Hasselblad True Zoom Camera for Moto Z

There have been many attempts to improve smartphone image quality, and most have been fatally flawed in one way or another. Products like the Sony QX100 and the Olympus AIR A01 clumsily attach and add unwanted bulk to phones. Phones with innovative built-in cameras, like the Nokia Lumia 1020 and Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, are mixed bags in terms of image quality and autofocus speed. Motorola's magnetic Moto Mod system, which allows you to extend the functionality of its Moto Z line using changeable backs, now gives us the latest attempt at improving the smartphone camera—the $249.99 Hasselblad True Zoom Camera. It adds a 10x zoom lens to your Moto, as well as a real flash, but it's still not a perfect solution.

DesignThe True Zoom looks like the front half of a digital camera. It's larger than most point-and-shoots, at 2.9 by 6 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and 5.1 ounces, because it needs to match the size of the Moto Z series of phablets, including the Moto Z Play Droid that is launching beside it. It's finished in steel gray and black, with a textured handgrip, power button, zoom rocker, and two-stage shutter release finished in metallic orange that matches the shutter button on high-end Hasselblads like the H6D-50c.

The back is flat, with the magnetic and data connections required to connect to your phone and a recessed, foam-lined circle that protects the phone's built-in camera. The back also reminds us that Hasselblad is celebrating its 75th anniversary as a camera maker in 2016, and the True Zoom is just one of the innovative products that it has launched this year.

The camera uses a 12-megapixel 1/2.3-inch image sensor, the same size you'll find in most pocket-friendly point-and-shoot models. The sensor is slightly larger than the 1/3-inch chips used by the majority of smartphones, but it's not worlds better than the 1-inch chip used by the best smartphone camera we've tested, the Panasonic CM1.

The big advantage over the Moto Z's built-in camera is a 10x optical zoom design. The lens covers about a 25-250mm (full-frame equivalent) field of view, with a variable f/3.5-5.6 aperture. The real advantage here is the zoom, as the camera is actually going to suffer in low light at its widest angle. The f/3.5 lens captures about a quarter of the light as the f/2 lens used by Moto Z phones at the equivalent wide-angle field of view. If you're in dim light and need to shoot at ISO 400 with the Moto Z camera, the Hasselblad will need to be pushed to close to ISO 1600 to make the same exposure, given an identical shutter speed.

The True Zoom has a dedicated flash, about as powerful as you get with a standard point-and-shoot camera—in other words, brighter and with longer reach than the LED flashes used by smartphones.

AppI tested the camera with a Moto Z Play and a Moto Z Droid. The phone automatically loads some software the first time you snap the True Zoom onto the back. You can then launch the camera app from the home screen as normal, or use the True Zoom's power button to launch the app.

It's a pretty basic app. Controls for the image settings (designated by the Hasselblad H logo), the self-timer, and the flash run across the left side. The shooting mode can be changed by tapping the camera button at the upper right corner; automatic, video, panorama, and manual shooting modes are available. You can switch to the front camera by tapping the icon at the bottom right corner.

When in basic mode you can choose between color, black-and-white, or Raw+JPG image capture. You can also select from a number of preset Scene modes that optimize exposure settings for different situations. Switching to the manual mode provides access to exposure value (EV) compensation, ISO control, manual focus, white balance adjustment, and shutter speed control.

I'm happy to see manual shooting controls on a phone camera, though I wish that you could repurpose the volume up/down buttons on the Moto Z to adjust EV compensation. But there is a big problem with the app. Aside from flash suppression, none of the settings are stored when you close it. If you want to shoot Raw, you'll need to change the camera setting to Raw every time you launch the app. That's frustrating, to say the least, if you prefer to shoot in Raw or have ready access to manual controls whenever you start the app.

Performance and Image QualityThe app requires about 3.5 seconds to start, focus and fire. That's longer than the Moto Z Droid's built-in camera, which does the same in about 1.3 seconds. The Moto Z also focuses almost instantly on its own, but the True Zoom is slow. It requires about 0.7-second to lock focus and fire a shot. That amount of lag is unacceptable for a modern point-and-shoot camera, and is by far the weakest aspect of the True Zoom.

Shot-to-shot time varies based on file format. There's no setting for continuous drive, but when you're shooting JPGs you can just hold the physical shutter button down and the TrueZoom will fire off shots at about 1.1 frames per second. You'll need to fire the shutter manually to keep going when shooting in Raw+JPG format; at best I was able to take a photo once every 3 seconds. And it's worth mentioning that shooting in high volume with the True Zoom can cause the Moto Z to get quite hot, to the point where I wouldn't feel comfortable putting it to my ear.

See How We Test Digital Cameras

I used Imatest to check the sharpness of the True Zoom's lens. At its widest angle it scores 1,815 lines per picture height on our center-weighted sharpness test, better than the 1,800 lines we want to see; that's a solid result for a 12MP image. As with most point-and-shoot zoom designs, edges are on the soft side when zoomed out. Sharpness holds up when zoomed in; at the 5x setting (125mm) the lens manages 1,854 lines.

If you're a JPG shooter you won't have to worry about distortion. But if you shoot in Raw format you'll notice that there's severe barrel distortion—about 13 percent—at the widest angle. That gives images a near fish-eye look. The distortion goes away as the lens zooms toward its telephoto extreme. It's gone at the the 125mm setting.

Imatest also checks photos for noise. At lower ISO settings it's a nonissue, but noise adds grain and detracts from detail at higher settings. The True Zoom keeps noise under 1.5 percent through ISO 1600. Details are a bit blurry if you push the camera that far, but you'll find that you get solid image quality through ISO 800. Try to avoid shooting at ISO 1600 and 3200 when working in JPG format. The photo below is a JPG shot at ISO 1000.

