Camera 2 by JFDP Labs: A Nifty Camera And Video App For The Filter Mad
For some of you, the name JFDP Labs will ring a bell; the English developer outfit has previously made camera and photo-editing apps like Paper Camera and Paper Artist, apps which allowed you to overlay the photos you were about to take or already taken with both unique and familar filters. JFDP Labs has released their next iteration of their camera app, called Camera 2, and does away with the cartoony user-interface of Paper Camera and replaces it with a much more traditional camera overlay. While Camera 2 will still allow you to take pictures with filters overlaid, the new app now also has the ability to apply filters to previously taken photos, even those not taken with Camera 2.
In Camera 2, the filters are now grouped into categories, in which there will be multiple filters to choose from. Selecting a category will bring up all the filters at the same time on your screen which can look a bit overwhelming at first, but it does give you a good idea of what your photo will look like. To select a filter, all you need to do is touch it and it will be overlaid on your view. The nifty thing is that if you don’t like the filter you’ve chosen, but you think you’re in the right category of filters, you can scroll through the other filters in that category simply by swiping left to right. Here are some of the results you can get with Camera 2:
One really great feature in Camera 2 is the ability to save the original photo without the filter applied. With the added ability to add filters after it’s been taken, this allows you to continue applying different filters if you didn’t get it quite right the first time. Don’t let Camera 2′s name deceive you either; Camera 2 is not only able to use its filters for photos, but videos as well. As far as I can see though, the ability to add filters in post isn’t available to videos, but taking videos with filters is a nice touch in itself.
Camera 2 is a great camera app and a huge improvement over Paper Camera. The added ability to add filters to existing photos is a great touch and the even larger library of filters should keep Instagrammers happy. Camera 2 even has the ability to apply tilt-shift-like effects, much like Instagram can as well, except with full resolution photos. In short, Camera 2 will be loved by people who frequent Instagram, and for everyone, it gives you the chance to add some really cool effects to photos and videos that you might otherwise have to spend hours at a computer to achieve. Camera 2 is available now on the Google Play Store for $2.99, which is a small price to pay if you’re a filter crazed photographer.
Application: Camera 2
Price: $2.99
Black HTC One max revealed, only available in Hong Kong
A black variant of the HTC One max has been announced on the official HTC Hong Kong website. It was only a matter of time until this one was released, especially because the One and One Mini have been available in many different colors.
Availability of the new device, so far, is only in Hong Kong. There is no official word yet that it will be announced in other countries, but we’re willing to bet that it will be soon. HTC is pretty good about having phones available around the world, so I don’t see a reason to make it a Hong Kong exclusive.
Personally, I think the black model is really sleek, and I wouldn’t put it past anyone who chooses this over the standard silver model, or even the red one. Do you have a color preference when choosing your next phone? Do you hope this one comes to the states? Tell us about it in the comments!
Source: HTC
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Moto X Touchless Control update lets you speak your unlock code
You no longer have to give up some of the Moto X’s voice commands if you want to rely on security codes. An update to the smartphone’s Touchless Control app lets you speak a PIN code to unlock the device; as long you’re not worried about eavesdroppers, you can check private messages without poking at the screen. You won’t even have to unlock the phone as often as before, since the upgrade expands the range of Google Now voice instructions that work while the handset is sleeping. You’ll need to be running Android 4.4 KitKat on your Moto X to use the improved Touchless Control, but it’s otherwise ready to download through Google Play.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Via: Droid-Life
Source: Google Play
Microsoft set to launch first original programming for Xbox One in early 2014
Microsoft hopes its first wave of original TV programming for Xbox One will be out in early 2014, the company’s president of entertainment and digital, Nancy Tellem, tells Variety. At the latest, Redmond is hoping to have its original content out by the second quarter. She went on to say that the initiative has taken longer than expected and that the company is neither Netflix or Amazon. Her division is in the process of securing exclusives and trying to figure out whether the content is “best on Xbox or only on Xbox” when it comes to interactive functionality. Whether the first round of shows includes the previously-announced Spielberg-produced Halo series or something involving street soccer remains to be seen, but from the sounds of it, it won’t be long until we find out.
