Remember how we had that great new feature that was coming "soon"?

Well, "soon" is now... though "feature" may have been an understatement.

It's actually a whole bundle of features, including...

Separate Online Buddy settings   Yes, the wait is finally over! The things you now share with your contacts, whether it's your content or profile information, may now be selectively shared (or not, if you choose) with your "Online Buddy" contacts. (Confused? Click here for a complete explanation.)


Flash-enhanced photo slideshows  Using our certifiably awesome Flash-based video player as a base, we've created a slick, optimized photo slideshow player. Find your favorite photo album and give it a try; it is nothing short of amazing. (Cool bonus thing: you can now embed slideshows of your photo albums elsewhere on the Interwebs, just like you can videos!)


Filter Inbox by your replies  We've added a new filter to everyone's Inbox. It's called "I've Replied" – select it to filter your Inbox to only display content to which you've replied, making it easier to keep track of the conversations you're interested in. (As with all filters, click the "Custom" link you'll find near the top of your Inbox to set it.) In addition to this preset filter, there's a brand-new "only posts I've replied to" option that can be added to any custom filter.


Block HTML in your guestbook  The choice is yours – you can now choose to only allow others to leave text replies to your guestbook. Say good riddance to large, flashy, glittery animated images (and other paragons of tasteful, modern graphic design.) Unless, of course, you like that sort of thing. If you do, feel free to continue allowing them on your guestbook.


Easier social bookmarking  If you ever link to great content you find on Multiply using an outside "social bookmarking" service, you'll be pleased to know that we've replaced the old, individual bookmarking links with a simple, single link to an outside service responsible for keeping these links up to date. (Click the "Share" link you'll find under any post, followed by the "Add to" link.)


Photo album navigation beautification  You guys asked for it, and here it is. We've made navigating Multiply's great new (fasterer) photo albums more visually pleasing, making the text controls look like they actually belong on your page.


Fix for deleted guestbook replies  If you've ever deleted a reply from your guestbook, are you tired of seeing "Comment deleted..." in its place? Us too. That's why we've come up with a pretty intelligent way to not display those... while also preserving the guestbook's reply pagination.


New contact imports  Actually, they're old... but new again! We're proud to welcome back our contact import tools for Myspace and Friendster. We've missed ya, ol' buddies.

Now, wasn't that both pretty soon and a lot more than you were expecting?

As always, let us know what you think of these features!

Many users lavished us with high praise (thanks!) for the recent changes we made to the way photo albums are viewed on Multiply: faster and easier than ever.

If you share photos on Multiply — over 2,000,000 are shared daily, so we've reason to believe you may — or even if you don't, but just enjoy viewing others', we've yet another reason for you to be happy. Now, when viewing a photo, the next photo in the album will actually begin loading in the background, just waiting for you to click "next."

It was definitely fast before, but you should now see photos loading a little... more instantly.

Perhaps the most notable new feature we released last week was our new streamlined photoviewing experience.

While your experience might vary (based on the speed of your Internet connection), some really cool technologies, like Ajax, exist under the hood to make split-second load times possible on even an average-speed Internet connection.

This, basically, means photos load about as quickly as you can click. Count to zero and... well, you get the idea.

Viewing photos with unprecedented speed is all well and good, but let's not forget the other stuff you expect from the photo experience on Multiply, like adding faceboxes, full-size zoom and adding replies. They all still work as you'd expect.

If you're not seeing faster loading times, JavaScript may be disabled in your browser (this probably applies to very few people), but there's no need to worry! While you won't get the full benefit of these new features without JavaScript, you'll still be able to enjoy photo albums just as you always have.

We recently announced the upcoming Multiply Toolbar (among other recent 'coming soon's). Built into the toolbar will be a new photo uploader, a worthy addition to the current ones like the enhanced Java and basic HTML uploaders (not to mention posting via e-mail and our wide array of import options!). Users of Internet Explorer also have the ActiveX uploader to choose from... but not for much longer.

Yes, the ActiveX is going away, but don't mourn for it.

As much as there is to love about that ol' uploader, Multiply users will find that the one built into the toolbar offers just as many options as the ActiveX one. With this on the way and the Java uploader still available, chances are you won't even miss the ActiveX uploader.

