One of key promises made by Mark Zuckerberg upon Facebook's acquisition of Instagram, was that the image-sharing network would retain its own identity, and would not simply become a Facebook-branded product. Thankfully for Instagram fans, that promise has been delivered upon hitherto, although an update to Instagram's privacy policy suggests its Facebook integration will grow a great deal stronger over the coming months.
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.
Remember the old Instagram Socialmatic Camera Concept we discussed in detail back in May? Well, as it turns out, the folks behind the concept are now working on turning the concept into reality with a mass manufactured digital-camera-shaped-like-the-Instagram-logo that lets you shoot, edit, and share / print tree easy steps.
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.
Instagram has managed to make itself one of the most popular and well-known apps on the App Store and Google Play Store, notching up over 80 million registered members on its extremely eventful journey. The Instagram story hasn't been without its set backs, as you might expect from a team of developers venturing into the unknown on a relatively new platform, but with the membership-base growing everyday and the relatively recent acquisition by Facebook, Kevin Systrom and his twelve man team are now able to relax a little as they continue to build the app and grow the Instagram name.
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.
Do you ever sit back and think that people have way too much time on their hands to have come up with the weird and zany inventions that adorn our shelves and are available for sale on the internet? We are currently sitting at the pinnacle of innovation and technological advancements, and if we have absorbed anything on our journey here, it should be that anything is possible and it is often the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, and surprisingly, they do!
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.
Imagine a dedicated Instagram-inspired camera dedicated to those old-fashioned, Polaroid shots we all know and love, and then picture that camera with the sleek, smooth edges of an iPhone 4S. Got a rough idea in your mind? Well, the chances are, you thought processes wouldn't have led you to anything like the masterpiece crafted by resident concept-designer Antonio De Rosa, who has once again treated us to a sublime figment of his tech-tastic imagination.
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.
