camera digital nikon and Nikon D3100 DSLR in a camerashootout

We were pretty impressed by the first batch of snaps captured with the upcoming OnePlus One smartphone, but we really wanted to see a little more of just how well the OnePlus One stacked up against the competition. This time around the handset has gone up against an Oppo Find 5, which features an older Sony Exmor RS sensor, and the entry level Nikon D3100 Digital SLR camera.
As far as sensors go, the OnePlus smartphone features a 13 megapixel Sony Exmor IMX214 f/2.0 sensor with OnePlus’s own 6 layer lens module, the Oppo Find 5 has an older Sony IMX135 sensor with f/2.2 aperture, whilst the Nikon D3100 features a 14.2 megapixel 23.1 mm × 15.4 mm Nikon DX CMOS sensor with a f/3.5-5.8 18-55 variable zoom lens. All of the images were taken using the devices’ auto modes, without the aid of a flash, HDR filters, or any post-processing effects. Each camera was tested in a variety of lighting conditions, including extreme low light, which can be found in the gallery below (the order goes OnePlus One, Nikon D3100, and then the Find 5).

Not surprisingly, the OnePlus One’s newer Sony image sensor surpasses the Oppo Find 5’s in most of the categories. The low lighting results are particularly impressive. But the really interesting result is that the OnePlus One offers up quite a comparable performance with the Nikon D3100 in nearly all of the images. Although the OnePlus One’s color balance might be a little skewed towards yellow and orange in some cases, there’s a noticeable lack of grain in the images, which is a common deficiency when comparing smartphones to larger sensor DSLR cameras. It’s quite impressive.

If this hasn’t convinced you yet, the OnePlus One can also shoot 4K video with similarly impressive lighting results and detail. Although the video below obviously doesn’t do the original 4K footage justice, you’re probably not going to be watching it on a 4K screen either, it serves as a good example of the smartphone’s video capture capabilities.
The camera quality looks like another reason to be excited about the OnePlus One. With the handset’s official unveiling just a day away, it won’t be long until we can finally see how the top of the line hardware specs that we’ve been hearing so much about all come together.

Don’t forget to leave your feedback under and observe us on Twitter or grow to be our Facebook fan for all the most recent updates!

Posted by: http://androidframes.blogspot.com/

Writted by: totor

how to add blur effect to photo to your shots with Google Camera and Depthy

Google’s newly released Camera app comes with a nifty little feature called Lens Blur. The feature lets you select areas in a picture that you want to defocus, to imitate that special bokeh effect that you typically see on shots taken with high-end cameras.
To make Lens Blur work, Google is adding a depth map to each shot, which, as it turns out, can be used for more than just selective defocus.
Polish developer Rafał Lindemann created Depthy, a tool that uses the depth map in Lens Blur shots to add a parallax effect to your images.
So far, it’s more of a proof of concept, but the code is open source and freely available, meaning that it’s just a matter of time until someone creates the first app (live wallpaper?) based on Depthy.
Not all shots are perfect. Here’s one that I made, showing the limitations of the concept.

For now, you can upload your Lens Blur shots here to see the effect in action. The tool works on PCs and mobile devices and lets you change the perspective to the shot using the mouse or by tilting the phone. You will need to take the shots with Google’s Camera app (Android 4.4+ required) and then open them up in Depthy.
For the record, HTC is doing something similar with the 3D effects of the One (M8), which make use of the dedicated sensor depth on the back of the phone.

Don’t forget to leave your feedback under and observe us on Twitter or grow to be our Facebook fan for all the most recent updates!

Posted by: http://androidframes.blogspot.com/

Writted by: totor

New Update Retro Camera – Vintage Grunge 2014

New Update Retro Camera – Vintage Grunge 2014

Convert regular on a regular basis images into classic and grunge style.
We have 50 filters -
Grunge
Vintage
Sepia
Black and White
Retro filters
Bokeh
Hipster Filters
Unicolor
Take your android phone into the past with some of the most beautiful and unique vintage effects. Come see filters fine-tuned to perfection and inspired by old-school analog photography.
Download this app and see how Photolab retro throws back to old-school photography with the best real-time vintage filters on the app store!
Edit photos with this wonderful retro photo editor and share with the world on Facebook,pinterest,instagram and flickr.
Wonderful alternative of hipstamatic, retrica , vintique
A wonderful app with a nice hipster hipstamatic and lomo feel !

Size : 17M
Current Version : 1.4
Requires Android : 4.0 and up

Posted by: http://gosspot.com/

Writted by: totor

View the Original article

Google stock camera app available now in Play Store [Update]

Sterling Keys 2014-04-17T09:00:00Z1 day ago2014-04-17T14:44:10Z— updated 1 day ago

Sterling Keys

After finishing his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Alberta, Sterling made the move to Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Within a stone's throw of mountains, ocean, and complete wilderness, he mountain bikes and skis during the day and is hopelessly connected to his phone and computer at all other times. His writing "career" started as he penned about his escapades while skiing and has slowly progressed to freelance marketing and promotion throughout British Columbia. Interested in anything tech and gadget related, he has thoroughly enjoyed his transition of writing for AndroidPIT.

Google has released their official stock camera app into the Play Store as of today! Moving along to offering more stand-alone varieties of their Google branded apps, much like what they did earlier in 2013 with their Google Keyboard.

