Flare for iPhone [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5808005/flare-for-iphone

HDR photos can make mundane still pictures look bold and exciting. HDR videos can transform the world around you into a psychedelic, acid-laced trip. Flare for iPhone record videos in HDR. Bring on the acid.

What is it?

Flare, $1, iPhone. It's a video recorder app that records in High Dynamic Range. Which means it allows for a greater range of luminance between the lightest and darkest areas of an image to bring a more detailed look at the world. I've always thought HDR photos, when done stunningly, exposed a living and breathing unreality that laid quietly underneath what we see. HDR videos take that to a whole 'nother level.

It's as simple to use as any other video recording app. Hit record and go, basically. There's also a slider to adjust how much HDR action you want to go on, pinch to zoom, tap to focus and simple sharing to Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. The videos itself look a little bit crazy but it's very impressive. At the very least, it's uber fun to play around with. HDR, in most situations, is admittedly hokey but to have the option to shoot in HDR on your phone is just so damn awesome that I don't even care. And hey, maybe you can bring out life in lower light situations without pesky 'ol flash.

Who's it good for?

People who like to shoot videos. People who like to dabble in HDR. People who likes to show off interesting looks at the world.

Why's it better than alternatives?

Well, there are no HDR video apps for the iPhone. Flare is the best because it was the only one bold enough—technology be damned—to introduce it to your phone. The interface is super easy to figure out too as it's just click and fire away with an HDR level to adjust how crazy you want your videos to look. It's basically as simple to use as any other video camera app but does something no else does. It even works with iPhone 3GS!

How could it be even better?

It's not exactly amazing HDR, which obviously is due to the limitations of the iPhone 4's camera. For some reason, the app doesn't rotate when your iPhone is on rotation lock (the regular iPhone camera does). I wish the HDR video was autosaved to my camera roll instead of having to send it there manually. Pinch to zoom is nice in idea but in practice, it makes video recording a little shaky. Some basic editing tools would be nice (think text and cutting). And maybe the option to take HDR stills would be cool (though probably unnecessary since your iPhone has that built in).

Flare for iPhone | iTunes

We're always looking for cool apps—for iOS, Android, Windows Phone or whatever else—to feature as App of the Day. If you come across one you think we should take a look at, please let us know.

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Texas Instruments announces multi-core, 1.8GHz OMAP4470 ARM processor for Windows 8

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/texas-instruments-announces-multi-core-1-8ghz-omap4470-arm-proc/

When Qualcomm announced a pair of Windows 8-compatible ARM processors yesterday, we knew Texas Instruments wouldn't be far behind. Sure enough, the company has just announced a new addition to its OMAP 4 family of ARM SoCs, with the 1.8GHz OMAP4470. TI's new chip is powered by a pair of 1.0GHz ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore engines, as well as two, 266MHz ARM Cortex-M3 cores that handle multimedia duties. According to the company, this multi-core structure will enable faster web browsing and more frugal power usage, while putting the OMAP4470 in square competition with quad-core chips like NVIDIA's Kal-El and Intel's latest Sandy Bridge line. The SoC was designed for tablets, netbooks and smartphones running Android, Linux, or the next version of Windows, and can support a max QXGA resolution of 2048 x 1536, and up to three HD displays. There's also a single-core PowerVR SGX544 GPU capable of running Direct X 9, OpenGL ES 2.0, OpenVG 1.1, and OpenCL 1.1. The OMAP4470 is expected to hit the OEM and OED markets in the first half of 2012, but you can find more information in the specs sheet and press release, after the break.

Continue reading Texas Instruments announces multi-core, 1.8GHz OMAP4470 ARM processor for Windows 8

Texas Instruments announces multi-core, 1.8GHz OMAP4470 ARM processor for Windows 8 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 04:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel's Museum of Me finally gives your Facebook ego the attention it deserves

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/intels-museum-of-me-finally-gives-your-facebook-ego-the-attenti/

