Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) has launched “Hyperlapse” a new video sharing app on Instagram for recording cinematic time-lapses. The app is easy to use with only a single setting for the speed. Hyperlapse is available on iOS for the iPhone and iPad users. The social networking company did confirm Android launch, but gave no specific details.
App popular among employees
Facebook gave the permission to launch the app as standalone after it became an instant hit with the employees in January. Hyperlapse video idea was contributed by Instagram engineers Thomas Dimson and Alex Karpenko.
Using Hyperlapse users will be able to shoot videos, and post it on Facebook and Instagram. This standalone app runs on Instagram’s stabilization technology, which was developed with the acquisition of Luma in August 2013 to work on the stabilization technology. Luma users were able to control the stabilization, brightness, contrast and saturation of videos recorded on mobile devices.
Instagram wrote on its blog, “Traditionally, time lapse videos depend on holding your phone or camera still while you film.” Hyperlapse from Instagram allow the users to record the videos that were previously only possible with the help of expensive equipment. After Facebook acquired Instagram, this is only the second standalone app launched by the latter. Prior to this Instagram launched photo sharing app called Bolt.
Facebook app to compete with Apple
To use the app, user does not need to give separate username and password; instead it can be accessed through Instagram credentials if one-touch sharing is needed. The drawbacks of this app are that it cannot be applied on already recorded video and sound is not recorded while taking the video.
To those unaware of the time-lapse video technology, it is a cinematography technique in which series of frames are shot to show the changes in the subject in process. When a complete video is played then it appears that time in rolling faster, which is more popularly known as lapsing. Mostly this technique is used in athletic activities, road trips and cityscapes going from daylight to night time.
This Instagram backed app stands in direct competition to the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s in-house camera app in the upcoming iOS 8. Back in June, Apple announced that the camera app in iOS 8 will have a built-in time lapse feature.
