Today we are launching a new set of editing tools in Hipstamatic X-6, available to all members. This is an exciting moment for the X product. It’s the best parts of all the editing products we’ve released over the past decade, simplified and amplified. From Swankolab to Oggl to 300, all the best stuff is now in X. And this is just the beginning– the new architecture in X allows us to build, test, and release new tools faster. Now your entire photo library can take a dip in the retro inspired pool!
A Powerful New UI
Inspired by our limited DJ skills from the 90s software Winamp, we borrowed vertical sliders instead of the established horizontal controls seen in most popular editing apps. While it does take a little more vertical screen space, the overall feel and speed gains made up for it (we tested many different UI options for the feature). The end result is a familiar yet new layout and we think it allows for a lot of exciting tools we hope to release in the coming months. While Hipstamatic X Editing Darkroom isn’t going to replace most professional grade editing tools, its power, speed, and attention to retro quirky film inspired styling is undeniable. …
An honest look at the decade-long history of Hipstamatic and our relaunch as a subscription-based product
To catch up, here’s the tldr; on Hipstamatic’s history. Hipstamatic debuted at the end of 2009; it was deemed the best thing since sliced bread. Then Instagram happened. Now we are relaunching the brand, 10 years later.
A Brief History of Hipstamatic
In 2009 the app debuts from our tiny studio in St. Paul, MN. It was just me and Ryan Dorshorst on a cold AF Sunday night after Thanksgiving. We hit the submit button with a broken space heater while wearing fingerless gloves. …
#ShareYourMusic
We’re really excited to launch our first version of Spinlist today, free in the App Store. Spinlist makes playing & sharing music fast, simple, & painless.
When we sat to start designing our product, we looked at digital music and realized very few exciting things had happened in the last 10 years. We’re setting out to change that, and this release is our first step along the way.
A few of the problems with music we heard from users that we tried to solve:
- “I have every song, but never know what to listen to” Even though the song library count on streaming services keeps going up, most services try to force their curators tastes on you or use linear algorithms. We set out to change this by building AI-driven bots take can learn over time, not just about your musical taste, but also when and where you like to listen to certain things. …
This is why we built SongShare from Spinlist™
Seriously. It’s 2016. People are getting ready to move to Mars. Cars drive themselves. DJ Tanner is back on the air, thanks Netflix. But I can’t even send you this song I think you’ll like. WTF. At least in the 90s I could hand you a mixtape and you could drop it into your Walkman® and jam out between classes. You knew it would play. No logins or links trying to open apps you don’t have. Just hit the button, and it played. Why can’t we have that today?
Queue Billy Mayes, “There’s got to be a better way!”
Quick background, Spinlist™ is a place for everyone’s music. We’re still in private BETA, and I don’t have much more to say on it right now. If collecting and sharing all your music with other people no matter which service you use sounds like something you might like, go here and request an invite. It’s pretty dope…
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