In Raw (DNG) format the camera doesn't apply noise reduction to images, but it also doesn't apply any sharpening. We use Lightroom to evaluate Raw files, with default settings enabled. That knocks out some color noise and applies a bit of sharpening, but as you can see if you click through the ISO test images in the slideshow that accompanies this review, photos could stand to take some additional sharpening. Still, you can expect strong image quality (for a camera sensor of this size and resolution) through ISO 1600 when shooting in Raw format. You should avoid ISO 3200, even when shooting Raw.

You'll also have room to work with images shot in Raw. You can adjust color balance and exposure, save details from highlights, and pull out information from the shadows. The shot above, captured at dusk, is a good example of what shooting in Raw can do for you. I was able to process the photo in Lightroom so that the colors of the sky pop and details in the shadowy train platform are visible.

Video is recorded at 1080p quality at 30fps in MP4 format. Footage is crisp, but there are some issues. The True Zoom has a stereo mic, but audio is on the quiet side, even when standing right next to the camera. More of an issue is the sound of the lens zooming in and out—it's loud and grating, so you should avoid zooming while recording if at all possible. The video mode does not take advantage of optical image stabilization system that steadies stills, so handheld footage has a bit of a jitter to it. You can enable electronic image stabilization, which reduces the jitter, but also crops the footage, limiting the field of view at the widest angle. Of course, if you are just looking to capture wide footage, you can use the Moto Z's camera to record video in 4K, something you can't do with the True Zoom.

ConclusionsIf you're looking at the Hasselblad True Zoom as a solution to offer significant image quality improvements over the built-in camera in your Moto Z, you're going to be disappointed. The 1/2.3-inch image sensor isn't significantly larger than a smartphone sensor, and while it certainly has an advantage in high ISO shooting, that's negated by the smaller aperture offered by the True Zoom's lens. Its real benefit is the zoom lens. A digital zoom, offered by many smartphones, typically degrades image quality, while the Hasselblad's optical zoom design keeps images crisp, even when shooting distant subjects.

If you find a long zoom desirable and don't want to carry a camera in addition to your smartphone, the True Zoom is an elegant solution. But it's one that's not without flaws. Slow autofocus is a big downside, especially since modern smartphones and digital cameras alike tend to offer very quick focus. If you prefer to take manual control over exposure, or simply like to shoot in Raw format, the app is another issue—it's a pain to have to change the settings to suit your preferences every single time you start the app. But if you're willing to put up with these drawbacks, and yearn for the versatility that a long zoom lens in a smartphone, the True Zoom is worth a look.

Back to top

PCMag may earn affiliate commissions from the shopping links included on this page. These commissions do not affect how we test, rate or review products. To find out more, read our complete terms of use.

Source: Hasselblad True Zoom Camera for Moto Z

Microsoft Pix review: iOS photography app uses artificial intelligence to rival Apple’s Camera

AI-based iOS shooter focuses on people but offers minimal after-shot flexibility.

When you shoot with the iPhone's built-in Camera app, there are various ways to tweak focus and exposure, both before and after you hit the shutter. You might first tap and hold or swipe to adjust and lock focus and exposure. After the shot, you have options for adjusting saturation, contrast, sharpness, and more. That's in addition to the optional HDR, or Live Picture settings and effects filters.

Microsoft Pix (free on the iTunes Store), a photo and video shooting and editing app for iOS, doesn't want you to work that hard. It offers an effortless point-and-shoot alternative to the iPhone Camera app with a promise of superior results.

You can access your Camera Roll and view images and video shot with both Pix (left) and Camera (right).

Burst mode

To accomplish that, Pix relies on AI-based algorithms to automatically adjust each shot on the fly, responding to lighting conditions and motion in a scene. The app fires off 10 shots in rapid succession, both before and after you tap the shutter. But it shows you only one to three of the best variations, letting you compare and select the one you like best. The other images are discarded, but only after the app mines them for elements to improve the chosen shot, including noise removal, face brightening, skin beautifying, and tone and color adjustment.

Apple Camera (left), Pix (right).

What really makes Pix stand out is its facial recognition tech, which not only zeroes in on human faces, but automatically prioritizes them for exposure and focus. The app's algorithm favors faces with open eyes and smiles while rendering skin, foliage, and food in realistic hues.

In the real world, my results varied: Sometimes Pix improved on Apple's Camera app and other times it didn't. Some shots, especially those taken in optimal, well-lit conditions look virtually identical, despite some slight color variations. Sometimes, Pix helpfully gave a face in partial shadow just enough illumination, though other times it overcompensated by making faces a bit too bright, washed out, and flat. Sometimes Pix offers its best shot and an alternate or two, other times it just offered a single take.

Apple Camera (left), Pix (right).

If focus and exposure were similar, Pix helpfully straightened some photos that may have been shot at an angle, removed noisy artifacts, and helped to balance exposure on some backlit shots. Despite those fine qualities, I didn't find Pix photos consistently better or more pleasing then those shot on Apple's native app, and often could not tell them apart.

In extreme low light, Pix often performed poorly. While the Camera app can be set up to use the camera's flash, Pix does not support flash on still images, only on video. In low light, the Retina Flash feature on the iPhone 6s models pushed the Camera image quality over the top in the selfie department, while low light Pix selfies taken with an iPhone 6 showed better noise management than with the native app. Using auto flash on both an iPhone 6 and 6s offered better exposures than Pix without flash, though with flash turned off, Pix's low light shots were brighter on the 6s.