Tellem says Microsoft is keeping millenials in mind when it comes to how programming is consumed, whether it’s through multitasking or on-demand content that’s available whenever someone has the time to watch. The goal isn’t to redefine the TV viewing experience, it’s to evolve it, she tells Variety. If Microsoft’s original programming model with Xbox Video sounds familiar, that’s because the likes of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon are all leading the charge on their own streaming services. For more from Tellem, be sure to check out Variety’s piece.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Variety
Google’s Ingress to become a platform for augmented reality games
Augmented reality games are really cool, and I remember when I used to play one on a Nokia a long time ago, but the way technology is moving forward, the world of augmented reality is changed as well. Niantic Labs, a part of Google, developed an augmented reality game known as the Ingress. It transforms the real world into the landscape for a global game of mystery, intrigue, and competition. However, now it seems that Niantic Labs will have to wind down their story-line.
Soon it will be turned into a platform for other augmented reality games. Niantic told The Verge that they are working on kits that will allow developers to create their own games with chat layer, location info, and in-game ads if needed. However, don’t expect to write your own title anytime soon. Right now, Niantic doesn’t know when the tools will be ready, and it all depends on the flexibility of the team, so hopefully sooner or later we will hear the good news.
So, any Ingress fans out there? What do you think about this? Tell us about it in the comment box below.
Source: The Verge
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Sprint readying $20B bid for T-Mobile, report says
Sprint is readying a potential $20 bid for T-Mobile US for the first half of 2014, says industry insiders speaking with the Wall Street Journal. The deal, which would marry the 3rd and 4th largest carriers in the United States, is certain to face heavy scrutiny by the Department of Justice. As many of you know, federal regulators made it quite obvious that they are concerned about competition in the space. Only look at how the proposed deal between AT&T and T-Mobile went down a few years back.
Sprint and T-Mobile have both seen their fair share of acquisitions and mergers over the last few years. T-Mobile and MetroPCS have combined forces while Japanese carrier SoftBank now owns the lion’s share of Sprint. Were T-Mobile and Sprint to ultimately merge it would make for a close three way fight. A fight, sadly, that could result in higher rate plans and less awesome perks. Indeed, it could spell the end of the Un-carrier strategy.
It’s quite early in the game and there’s plenty of time for the details to spill out; don’t look for anything to happen until for at least a few months. Once things are announced it will then turn over to the governmental departments. After that, who knows.
WSJ (Subscription)
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Amazon offering Moto X, LG G2, Droid Mini for one penny
The online retailer has dozens of smartphones for only $0.01 with new service agreements
Looking to pick up a new smartphone this weekend? Do yourself a favor before heading out the door: Check out some of these deals over at Amazon.
As of Friday night we found many Android handsets listed at a mere penny with new contracts. Indeed, new and existing customers alike can get in on most of these promotions. What’s more, there are plenty of other models going for less than $30 with the same stipulation. We’re talking Nexus 5, HTC One, Droid Ultra, and Droid Maxx!
Don’t forget that some of these handsets come with 50GB of Amazon Cloud Drive free of charge!
