Android and Windows Phone users can now join in the time-lapse fun with Microsoft Hyperlapse

Android and Windows phone users tired of waiting for Instagram to release Hyperlapse on their platform of choice, have reason to celebrate today. Hyperlapse is now available on both platforms, though it comes courtesy of Microsoft, not Instagram. It’s a bit confusing, I know, but bear with me.

Announced last year, Microsoft Hyperlapse lets users create exceptionally smooth time-lapses from even the most shaky footage—and, yes, it shares the same name as the Instagram app.

Despite the name overlap and the fact that they perform the same function, there are several differences between the two programs. The first, and most significant, is that Microsoft’s solution does not use data from a phone’s gyroscope and accelerometer to create a stabilized time-lapse; instead, it uses an algorithmic approach. There are several advantage to this approach. The main one is that Microsoft Hyperlapse can work on almost any device, given that it has the processing power to accommodate the algorithm’s needs, and can work with footage that wasn’t shot with a smartphone; in fact, one of the main use cases the company envisioned for Hyperlapse was GoPro owners taking their old footage and running it through the program.

Additionally, Microsoft Hyperlapse doesn’t reduce the resolution of a video to stabilize it, which Hyperlapse from Instagram does.

However, the downside is that Microsoft’s approach can be extremely processor intensive. Certain hardware won’t be able to handle the program. This is most evident with the Android release, which only supports a small selection of devices. For the sake of comparison, Hyperlapse from Instagram supports the iPhone 4, which is about to turn five this June.

Microsoft Hyperlapse is available on Android and Windows Phone. There’s also aPro version for enthusiasts and professionals.

According to an interview a Microsoft spokesperson did with The Verge, the company is deciding whether it wants to build an iOS version of the app. They’re somewhat reticent given that Hyperlapse from Instagram exists.

iPhone 7

When is the iPhone 7 coming out, and what new features can we expect in the next iPhone? We round up all the iPhone 7 release date rumours, clues to design changes, and some beautiful images of what the iPhone 7 could look like. Here's everything we know (or can guess) about Apple's iPhone 7, including the latest (terrifying) iPhone 7

In a nutshell: Macworld's verdict on the iPhone 7

In our iPhone 7 rumour roundup we cover a lot of ground: you'd be amazed by the clues, hints and general speculation about the iPhone 7 that people have managed to dig up. But for those who don't want all the detail, the following section sums up our verdict on the whole thing. Consider it a sort of TL;DR for the article as a whole.

In a nutshell, then, we reckon:

1) Apple will launch a couple of iPhones - probably two, maybe three - in September 2015, much as it does every year.

2) We think this will be a 4.7-inch phone called the iPhone 7, and a 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus. If Apple does make another 4-inch iPhone (which, thanks to the success of the larger iPhones, is by no means a certainty) then we think it'll be called something like the iPhone 7 Mini.

3) But this is Apple we're talking about, and consistent naming conventions aren't its strong suit. It could be called the New iPhone Max for all I know.

4) The iPhone 7 won't be a fat phone, but we can't see that the iPhone 6 series phones need to be significantly thinner. At all. We expect roughly the same dimensions as the current generation. Tim Cook will probably be able to boast that it's "the slimmest and lightest iPhone ever", but the minor reduction in thickness will be exaggerated by favourable lighting.

5) Battery life may be a little better, but it won't be a lot better. Jony Ive's comments have made it plain that Apple doesn't consider a higher battery life to be worth significant sacrifices in other areas. (And we suspect that, if they're honest, most smartphone buyers would agree.)

6) Higher screen resolution is a possibility - Apple exploded the 'Retina is as sharp as your eyes can see' myth with the iPhone 6 Plus, and the company is playing catchup against many of its rivals in this department. Apple may well apply the pixel density of the iPhone 6 Plus to all the models in the next generation; it could go even higher. And a harder screen material would play well, whether Apple manages to resurrect the sapphire situation or goes with Corning's new Project Phire.

7) We find the rumours of a dual-lens camera offering 'DSLR-like' picture quality wholly convincing. The camera is a key area for every new iPhone and would be something Tim Cook could build a launch presentation around. The effects of the LinX acquisition probably won't be felt for another generation of iPhone, but the company's 3D camera sensors should make an appearance in future iPhones.

8) The iPhone 7 could get a USB-C port, like the new 12-inch MacBook, but we think this is unlikely. The change from 30-pin to Lightning is recent enough (and was painful enough for many users) that to switch again now would be highly controversial.

9) And as for the other out-there rumours? 3D screen: no. Curved display: almost certainly not. Curved or flexible iPhone: nope. Edge-to-edge screen: yes, quite possibly. Spring-out gaming joystick in the Home button: definitely not. Wireless charging: maybe, but probably not yet.