photos

Google's recent release of Picasa 3 (review) introduced a dozen changes to the already popular photo organizer.

A few are small, overdue bridges between the desktop app and Web Albums that greatly impact your work flow, and some are much more ambitious features that substantially extend Picasa's abilities. Almost all of them hit the mark (there is one exception.)

This First Look video takes you on a tour of some of the more salient features of this terrific desktop app for everyday storing, editing, and sharing.

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If you're looking for a way to sift through an enormous image library for specific photos, this app might be just the ticket. A simple interface based on the .NET framework features a dark gray background and large easy-to-read buttons for the programs feature set. Images are displayed as thumbnails with the ability to flip through pages if you're just looking to browse. Some editing tools are available for red-eye correction and image rotation, and you can sort photos into groups made easily accessible on the bottom of the interface. But Photology's true strength is the ability … Read more

HANNspree--probably best known for its oddball LCD TV designs--has decided it's no longer satisfied being in just the TV and monitor markets and Monday announced the availability of two digital picture frames.

The $99.99, 8-inch wide-screen HANNspree SD80M4MB (catchy name, right?) features three, themed ceramic interchangeable faceplates: Christmas (HANNsxmas, pictured), birthdays (HANNssweet), and Valentine's Day (HANNsvalentine). The company also throws in two plain ol' frame backings so you can use the two faceplates that are not in use on the photo display as regular frames for photo prints.

The SD80M4MB is loaded up with standard digital … Read more

Until Apple blesses the iPhone with a camera worth talking about, you're just going to have to improve photos by transferring them to your desktop to edit.

Not so fast, slick. Picoli for iPhone ($4.99) is a handy little photo editor that does a great job touching up entire photos--you can color-correct images by using a slider, flip the image, and apply a few effects, including converting to sepia tones.

Watch our First Look video to see how Picoli works and see if you should download a copy for yourself.

Related: >>All iPhone apps

This photo organizer strikes us as the picture of simplicity, a hairy task considering that Picasa 3 stacks on over a dozen more features and refinements to improve the editing, creative, and sharing options onto what has for years been a solid consumer app. Although not the most powerful image manager on the block, Picasa has the distinction of being the most easygoing.

Picasa's editing tools now include a retoucher to cover over blemishes and an improved red-eye corrector that detects and fixes all orbs emitting a magenta glow, with fairly good results.

Picasa really shines when it comes … Read more

Only two and a half months after announcing Picasa 3 beta, Google has done the uncharacteristic and on Thursday has issued Picasa 3.

Here's the clincher:Picasa 3 is the exact same desktop organizer and editor it has been under the beta flag. (This is a good wagon for the Gmail team to climb aboard--Google's e-mail service has been in beta since 2004 and its latest releases have been earthshaking themes and emoticons.)

Although Version 3 beta users won't see changes in this release, those switching from Version 2.7 will enjoy the substantial boost in features. … Read more

Just got some interesting news from the makers of Eye-Fi, the Wi-Fi-enabled SD card that wirelessly beams photos from your camera to your PC (and/or an online service like Facebook or Snapfish): There's a new 4GB Anniversary Edition of the card, and you can get one for just $99. The catch? You'll have to walk into your local Costco.

Yeah, I know, that kinda bites. And $99 is still about $90 more than the price of a regular 4GB SD card. On the other hand, it's $30 less than the Web price ($129.99 at Eye-Fi'… Read more

Though Photoshop rules the roost when it comes to image-editing software, not everyone needs many of the more advanced functions Photoshop has to offer. Many casual digital camera users probably don't want to spend the money on higher-end software, either.

That's where Pixelmator comes in. With Pixelmator ($59) you get most of the tools, color-correction features, effects, and layer management options you would find in a program like Photoshop, but without the steep price tag. The recently released version 1.3 adds several more useful features and fixes bugs from previous versions.

Familiar image-editing tools like the selector, … Read more