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Google Photos Turns One, Now Hosts 24 Billion Selfies

This past weekend marked the first birthday of Google Photos, the long-awaited standalone photo hosting and sharing service that was announced back on May 28, 2015. To celebrate the occasion, Google has some interesting facts and helpful tips for you.

Google’s New Keyboard for iOS Has Image and GIF Search Built-In

Google is giving iOS users a treat today with the GBoard: a custom keyboard for iOS that builds image and gif searching right into your keyboard. No need to switch apps, copy, switch back, and paste that cool tutorial, PetaPixel link, or inspirational photo into your conversation... no need to leave the convo at all.

Google Camera Testing RAW + JPEG Support: Report

The Google Camera app is definitely not the most advanced photo and video capture app available to Android users, but a new report suggests Google is testing a feature that will definitely appeal to photo loving users: RAW + JPEG shooting.

Getty Goes After Google in Europe, Accuses them of Enabling Photo Theft

Getty Images is making waves today after filing a formal complaint against none other than search and tech giant Google with the EU Antitrust commission. The complaint accuses Google Image Search of promoting piracy, "resulting in widespread copyright infringement [and] turning users into accidental pirates."

12 Inspiring Talks by Photographers at Google

"Talks at Google" is a program in which notable people in various industries are brought to Google to talk about their work. Over the years, a large number of notable photographers have participated to share their stories and images.

Google Killing Off Picasa to Focus on Google Photos

Google has been making big moves into the world of digital photos recently through its Google Photos product, which offers free and unlimited storage and sharing. As the popularity of the service grows -- over 100 million people use it now -- the relevance of another fades: Google announced today that it's shutting down Picasa to focus solely on Google Photos.

You Can Get 2GB of Free Google Storage Today

Deal alert: if you use Google's services for your photos, emails, or life in general, you can snag an extra 2GB of permanent storage space for free today. All you need to do complete Google's simple Security Checkup to verify that your account is secure -- it takes just a few clicks of your mouse.

Google Uses Tiny Camera Cars to Shoot Tiny Street View of Tiny World

Google's Street View cameras have gone to the ends of the Earth, from under the sea to desolate deserts, in order to document the world in photos. The project is grand, but its latest effort is on a much smaller scale -- literally.

The company just announced Street View for the famous Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany, the world's largest model railway. To shoot the images, Google mounted tiny cameras to tiny vehicles (they also had a tiny Street View car look-alike drive around).

NYTimes to Bundle 1 Million+ Google Cardboards for VR Photojournalism

The rise of virtual reality photojournalism will get a huge boost this weekend thanks to the New York Times. The newspaper's Sunday bundle for print subscribers will include a free Google Cardboard viewer for experiencing immersive photo and video content. Over 1 million units will be shipping with the paper, and another 300,000 will be sent to digital subscribers as well.

100 Million People Are Now Using Google Photos

Google announced yesterday that Google Photos has just crossed the huge milestone of 100 million active users per month. The news comes less than half a year after the May 2015 announcement of the the standalone service, which provides people with free and unlimited photo sharing.

GoPro’s 16-Camera 360° Rig is Called the Odyssey and Will Cost $15,000

Back in May, Google announced "JUMP", a new technology standard aimed at creating fully immersive content for virtual reality. At the time, Google showed off a demo camera rig that utilized over 16 separate GoPros. The folks over at GoPro have finally decided to release a production version of the apparatus that'll be available for purchase. Called the Odyssey panoramic capture rig, it features 16 synchronized GoPro HERO4 Black cameras recording 8K video at 30fps.

Google Street View Now Has Its Own App on Android, 360° Photo Sharing

Google set out in 2007 to create an ambitious effort called Street View: a project aimed at providing panoramic views of individual streets around the world. The unique feature, which has since been copied by other mapping services, has, on Android devices, lived within the Google Maps app. Now, however, Street View is breaking free into its own separate application, and it includes a few features for capturing and sharing your own photospheres.

Wow: This Algorithm Can Separate Reflections from Photographs

Researchers at Google and MIT have figured out a way to automatically remove reflections and obstructions from photographs, and their latest demo of the technology is amazing.

Check out the 6.5-minute video above for an explanation of the algorithm and some examples of what it can do.

Sony’s New Photo-Centric Xperia Smartphones Shoot 13MP Selfies

Sony has announced two new Android smartphones: the Xperia C5 and Xperia M5. Both devices come equipped with large Full HD displays and fast Octa-core processors, but most interesting (to us at least) are the integrated cameras powered by Sony Exmor RS sensors. Both cameras feature a 13MP front facing camera for selfies, and the M5 boasts a hefty 21.5MP rear camera.

Practical Pointers for Getting Your Photos Noticed on Flickr and 500px

You have just composed your photographic masterpiece. After hours of planning, precise composition, and utilizing your technical knowledge, you have captured the perfect image. It's now time to share it with the world, but hours after posting your pièce de résistance, you've only received a meager two views.

In this article, we'll be discussing some basic tips for helping you make your work shine and become more noticeable on photo sharing sites.

Google Researchers Turn 2D Street View Photos Into Smooth 3D Tours

A group of Google researchers have created a new system called DeepStereo that can predict views of scenery it has never seen before. The technology allows a collection of images to be turned into a three-dimensional walkthrough using sophisticated algorithms to fill in areas that were absent from the photographs -- interpolating missing frames for a smooth experience.

The 2-minute video above shows some examples of what the system can create using Street View-style still photos.

Google Apologizes After Photos App Autotags Black People as ‘Gorillas’

Flickr sparked some controversy back in May after it was discovered that the service's new autotagging feature was prone to mislabeling black people as "apes." It looks like Google Photos developers didn't learn from Flickr's embarrassing misstep: a Google developer is apologizing after it was found that Google's Photos app misidentifies photos of black people as "gorillas."