North Korea remains one of the few places in the world that remains untouched by Google Street View’s all-seeing eye. But at least now, we can content ourselves with these fascinating, state-approved (i.e. likely censored) 360-degree shots from Singaporean photographer Aram Pan.
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Have you ever watched a video and wanted so badly to view the scene from a different perspective? Maybe you wanted to see what was happening behind the person filming. Eye Mirror is an upcoming camera accessory that should let you pan 360° within a video as it’s playing. It looks surprisingly simple, and it apparently works with just about any camera you already own.
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We’ve seen a couple of devices that let you take 360º videos or images with ease. However, going by their sample shots, the videos they take are significantly warped and blurry. Thomas Seidl and his Eye Mirror promise to let you take 360º videos in high definition. The privilege is going to cost you, but it just might be worth it.
The Eye Mirror is a lens add-on for pretty much any camera, from old point-and-shoots to DSLRS. It even has a special case for the insanely popular GoPro cameras. When paired with the GoPro Hero3 Black (and a custom firmware), you can Eye Mirror claims that you can shoot 3020 x 3020 360º videos at 15fps. In simple terms, the lens has a curved mirror at the top that reflects the surroundings in a ring.
All you have to do is attach the Eye Mirror lens to your camera and point the camera upwards. When you’re done, load the video to your PC to convert it into an interactive 360º video. So you go from that, to this:
Check out the company’s Kickstarter video below:
As implied in the video, you can share the interactive video online through Eye Mirror’s own video sharing site. The company will also be launching a separate viewer for people who own the Oculus Rift, though that software has its separate price tag. Speaking of which, pledge at least £120 (~$196 USD) on Kickstarter to get an Eye Mirror Lens. Check the reward tiers carefully because as I said the lens has different variants, so make sure the one you’re getting fits your camera.
You should also checkout the sample interactive videos on Eye Mirror’s website.
[via DVICE]
Ever visit Tokyo? No? No problem. Messing around in this ridiculous 180-gigapixel, 600,000-pixel wide panorama is practically the same thing, and you can do it right from this browser window.
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As slick as Android’s Photo Spheres can be, they’re typically hard to find unless someone posts them for you. Google is making that discovery almost trivial by launching Views, its new Google Maps section for Photo Spheres and panoramas. The page both streamlines importing photos from Google+ and simplifies tracking them down by their author, location or popularity. Google also includes its Street View galleries, giving explorers fast access to professional tours alongside the usual amateur photography. Not many of us can contribute to Views when Photo Sphere only works with a few of the latest Android devices, but everyone can at least see what they’re missing at the source link.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Via: Google Maps, 9to5 Google
Source: Views
In contrast to its happy visits to the Eiffel Tower and Burj Khalifa, Street View’s exploration of Dead Island may have given you the wrong impression of Japan. Luckily, one of the country’s most picturesque symbols, Mount Fuji, was recently scaled by what must be some of Mountain View’s most athletic trekkers. The fruits of the 12,400-foot climb and incessant photo stops are 14,000 separate panoramas, including many sunrise shots only available to diligent night climbers. They’re now live on Maps, so hit the source or panorama after the break for a far less taxing peek.
Via: TNW
Source: Google Maps (Blog)
When the iPhone got native panorama function in iOS 6, people started sharing tons of sprawling views. 360s of stadiums, the whole visible coastline at sunset. Laudable Facebook wallpapers all. But the urge to capture really wide shots didn’t start a few years ago, it began in the 1800s when photographers like George R. Lawrence realized that aerial technology could help them take new kinds of photos.
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In January, Dubai photog Gerald Donovan showed us what the earth looks like from the pinnacle of the world’s tallest building, thanks to a 360 degree panorama that was ‘shopped to remove the Burj Khalifa itself. But today, Donovan released the original, undoctored image—and it’s even better than the edited version.
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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.
The problem with capturing panoramic stills with your phone is that you need to keep a steady motion when panning around, but we all know that only a robot can perform such feat perfectly. That’s why this little BubblePod caught our attention. The device is essentially a mini clockwork turntable so no battery is required — just wind it up, slip an iOS, Android or BB10 device into the silicone grip, fire up the BubblePix app and hit the BubblePod’s release button for a steady 40-second rewind.
The sample panoramic shots (or “bubbles”) we saw have almost no visible stitching, and the app can simultaneously record an audio clip to capture the atmosphere as well. Better yet, in addition to its rubberized base, the BubblePod is also built with a universal tripod mount plus a wine bottle insert mount!
This Kickstarter project will offer a unit if you pledge a minimum of £15 (about $23) for the limited early bird offer or £20 (about $31) later on, plus £5 (about $8) to ship outside the UK. Do check out the demo video after the break, and feel free to grab yourself a BubblePod before funding ends on July 9th.
Filed under: Peripherals, Mobile
Source: Kickstarter
Google’s Street View Trekker has already captured some dramatic scenery in its young life, but we haven’t seen it venture far beyond US borders. The company is making up for that in style through its recently completed image-gathering expedition to the Galapagos Islands. The visit will produce 360-degree shots of 10 representative areas chosen by the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Parks Directorate. There’s more involved than just stunning Google Maps imagery, however: the panoramas will help document any threats to the local climate and wildlife. While we’ll only see the results of the Galapagos trip later this year, it’s good to know that they should help both humans and slow-moving reptiles in equal measure.
Source: Google Official Blog
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