Since being acquired by Facebook for close to a billion dollars all those months ago, it's fair to say Instagram hasn't changed a great deal. The tried-and-tested method of facilitating photos, filters, comments and likes hasn't gotten any less popular as we approach the end of 2012, and today, Instagram has pushed out a couple of new features to keep Instafans happy-snapping.
If there's one certainty in life, especially in the world of technology, it's that someone somewhere probably thinks they can do whatever you do, but better. People think they would make a better job of running Facebook or Twitter. That they know how Google should move forward with Android and, sometimes, they even know how to write awesome tech articles. Who knew?!
For a while it looked liked Facebook's new commitment to mobile strategy had come to a rather abrupt end after updating their own iOS mobile app into a true native experience. It isn't really a secret that the world's largest social network is also now the proud owner of what is possibly the world's most popular image sharing app, Instagram. Mark Zuckerberg's company acquired Instagram in a cash plus stock deal, and although the takeover resulted in a rather large update with some great new features, users have been left behind for iPhone 5 support.
If you've not heard of Instagram, then, first and foremost, welcome to 2012 - you're just in time for the next iPhone. Instagram is a simple photo-edit-share app that has taken the world by storm in the kind of explosive manner only Angry Birds masterminds Rovio Entertainment could claim to empathize with, and having been bought out by Facebook earlier this year, it's the only application which, along with the aforementioned bird-throwing hullabaloo, can be classified as a "billion-dollar app."
The invention dawn of the App Store meant that many thousands of developers were able to get their apps and creations seen by millions of people all over the world, and in some instances the apps turned over a very nice and welcome financial profit. One of the most successful and immediately recognizable apps, as well as being one that has left the developers in an extremely handsome financial position has to be Instagram, which has notched up millions of regular active members.
Instagram has its fair share of critics, and although I find myself checking the image-social networking platform on a daily basis, I do sympathize with their grievances somewhat. Still, although it's certainly important to recognize that an image of a cooked meal with a monochrome effect slapped on top of it does not equate to professional photography, it's key to remember Instagram is built for enjoyment, as opposed to professionalism.
In what comes off as a rather unusual and quirky move, Facebook has just released Facebook Camera for iOS. Aptly named, the app is essentially a standalone app that lets you manage and post photos on the social networking service. There's more to it than that, though; the service also offers 14 filters for you to "decorate" your photos with. In many ways, the app offers functionality that's very similar to that one prominent photo-sharing company they acquired last month for $1 billion. Now, I proceed, I just want to give Facebook credit for creating such a pleasantly-designed app; coming from a company that's notorious for terrible mobile apps, this is quite something.
Popular photo altering/sharing social app Instagram has enjoyed a pretty decent last few months by all accounts, and soon after releasing its long-awaited Android app, Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook came along and purchased it for an unbelievable $1 billion.
Now that Apple's tablet device has been blessed with that "Resolutionary" display, images appear sharper, colors more vivid, and sliding through a photo album is an infinitely more pleasing experience.
The Instagram service has been growing in popularity and prominence since its launch in October 2010 as an app for the iPhone and iPod touch. Eighteen months down the line, the service now has native iOS and Android app offerings as well as grabbing the headlines in a big way recently due to its $1 billion cash plus stock acquisition by Facebook.