Pix (right) handled backlighting and face illumination better than Apple's Camera app (left) in this case.

Live Image and video

In addition to Pix automatically selecting and enhancing burst photos, the app also examines each frame to determine whether there's enough motion to string them together into a cool looping video. If so, the app creates a Live Image, which is saved as a video file alongside your single shot.

Live Image is reminiscent of Apple's Live Picture feature, which also starts recording before you tap on the shutter. With Live Image, Pix outputs a cinemagraph—a moving image comprised of a series of enhanced still shots stitched together—which is distinct from Apple's video-based Live Photos because only part of a Pix Live Image moves, while the rest remains static.

Unlike the Camera app, Pix creates cinemagraphs automatically without your having to enable the feature; it does not select every shot for Live Image treatment, only those with interesting movement. I noticed some ghosting on certain images, such as the movement of a cat's tail or ears, which did not look pleasant. Live Image is enabled by default, but you can turn it off in the preferences.

Pix also integrates Microsoft's Hyperlapse feature (distinct from Instagram's app of the same name) into its video function, which automatically stabilizes video and lets you record time-lapses that you can adjust to various speeds. You can even time-lapse or stabilize previously recorded footage with Pix. Note that the app supports 1080p video; but 4k footage shot on your iPhone cannot be processed in Pix.

Ease of use

Despite a whole lot of computation going on in the background, Pix is drop dead simple to use. Just point the phone, decide what to shoot, tap the shutter, and the app takes care of the rest. Pix offers minimal mobile app editing tools but it does include the standard-issue effects filters and supports sharing features. Since all images and videos shot with Pix also land in your Camera Roll, you can edit them further in Apple's app or any other photo editor you choose. Performance was excellent, as the app zipped through its processes without a hitch.

Bottom line

In the end, users don't care about a camera app's underlying tech. It's the final image that counts. In my experience, Pix worked well on some photos to improve face rendering, boost exposure, and fix composition and backlighting. The hyperlapse video and cinemagraph features add to the app's creativity. But it did not consistently outperform the iPhone's built-in Camera app. Pix does offer meritorious results in some situations, so I recommend giving it a shot to see how it works for you.

That said, for those who truly do not want to deal with any before-shot prep or after-shot tweaking, Pix may be just the ticket. If you are using an older phone like the 5s or the 6, Pix lets you you reap the benefit of a Live Photos-like feature that's not included on your model.

Source: Microsoft Pix review: iOS photography app uses artificial intelligence to rival Apple's Camera

10 paid iPhone apps on sale for free today

Next week is when Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which are rumors to come with twice the storage of the company's current iPhones. That means up to 256GB of space just waiting to be filled with apps, and we'll help you on your quest to fill all that extra space with today's list of 10 paid iPhone and iPad apps on sale for free for a limited time.

These are paid iPhone and iPad apps that have been made available for free for a limited time by their developers. There is no way to tell how long they will be free. These sales could end an hour from now or a week from now — obviously, the only thing we can guarantee is that they were free at the time this post was written. If you click on a link and see a price listed next to an app instead of the word "get," it is no longer free. The sale has ended. If you download the app, you will be charged.

Normally $0.99.

Normally $2.99.

Normally $1.99.

Data Manager Pro will manage both Cellular (4G/LTE/3G/Edge/GPRS) and Wi-Fi data usage in real time from your device. This app will let you be in control of your data usage to avoid the costly overage charges your provider may charge providing alerts when data usage reaches user thresholds. This app monitors data usage from the device itself and is not reliant on setting up or logging into your provider's server or web site. Data Manager Pro also includes the ability to Speed Test your cellular or WiFi connection rate and response for you device. This simple, easy-to-use app provides consistent, accurate internet speed testing from any location.

Data Usage Features include:- Monitor mobile Cellular data for all technologies (4G LTE 3G Edge GPRS etc.) int real time.- View the amount of internet data you use over your WiFi connection.- Simple and clear user interface with custom progress bar that graphically shows your data usage and predicted usage.- Works with ANY cellular provider in any country including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, Rodgers, Virgin Mobile, Orange, O2, etc. by reading data usage from the device.- Billing periods and quota limits can be configured on a monthly, weekly or custom time basis to match your providers billing schedule.- Works on any iOS device (iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch) running iOS 7.x or later.- Works in the background using battery efficient background monitoring in iOS 7 to monitor usage and notify users when data usage reaches configured limits.- App Badge Monitoring shows the % as a app badge without even opening the app.

Pro Data Features:- Custom counters can be setup allow you to monitor usage during a certain period to help identify data hogging apps. Counters can be easily enabled or disabled and can even be configured to end at a predetermined time.- History graph shows previous data usage for each day.- Email your usage information at any time.

Speed Test Features:– Simple, one button tap performs (or cancels) the internet speed tests.– Simple, easy-to-read tracking and reporting.– Testing features download rate, upload rate and latency (response) time.- Includes the number of hops/gateways between the mobile client and the server (Trace Route).- Works on either Cellular data from any carrier or when connected via WiFi.- Conveniently share results with others via email.- Testing servers located around the world for accurate results.– Unlimited on-the-go testing - mobile speed testing.

Data Manager Pro is a must have app for anybody on a restrictive data plan and to verify your network speed! Don't pay those expensive overage charges again.

Download Data Manager Pro

Red Dot Camera

View photos

Normally $2.99.

Looking for an iPhone camera app with the look and feel of a professional manual camera? Red Dot Camera is the first camera app to bring rangefinder-style manual focus and exposure features to iOS, taking creative mobile photography to the next level.

