Eyes wide open: New Microsoft Research photo app helps prevent missed shots

Capturing great action shots—or just about anything involving kids—is tricky on any camera. Savvy photographers toting fancy-pants DSLRs typically boost their odds of success using burst mode, which automatically snaps multiple photos faster than any human could press the shutter button.

Now Microsoft Research has brought this capability to Windows Phone 8 in a free (and cutely named) app called Blink, which just arrived in the Windows Phone Store. Download it now

The app—exclusively for Windows Phone— captures a flurry of images, even after you’ve released the shutter button. Then just drag a small yellow box across the image-stabilized photos and choose the best of the bunch. Blink is fast, easy to use, and gives you more control over your on-the-go picture taking, so you no longer have to curse your bad timing or grandpa’s sleepy lids. And if you’re curious about the app’s backstory, Rob Knies fills in some of the details on the Inside Microsoft Research blog.