Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications

    Microsoft Releases Pix App to Improve iPhone Photography

    By
    Pedro Hernandez
    -
    July 28, 2016
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      iPhone

      Microsoft has a new app for shutterbugs who don’t want to fiddle with the iPhone’s camera settings to capture the perfect shot.

      The company released an iOS 9 app on July 27 that borrows technologies from its research division to advance the state of smartphone photography and help iPhone users take Instagram-worthy pictures. Dubbed simply Microsoft Pix, the app uses technologies developed by the Computational Photography group within Microsoft Research to capture well-exposed, in-focus photos.

      In terms of hardware, Pix supports iPhone 5s and newer Apple smartphones. On the tablet side of the fence, it runs on the iPad Air, Air 2, Mini (2,3 and 4) and Pro.

      “Microsoft Pix captures a burst of 10 frames with each shutter click—some from before the tap—and uses artificial intelligence to select up to three of the best, unique shots,” explained the company in a July 27 announcement. To help save on precious phone storage space, the unused frames are deleted. Before that happens, Pix nonetheless finds a way to use the unwanted images to improve on the final product.

      “Before the remaining frames are deleted, the app uses data from the entire burst to remove noise, and then intelligently brightens faces, beautifies skin and adjusts the picture’s color and tone. These best, enhanced images are ready in about a second,” continued Microsoft.

      To combat ill-timed eye blinks, the team behind the app dug into its facial-recognition algorithms and devised a way to detect whether eyes are open or closed. This so-called open-eye detector ranks images within the 10-frame burst (open eyes higher, closed eyes lower) to help ensure that the photos’ subjects look alert and in the moment.

      To add a little extra flair to still photos, Pix features Live Image support.

      Live Image can be used to create cinemagraphs, or still images that contain some subtle and repetitive motion like a flag fluttering in the background. In Pix, the feature automatically detects interesting activity and compensates for camera movement to create short video loops with a hint of motion.

      Also included is Microsoft Hyperlapse, a technology that turns jerky video footage into smooth, sped-up videos. Hyperlapse is also available as a stand-alone app for iOS, Android and Windows.

      Of course, Microsoft isn’t the only technology giant seeking to enhance the smartphone photography experience.

      A new gesture-based Camera app is coming to Android 7 (“Nougat”). Developers and beta testers can now switch to selfie mode with a quick twist of their handsets in the updated Camera 4.1 app. Typically, smartphone camera apps require users to tap a mode-switching icon to activate the front-facing camera.

      Also new is the ability to pause and resume live video and new volume button settings. Apart from doubling as a camera shutter, users can configure their physical volume buttons to zoom in and out while recording video.

      Pedro Hernandez
      Pedro Hernandez is a contributor to eWEEK and the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Previously, he served as a managing editor for the Internet.com network of IT-related websites and as the Green IT curator for GigaOM Pro.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×