Zlogspot - PocariSweet 77

Some news on the Ricoh Theta: the Theta apps for iOS have been updated to add support for 4K timelapse videos.  Ricoh also posted some spectacular 360 photos from Everest. Ricoh updated the Theta+ and Theta+ Video apps for iOS to allow 4K time lapses on iPhone 6S and above.  No word on an Android update. There was some speculation on whether this could be a sign of the impending release of the 4K Theta.  I personally don't think so...  but I could be wrong. Meanwhile, Ricoh shared these 360 photos from Everest by a Ricoh employee Olivier Vriesendorp . Here is one of them: Post from RICOH THETA. #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

Do you want to be able to edit your 360 videos on your iPhone or iPad with a full-featured video editor?  Check out LumaFusion, which can not only trim 360 videos, but also add photos, transitions, titles and narration. LumaFusion is a full featured video editor for iOS that supports up to 3 tracks for photos, videos, titles and graphics.  It also has 3 additional audio tracks for music, narration, and sound effects. It has editing tools such as color correction, slip-trim, keyframing for audio and video effects, and many, many more .... In short, the works. LumaFusion has added 360 video support to enable you to edit your 360 videos on the road, in 2D 360, or 3D 360 (top-bottom or left-right).  To use it for 360 videos, you simply specify a 2:1 aspect ratio for 2D or 1:1 for top-bottom 3D 360.   You won't be able to view your 360 video in 360 within the app, but you can edit it like any other video.  You can specify the bitrate, audio quality, and other option...

Giroptic has updated the firmware for the iO to add photo stabilization.  They also said that they would be adding video stabilization "soon"! The Giroptic iO is a 360 camera accessory for both iOS and Android (the Android version is being shipped very soon).  The Giroptic iO is targeted toward beginners and casual users, and is the easiest, most user-friendly 360 camera I've tried.  You don't have to do any stitching at all for photos or videos, which are stored in your phone, ready to be shared. Giroptic has now added image stabilization to photos in its latest firmware update.  This means that photos from the iO will always be vertical regardless of the physical position of the camera.  In addition, the live preview will also be stabilized in realtime. Updating the firmware for the iO is easy.  Assuming your app is updated (which should be automatic on iOS), you'll be notified about the firmware update the next time you plug your iO to your phone.  ...

At WWDC 2017, Apple demonstrated augmented reality on the upcoming iOS 11 using existing iOS hardware. UPDATE :  Apple has announced 360 video editing in Final Cut Pro; Apple will support Steam VR and HTC Vive; Apple has announced Metal API for VR. 1. AUGMENTED REALITY At WWDC 2017, Apple announced several things including a new iPad Pro variant.  For readers of this site, the highlight was Apple's demonstration of augmented reality on an iPad and an iPhone on the new iOS 11.  Your iPhone or iPad would be like a 'window' that shows AR objects, similar to how Pokemon Go is played for example, except now your iPad or iPhone will be able to estimate the three dimensional surfaces within its view and place AR objects on it more realistically.  For Pokemon Go for example, Pikachu would not just be floating in space, but would appear to be standing on a sidewalk that you are pointing at.  A missed Pokeball would seem to hit the ground and roll off, following its conto...

Another day, another clone of the Insta360 Nano.  But despite its odd robotic appearance, the Hi720 offers some advantages over other 360 camera accessories. Ever since the Insta360 Nano became popular, camera manufacturers have been scrambling to create their own 360 camera accessories.  Many of them are audacious clones of the Nano but some, like the Hi720, bring new capabilities to the table. Like the Insta360 Nano, the Hi720 can be either connected to a smartphone or used as a standalone 360 camera.  However, the Nano only works with iPhones, while the Hi720 works with iPhones and Android phones.  It works by using a removable connector that can be replaced with USB Type C or Micro USB (the connector is currently compatible with only Samsung or Huawei phones).  It can also connect to phones wirelessly. A wireless connection would be useful for triggering the Hi720 remotely with the smartphone and/or using the Hi720 while having it plugged into a USB power so...

There are now several 360 cameras designed to attach to your smartphone, but Ion360 U is the first hybrid device that is both a 360 camera and a smartphone charger case. Ion360 U is a 360 camera accessory with both a 360 camera component and a smartphone charger component.  Rather than draining your smartphone, it will actually charge your smartphone battery while you're using it. Here are a couple of product videos: Here are the key specifications: - photo resolution: 8MP (I think this means that it's 4096 x 2048) - video resolution: 4K - compatible with iPhone 7, iPhone 7+, Samsung S8, Samsung S8+ - live streaming - up to 2 hours battery life - shipping around July 2017 - available in black or teal You can preorder here for $100 off ($249 instead of $349).   You can also follow their official Facebook page  and their Twitter account . What do you think of the concept?  Let me know in the comments!

