Samsung's Gear 360 Action Camera Gets Its Own Manager App, Compatible With Galaxy S6, S7, And Note 5 Series Phones

It's impossible to launch a new flagship phone these days without some fancy (and expensive) companion devices. At least that seems to be the approach that Samsung and LG are taking, and the former has a very interesting 360-degree action camera on the way. The Gear 360 captures both still photos and video in (you guessed it) 360 degrees thanks to dual lenses and a ball-like design. The Gear 360 is launched in Samsung's home market of Korea, and though it's yet to get a western release, the companion app is already available.

An app isn't necessary to use the Gear 360, which is handy for people who aren't interested in buying a compatible Samsung phone. But if you do happen to have one of the compatible devices (the Galaxy S6, S7, and Note 5 series), the app allows users to shoot remotely, view content saved on the camera, transfer it to phone storage, and share it directly to social networks. It's all fairly basic stuff. The videos and photos stored on the Gear 360 are already stitched together for VR purposes.

   

The Gear 360 doesn't have an official launch date in the US and Europe, but since the companion app has been published in English, it probably won't be more than a few weeks before we hear some formal dates and prices. In South Korea it costs 399,300 won, or approximately $350.

Source: Samsung's Gear 360 Action Camera Gets Its Own Manager App, Compatible With Galaxy S6, S7, And Note 5 Series Phones

Facebook is working on a Snapchat-like camera app

Roughly 10 billion videos are viewed on Snapchat, the ephemeral photo app that's becoming a media platform, up a quarter from February. Snapchat confirmed the number to Tech Insider.

The company is also planning a feature that allows a user to record video through the app to begin live streaming, the newspaper reported.

Snapchat is sharing the new stories statistic with investors to help explain that its app is focused on serving people who create and broadcast content, not just consume it. The first screen of the app is a camera, prompting users to share what they're seeing or doing.

That design gives the company an edge in a market where Facebook Inc.is building a business quickly. Users who are shooting a video may also be able to switch to a Facebook Live stream.

Like the photos, the videos can quickly disappear.

A representative for Facebook declined to comment on the report.

If ever the app comes into play, the challenge would be to actually get people to download another new app that's part of the Facebook family, and then for them to actually use it. There was some resistance when they forced us to download a separate Messenger app, but now it looks like people have gotten used to it.

Despite Facebook owning Instagram, the idea of the new camera app will be to snap and share rather than tailoring images with filters, effects, and other cosmetics. Many of its users check Facebook several times each day, but there has been a big drop in the numbers sharing status updates about their own lives as well as personal videos and photos. But the companies measure differently. A view is counted as soon as someone starts watching a snap, which means that if the person doesn't complete the whole video, it's still counted toward that 10 billion metric.

Source: Facebook is working on a Snapchat-like camera app

Facebook To Build A Standalone Camera App Similar To Snapchat, One Touch Photo And Video Sharing

Facebook continues to make changes to its tools in order to attract more advertisers to its platform. Many of the latest changes have come to Messenger, but the latest changes Facebook is reported to be making is a camera app similar to the one seen in Snap Chat.

CNBC reported that Facebook is developing the standalone camera app in order to increase user engagement on the social site. The app is being developed by the "friend-sharing" team in London, and right now it is only in its early stages, so it may never be deployed by Facebook. In addition to the standalone camera app, Facebook is also developing the ability for users to record video through the app to begin live streaming.

Report: Facebook is building a Snapchat-like camera app to get users to share more https://t.co/54tB22InQL pic.twitter.com/cllrYkgQTp

— Forbes (@Forbes) April 26, 2016

As previously reported in Inquisitr, Facebook continues to add new features to its messenger service to increase user engagement and allow users to do more things. The latest feature allows users to upload files directly from Dropbox. Other features that are being developed include chat bots, which allow businesses to answer simple questions and automate the answers.

Facebook plans to add a wallet to Messenger to compete with other major wallets like Google and Samsung although it will take longer to develop this feature since it takes time to integrate all the major credit card companies and prepare for compliance. Users can currently send money from within the messenger service, and Facebook eventually plans to make their messenger app an everything app so it replaces many of the apps smartphone users currently use.

The new facebook liking system is great pic.twitter.com/zBkCDZXTal

— 悲しい男の子 Frank (@60fpswaifu) April 26, 2016

The Economic Times of the India Times reported that Facebook plans to allow one click sharing of both photos and videos. This is another feature of the standalone camera app that Facebook currently is reported to have in development. Right now the app is just a prototype and has not been released for full scale distribution to Facebook users.

The Facebook app differs from the Instagram app even though it requires users to go through several steps before posting a photo. The chances of success for the app are much higher if it is tightly integrated with one of Facebook's latest features, Live Mobile Streaming. Currently this feature is trending on Facebook.

What becomes of Facebook when people start to value privacy? https://t.co/xYoUkhNlZR pic.twitter.com/UZjXTvUniG

— Engadget (@engadget) April 26, 2016

Facebook is seeking to compete with companies like Snap Chat, which offers an image sharing app. In 2014, Facebook acquired Instagram, another company that offers image sharing.

Gizmodo predicted that Facebook's plans to create the standalone camera sharing app won't win fans back. Since users aren't sharing as much about their lives on Facebook as they used to, the camera app would be an attempt to bring users back to Facebook. An unconfirmed report said that the announcement came at the same time that The Information released a report saying that Facebook is experiencing a 21 percent decline in sharing on its social platform.

Facebook claims there has been no decline among users sharing on their platform. Sharing refers to site users posting status updates, photos and other original media. Facebook also insisted that as users friends' list grow larger, users are less likely to share more of their personal information.

The reports of Facebook to build a new app comes as their latest attempt to capture a larger market share, and they have closely followed the growth of Snap Chat. Facebook tried acquire Snap Chat in 2013 for $3 billion. After creating Slingshot, which was a massive failure, Facebook has looked for more ways to maintain its market lead and stay competitive.

[Photo by Pixabay]

Source: Facebook To Build A Standalone Camera App Similar To Snapchat, One Touch Photo And Video Sharing

Facebook is working on a Snapchat-like camera app

Roughly 10 billion videos are viewed on Snapchat, the ephemeral photo app that's becoming a media platform, up a quarter from February. Snapchat confirmed the number to Tech Insider.

The company is also planning a feature that allows a user to record video through the app to begin live streaming, the newspaper reported.

Snapchat is sharing the new stories statistic with investors to help explain that its app is focused on serving people who create and broadcast content, not just consume it. The first screen of the app is a camera, prompting users to share what they're seeing or doing.

That design gives the company an edge in a market where Facebook Inc.is building a business quickly. Users who are shooting a video may also be able to switch to a Facebook Live stream.

Like the photos, the videos can quickly disappear.

A representative for Facebook declined to comment on the report.

If ever the app comes into play, the challenge would be to actually get people to download another new app that's part of the Facebook family, and then for them to actually use it. There was some resistance when they forced us to download a separate Messenger app, but now it looks like people have gotten used to it.

Despite Facebook owning Instagram, the idea of the new camera app will be to snap and share rather than tailoring images with filters, effects, and other cosmetics. Many of its users check Facebook several times each day, but there has been a big drop in the numbers sharing status updates about their own lives as well as personal videos and photos. But the companies measure differently. A view is counted as soon as someone starts watching a snap, which means that if the person doesn't complete the whole video, it's still counted toward that 10 billion metric.

Source: Facebook is working on a Snapchat-like camera app

Facebook Wants More Sharing, Building New Camera App to Drive It

One of the great downsides to having a lot of content in any one place is that, after a while, it starts looking downright pointless to add more. Facebook is running into that problem, as increasing numbers of users are viewing others' content rather than adding new. In a bid to turn that around, Facebook is working to make it easier to make content for posting with a new camera app some are already comparing to Snapchat.

