Wildly popular Prisma app just made a major breakthrough

Over the past two months, its team of nine developers has made it possible for the app to run offline, without connecting to its servers. The update, available Tuesday for iOS devices, is a big deal because Prisma previously needed a large amount of computing power in remote servers to process each image. That work can now be performed on individual phones thanks to the improved efficiency of the app. If you haven't used Prisma, it works a lot like Instagram, without the social network component: Upload or take a photo, and the free app will transform it into artwork in the style of famous masterpieces. You can make your selfie look like Edvard Munch's The Scream, or your backyard resemble Katsushika Hokusai's The Great Wave.