Inspired by the retro craftsmanship of the classic Leica M camera series, Red Dot Camera brings your images to life with unrivalled quality and without the interference of gimmicky filters.

Featuring four basic settings - ISO, Speed, Exposure Compensation, and Focus, Red Dot excels in delivering a retro photography experience coupled with exceptional image capture quality.

Key Features:

**Rangefinder-Style Manual Focusing**Focus in with precision using a magnified patch at the center of the viewfinder to capture the perfect image.

**Manual ISO Control**High ISO settings generate more image noise. By letting you set the ISO value manually, Red Dot Camera allows you to capture sharper and clearer images.

**Manual Shutter Speed Control**Adjust the shutter speed manually to achieve the effect of longer exposures (car headlights, water, etc.), or to capture shots of fast action.

**Display Frame Lines (28mm, 35mm, 50mm)**The iPhone lens has a fixed focal length of 28mm, but Red Dot Camera shows frame lines that simulate those of a 35mm and 50mm lens, just like the Leica M rangefinder.

**Self-Timer**Take a group picture or self-shot by setting the auto-timer to one of three countdown settings.

**Black & White Mode**Switch to black and white and capture your image in classic coloration.

Whether you're a creative camera enthusiast or a photography student, you'll be amazed at how Red Dot Camera enables you to take sharper, better-exposed, professional quality photos from your iPhone.

Download Red Dot Camera

ThumbTyper

View photos

Normally $2.99.

Do you want to make typing on an iPad and iPhone 6 faster and simpler? Try ThumbTyper.

This is the breakthrough application, the first split keyboard which has been designed specifically to enable you to type with just two thumbs. Now you will be able to hold your iPad with both hands and work in comfort on a train, a bus or a plane. And, after only two hours of training, you will be able to type as easily as you can touch-type. It is ideal for work on the go.

- For those on the go- Two times easier and two times faster- Convenient under most conditions- Easier typing- Optimized for iPad and iPhone 6Languages: English and Russian

Download ThumbTyper

Explorer for GitHub

View photos

Normally $0.99.

Explore the open source world in GitHub.Read and enjoy code everyday.- GitHub trending- GitHub showcases- GitHub search

Download Explorer for GitHub

LightArrow Pro.Calendar

View photos

LightArrow Pro Calendar

More

Normally $4.99.

Grow your business with Pro.Calendar - the organizer for business owners, real estate agents, freelancers, contractors, and project managers! Unified views for all calendars, appointments, todo lists, checklists, tasks, reminders for managing work and life in one place. Pro.Calendar is a smaller version of LifeTopix. Start powerfully, add what you want.

Discover ALL our features with our FREE LightArrow Organizer on the app store - that has a 100 item limit.

NEW! Modern Dashboard - available with the LifeTopix Pack.

Improve the visibility of your daily events with a unified, intuitive and easy-to-read calendar. Includes list, day, week, month and year views with fast switching and customizable view choices. Perfect for busy entrepreneurs, small business owners, parents, students, GTD® enthusiasts and anyone else who wants to stay organized and on top of their daily agenda.

See which one of our apps is best for you: http://lightarrow.com/compare

Pro.Calendar is the Complete Calendar Edition app of LightArrow's LifeTopix. Start with calendar-relevant topics, and grow with optional in-app purchases.

SUPPORTS POPULAR ONLINE & DESKTOP CALENDARSPro.Calendar works with any calendar that your iOS device calendar supports including iCloud and other online calendars.

SUPPORTS IOS CALENDARS, REMINDERS, CONTACTSCreate iOS reminders and iOS calendar items directly from Pro.Calendar and view these items unified in Pro.Calendar. Add invitees from your iOS contacts.

MULTIPLE CALENDAR VIEWSPro.Calendar includes a printable agenda and day, week, month and year views - configurable to individually show or hide your life and work events, such as appointments, health stats, tasks, trips, projects, checklists (to-do lists), notes, events from device calendars and more. Effortlessly switch to and from your views and easily search for any data item. Calendar item types and events from different calendars are color-coded for easy identification.

WORK WITH DATA FROM YOUR FAVORITE APPSAssociate notes from Evernote® and Toodledo® to projects, trips, goals and more. Associate tasks from Asana and GDrive to Pro.Calendar projects, goals and more. Link up files in Dropbox™, Box™, OneDrive™ (SkyDrive), and GDrive to Pro.Calendar projects, goals, events and other items. Instantly share and collaborate on items such as tasks through email. Discuss your items via Facebook, Twitter, and SMS.

CREATE REPEAT SCHEDULES FOR APPOINTMENTS, EVENTS, TASKSCreate custom daily, weekly and monthly schedules. Create custom schedules for specified days of the week. Designate a number of occurrences or use an end date.

TASKS, PROJECTS & MOREIncludes task and project management; events and appointments; travel; health, fitness and goals; notes, files and checklists; and media (audio and video). In-app purchases allow for additional topic items and views.

YOUR NOTES & FILES AT YOUR FINGERTIPSComprehensive note-taking and file management included. Record and add audio and video, add photos and hand-write and draw with your finger or stylus. Drawing tools include 48 colors with alpha options; line widths; eraser; clear; undo; and email for drawings. Printing is also available for notes and drawings.

CUSTOMIZE REMINDERS & NOTIFICATIONSCustomize your local notifications from Pro.Calendar to remind at custom times. The device calendar is used for local notifications allowing you to take advantage of the Notification Center.

DEVICE SYNCSupports device-to-device sync to keep data on your multiple iOS devices the same by using a free Dropbox or Box account, as well as with our LightArrow Organizer for Mac.

