MSQRD

MSQRD

MSQRD — Live Filters & Face Swap for Video Selfies Support
Original author(s) Eugene Nevgen, Sergey Gonchar, Eugene Zatepyakin
Developer(s) Masquerade Technologies, Inc
Initial release 22 December 2015 (2015-12-22)
Stable release
1.3 for iOS, 1.7.0 for Android / June 29, 2016 (2016-06-29)
Operating system iOS 8.4 or later, Android 4.3 or later
Platform Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Size 94.0 MB for iOS, 34.0 MB for Android
Available in 11 languages
Type Photo sharing, Video sharing, Social networking service
License Freeware
Website msqrd.me

MSQRD (Masquerade) is a mobile application that allows users to change human appearance during video-chats in real time. The application is based on the 3D face tracking technology developed by its creators, and works both on iOS and Android.[1]

The application was developed by Masquerade Technologies, a Belarus-based company.[2] On 9 March 2016, the product was acquired by Facebook.

Description

MSQRD creates animated masks and lays them over human faces. Each mask exactly fits the user’s facial features and repeats his or her movements. The full application name is “Masquerade – animated masks for selfie-videos”.[3]

Using MSQRD is extremely easy. Having opened the app, you choose Photo or Video mode, and the front or back camera. By tapping the screen, you can change the level of exposure. Then you choose the video effect by previewing it, and record a video of up to 30 seconds. You can then share the video on social media.[4]

In Masquerade Editor, you can create your own masks. This tool facilitates the creation and use of filters. It can be used to edit filters in real time. The saved filters can be included into a public catalog.

The app works across iOS and Android. Using the Bluestacksemulator, you can also launch it on your PC.[5]

History

Sergey Gonchar
Eugene Zatepyakin
Eugene Nevgen

The Masquerade team has been developing the face tracking technology since 2010.[1]

In late November 2015, the team took part in the Garage48 Minsk Hackathon, where over 48 hours it developed MSQRD for iOS – the app that allowed users to change their appearance with amusing filters.[1]

As of January 2016, there were 11 members in the team. Key figures:[6]

Until March 2016, the app had only been available for iOS. On 4 March, the beta-version for Android was announced.

In the 1.3 version for iOS, Facebook login and live broadcast in virtual masks that you can change as you record is available using Facebook Live. This feature is not available for Android yet.[7]

The most recent versions were released on 29 June 2016, (1.3 for iOS)[8]and on 28 June 2016 (1.7.0 for Android).[9]

Popularity

On 22 December 2015, MSQRD was featured on Product Hunt.[1] Within the same month, it appeared on the App Store.[6] On 4 March 2016, the application appeared on Google Play and became available for Android users.[10]

In January 2016, MSQRD reached 1.92m downloads globally. This number increased four fold up to 7.6m in February and kept growing. By early February 2016, MSQRD became the 9th most popular app on the App Store.[11] By mid-March, the number of installs exceeded 20m.[12]

In February 2016, US TV host Jimmy Kimmel used the app on his show.[13][14][15]

Facebook Deal

On 9 March 2016, the product was purchased by Facebook, whose CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the deal on his blog.[16][17]

According to John Koetsier of Business Insider, this will allow Facebook to compete with the Snapchat filters.[11] Facebook is going to integrate MSQRD into its social network and other apps, and promises to keep it free for the users.[18]

The team of developers moving to London to work in the Facebook office is part of the deal. The Facebook-Masquerade deal value has not been disclosed. A similar Ukrainian start-up project, Looksery, was acquired by Snapchat for $150m in 2015.[19]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lashkevich, Kastus (2015-12-22). "Белорусы превращают технологию определения лиц в революционные продукты". dev.by (in Russian). "Дев Бай" Ltd.
  2. ↑ "Masks And More With MSQRD’s Selfie App". techcrunch.com. February 11, 2016.
  3. ↑ "«MSQRD» — анимированные маски для селфи-видео: селфи нон-стоп". appleinsider.ru (in Russian).
  4. ↑ MSQRD App Details: Live Filters for Selfies & Videos, gottabemobile.com
  5. ↑ MSQRD Download APK Android, iPhone, PC Free App
  6. 1 2 "MSQRD — сервис для изменения внешности во время видеочатов в режиме реального времени". vc.ru (in Russian).
  7. ↑ "Выяснилось, зачем Facebook купила белорусский MSQRD". Tut.By (in Russian).
  8. ↑ iTunes
  9. ↑ Google Play
  10. ↑ "Обзор MSQRD на Android: скачать маски для лица". androidlime.ru (in Russian).
  11. 1 2 Why Facebook bought Masquerade: recent, massive, hockey-stick growth
  12. ↑ "«Хотели открыть офис Facebook в Минске». Создатели MSQRD — о сделке с IT-гигантом". Tut.By (in Russian).
  13. ↑ Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo Join 3D Mask App MSQRD on YouTube March 2, 2016
  14. ↑ "Белорусское приложение показали в популярном американском ток-шоу". Lenta.ru (in Russian).
  15. ↑ Asi son las dos nuevas mascaras virtuales de MSQRD
  16. ↑ Taking a break from coding to welcome the MSQRD team to Facebook!
  17. ↑ "Mark Zuckerberg transforms into Iron Man as he tests out Facebook’s new face-swapping app". The Telegraph. 10 March 2016.
  18. ↑ Facebook just bought the popular face-swapping app that’s dominating the App Store right now
  19. ↑ "MSQRD и все-все-все: топ-5 покупок белорусских IT-компаний зарубежными гигантами". Tut.By (in Russian).

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.