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