NEAR MEEnjoy one-tap access to calendar items that are in the vicinity of a selected or current location. Powered by a 3rd party location-based social networking service, you can search for entertainment, events, food, shops and more.

EXCELLENT SUPPORT

If you have an issue, give us a chance to help, you will be pleasantly surprised!

Download LightArrow Pro.Calendar

SSUM

View photos

Normally $0.99.

REALTIME(LIVE) FILTER CAMERTake photos with photographer designed filters effect applied in REAL TIME.

9 FILTER EFFECT THEMEThe most 9 useful famous filters for nature photography such as natural landscape, a wooded valley, ocean, etc.

Download SSUM

SHAREit Pro

View photos

Normally $0.99.

Transfer tool for sharing files without any mobile data, which is the choice of over 600 million users.

SHAREit is a cross platform sharing tool which requires no mobile data. It's over 200 times faster than Bluetooth. Share the photos, videos, audios and files of any formats with your friends at any time on your phone or computer.

SHAREit Professional is the advanced SHAREit App. You will experience the purest form of SHAREit by paying a tiny amount for this professional edition. Also, all new features developed by SHAREit team will first be available to experience in this edition.Features:

[No need for internet]

No need for a Wi-Fi network or a mobile data plan. Share at anytime and anywhere.

[10 seconds to transfer a film]

Over 200 times faster than Bluetooth. The fastest speed can exceed 20Mb/s.

[Enjoy music]

Enjoy the pleasant experience of listening music on SHAREit music player.[SHAREit Vault]

Integrated tool for photos and videos helps you protect privacy.

[Cross platform sharing]

Transfer between laptops & mobiles of different kinds without obstacles.

[Powerful functions]

Support sending files of any format.

No more cables or internet needed to transfer. Easily sharing between various devices.

Download SHAREit Pro

BeetleCam

View photos

Normally $0.99.

BeetleCam offers the best solution to capture your most precious moments and group photos. Anytime you feel painful taking group photos? Left out of the photo just because you need to hold the camera? Hard to capture the best moment and there is no great solution out there?

BeetleCam is a must have camera app that goes beyond what the default camera is capable of. It is the best at taking amazing captures and do after effects on photos. Whether you're a seasoned photographer or someone who's barely touched a camera, BeetleCam will make you love taking pictures.

There still is the problem of fitting everyone including you in the frame? Why should you miss out when you are part of the occasion? You can remote take picture using your Apple Watch and using the back (best) lens of your iPhone or iPad so that you can capture the best photos wirelessly. This is perfect for occasions involving groups of people; family gatherings, friendly outings, group selfies, etc. Now be in front of the camera without the fear of missing out!

BeetleCam takes photo onto the next level with easy access to features like:

REMOTE SHUTTER & APPLE WATCH SUPPORTPhoto Capture using Apple Watch as remote shutter, with live preview when capturing, choice of front or back camera, flash controls, countdown timer, etc.

EFFECTSFill your pictures with emotion and despair with our unique effects. There are dozens of 1-touch effects for you to experiment with. BeetleCam has 100+ fully adjustable Original Filters, everything to your needs.

ADJUSTMENT TOOLSUse any of our uniquely made adjustment tools to enhance your images to perfection with ease.

PROFESSIONAL TONE CURVEBeetleCam includes a fully adjustable professional tone curve so that you can fully control range of real and natural light leaks, to simplistic scratchy film textures.

CROPPING & TRANSFORMING TOOLSCrop your photos with our quick and easy cropping tool with presets. Transform your photos with our rotating tool, vertical and horizontal flipping tools.

SHARINGWhether you want to show your results to your friends and family or the whole world, we have got you covered. Proudly share your photos on Facebook, Instagram, WeChat etc or go the more personal route all within the app.

Download BeetleCam

Trending right now:

Leaked photos of iPhone 7 in blue remind us of the biggest remaining mystery

Big Pokemon Go update is about to bring some exciting new features

Official specs for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus might have just leaked

See the original version of this article on BGR.com

Source: 10 paid iPhone apps on sale for free today

Today’s Apps Gone Free: Red Dot Camera, CALC Swift, Owen’s Odyssey and More

Bring your images to life, crunch numbers, and help Owen fly around dangerous obstacles with today's collection of apps and games.

All app prices are subject to change at any time and without notice regardless of stated free duration. Price changes are solely under the control of the developers.

Red Dot Camera – Manual Rangefinder Style Camera for iPhone ($2.99 → Free, 63.9 MB): Bring your images to life with Red Dot Camera. It's for those who prefer classic cameras.

Red Dot Camera mimics the look and feel of a professional manual camera. Its rangefinder-style manual focus places a magnified patch right in the center of your view to ensure crisp results. Dials along the side of the screen allow you to manually adjust the ISO, shutter speed, and exposure. The app also includes display frame lines, a self-timer, and a black and white mode.

Red Dot Camera – Manual Rangefinder Style Camera for iPhone is available for free for a limited time. It has a 3.5-star rating with a total of 6 ratings.

Stash Invest: Start investing your money, $5 at a time. ($1.99 → Free, 60.0 MB): Start investing your money and learn the best practices with Stash. It's for those who have always found investing to be too intimidating.

Stash allows you to start small. You're able to invest as little as $5 to start out, and gradually build up your account with monthly transfers. Stash includes 30 different investment themes to choose from, making it easy to match your investment strategy to your interests and goals. The themes are managed by industry experts like Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street. Stash also protects your money and your personal information with bank-grade security, and allows you to withdraw your money at any time. Stash is free to use for the rest of the year. After that, you'll be charged a $1 monthly fee until your account surpasses $5,000. The annual flat fee is 0.25% after that.

