Vertically oriented video is something that should not be allowed to happen. There is never, ever, ever an instance in which it is a good idea to take a video with your camera in the vertical orientation leaving black bars over 2/3 of the screen. For some reason though, people who take video on their smartphones - especially the iPhone - do it all the time. It just so happens that devices like this also contain orientation sensors making this idea pretty easy to implement. Just incorporate the orientation sensor into the camera app. When the camera is held vertically and the user attempts to record video, the screen turns black and the word "NO!" appears in bright red letters. A helpful arrow indicates the direction to turn the phone to film something. Vertical videos will never be inflicted upon the world again.
Some have suggested that the app just detect the orientation and turn the video automatically. I have two problems with that: one, camera sensors usually match the widescreen orientation so turning the video will result in some part of the sensor not being used. Two, it doesn't solve the problem that people who take vertical videos do it because they want to, never realizing that it is dumb.-- DIYMatt, Aug 17 2012 No. Please do not "solve" this "problem."
1) I may want to take a quick video that will be displayed on my phone and the vertical orientation might allow me to better frame the relevant action so I can see it better on the small screen.
2) When taking a video, my phone doesn't do hi-def resolution. Therefore if I can frame the action better in the vertical orientation and display it with black bars over 2/3 of my hi-def display (or more likely in a window on my PC), I will get better resolution on the relevant action than if I backed up so I could frame it in a horizontal orientation.-- scad mientist, Aug 17 2012 In that case, you just shouldn't be taking video on your phone.-- DIYMatt, Aug 17 2012 Getting software to think for people is a BAD IDEA that rips through the very viability of our species like a telegraph pole through a cow in a tornado. Let people make their own mistakes... it's the only way Darwinian selection can keep us from extinction.-- UnaBubba, Aug 17 2012 OK, how much to delete that anno? We don't want that sort of thinking getting around.
The usual terms ? Used bills, no sequential serial numbers, nothing bigger than a 20 ?-- 8th of 7, Aug 18 2012 I'll delete it for a bun.-- DIYMatt, Aug 18 2012 random, halfbakery