Slashdot Mirror


Google Photos 3.0 Released, Bringing Smarter Sharing, Suggestions and Shared Libraries (techcrunch.com)

Google is rolling out Google Photos 3.0, which features an AI-powered Suggested Sharing feature along with Shared Libraries, "both of which are designed to make the Google Photos app a more social experience, rather than just a personal collection of photo memories," reports TechCrunch. From the report: With the addition of Suggested Sharing, Google Photos will now prompt you to share photos you took by pushing an alert to your smartphone. The feature will identify people in the photos using facial recognition technology and machine learning, which helps it understand who you typically share photos with, among other things. It also looks at the photos you've taken at a particular location, before organizing them in a ready-to-share album by selecting the best shots (e.g., removing blurry or dark photos). You can edit the album if you choose, then share with the people the app suggests, remove suggestions, or add others. Even if your friends or family doesn't use Google Photos, you can share by sending them a link via text or email. A second feature called Shared Libraries is designed more for use with families or significant others. This lets you either share your entire photo collection with someone else, or you can configure it to share only selected photos -- for example, photos of your children.

54 comments

  1. Sooo... by JBMcB · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What do I use if I just to manage a personal collection of photo memories?

    I guess Picasa worked too well so they killed it.

    --
    My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
    1. Re:Sooo... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I haven't found a tool better than Picasa for this kind of work. It really is a shame they killed it...

    2. Re:Sooo... by cc1984_ · · Score: 1

      I agree, but Digikam, once you get past the fairly unintuitive UI, can emulate most workflows found in Picasa. The facial recognition is not great but apart from that I'm a very happy user, with 50,000 pictures.

    3. Re:Sooo... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      picasa was primarily a PC application, that's why it got axed. it didn't force the images to "the cloud" where google can do all sorts of creepy on them (and act as a massive database for TLAs), which is the basis for many of the new 'features'.

    4. Re:Sooo... by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Picasa was a fucking piece of bastard shite.

      Unless it was an exercise in how not to design a UI, in which case it was a roaring success.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    5. Re:Sooo... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But....but... social media!

      We must share everything! EVERYTHING!!!

  2. Hungry for Facebook's data by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please, give Google your social networks too.

    1. Re:Hungry for Facebook's data by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And credit card number...waaaait, they already have it, lol.

  3. And what of INVASIVE SPYING? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It just ain't Teh G if it ain't invasivly spying on me, you, them!

  4. Don't take my picture by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Google Photos will now prompt you to share photos you took by pushing an alert to your smartphone. The feature will identify people in the photos using facial recognition...

    Don't ever take a picture of me. Just don't!

  5. Tongue not in cheek by rmdingler · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The feature will identify people in the photos using facial recognition technology and machine learning, which helps it understand who you typically share photos with, among other things.

    Indeed. Practically zero chance for misuse by the larger fraternal sibling.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

  6. digiKam - runs on Linux, Windows, and MacOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    https://www.digikam.org/about/

    "What is digiKam?

    digiKam is an advanced open-source digital photo management application that runs on Linux, Windows, and MacOS. The application provides a comprehensive set of tools for importing, managing, editing, and sharing photos and raw files."

    "Highlights

    You can use digiKam's import capabilities to easily transfer photos, raw files, and videos directly from your camera and external storage devices (SD cards, USB disks, etc.). The application allows you to configure import settings and rules that process and organize imported items on-the-fly.

    digiKam organizes photos, raw files, and videos into albums. But the application also features powerful tagging tools that allow you to assign tags, ratings, and labels to photos and raw files. You can then use filtering functionality to quickly find items that match specific criteria.

    In addition to filtering functionality, digiKam features powerful searching capabilities that let you search the photo library by a wide range of criteria. You can search photos by tags, labels, rating, data, location, and even specific EXIF, IPTC, or XMP metadata. You can also combine several criteria for more advanced searches. digiKam rely on Exiv2 library to handle metadata tag contents from files to populate the photo library.

    digiKam can handle raw files, and the application uses the excellent LibRaw library for decoding raw files. The library is actively maintained and regularly updated to include support for the latest camera models.

