Creating a time-lapse video using your iOS device just got a lot easier (without the help of iOS 8, mind you). On Tuesday, Instagram released a stand-alone app called Hyperlapse. The app is currently only available for iOS devices; sorry Android users, you'll need to wait until Google makes some API changes to the gyroscope and camera, according to Wired.
Upon
launching the app for the first time you're walked through some example
time-lapse videos, and then asked to grant permission for the app to
access your Camera and Microphone. Obviously lacking is the need to
connect the app to your Instagram account. That's right, Hyperlapse
isn't directly tied to your Instagram account -- its primary job is to
help you create videos.
Capturing
Recording a video
through the android app is exactly what you'd expect from an iOS camera app. A
tap on the white shutter button starts recording, with another tap to
stop recording. Just under the shutter button you'll notice two
different time indicators. The time on the left is the total time
recorded, while the time opposite represents the time-lapse length at
the default 6x setting.
You won't find an option to enable or
disable the stabilization feature - it's baked in and on at all times.
And after viewing a video in its "unstabilized" format, you'll be happy
the app is designed this way.
Editing
Immediately after
tapping the shutter button to stop recording, edit mode is launched. A
slider allows you to adjust the speed of the video. With options ranging
from 1x to 12x speed, you have complete control over how fast or slow
the video plays back. Just keep in mind adjusting playback speed
directly impacts the length of your video.
To view your video without the included stabilization
feature, touch the screen as your video plays; "Unstabilized" will
display along the bottom of the screen, showing you just how much better
off you are when recording video within the app.
Sharing
Selecting
the checkmark will save the video to your Camera Roll, followed by
prompting you to share the video with either Instagram or Facebook. But
as you already know, you can share content from your Camera Roll through
various services.
Tapping on the red "X" will give you the
option to delete the video, or save it within the app for editing later.
Tap on the blue circle on the record screen to access your saved
videos.
If you have a Hyperlapse video you're quite proud of,
share a link to it in the comments. I have a feeling our Instagram feeds
are going to be overrun with this feature for at least a few weeks.
Tags: Mobile Apps, Photography, Tablets, Phones, Mobile, Facebook, Instagram
Consumers are one tiny step closer to being able to take their phones to another carrier when they switch service providers.
Members
of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously voted to
approve a bill that will make it easier for consumers to unlock their
cell phones. Once unlocked, wireless subscribers can then take those
phones to a different wireless operator.
This bill, along with a bill passed by the House of Representatives in February,
would repeal a 2012 decision by the Library of Congress that made cell
phone unlocking a violation of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright
Act. The DMCA, which prohibits Americans from "circumventing"
technologies that protect copyrighted works, gives the Library of
Congress the authority to grant exemptions. Last year, the Library of
Congress opted not to renew the DMCA exemption for cell phone unlocking,
which it had granted in 2006 and 2010.
The change caused a stir in the wireless community, and an online petition garnered some 114,322 signatures and won approval of President Obama.
"With
today's strong bipartisan vote in the Judiciary Committee, I hope the
full Senate can soon take up this important legislation that supports
consumer rights," Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the committee chairman,
said in a statement.
Unlocking a cell phone is important for consumers who travel abroad
and for those who want to take their devices to other carriers. The
reason why is that most devices sold in the US through wireless
operators have a software lock on them which prohibits them from being
used on another operator's network. The ban on unlocking put a roadblock
in the way for consumers who wanted to use their devices on other
networks.
That said, wireless operators have always unlocked
devices upon request, although in recent years they have gotten more
stringent regarding their requirements. Now most wireless operators
require customers to own their devices outright before they are able to
request an unlock code.
This requirement hasn't gone away in
either bill. Wireless operators are only required to unlock devices that
are fully paid for. In other words, if you are still under contract
with your carrier and you bought a device at a subsidized price, your
wireless operator doesn't have to unlock your phone. And in many
instances, the carrier won't.
The Senate bill that has moved out
of committee is similar to the House bill that passed earlier in the
year. But it has one key difference. The House bill only applies to
individuals looking to unlock a single device. It specifically prohibits
companies from unlocking cell phones in bulk. This is important because
there are many companies that resell cell phones or unlock devices for
consumers that would be protected under the Senate version of the bill.
Consumer
activists said they are pleased that Congress is responding to the
public outcry regarding this issue. And they are happy that the Senate
bill offers more flexibility in unlocking, so that consumers can get
help from third-party "unlocking" sites.
"This is critical for
those who need technical assistance to unlock their device," Laura Moy,
staff attorney for Public Knowledge, said in a statement. "We are also
pleased that a recent amendment to the bill removed language about bulk
unlocking, which -- like individual unlocking -- has nothing to do with
copyright law."
The wireless industry supports both bills. And in December, the Federal Communications Commission reached an agreement with the top five wireless operators in the US regarding unlocking. A new law would ensure that this right is protected.
Even
though operators have agreed to unlock devices and Congress is working
to ensure that right becomes law, other technical roadblocks will keep
most consumers from truly being able to take their devices with them
when they switch carriers.
