Picasa 2 running on Windows Vista
Developer:	Google, Inc.
Latest release:	2.7, Build 36.60 / 26 June 2007
OS:	Windows 2000/XP/Vista, GNU/Linux
Genre:	Digital photo organizer
License:	Freeware
Website:	picasa.google.com

Keywords

Picasa uses picasa.ini files to keep track of keywords for each image. In addition to this, Picasa attaches IPTC keyword data to JPG files, but not to any other file format. Keywords attached to JPG files in Picasa can be read by other image library software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Album, and Adobe Bridge.

According to, Picasa can parse XMP data. However, it cannot search local files for existing XMP keywords.

Searching

Picasa has a search bar that is always visible when viewing the library. Searches are live in that displayed items are filtered as you type.

When a word is typed into the search bar, an image will be displayed if that word is all or part of a keyword, or part of the file name. If the searched word is part of a folder name, all images in that folder are also displayed (but not necessarily images in subfolders, unless the word also exists in a keyword or filename.)

Typing multiple words uses the "AND" boolean function similar to Google's image search. To search multiple words using the boolean "OR", simply search each word one at a time.

Backup

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. In Picasa 2, a new feature has been added to allow users to save changes made to the pictures in Picasa by overwriting the actual picture file. However, a backup version of the original picture is made and saved in a hidden folder named "Originals", which is located within the same folder as the original picture. There have, however, been cases where installation of Picasa will inadvertently delete large numbers of pictures from existing folders. Therefore backups should be made before installing the program.

Image recognition

On 15 August 2006, Google announced they had acquired Neven Vision whose technology can be used to search for features within photos such as people or buildings. Google has stated that this technology will be applied to searching for photos within Picasa at some stage in the near future.

Neven Vision incorporates several patents  specifically centered around face recognition from digital photo and video images. Neven Vision's technology has been voted among the top finishers in both the FERET 1997 and FRVT 2002 independent tests comparing the world's best face recognition technologies.

Other Picasa applications

Picasa Web Albums

Picasa Web Albums screenshot

Picasa Web Albums is a photo-sharing web application from Google, often compared to programs like Flickr and Zooomr.

It allows users with accounts at Google to store and share 1 GB of photos for free, png files cannot be uploaded. Users can upgrade to an additional 7 GB of storage for a $25.00/year fee, 26GB for $100 per year, 101 GB for $300 per year, and 251 GB for $500 per year. Users may upload pictures either via a web interface, Picasa 2.5.0 or later,  on Windows, using the Exporter for iPhoto or Uploader on Mac OS X, or F-Spot on GNU/Linux. In both paid and free accounts, the actual resolution of the photo is maintained (even though a smaller resolution photo may be displayed by the web interface), and the original photo can be downloaded. The service fees are a stark contrast to Flickr's service which allows unlimited storage and uploads for the same pricepoint of Picasa's 8GB capacity service.

Some users will prefer PWA's approach of using "unlisted number" URLs for private photo albums. This allows a user to email a private album's URL to anyone s/he wants; the recipient can view the album without having to create a user account. The Picasa help files say that private albums are not searchable by anyone except the user.

On October 11, 2006, the "Test" name was removed, in favour of purely Picasa Web Albums.

No ads are shown on Picasa Web Albums, in either free or paid accounts. The Terms of Service permit Google to use the uploaded photos to display on the website or via RSS feeds, and also for promoting Google services royalty-free.

Picasa Web Albums was first leaked on June 6, 2006.

When introduced, it came with 250 MB free space, on March 7, 2007 it was updated to 1 GB (and counting)

Hello

Hello by Google's Picasa is a free computer program that allows users to send images across the Internet and publish them to their blogs. It is similar to an instant messaging program because one can send text, but Hello focuses on digital photographs.

Hello's unique and very popular Bloggerbot IM service was canceled at the end of 2006, and users are instructed to try the Picasa 'Blog This' functionality for uploading pictures to their blogs.

Version history

Windows

As of May 2007, the current version (2.7 Build 36.40) is a 5.13MB download, for Windows 2000/XP/Vista only. The version 2.0 (build 18.84) is still being offered for Windows 98/ME, as a 3MB download, for a limited time. There are no versions of Picasa for Windows 95 or NT.

• 1.618 (build 5.35) 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.
• 2.5.0 (builds 32.01) June 12, 2006 onwards - beta versions including Picasa Web Albums support - last version (build 32.97) started rollout on November 14, 2006
• 2.6 (build 35.94.0) December 7, 2006 - new autoupdate behavior for Windows Vista support, new CD/DVD-burning engine, improved upload reliability to Picasa Web Albums, and added support for 18 new languages,
• 2.7 (build 36.37.0) April 24, 2007 - new RAW processing engine, new color engine for "tuning" fixes, added support for Google Photos Screensaver, and improved BlogThis! reliability,
  • 2.7 Build 36.40 May 3, 2007 - support for more cameras, updated version number for international installs
  • 2.7 Build 36.60 26 June 2007 - added support for geotag, fixed problems with showing up some video files.

See version history at Picasa Changelog external link below.

Screenshot of Picasa for LinuxUbuntu 6.06 LTS) (

Linux

• As from about early June 2006 Linux versions (2.2.2820-5) became available as free downloads for most distributions of the LinuxWine. operating system. It runs with

Mac OS X

• Picasa Web Albums is available for Macs. A plugin is available for iPhoto to upload to the Picasa Web Albums hosting service. There is also a standalone Picasa Web Albums uploading tools for OS X 10.4 or later.