filters

Twitter said today that it was releasing a new version of its iPhone and Android apps that would allow users to filter their photos directly from their devices, a move that directly challenges Instagram's stranglehold on artistic photo sharing. But while the new Android version is already available, the iPhone version is not.

In its blog post announcing the new versions, Twitter said that, "Starting today, you'll be able to edit and refine your photos, right from Twitter. The latest versions of Twitter for iPhone and Twitter for Android introduce a few new ways to enhance the … Read more

Instagram rolled out new apps today with promises of a better camera, scaling and cropping functions, control over the blurring of photos and -- of course -- another filter.

The company touted its upgrades in a blog post highlighting the camera's new features for iOS. This includes an Instagram-themed shutter and shutter release button, a preview of the most recent photo on the camera roll, a grid guide for the scale and crop screen, and for those using the iPhone 5, an improved camera roll image selector.

Another improved feature, tilt-shift, allows for more precise blurring and a "… Read more

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey may have dropped the first public proof that Twitter is getting ready to release its own photo filtering feature, a tool it hopes could help in its increasingly tense battle with Instagram.

A report published today by All Things D suggested that informed sources have said that Twitter plans to launch its photo filtering tool before year's end. A series of black-and-white photos tweeted by Dorsey today appear to have been created using Twitter's own photo hosting service, pic.twitter.com. That would mean that Dorsey, who has largely relinquished his operational role at Twitter, … Read more

Have you ever begun to edit a photo and before you know it -- three filters, a border, and a crop later -- you've lost track of where you started? Going back to view the original photo is an option, but then you risk saving the current edit, or losing it altogether and having to start all over.

A post on Droid Life reveals a new feature in Android 4.2 that allows you to view the original photo during the edit process. It's simple to use in order to compare an original photo to the freshly edited … Read more

Generally the addition of "Express" to the name of any program means that it is a light or less feature-packed version of the original. However, in the case of Pixlr Express, the amount of options packed into the app doesn't make it feel like a light version at all.

The company behind this app is Autodesk, which also makes Pixlr-o-Matic and AutoCAD. Think of Pixlr Express as a beefed-up version of Pixlr-o-Matic; not only do you get all of the vintage filters, but another 600+ effects can be applied in the new app.

Get started by grabbing&… Read more

Google's Map Maker goes local by amplifying its service with information on neighborhood hot spots, cafes, gyms, and more. The Web giant announced today that it's doing this with a new Map Maker feature called Activity Stream.

Google Map Maker is a crowd-sourced mapping Web app that lets users create and customize maps on Google by adding locations and details on roads, businesses, landmarks, and other spots. It launched in 2008 and is available in most countries throughout the world. It's an important addition to Google's mapping services because it makes maps far more detailed.

In … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO -- Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom said he has no problem with Twitter adding filters -- something Facebook-owned Instagram is known for -- to its photos.

"I don't think that in anyway threatens Instagram because Instagram is a community and not a filter app," Systrom said at the GigaOm's Road Map conference in San Francisco.

It's been reported that Twitter is planning to launch a filters feature in the coming months.

Systrom said adding filters to photos is now ubiquitous with photo sharing and photo apps, so Twitter jumping on the bandwagon is not … Read more

Twitter appears poised to take on Instagram directly by offering sets of photo filters through its mobile apps, according to a report in The New York Times.

The Times reported that "in the coming months, Twitter plans to update its mobile applications to introduce filters for photos that will allow people to share altered images on Twitter and bypass Instagram."

If true, this would potentially be a very big move for Twitter, because it could keep people taking photos on smartphones from using the Facebook-owned Instagram altogether. Whether or not Twitter could create as passionate a community around … Read more