Monday, 26 August 2013
In what is seen an attempt to better its video-service, Instagram has acquired a startup company called Luma - a service that provides stabilisation for video capturing.
"We're excited to announce that we have been acquired by . Eighteen months ago, we embarked on a mission to make capturing and sharing beautiful videos easy without expensive software or heavy equipment. By joining the exceptionally talented team at Instagram, we're taking another big step towards realising that mission. We're incredibly excited to be able to help make a product that is already used and loved by millions of people even better," said the startup in a blog post.
Part of that mission includes the shuttering of Luma as a standalone application, which has already been dropped from the Apple App Store. Current users can continue capturing and sharing videos through Dec. 31, and are encouraged to log in and download their content before Luma goes dark at the end of the year.
Instagram's acquisition includes Luma's stabilization tech, which will likely be put to use updating the photo app's new video option, which launched in June. The San Francisco-based company may also put Luma's "non-disruptive" video filtering system to use, TechCrunch suggested; the technology allows filters to be turned on during filming, then removed or changed after recording. Currently, Instagram's video feature provides filters only after the 15-second clip has been shot.
Luma also offers a suite of video-editing tools, including sliders for changing brightness, contrast, saturation, and exposure, among other techniques.
"We're incredible excited to be able to help make a product that is already used and loved by millions of people even better," the Luma website said.
