In Episode 12 of The Backerjack Podcast, Steve and Ross check out four of the latest products seeking funds and preorders.
- Remix, a tablet/laptop hybrid that stuffs the soul of Android into the body of a Microsoft Surface
- kSafe, a pre-commitment jar in which you can place rewards that are unlocked only if certain activity or time goals are met (image at top of this post)
- Adaptalux, a cool set of camera-mounted colored light arms that mount to the top of a camera for intense macro photography effects
- Zhor, a chunky integrated dashboard touchscreen that integrates many different features.
Our sponsor this week is Macphun, and we’re thrilled to be a launch partner for a powerful new Mac app to bring noise-free clarity to your photos — Noiseless.
Noiseless uses advanced imaging technology to eliminate the pixelation and graininess that’s common to digital images shot in situations with poor lighting. Noise occurs when digital cameras automatically increase their ISO sensitivity to correct for low-light conditions, adding grain and speckles to the images. Noiseless automatically compensates for those conditions, and advanced users can make adjustments to preserve details of images or selectively reduce noise.
Does it work? Absolutely! I have been using Noiseless over the past week, and it’s incredibly easy to use. In most situations, all you need to do is drag and drop an image onto Noiseless. After a second or two, the app displays a zoomed-in closeup of an area of the image both before and after noise reduction. You can pan around your image to see how the algorithms treat various parts of your photo, make adjustments to the settings if you want, and then export the image when you feel like everything’s exactly the way you want it.
I took the image you see part of below at the National Western Stock Show rodeo with a Canon DSLR using a telephoto lens. Since there was a lot of action going on, the photo was taken in a sports mode with fast shutter speeds — and a high ISO of 6400. This is what Noiseless did to the image:
When applied to an full image the result is stunning. Photos that showed noise — especially in darker areas — are now smooth and grain-free images.
Macphun is doing something different with this app, which will be available shortly. Right now, you can download a “test drive” version of the app, and Macphun will notify you when the final versions are available. Noiseless will be available in two versions: standard (US$17.99, available on the Mac App Store) and a Pro version ($49.99, available through the Macphun website.
The Pro version of the app will include RAW noise reduction technology, additional color space models, extra detail controls, and the ability to run as a plug-in within Aperture and Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
Macphun’s other great photography apps for Mac include Intensify, Snapheal, Focus 2, and Tonality. Own a Mac and take photos? Be sure to check ‘em out!