The stock Google camera is now available for download via the Play Store. / © Google Play

The new stock camera app includes a new interface and some new nifty features, such as a lens blue feature and viewfinder fix that allows you to capture 100% of the photo you're taking. Thankfully, the app is not just constrained to Nexus devices and is working across different devices and manufacturers.

The new blur feature in action with the stock camera app. / © Google Play

In order to be able to grab the updated app from the Play Store, you’ll need to be running an Android device with KitKat (sorry anyone not quite up to speed with Android 4.4). One of the advantages of moving towards releasing this as a stand-alone app is that Google can now roll out updates specific to their camera without having to release an OTA update for the operating system.

Also, check out the following video from the Android Police of what the camera app does if you try to take a vertical video? Thanks Google!

You can grab the new stock camera app either via the Google Play Store or by grabbing the APK file that is hosted over at Android Police. 

[Update: 17 April 2014, Berlin, 4 PM]

As shown in an APK teardown by Android Police, we still haven't seen the end of the Android camera development. In the code hides some clues that point towards more functions that could be released in future updates.

One of these is the possibility to apply Photosphere photos as live wallpaper. There could also be more settings options for advanced users in areas that have lagged behind other manufacturers and that in comparison with previous versions seems to have taken a few steps backward.

Three more camera modes are also hinted at in the code: an advanced mode, a time lapse mode and a wide-angle mode. When capturing videos, a photo can also be taking while it is still rolling, a possibility that many other apps and custom ROMS already offer. According to the code, more video effects could be on their way.Three more camera modes are also hinted at in the code: an advanced mode, a time lapse mode and a wide-angle mode. When capturing videos, a photo can also be taking while it is still rolling, a possibility that many other apps and custom ROMS already offer. According to the code, more video effects could be on their way.

Source: Android Police, Google Play

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A Look Into: Google’s New & Improved Official Camera App

For any smartphone user, no matter which mobile OS you are on, the camera app is one of the more oft-used apps. Many of us opt for third-party camera apps because they are more solidly built than what the stock apps have to offer. But now, Android users may want to reconsider trying out the new and improved Google camera app, just released in the Play Store. If you cannot download the app via Play Store, download the APK file directly here.

It’s better, sleekier and has a few pretty cool feaures you would want to try out, like Lens Blur and Photo Sphere. And better yet the official Google Camera app is no longer confined to Nexus and GPE (Google Play Experience) devices only. You can run it on any Android device running KitKat 4.4 and above.

Recommended Reading: Top 20 Android Photography Apps

New & Upgraded Features

The previous stock Camera was found wanting both in design and functionality, so this new Camera app is definitely a long-awaited improvement. Most of the app functions as a typical in-built camera app but what distinguishes this new revamped app from the previous version is the updated Photo Sphere and the new Lens Blur function. Let’s check out what this app has to offer.

Lens Blur

Lens Blur is finally here, a feature that allows your device camera to focus on a target while having the background blurred out. This is a common feature found on Single-Lens Reflex (SLR/DLSR) cameras, and it’s now available via this app.

In Lens Blur mode, you just have to shoot the subject, then slowly raise the device while keeping the subject in the center of the frame. The app will help guide you through the process with on-screen instructions.

You can adjust the blur level after you have captured the shot. The blur level will only focus on blurring the blackground, not the subject. That will happen as long as the camera can tell the difference between your subject and the background.

Photo Sphere

This one is an app that will give the panorama mode a run for its money. It’s far from a new feature but you’ll definitely love playing around with it once you get the hang of it.

The moment you fire up Photo Sphere, you will notice 4 dots on the four sides, left, ride, up and down, after you make a snapshot. These dots are there to help you focus your device camera to create the perfect Photo Sphere. Shift your camera to align with the dots and the app will help you stitch the images together. How far can you go with this? A full 360 degrees!

There’s more, the new Photo Sphere can now capture up to 50 megapixels, providing more details in your photo sphere picture. Here is an example.

Other Features

There are a few other minor tweaks to some of the other features, namely:

Improved Panaroma – The newly improved Panaroma mode, allows you to capture the full width of a scene in higher detail.

Google Says No To Vertical Video – Don’t you hate it when you take a video that ends up in the wrong orientation? Unlike photos, videos can’t be rotated just as easily. This Camera app will remind you to rotate the device when you try to capture a video in vertical mode. You can ignore the warning and still record your videos this way, but do reconsider by watching this video first.

Better Interface – Did the previous Camera app frustrate you with its interface? Fret no more. Features are now labeled properly, taking out most of the guesswork. Instead of the old sliding arc controls, the Camera features are now presented nicely in a menu by swiping to the right and by tapping on the menu button at the bottom right.

Conclusion

Like any other app, there are still a few drawbacks to this app. For instance, when taking a photo in Lens Blur mode, your photo will be automatically reduced to around 1024×768 resolution – the image quality will take a hit.

But if you need more motivation to try this app out, know that the Android Police have torn down the APK and found out that in the near future, Google will update the app to include Photo Sphere Live Wallpaper, Advanced Camera, Time Lapse, Wide Angle Mode, and much more.