Stash Invest: Start investing your money, $5 at a time. is available for free today only (08/28). It has a 3.5-star rating with a total of 496 ratings.

Animal Math Games for Kids in Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st Grade Learning Numbers, Counting, Addition and Subtraction Premium ($3.99 → Free, 42.9 MB): Your little ones can join Emma, the great math explorer, on a journey to guide her animal friends home in this educational game. It's for parents with children in preschool and first grade.

To help each animal make their way home, your child will need to successfully complete a variety of math activities. Math activities range from adding and subtracting to counting and identifying geometric shapes. The app includes a total of 13 adorable animals to help home, and more than 100 activities. It also includes professional narration and instructions, and loads of positive encouragement.

Animal Math Games for Kids in Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st Grade Learning Numbers, Counting, Addition and Subtraction Premium is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4-star rating with a total of 57 ratings.

CALC Swift – The Programmable Scientific Calculator with Style ($0.99 → Free, 12.4 MB): Crunch numbers faster than ever before with CALC Swift. It's ideal for students, teachers, and anyone else in need of a powerful calculator.

CALC Swift is a multi-functional scientific calculator that'll make your daily calculations a breeze. It features both standard basic and scientific calculation functions, which can be accessed with a horizontal swipe. It includes more than 50 advanced functions in all. A history log allows you to pull up numbers at any time and copy them for use in other apps. CALC Swift also includes a widget, Spotlight search, Apple Watch support, and colorful themes to choose from.

CALC Swift – The Programmable Scientific Calculator with Style is available for free for a limited time. It has a 5-star rating with a total of 15 ratings.

Owen's Odyssey ($0.99 → Free, 34.6 MB): Help Owen fly around all kinds of dangerous obstacles in this genre-mashing arcade game. It's for anyone who enjoys Flappy Bird and classic platforming goodness.

Owen's Odyssey has a little bit of everything. Owen is armed with only a propellor hat, and he needs your help making it through a castle full of spikes, saws, fires, falling rocks, lava, and creatures of all shapes and sizes. To do so, simply tap the right side of the screen to fly ahead. Tap the left side to stop Owen in his tracks. Try to beat the target time in each level to earn an extra life, because otherwise you will not make it through all 40.

Owen's Odyssey is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4-star rating with a total of 5 ratings.

Tower of Fortune 2 ($1.99 → Free, 35.5 MB): Reach the summit of the legendary second tower to claim your wish in this sequel to the hit retro-style RPG, Tower of Fortune. It's obviously ideal for those who enjoyed the original game or for those who generally enjoy RPGs.

Like the original, Tower of Fortune 2 employs a neat slot machine mechanic for battling opponents. Tap the button to spin the reels and tap again to stop them in hopes of dealing damage, collecting gold, or obtaining a special item. You're able to stop the reels mid spin as well to perform a combo or avoid an attack, but it will cost you additional gold. The game includes nine worlds to explore, seven mini-games, 50 challenging events, more than 60 unique enemies, 50 random abilities, 24 NPCs, and achievements via Game Center.

Tower of Fortune 2 is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 956 ratings.

That concludes today's issue of Apps Gone Free. If you like staying on top of these daily deals, don't forget to check out our free AppsGoneFree app. It provides all the deals each day, and even an archive of past deals that are still active.

If you are a developer who would like to get your app included in our "Apps Gone Free" daily lists, here's our basic set of rules:

It must have at least a three-star average rating at the time it goes free.

The app must not have been free numerous times (3+) over the last six months.

The free version of your app must not include ads.

To submit an app, simply send a request to [email protected] with the subject "Apps Gone Free." Please include the name of the app, a link to it in the App Store, when and for how long you intend to offer the app for free, and anything else you would like to share. We will take it from there.

Related Articles

Today's Apps Gone Free: Tiny Empire, LiveCollage, Neon Shadow and More

Today's Apps Gone Free: Teeter, Relax Rain, Blox 3D and More

Source: Today's Apps Gone Free: Red Dot Camera, CALC Swift, Owen's Odyssey and More

13 Best GIF Maker Apps and Tools You Can Use

To say that GIFs rule the internet certainly won't be an overstatement. Whether it's social networking services, comment threads on websites and blogs, and even memes, just about everything includes a whole lot of GIFs. These looping, animated images (and videos) are something that almost everyone who's ever been on the internet, knows about. Given how popular animated GIFs are, it's no surprise that there are countless GIF creator apps, software, and web-based services available, making it possible to create GIFs using everything from images to YouTube videos. And as you might've guessed by now, we've curated a listing of 12 of the best GIF maker tools. These not only let you create GIFs, but also share them with others on social networks, in addition to offering numerous other features. Psyched? Read on, fellas!

Online Tools 1. Make A Gif

Make A Gif lets you create GIFs using a diverse range of media/sources, such as your own uploaded images, YouTube hosted videos, and even the videos directly recorded from your webcam. Creating GIFs is easy, and you can specify detailed options (e.g. GIF size, animation speed), as well as add tags. The GIFs created from videos can be a maximum of 5 seconds long (20 seconds if you create a free account, which also makes it possible to remove the service's watermark from them, among other benefits).

Also, it's worth mentioning that Make A Gif's help text states that only up to 20 images can be used to create GIFs; but in our testing, we were able to create GIFs using over 50 images. Oh, and it also has this nice Chrome extension, which makes it possible to create GIFs from anywhere on the web, faster. Then there's the huge collection of user submitted GIFs that you can both use, and contribute to.

