After a successful Indiegogo launch, the 360 camera add-on for Android Insta360 Air is available at retailers in the U.S. and Europe and the company is expecting to add even more features.
The Insta360 Air is a golf ball-sized camera that records 360 images and video from an Android phone. Plugging into a micro USB port, the accessory shoots scrollable 360 or “Little Planet” type shots, as well more standard shots and a separate mode for viewing with virtual reality goggles later.
Insta360 launched an iPhone-compatible 360 camera add-on in 2016, followed by an Indiegogo campaign for the Air in November. The campaign exceeded half its goal in a single day, but for the crowdfunding wary, the Air is now selling at retailers including B&H Photo Video and the manufacturer’s website.
Insta360 says the Air is a plug-and-play device with an intuitive design for simple 360. The Air uses two fisheye lenses and automatic stitching software to shoot 3K photos and 2.5K videos — though, like other consumer 360 cameras, those pixels are stretched through the entire 360 view. The live-capable camera can also double as a webcam with a USB attachment for desktop use.
While the Insta360 Air is the same camera that launched on Indiegogo, the company says they are currently developing additional features in the form of firmware updates, including image stabilization in real time. The stabilization is a software that corrects differences between frames to electronically create a smoother video. While electronic stabilization is common on affordable cameras, the company says the stabilization is expected to work for live streams as well.
The Air retails for $129 and is available in the U.S. as well as the U.K., Canada, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, and Japan.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.