With the new app, users will be able to record video and stream it directly to Facebook friends. The new app isn't yet available—by some reports it may never actually be available—and it's still in its earliest stages of development. Yet Facebook recognizes one major issue: the numbers of people engaging in photo sharing is dropping off, and that's a position Facebook can't support. Word from GlobalWebIndex said users engaging in photo sharing were at 37 percent in the third quarter of 2015, and that was down from 59 percent in 2014's third quarter.

Building and releasing its own apps hasn't always worked well for Facebook; previous apps Slingshot and Poke didn't make much of an impact on the market. With app downloads in general falling off as mobile saturation approaches its peak and users focusing on a comparative handful of apps, sheer inertia is likely to keep most users from selecting a new app. Even Facebook itself is underscoring this point; it's recently invited businesses to use chatbots on Facebook's Messenger tool as a replacement for the individually-branded app. If Facebook wants to provide a replacement for the branded app, then there's a fair chance the branded app may not even work for Facebook.

There's also a potential backlash against social media in general. With social media being used by potential employers as a cheap and legal background check and using even the most innocuous photos as a reason to disqualify candidates, social media users may be keeping pictures out of the fray altogether lest something posted be later used against them in a job hunt. Even something unexpected—and technically illegal—might color a search; post pictures of your new baby, and employers may think that you'll be too busy, and sleepy, from baby-related tasks to be a good hire. That's going to take a big bite out of Facebook, and its photo sharing numbers.

That's mostly speculative, but it could speak to the declining numbers. Facebook's definitely doing the right thing in trying to address this decline, but it may be doing so the wrong way. A new app may not address concerns about privacy and employment viability sufficiently to inspire said users to come back. 

 
Source: Facebook Wants More Sharing, Building New Camera App to Drive It

Facebook working on a Snapchat-like camera app again: Here’s why

Facebook's obsession with owning a Snapchat-like app has no end. After a failed attempt at acquiring Snapchat and a failed attempt at building Snapchat-like Slingshot, looks like the company is ready to give it a shot for the third time.

As we know, Zuckerberg has followed a different ball game all along, going strong on acquisitions. Facebook has acquired or at least attempted to acquire its potential competitors or future threats. Back in 2012, when Facebook bought Instagram, it was obvious that Facebook then associated with sharing images, didn't want another app popular with teens snapping its users. The recent report claiming that Instagram could bring in $3.2 billion in revenue for Facebook in 2016 could probably vouch for it being one of the best moves by the company.

In late 2013, Whatsapp was next potential threat to Facebook. It was huge outside the US and slowly crawling its way into the US market. With 400 million active users and about 25 billion messages shared everyday back then, it was evidently the most preferred compared to group messaging services from Google and Facebook. People started using it to stay connected, make professional/businesses groups and more. Facebook, without wasting much time, snapped the service for a jaw-dropping $19 billion.

Image: KPCB

Fast forward to 2014 and Mary Meeker's report showed how over 1.8 billion photos were uploaded and shared. How Snapchat and Instagram were way above Facebook and WhatsApp wasn't too far low with those figures in just two years. Clearly, indicating why Facebook was so eager to snap up these apps.

But, aren't things different today? Facebook's growth has leaped forward by miles. Now, with WhatsApp and Instagram in tow, it is clearly leading in terms of photos. So, what's probably compelling Facebook to still want a slice of the ephemeral app Snapchat. The answer could have been photos back then, but now it is clearly videos. In March, Snapchat's Evan Spiegel had revealed that Snapchat now gets over 8 billion views per day. But didn't Facebook revealed to have doubled its video views late last year, with 8 billion views. And, we don't know th most recent figures, which are definitely higher. But the catch is Snapchat gets those views for its roughly over 100 million daily users who spend an average of 25 to 30 minutes on the app each day. On the other hand, Facebook has a whopping 1.2 billion active users, which is a large number compared to Snapchat.

It clearly shows Facebook's fascination for the ephemeral app, that it has set it heart on, for long now. Moreover, the company has been focusing on Live videos to take on Periscope. The camera app could be a mashup to ensure its goals are achieved and its growth ride doesn't hit a speed breaker.

Tags: Facebook, facebook Snapchat app, Snapchat, Snapchat camera app, Snapchat-like app

Source: Facebook working on a Snapchat-like camera app again: Here's why

Nextbit's latest Robin update adds Marshmallow and drastically improves camera

If a subpar camera has been holding you back from buying Nextbit's Robin, today's software update could be the catalyst that puts one in your hand.

The company announced the latest software update for its cloud-based Android flagship. The software tweaks appear minor at first, but the jump to Android 6.0.1 includes overhauled camera software that addresses some of the concerns we noted in our review of the phone. Here's a quick look at what's new.

A redone Camera app

If you read any review of the Robin earlier this year, you know that its camera app was incredibly sub-par for its price ($400 on Amazon). The Robin's 13-megapixel camera is quite enough for a phone of this caliber, but the software left many of us unimpressed.

With this latest update, Nextbit said it "literally ripped apart" the camera application before it was completely rebuilt so that it's more efficient. "We also went back to camera tuning specialists and worked with them on additional corrections," said Eric Lin, who is in charge of product marketing for Nextbit.

I took two Robins—one loaded with the old camera app and one loaded with the revised app—for a quick spin in our camera lab and around the block. I immediately noticed the difference in camera performance. The revised app launches more quickly and snaps faster than before. Its low-light photos look about the same, but the shutter is much more responsive. Before, the lag between hitting the shutter button and taking a picture was agonizing. It also led to blurry pictures.

Photos taken with the Robin with the 6.0.1 update are sharper and more vibrant.

Indoors, the white balance is more accurate with the updated Robin handset. You can see it most clearly on the wall in the background.

The interface for the camera app has also been polished up a bit with on-screen navigation controls, though the camera menu bar remains the same. Unfortunately, there is still no panoramic or slow-motion mode, and not much else has been added to the Robin's manual mode. At the very least, the camera is now much faster in all types of lighting conditions.

Better sound

Smartphone makers are making a huge marketing push to highlight their audio abilities, and Nextbit is no different. This new software update features driver-level sound tuning for the Robin's dual speakers and headphone jack. Nextbit has even partnered with the Danish audio company, AIAIAI, to offer a pair of special edition headphones that match the Robin's playful coloring. 

Minor improvements towards a major play Florence Ion

The old Robin and the new Robin.

Nextbit's software development team made a few other improvements to the Robin's software, including tweaking the Snapdragon 808 processor by optimizing its power consumption. It's not an obvious tweak, though the updated phone doesn't get as hot as the one running the older software. You'll also have access to all the new expanded emoji set featured in Unicode 7 and 8.

Software updates are a big deal in the Android world because too often they're few and far between. Not even the major manufacturers can keep a consistent timeline. It's taken BlackBerry five months to deliver its Marshmallow update, while most of Samsung and Motorola's devices are still hanging out on Lollipop six months after Marshmallow's release.

That's why Nextbit is heavily marketing its software updates, first by Periscoping that there's one on the horizon, and then by actually launching the software update. Smaller companies can often update their phones more quickly, as they usually sell unlocked phones without the carrier bureaucracy in the way. If Nextbit continues to offer consistent software updates based on user feedback, the company could easily become a favorite among Android enthusiasts.

The software update will hit your Robin phones via an over-the-air update in the coming days.

Source: Nextbit's latest Robin update adds Marshmallow and drastically improves camera

Facebook Is Developing A Camera App To Rival Snapchat: Report

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc is developing a stand-alone camera app, similar to disappearing photo app Snapchat, to increase user engagement, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The app, being developed by Facebook's "friend-sharing" team in London, is in its early stages and may never come to fruition, according to the report.

The company is also planning a feature that allows a user to record video through the app to begin live streaming, the newspaper reported.

Facebook could not immediately be reached for comment.

(Reporting by Kshitiz Goliya in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

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Snapchat Might Be Killing Facebook In One Important Way

Source: Facebook Is Developing A Camera App To Rival Snapchat: Report

Facebook’s rumored camera app sounds like a Snapchat-Periscope hybrid

Facebook is reportedly building a new camera app that crosses the spontaneity of Snapchat with live streaming.

