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Lets get one thing out of the way right now: If youre taking photographs with a Polaroid camera in the 21st century, its not because pristine image quality is your overarching priority. In the digital age, the dreamy imperfection of Polaroid pictures is part of their appeal. Theyre never that sharp, and no two come out exactly the same. Even Fujifilms Instax camerasinstant photographys current market-share giantproduce more consistent results. Still, even people who love Polaroids analog soul and tactile immediacy have their limits. Each shot from an eight-photo film pack costs about $2.25, considerably more than Instax shots. Thats less than it did in instant photographys golden age decades ago, once adjusted for inflation, and you can save by buying multipacks of film. But paying more than two bucks to take a photo is a shock to the walletespecially given that digital ones are effectively free. So youd probably like to get the best pictures your Polaroid camera can muster, or at least avoid outright misfires. [Photo: Polaroid] Thats the idea behind the companys newest camera, the Polaroid Flip. At $200, its pricier than the diminutive Polaroid Go ($95), entry-level Polaroid Now ($120), and slightly above-entry-level Polaroid Now+ ($140). The additional investment buys you several features designed to improve your odds of getting pleasing shots in a variety of shooting environments. (Meanwhile, the high-end Polaroid I-2, with its fancy lens and manual settings, is aimed at the select group of photographers who crave more artistic control and are willing to spend $450 on an instant camera.) The Flip in the cameras name references its most obvious new element, a flippable bar that houses the flash and some LED indicators. Relocating the flash let Polaroid increase its size and distance from the lens, both of which can improve photo qualityjust as they did back when original Polaroid models such as the Sun 600 sported a similar design. That is particularly critical given that instant photos benefit from turning the flash on in pretty much any environment except bright sunlight. The Polaroid Flips improved flash helps in dimly lit environments. The Flip upgrades the two lenses used by Polaroids cheaper models to a four-lens system capable of sharper results at a wider range of distances. It also has sonar autofocusing, a technology the company first used almost 50 years ago in one of the worlds first autofocus cameras that works equally well regardless of lighting. None of these features transforms the look and feel of the photos youll get, but they help eke out better image quality in tough conditions. Along with helping you take better pictures, the Flip has a new feature that prevents you from taking bad ones. If you try to take a photo of a subject thats too close or insufficiently lit, a red light displays in the viewfinder. In extreme cases, the shutter button wont fire at all. Stine Bauer Dahlberg, Polaroids chief product officer, reminded me that one of the most famous original Polaroid cameras, 1965s Swinger, did something similarthough I like its approach even better: If its vetting confirmed you could take a good photo, you saw an affirmative YES in all caps. Compared to Fujifilmwhich offers several hybrid Instax cameras melding digital sensors and film outputPolaroid seems happy, so far, to stick to its traditional roots. The Flip does connect to Polaroids smartphone app via Bluetooth, opening up options such as exposure compensation and manual control of aperture and shutter speed. But even if you adjust some of the settings on your phone, the resulting photos are still analog through and through. Functionally and aesthetically, most 21st-century gadgets bear little resemblance to gear of the 1970s and 1980s, unless theyre going out of their way to embrace a retro vibe. By contrast, a citizen of 1985 transported to 2025 would unhesitatingly identify the Flip as a Polaroid camera. Yet its striking resemblance to the models of yore doesnt feel like an act of nostalgia. Why mess too much with something that still works? The classic Polaroid design did, and does. Pressing the red shutter button and listening to the whirring as the photo emerges from the slot in front is still a satisfying experience. Take someones photo, and theyll be curious how it turned out in a way thats less common with smartphone photos. Even a Polaroid camera thats just sitting on your desk provokes questions and smiles. My biggest quibbles with the current Polaroid experience are with the film, not the camera. The company still hasnt quite gotten its quality back to where it was before the old Polaroids near-death experience early in this century. Nor do photos develop anywhere near as quickly as the old ones did and Fujifilm Instax ones do today. Keeping up with demand for film packs also seems to tax Polaroids production capacity: Earlier this week, the classic white-frame version was out of stock on the companys website. (Its back as I write this, and usually seems easy enough to find at retail.) Dahlberg told me Polaroid is still working on film improvements: There are a couple of things that we’re doing right now that are going to be more visible soon. Now, at some point in every article about Polaroid in the 21st century, it has been obligatory to marvel at the factthat instant photography is still a thing and that the companywhich went bankrupt twice and once abandoned camera and film productionremains extant. Such wonderment seems less and less essential. After all, its been almost two decades since a band of enthusiasts calling themselves the Impossible Project took over the only remaining Polaroid film factory. That last-moment gambit eventually led to it acquiring the Polaroid brand, launching new cameras, and securing shelf space in places such as Best Buy and Target. Fujifilms Instax, meanwhile, never stopped booming. Human beings, it turns out, still like to take instant film photosincluding people who werent even alive in Polaroids heyday. At this point, its safe to say the medium isnt going anywhere. If you want to partake in it, the Flip is one of the best options Ive seen, and certainly worth the $60 premium over Polaroids Now+. Its available for purchase on the companys site and will be in stores next month. You’ve been reading Plugged In, Fast Companys weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to youor if you’re reading it on FastCompany.comyou can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@fastcompany.com with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I’m also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard. More top tech stories from Fast Company 20 years ago, this simple video rewired the way we share our lives onlineJawed Karim’s 2005 upload didn’t just launch YouTubeit helped usher in a share-all culture, where even the mundane became content. Read More Bot farms invade social media to hijack popular sentimentGovernments, financial influencers, and entertainment insiders are using data center-like facilities full of phones to push narratives fabricated through fake social media engagement.Read More AI coding tools could bring us the ‘one-employee unicorn’As the tools, and other AI agents, gain functionality, billion-dollar startups with a single human employeeor even nonemay become possible. Read More Microsoft thinks AI colleagues are coming soonMicrosoft is dubbing 2025 the year of the ‘Frontier Firm.’ Read More Adobe releases ‘created without generative AI’ tag to label human-generated artJust as it’s introducing the option to use GenAI models like OpenAI, Runway, and Google, Adobe is letting creators draw a new line in the sand between their work and AI. Read More How to delete your personal info from the internet for freeHiding your address, phone number, and other details from Google and people search sites is easier than you might think. Read More
