Microsoft has finally debuted its time-lapse steadying software that turns your shaky footage into a steel-wristed masterpiece.
Dubbed ‘Hyperlapse’, it’s now available on Android, Windows Phone, and as an app on your Windows desktop.
If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Instagram launched an incredibly similar app on iOS last year.
Microsoft technically beat it to the punch, however, as the Redmond-based company first announced its own Hyperlapse a couple of weeks prior to Instagram’s unveiling.
So what does it actually do? It basically takes bumpy video footage – GoPro action shots, for instance – and turns it into a speedy time lapse. Importantly, it also smoothes out the bumps, which is good news for motion sickness sufferers everywhere.
What sets the new Hyperlapse apart from the Instagram offering is that you don’t need to shoot a video for Microsoft’s software to work. You can run the processing kit on old videos from times gone by.
The other key difference is that
Instagram, meanwhile, makes use of motion sensor data from your smartphone while you’re actually recording, which means there’s no post-processing involved.
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Microsoft is launching basic versions of Hyperlapse is Android and Windows Phone, but desktop is getting a more refined Hyperlapse Pro app.
Hyperlapse Pro adds new features that let you control speed and resolution more easily, as well as accessing an advanced optimisation mode for cameras like the GoPro.
Microsoft eventually hopes to release a paid-for version of Hyperlapse Pro, but you can currently access a free trial – bear in mind, this will watermark all footage you create using the software.
So when is it coming to iOS? “
“We decided to focus on Windows Phone and Android because there was no hyperlapse solution there at all.”
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