The Wall Street Journal's unnamed sources describe the app as a "camera-first" format, similar to Snapchat. Users who are shooting a video may also be able to switch to a Facebook Live stream. This would not be a separate network, but rather a way to feed more photos and videos into Facebook proper.

For now, the app is reportedly in early-stage development, with a prototype built by Facebook's "friend-sharing" team. It's possible that Facebook will never release it to the public.

But as the Journal points out, the development itself underscores Facebook's recent efforts to keep people sharing information on its social network.

Although Facebook usage remains strong, and advertising revenue is soaring, a recent GlobalWebIndex survey found that 33 percent of users updated their profile status in the previous month, down from 44 percent a year earlier, and 44 percent had uploaded or shared photos, down from 46 percent in the previous year. The Information has also reported that people are posting less information about their personal lives. (A Facebook spokeswoman told the Journal that sharing was strong overall and similar to previous years' levels.)

Rumored camera app aside, Facebook has also tried to boost sharing among private groups with a separate photo app released last year. And in Messenger, Facebook now offers a "Photo Magic" feature that scans users' camera roll for faces, letting users share photos more easily.

Why this matters: Facebook has tried a couple of times before to mimic the types of photo- and video-sharing that happens on other social networks. In 2012, the company launched a dedicated Camera app just a month after acquiring Instagram, and killed it a couple years later. A Snapchat competitor called Slingshot arrived in in 2014, and went away last year. It's unclear what would be different this time, aside from the live video option, but perhaps Facebook's newfound interest in private sharing will help get people interested.

Source: Facebook's rumored camera app sounds like a Snapchat-Periscope hybrid

Facebook Is Developing A Camera App To Rival Snapchat

Facebook wants to push itself further into photo and video sharing with the launch of another camera app, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. To do so, it reportedly opens up directly to your phone's camera.

The app is also said to put a big focus on live streaming video, something that Facebook believes is a huge feature moving forward for the site. This new app, then, would fill that void by putting content creation front and center, encouraging people to create, not consume.

Many social network users are spreading out, electing to post their snippets of thoughts on Twitter, their photos on Instagram, their videos on Vine, and their fun personal stories directly to select friends. Posts about public information like news articles increasing. However, it would fit with two of Facebook's recent priorities: Halting a decline in user-generated content sharing, and driving Live adoption. Reminders about special occasions like Mother's Day.

For all of its efforts to create a family of mobile apps, Facebook really hasn't cracked the code yet.

Facebook already has an app (called Moments) dedicated to sharing photos taken at group events. But with this new step Facebook seems to be competing with Snapchat. These are coming soon; The ability to send an invitation to a friend to watch live video with you; and Facebook Live Map on desktop, so users can see what live videos are trending all around the world. This isn't the first time Facebook has built an app to encourage sharing. Slingshot was supposed to encourage users to share more pictures. Sure there's Messenger, but a good number of its other apps have failed.

We have not heard anything from Facebook yet.

Source: Facebook Is Developing A Camera App To Rival Snapchat

Facebook reportedly developing standalone camera app w/ live streaming features

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The Wall Street Journal reports Facebook is working on a new camera app separate from its main offerings that the company hopes will encourage increased sharing of photos and videos. The still in-development app in its current form opens immediately to a camera mode and there are plans to offer live streaming video functionality as well, according to the report:

A prototype of the app developed by Facebook's "friend-sharing" team in London opens to a camera, similar to disappearing photo app Snapchat, the people said. Another planned feature allows a user recording video through the app to begin live streaming, they added… People familiar with the matter said the camera app under consideration is also intended to spur creation. The content could then be shared to Facebook or its other properties, including Instagram.

Last month Facebook unveiled its latest product updates and upcoming projects at its F8 developer conference. For part of its presentation, the company talked up its new Facebook Live platform and plans to expand the rapidly growing live video component of Facebook by promoting it more to users across its various properties. That service could possibly tie-in to any live streaming video features the company might offer in the new standalone camera app reportedly in development. For Facebook Live, the company has a new API allowing app developers to build on the platform starting with popular drone maker DJI as the launch partner. 

Today's report notes that the new standalone video app is still in early stages and there aren't yet any plans for a release.

Source: Facebook reportedly developing standalone camera app w/ live streaming features

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Camera Lags Issue & Other Related Problems

In terms of phone camera photo quality, the #Samsung #Galaxy #Note4 is one of the best in the market today. Although released in late 2014 the camera of this device can still give newer phone models a run for their money. This phone sports a 16MP camera sensor at f/2.2 and with optical image stabilization can take great quality shots even in challenging environments. There are however instances when camera related issues can occur on this device which is what we will be concentrating on today. In this latest installment of our troubleshooting series we will tackle the Galaxy Note 4 camera lags issue & other related problems.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy Note 4  or any other Android device for that matter then feel free to contact us using this form. We will be more than happy to assist you with any concern that you may have with your device. This is a free service we are offering with no strings attached. We however ask that when you do contact us try to be as detailed as possible so that an accurate assessment can be made and the correct solution can be given.  

If you would like to browse the previous parts in this series then check out this link.  

You may also reach us at our Facebook and Google+ social media accounts.

Note 4 Camera Lags

Problem: Camera just lags, sometimes when taking a picture you have to tap 3-4 times before it takes then after each picture it takes 15 sec to review it and another 15 sec to delete it that every time. Also it will freeze sometimes and just stay stuck a minute or two or turn black and shut off and return to home screen. I've did the master reset once and taken the battery out once and still get the same reaction.. Any help would be appreciated.. Also it's a Verizon phone but my service provider is Straight Talk

Solution: If you have already performed a factory reset on your device then there could be another factor involved that's causing this problem. Does your phone have a microSD card installed? Try taking it out as this can sometimes cause this type of problem.  If the issue still occurs try to do the following troubleshooting steps listed below. Move to the next step if the issue still persists.

Clear the cache and data of the camera app from the application manager.

Wipe the cache partition of your phone from the recovery mode.

Start your phone in Safe Mode. Check if the issue occurs in this mode. If it doesn't then it could be caused by an app you downloaded. Find out what app this is and uninstall it.

Backup your phone data then do another round of factory reset. After the reset do not install anything on your phone yet. Check first if the issue still occurs.

If the above steps fail to resolve the problem then this could already be a hardware related issue. If this is the case I recommend that you bring your phone to an authorized service center and have it checked.

Note 4 Cloudy White Haze On Videos

Problem: I have had this problem since I got my note 4 a year ago.  When I post a video I filmed on Facebook there is a cloudy white haze that makes the video not clear.  I didn't have this on my Note 3.  It took beautiful videos.  If I upload the video to YouTube and then put it on FB the white hazy is gone.  Is there a filter I don't know about that will take away this white haze?  I wish I'd kept my note 3 because of this.  I love taking videos.  Thank you.

Solution: This is indeed a strange issue that seems to affect only the Facebook app. As far as I know the videos that you upload to Facebook do not change. This means that whatever video you can view on your phone will still look the same on Facebook. Try uninstalling the Facebook app in your phone then get a fresh version from the Google Play Store. Once the new version is installed check if the issue still occurs. You should also check the video using the Facebook account on your computer and see if the haze is still present.

Note 4 Pictures Appear Black

Problem: Every Time a picture is taken  when i try to retrieve it i get a black screen with an icon i can't get the picture to show please help i have a lot of pictures of grandkids  i have a 128gb disk inserted in my phone the did acknowledge the 128gb sd card.

Solution: When the pictures in the gallery appear black they are most likely corrupt. This usually occurs when the default save location of the camera is set to the microSD card. What happens in this case is that the microSD card that you have has developed some corrupt sectors. These corrupt sectors could be where the picture files are stored which then results in this issue.

To check if the photos are indeed corrupt you can take out the microSD card from your phone then have your computer read the microSD card. You will need a card reader to do this. If you are unable to access the photo files even with your computer then they are most likely corrupt already. You need to get a new microSD card if this is the case. You can also try to fix the microSD card by formatting it. Take note all data stored in the card will be deleted in this process. If you would like to recover the data in your card then try to use a software recovery program first before formatting it.

