Picasa
File:Picasa (logo).PNG | |
Picasa2 running on Windows XP | |
Developer(s) | Google, Inc. |
---|---|
Stable release | 2.2.0 Build 28.20
/ January 30, 2006 |
Operating system | Windows 2000/XP, GNU/Linux |
Type | Digital photo organizer |
License | Freeware |
Website | picasa.google.com |
Picasa, Inc is a Pasadena, California based digital photography company that produces an automated digital photo organizer application of the same name. In July 2004, Google acquired Picasa from Idealab and began offering Picasa for free download.
Picasa software
Picasa is marketed as being easy to use and it offers many one click effects such as color enhancement, red eye reduction and cropping. Other features include slide shows, printing and image timelines.
Pictures can be organized into albums. Albums can be organized into collections. Pictures can be rearranged in albums by drag and drop. Images can be resized and exported for external use, be e-mailed or printed. There is also an integrated facility to order photo prints.
Picasa does not overwrite photos when changes are made. Instead, it lists all the changes made and puts the list in a separate file. Whenever the image is opened in Picasa it will check the list and apply the changes that the list tells it to. If you open the photo in any other program, though, the image will not have the changes applied to it. To see the changes when using the photo in other programs you must 'export' the photo.
Similar software include Apple's iPhoto, Linspire's Lphoto, Adobe's Photoshop Album and F-Spot.
Picasa Web Albums
On June 6, 2006, it was leaked that Google may be planning a photo upload site, similar in nature to Flickr, called Picasa Web Albums. [1]
As of June 14, 2006, the new service was available in "limited test" mode, with users being invited to sign up on a first-come, first-served basis at http://picasaweb.google.com.
Version history
Windows
- 1.618 (build unknown) July 2004 - free download version offered since Google's acquisition of Picasa
- 2.0.0 (build 18.77) January 18, 2005 - myriad new features including improved search functions, an automated photo collage maker, massively enhanced photo editing functions and further integration with Picasa's Hello and Google's Blogger services.
- 2.0.0 (build 18.84) June 8, 2005 - bug fix release
- 2.1.0 (build 27.60) September 19, 2005 - new features including international language support, one-click photo blogging, CD cover printing, improved RAW handling and improved support for external drives.
- 2.2.0 (build 28.20) January 30, 2006 - 25 additional languages are supported, new network drive support, and bug fixes for IE7 support and CD Burning.
Linux
- As from about early June 2006 linux versions became available as free downloads for most forms of the linux operating system.
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Screenshot of Picasa for Linux (Ubuntu 6.06 LTS)