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Update Galaxy Camera GC200 to XXUCNC2 Android 4.3 Official Firmware

Samsung has come up with XXUCNC2 Android 4.3 firmware update for the Galaxy Camera 2 EK-GC200. This firmware update is not substantial but it definitely addresses some minor bugs and also enhances a bit here and there. This firmware is rolling out to all regions pretty quickly, so you might already have found it on OTA or Samsung KIES. If you didn’t then, we have a complete tutorial below for you. Remember, this is an official firmware update released by Samsung and not a custom ROM of any sort. You can easily update Galaxy Camera 2 GC200 to XXUCNC2 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean official firmware using our tutorial. ClockworkMod recovery or a rooted Galaxy Camera 2 is not required.

As you continue reading this post, we will guide you through all the steps of how to install XXUCNC2 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean firmware on Galaxy Camera 2 GC200. Don’t forget to backup all your apps and other personal data from the tips below. This is a branded firmware, which means your Galaxy Camera 2 GC200 can get some extra language packs and some carrier apps. Make sure you backup your important data as a precaution. We have listed some helpful tips and short-cuts throughout the steps so be sure to follow them. Let’s continue with the tutorial now.

Disclaimer: All the custom ROMs and firmwares, official software updates, tools, mods or anything mentioned in the tutorial belong to their respective owners/developers. We (TeamAndroid.com) or the developers are not to be held responsible if you damage or brick your device. We don’t have you on gun point to try out this tutorial

Galaxy Camera 2 XXUCNC2 Android 4.3 Firmware Details:

Model: EK-GC200
Model name: GALAXY Camera 2
Country: South Africa
Version: Android 4.3
Changelist: 2579547
Build date: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 06:41:55 +0000
Product Code: XFA
PDA: GC200XXUCNC2
CSC: GC200OXACNC2
MODEM: GC200XXUCNC2

If you plan on rooting this camera or are still confused on why to root Galaxy Camera 2 GC200, read: Benefits of Rooting Your Android Device.

It is always recommended to update your Samsung devices from Samsung KIES as it downloads the latest and the most up-to-date firmware for your Android phone, tablet or camera. But for those who want to install it manually, keep reading below.

Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 USB Drivers

You will need to connect your Android phone with the computer. For that, please make sure you have installed the USB drivers for Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 properly. If not, you can download the latest official drivers from our Android USB Drivers section here:

Download Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 USB drivers!

Backup and Other Important Tips

Done with the USB drivers? Perfect. The tutorial is on the next page, but first, please take a look at the following tips and important points you need to take care of. These are important, as we don’t want anyone losing their personal data or apps:

Always backup your important data that you might need after you install a new custom ROM, an official software update or anything else. Make a backup for just in case, you never know when anything might go wrong. See below for some tips on how to backup data:

Samsung users can also back up data using Samsung KIES. If you backup data manually, you get more options what to choose from and it is very easy to move data across Android devices from different manufacturers, i.e moving Samsung Galaxy Note backup data to HTC One X.

If you already have a custom recovery (ClockworkMod, TWRP etc.) installed on your phone, we strongly recommend a backup using that as it creates a complete image of your existing phone set up.

A few more optional tips that you should remember:

1. Having problems connecting your Android phone to the computer? You need to enable USB debugging mode. See here: How to Enable USB Debugging — for Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean.

2. Make sure your Android device is charged up to 80-85% battery level. This might help you: How to Check Battery Percentage. Why? Because, if your phone goes off suddenly while installing a custom ROM, flashing an official firmware update or installing mods etc. — your phone might get bricked or go dead permanently. No one wants that, right?

4. Most of the tutorials and how-to guides on Team Android are for factory unlocked Android phones and tablets. We recommend NOT to try our guides if your phone is locked to a carrier, unless we have specified the carrier name or device model.

If you find the above tips useful and they were helpful to you, please consider giving us a +1 or LIKE to thank us!

All set and ready? Good. You can now head over to the next page and update Galaxy Camera 2 GC200 to XXUCNC2 Android 4.3 official firmware update.

View the Original article

Install XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 on Galaxy Camera GC100 Jelly Bean Firmware

XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 is the latest firmware update released for the Galaxy Camera GC100. Samsung has definitely lost interest in updating the original Galaxy Camera which for them was just an experiment. XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 firmware update has been recently released along with several updates for the new Galaxy Camera 2. It’s quite obvious, Samsung won’t be giving Galaxy Camera any sort of Android version upgrade. This update on the other hand brings fixes to issues which were reported by users and it also brings new drivers for a better experience. This update might already arrived on your device, check that by clicking OTA update option or connecting the camera with Samsung KIES on your computer. You can easily update Galaxy Camera GC100 to XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean official firmware using our tutorial. As this isn’t a custom ROM so no ClockworkMod recovery or rooting is required.

As you continue reading this post, we will guide you through all the steps of how to install XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware on Galaxy Camera GC100. Don’t forget to backup all your apps and other personal data from the tips below. This is a unbranded firmware, which means your Galaxy Camera GC100 can get some extra language packs and some carrier apps. Make sure you backup your important data as a precaution. Following tutorial is filled with helpful tips so be sure to keep an eye out for them. Let’s continue with the tutorial now.

Disclaimer: All the custom ROMs and firmwares, official software updates, tools, mods or anything mentioned in the tutorial belong to their respective owners/developers. We (TeamAndroid.com) or the developers are not to be held responsible if you damage or brick your device. We don’t have you on gun point to try out this tutorial

Galaxy Camera XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 Firmware Details:

Model: EK-GC100
Model name: GALAXY Camera
Country: France
Version: Android 4.1.2
Changelist: 1087921
Build date: Tue, 26 Mar 2013 01:35:37 +0000
Product Code: XEF
PDA: GC100XXBMC4
CSC: GC100XEFBMC1
MODEM: GC100XXBMC3

If you wonder why you should root? Read: Benefits of Rooting Your Android Device.