One other scenario is that the photos stored in the microSD card can be viewed using your computer. If this is the case then the issue could be with your phone software. Reinsert the microSD card to your phone then perform a wipe cache partition from the recovery mode. This will delete the temporary data of the phone which could be causing the problem. If the problem remains then I suggest you backup your phone data then do a factory reset.

Note 4 Camera Does Not Focus

Problem: Since I got this phone the camera doesn't focus. I had a galaxy s4 for 2 years and took extraordinary pictures. I'm a camera freak! I take pics of EVERYTHING!  I've lost many once in a lifetime shots with this camera. It's extremely upsetting.

Solution: Below are the steps that you need to do to troubleshoot the camera not focusing issue. After performing each step check if the problem still occurs. Move to the next step if it does.

If your phone has a case installed then remove it from its case.

Clean the camera lens using a microfiber cloth or lens paper cleaner. Make sure not to scratch the lens.

Clear the cache and data of the camera app.

Wipe the cache partition of your phone from the recovery mode.

Backup your phone data then do a factory reset.

If the problem still remains even after performing the above steps then this could already be a hardware related issue. I recommend that you bring your phone to an authorized service center and have it  checked.

Note 4 Warning Camera Failed Error

Problem: The camera light came on while I was charging the phone and won't shut off plus the camera won't open, I keep getting "warning camera failed". I tried removing the battery and uninstalling recent updates but the problem persists. What is my next step? THX.

Solution: Try to check first if this issue is caused by problems with the phone software by performing the following steps listed below.

Clear the cache and data of the camera app.

Wipe the cache partition of your phone from the recovery mode.

Backup your phone data then do a factory reset.

If the issue still occurs then this is most likely hardware related problem already. I suggest you backup your phone data then do a factory reset.

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Feel free to send us your questions, suggestions and problems you've encountered while using your Android phone. We support every Android device that is available in the market today. And don't worry, we won't charge you a single penny for your questions. Contact us using this form. We read every message we receive can't guarantee a quick response. If we were able to help you, please help us spread the word by sharing our posts with your friends.

Source: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Camera Lags Issue & Other Related Problems

Download Videos from Facebook to Your iPhone’s Camera Roll with FVideo [Jailbreak Tweak]

Posted by Ali Hassan Mahdi on Apr 23, 2016 | No Comments

Facebook is undoubtedly the most popular social network that instantly connects you to people from all over the globe. The company has been rolling out new features recently such as Reactions, Messenger chatbots and more. However, one thing that many users wished Facebook had is the ability to download videos. Fortunately, if your jailbroken, you can get this feature with the use of a new jailbreak tweak called FVideo.

FVideo allows users to instantly download any video from the official Facebook app directly to their Camera Roll and view it at any time in offline mode. With the use of this tweak, you no longer have to depend on third-party websites and apps, that are sometimes a hassle to use

Upon installing it, FVideo will get activated by default. Now, launch the Facebook app and find a video which you'd like to download. By tapping and holding on a video, the tweak displays a pop-up asking you to choose the video quality, which can either be HD or SD.

Once you've chosen the video quality, a HUD is displayed with the progress of the download. After it completes, the video will be saved to you Camera Roll and you can access it from there and even share it with others.

As you can see, the tweak makes it very easy to download any video from Facebook's app to your device. It doesn't require any configuration and gets enabled by default.

The only issue that it has is that every time you hold the playback scrubber to move to a certain time in a video, the tweak will treat is as a tap and hold gesture, thereby displaying the download popup. This makes it difficult to use the scrubber to jump to any part in a video.

Apart from this, it works as advertised and the download performance is quite good. If you're interested to try this tweak, it is available as a free package on Cydia's BigBoss repo and requires the latest version of Facebook to be installed.

Currently, you can only jailbreak iOS 9.1 or lower, check our article for the latest update on iOS 9.3.1 – iOS 9.3 jailbreak.

iOS 9.3.1 – 9.3 Jailbreak Status Update

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Related Topics: Hacks, Jailbreak Apps and Tweaks

Source: Download Videos from Facebook to Your iPhone's Camera Roll with FVideo [Jailbreak Tweak]

Microsoft updates Translator app for Android

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Did This Girl's Letter Put Harriet Tubman On The $20?Whatever may be said for Eleanor Roosevelt, compared to her husband, she is an inconsequential figure in American history. Ironically, the one-time slave will replace the seventh president Andrew Jackson, who was a slave owner, on the $20 note.

Islamic group condemns Israeli premier's remarks on GolanIsraeli overflights of Syria aren't unusual, and indeed Israeli attacks on Syria are fairly common, without Russian interference. The visit came three days after Putin's meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Ericsson Announces 40% Increase In Q1 EarningsOn average, equities research analysts predict that Ericsson will post $0.76 earnings per share for the current year. Ericsson (ERIC) revealed a profit for its first quarter that climbed compared to the same period previous year .

Falcao Rules Out MLS Move This SummerFalcao spent a disappointing season at Manchester United and things haven't changed for the 30-year-old at Chelsea either. Radamel Falcao says a move to the MLS does appeal but the Chelsea man feels he has "years left in these leagues".

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Shah Rukh Khan: 'I'm surprised people like me so much'Fan, directed by Maneesh Sharma , will feature Shah Rukh in a double role of a superstar and his obsessed fan . Well, SRK sure had at least one learning to take away from this tete-a-tete with the royals.

Indusland Bank net profit up by 27 per centNet interest income (NII), the core income a bank earns from its lending business, grew 24% to Rs.7,453.3 crore. HDFC Bank, India's largest private sector bank by market capitalisation posted fairly positive Q4FY16 numbers.

La cubana Ana de Armas aparecerá en la secuela de 'Blade Runner'Hampton Fancher y Michael Green firman el libreto de la cinta, dirigida por Denis Villeneuve y producida por Ridley Scott . La joven actriz cubana Ana de Armas está, sin dudas, en una de las etapas más dulcs e intensas de su carrera.

Turkey far from meeting conditions of European Union visa waiverThe statements were made during a presentation of a report on the implementation of the March 18 EU-Turkey agreement. Turkey hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees in the world, with over 2.5 million Syrians inside the country.

Fiscal calificó la Time Warp como "zona liberada"Según publicó el sitio web La Nación , este martes pasaron a disponibilidad a Alberto Pandiani , Adrián Álvarez e Ivana Gómez . La única mujer internada en ese centro de salud, bajo las iniciales "M.P".

Cristina Fernández: "Me pueden meter presa, pero no podrán hacerme callar"Tras un acto en una fábrica en la localidad bonaerense de Llavallol, el mandatario dijo que "ayer (por ... miércoles) una mañana desafortunada" cuestionó los durante movilización "no a Argentina futuro ". "Intentan el otra con mano" recordó causa contrabando el Mauricio tuvo los 80′.

Renault Koleos SUV images leaked ahead of Beijing debutUnlike the old Renault Koleos crossover, which was axed in 2010, due to poor sales, the all-new model will be an SUV. For global markets, the vehicle is expected to be developed at Renault's Busan plant in South KoreaKoleos SUV.

Grabó a su novia mientras cantaba y el resultado fue sorprendente — YouTubeLa timidez de la joven está probada al ser grabada de espaldas, ya que no quería sentirse avergonzada mientras cantaba. Hace dos días el joven compartió el clip a través de Reddit y escribió: "Le dije que estuvo genial".

Durant: Happy ex-coach Brooks back in NBA, focused on MavsWhich Mav do you think has the best shot at containing Durant on defense? They need to generate open looks from deep. In addition to usual suspect Steven Adams , Carlisle brought up an "intentional unprovoked elbow" by Durant.

Olympics torch starts the journey to RioThe structure opened in January as a way to connect thousands of Olympic visitors with the smaller towns outside of Rio. The flame will ignite the Cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, taking place at the Maracana Stadium on Friday, August 5th.

