RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘acquires’

Apple acquires Spectral Edge to boost iPhone camera performance

13 Dec

It looks like Apple might have just made another move to improve image quality on its iPhone camera. Bloomberg reports that according to filings made public in the U.K. on Thursday, Apple has acquired the Cambridge, U.K.-based startup Spectral Edge Ltd..

Spectral Edge has developed a technology that can improve detail and color on digital cameras by taking an infrared picture and merging it with a conventional color photo using machine learning. Apple is already using AI in some of its camera algorithms, for example to improve low light images, so using AI to improve other aspects of image quality would fit nicely into the concept.

The Spectral Edge technology can be applied via software or baked into hardware which would allow Apple to integrate it into a custom image signal processor.

No purchase price has been reported but last year Spectral Edge said it raised more than $ 5 million in funding.

We should not expect the technology to be integrated in the next iPhone generation but in the medium and long term it will be interesting to see if Spectral Edge can help improve smartphone imaging.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Apple acquires Spectral Edge to boost iPhone camera performance

Posted in Uncategorized

 

VSCO acquires Rylo for its advanced mobile video editing software

11 Dec

VSCO, the company behind the popular photo editing app by the same name, has announced its acquisition of Rylo, a company known for its compact camera and advanced video stabilization technology. VSCO explains that the use of video editing has doubled on its platform over the past year, underscoring the growing demand for video tools. The newly announced acquisition will give the company access to Rylo’s video editing software.

According to Rylo’s founders Chris Cunningham and Alex Karpenko, their company will shift its focus entirely to software, leaving the physical camera aspect behind. The Rylo app will be available to download on mobile and macOS until January 31, 2021, and the Rylo camera will remain available to purchase from Best Buy until the units are sold out. The Rylo camera and app will remain available to use following the acquisition.

‘Building high-end video editing capability on mobile is no small feat and we believe our combined technology and focus on video will help pave new innovation for video editing tools,’ VSCO CEO Joel Flory said as part of the company’s announcement. ‘We can’t wait to make these new tools available to the VSCO community next year.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on VSCO acquires Rylo for its advanced mobile video editing software

Posted in Uncategorized

 

EyeQ acquires image optimization company Athentech and its Perfectly Clear technology

05 Apr

Athentech, the company behind the Perfectly Clear image optimization algorithm, which is used by printing services and deployed in Bibble and Corel´s PaintShop Pro among other applications, has been acquired by Canadian company EyeQ. The new owners say they will maintain all of Athentech’s current business and will continue to offer the Perfectly Clear technology. They are also planning to invest in areas such as artificial intelligence and innovative workflow solutions.

‘Athentech was built by a team of leading scientists, physicists, and photographers on a mission to make every photo as brilliant, vibrant, and clear as possible, just like our human eye captured, all while maintaining color integrity. Our acquisition is an exciting inflection point that adds more financial muscle and expertise to allow us to upscale this 15-year mission and reach more companies worldwide,’ said Brad Malcolm, President and CEO, EyeQ.

As the first post-acquisition move the company has announced a new Web API which offers cloud-based access to the same technologies available in the latest SDK, without a need for any integration. The solution is aimed at business users who can send original JPG files and receive corrected image pretty much immediately.

EyeQ is a venture-capital backed company and on its website describes itself as ‘an innovative digital imaging company focused on evolving the way businesses correct and process batch imagery.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on EyeQ acquires image optimization company Athentech and its Perfectly Clear technology

Posted in Uncategorized

 

DxO acquires Nik Collection from Google and will continue to offer it for free… for now

25 Oct

Look alive, Nik Collection fans: the software suite is back from the (mostly) dead. It will change hands from Google to DxO, who will continue to offer it as Photoshop and Lightroom plug-ins, as well as incorporate it into their own software. DxO will offer a new flagship application called PhotoLab, a version of OpticsPro that will incorporate Nik Collection’s U Point technology.

We spoke with Aravind Krishnaswamy, a Google Engineering Director, and DxO founder/CEO Jerome Meniere about the acquisition. Krishnaswamy mentioned Google’s need to focus on its Photos application, but that they want the Nik community to have a future, and a place to continue using the suite’s tools.

That’s where DxO picks things up. The Nik Collection in its present state will continue to be offered for free – for now. Meniere hints that this may not always be the case, and DxO plans to develop a new “Nik Collection 2018” for mid-next year. Meniere also mentions that they’d like to work with the Nik community to take the software in a direction that they’d like to see it go.

Not surprisingly, Nik-developed Snapseed is not included in the transaction, and will remain with Google. The company plans to continue actively developing and improving the mobile image editing app.