    The application provides a comprehensive set of editing tools. This includes basic tools for adjusting colors, cropping, and sharpening as well as advanced tools for, curves adjustment, panorama stitching, and much more. A special tool based on lensfun library permit to apply lens corrections automatically on images.

    Extended functionality in digiKam is implemented via a set of plugins. You can easily customize digiKam by enable and disable individual tools, dedicated especially to import and export contents to remote web-services."

    1. Re:digiKam - runs on Linux, Windows, and MacOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How does it compare to Picasa regarding casual use?

    2. Re:digiKam - runs on Linux, Windows, and MacOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I haven't used it, but I researched it just a few days ago and apparently its facial recognition is so bad as to be non-existent. If it weren't for that I'd make the switch from Picasa.

    3. Re:digiKam - runs on Linux, Windows, and MacOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What is facial recognition used for by someone managing a personal photo collection?
      My wife manages tens of thousands of photos in digiKam; she has never said she wished it had facial recognition.

    4. Re:digiKam - runs on Linux, Windows, and MacOS by drMental · · Score: 1

      Same reason you use keywords. To catalog your photos for easy retrieval.

  7. Sounds like an NSA project to me. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    You'd have to be stupid to use anything Google does, from this point on.

  8. ummm, no by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    creeepy....

  9. I just want to take photos then copy them to pc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If I wanted to share them I'd email them. Leave my stuff alone dammit!

  10. Pity about Picasa by hyades1 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Is there anything at all about this "feature" that doesn't seem at best creepy and intrusive?

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    1. Re:Pity about Picasa by tehcyder · · Score: 2

      Is there anything at all about this "feature" that doesn't seem at best creepy and intrusive?

      I seem to have missed the bit about how it's compulsory to install this on your computer and phone.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    2. Re:Pity about Picasa by hyades1 · · Score: 0

      Fortunately, nobody has missed the bit about you being a supercilious asshole.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    3. Re:Pity about Picasa by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      People who spend their lives with their head crammed up their fundament often miss a lot.

      Just sayin'.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    4. Re:Pity about Picasa by Giannis81 · · Score: 1

      Is there anything at all about this "feature" that doesn't seem at best creepy and intrusive?

      Creepy? Noooo. It ll be fun! No one forces you to upload your photo on the internet. If you do, just accept the consequenses...

  11. A bit of explanation please? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 0

    WTF is "Google Photos"? Is it an app on Android? Something available on smartphones only? Is there a Windows, macOS and Linux version?

    Sent from my C=64.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
    1. Re:A bit of explanation please? by antdude · · Score: 1

      Please show us your C64 setup with the Internet and /.. :P

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    2. Re:A bit of explanation please? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2
      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    3. Re:A bit of explanation please? by antdude · · Score: 1

      Ha ha ha! Show us your details on its software and hardware setups. Basically, a howto guide. :P

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    4. Re:A bit of explanation please? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  12. All Your Photos Are Belong To Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In exchange for their "free" service, Google wants a perpetual, world-wide, royalty free license to use your photos how ever they wish, even after you delete your photos and close your account. And while you're enjoying the service, Google is data mining and archiving everyone you know and every place you've been.
    Such a deal!

    1. Re: All Your Photos Are Belong To Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As far as I know, your comments about Google having the rights to your photos are pretty much lies.

  13. AI??? by Gussington · · Score: 2

    Google Photos puts photos of my dog under the heading 'Cats'. And they want this AI to control cars on public roads?

    1. Re:AI??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You'll have to show us your dog so we can see if they are doing a worse job than the average human (nerd?) at identifying dogs vs cats.

    2. Re:AI??? by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      Google Photos puts photos of my dog under the heading 'Cats'. And they want this AI to control cars on public roads?

      I really don't think driverless cars are going to favour one species over another when it comes to deciding whether to swerve/brake to avoid them or not.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  14. Google Feature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It would be great if they added a feature to sync your photos back to a local computer.

  15. It just knows your dog identifies as trans-species by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... you insensitive clod.

  16. Share, share, share by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Share everything about yourself, we want to know all about you! But only economically and without all that feeling baggage...

