GeekSugar

Picasa 3.5 Is Now Available For Download

GeekSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:11:00 -0700

Google has just announced the latest version of Picasa, its free photo-editing software for Macs and PCs. What's great about this new version is that it can scan your photo collections and create groups of similar faces (similar to Picasa Web Albums and iPhoto). All you have to do is add a name tag to a set of faces (if you're signed into Gmail, it will auto-complete names as you start typing), and then Picasa will suggest pictures that it thinks match faces in your albums and put those into the appropriate "people" groups.

To learn more about Picasa 3.5, and to see a demo video of it in action, just read more.

Picasa also uses Google Maps to make geotagging quick and easy (so you don't need to install Google Earth to do so anymore). Just choose your pictures, click the Places panel, find the place you want to geotag, and drop the pin on the map. Once all your pins are in place, you can look at an entire group of photos on a map to see where they were taken. Keep in mind your geotags will sync with your Picasa Web Albums, so you don't have to worry about having to geotag your photos again. You can download the latest version of Picasa from here.

Daily Tech: The High-Fashion Discovery 975 From Plantronics

GeekSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:35:24 -0700

Available today for $130 is the Plantronics' Discover 975 Bluetooth headset - Boing Boing Gadgets
Here are 10 things you may want to know about the PS3 Slim - Gizmodo
Now with Picasa Web Albums you can collaborate on albums with your friends - Lifehacker
Check out some trippy optical illusions from across the Internet - Switched
The US gets its first Internet addiction treatment center near Seattle - CrunchGear
A preview of the Nokia N900 tablet has been released before its official launch - CNET

Map Individual Photos in Google's Picasa

GeekSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:00:44 -0700

I recently discovered a new feature in Picasa that I had no idea even existed. Whenever you upload photos to an album, you cannot only add a location to the entire album (something I always do so people viewing the pics know where they were taken), but you can also include specific locations for each photo!

To do this, once your album is uploaded, click on "Edit" then "Album Map" and you can just drag and drop individual photo thumbnails directly onto the map. Click done when you are finished adding whichever photos you would like on the map and then when your friends or family view the album, they will see the corresponding map location in the "Photo Locations" window!

Wedding Tip: Have Your Guests Upload Photos to One Place

GeekSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:06:26 -0700

I used to think that having disposable cameras at each table at a wedding reception was such a fabulously brilliant idea.

But now the quality of the disposable film cameras is too shoddy for any possible framers, plus the kind of people who are going to take photos will have already brought their own cameras. To further drive a stake in the heart of this old trend, last year the majority of you voted that you no longer loved it.

That's not to say you don't want more photos taken than your pro photog will take - just make it easy on your guests to upload them all to one place! Call it the 2009 version of disposable cameras on tables. Instead of cameras on tables, you just place cards with a URL or email address for your guests, and leave it to them to upload after the event.

To see how to make this wedding idea come together, just read more.

First, decide which photo-sharing website you want to use. It may be easiest to use the site you're already using for photo sharing - MobileMe, Flickr, and Picasa provide you with an email address or URL to give out (see my instructions on how to do it in Picasa). But also consider newer site iRave - it also gives you both a URL or email address, and it has settings that let you approve photos before they're up, preventing any pic leaks of champagne-induced embarrassments. Make sure that whichever site you use has plenty of storage space for the photos.

Once you've settled on the service, you need the cards so people know where to send photos. This seller from Etsy makes a wedding photo-sharing kit for $25, but this is also a simple DIY.

Design and print out your message onto business card-size paper (or just cut printed sheets to that size), then place in a festive box or display on each table.

If you're really into the design of your invites, you can inquire with your invitation vendor about printing up these cards with your invite design.

Gmail Labs Adds Previews For Yelp, Picasa, YouTube, Flickr

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:15:51 -0700

Imagine if it wasn't necessary to click a link to view a photo album or YouTube video? Now if you go into your Gmail Labs under Settings and enable YouTube videos (you can watch the entire clip right from your inbox), Flickr and Picasa preview, and Yelp review preview, you can see everything inside your mail window. Yes, Gmail will automatically detect links from various sites and show you previews right from your email message.