Tampa Bay Lightning eliminate Detroit Red Wings in Game 5Penguins coach Mike Sullivan was coy about his choice for a Game 3 starter, though he praised Zatkoff for "being great for us". Detroit's Petr Mrazek could get the nod again after posting a. 939 save percentage in past two contests.

John Mellencamp to play at Chester Fritz Auditorium in NovemberHis Wilkes-Barre show comes during his seventh and final leg of the tour and features support from country artist Carlene Carter. ASCAP is set to honor Mellencamp with the prestigious Founders Award at the annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards later this month.

Donald Trump set to campaign in Harrisburg tomorrowTrump spoke for over an hour adding in, when he wins the primary, he wants to go on to beat "crooked Hillary Clinton". John Kasich trailing in third. "If we could get Washington, it would be unbelievable", he said.

NASA captures out-of-this-world AuroraAnd the latest sighting comes after Jadon Beeson, 20, spotted a cigar-shaped object with a blueish hue hovering close to the ISS. Some have even gone as far to say NASA's funding should be cut over their "great alien deception".

US Hints President Buhari on How To Rescue Chibok GirlsMeanwhile, the federal government has reiterated its commitment to finding the girls, saying it remained its priority. The girls were taken from their dormitories in the town of Chibok by the Boko Haram sect on April 14, 2014.

Felt like crying when asked to prove my patriotism, says SRKGaurav's bitterness towards his favourite cine idol is what makes the premise interesting in " Fan ", the actor said. But later I realised you have to show graciousness for having been awarded.

Raheem Sterling acknowledges the striking quality of Sergio AgueroAleksandar Kolarov stood over a free-kick out on the left side and delivered to Aguero at the front post for him to glance home. The players are doing what they have to do, they are playing with passion, with the commitment that the fans expect.

Source: Microsoft updates Translator app for Android

Five Things I Love About The Galaxy S7 & S7 edge

The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are easy to hold up on paper as the best smartphones of 2016 - mostly because they'll likely be the best-selling models (well, next to the iPhone). But what about them makes them actually worth owning? Is Samsung's latest smartphone duo basically just a gussied-up retread of the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge+, or is there more to it than that? I think there is. Here are five things I love about the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. (Don't forget to check out our full review right here.)

One phone, two sizes

So often we are asked to either buy a "mainstream" Android smartphone or wait for the separate "phablet" launches of devices that often occur later in the year. There's no big HTC 10 or LG G5 - those are one-size-fits-all devices. Samsung launched the S7 and S7 edge in two sizes: one the 5" (roughly) smartphone that embodies the typical flagship device of the last two years. But they also launched the 5.5" S7 edge with a curved display panel for those who wanted a bigger screen and battery. The battery gets a 600mAh boost to a total capacity of 3600mAh, and that definitely makes a difference in my experience.

Samsung may have taken a bit of flak for following the "Apple formula" of iPhone / iPhone Plus, but Apple basically took that formula from other, smaller manufacturers who have been doing similar size-staggered smartphone launches for years.

For those who loved the Galaxy Note line but never really used the stylus, the S7 edge provides the large screen real estate of that device without the wait. The Note doesn't usually launch until many months after the Galaxy S flagship, so if you want a big-screen, premium Samsung device, 2016 is the first year Samsung is giving you an option quite so early. The S7 edge is definitely my favorite of the two, for its larger - and more striking - display, and superior battery life.

Samsung Pay

I don't use it often, but I'm glad to have it when I do. Samsung Pay is the only mobile payment solution that can truly replace your credit card in a majority of situations. While not suited for every payment requiring a credit card, here in the US, Samsung Pay basically works anywhere you can non-awkwardly reach for the magstripe reader on the point-of-sale machine.

Your bank does have to support it, but major credit card issuers are generally well-represented on Samsung Pay in the US, and it really is crazy simple to use. You can actually set up Samsung Pay to sit on your homescreen or lockscreen at all times, reach to launch at a moment's notice, just by pulling up from the bottom of the screen. You then can use your S7 or S7 edge's built-in fingerprint scanner to authenticate use of the card and activate "payment mode," at which point you simply hold the phone against the credit card reader where the magstripe scanner sits.

Samsung Pay will also work with Android Pay and Apple Pay-enabled NFC readers if the magstripe doesn't work, or if you prefer to pay using NFC. You're getting the best of both worlds here - Samsung Pay really is a pretty awesome feature. Samsung also wants to grow Pay to be used for storing membership cards and loyalty points, and given the feature's very warm reception, I wouldn't be surprised if they start to make headway there.

You can find the full list of supported Samsung Pay banks and card issuers for the US here.

The screen(s)

Samsung makes the best display panels in the smartphone business, full stop. Samsung's Super AMOLED panels have the deepest blacks (great for watching TV/movies and gaming), great outdoor visibility, the best color reproduction (in "basic" mode - more on that in a second), and insanely good viewing angles. Issues around Super AMOLED power consumption have largely been resolved, as the S7 and S7 edge have easily boasted the best battery life among flagship smartphones this year. And like any modern high-end smartphone, they offer 2K resolution.

What makes Samsung's screens great in particular for photography is that they can be set to an extremely accurate "basic" mode in the settings. If you open the settings apps, under display there is a section called "screen mode," which offers you four options: basic, AMOLED photo, AMOLED cinema, and adaptive display.

Adaptive display is the default mode, and it will boost or lower contrast in certain applications versus others. For example, in the camera app, it will heavily boost contrast and brightness so that the camera viewfinder is easier to see in bright sunlight. This mode is probably the most desirable mode for most people, as it makes colors extremely vivid, increases effective contrast (making the display easier to see in bright conditions), and provides the most striking images.

But if you switch into basic mode, the panel becomes extremely "accurate." This means that photos, video, and other content all appear very close to their "real" colors, as opposed to an interpretation of those colors that Samsung's software thinks is most visually pleasing. This can be great for reviewing photos or video your smartphone camera has taken, because you can get a much better sense of how that photo or video will look on your PC, other people's smartphones, and televisions, as opposed to just how it looks on your own phone's screen with its particular color calibration. I also personally find the warmer whites of the basic display mode are much easier on my eyes when using the phone at night or in the dark, whereas the adaptive mode tends to be a bit more uncomfortable because the white point is bluer. It's great having these options.

The camera is very, very fast

Samsung's camera on the S7 and S7 edge starts up fast and takes pictures even faster - this is probably the fastest smartphone camera out there right now. And while it may not have the fastest startup time of any smartphone camera ever, the speed which with it captures images is hard to beat. Many smartphones today make aggressive use of HDR features that enhance the contrast and dynamic range of the photos we take, especially when lighting is very dark or very bright (or both) in a scene. These HDR modes are great for turning what might otherwise be washed-out or murky images into vivid, beautiful photos. But they usually come at the cost of time - the Nexus 6P, for example, takes quite a while to do an HDR capture, and this can slow you down when taking subsequent photos.

The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge capture HDR photos extremely quickly, thanks to what is likely the same hardware HDR processing Samsung used in the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge (and Note 5 / S6 edge+) last year. Combined with a lens and sensor that are designed to pick up even more light in the dark, the S7 and S7 edge are easily the most usable smartphone cameras I've ever come across.

The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge can manage to get a decent image in almost any lighting condition, and the speed with which images are captured means less blur, fewer missed moments, and a less frustrating smartphone camera experience overall.

The battery life rocks

Here in America, we have a slightly different version of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge than you'd get almost anywhere else in the world - it uses a different processor (CPU) called the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820. Everywhere else in the world, basically, the S7 and S7 edge use Samsung's Exynos 8890 processor.

The reason I point this out is a difference in battery life. Sadly, our US versions of the S7 and S7 edge don't get the insane battery life of the international Exynos versions of the phones. But here's the thing: the battery life the US versions do get is still really, really good. My AT&T S7 edge easily gets over five hours, sometimes six, of screen-on time (go to settings -> battery, scroll down, then tap "screen" on the list to see your screen on figure). That's completely nuts compared to the S6 or S6 edge+, both of which barely managed to get me to three hours, maybe four tops, last year. My Nexus 6P gets nowhere close to the S7 edge's figure.

