TNW Pick of the Day: PowerSketch transforms your iPhone snaps and videos into artwork
I don’t know about you, but I’ve just about had my fill of so-called Instagram alternatives, though I do still occasionally bust out Instagram itself if I’m looking to taint some snaps with a pseudo 1960s feel.
But what about apps that transform snaps into sketches? Well, PowerSketch for iOS has you covered there.
As with retro photo apps, there are already a slew of photo-to-sketch apps out there, such as My Sketch and Sketch Me. But PowerSketch is a worthy addition to the family offering a simple, streamlined way to quickly turn your images into artwork. Oh, and PowerSketch also lets you create arty videos based on the exact same effects available for your photos. Read more...
Scammers create fake Instagram app on Android
According to security company Sophos, a Russian web site has sprung up which offers a fake version of the popular Instagram app for Android. The Russian language site emulates the look of the official Instagram product page but the download link doesn't lead to the actual app on Google's Play store. Users who download the program from the Russian site get a fake app instead that sends out premium SMS text messages in the background which are used to earn revenue for the scammers. Read more...
Selling Versus Selling Out
“For many Instagram users it’s discomfiting to see a giant company they distrust purchase a tiny company they adore — like if Coldplay acquired Dirty Projectors, or a Gang of Four reunion was sponsored by Foxconn.” — Paul Ford
“ They didn’t sell “out”. They just sold. They’re a company not the fucking Rolling Stones.” — Paul Carr
“They could have done so much more,” is a quip I’ve been hearing a lot the past few days, about, who else? Instagram. The news that the Silicon Valley darling sold to Facebook left so many people heartbroken. Paul Ford over at New York magazine even wrote a long article about why so many people were heartbroken and, gasp, threatening to delete their Instagram accounts. Read more...
Facebook to acquire Instagram for $1bn
Facebook has announced that it will acquire photo-sharing service Instagram in a $1bn cash-and-stock deal.
"I'm excited to share the news that we've agreed to acquire Instagram and that their talented team will be joining Facebook," said CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a statement announcing the acquisition of what the release referred to as the "fun, popular photo-sharing app for mobile devices." Read more...