Google Introduces Picasa For Mac

GeekSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:02:19 -0800

Christmas for geeks comes in January, as we're in the midst of both MacWorld and CES. Google's gift for us today is Picasa for Mac. It doesn't matter if you're already using iPhoto or Picasa on the web, Picasa for Mac is a seamless companion.

Its standout features are the photo management and organization, as well as its editing abilities (including the genius ways Picasa preserves your original files, post-editing). Want to see it in action before you download? Check out this video demo.

How-To: Combine Photos From Different People With Picasa

GeekSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:02:13 -0800

At the end of a holiday or party, several people usually end up with photos of their own from the same event - wouldn't it be great to combine them all easily? If you're a Picasa user, you can do it!

In Picasa, go to Settings and scroll down to "Allow me to upload photos by email." Check this box, and a field will appear, prompting you to enter a secret word. I choose words relevant to the holiday, such as "thanksgiving" - and Picasa will populate a new email address that appends to your Gmail address. For instance, if your Gmail address is "jane.doe@gmail.com", your unique Picasa address would be "jane.doe.thanksgiving@picasaweb.com."

This is the address you give out to your family, instructing them to simply email their photos to this address. Once they start emailing, everyone's photos will appear in your Drop Box on your Picasa page, and from there, you can combine them all in one special album!

Print Photos at Walgreens Straight From Picasa!

GeekSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:00:08 -0700

File Walgreens under Awesome twice today; first, today's their Free Film Developing Day, and now it's been announced that Walgreens is a print provider for Picasa!

That's right, print directly from your Picasa albums to Walgreens - which was already my preferred photo printer because you can pick them up from a store right after you order them online, no shipping costs or waiting incurred.

And don't forget to adjust your settings in Content Control to allow visitors to order prints of your photos, so your family can feel the Walgreens love, too!

Three Ways to Share Pictures of Your Kids

LilSugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:10:19 -0800

When we have children we develop the need to share pictures of them with everyone. And we can't help it. They are adorable and deserve to be treasured by our family and friends.

However, in this digital age where we don't need to worry about film costs, the urge to send 100 versions of the same playdate pics to everyone in our address books can be overpowering.

For a list of some simple tips for sharing your lil one's brightest moments and still keep your friends, read more.

Digital Photo Frames: If your lil one's grandparents, uncles or aunts aren't exactly technologically advanced consider gifting them a digital photo frame. They range in cost from about $100 to $300 and are usually fueled by simple memory sticks you can load up before hand.
Make a Baby Website or Photo Page: If you are relatively tech savvy yourself, you should create a simple website or blog on a site like TeamSugar where you can upload individual photos, whole albums, videos and share stories. If you missed your baby's birth, start at whatever stage your lil one is in now. This will give friends and family the ability to log on whenever, from wherever and comment.
Upload All Your Pics to One Photo Community: If you're not ready to create your own site I suggest using photo sites like Flickr, Kodak, Picasa, Shutterfly or Smugmug. The services are free (or offer pro accounts for less than $50 a year) and you can upload your images in a flash. In fact, the services usually offer simple uploading tools that will let you get hundreds of photos online in a matter of minutes. You can then tag them, give them captions and best of all, send the link to your page to everyone you know and demand they add it to their bookmarks. If you're worried about privacy you can create a special "guest list."

Geek Tip: Picasa Rolls Out New Features

GeekSugar — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:00:39 -0700

Google has just announced some new additions to Picasa web albums, which will give us more freedom to play around with our pictures. The first feature is called "Map My Photos" and lets you tag photos so that you can show people the exact location where you took your picture. Once you choose to share your album, all your tagged images will show up on a Google map just like the one shown here - a great way to show friends and family where you've been on trips etc! The second feature is called "Picasa for your mobile" and will let you flip through your latest photo albums from Picasa on your cell phone. Just click on "My favorites" and your images will automatically re-size to fit your mobile's screen!