People who use the ActiveX uploader can continue doing so for the time being, though it will eventually be removed. We just wanted to give you a bit of a heads-up so there are no surprises when it rides off into the sunset.

Although you're always free to manually download the photos you've already shared on Multiply, there's a much easier way to get a copy of the lot of them, whether for yourself... or someone else.

A few months ago, we announced that Multiply had partnered with QOOP for our brand-new photo printing services. In addition to the custom postcards, calendars, mugs and more that they create, which you may already know about, did you know that QOOP also makes it easy to order a backup copy of your photo albums?

To get started, simply start with one of your photo albums – any one will do. Click the prints & gifts link you'll find below the album. You'll then be taken to QOOP's site; once there, you'll find Photo Disks among the list of items. Select this and the rest is simple -- you'll be able to choose to add all of your photos to the disk, choose certain albums, or even pick photos shared between certain dates!

This sort of thing is great if you ever need an easy copy of all the photos you've posted to Multiply. And let's not forget that these make great gifts for those less Internet savvy... but still near and dear to your heart!

In a blog entry posted a few months back, we mentioned that Yahoo Photos had announced that they were shutting down their service. While the timetable for the shutdown wasn't made clear at the time, it now seems that the end is near!

Yahoo Photos will, indeed, be shutting down on September 20^th... that's just under a month from now! If you've previously used Yahoo Photos and have anything stored there that you think is worth saving, fear not! We just thought we'd remind you that you still have time to bring your old photos over to Multiply.

To do this, simply click here or use the "Yahoo" link near the bottom of the photo upload page.

By now, you're most likely aware of how easy it is to add new Faceboxes to photos... just click a face to get started. However, as one user pointed out in a comment on our last entry, isn't this the way to view high-resolution versions of photos on Multiply?

There's your resolution... and your full-size link.

Well, in case you haven't noticed, there's always been a second way... which is now the way.

While viewing an individual photo's page within an album, have a look right below the resized version of an image. You'll find, right below the image, the image title—which may just be the original filename (as is the case in the screenshot to the right) if you didn't enter a title—as well as the resolution of the original, full-size version of the file.

Simply click the resolution below and you'll then be viewing the full-size version of the image. Click the image to add a new Facebox.

That's all there is to it.

The brief but surely unbearable wait is over—we're quite pleased to announce that it's now possible to add, as we previewed a couple days ago, Faceboxes to identify people in your (and others') photos!

But that's only part of the story... here's what's new today on Multiply:


Faceboxes are here!
Have you ever come across a group photo on Multiply and recognized some people you know... but wondered who at least a few of the others are? Well, wonder no more.

The best way to get started with Faceboxes is just to try adding a new one. It's easy—simply find an appropriate photo containing either yourself or someone you know... and click their face! Up will pop the "Who is This?" tool pictured to the right.


If the user you're Faceboxing is already a contact of yours, start typing their name or choose it from the contact list below. If they're not, feel free to add their name or, if you'd like to invite them to Multiply, their e-mail address! (Don't worry; their e-mail address won't be shared with anyone else.)

Naturally, you're able to choose who can add Faceboxes to the photos you've posted (see Posting Options under settings), and can remove boxes if someone has incorrectly identified you. As you can see to the left, you'll be notified of new faceboxes just like you are for new posts and comments.

Note: now that clicking a photo serves to allow you to add a new Facebox, you can view the full-resolution original version by clicking the linked resolution text next to the image title, e.g. Happy People (1000x750).


Post via Email enhancement #1
(New: post to groups!)
You asked for our Post via E-mail feature for posting to groups... and now you've got it! Group administrators can enable this feature, and set a secret pin for posting their groups, by editing the group's profile. Members of the group can then view the group's profile to find the secret pin.

(Note that, for security purposes, group members can only post to a group using the e-mail address they currently have registered to their Multiply account. One can double-check or change that e-mail address on their My Account settings page.)


Post via E-mail enhancement #2
(New: security options!)
You can now set a default access level for future posts you make via e-mail on your Post via E-mail settings page. Additionally, if you've never used the feature before, you can also set a secret pin (which acts like a password, though you shouldn't use your Multiply account's password as the pin!) to get started with the feature.