    FOAD Google

  17. Is there a 3rd party API for Apps? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Photos on Picasa/ Google+ used to have this

  18. RIP Picasa by Jezral · · Score: 3, Interesting

    And yet, still no option to sort an album by filename, despite many people requesting it for years. Picasa could do it.

    They killed off Picasa, promised feature parity within a year, did not deliver, and isn't even close to delivering.

    There's so many low hanging fruit features that Google could trivially add to their products to make them massively more useful, but they don't.

    1. Re:RIP Picasa by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      I had a Picasa account. When Google offered to "migrate" my photos, I took them down and closed it...even before the axe fell.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    2. Re:RIP Picasa by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And yet, still no option to sort an album by filename, despite many people requesting it for years. Picasa could do it.

      They killed off Picasa, promised feature parity within a year, did not deliver, and isn't even close to delivering.

      There are so many low hanging fruit features that Google could trivially add to their products to make them massively more useful, but they don't.

      It's yet another example of our declining empire brought about by excessive affluence, ego and greed. The corrupt people who infest our institutions have no real abilities or any sense of responsibility or value. Clearly, the upper class is completely out of control and is steering us towards total societal collapse.

      Just saying ...

  19. Why (simple question) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    If I take our picture and I want to share it with you - WHY MUST I also share a copy with G FB NSA etc?

    1. Re:Why (simple question) by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      If I take our picture and I want to share it with you - WHY MUST I also share a copy with G FB NSA etc?

      You could always try not using Google if you're that worried.

      Crazy, huh?

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    2. Re:Why (simple question) by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      Because they love Love LOVE you!

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    3. Re:Why (simple question) by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      "You could always try not using Google if you're that worried."

      Yeah, there's so many search engines out there in the same league.

      Weird, huh!

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    4. Re:Why (simple question) by Desler · · Score: 0

      You could also stop being a raging douchebag. Crazy, huh?

    5. Re:Why (simple question) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      GGP wasn't talking about using Google's search engine.

    6. Re:Why (simple question) by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      By using the one, you're going to wind up using the other...or being used by it.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  20. more invasion of personal space by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    this is not for the user because if it was it would be easy to turn off. Considering this is the stock app for managing photos on an android phone, this is incredibly invasive and completely bullshit.

    I just went to my photos app to make sure that cloud backup and google drive connectivity are turned off.. I will now be keeping a close eye on any updates to photos and watching to see if this changes.

    Seriously considering going back to a dumb phone now. or turning my BB back into my main phone.

    1. Re:more invasion of personal space by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      this is not for the user because if it was it would be easy to turn off. Considering this is the stock app for managing photos on an android phone, this is incredibly invasive and completely bullshit.

      I just went to my photos app to make sure that cloud backup and google drive connectivity are turned off.. I will now be keeping a close eye on any updates to photos and watching to see if this changes.

      Seriously considering going back to a dumb phone now. or turning my BB back into my main phone.

      I just moved my sim card back to the BB yesterday. Android offers me nothing but a bunch of crap I don't want.

  21. I like google photos, but these AI features only.. by guacamole · · Score: 1

    I like Google photos, but these AI features are annoying and only get in the way of using it. For those who don't know, Google Photos is an online photo storage and sharing service. It is the biggest freebie of the modern internet, which seems to be strangely ignored by most of people. Simply install the G Photos app on an Android or iOS smartphone, or on a PC, and your photos are automatically uploaded to their servers. The service is completely free if you agree that your photos are compressed to something like 16megapixels, which means that the storage for smartphone-grade photos is effectively free. You can organize the photos into albums and share them with friends, or anyone. Yet, strangely, barely any Android users know what this service is. No wonder Google needs to come up with AI assistant inside of Google Photos to actually entice the clueless masses to use it.

    Even the most of Android smartphone users don't understand what it does.

  22. Cant wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    To let google look at exif tags and run face detection on all my pics.

    Oh wait, I dont use google apps; so nevermind.

  23. Re:I like google photos, but these AI features onl by iampiti · · Score: 1

    It's free because mining your photos gives Google a lot of information about you, which is really they only thing they want about you.
    I'm tired of being spied in all ways possible. What I really want is the old paradigm: I get services/goods for money and not for letting you spy me. Some services have both options (which is nice), but many don't even give you the option of paying.