It is always recommended to update your Samsung devices from Samsung KIES as it downloads the latest and the most up-to-date firmware for your Android phone, tablet or camera. But for those who want to install it manually, keep reading below.

Samsung Galaxy Camera USB Drivers

You will need to connect your Android phone with the computer. For that, please make sure you have installed the USB drivers for Samsung Galaxy Camera properly. If not, you can download the latest official drivers from our Android USB Drivers section here:

Download Samsung Galaxy Camera USB drivers!

Backup and Other Important Tips

Done with the USB drivers? Perfect. The tutorial is on the next page, but first, please take a look at the following tips and important points you need to take care of. These are important, as we don’t want anyone losing their personal data or apps:

Always backup your important data that you might need after you install a new custom ROM, an official software update or anything else. Make a backup for just in case, you never know when anything might go wrong. See below for some tips on how to backup data:

Samsung users can also back up data using Samsung KIES. If you backup data manually, you get more options what to choose from and it is very easy to move data across Android devices from different manufacturers, i.e moving Samsung Galaxy Note backup data to HTC One X.

If you already have a custom recovery (ClockworkMod, TWRP etc.) installed on your phone, we strongly recommend a backup using that as it creates a complete image of your existing phone set up.

A few more optional tips that you should remember:

1. Having problems connecting your Android phone to the computer? You need to enable USB debugging mode. See here: How to Enable USB Debugging — for Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean.

2. Make sure your Android device is charged up to 80-85% battery level. This might help you: How to Check Battery Percentage. Why? Because, if your phone goes off suddenly while installing a custom ROM, flashing an official firmware update or installing mods etc. — your phone might get bricked or go dead permanently. No one wants that, right?

4. Most of the tutorials and how-to guides on Team Android are for factory unlocked Android phones and tablets. We recommend NOT to try our guides if your phone is locked to a carrier, unless we have specified the carrier name or device model.

If you find the above tips useful and they were helpful to you, please consider giving us a +1 or LIKE to thank us!

All set and ready? Good. You can now head over to the next page and update Galaxy Camera GC100 to Android 4.1.2 XXBMC4 official firmware update.

View the Original article

Root XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 on Galaxy Camera GC100 Official Firmware

After covering on how to update your Galaxy Camera to XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 firmware, we have a complete root guide compiled for this device. This guide is primarily for the Galaxy Camera running XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 firmware. Not sure about rooting? Read: Benefits of rooting an Android device. After rooting you would be able to make extensive system backups and have access to root apps. You should know that root does void your warranty. The method we will be using is very simple and there is very less chance of error. You can root Galaxy Camera GC100 on XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 firmware using the tutorial below.

As you continue reading further, we will guide you through the entire process of how to root XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 on Samsung Galaxy Camera GC100 using ODIN. Make sure you backup all your data before trying out the root method tutorial below. Rooting will allow you to install root apps on your phone, i.e Titanium Backup or read our list of the essential root apps available! The following tips are important as they will help the installation procedure to go smooth without any issues. Let’s continue with the tutorial now.

Disclaimer: All the custom ROMs and firmwares, official software updates, tools, mods or anything mentioned in the tutorial belong to their respective owners/developers. We (TeamAndroid.com) or the developers are not to be held responsible if you damage or brick your device. We don’t have you on gun point to try out this tutorial

Root XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 – CF-Auto-Root Details:

Here are a few details about the CF-Auto-Root package that you should know before you root Galaxy Camera GC100 using it:

CF-Root is the root for “rooting beginners” and those who want to keep as close to stock as possible. CF-Root is meant to be used in combination with stock Samsung firmwares, and be the quickest and easiest way for your first root. A modified recovery and cache partition will be flashed, which will install (only) SuperSU, then clean-up the cache partition and re-flash the stock recovery.

NOTE: Using this root increases your flash counter. You should run Triangle Away after rooting to reset the counter. Note that if you want to run custom kernels or custom recoveries, your flash counter will be set to 1 at every boot. Either configure Triangle Away to reset the counter at every boot (Play version only) or only reset the counter when you need to go into warranty.

NOTE: Your Samsung Galaxy Camera GC100 should be on Android 4.1.2 firmware in order to apply this root method.

You can install the official firmware XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 firmware on Galaxy Camera GC100 from the following link:

Samsung Galaxy Camera USB Drivers

You will need to connect your Android phone with the computer. For that, please make sure you have installed the USB drivers for Samsung Galaxy Camera properly. If not, you can download the latest official drivers from our Android USB Drivers section here:

Download Samsung Galaxy Camera USB drivers!

Backup and Other Important Tips

Done with the USB drivers? Perfect. The tutorial is on the next page, but first, please take a look at the following tips and important points you need to take care of. These are important, as we don’t want anyone losing their personal data or apps:

Always backup your important data that you might need after you install a new custom ROM, an official software update or anything else. Make a backup for just in case, you never know when anything might go wrong. See below for some tips on how to backup data:

Samsung users can also back up data using Samsung KIES. If you backup data manually, you get more options what to choose from and it is very easy to move data across Android devices from different manufacturers, i.e moving Samsung Galaxy Note backup data to HTC One X.

