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Pretty sure they didn't purchase Nik Software to compete with Instagram and Facebook; I think the iOS app was secondary. Looking at the history that Nik has, a

by dpcx 14y ago

Pretty sure they didn't purchase Nik Software to compete with Instagram and Facebook; I think the iOS app was secondary. Looking at the history that Nik has, as well as the other products they acquired, it seems like photo editing in general was the target. Something to make Picasa a (hopefully) better product in the long run.

slantyyz 14y ago
I agree. I know Snapseed is popular, but I think Nik is actually more known for their other products, at least with photographers. Silver Efex is easily one of the best black and white image processing tools around.
stan_rogers 14y ago
Snapseed is probably a huge part of it (and it's already very much cross-platform). For the other aspects, there are a number of other companies Google might have chosen to acquire instead (Topaz Labs — which would be my choice as a scrappy, lightweight, innovative photo-centric company — Alien Skin, etc.), but they're absent in the mobile space.
sabret00the 14y ago
I think you're right. Though I wouldn't hedge any money on them improving Picasa, directly anyway. This is more about enriching the Android platform. There are a lot of photographers that walk with a netbook and use that for editing within Lightroom. With a bit of a push, those said photographers could instead move to tablet. Picasa is like the Google+ of social networks, it had some loyal users who want it to be the next big thing. But that won't happen any time soon. Google will invest in this niché premium market for tablets. With the incoming Nexus Phablet and November's rumoured 10" tablet, they'll try and prove that Android offers more than casual/convenient usage.
kbeegle 14y ago
Before touch was a major major interface, Nik Software had developed an editing interface that was surprisingly good on touch devices. You essentially click a point on a photo and set the size of the area for edits to be applied to. The software will figure out regions in the photo similar to what you clicked on and then apply the edits. Creating SnapSeed on iOS really proved that the interface was perfectly suited to touch. In Nik Software's case, it feels like the acquisition was a good balance between acquiring a team and acquiring patented technologies (http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=pts&hl=en&q=inassignee:%22Nik+Software,+Inc.%22 http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=pts&hl=en&#38...). You can see the interface in action on their website. Load the following link (http://www.niksoftware.com/colorefexpro/usa/index.php?view=help/videos.shtml http://www.niksoftware.com/colorefexpro/usa/index.php?view=h...) and then click on "Working with control points". It's in an embedded flash player so I can't give a direct link.

by dpcx 14y ago

slantyyz 14y ago

I agree. I know Snapseed is popular, but I think Nik is actually more known for their other products, at least with photographers. Silver Efex is easily one of the best black and white image processing tools around.

stan_rogers 14y ago

Snapseed is probably a huge part of it (and it's already very much cross-platform). For the other aspects, there are a number of other companies Google might have chosen to acquire instead (Topaz Labs — which would be my choice as a scrappy, lightweight, innovative photo-centric company — Alien Skin, etc.), but they're absent in the mobile space.

sabret00the 14y ago

I think you're right. Though I wouldn't hedge any money on them improving Picasa, directly anyway. This is more about enriching the Android platform. There are a lot of photographers that walk with a netbook and use that for editing within Lightroom. With a bit of a push, those said photographers could instead move to tablet. Picasa is like the Google+ of social networks, it had some loyal users who want it to be the next big thing. But that won't happen any time soon. Google will invest in this niché premium market for tablets. With the incoming Nexus Phablet and November's rumoured 10" tablet, they'll try and prove that Android offers more than casual/convenient usage.

kbeegle 14y ago

Before touch was a major major interface, Nik Software had developed an editing interface that was surprisingly good on touch devices. You essentially click a point on a photo and set the size of the area for edits to be applied to. The software will figure out regions in the photo similar to what you clicked on and then apply the edits. Creating SnapSeed on iOS really proved that the interface was perfectly suited to touch. In Nik Software's case, it feels like the acquisition was a good balance between acquiring a team and acquiring patented technologies (http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=pts&hl=en&q=inassignee:%22Nik+Software,+Inc.%22 http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=pts&hl=en&#38...). You can see the interface in action on their website. Load the following link (http://www.niksoftware.com/colorefexpro/usa/index.php?view=help/videos.shtml http://www.niksoftware.com/colorefexpro/usa/index.php?view=h...) and then click on "Working with control points". It's in an embedded flash player so I can't give a direct link.