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Dubai, the go-to destination for influencers, is now doubling down on its biggest market with the launch of its very own influencer academy. Jointly funded by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and a travel content creation agency, the Beautiful Destinations Academy offers three months of social media training for students, aimed at bolstering Dubais tourism industry. The academy is still accepting applications for four budding influencers, who will be paid to travel and live in the city starting next month. A promotional video by Beautiful Destinations describes the program as an elite training environment where we invest in you to support Dubais unparalleled vision for the future of tourism. Successful applicants will typically train five days a week, with modules covering photography and cinematography, editing and color grading, sound effects, AI tools, industry regulations, and professional development as a travel content creator. At the end of the course, students will receive a certificate from Dubai College of Tourism, with the really special ones offered a full-time job at Beautiful Destinations. All expenses, including flights and accommodation in a luxury serviced apartment, are covered, along with a livable income for the three-month program. Students will also have access to shoot at some of Dubais most stunning and exclusive locations, normally reserved for celebrities and royalty. Jeremy Jauncey, CEO and founder of Beautiful Destinations, told The Independent: I want to share what Ive learned with the next generation and give others the chance to experience the coolest career in the world. And theres no better city than Dubaiwhich has inspired Beautiful Destinations creators since our earliest daysto do this in. You dont need to be an expert to applywere looking for raw, hidden talent. He added: We want to equip young people with the skills to build a solid future in travel content creation, to take advantage of this fast-growing sector. You dont need expensive equipment or formal training just a desire to turn your social media hobby into a dream career. Issam Kazim, chief executive of Visit Dubai, told The Times UK that the academys launch is a testament to our commitment to fostering creativity, innovation and excellence in the tourism sector. Dubai welcomed a record 18.72 million international visitors last year and recently introduced the “golden visa” (a new visa that allows influencers to live in the UAE sponsorship-free), along with a Dhs 150 million (about $40 million in USD) government support fund to aid influencers. Given that over half of Gen Zers aspire to be influencers, where better to make that happen than the influencer hotspot of the world? Applicants must upload a 60-second video on travel culture or adventure on Instagram, tag @BeautifulDestinations @VisitDubai #BDacademy, and complete an online form before April 24 to be considered for the first cohort.
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It has taken a little over five months and has been anticipated for several weeks, but it now appears increasingly likely that the bromance between Elon Musk and Donald Trump is nearing its end. Musk is reportedly planning to step down from his role overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). During Teslas latest earnings call this week, Musk said, my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly next monththough he noted that he still intends to dedicate some time to government issues going forward. The announcement came as Tesla reported surprisingly poor results, and Musks pivot appeared to serve as a parachute for a business in freefall. Following his remarks and amid expectations that he would now refocus on Tesla, the companys share price rose. This was an off-ramp for Musk out of the Trump White House, says Dan Ives, managing director and senior equity research analyst at Wedbush Securities. The global brand damage, political firestorm, and perfect storm chaos over the past few months will now end this volatile political chapter for Musk. What Musks departure means for the quasi-governmental agency hes leaving behind remains uncertain. Trump has heavily promoted the potential cost savings DOGE would deliver to U.S. taxpayersthough it’s unclear whether Musks actions have genuinely produced the savings touted by the administration. If Trump hasn’t got bored with DOGE, theres still a chance that he might send a check to voters with a nominal saving, says Bruce Daisley, a former Twitter executive. He’s never expressed much interest in the midterms, so its possible this won’t be of interest by then. Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology at the University of Manchester, believes Trump will continue DOGEs work by appointing another entrepreneur or business titan to lead the agency. Hell appoint another business guy, no question about it, he says. Any new head of DOGE may not feel bound by Musks infamous five things email, which demanded government workers justify their roles by reporting five achievements from the past week. Still, Cooper believes the mission will carry on. It may have been Musk who led the way, but I think Trump wants that to happen as well, because he perceives the civil service to be left of center, Cooper says. DOGE remains Trumps tool for pushing that agenda. As for the businesses Musk is returning to, opinions are divided. Teslas reputationand share pricehave suffered amid sweeping layoffs and controversial decisions that have impacted many American families. Ives and Wedbush Securities believe Musks stint in government and his perceived callousness will reduce long-term demand for Teslas electric vehicles by as much as 10%. (Musk did not respond to Fast Company‘s request for comment.) Still, despite Tesla’s recent financial setbacksincluding a near-10% drop in revenueIves remains optimistic about the company’s future. This was the time to close one dark chapter and open a brighter one for the Tesla story, with autonomous and robotics front and center, he says. Some view Musks exit from government and return to the private sector as a strategic move to salvage his personal brand. His brand is damaged, Cooper says. He is seen as an extreme right-wing person who cares nothing except about helping the wealthy like him to survive. While Musk may have held such views for years, it was his highly visible government role that solidified them in the public eye. Because of that, the challenges facing the entrepreneur and worlds richest man are only growing. But Musk has faced crises beforeand is likely to try everything to turn things around. Musk is almost certain to try to pull a rabbit out of a hat of merging xAI with Tesla to position Tesla as an AI business, Daisley says. There’s a much bigger multiple [there], and his talk of robotics gives another horizon to chase rather than the EV one that he’s currently losing ground on.
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