The regular S7 easily gets over four hours of screen on time for me, too, which for a phone of its size is quite good. If you are lucky enough to be in a region with the Exynos versions, some users of the Exynos S7 edge are reporting seven or eight hours of screen-on time in some conditions. That's totally bonkers.

But even with our Snapdragon 820 versions here in America, the battery life improvements over last year's Galaxy phones are huge, and Samsung seems to be leading the pack on this figure overall coming into 2016.

What about you?

What do you love about the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge? Discuss in the comments below. Be on the lookout for our counterpoint post, too, in which I discuss the things I don't love so much about these phones.

Source: Five Things I Love About The Galaxy S7 & S7 edge

Tips and Apps for Better Mobile Phone Photography

Ask any photographer what the best camera is and you will likely receive the same answer: The one you have with you. Fortunately, most parents always have a camera with them these days in the form of their phone. Luckily, most mobile phone cameras are very good and capable of producing print-worthy images with a few quick tweaks in the way you shoot and edit.

Julia Kelleher of Jewel Images is a family photographer who teaches mobile photography through CreativeLive. Here, she shares her top four tips for getting better pictures of your children with your camera's phone:

- Set focus and exposure in camera. To set focus and exposure in your camera, touch the camera's screen on your main subject until a yellow box appears. This step is very fast and will make a huge difference in how your photos come out. If your child frequently looks too dark in photos, simply tapping her face on the screen before snapping your photo will brighten her up. This tip also helps ensure that your child is in focus rather than a tree in the background.

- Turn on the Grid: In most phones' settings, there is a feature to turn on a grid with nine squares and four intersecting points, like a tic-tac-toe board with equally sized spaces. The interesting points on the grid are places where viewers' eyes tend to land. Placing your main subject at one of these points will instantly improve your photo. Photographers frequently use this compositional technique, called the Rule of Thirds, and if you keep the grid turned on you can effortlessly use it for your photos as well. Other compositional rules for taking great photos, particularly of children, can be found at www.clickinmoms.com.

- Use indirect light to take a picture in a darkly lit room. Flash can create harsh shadows. If a room is dark, light the person from the side rather than using the flash. According to Kelleher, "This tip is great for when you're out at dinner with friends or family and the room is dimly lit with candles. Simply have one person hold the flash onto your subjects, and then take a picture with your [mobile phone] with the flash off."

- Use color to impart feelings into your images. Basic familiarity with the color wheel can make a big difference in your photos. "I will often photograph children with complementary colors because it makes them seem alive and happy and very vivacious," Kelleher says. This color wheel is interactive and quickly shows complementary color combinations so, for example, you can see that if your son is wearing an orange shirt placing him in front of a blue wall or against a bright blue sky will create a vibrant image.

It's nearly impossible get a perfect photo straight out of the camera and even professional photographers make a few tweaks to their photos to help make them better. Here are some easy to use apps that can help you make your pictures go from good to fantastic:

- Camera+: Camera+ for iPhone is a favorite of many photographers for use in mobile photography because it offers many advanced options for in-phone editing. Camera+ also has great features like built-in image stabilization, a self-timer, and an integrated flashlight function that enables users to avoid the use of a flash in low-light situations. For those who love filters, Camera+ allows users to stack filters and control how heavily they are applied.

- Snapseed: Snapseed is a free, very popular editing app and is available for iPhone and Android. One of the best features of Snapseed is its new Stacks feature, which allows users to keep track of the edits they make and go back and undo any they don't like. So if you saturate the colors in your photo as a first step, then decide you overdid it, you can go back and tone down the colors later. Snapseed also has several advanced editing features.

- Photoshop: Adobe's Photoshop is the best known and most widely used editing program by professional photographers. There are three free Photoshop apps available for iPhone and Android that bring many of Photoshop's powerful editing tools to your phone. Photoshop Express allows users to crop, adjust color, change the brightness photos, and has filters. The free Photoshop Fix allows retouching photos by removing stray hairs, wayward toys, and even photo-bombers from photos. Finally, Photoshop Mix allows users to combine photographs, which allows for fun possibilities.

- ProCamera: ProCamera is a free app for iPhone that has several advanced features and some very practical ones as well. Night Camera helps users get photos in low-light conditions, Fullscreen Trigger helps users get the shot quickly by tapping anywhere on the screen, and a 6x zoom allows users to increase the zoom capabilities of their built-in camera.

The best way to figure out how to best take photos is just keep snapping. With so many available apps and the wonderful portability of our now-essential smart phones, the possibilities are endless.

© 2016 The Washington Post

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Source: Tips and Apps for Better Mobile Phone Photography

Shorts Founder Reveals What His Product Has that Snapchat Lacks

Why would someone use Shorts instead of Snapchat? originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.

Answer by Paul Davison, Founder & CEO of Highlight, Roll and Shorts, on Quora.

Snapchat is really good, and I think Snapchat Stories and Shorts appeal to users for similar reasons: They're lightweight, low-stress ways to share your life with others, and to feel like you're with your friends throughout the day.

One of the big differences between the two product relates to content creation: On Snapchat you can only create content (for your story) using the in-app camera. On Shorts you can only pull in existing content from your camera roll. Neither approach is better than the other, but the two end up having a very different feel.

More importantly, I don't think it's an issue of using one instead of the other. If you talk to heavy Snapchat users, I think you'll find that they're also heavy users of the native iOS camera app, which means they have a lot of unshared photos on their camera rolls.

Part of the reason for this is that they use different camera apps depending on the context. For example, they might use the native iOS Camera app ...

When they're getting ready to go out (and the Snapchat camera when they're out, since they're more likely to want to post to their story then)

If they want to take multiple photos in a row (because it currently takes fewer taps to do that using the native Camera app)

If they're having someone else take the photo (because currently, more people know how to use the native Camera app than Snapchat)

If they might want to share the photo to Instagram (because their perception is that the native Camera app takes higher quality photos)

Because (1) it's painful to share camera roll photos, (2) you can't upload camera roll photos to your story, and (3) the norms of existing services don't support high frequency, undirected sharing, most photos taken with the native Camera app stay stuck on our phones, hard drives, and cloud storage services, never to be shared with anyone.

We think this is going to become more of a problem over time as more of our lives are captured on photo, video, or future equivalents.

In other words, Shorts and Snapchat stories both help you share your day with friends, but there are subtle differences that make one more appropriate to use than the other, depending on the context and the moment you want to share.

I think this is something we see with a lot of communication products. Think of the differences between texting, emailing, sending a Facebook message, writing a letter, or sending a PDF document to someone. They're all just sharing text, but so, so, so different. It's a really interesting part of social product design.

This question originally appeared on Quora. - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions:​

Source: Shorts Founder Reveals What His Product Has that Snapchat Lacks

Pictar iPhone camera grip uses sound to talk to its app (and save on battery life)

How much of what makes a great smartphone camera great is in the image sensor itself, and how much in the interface? We've seen plenty of improvements on the software side of things over the years, but maybe some of the most interesting interface advancements have come in the form of extra hardware, making photo-taking with a smartphone feel a lot closer to how we'd interact with a dedicated camera. That's included camera grips like the one for the old Lumia 1020, or LG's new CAM Plus for the G5. Now we're checking out a crowdfundung effort looking to bring a similar product to the iPhone family, and one that uses some interesting tech to do so.

The Pictar grip fits iPhone models from the iPhone 4 through the modern 6s (but not Plus editions), adding a dual-stage shutter button, zoom ring, exposure wheel, another software-definable wheel, and mount points for cold-shoe accessories and tripods.

What's really interesting, though, is the way the Pictar communicates with the iPhone. It doesn't use the phone's data port (avoiding issues with 30-pin/Lightning compatibility for older iPhones), nor does it use Bluetooth (which developer say would be a bit of a power-drain). Instead, every time you turn one of the Pictar's control rings, or press that shutter button, the grip emits a coded burst of high-frequency tones that are received by an app on the phone – all communication is done via ultrasound.