If you already have a custom recovery (ClockworkMod, TWRP etc.) installed on your phone, we strongly recommend a backup using that as it creates a complete image of your existing phone set up.

A few more optional tips that you should remember:

1. Having problems connecting your Android phone to the computer? You need to enable USB debugging mode. See here: How to Enable USB Debugging — for Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean.

2. Make sure your Android device is charged up to 80-85% battery level. This might help you: How to Check Battery Percentage. Why? Because, if your phone goes off suddenly while installing a custom ROM, flashing an official firmware update or installing mods etc. — your phone might get bricked or go dead permanently. No one wants that, right?

4. Most of the tutorials and how-to guides on Team Android are for factory unlocked Android phones and tablets. We recommend NOT to try our guides if your phone is locked to a carrier, unless we have specified the carrier name or device model.

If you find the above tips useful and they were helpful to you, please consider giving us a +1 or LIKE to thank us!

All set and ready? Good. Now, let’s proceed with the tutorial below and root XXBMC4 Android 4.1.2 on Galaxy Camera GC100 official firmware.

View the Original article

Top 5 News: Nexus 5 battery fixes, OTA on rooted S3, M8 camera test

Kris Carlon 2014-04-12T08:00:00Z2 days ago

Kris Carlon

Putting down roots in Berlin after six years of traveling is a major step for Kris Carlon, who has spent more time living out of a tent lately than sitting at a desk. Kris comes to the AndroidPIT Editorial Team via a lengthy period spent writing on art and culture in Australia and other places he has lived. He joined the Android community while resurfacing in civilization back in 2010 and has never looked back, using technology to replace his actual presence in other people's lives ever since.

This week we're one step closer to Android 4.4.3 and one step closer to losing chat privileges in the official Facebook app. Meanwhile, our favorite apps have been getting major updates and Amazon Fire TV arrived just before Android TV was leaked. We've been playing with the HTC One M8 and Galaxy S5 all week and anxiously awaiting the OnePlus One launch on April 23rd. In our last survey though, you guys pegged the Nexus 4 as the smartphone that has made the biggest impact of all time.

Top 5 News of the Week. / © AndroidPIT

Considering all the battery drain issues the Nexus 5 has been experiencing lately, an extended battery case from Limefuel might be just the ticket. By more than doubling the battery life of your Nexus 5, you can rest assured you'll be amking it through the day and then some.

The Limefuel extended battery case for the Nexus 5 will more than double its battery life. / © AndroidPIT

If your Nexus 5 battery has simply given up the ghost then perhaps it needs to be replaced entirely. Despite being a non-removable battery, it's actually really easy to manually replace the Nexus 5 battery yourself. Here's how to do it.

Don't be afraid, it's a lot easier than you think to replace the Nexus 5 battery. / © NewLife2OldStuff

Android users quite often have to wait a while to get apps released first on iOS, but there's plenty of Android-only apps that Apple fans will never get to experience. Check out our list of the best apps that iOS misses out on.

Yep, I never get sick of this picture! / © Applause

One of the main reasons most people don't root their Android is because they then lose their warranty and automatic OTA updates. If you want to enable OTA updates on your Galaxy S3 again, here's what you need to do.

Bah Humbug! But it's not that hard to get OTA updates on your Galaxy S3 again. © AndroidPIT

The HTC One M8 is pretty amazing and the Duo Camera is almost as good as it has been hyped up to be. The pictures that come out of HTC's shiny new beast are pretty great, but why take my word for it? See the results for yourself.

One of the nicest parts of the HTC One M8 is its feature packed camera. / © AndroidPIT

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Put Bright Stickers on the Camera for Great Baby Photos

S

Getting your baby to look at the camera lens, or at your smartphone's camera, isn't easy. Reader Sidin Vadukut shares a great tip to divert your toddler's gaze where you want it while keeping your hands free to take a photo.

If you want to take good pictures of babies, but find it hard to get them to look at you properly, stick bright stickers on the back of your phone. My wife figured this out, and now she (the baby) looks approximately at the lens opening. Ish.

You don't want to have gooey residue on the back of your device either, so it might be best to put a screen guard first and apply the sticker on that. Screen guards come off easily without leaving your gadget sticky.

Thanks @sidin!

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Deadspin The Daily Show Takes Down The NCAA | Gizmodo Credit Card-Reading Spy Camera Found in the NY

Deadspin The Daily Show Takes Down The NCAA | Gizmodo Credit Card-Reading Spy Camera Found in the NYC Subway | Jalopnik A Driving Selfie May Not Be 'Distracted Driving,' Legally Speaking | Kotaku Abandoned Malls Look Like Sad, Empty Video Games | Kinja Popular Posts

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HTC One M8 camera hands-on video review

Loie Favre 2014-04-07T18:00:01Z1 day ago

Loie Favre

Loie Favre is a Canadian-German, food-loving, live-music-craving globe-trotter. Coming from a humble background in the Canadian Prairies centred around nature and the Arts, she studied Translation and Languages in Edmonton. She left his home on the Pacific Coast of Canada, to seek her fortune in Berlin. She is now an Editor and Manager for AndroidPIT.com and is enjoying discovering about everything and anything under the sun about Android.

Yesterday we took an in-depth look at the camera and its features on the HTC One (M8), and today we were able to demonstrate the many features on the UltraPixel duo camera in our hands-on video, such as 3D effects, UFocus, filters and more.

