Microsoft Pix promises to improve iPhone photography, independent of the user
Microsoft on Wednesday released Pix, a new photo application that utilizes the company's machine learning skills with a computational photography implementation intended to improve the quality of photos shot on an iPhone 5s or newer.
To assist in composition and automatic image tailoring, Microsoft Pix takes a continuous stream of photos as it is running. The app tracks faces, and sets parameters for exposure on the fly, while the app is open, and even before a picture is taken.
When the user hits the shutter button, the app takes seven frames from the half second preceding the button press, and three after the push, and presents the user with what the app considers to be the best choice, and up to two other options.
The remaining shots not presented to the user are are examined for ways to improve the presented images before they are discarded. Color correction, de-speckling, and removal of image noise are performed automatically by the app with collated data from unused frames.
Images taken with the app can be combined into "cinemagraphs." Unlike Apple's Live Photos function, part of a Pix-generated cinemagraph is in motion, and the rest static. Not every image is selected for the cinemagraph treatment, with the app automatically selecting only "interesting" subjects, according to Microsoft computational photography project lead Josh Weisberg.
Microsoft Pix also can speed up videos using the same technology that the company used in Hyperlapse for Android. Additionally, the app retains conventional mobile app editing tools, filters, and sharing features.
Microsoft claims that it can take up to three seconds for a photo to appear after the user has taken the shot. Initial AppleInsider tests on an iPhone SE and iPhone 6s plus on a myriad of subjects showed about a 1.5 second delay with a dynamic subject, such as a child in motion. A static image, such as the basset hound seen in the above image, processed in well less than a second.
The core of the app, computational photography, shifts the emphasis in photography from optical processes to digital manipulation. Focus of an image after the picture is taken in RAW-format images is an example of the discipline, as are panoramic images stitched together by camera or computer software.
Microsoft Pix is available now on the iOS App Store, and requires iOS 9, and an iPhone 5s or better. The app requires the sixth generation iPod Touch, the iPad Air, the iPad mini 2, or newer. Storage requirements start at 149MB, and grow as photos are taken with the app. The app requests access to the user's photo library, the camera, and location information.
To assist in composition and automatic image tailoring, Microsoft Pix takes a continuous stream of photos as it is running. The app tracks faces, and sets parameters for exposure on the fly, while the app is open, and even before a picture is taken.
When the user hits the shutter button, the app takes seven frames from the half second preceding the button press, and three after the push, and presents the user with what the app considers to be the best choice, and up to two other options.
The remaining shots not presented to the user are are examined for ways to improve the presented images before they are discarded. Color correction, de-speckling, and removal of image noise are performed automatically by the app with collated data from unused frames.
Images taken with the app can be combined into "cinemagraphs." Unlike Apple's Live Photos function, part of a Pix-generated cinemagraph is in motion, and the rest static. Not every image is selected for the cinemagraph treatment, with the app automatically selecting only "interesting" subjects, according to Microsoft computational photography project lead Josh Weisberg.
Microsoft Pix also can speed up videos using the same technology that the company used in Hyperlapse for Android. Additionally, the app retains conventional mobile app editing tools, filters, and sharing features.
Microsoft claims that it can take up to three seconds for a photo to appear after the user has taken the shot. Initial AppleInsider tests on an iPhone SE and iPhone 6s plus on a myriad of subjects showed about a 1.5 second delay with a dynamic subject, such as a child in motion. A static image, such as the basset hound seen in the above image, processed in well less than a second.
The core of the app, computational photography, shifts the emphasis in photography from optical processes to digital manipulation. Focus of an image after the picture is taken in RAW-format images is an example of the discipline, as are panoramic images stitched together by camera or computer software.
Microsoft Pix is available now on the iOS App Store, and requires iOS 9, and an iPhone 5s or better. The app requires the sixth generation iPod Touch, the iPad Air, the iPad mini 2, or newer. Storage requirements start at 149MB, and grow as photos are taken with the app. The app requests access to the user's photo library, the camera, and location information.
Comments
Is Apple really comfortable ceding so much to Google and Microsoft? It gets sickening hearing about great software not made by Apple. When the iPad Pro was first announced it was Microsoft and Adobe apps that were highlighted, not anything from Apple. The last time Apple made a big deal about any of their productivity software was 2013. I get the feeling Apple is transitioning to an operating systems only company.
If you don't have RAW, you always lose something (though perceptually this loss may not matter to you, say losing contrast for color fidelity (or whatever you deem more important).
Thanks. I was just about to ask how many freakin' Microsoft apps are there on iOS.
Next time someone accuses Apple of being a monopoly, all they have to say is that Microsoft has more apps than Apple in Apple's App Store!
Apple really only writes software for Apple devices when there was no 3rd party choices or what few 3rd party choices there are, are not as good as their PC counterparts. Apple users would actually leave the platform if popular 3rd party software like Photoshop, MS Office, Roxio Toast, Google Map, Google Search, Kindle Reader, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc., were not available on Macs or iDevices.
The reason why so many computer users are sticking to the PC platform is because of all the 3rd party software and games available for that platform, compared to a Mac. Even if the average PC computer users will never have the need for over 99% of the software available to them. And it's the reason why Apple actually encourages 3rd parties to develop for OSX and iOS. The more 3rd party apps (both software programs and games) available on iOS, the more likely users will stick around. Not because they are stuck using any software programs written by Apple.
But to be realistic, the only 'great" software that Apple is known for is the Mac OS and iOS, (and maybe iTunes and Final Cut Pro at one time) all their other software has counterparts (in other platforms) that are better or considered the standard and thus way more popular. Even if it doesn't come free with their computer purchase. But OSX and iOS can not exist if it doesn't run 3rd party software that are available. Where would Apple be today if 3rd party software by MS and Adobe were not available on the Mac in the 80's and 90's? Apple strength as a software company is tied to them writing OS's that are directly tied to their hardware. Not writing software programs that are tied to their OS.
Besides, just because Microsoft has all those apps doesn't mean that people are using them. IMO, the disadvantage of the App Store is that there's far too many apps and therefore it's difficult to find either the right app or the best app. And because there's so many apps, the "hits" become a self-fulfilling prophesy because once they "sell" well, they will keep selling well because it's the first thing users see (similar to the way no one ever goes past the first two pages of Google results). Frankly, I don't see why most developers bother - only a few make the real money.