In essence, Make A Gif scores with its ability to create GIFs from different varied sources, and (comparatively) better length limits for GIFs. However, the service isn't without its downers, which include conflicting (and admittedly outdated) help text, and slow creation speeds.

Visit Website

2. Giphy

Giphy is a database cum search engine tailor made for GIFs. A well known name when it comes to GIFs, Giphy hosts promotional (animated GIF) content from big brands, including the likes of Pepsi and Calvin Klien, and also lets users upload their own GIFs (and video clips). You can search for GIFs based on numerous categories (e.g. anime, emotions). As far as creating GIFs goes, Giphy can make them from both user uploaded images, as well as using video content sourced from video sharing websites such as YouTube.

You can use (virtually) any number of images (and even existing GIFs) for creation, so long as you set the animation speed in a way that the resulting GIF is max 15 seconds long. Also, the video based GIFs can't be longer than 10 seconds, and there's a size cap of 100 MB on the GIFs and movie clips you can upload. So that's something to note.

And don't forget to check Giphy Labs, which includes a lot of fun stuff (e.g. Giphy Chrome extension, Giphy ScreenSavers) that makes Giphy work with numerous other online services, and apps via its API. To sum it up, if all you need is a powerhouse online GIF maker tool that focuses heavily on social sharing, and also lets you find the latest and greatest GIFs on just about any topic you can think of, you're going to love Giphy.

Visit Website

3. Ezgif

Ezgif is one of the best online GIF maker tools out there, but it's a lot more than that. That's because it's essentially a collection of online GIF processing tools, which can be used to not only create GIFs, but also apply basic edits (e.g. crop, re-size, optimize via techniques like color reduction) to them, and even split and merge multiple GIFs.

Having considerably good file size/count limits, Ezgif allows you to create image based GIFs having up to 400 images, with the combined file-size limit being 30 MB. Similarly, for video based GIF conversion, the maximum allowable size is 60 MB, and for uploading images for editing, this limit is 60 MB. Ezgif is perfect if you're looking for a complete online GIF creation/processing tool. However, bear in mind that it cannot host images, so make sure you download your GIFs once they've been processed.

Visit Website

4. GifDeck

SlideShare, owned by LinkedIn, is an indispensable source of slideshows, on just about every topic imaginable. And GifDeck lets you convert these SlideShare slideshows to GIFs. Just enter the SlideShow's unique URL, configure the parameters (e.g. quality, animation interval), and GifDeck will handle the rest. The created GIFs can be downloaded with one click. GifDeck can come in extremely handy in certain situations, like when you need to share a slideshow on social networks, or send it via email. That said, GifDeck is pretty basic, and also doesn't have any direct sharing options.

Visit Website

5. Imgur

If you think Imgur is only all about viral images and memes, think again. The highly popular image sharing/hosting website (and there are many more like it) also includes a nifty functionality (aptly named Video to GIF) to convert videos from numerous popular online sources (e.g. Facebook, YouTube) to animated GIFs up to a maximum of 15 seconds in length. All you have to do is specify the video's URL (max. limit 1 GB), along with the 15 second window, and Imgur Video to GIF will take it from there. Other than that, you can also upload your own GIFs (upto 200 MB), and large sized GIFs are automatically converted to Imgur's own GIFV format.

For those who only need quick 15 second video GIF creation, and also want to upload/share large sized GIFs, Imgur's (Video to GIF) has you covered.

Visit Website

6. Gifs

Binging on all sorts of YouTube videos is a favorite pastime of many. And there are times when one comes across a funny YouTube video that one feels would've been great shareable material, if only it were a GIF. If you're among the lot, you need to take a look at Gifs. It's a simple web-based tool, centered around creating 15 second looping, animated GIFs from YouTube videos.

All you need is the video's URL, and you can specify 15 second video portion to be converted to a GIF. One unique thing is that you can add different social media links to your GIFs, so that they show up as overlays, thus giving the GIFs a personalized tag. And you don't even have to bother copying and pasting YouTube URLs again and again. Just add "gif" before the word "youtube" in the video's URL, and Gifs will make the whole thing work even faster. Try it, it's real fun!

Visit Website

Desktop Applications 1. GIF Animator

Want a powerhouse GIF maker tool, with all the fancy configuration features and all the other bells and whistles? Take a look at GIF Animator, as it fits the bill perfectly. Essentially, GIF Animator isn't meant for casual GIF creation, rather its use cases include professional usage scenarios such as using GIFs for email(s) and website banners. GIF Animator makes it possible to create animated GIFs from scratch, using both images and videos.

You can specify advanced options like delay, loop count, transparency, compression quality, and much more. There's also a built-in image editor, and GIFs can be further optimized to take up less space. GIF Animator supports nearly all popular formats for source images, and the created GIFs can be even saved as AVI files. In a nutshell, GIF Animator is more suited to professional GIF creation, and it's very much worth the asking price.

Platform Availability: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP (Download)

Price: Paid license costs $49.95, Free trial available

2. Giffing Tool

Giffing Tool is a solid GIF creator application that boasts a decent set of features. True, it cannot create image based GIFs, but the portable app works flawlessly when it comes to creating short duration (5-10 seconds recommended) GIFs from the content that's being displayed on the screen, which can also include other GIFs. Just specify the area to be recorded, and hit the Start button. Post recording, the application's powerful editor can be used to do everything from granular frame editing (e.g. reverse, trim) via the timeline view, to adding special effects like grey scale.

There are even multiple quality presets (e.g. low, medium) that you can choose from, and can edit existing GIFs up to 50 MB in size. The GIFs can also be saved in the web friendly WEBM format. In our opinion, this is perfect for those who find the plethora of options in the previously discussed GIF Animator a bit confusing.

