Google's New iOS App Makes iPhone Magical Again (With Live Photos)

This week Google launched the iOS app Motion Stills, making iPhone's capture of Apple Live Photos useful. While generally you're only going to see Live Photos appearing in your Photo Roll, Google's software takes what you've captured to a new level. Below I'll show you what the company's app can accomplish. It's simple. It's worth it. It'll make you think your iPhone is magical again. It'll make you feel like you've got a magical device capable of magical things – thanks to Google's computation on top of Apple's camera captures.Google takes what you've captured – be it on purpose or by accident with Live Photos on your iPhone – and computes. Google has an algorithm that uses linear programming to calculate where your camera is relative to the space you've captured.

Look at that magical dot action! Looks familiar, no?

Once the app has figured out where you were, it'll figure out what makes sense to present.

The app effectively creates a second, virtual camera, this time stabilized in the space you've captured.

Once this is done, Google also calculates optimal start and stop times, erasing the "in the pocket" and "pull away" portions of Live Photos that appear in basically every one of your photos.

ABOVE: Before Google's stabilization.

BELOW: After Google's stabilization.

Goodness gracious that's magical. The effect won't necessarily be so insanely noticeable with every photo you've ever taken – and photos that are nearly ready to roll right away will of course have the best results.

The radical thing about this app is not just that it's free, but that it takes something the iPhone already creates automatically and amplifies the end effect. Instead of just resting on your iPhone for you to see, you've got the potential to share what you've made with the whole world, in a variety of formats.

Have a peek at the app in the iOS App Store right this minute. Let us know if you create anything fabulous!