Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Developer, iPhone, Graphic Design, App Store
12seconds, Animoto release iPhone apps for video slideshows
12seconds.tv is a site that started up a little while ago that seems to be aiming at a "Twitter-for-video" kind of idea -- you upload just twelve seconds of video, whether that's you saying something, video of a short scene, or whatever else you want. The site was in alpha but has recently opened up to beta (so anyone can join), and they've also released an iPhone app, available for 99 cents in the App Store right now."But wait, Mike," I hear you saying, "the iPhone doesn't record video!" And it still doesn't, but it does record pictures and audio, and the 12seconds app will combine a slideshow of three pictures you take with any 12 seconds of audio you record, thus creating a close approximation of a 12 second video. You can see my sample upload here, just a few pictures of my apartment's hallway and some Mountain Goats playing from my speakers. You can use pics you've already taken, and the whole process of recording, combining, and uploading works pretty well. You don't have any control over how the images slide across: it's more of a "throw it all into the mix and hope something good comes out" thing.
It's an interesting idea, and while you're paying a buck for a social networking video app that can't actually record video (not that that's 12seconds' fault, Apple), you could probably come up with some pretty creative stuff, from the artistic and witty to the requisite cat videos (because no video site is complete without a cute kitty). It's definitely not a video replacement for the iPhone, but for uploading quick and simple snippets of experience from wherever you are, it does the job.
For a different approach to photo-based videos generated on your iPhone, you can check out the free Animoto app, released last week by the website of the same name. Animoto will take 8-16 photos from your iPhone or iPod touch, let you order them and select musical accompaniment (from a provided but fairly ample list of tracks; you can't use your own music or record a soundtrack). The app then uploads your images to the Animoto site and cranks out a 30 second, montage-style video for you. You can stream the video back to your iPhone, or send it along to friends. If Techcrunch gushes about it, well, you know it must be just awesome, right?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tom said 7:26PM on 12-29-2008
Here's a professional tip and something that SHOULD have been in the post:
12Seconds.tv, on site, integrates with Flixwagon. Flixwagon is installable in Cydia and Installer.app on hacked iPhones. It will take the first 12 seconds of a flixwagon broadcast and post it to 12seconds.tv if you have set up the integration.
Likewise, Qik supposedly integrates with 12seconds (and has an app in Cydia, and supposedly Installer.app, even though I can't find it) through a qik.com-side thingy.
Both of these applications are free to download on jailbroken phones, free to use, and do actual video. Both will post to your 12seconds.tv account.
YOU HEAR THAT? VIDEO ON THE iPHONE. TO 12SECONDS. WHAT A CONCEPT!
(Side note: Follow AmazonSteals on Twitter, they're having a giveaway)
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Jacob said 7:44PM on 12-29-2008
You're totally correct. We are very proud and happy with our partnerships with both Qik and Flixwagon and if you are a user who feels comfortable jailbreaking your phones, these apps are great ways to get content over to 12seconds.
However, we know that a lot of users are simply not comfortable with or don't know how to jailbreak and simply aren't interested. We're aiming to be as low-barrier as possible when it comes to devices that work with our system so this app is just one of many ways to get your content over to 12seconds. As most of our users know, almost any other phone can simply send an MMS to us to post a video without any kind of application at all.
Mike - Thanks for a great article and thanks for your points as well Tom.
Happy Holidays!
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Jason said 1:35PM on 12-30-2008
The first person to offer consolidated phone services now absent on the iPhone which are present in all other phones (and should have been on the iPhone) will make a killing. This is another example.
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adam said 8:16PM on 12-29-2008
QuickPWN + Qik = a MUCH happier iPhone owner right here.
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Branden said 8:26PM on 12-29-2008
I still do not understand why the iphone does not do video. It can do it. Every time I have jail broken the phone there has been some app (including Quik http://qik.com/video/100699 ) that can record audio and video pretty well.
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Michael said 8:51PM on 12-29-2008
Maybe it's a perfect app for iPhone. But I always use the video converter to create video slideshow, then upload it to my iPhone.
http://www.aimersoft-mac.com/video-converter-mac.html
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DPBKMB said 10:23AM on 12-30-2008
Thanks for featuring my 12 second clip under 'artistic and witty' better than my usual moniker, 'quiet loner', these 12 second vids can also auto post to Twitter. You can email them out to your friends, as if, or enemies using your contacts from the 12 second iPhone app, while creating/ posting the clip. What?
Here's an iPhone photo tip that I put on the 12 second site earlier:
http://tiny12.tv/ECISC
Thanks Again
U can follow me, DPBKMB, on Twitter, I'm not selling or promoting anything & I'm not so bad... well nothing that will hold up in court anyway.
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DPBKMB said 5:06PM on 2-10-2009
After making the first post above I got the Animoto app too. It's really fun and it's almost unbelievable what those guys can do with the photos you submit. Really cool. Here's one I made of my Cancun vacation.
http://tinyurl.com/8nnvut
Thanks
Twitter ID DPBKMB
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