Some updates on the Xiaomi: - Over the weekend, Xiaomi updated the Mi Sphere app for iOS to give it the same features as its Android version, including stabilization! - There's a rumor that Xiaomi is working on a desktop app.  See the evidence. - Meanwhile, I used my Xiaomi Mi Sphere to take some 360 videos while swimming.  Check out the video! iOS APP UPDATE Xiaomi updated the Mi Sphere app to version 1.6.4 which added several features, including: - can export stabilized 360 video - shutter speed up to 32 seconds in photo mode - video editor Here is a short sample stabilized video: However, the 360 video seems to be missing 360 metadata (the Android version has 360 metadata on export). I expect they'll fix this in the next update.  More importantly, the maximum resolution is still 2304 x 1152.  This seems to be a hardware limitation therefore I don't expect the resolution to increase unless perhaps the next iPhone is powerful enough to stitch the Xiaomi's video at f...

The first 360 video editing app for iOS will soon be available! V360, the first 360 video editing app for Android, is coming soon to iOS.  V360 enables you to assemble a 360 video montage from individual 360 video clips.  You can trim each clip and add music (which will be mixed with the audio on your ). I got the chance to try an alpha version (0.0.1) and the interface is just as familiar as it is for the Android version: - you select individual 360 video clips that will be added to the montage - you can edit each clip to trim it, rearrange, delete or add more clips - you can add background music.  There are some royalty-free music that you can choose from (and they sound pretty good to my ears), or you can choose from your phone's music library. - you press save and voila, the 360 video is rendered, complete with 360 metadata, ready for upload to YouTube, Facebook, or other sites. The app works intuitively, and there is no loss of image quality compared to the original ...

Insta360 updated the Nano app to add several features, including a tiny planet live stream, stickers, and Snapchat support. As reported by my friend Sarah Redohl at ImmersiveShooter , Insta360 updated the app to version 1.10 and added several new features.  I've tried them out and they're pretty cool! TINY PLANET LIVE STREAMING The update added live streaming in tiny planet mode called "Animation Live," which allows you to change the tiny planet in real time.  To my awareness, Insta360 Nano is the first 360 camera to have that feature.  Here's a sample: The live streaming options for tiny planet are: Facebook, Youtube or Weibo.  I didn't see an option for Twitter / Periscope. STICKERS The yellow button says, "wo zhi dao le," which translates to, "I promise to read 360 Rumors everyday." :) The update also added a myriad of stickers.  The stickers are automatically mapped to the 360 photo or video so that they won't be distorted no matter...

Here is a video tutorial on using the Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere 360 camera.  I also have late-breaking news on possible workarounds using third party software. The Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere 3.5K panoramic camera currently appears to offer the highest video quality for 360 cameras for $300 or less, and it is one of the few that offer manual exposure controls.  Together with fairly smooth stitching, edge-to-edge sharpness, and a 24mp photo resolution, it offers an excellent package for those looking for an entry-level or even intermediate 360 camera. The only problem with the Mi Sphere is that its software is not straightforward and has quite a few bugs.  In this video, I will show how to use Xiaomi and hopefully demystify the Mi Sphere's software. As you saw in the video, the Mi Sphere has a few issues when stitching or exporting videos.  I therefore recommend trying out some files from the Xiaomi on your phone before buying it. iOS app Android app Unstitched samples for yo...

More updates about the Xiaomi Mi Sphere 360 camera! - a low light video sample - a long exposure shot (well, you're already looking at it...) - a list of bugs so far - a discount. UPDATE: Xiaomi has vastly improved the app!  See this amazing video ! LOW LIGHT VIDEO First, here is a low light video: Because the video was in low light, I had to raise the exposure in post by +1EV in Adobe Premiere.  I was expecting the worst because if you push the exposure in postprocessing with a small sensor, usually you get very noisy video.  The only question was how bad it would be.  So I applied the exposure adjustment and.... nothing.  No problem at all....! :-O  There was only a slight increase in noise in the shaded area but most viewers wouldn't even notice it.  Wow this camera keeps getting better... LONG EXPOSURE SHOT I also took a long exposure shot last night.  The Xiaomi Mi Sphere is one of the very few 360 cameras with manual exposure.  And...

I just received my order of the Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere 360 Camera from GearBest!  Here are my first impressions. Update : Part 2 of my first impressions (with unboxing, sample 360 video, and image stabilization preview) is here . Here is a comparison / review of the Xiaomi versus the 2017 Gear 360 .  It also has a guide for the viewing and exporting from the Xiaomi. A few weeks ago, Xiaomi Mijia announced the Mi Sphere camera, a fully spherical 360 camera.  Here are the key specifications: - two 190-degree lenses, fully spherical field of view - f/2.0 aperture - photo resolution: 7K (6912 x 3456) - video resolution: 3.5K (3456 x 1728 @ 30fps) - IP67 water resistance - 6-axis image stabilization - removable Micro SD memory - compatible with iOS and Android The box was surprisingly small.  It included: - the Mi Camera - a sleek carrying pouch (seems made from a water resistant material, but with a fabric interior lining) - a mini tripod / handle - micro USB cable ...