharing options (Facebook anyone?) are still lacking. But, the app store is filled with alternatives so this week we look at our favorite four camera replacement apps."

Unlock your iPhone's photo potential by reading the full article on 148Apps.com.

Over at our kid's apps headquarters, GiggleApps, Amy Solomon took a closer look at an innovative 3D comic book called The Gwaii. Solomon states, "This app does have some 3D effects as well that are best seen as one moves the device, looking at the additional angles that this provides. The 3D here is effective but somewhat overly sensitive to touch and there have been moments that I wish I would have turned this element off, trying to keep my hand steady to minimize the screen movements. I think this effect may be a distraction for some children, while others may really enjoy this effect."

Read more about this new interactive storybook on GiggleApps.com.

Finally, AndroidRundown featured an article by Carter Dotson that attempted to address the iOS versus Android ongoing argument head-on. Dotson says, "The thing to remember, though, is that Android and iOS are different in their very natures. iOS is a piece of Apple software, following Apple principles; it is designed to run on specific hardware. That is a big part of why the experience is often smoother. Android is designed to run on many, many forms of hardware, not just what Google has intended for it to run on. Yes, Google has their stock devices that run a pure Android, but Android is meant to be something bigger, and not as something tailored to one set of hardware. That Android is on the caliber of Android is impressive."

Add your voice to the argument after reading the full article on AndroidRundown.com.

That is the week that was. What started with Halloween ended with the first onslaught of holiday commercials on television, so keep your eye on 148Apps.com and our Facebook and Twitter streams for the latest reviews and helpful hints to get you through the holiday season. See you next week, readers!

Apple has done a lot to improve the native camera app with iOS 5 and lucky iPhone 4S owners are already taking the highest quality iPhone images ever. But, even with the tune up, many of the most requested features from manual adjustments to photo bursts, darkroom effects to more sharing options (Facebook anyone?) are still lacking. But, the app store is filled with alternatives so this week we look at our favorite four camera replacement apps.

Camera+

Camera+ has been the top camera replacement app almost since its launch in June 2010 and gets frequent updates keeping it at the top of the charts and this list. The app allows uses to users to set focus and exposure manually like a real camera, uses the iPhone 4 LED flash as a continuous fill light to brighten up dark settings, has image stabilization and a 6x digital zoom that really pulls the action in. Camera+ allows for photo editing, has a lot of effects, and has plenty of social media integration for easy photo sharing.

Camera Genius

For still and video Camera Genius replaces the native camera app with 6x digital zoom, a full screen button to make it easy to snap pics on the fly, a timer, image stabilization and a mini burst mode which will take three action shots rapidly. The app also helps iPhoneographers and videographers shoot clean with a Photo Composition Guide and of course, lots of sharing capabilities.

Camera Plus Pro

Camera Pro Plus is all about speed. The developers claim it is the fastest camera app, and while we can’t verify that, it is zippy. This app features live video and still filters so users can preview effects before snapping and add them in one step. Burst mode is particularly useful for action settings allowing for 40 shots to be taken in rapid succession and the app has an array of editing and darkroom effects, private photo and video collection storage, even photo transfer via Wi-Fi along with the requisite social network sharing options.

King Camera

King Camera is a newcomer to the App Store. It's a powerful, fast and responsive app with some cool features missing from others on this list including the ability to shoot time lapse photography and stop motion animation. The app controls the video camera too and adds a big button to both along with a rule of 3rds grid and integrates a flashlight feature for low-lighting situations. For stills there is also exposure and white balance lock, a self-timer, anti-shake even photo backup. The app also has some fairly robust photo editing abilities, the requisite fun filters and, you guessed it, lots of easy social media sharing with a tap. The French Canadian company behind the app even had a commercial shot for local TV using only images taken with an iPhone and the King Camera app - judge for yourselves.

We were pretty impressed by Camera Plus Pro when it was reviewed last summer. Clearly developers, Global Delight, didn't want to rest on their impressive laurels as version 4.0 of Camera Plus Pro, released today, promises to the bring the best out of the iPhone camera in terms of photography and performance. Some of these changes are simple such as the fact that the app is now 30x faster, others are much more complex such as the UI makeover, new capture engine and a plethora of different filters. The main thing to take from all this is that Camera Plus Pro is all the more essential a purchase for anyone keen to use the camera functionality regularly.

18 new Live Photo Filters have been added allowing users to preview photos in full screen while adding new filters and looks to the imagery. Camera effects like grid lines, touch exposure and a white balanced lock enhances this all the more. Live photo editing means that users can see just how much their photos are improved by adjusting brightness, contrast, saturation, hue, sharpness, tint and temperature quickly and easily. Distortion effects provide plenty of benefits as well.

9 Live Video Filters have been added for those creating videos with the app. The new Smooth Video Zoom functionality boosts video recording too thanks to its jerk-free promise.

With the capture engine being so much faster than before, instant saving is possible with the ability to capture 40 back-to-back photos at full resolution. Re-adjusting images, rotating or cropping photos is just as simple with one single motion doing everything.

It's impressive stuff for an already excellent photography app. Camera Plus Pro is regularly priced at $2.99 but to celebrate the latest release, it's priced at a mere $0.99 for the next week. An ideal time to check it out then.