Picasa

It’s funny how this blog gets inspiration. My previous post about Google Analytics came from a referral from my brother-in-law. Well, this post comes from a referral I made back to him just a few days later. If you have a digital camera, you’ll want to try out Picasa (also owned by Google).

Go to Google and download it . . . it’s well worth a try. You just set it and it scans the directories you specify each time it runs. You can then browse them (very quickly and smoothly). You can edit, crop, change levels, etc.

I just found a cool part of it today that lets you export files to Tivo for a slideshow. So, for instance, I mark great photos with the “star” option. That gives me a “starred photos” gallery. As time passes, that gallery grows and I can just export it to Tivo and watch it there through “Music, photos, and more”.

Picasa version one was ok, but then Google bought it and version 2 came out. One of the best organizers I’ve found. It integrates with photo stores too (Wal-Mart, Shutterfly, etc.). My wife loves it and uses it often. When she wants to order pictures, she just browses by month and, viola, there they are. She drags the ones she wants to a proofing bin and batches them all to Wal-mart one hour . . . what a beautiful thing!

Of course, the latest thing I like is that when I see a photo I like, I just click the email button and it uses Outlook Express (or Gmail or others you set) to send it.

For newbies or advanced users, I can’t find another organizer that comes close. Oh, and the timeline feature is interesting . . . lets you have a carousel of photos through a timeline. Not totally useful, but amusing.

Have fun,
LM