You've mastered the art of the high-cheekboned self-shot. Your acute taste in Iranian New Wave cinema is on full display. That leggy blonde who just so happens to appear in all 200 of your Spring break photos? Why yes, you two do have a thing going on, but honestly, it's no big deal. You didn't even tag her. Yes sir, your Facebook profile is in top form -- a veritable shrine to your unparalleled wit, your ferocious intellectual prowess and your unearthly solipsism. But is it enough? Is your life really getting the Stalinesque digital commemoration it so sorely deserves? These are the questions you have to ask yourself before walking into Intel's Museum of Me -- an interactive ad campaign for the Core i5 processor that takes online ego-stroking to an entirely new level of dystopia. All you have to do is allow Intel's app to harvest your Facebook information, and the program will begin curating an "art" exhibition devoted to your "life." The result is a brief video tour of your very own museum, replete with heartstring-tugging music and the requisite profile picture collages. It's just like walking through the MoMA, but instead of staring at a Lichtenstein or Pollock, you're reminded of, say, those three years you spent with the girl who broke your heart and smashed it to pieces -- or, you know, something like that. If you're into that sort of self-torture, hit the source link to build your own.

Intel's Museum of Me finally gives your Facebook ego the attention it deserves originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 07:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does this Xperia Play have HDMI output?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/does-this-xperia-play-have-hdmi-output/

Here's a little intrigue to go along with your morning cuppa. The Xperia Play is a lovely bit of hardware lacking in a few crucial areas -- one being an inability to play games over HDMI. That's a definite problem for those who aren't quite ready to devote themselves wholesale to gaming on the (very) small screen. We had hoped Sony might release a micro-USB to HDMI adapter at some point, and indeed when we first saw the image above of a Play pumping graphics to an HDTV that's what we thought we had. But, on closer examination, we realized that the cable is coming out of the left side of the handset. On the current retail Play there's nothing there but shiny chrome, which you can see for yourself after the break. We also took a look at the exposed motherboard, and and there are no obvious contacts. This could be a developer edition with additional ports, but none of the dev whitepapers we've pored over this morning mention any such things, so maybe a revised version of the hardware is coming that adds a hole where once there was none. We'll keep working to find out what's up, but weigh in for yourself in the comments below.

[Thanks, Sam]

Continue reading Does this Xperia Play have HDMI output?

Does this Xperia Play have HDMI output? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 07:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GrooVe IP Makes Free Calls from Google Voice Over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G, Uses No Minutes [App Of The Day]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5807075/groove-ip-makes-free-voip-calls-from-google-voice-over-wi+fi-or-3g4g

Android: GrooVe IP is a a simple app that lets you use your Android phone's Wi-Fi or 3G/4G connection with Google Voice to make unlimited calls in the US or Canada (or cheap international calls) without using voice minutes.

The official Google Voice app for Android hooks into your Google Voice account but isn't really a VoIP service on the smartphone. We've previously mentioned a method to make free VoIP calls with Gizmo5, which is no longer available since Google bought the service, as well as a method that uses the Sipgate service, now only free for Sipgate to Sipgate calls and toll-free numbers. GrooVe IP is much easier to set up and likely worth the $3.99 price if you have only so many voice minutes.

GrooVe IP supports making and receiving Google Voice calls over Wi-Fi and/or 3G or 4G, so it doesn't eat up your voice minutes. The app may come in particularly handy if:

• You want a second virtual phone line (a la Line2, but without the monthly fee)
• You're in a location with Wi-Fi access and a poor cellular connection
• You have Wi-Fi access but no mobile plan
• You're traveling overseas and don't want to have to rent a phone. You can make and receive calls using your Google Voice number anywhere you have Wi-Fi connectivity instead.

The app integrates with your phone's contacts database and has a separate dialer that can be used to make calls, or you can use the default dialer and choose whether to use GrooVe IP or your cellular service to make calls on an individual call basis.

GrooVe IP worked great in making and receiving calls from Google Voice over a Wi-Fi connection during my tests, though there were a few hurdles setting up the service. Upon initial install, I kept getting errors about the app not being registered, which, according to the app's help section, suggested an error in the login details. Restarting my phone resolved the error, though occasionally the app would again briefly display that registration error before quickly connecting again.

Those glitches aside, if you're on a calling plan with a very limited number of voice minutes or want to be able to call the US/Canada for free from abroad, GrooVe IP is likely worth the $3.99 investment. Thanks bokscutter!

GrooVe IP | Android Market

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You can follow or contact Melanie Pinola, the author of this post, on Twitter

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