Tiny lens turn smart phones videos into panoramic footage

A US company has developed an iPhone lens attachment that turns videos into panoramic footage. The founder and chief executive of the New York based company Kogeto, Jeff Glasse, said the 360-degree video could be shared online. The new device called Dot, which costs US$79, was demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The Dot resembles a magnifying glass such as those used by jewellers or photographers, only slightly smaller.

It clips to an iPhone, aligning with the lens of the smart phone’s camera, and transforms the footage into a 360-degree panoramic image.

The device will go on sale in Europe in February and will be featured in Apple stores across the United States in two weeks.

A version of Dot for the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Nexus smart phone will be available in the first half of this year with more Android models to come.

“We’re bringing this to the consumer market so we can be the plumbing for panoramic video,” Glasse said. “I believe wholeheartedly in panoramic video. I believe it’s transformative.”