Here’s a quick list as to what we’ve found:
Smartphones for ONE PENNY
AT&T
- HTC One Mini (Silver) $0.01
- Samsung Galaxy S3 (White) $0.01
- Samsung Galaxy S3 (Blue)$0.01
Sprint
- Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (Black) $.01
- Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (White) $.01
- LG G2 $.01
- HTC One (Black) $0.01
- HTC One (Red) $0.01
- HTC One (Silver) $0.01
- Motorola Moto X (Black) $0.01
- Samsung Galaxy S3 (Blue) $0.01
- Samsung Galaxy S3 (White) $0.01
- Samsung Galaxy S3 (Purple) $0.01
Verizon
- Motorola Moto X (White) $0.01
- Motorola Moto X (Black) $0.01
- Samsung Galaxy S3 (White) $0.01
- Samsung Galaxy S3 (Blue) $0.01
- Samsung Galaxy S3 (Black) $0.01
- Motorola Droid Mini (Red) $0.01
- Motorola Droid Mini (Black) $.01
- LG Enact $.01
- Samsung Galaxy Stellar $.01
- Kyocera Hydro Elite $.01
Smartphones for under $30
AT&T
- LG G2 (Black) $29.99
- LG G2 (White) $29.99
Sprint
- LG Nexus 5 (Black) $14.99
- LG Nexus 5 (White) $14.99
Verizon
- LG G2 $2.49
- HTC One (Silver) $12.49
- Motorola Droid Ultra $19.99
- Motorola Droid Maxx $12.49
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Samsung merges camera and mobile phone divisions
When we think about Samsung, we think about the Galaxy line of smartphones, but actually Samsung is a huge company – also known as the Samsung Group, with total assets of US$ 590.4billion. Their one of the most successful divisions is the Wireless Business Division – the one that controls smartphones and the tablets. Samsung is planning to make some changes in their internal structure, as they decided to merge their Digital Imaging Business Division with Wireless Business Division.
The DIB team will report to the Wireless division, and they will work together to help each other out, and the conclusion will be help improve imaging capabilities of the company’s smartphones, as well as improve wireless powers of its digital cameras.
We will transplant the brand, sales networks, software competency and manufacturing competitiveness of the Wireless Business Division into the Camera Business Division, and integrate the technical know-how of the two business divisions into competency for differentiating our smartphones.”
The change went into effect on December 12. I am sure the merger will be great for both divisions, and as we deal with smartphones, I think we can expect future Samsung smartphones with better camera result and interface, hopefully.
What do you think about it, is it a good move? Tell us about it in the comment box below.
Source: ET News
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Skitch for Mac adds resolution controls for Retina display captures
Looking to save some space with those high-res screenshots you took on your Retina machine? Skitch for Mac now allows users to chose between 144 DPI and the regular 72 DPI screenshots on those more pixel-dense displays. The new feature can be toggled via the file type menu at the bottom left of the app’s window and doesn’t affect the size of files sent to Evernote. Those larger screen captures are labeled “Hi-Res” the moment they’re snapped and the software remembers your settings preferences as well. You can start slimming down your image library now, as the update is currently available via iTunes.
Filed under: Software
Source: Evernote Blog, iTunes
The best tablet deals of the week: 12.13.13
With Engadget’s new tools, you can track price drops on thousands of devices every day, and once a week we feature some of the best deals right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won’t last long.
Tablets may not be on your shopping list this holiday season, but there are a few tempting specials that may make you reconsider. This year’s Nexus 7 model sees a $50 price cut with three other options for slate-style media consumption to help avoid annoying relatives in a couple weeks. Be sure to visit our product database to monitor prices on these gadgets and more as they move around. Join us and add the gadgets you’re shopping for to your “Want” list; every time there’s a price cut, you’ll get an email alert!
Price: $179 (regularly: $229)
Buy: Office Depot
Google’s 7-inch slate has had the attention of the Android faithful since its arrival a few months back. Unskinned Android and solid performance earned the tablet a 91 Engadget Global Score. And the device just got an update to 4.4.2, bringing all KitKat’s features.
Price: $400 (regularly: $450)
Buy: Amazon
We first caught a glimpse of the Transformer Pad Infinity back in June, and our editors were immediately smitten with the tablet’s crisp 299 PPI display for viewing Android apps. Once more, a current-gen slate has nabbed a $50 discount — in case the recipient craves the freshest tech.
Price: $149 (regularly: $269)
Buy: Office Depot
Shopping for someone special who isn’t concerned with the latest and greatest but is after a reading device with a bit more to offer? The Nook HD+ is worth a look, especially at this price. In addition to sorting that personal library, apps from Google Play are available on-screen as well.
Price: $130 (regularly: $250)
Buy: MacMall
For those after a smaller slate, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 ‘s price tag is now checking in at a 90-day low. Reliable performance and solid battery life are in play for all of those Android-powered exploits. However, you’ll want to keep in mind that Samsung has discontinued this particular model.
Filed under: Tablets
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