Photosynth


I wasn't sure if I wanted to review a game or not for my first app. Sure, life has its downtimes.. time to just kick back and enjoy a great game. However, I have an image to cultivate. I can't be ALL about fun. (I sure try though).

In the end I decided to compromise and review a tool, thats lots and lots of fun to use.


Todays app comes from a truly unlikely source. No, its not Mojang. (Hah. You thought i was going to say Minecraft PE Demo, didn't you. Notch would be proud). 

No, this app is from an even better known company than that... A company that is beheld as the very bastion of evil by many. It tries to force install its hapless Internet Explorer onto every hard drive in existence. And its founder is practically rolling in the money made off of the mindless masses who eat up every broken edition of its OS.

Yes, I'm talking about Microsoft. I'm not a huge fan of the corporation. Never was and never will be. However, today's app rises up out of the ashes of the company's tarnished reputation.. And really does amaze.


Photosynth is a digital panorama stitching app that is incredibly easy to use and literally takes seconds, (or minutes, if you are a very slow learner), to learn how to do stuff in. Out of all the panorama apps on the IOS app store, (sorry.. No android love here), I found this to be the one app that is a must have for the traveler, the iPhone photographer, or the geek just wanting something new to show off to the coworkers at the next awkward company picnic.


However, this is NOT a simple panorama app. Get ready for the boom.


This app's main feature, the selling point that sets it apart, the feature that puts it on the "awesomeness level 1000 list" for me, is it's one of a kind ability to create 360 degree "virtual tours". By simply rotating your iTouch you can create a whole interactive experience for someone else to explore. As you rotate, keeping the camera in the same spot at all times, the app automatically snaps photo after photo, giving you on-screen guides as to where to point your Apple device next. Your virtual tours can be uploaded to a website (photosynth.net) and from there they are ready to be shared with your friends, family, or the entire world wide web (I know, its scary for me too). Also the boys and girls at Microsoft included some handy upload buttons for the Big Two- Facebook and Twitter... for your uploading pleasure.


I have to be honest here. I never expected anything out of Micro$oft that had this level of polish. Its clean, uncluttered, and quick on its feet.

Everything good has at least a small downside they say. In this particular incidence its a pretty big plug for Bing, which we all know and hate. I mean, theres an option to "Make Bing your homepage".

Really, Microsoft? No thanks. I like my duckduckgo just fine.


All in all this is pretty near perfection as far as apps go. Its simple. Its clean. It does what it needs to do with minimal overhead and distraction. And its a whole bunch of fun to use. 


All for 0 dollars down.


And to think photographers fork over $895 for a Gigapan Epic pro. Really, folks. Priorities.


Taf out.




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