 © AndroidPIT

Throughout our hands-on test of the HTC One M8 camera, we got through the various features and explain them one by one. HTC was able to put some really cool features on its new flagship, though many could be considered a tad gimmicky, such as the stickers and ''Seasons'' (leaves, snow etc) overlays.

The duo camera allows for more depth information in the pictures, which gives us some nice features like UFocus and 3D Dimensions Plus, the first allowing you to manually choose the focused and blurred parts of the pictures, while the second makes the image appear 3D, allowing you to save the picture in a brand-new angle.

Manual mode is a highlight for the camera believe it or not, because you are able to adjust the various settings in a very intuitive way, like white balance, contrast, ISO, shutter speed and then actually see the changes on the viewfinder screen before even taking the picture. The same goes for HDR and the other modes, so there is a lot less surprise in the end result. All this and more is demonstrated in the video. With these added features, HTC is catching up to Samsung in terms of the amount of camera features and may have even surpassed their rival in certain areas. Check it out for yourself in as we explore the various features.

Link to video

What do you think of the HTC One M8 camera? Do you think the features are useful?

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WhatsApp beta update brings new camera function [APK]

Loie Favre 2014-04-08T18:00:00Z22 hours ago

Loie Favre

Loie Favre is a Canadian-German, food-loving, live-music-craving globe-trotter. Coming from a humble background in the Canadian Prairies centred around nature and the Arts, she studied Translation and Languages in Edmonton. She left his home on the Pacific Coast of Canada, to seek her fortune in Berlin. She is now an Editor and Manager for AndroidPIT.com and is enjoying discovering about everything and anything under the sun about Android.

There’s a new beta version of WhatsApp for Android that brings a new camera feature. On top of showing you this new function, we've also go the APK link for the update.

© AndroidPIT

The new beta version under build number 2.11.209 doesn’t offer the awaited free calls just yet, like we saw arrive to Facebook Messenger with its most recent update four days ago. For the time being, there are only very minor changes, however it is still in development, meaning this isn't necessarily the final version. There isn’t much to see yet in terms of new functions, aside from two that really stand out.

New functions

After installing the APK and starting a conversation with a contact, you’ll spot the first of the changes. Next to the microphone icon on the bottom, there’s also a camera icon, giving you access to an in-app camera feature right from a conversation.

Before and after the beta update to WhatsApp for Android. © AndroidPIT.

When tapping on it, you’ll be brought to the camera viewfinder screen that looks a little new as well. The interface is still simple, but now includes a flash icon to be able to change the flash from automatic, off or on. You still get the icon that serves the purpose of switching from back to front camera and vice versa. Now the name of the contact will also appear at the top part of the screen.

Before (left) and after of WhatsApp udpate. © AndroidPIT

I also noticed that though the person receives the picture, there is no trace of it in the gallery app on my phone.

Here is the link for the WhatsApp for Android update APK.

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LG G2 Mini: test photos with the mini G2 camera

Loie Favre (translation) 2014-04-09T14:00:00Z2 hours ago

Loie Favre

Loie Favre is a Canadian-German, food-loving, live-music-craving globe-trotter. Coming from a humble background in the Canadian Prairies centred around nature and the Arts, she studied Translation and Languages in Edmonton. She left his home on the Pacific Coast of Canada, to seek her fortune in Berlin. She is now an Editor and Manager for AndroidPIT.com and is enjoying discovering about everything and anything under the sun about Android.

Today we picked up our LG G2 mini test device and were able to take a few pictures to test out the main camera found on the mini version of the LG G2 as we rode around Berlin on our bikes. What the LG G2 mini can do and whether the camera is up to par can be observed in the pictures below.

© AndroidPIT

The weather in Berlin today was a picture-perfect beautiful April spring day: the sun was shining and birds sang harmoniously in the city’s wooded area. We were able to test the panorama mode, the HDR function and the normal mode, some of the many functions found on the G2 mini. The results? Quite satisfactory!

The sun shone in the Tierpark wooded area of Berlin today....and on the G2 mini too!/  © AndroidPIT HDR Mode was able to bring out the sunny spots of the pictures better. / © AndroidPIT

The camera packs a resolution of 8 MP, however only in 4:3 format. I usually prefer the 16:9 format, however this format is only shot with 6 MP. Also, I wouldn’t even bother using the digital zoom, and I also wouldn’t zoom in too much even when viewing the pictures on your computer screen, the results are very pixelated.

When viewed on full screen mode on my computer screen, the camera results were quite impressive, the sharpness was sufficient, lighting and white balance also appeared realistically, the panorama function merged pictures smoothly together, while HDR mode took a little while to process but was effective nonetheless.

Panorma mode looks much better on a bigger screen, but the results are nonetheless good. / © AndroidPIT Next to a university, the clouds started to fill the sky.../ © AndroidPIT And at Alexanderplatz it started raining. © AndroidPIT Time for a coffee break to dry off! / © AndroidPIT

What do you think of the LG G2 mini pictures. Not bad, right? The G2 mini will be heading to Europe in April and there is no current date for its release in the USA, but there are already rumors that it will be coming to Sprint.

