Our App Of The Day – sprintTimer
Kaiser & Kaiser today introduces sprintTimer 1.0 for iPhone 4 and 3Gs, their photo finish app that employs the same techniques used in the Olympics. Start the timer and point the camera towards the finish line. sprintTimer will build an image of narrow slices of the finish line, each representing 0.03 seconds in time. Users can then scroll along the photo to get the time when each competitor crossed the finish line with 0.01 s resolution. The app also includes a motion controlled lap timer.
As our App of the Day, all our regular readers know the trailer for this app will feature on every page of our site for a whole day. Just scroll to the bottom of this page to take a look.
Operation of sprintTimer in the Photo Finish mode involves a simple setup procedure. The app functions in portrait orientation, and the user must first choose the direction of the race, moving across the screen from left to right or vice versa. Next, the user has three choices of how to start the camera: Motion, Manual, and Time. Motion starts the camera automatically upon detection of motion in a selected field of view. Manual permits the user to push a button to start the camera seconds before the race is won. And Time automatically starts the camera a predetermined number of seconds after the timer is started. The recording may be set to run for two, four, or six seconds. Longer record times would require more memory and processing power than the iPhone 4 currently offers.
An alignment guide allows placement of the camera centered over the finish line. Once still image recording starts, the camera takes a succession of pictures. Each picture is a small vertical slice of the entire frame, so that each picture is 100% tall but only 10 – 20% wide. The final horizontally scrollable image is a composite of many slices that together form a single, wide image. The width of each slice is user adjustable to obtain optimal results under varying conditions. The Mark button will insert a thin vertical line anywhere along the finished photo, so as the user scrolls horizontally, they may mark and display on a digital readout the exact finish time for each runner.
Since sprintTimer relies on a manual start, it cannot be used to set any official records. However, it offers far greater accuracy and versatility than the best digital stopwatch. All recordings may be saved or deleted. sprintTimer can be used for athletics, horse racing, greyhound racing, cycling, speed skating, car racing, rowing, etc.
sprintTimer has several advantages over a manual stopwatch:
* One person can time several runners, cars, etc.
* Higher accuracy than a stopwatch
* Easier to determine the order of finishers
* Gives the time difference between competitors with high accuracy
* The image and the results can be saved
* Can operate "hands free" when started
"sprintTimer will surprise coaches, athletes, and sports enthusiasts with its remarkable versatility," stated company Owner, Sten Kaiser. "Easy to setup and operate, its comparable to carrying a large, expensive photo finish camera in your pocket."
Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch (video camera equipped)
* Compatible with iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, iPad 2, and iPod touch 4
* iOS 4.0 or later
* 0.5 MB
Pricing and Availability:
sprintTimer 1.0 is $0.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Sports category. You can download it here.
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
