BLINK is a fun little camera app that came out of a summer project at Microsoft Research. It was demonstrated during the lead up to the release of Windows Phone 8 and was eventually released to the Store, receiving numerous updates over the past few months to improve things.
Today, version 2.0 has landed bringing with it a bunch of new features and new functionality. In short, it has basically become a ‘cinemagraph’ app now in addition to being able to grab the “perfect shot” as before.
Head past the break for the full change log and our quick video hands on for a tour of the new features!
Changelog
- Camera settings - change camera settings such as scene mode, exposure, white balance and ISO in capture mode
- Animation - Quickly set the motion range for animation in addition to selecting the best shot after capture
- Sharing - Share the animations to BLINK.so.cl, Facebook, or Twitter
- In-app viewing - View the animations in the in-app history, wait for a moment and they start animating!
- Web gallery - From the in-app history, view your shared BLINKs in the web gallery
- Save another - Your BLINKs are always saved within the app. Come back and save another shot to camera roll or change the animation range via "edit" in the in-app history
Dare we say, it looks like Microsoft took a page from Nokia’s book with their Cinemagraph app (though Nokia’s is still more advanced with its selective animations). Blink 2.0 builds off of the previous version nicely by giving users more control over the camera’s settings, which should make photo buffs happy.
With the animated BLINKs on board, one needs a way to share them with others (much like Nokia’s Cinemagraph issue), and so Microsoft has created a BLINK.so.cl server to upload the creations and to enable sharing with others. Unfortunately, things are still being “turned on” as our link brings us to a non-working “Private Beta” page, but that’s all backend stuff that can be sorted.
Anyway, head to the Store and pick up BLINK 2.0 for Windows Phone 8 here. Let us know in comments what you think!
Join us LIVE for the Windows Central Video Podcast today at 2:30PM ET
We're LIVE with the Windows Central Video Podcast today at 2:30pm ET, make sure you're there!
FTC obstructs NVIDIA's Arm acquisition with lawsuit
Yet another obstacle has come between NVIDIA's and Arm's pending merger. This time around, it's a full-on lawsuit from the FTC.
Review: Surface Duo 2 Pen Cover is a must-have for frequent Slim Pen users
If you have Surface Duo 2 and like the idea of using the pen all the time, the new $65 Pen Cover is an easy accessory to recommend. We’ve spent the last two weeks with it, and here is what you need to know.
These apps help you customize the look of Windows 11
Windows 11 has a new look, including a new Start menu and redesigned Taskbar. If you don't like the look of Windows 11, you can customize it with these apps.