The "dual-tone" system the developers describe sounds a lot like the way touch-tone signals are generated on a telephone keypad, and by going this route the Pictar grip should be able to get four to six months of operation out of a single battery. Because there's no active connection to maintain with your phone, when you're not pressing any buttons or turning knobs, Pictar doesn't consume any power at all.

Crowdfunding for Pictar is currently open on Kickstarter, and while the early-bird pricing is gone, you can still get yourself a camera grip by funding the project at the $75 level. Units should start shipping this November.

Source: Pictar (Kickstarter)Via: BGR

Source: Pictar iPhone camera grip uses sound to talk to its app (and save on battery life)

Google Camera gets updated with Android N features

Google's Camera app got an update yesterday, and it brings new features from Android N. As long as your Android phone is compatible with version 3.2 of the Camera app, you're all set to use these features.

Along with design changes for the shutter button and camera swap button, you'll see a hamburger menu with all of the camera capabilities, like Photo Sphere, Panorama and Lens Blur. With the Android N features, you can take photos at the same time you're shooting a video, as well as a new Slow Motion option for taking those sweet action shots.

The Nexus 5X supports slow-motion videos at 120fps while the Nexus 6P supports videos shot at 240fps. Since the final version of Android N will eventually be launched this fall, it's possible that Google will add new features over the year. Hit up the link below to download Google Camera.

Google Camera App Link

Andrew is a freelance writer and amateur photographer from Michigan. He loves technology of all kinds and welcomes our future AI overlords.

Source: Google Camera gets updated with Android N features

Google Camera’s update brings Android N Developer Preview features to Play Store

If you use the Google Camera app, then you're in for a treat. The company's own camera app gets a new update that matches the features seen in the Android N Developer Preview to the app available on the Google Play Store. What are the new features? You can now capture stills while shooting raw videos. There's an additional shutter button added in for this feature. The slow motion feature isn't as easily accessible in video mode either. You now have to access it from the pullout menu. There are also new buttons and icons including the one for the shutter button and the toggle for switching between front- and rear-facing cameras.

Source: Droid Life | Download: Google Play Store (Free)

Source: Google Camera's update brings Android N Developer Preview features to Play Store

InkHunter app uses augmented reality to let you try on tattoo designs

(WXYZ) - Deciding on a tattoo can be difficult. I mean, it's understandable, because you're usually stuck with it for life. 

But now there's an app that wants to help put your mind at ease when it's decision time.

The InkHunter app helps people visualize the tattoo on their skin before they commit to the real deal. 

InkHunter uses augmented reality to let users try on a variety of tattoo designs, even sketches of their own.

The free app for iOS devices was developed by a team of people from Ukraine during a 48-hour hackathon in 2014. 

Two of the four decided to move forward with the app, according to InkHunter CEO Oleksandra Rohachova. Rohachova and the company's CTO Pavlo Razumovskyi relocated, hired two employees and started working on the app full-time.

The InkHunter app is simple to use. You just have to draw a square smile on the spot where you'd like your tattoo. Then, you open the app and hold the camera over the face.

Ma gically, your tattoo appears.

InkHunter also lets you modify the tattoo's size, contrast on your skin and even the opacity.

The CEO of InkHunter says they now have future plans for the app. 

"Our next step is to involve tattoo artists and connect them with our users - their potential clients. In doing so, our app will become a funnel which starts with people who are just thinking about having a tattoo. INK HUNTER app help them make their decision and find professional to get it done," Oleksandra Rohachova told 7 Action News in an email.

For more information, go here.

Source: InkHunter app uses augmented reality to let you try on tattoo designs

GoPro unveils powerful new cameras and an app for viewing 360-degree and VR content

Monday, action camera maker GoPro announced at The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show a pair of powerful new camera rigs in the Omni and Odyssey series alongside a new VR sharing platform and a brand new mobile application which lets you view 360-degree videos and virtual reality content hosted at vr.gopro.com on an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.

The new six-camera synchronized Omni rig costs five grands and packs in pro-grade features that allow pixel-level synchronization, making stitching in post-production easier and more exact than using unsynchronized camera arrays.

Pricing for the more capable panoramic stereoscopic 16-camera Odyssey rig, which is optimized to work with Google's Jump VR Platform, will be out of the reach for most people unless they create professional VR content for a living.

The company will also showcase its full suite of professional end-to-end solutions for capturing, stitching and publishing high-resolution virtual reality content at NAB 2016, which runs April 18-21 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Omni

The Omni sports proprietary hardware and software that makes possible pixel-level synchronization between its six HERO4 Black cameras, and works with the Kolor stitching software to produce immersive content.

Key highlights include:

Six cameras act as one: Interact with the primary camera in the array to configure settings or initiate the start/stop of recording for all six cameras.

The proven image quality of the HERO4 Black…times six: Produce high-res images that virtual reality viewers will notice. Omni may also be used for "over capture"; capture at 8K and extract an HD deliverable.

Optimized workflow: capture using Omni, use GoPro Omni Importer for preview, data management and rendering, fine tune the content in Kolor Autopano Video, then proof the content in GoPro VR player and publish it to the GoPro VR website.

By collaborating with Adobe, GoPro further solves the pain points of editing spherical content by enabling native handling of 360-degree video up to 8K resolution within Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Adobe After Effects CC.

GoPro will be selling an all-inclusive $5,000 Omni package that will include a GoPro Omni Sync Rig, the Kolor software license, six on-board GoPro HERO4 Black cameras and batteries, a GoPro Smart Remote, six mini USB cables to connect the cameras, 32GB microSD cards and card readers.

A more affordable $1,500 Omni package offers a GoPro Omni sync rig, a waterproof shipping case, plastic tweezers, microfiber bag and a 2.5mm hex key. If you're interested, you can sign up for pre-order at the GoPro website.

The Odyssey

The high-end Odyssey packs in as many as sixteen HERO4 Black cameras inside a rugged design. It works in tandem with Google's web-based Jump Assembler service that automatically stitches the individual videos into panoramic stereoscopic 8K30 video viewable on YouTube.

Through its newly formed custom solutions division, GoPro also introduced custom systems at NAB that integrate GoPro's camera technology and HEROCast, GoPro's wireless HD micro transmitter, into products and systems used in pro works.

You can sign up for the Odyssey Limited-Access Program at the GoPro website.

The new app

The new GoPro VR app serves as a storefront for spherical videos and virtual reality content stored on the new GoPro VR sharing platform. Users can both showcase their own original content through GoPro VR and check out community content as well.

The app offers 360-degree interactivity: you can navigate spherical videos by moving your device around and it renders content at up to a silly smooth 60 frames per second on the latest devices. Additionally, the application can be experienced on a mobile head-mounted display in split-screen VR mode.

GoPro VR is available on the web, too, but viewing spherical videos is not yet supported by Safari. Here's one such 360-degree video (use desktop Chrome and ASWD keys to move the view around).

More videos like this can be found on GoPro's channel on YouTube.

The English-only GoPro VR application requires an iOS device with iOS 9.0 or later and is now available at no charge in the App Store.

You can download GoPro VR for iOS on the App Store.

GoPro likes Apple execs and iPhone apps

Last week, a longtime member of Apple's closely-knit elite industrial design team, designer Danny Coster, said he was joining the action camera maker to head up a new hardware design group as the company's Vice President of Design.

GoPro recently bought powerful iPhone video-editing applications Replay and Splice.

Source: GoPro

Source: GoPro unveils powerful new cameras and an app for viewing 360-degree and VR content

GoPro Releases $5000 Virtual Reality Camera Kit, Launches VR Apps And Website

GoPro is doubling down on virtual reality: A year after announcing a camera partnership with Google, GoPro announced its own virtual reality (VR) camera kit Monday. The company also released GoPro VR apps for Android and iOS as well as a dedicated web presence for 360-degree video content.