Platform Availability: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP (Download)

Price: Free, Can be supported with an optional (pay what you feel like) purchase

3. Giphy Capture

Giphy offers apps for Android and iOS but they only let you search for GIFs and share them. However, it does offer a GIF maker app for the Mac dubbed GIF Capture. Creating a GIF with Giphy Maker is pretty breeze, as it lets you create GIFs in just a couple of clicks. You can just open the app, aim its viewfinder on the video and voila! It's done. Also, it lets you edit the GIFs too, you can set the loop, add captions and more. Once done, the app lets you save GIFs to Giphy or share them via social networks or email.

While the Giphy Capture app is not as advanced as other options on the list, it works because of its simplicity and ease of use. Plus, it's the only decent GIF maker app we could find for the Mac. So, you'll have to make do with it if you are a Mac user.

Platform Availability: macOS (Download)

Price: Free

iPhone Apps 1. Giflab

Want something for your iPhone that can transform videos into solid looking GIFs in a few seconds? Do yourself a favor and get Giflab. The easy to use app takes a step by step approach for creating GIFs, and can do so using both videos stored on the device, as well as the ones recorded via the app. The videos can be a maximum of 15 seconds long, and can be tweaked via Giflab's editing options. You can trim parts of the video via a handy timeline slider, and also change parameters such as quality (e.g. small, medium, large, and HD) and animation speed (ranging from 0.5x to 2x).

Captions are supported as well, along with a pretty collection of fonts. Lastly, the created GIFs can be saved to the gallery, or shared to numerous services like Gfycat, and even via email. But even with all that, Giflab cannot create GIFs from images, which is a bit of a bummer.

Install: (Free)

2. Live GIF

One of the most impressive (although not exactly new) features of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, is the devices' capability to capture Live Photos, which are essentially photos with a very short animation. And if you've ever wanted to turn your live photos to GIFs, Live GIF is what you need. That's right! Live GIF can convert Live Photos into both GIFs and short videos, which can be then edited via any third party GIF and video editor programs or apps. While that itself might not seem much, this app can come in really handy when you want to send over one or more of your Live Photos to your friends, who don't have the latest iPhone.

Install: ($1.99)

3. Motion Stills

Google recently released the Motion Stills app for iOS that like Live GIF lets you easily convert iPhone's Live Photos to GIFs. The app not only creates GIFs out of Live Photos, it also stabilizes your shots and lets you create movies out of your Live Photos. Along with that, the app lets you choose the GIF quality and the speed at which the clips are repeated. Well, we have already talked at length about the Motion Stills app in a detailed article, so you should check it out to know more about it.

Install: (Free)

Android Apps 1. Gif Me! Camera

Extremely well made and chock full of goodness, Gif Me! Camera is one of the best ways to create GIFs on your Android device. It can be used to create GIFs from both the images and videos saved in your device, and can also directly convert videos recorded from the device's camera (maximum 14 seconds long) to GIFs. You can add a whole bunch of filters to the animated GIFs, and also overlay them with textual captions (using one of the many available fonts), stickers, frame borders, and whatnot.

There are also extensive controls for changing the animation speed, and once created, the output can be saved to the device. But what really gives Gif Me! Camera the edge is its ability to create stop motion and time-lapse videos, which make for some really great looking GIFs.

Install: (Free)

2. Gif Edit Maker Video

Looking for a capable GIF maker tool for your Android device? Look no further than Gif Edit Maker Video. The easy to use app will have you creating animated GIFs from both photos and videos in a jiffy. You can also edit existing GIFs, and also convert short videos recorded from your device's camera into GIFs. The app comes with all sorts of basic editing options (e.g. crop, re-arrange frames), a handful of image filters (e.g. Sepia), and has the ability to tweak everything from quality to animation delay.

What's more, you can even insert GIFs into photos. In summation, Gif Edit Maker Video works pretty well for what it is, and offers a fun way to create GIFs while on the go.

Install: (Free)

SEE ALSO: How To Get iPhone's Live Photos Feature On Android

Ready to try these GIF creator apps and tools?

The GIF maker tools and apps discussed above make quick work of turning images and videos into looping, animated GIFs that the Internet is so crazy about. And the fact that these can be used to create GIFs on mobile devices, computers, and even in browsers, makes things even more fun. Take 'em all for a spin, and let us know which one(s) you like the best in the comments below.

Source: 13 Best GIF Maker Apps and Tools You Can Use

Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes free apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest apps on sale in the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Related: 200 Awesome iPhone Apps | The best Android apps for almost any occasion

Glimpse

String together one-second clips to make beautiful little videos that you can edit on the go. Whether you're capturing a wedding, a vacation, or a moment in time, you can use Glimpse.

Available on:

iOS

Aftercut

This app promises to be "the easiest way to cut out and composite photos." Once you've changed a background, you can even add effects to your photos.

Available on:

iOS

007's Vidicon

Sure, your iPhone isn't quite  as cool as James Bond's gadgets, but this app can help a tad. This "Spy Video Camera" can record video in a concealed manner when you're looking to be discreet.

Available on:

iOS

Email ++

Up the ante on your email game with this app. You'll be able to send emails using nothing more than your voice, and you can even translate your speech on the go.

Available on:

iOS

Loopless Relax Sound

This app transforms your iPhone into a soothing and calming relaxation machine. Hear the sounds of nature no matter what kind of city you live in.

Available on:

iOS

Relax Rain

If random nature sounds won't do it for you, maybe the sound of rain will. Fall asleep to the pitter patter of precipitation.

Available on:

iOS

Source: Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time