Cycloramic

Cycloramic
Developer(s)Egos Ventures Inc.
Initial release20 December 2012
Stable release
3.0 / 21 June 2013
Written inObjective C / C++
Operating systemiOS 6.0 or later / Windows Phone 8.0 or later
Available inEnglish
Websitecycloramic.com

Cycloramic is an iOS and Windows Phone application that makes the Apple iPhone and Compatible Windows Phones rotate 360 degrees without user intervention. It switches the phone's vibrator at a specific (undisclosed) frequency to make the phone spin around its vertical axis and track the rotation angle using the gyroscope, compass and accelerometer while taking panoramic images. This "handsfree" feature works only on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s standing on one of its flat edges. Because of this limitation, iPhone 4 users take panoramic photos in a guided mode. Another feature of this program is the ability to post process panoramic images into 24-second videos for other uses. The update introduced on June 22, 2013 added features to store, edit and share the panoramic pictures.

Background

Cycloramic was created in December 2012 by a start-up called "Egos Ventures" which is part of the Advanced Technology Development Center located in Tech Square, Atlanta, Georgia.[1]

Reception

Cycloramic received a "Pogie Award" for the Brightest Ideas of 2012[2] from David Pogue, a personal technology columnist for The New York Times . The app also triggered the interest of other influential tech journalists[3][4][5][6] witnessing the iPhone "dance". Steve Wozniak filmed himself using the app judging it "unexpected, fanciful and useful at the same time".[7] The application was downloaded 100,000 times in 7 days when it launched in December 2012. Egos Ventures has since been selected as one of the Top 10 Innovative Companies in Georgia[8] and presented Cycloramic at the 2013 Georgia Technology Summit (GTS) on March 20, 2013.

Features

The initial (1.0) version of Cycloramic generated panoramic videos, rather than pictures. The 2.0 version later introduced a photo mode allowing users to take panoramic photos in addition to videos. Users can choose to convert their panoramic photos into 24-second movies since the 2.1 version. The version 3.0 update added an in-app photo library with editing features. The editing allowed for modification to the original 14 images that created the panorama individually. This version also allowed images (panorama or individual) to be shared via social media. Usage requires a mount bought separately.[citation needed]

Criticism

The 2.0 version added in-app purchases, and the update disabled a feature that was present in the original version that users had paid for.[citation needed]

Shark Tank

Cycloramic appeared on the January 31, 2014 Season 5, episode 16 of Shark Tank.[9] The product yielded one of the largest deals in the history of Shark Tank ($500k for 15% from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner).[10]

Post Shark Tank

The app got 8 million downloads after the deal. The company was later sold to Carvana for $22 million.[11]

References

  1. ^ Graham, Jefferson. "Atlanta for tech startups", USA Today, Talking Tech, 13 February 2013.
  2. ^ Pogue, David. "Pogie Awards for the Brightest Ideas of 2012", The New York Times, 26 December 2012.
  3. ^ Crook, Jordan. "The Woz Uses Cycloramic And An iPhone 5 To Street View His Kitchen", TechCrunch, 26 December 2012.
  4. ^ Rodriguez, Salvador. "Cycloramic app spins iPhone 5 to take 360-degree video", Los Angeles Times, 27 December 2012.
  5. ^ Klosowski, Thorin. "Cycloramic Captures Hands-Free 360-Degree Video on Your iPhone", Lifehacker, 28 December 2012.
  6. ^ Schramm, Mike. "Cycloramic spins your iPhone 5 by itself", TUAW, 21 December 2012.
  7. ^ "Steve Wozniak films himself using Cycloramic"
  8. ^ The Technology Association of Georgia. "TAG Unveils the Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia"[permanent dead link‍], 14 March 2013.
  9. ^ Mollieharris (April 2018). "Shark Tank S05 E16 Cow Wow Nexersys Cycloramic The Cookie Dough Cafe". Daily Motion. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  10. ^ Bien-Kahn, Joseph (May 21, 2018). "Getting Mark Cuban's money — the Shark's 47 biggest Shark Tank investments". MSN. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  11. ^ "Mark Cuban says this is Shark Tank's 'No. 1 success story' after start-up sells for $22 million". CNBC. 8 January 2019.