(originally by Johannes Wallat)

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Top 5 News: Nexus 4 revival, extended Nexus 5 battery, S4 camera issue

Kris Carlon 2014-04-05T08:00:00Z7 hours ago

Kris Carlon

Putting down roots in Berlin after six years of traveling is a major step for Kris Carlon, who has spent more time living out of a tent lately than sitting at a desk. Kris comes to the AndroidPIT Editorial Team via a lengthy period spent writing on art and culture in Australia and other places he has lived. He joined the Android community while resurfacing in civilization back in 2010 and has never looked back, using technology to replace his actual presence in other people's lives ever since.

It's been an interesting week in the world of Android. As the Galaxy S5 and One M8 have appeared we've now seen hints of the S5 mini and M8 mini. Both Facebook and Google have been busy with app and web-based updates, Office 365 became free and Apple and Samsung are at it again in the courts. Android 4.4.3 looks ready to pop and Amazon finally launched Fire TV. But this week really belonged to the All New HTC One M8 (2014) new version, shiny edition. What else has been read-worthy though?

Top 5 News of the Week. / © AndroidPIT

The Nexus 4 may have recently attained collector's item status, with some pretty silly prices for an old smartphone, but the simple fact of the matter is that the Nexus 4 continues to be a standard setter, right up there with the Galaxy S3 and Moto G as what a smartphone should be. With this guide, we'll show you how to make your Nexus 4 even more awesome than it already is.

© AndroidPIT

The Nexus 5 has some pretty infamous battery issues, but with impressive accessories like Limefuel's extended battery case you can more than double the battery life of your Nexus 5. Whether you keep your phone in the case or simply snap it in for a quick charge, the Limefuel extended battery for the Nexus 5 is almost as essential an accessory as a USB charger.

The Limefuel battery case may beef up your Nexus 5, but it's a worthwhile addition. / © AndroidPIT

Camera failed. The last error message you want popping up on your smartphone, especially when something significant is going on in front of you. Follow these three simple tips to get your Galaxy S4 camera app working perfectly again in a snap.

We have a fix for the Samsung Galaxy S4 camera problem / © AndroidPIT

Most of the major flagships are out already with a few more on the horizon. The Oppo Find 7 is a bit of a surprise entry, the LG G3 hasn't been confirmed yet and we're still waiting for the OnePlus One, but we've pulled together the specs we can to let you pick a winner from the current crop of Android flagship devices.

Clash of the Titans: which flagship is the best right now? / © AndroidPIT/Sony/Samsung/Oppo/HTC/LG

Along with the Nexus 4, the Galaxy S3 and Moto G represent major watershed moments in Android devices, seeming to be the perfect device at the perfect time and setting the standard for years to come. In this article, we put the S3 and Moto G side-by-side to see how they stack up against one another.

© Motorola/Samsung/AndroidPIT

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Retro Photo Camera

Like the Retro Photo’s? Like Old School photo’s? This is the app for you.
Create Retro Photo effects using the Retro Photo Camera from photos that are in your phone, new photo from Camera, Facebook. Create the photo’s and share them with your friends and family on facebook, twitter and other photo sharing and photo editing applications.
If you like Photo Editing, Photo Grids this is the kind of application for you. The Retro camera effect is unique and is sure to impress your friends with your photography skills. The Picture Editing to make it retro effect is made into single step using the retro camera. Best retro photo editor in the market. Best Old Picture App with Retro Style.
Now you can save Retro image to your phone camera, Share with friends or family, Set Retro Photo as your wallpaper. Now your wallpaper can be a Retro Photo created from the application. Create Your own Retro Wallpapers from your photo’s. Retro Wallpapers you have on your phone will be unique from anyone else with this app.
Now with ability to use Retro Effect and Black and White Photo Mode. Now both old photo mode and Black and White Camera mode available. Best Retro Camera on the market. Only Retro Camera that shows awesome effects with almost no settings needed by user.
Now you can rotate pictures left or right. Best Old Camera effect with Black and White photos and Retro Camera. Retro Photo Camera is one of the Best Camera Effect to create unique pictures. With Camera Timer gone back to 50 years create ever lasting pictures.

Size : 736k
Current Version : 4.0
Requires Android : 2.0.1 and up

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New HTC flagship (Butterfly?) shows up in benchmarks with 13MP camera

The 2013 HTC Butterfly s

A new HTC device spotted in the AnTuTu benchmark database could be the successor of the 2013 Butterfly s.

Bearing the 0PAJ3 code number, this previously unknown smartphone shares many of the core specifications with the freshly launched HTC One M8, with one big difference. The benchmark entry suggests the device will be equipped with a 13MP camera, instead of the 4 UltraPixels unit on the M8, as well as the original One from last year.

HTC is due to refresh the Butterfly series this summer; the previous iteration, the Butterfly s, debuted in July 2013. While it’s possible that this benchmark entry refers to something else, there’s a relatively good chance we just had a look at the new Butterfly.

The Butterfly s had a 4 UltraPixels camera, so, if our assumption is correct, HTC will go back to a conventional sensor for the new generation, possibly to cut costs.

Other specs revealed are a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor capped at 2.3GHz with an Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM. While the new Snapdragon 805 will be available by mid-year, we think HTC will stick with the 801 for the new Butterfly.

The display will retain the Full HD resolution, though HTC might increase its size (the Butterfly s had a 5-inch SLCD3 screen). The front camera is a 5MP unit, presumably coupled with a wide field lens, just like the one on the M8. Finally, there’s Android 4.4.2 listed as the OS, which is really no surprise.