The reason why is that not all US
wireless operators use the same network technologies or the same radio
frequencies to offer their service. For instance, AT&T and T-Mobile
have built their networks on a technology called GSM. Phones designed
for these networks are the most flexible, because GSM is the same
technology that is used throughout the world. And wireless users can
switch carriers on unlocked GSM devices simply by swapping out a SIM
card.
It's not as simple for wireless customers on Verizon or
Sprint, which use a technology called CDMA for their basic voice
service. This technology does not use a SIM card, so even if the device
is unlocked, a Verizon customer can't slip in a Sprint SIM card and get
voice service on Sprint. The device must still be "provisioned" on the
new carrier.
In a few years, the landscape will hopefully change
as more operators move to the next generation of network technology: 4G
LTE. But even then, the transition may not be completely seamless and
devices made for different carriers may not be interchangeable.
There
are two reasons for this. First, even though all four major US wireless
operators are deploying 4G LTE, the technology is mostly used for data
services. Voice service on these networks still uses the older GSM or
CDMA technology. And second, even though these carriers are all
deploying the same 4G LTE network technology, they're using different
radio frequencies to deploy the service. Until the carriers overlap more
in terms of the spectrum they are using to build the service, we are
still likely to have incompatible devices among carriers.
Wireless
operators are beginning to deploy voice over LTE services, and some are
deploying LTE on the same spectrum bands, which means the future looks
bright for true device interoperability.
And someday if companies
don't put any software locks on devices, then we'll truly be able to
take any mobile device to any wireless carrier. But that's a long way
off. For now, consumers will have to be satisfied with this initial baby
step.
Today, Apple announced OS X Yosemite
and a healthy list of new features set to make a debut in the upcoming
release. But what Apple didn't say was that a lot of the features are
actually available in OS X right now, just not through Apple's own apps.
That means you'll need to use a third-party app to gain some of the
same functionality.
Case in point, you can already place and receive phone calls on your Mac. And instead of restricting you to only your iPhone, you can also hook up an Android device to place and receive calls through you computer.
The app you'll need to perform such black magic is called Connect.
After
buying Connect, which will set you back $1.99, you will then need to
follow the instructions to pair your device to your Mac.
The app
will live in your Mac's menu bar along the top of your screen. When you
need to place a call, click on the app icon, and then dial the number,
look up your contacts, or direct Siri to place the call for you.
The call itself is broadcast through your Mac's speakers, using the microphone equipped on your Mac.
I
tried connecting an Android device to the app, but didn't have any
luck. With the iPhone connected, though, I was able to place and receive
calls. There was a bit of a delay on my end, but otherwise the app
worked just as advertised.
Tags: Computers, Software, Phones, Mobile, OS X Mountain Lion, OS X Mavericks
When you receive your Android Wear watch,
you're bound to be eager to get it up and running as fast as possible.
So for now, while you wait for the shipment notification, familiarize
yourself with the setup process.
In all honesty, the setup process is very simple. You'll need to download the official Android Wear app and any updates available in the Play Store.
An update to Google Play Services is required before your device will
be able to talk to your watch, but that should automatically download in
the background without you doing anything. Both the Android Wear app
and the Play Services update will be made available before the full
launch on July 7.
After installing the Android Wear app, you'll be prompted to turn on your watch and pair it with your device. The Gear Live has a power button on the side, making it easy to power up. The G Watch, however, lacks a physical button of any sort, so you'll need to connect it to the charger to turn it on.
Some screens from the Android Wear setup process
Screenshots by Jason Cipriani
Your watch will display a unique device number, which you'll need to select on your Android smartphone or tablet
as the watch you'd like to connect to. Finally, after pairing, you'll
be asked to grant Android Wear permission to access your device
notifications.
Once notification access is granted, you're all
set up. Any notifications your phone receives will also be displayed on
your watch, along with any timely Google Now cards and activity
progress.
There's plenty more to learn about Android Wear, and
we'll be doing our best to make sure you have a solid understanding
before your watch arrives. Keep checking back for more Android Wear
coverage. In the meantime, here's how to check if your Android device can work with Android Wear.
L’information est partie du site coréen Asia Economic News, qui affirme que le prochain Galaxy S serait présenté lors d’un évènement aux États-Unis organisé par Samsung, le 22 mars prochain. Là-dessus, le désormais bien connu SamMobile en rajoute une couche, en précisant que le téléphone pourrait être mis en vente à partir du 15 avril prochain. Le smartphone, qui porte désormais le nom de code « Altius » serait proposé en noir et en blanc, et serait également doté d’un système de recharge sans fil.
Reste, encore une fois, à savoir s’il faut donner un quelconque crédit à ces rumeurs, alors que l’on s’attend à découvrir l’objet lors du Mobile World Congress, fin février. Rappelons que le Galaxy S3 avait été présenté en mai 2012 lors d’un évènement Samsung à Londres. Du coup, il est tout à fait probable que le constructeur coréen réitère cette démarche pour le S IV, ce qui lui permettrait garder les projecteurs bien sur lui. Une annonce lors du salon espagnol, c’est aussi le risque de se voir voler la vedette par un autre acteur du marché.