GoPro's new Omni camera kit is based on six GoPro Hero4 cameras, and comes with a dedicated rig as well as a smart remote to control all six cameras at the same time. Omni also makes use of Kolor, a 360-degree video editing software that helps to stitch all those separate video recordings together to one spherical video. Omni is available for preorder now, but there's no word on a shipping date yet.

GoPro got its hands on Kolor when it acquired the startup by the same name a year ago. The startup's work is also key to another announcement GoPro made Monday: The company is launching a dedicated website for 360-degree video content as well as viewing apps for Android and iOS. GoPro's new VR apps allow users to watch 360-degree videos on their phones or any Google Cardboard-compatible headset.

SEE MORE: GoPro Cameras Now Work With Third-Party Apps, Accessories

Speaking of Google: GoPro was one the launch partners when Google announced its Jump VR initiative a year ago. A year in, we haven't heard  whole lot about Jump, but the two companies are apparently still working together. GoPro will showcase the 16-camera VR rig dubbed Odyssey it co-developed with Google at NAB alongside its own Omni camera this week, and both companies are still making it available to select partners.

But with a price of $15,000, it was always clear that Odyssey wasn't really for everyone — and GoPro seems to believe that its new Omni camera kit may be able to fill the gap and attract customers with a slightly smaller budget.

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Source: GoPro Releases $5000 Virtual Reality Camera Kit, Launches VR Apps And Website

GoPro Omni Challenges Virtual Reality Industry, Launches New Video App and Livestreaming Tools

GoPro is going head-to-head with the biggest names in the virtual reality industry, as they plan to launch their own line of VR products. At the same time, GoPro is simultaneously introducing their new online platform where users can livestream their motion captures online.

According to Yahoo!, GoPro will make the announcement during the NAB, National Association of Broadcasters, event in Las Vegas. They are going to introduce the all-new Omni VR camera they had promised their fans.

The Omin VR GoPro camera has a spherical content. The spherical rig was supposed to be their edge from the normal VR components currently out in the market. In their GoPro Omni VR Teaser, they stated that they want to "manipulate reality" with the tool.

Though some were skeptical with GoPro's announcement, fanatics were keen to watch out what the hardware company has come up with.

One of their other teasers was made by Tahiti Surfer Anthony Walsh who used the Omni VR while surfing. The immersive experience is what GoPro is after for in their new Omni VR line.

The Omni VR Camera aims to capture the spherical content by having "six synchronized cameras," which they call a "spherical array." From afar, the Omni VR looks like a rounded square.

The Omni VR Camera is also composed of six Hero4 cameras put together in an aluminum rig. They made it very lightweight so the users can utilize the tool while in action. The Onmi VR Camera is expected to be sold at $4,999.

With the release of the Omni VR Camera, GoPro is also launching the new GoPro VR, an online website and app platform that allows Omni VR users to showcase their work to the world. The GoPro VR apps are available in iOS and Android.

It's still hard to determine if GoPro will be able to successfully disrupt the virtual reality business. With people getting inclined with the new Oculus Rift, some competitors like Samsung's Milk VR has failed to gain traction.

At the same time, Facebook might be competing directly with GoPro's Omni VR as they plan to launch Surround 360, a VR tool aimed at getting spherical content, according to Fool.

Facebook's high-end video camera is made for 360-degrees capture. It has 17 lenses, and it is also linked to a web-based software that automatically renders videos. Just like the GoPro VR, Facebook's Surround 360 can immediately upload motion captures online.

Fool also noted that GoPro might actually have a disadvantage in this competition. Though the company is now offering the 16-camera Odyssey and the new Omni VR, GoPro is relying too much on the rigs. If they created stand-alone cameras to capture 360 content, they might get ahead of the bunch.

With the rise of 360 camera's lower-tiered competitors like Ricoh's Theta S and Kodak's PixPro SP360-4K are already winning the masses because of their user-friendly prices. Theta S is sold at $350 while Koda's PixPro is sold at $500.

GoPro's remaining advantage is their niche for outdoors motion capture. At the same time, GoPro already has camera enthusiasts vying for their products. Because of GoPro's current user base, they might have a chance.

However, analysts disagree. Though GoPro, as a company, experienced 16 percent growth in 2015, they are expecting a 15 percent drop this year. The fall was because of the "sluggish demand for action cameras and tough headwinds in the drone market."

Whether GoPro Omni VR will be a success or not, only the consumers can tell.

[Image Credit: David Becker/Getty Images]

Source: GoPro Omni Challenges Virtual Reality Industry, Launches New Video App and Livestreaming Tools

'Significant New Features' Promised In July Release Date

On Thursday, the Redmond-based software giant announced several new features and apps that will be coming as part of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. The "roadmap" for Windows 10 Business promises to bring in some new features planned for Windows 10.

Documentation published on MSDN shows that Windows 10 Mobile already supports the latest generation processors, but also upcoming models that are supposed to offer improved performance.

Windows 10 Mobile, released about a month ago, was able to deliver the promised attributes that come with the update from the carrier, more precisely the Current Branch of Windows 10 Mobile. The Windows 10 Mobile Insider Build 14322 is now available for Windows Insiders in the fast ring.

Action Center improvements. Action Center is getting a ton of updates. The idea is to bring in about as much functionality in a notification as you would have in a Live Tile.

Images are now displayed more prominently within Action Center notifications. According to CNET, the update will enable access to Cortana in apps like Skype and even while the screen is locked. Last week's Redstone PC test build was No. 14316, so this one is slightly newer. Quick Actions in the notification centre, similar to Android's Quick Settings drawer, can now be fully customised and you can drag and drop items in the list.

There are many smaller improvements, the most interesting of which is making Cortana reminders accessible to the share framework for UWP (Universal Windows) apps. Additionally, repeated notifications now do not feature the app icon. You now get individual icons for pages which makes the UI less messy. Users can change the theme from Settings Personalisation Colours.

For those having multiple devices, there will be an option to switch devices in the settings area of the messaging app. This applies more to phones that were upgraded from Windows Phone 8.1. The only devices that are exempt from this rule are those that use the Windows 10 IoT Core, such as Raspberry Pi - but it is available there, too.

Camera button on the Lock screen.

There are also a small number of known problems with this Preview Build, such as the Facebook Messenger app failing to launch and the camera app occasionally crashing when going into the camera roll.

There is an issue in which you may see duplicate apps under All apps showing as pending despite being installed and usable on your phone.

This new update will also give you many new types of Emojis.

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Source: 'Significant New Features' Promised In July Release Date

BMW M Laptimer app gets full GoPro camera integration option

BMW M has announced the ultimate gadget for track day enthusiasts; a GoPro camera integration platform that pairs with the on-board lap timer application.

The latest BMW M cars come with an on-board lap timer app so owners can hone their driving skills and push their vehicles to the limit on the track, and keep an eye on lap time progress. Now though, it will be even easier for such fans to show off their efforts to others.

Buyers and owners will be able to apply a software update to their vehicles later this year that will see a new option to integrate GoPro cameras with the lap timer function, requiring an iOS device and WiFi.

This then will allow users to operate the camera, including hitting record and stop, remotely, as well as view the live info in regards to the camera's battery level. Information is recorded on the camera memory card like usual, but also on the device so it can be viewed on the BMW interface. Christian Schmid, senior development engineer at the BMW Group Technology Office USA, said:

"The BMW M Laptimer and GoPro integrations have both proven to be incredibly popular with driving enthusiasts. From the time that we launched the first in-car integration for a GoPro camera, bringing that integration together with the BMW M Laptimer seemed like the natural way to really enhance the track driving experience."

Other bonus features include six shooting modes, including night driving, winding road time-lapse, sport drive facing out, and leisure drive facing out. Preview images will also be possible so users can rest assured the camera is lined up properly without having to leave the cabin.

BMW will launch the interactive program with the BMW M Laptimer application during the middle of this year. It will support GoPro Hero 3 and above and iPhone 4S and above.

BMW M Laptimer GoPro

BMW M Laptimer GoPro-track

BMW M Laptimer GoPro-menu

Source: BMW M Laptimer app gets full GoPro camera integration option