The Butterfly s had a large 3200 mAh battery, which was quite impressive for a 5-inch device. There’s no mention of battery capacity in the benchmark, but hopefully the new Butterfly won’t disappoint.

HTC sold the Butterfly s mostly in Asian markets, though the original 2012 Butterfly made it to Europe and to the US (sold as Droid DNA).

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Transparent Screen Camera: take pics with no one knowing

Features & Use

Transparent Screen Camera has many different features, all of which seem to be based around the general idea of spying and hiding the true intentions of what you are doing on your Android device.

The first function you encounter is the capability of making your screen appear transparent by using either the phone’s front or back cameras. It won’t make the screen 100% transparent, so you are still able to see what you are pressing on to a certain extent. The degree of transparency can be adjusted after this mode has been started; the app recommends starting with 50% and then increasing the opacity. Pressing the start button evidently starts the transparency mode.  In order to get out of this, you swipe down to open the notification panel which displays the choice to end the Free TSP.  There is also the option of rotating the camera preview image as well.

The main page on the left and transparency on the right (you can rotate it). © AndroidPIT

When you are using a transparent screen, you can do a few things, one of which is being able to see who is behind you in case someone is sneaking a peak over your shoulder. On top of that, you can take pictures without the targeted person noticing, either by triggering the camera app and pressing the trigger button as usual or by setting a timer in the settings of the app.  Turning off the capture sound adds discreteness. I also need to point out that this app is full of spelling mistakes, like “automaticly” and “prview”. I feel like this is something they could have checked.

On the left, you can change the message for the fake note app which appears when someone enter an incorrect password. On the right is where you will store the pictures taken during transparency mode. © AndroidPIT

The pictures you take are hidden so that no one will be able to take a look.  In order to access these hidden pictures, you need to open the picture folder, click on all the pictures and export them. Clicking on them within the app will show a different picture that works as a facade. Another optional “spy” feature is the fake app that will appear when someone or you enter an incorrect password. If someone types in something wrong, it will bring that person to a fake note taking app which shows a message that you can prepare beforehand. Pressing back will bring you to the password entry page once again.

The app settings give you the following options:

• Show Camera Preview
• Take pictures automatically: when the picture is being taken, the app will display “mission started” and “mission accomplished” when done. You can set the number of seconds at which interval the picture is taken and these messages will appear over and over on your screen.
• Disable Camera Sound
• Hide the App icon in the launcher: if you don’t want someone to know that you are using this app, it allows you to hide it.
• Show notification: This will show you when an image has been saved.
• Enable Vibrator Notification
• Use Front Camera: like mentioned elsewhere in the review, you need to close the app completely for this to work.
• Hide pictures automatically
• Add .nomedia to iHC folder
• Stop the preview when app is restarted

Settings © AndroidPIT

From my list of points to criticize, I found it cumbersome that when switching from the front to back camera (or vice versa), you need to close out completely from the app and open it anew; simple in-app camera switching would have been a lot more user-friendly. I also don’t like all of the ads that, in my opinion, flood this app. The Transparent Spy Camera app’s selling points are: 1. Impressing your friends and 2. Spying 3. Hiding your pictures.  This app won’t be for everyone and is a gimmick for a couple of times, but if the three mentioned points are important to you, then you might actually make use of it.

Screen & Controls

The free version of Transparent Screen Camera has a copious amount of ads, whether they are in pop-up windows or at the top part of the interface, which actually makes it difficult to use the app, as you find yourself ‘x’ing out of all the ads to get to the features. It seemed that every time I went to another part of the app, an ad would pop up. The controls are divided into two sections, the main Transparent screen page and the settings page, which are accessible via two tabs found mid-page under the permanent on-screen ads.  This entire app is based around illusion, so navigating through the app at first isn’t really intuitive since pictures are hidden under other fake ones, while the real ones need to be exported to view. The pictures are taken automatically by the app. When trying to get into the camera app on the phone, the latter failed.

Speed & Stability

The app alludes to the fact that it doesn’t run as well on Android 3.0 or earlier, especially when attempting to set the transparency to another resolution. On my Galaxy S3, I obviously didn’t have this problem. It also mentions right off the get-go that this app might not work for everyone on any Android version, and that if I won’t open, your software isn’t able to support it. They didn’t really go into more detail in this regard. Also, I found that if the opacity level of the transparency was not set lower, I would need to press start for it to start a few times where it sometimes didn't work at all.

Price/Performance Ratio

Our app in question today, Free Transparent Screen Camera, can be installed for free from the Google Play Store. There is a full version which gets rid of the ads, though it’s not obvious which other features it would bring with it. The ads are indeed quite cumbersome, but I would try the free version first before plunging into the premium one.

Final Verdict

As I mentioned before, if you are into all these tricky features of hiding what you are looking at on your display as well as the picture which you are taking and want to spy on who is behind you, Free Transparent Screen Camera is an interesting idea for an app that you should try. Though the reviews on Google Play express either love or hate (and not much in between), for those complaining about it not working, you were at least warned by the developer that it might not be compatible with certain devices. I would recommend that the developers get rid of some of the ads, as they are a little overwhelming. User-friendliness is not this app’s strong point, so for this reason also, fewer ads would help this factor. All in all, this app, which has already accumulated more than 500 million + installs, is a good gimmicky app, as they say in the app’s description, to impress your friends. I rate this app two stars because there is still a lot to improve on.

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