Head to DxO’s dedicated Nik Collection site if you’d like to snag free versions of the plug-ins while you still can.

Press release

DxO acquires Nik Collection assets from Google and plans to set a new bar on Photo editing softwares

PARIS – October 25, 2017 – DxO, one of the most innovative companies in consumer imaging, today announced the acquisition of the Nik Collection assets from Google.

DxO plans to continue development of the Nik Collection. The current version will remain available for free on DxO’s dedicated website, while a new “Nik Collection 2018 Edition” is planned for mid-next year.

“The Nik Collection gives photographers tools to create photos they absolutely love,” said Aravind Krishnaswamy, an Engineering Director with Google. “We’re thrilled to have DxO, a company dedicated to high-quality photography solutions, acquire and continue to develop it.”

“We are very excited to welcome the Nik Collection to the DxO family,” said Jérôme Ménière, CEO and founder of DxO. “DxO revolutionized the image processing market many times over the years with its innovative solutions, and we are convinced that we will continue to do so with Nik’s tools, which offer new creative opportunities for photographers. The latest version of our flagship software DxO PhotoLab, which is available as of now, is the first embodiment of this thrilling acquisition with built-in U point Technology.”

About the Nik Collection

The Nik Collection is composed of seven desktop plugins for Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop that provide a powerful range of photo editing capabilities — from filter applications that improve color correction, to retouching and creative effects, to image sharpening that brings out hidden details, to the ability to adjust the color and tonality of images. The current lineup of the Nik Collection includes:

  • Analog Efex Pro: Applies film-era camera, lens, and film simulations to digital images
  • Color Efex Pro: A comprehensive set of filters for color correction, retouching, and creative effects
  • Dfine: Noise reduction software for camera-specific digital images
  • HDR Efex Pro: Specialized program for processing HDR pictures
  • Sharpener Pro: Image sharpening for digital images
  • Silver Efex Pro: Black & White conversion of images with darkroom-inspired controls
  • Viveza: Selectively adjusts image color and tonality without complicated masks or selections

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on DxO acquires Nik Collection from Google and will continue to offer it for free… for now

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Apple acquires AI startup that scores your photos’ framing, composition and more

03 Oct

Apple has reportedly acquired a small computer vision startup called Regaind, according to TechCrunch, who is citing ‘multiple sources.’ The acquisition falls onto our radar because of what Regaind’s technology is designed to do, namely: score photographs based on their composition, lighting, perspective, and other aesthetic qualities.

In other words, the company’s computer vision algorithms can tell how ‘good’ your photo is, insofar as such things can be analyzed objectively.

TechCrunch reports that the acquisition happened ‘earlier this year’, and while Apple hasn’t confirmed the news, the statement it sent to TechCrunch doesn’t deny it either. In fact, it’s about as close to ‘confirmation’ as Apple ever gets in such matters:

Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.

A quick look at Regaind’s website will give you a look at the kind of information the company can ‘see’ in your photographs. This more professional portrait, for example, scores high in the areas of Aesthetics, Sharpness and Exposure, with multiple positive ‘Properties’ highlighted such as ‘Subject Well Framed’ and ‘Pleasant Blur.’

This birthday snapshot, however, scores much lower and suffers from ‘Dull Colors’ and an ‘Annoying Background.’

How Apple intends to use this technology (or already is?) may never be explicitly stated, but Regaind’s technology will no doubt make it into Apple’s Photos app on both macOS and iOS, and may even help future iterations of the iPhone camera prompt you to frame your subject better, seek better lighting, or get rid of that ‘Annoying Background’.

Your guess is as good as ours, but if you want to learn more about this company Apple almost certainly acquired, head over to the Regaind website by clicking here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Apple acquires AI startup that scores your photos’ framing, composition and more

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Netflix acquires rights to Kodachrome: a movie about the final days of the iconic film

16 Sep
Photo courtesy Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)

Netflix has acquired the rights to Kodachrome, an upcoming Jason Sudeikis movie about the last days of the Kodachrome film era. The news was first reported by Deadline, who is claiming that Netflix paid $ 4 million for the rights and plans a widespread theatrical release that could cover theaters in major regions around the world—including the US, UK, Canada, and Japan.

Kodachrome the movie revolves around a father and son on a road trip to get to one of Kodak’s photo processing labs before it closes down forever. The screenplay was inspired by a New York Times article about the last lab in the world that was processing the now-iconic film stock; in the movie, the characters are racing against time to try and get four rolls developed before it’s too late.

