November 8, 2011

Developer Conrad Kramer was poking around in iOS 5 when he stumbled upon a hidden panorama feature built into the operating system. It allows you to create panoramic photos by simply sweeping your camera across a scene. If you're familiar with iOS, unlocking the feature involves changing a single line in a preference file (set EnableFirebreak to "YES" in com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist). People with jailbroken iPhones and iPods can also download the new Firebreak app in Cydia.

If you've never done film photography before, then you've never experienced the excitement that comes from seeing your images for the first time after your film has been processed. After photographing his way around the Great Lakes, photographer Ed Wargin sent his medium format film to the lab for processing: …

If you need to print some photos taken by someone else using print services at places like Walmart, be careful: if the photographs look "too professional" some places will require a written copyright release before allowing you to pick up the prints -- even after you've paid for them. The Consumerist has a story of a woman named Jessica who ran into problems at Walmart after collecting photos from a couple pro photographer friends for a friend's funeral: …

Regulatory paperwork published by the FCC recently has revealed details about an upcoming Belkin-made remote shutter release for the iPhone. In addition to allowing iPhoneographers to take pictures (or video) from a distance, the Bluetooth device also houses a detachable stand for propping your phone upright. No word yet on pricing or availability.

If you're looking for a photo idea, try this: grab a friend, find some sloped ground, and have them lean for a photo. Photographer Paul Octavious snapped these beautiful photographs of two of his buddies using this idea.

Olympus admitted today that its top executives used dubious acquisitions to sweep 20 years of massive losses under the carpet. At a press conference in Tokyo, new President Shuichi Takayama revealed that the 2008 acquisitions at the center of the company's ongoing scandal were used to cover-up failed securities investments dating back to the early 1990s. Michael Woodford, the ex-CEO who brought the acquisitions to light, says that further inquiry is needed and that the company leadership needs …

How's this for a unique pet photograph? Angelo DeSantis of Berkeley, CA was photographing his cat Dexter with a Canon 5D Mark II when he snapped this once-in-a-lifetime shot that appears to show Dexter throwing a mouse. It pays to have a fast shutter finger.

Photographer Edouard Janssens recently sent a weather balloon equipped with a Sony NEX-5 and a GoPro HD to the edges of space. While this isn't exactly a novel idea, the GoPro camera managed to capture footage of a jet airliner whizzing by at roughly the same altitude! …

After arriving late to the digital photography party, Kodak took another step away from the market yesterday by selling off its sensor business to CA-based firm Platinum Equity. The sale of Kodak Image Sensor Solutions (KISS) -- which includes the company's 263,000 square foot facility in Rochester -- will hopefully give Kodak the boost of cash it needs to avoid bankruptcy and turn into a healthy business. Kodak sensors are found in a number of popular cameras, including the Leica M9 and S2.