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You probably never thought you'd be making goofy GIF selfies on your Chromebook, but here we are
Google is bringing a GIF maker to your Chromebook's camera
GIFs have ruled the internet for the past three decades, and while other image file formats offer more colors and better compression, they just can't touch GIF's trump card: animation. People use these eye-catchy animations everywhere, whether expressing their mood, or reacting to a meme on platforms like Instagram or Twitter. If you're tired of using the same GIFs over and over, there are plenty of tools around for making your own animations. Soon, even your Chromebook may be lending its hand to help create your goofiest GIF yet.
In his review of Samsung's Galaxy S9, David remarked that camera performance relative to Google's latest offerings was somewhat wanting. Front-facing camera performance in particular, he noted, was "pretty meh." Samsung apparently agreed, as patch notes for January's update call out selfie shooter improvements.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "My arms are just too short to take a totally rad selfie." Well, why not have a drone do it? The previously announced AirSelfie2 drone aircraft is available for purchase. Never again will you need to stretch your arm to the limit to get those Insta-likes.Let's be serious for a moment, if indeed you can be serious about a flying robot that takes selfies. This is an upgraded version of the original AirSelfie with a 12MP camera, and it supports 1080p video capture. It's about the size of a phone and has four rotors that keep it aloft for five minutes per charge.
Microsoft Selfie has been available on iOS since last December. What took it this long to reach Android is anyone's guess, especially considering the company's very prolific releases on our beloved platform, but it's not like anyone of us was heartbroken over the delay of the app or spending sleepless nights tossing and turning in bed just wishing for Microsoft to come and save them from selfie mediocrity.
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Artem wanted someone on the team to write up a deal alert in which we point our readers toward a selfie stick. After a contentious debate in which no one else agreed that we should do this, here I am.I've never used a selfie stick. I don't even take selfies without a stick. I have no problem with taking a picture of myself, but something about the ease of doing so with a phone makes the experience feel too narcissistic. Besides, front-facing cameras tend to be crap.I don't know what makes any given selfie stick better than another, but Artem says this one is pretty good. After plugging the stick into your phone's earphone jack, you can take photos using a button on the handle. This, I'm told, separates pointless selfie sticks from the more pointless ones. Plus this stick comes from Spigen, and it has 4.3 stars.
I've been taking "selfies" for more than a decade. Back in 2005, we just called them photos, except we pointed the camera at ourselves instead of the world, and we felt a small but appropriate surge of vanity doing so. It was just fun. Then selfies became a thing, and now you can't take a photo of yourself without feeling like a self-centered 12 year old teenager bragging about his/her latest hairdo on Instagram. It's impossible to walk down the streets of some cities without seeing someone trying to lend you a selfie stick for a few bucks, or to go to a restaurant or pub without seeing a group of friends taking selfies together, or really to engage in any activity without having someone suggest taking a selfie... because selfie or it didn't happen, amirite?
As smartphones become more mature, it gets harder to truly innovate. Lenovo is at least trying something new with the new VIBE S1. It has not one but two front-facing cameras. Why would you want this? I don't know, but it exists anyway.
Lenovo might own Motorola now, but the company is still doing its own thing when it comes to mobile devices. There are a pair of new Android phones today, as well as a wearable and a completely self-indulgent accessory—a selfie flash. Your life is complete now, right?
There's little going on in the world of Android at the moment, and the holidays are why. Today many of us are celebrating New Year's Eve, so instead of major software updates, we get themed selfies. People firing up the Facebook Messenger app are seeing the option to celebrate the new year with a photo pop up at the top of their screens. Clicking the banner activates the front-facing camera and applies a festive overlay.
So you think you're too cool for selfies? Well, NASA's Curiosity rover traveled millions of miles and landed on Mars with a rocket sled, and it has taken a selfie or two. Having established the huge importance of selfies, you're probably chomping at the bit to take some, so why not use the new camera app Frontback? You can probably guess what it does from the name.