True to the film’s theme, Kodachrome was shot on film, not digital, and features the acting talents of Jason Sudeikis, Ed Harris, and Elizabeth Olsen. Here’s hoping it comes to a theatre near you… and pays proper tribute to the analog legend.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Netflix acquires rights to Kodachrome: a movie about the final days of the iconic film

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Adobe acquires Mettle SkyBox suite of VR plug-ins

26 Jun
Adobe has acquired Mettle, the makers of the popular SkyBox suite of 360-degree-video and VR editing tools for Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects. Mettle founder Chris Bobotis takes on the role of director, professional video at Adobe.
The SkyBox suite will no longer be available for separate purchase but existing SkyBox customers will continue to have the same contact and support process through Mettle. The suite will be integrated into Adobe Creative Cloud by the end of the year. Until then Adobe CC subscribers will be able to access the SkyBox tools by sending an email to dvaplugin@adobe.com. You should inlude your Adobe ID and first and last name as it appears on your account. Adobe then will get back to you within a week.

Adobe says that many of its users have been relying on the SkyBox Suite of plug-ins from Mettle for VR transitions, titles, and effects and it therefore made sense to make the plug-ins available to all subscribers through Creative Cloud.

“We believe that making virtual-reality content should be as easy as possible for creators. The acquisition of SkyBox plugins and Mettle technology allows us to deliver a more highly integrated VR editing and effects experience to the film and video community by the end of the year,” said Bill Roberts, Adobe senior director of professional video product management. You can read the full announcement on the Adobe Blog.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Adobe acquires Mettle SkyBox suite of VR plug-ins

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Verizon officially acquires Yahoo including Flickr

15 Jun

It’s been written on the wall for a while, but now US network operator Verizon has confirmed its acquisition of Yahoo in a deal worth $ 4.48 billion. This also means that Yahoo’s online image sharing platform Flickr is now in the hands of Verizon. With both AOL and Yahoo now owned by Verizon it seems the network giant is planning to combine the two companies and a few of its other subsidiaries into a new service called Oath.

“We’re putting together one of the largest companies on the planet that’s focused on brands,” says Tim Armstrong, CEO of AOL. “Oath is our house of 50+ media and technology brands. We reach over 1 billion consumers around the world.”

In the process of merging Yahoo and AOL 2,100 employees will be made redundant but Flickr users should, at least in the short term, not expect any major changes to the service as Verizon says it has no immediate plans to change Flickr pricing.

It appears the Oath service has been structured to compete with other major ad platforms, such as Facebook or Google but it remains to be seen what the move will mean for Flickr. Under Yahoo ownership the service has not necessarily been developed in a way that users and photographers would have liked. We’ll have to wait and see if Verizon and Oath can increase the rate of innovation at Flickr and bring the site back to its former glory.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Verizon officially acquires Yahoo including Flickr

Posted in Uncategorized

 

KitSplit acquires CameraLends, becomes largest peer-to-peer camera rental platform

11 Jan

Peer-to-peer camera equipment rental platform KitSplit has acquired its rival CameraLends to form the world’s largest peer-to-peer gear rental community. The combined entity will be managed under the KitSplit brand from headquarters in New York and CameraLends founder Adam Derewecki will join KitSplit as an advisor. 

“There are more content creators today than ever before and they all need access to top quality, affordable gear. Since launching a little over a year ago, KitSplit has made huge improvements in gear rentals, making creative work and connecting with creators even easier and more affordable. The CameraLends acquisition will further our goals of democratizing access to great gear and empowering creators,” says KitSplit cofounder and CEO Lisbeth Kaufman.

CameraLends user accounts including gear information have already been integrated into the Kitsplit web platform to smooth the transition for existing CameraLends users. In addition to individuals, KitSplit also works with rental houses and production companies to expand its gear pool. More information is available on the KitSplit website.  

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on KitSplit acquires CameraLends, becomes largest peer-to-peer camera rental platform

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Flickr ownership changes hands as Verizon acquires Yahoo

25 Jul

Telecomm giant Verizon will acquire Yahoo and its web properties, including Flickr and photo blogging site Tumblr, for $ 4.83 billion. It seemed possible that Yahoo might sell its photo-sharing sites separately, as the company announced in March that it was accepting bids for its web properties. Today’s announcement confirms that both Flickr and Tumblr will remain a part of Yahoo as it changes hands to Verizon.

Verizon owns AOL and Huffington Post, a point that Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer spins as a positive for her company’s outlook. In a statement published on Yahoo today, Mayer emphasized that joining forces with AOL could help strengthen Yahoo’s mobile offerings.

Regulators must approve the sale before it can be finalized, which is expected to be early next year.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Flickr ownership changes hands as Verizon acquires Yahoo

Posted in Uncategorized

 
« Older Entries