Moderated group posting
If you're the administrator of a large public group, you may already be familiar with the hassle of keeping, say, clearly unwanted posts from becoming an annoyance for both you and your group's members. So now, we at Multiply will be doing more to make sure these are our problem—not yours. For new group members or recent Multiply accounts, this may mean a slight delay before your post appears in the group, but this should be minimal. So while we'll be catching obviously unwanted posts, group admins should still be on top of things, removing and reporting any unwanted activity.


We hope you cotton to these improvements—feel free to shoot back with your say below.

You may have noticed that we at Multiply are all about letting you do more with the things you post, and we're always looking for new features that help you bring you closer to your contacts and (optionally, of course) other people closely connected to you.

Anything that helps you do that is a plus to us.

Here's a new, big plus.

Have you ever wanted an easy way to find yourself in the photos your friends have posted? Or what about finding specific individuals that appear in your photos–and then, see who else has photos of them? Or what about... well, you get the idea. :-)

So, starting in the very near future, you can do even more with not only your photos, but others' photos in your network. Similarly to how you can now use tags to categorize content, you'll be able to identify yourself and your contacts appearing in photos within your network. Each photo album will clearly state who's pictured within, as will each individual photo. And, perhaps most importantly, you'll be able to find other photos in which you, and other people you know, appear.

Here's an example photo with its subjects boxed (and one subject selected):

With the impending shutdown of Yahoo Photos, it's only natural that users of the service would want to preserve their memories by moving their old photos to another web service where they can keep sharing them with others.

Of course, Multiply is one such service!

We first brought you this news in our last monthly newsletter (change your e-mail settings here), but we just wanted to let you know that we've worked out an issue that users of "international" (non-US) Yahoo accounts may have been experiencing while trying to import their photos to Multiply.

So if you've got photos worth saving on Yahoo that you'd like to move over to Multiply, click here to get started! (Or click Post > Photos to see your other options for importing photos.)

Today, we're proud to announce that we've updated our photo-print offerings... complete with a brand-new print partner!

We took our time with this decision, searched high, low, far and wide, and finally selected QOOP to handle our users' photo-printing needs. We've had a chance to sample their products and are quite impressed with the quality they're able to deliver.

While QOOP allows us to offer you full the range of printing options we did before, it doesn't stop there.


With QOOP, you can now show off the photos you've posted to Multiply on a wide variety of products! Who wouldn't want to see their memories every month on a calendar, or every morning on a coffee mug? And naturally, these sorts of things make great gifts -- think of it as a whole new way to share your photos with the people who matter!

Here are just a few things you can customize using photos from Multiply:
(see QOOP for a complete list)

• posters
• calendars
• stickers
• mugs
• magnets
• greeting cards
• mousepads
• ...and much more!
  

To order these fine products, or to just have a look at what's available, simply click the prints & gifts link you'll find below the thumbnails on almost any Multiply photo album.

Additionally, after uploading a new photo album of your own, you'll be given the option of immediately using your brand-new photos on an item. Check it out and see what looks good!

International shipping is, of course, available. And once you do receive your order, why not post a photo of yourself holding it, for that meta-photo goodness! :)



If you'd like to prevent others from ordering prints of your photos, enable Advanced Posting and you'll find an option for doing so when adding a new album, or editing an existing one. Of course, disallowing others to order prints doesn't mean you can't still order prints from your own photos!

With some of our more recent features, like custom Multiply badges and Amazon Wish-List integration (and even some older ones, like content import tools and cross-posting and getting your message board via RSS!) it may seem like we're helping Multiply 'play nice' with other web services.

Images can be embedded in posts or comments on Multiply... or elsewhere on the Web!

And there's a good reason for that. (It's because we are.)

So, not too long ago, we took another step toward working better with others and made it dead easy to embed photos posted on Multiply into other websites. You can accomplish this by visiting a photo's individual page within an album and clicking the familiar "share" link that you'll find below it. Simply grab the "Embed" HTML code under "Share Options" and paste it wherever you like!

You'll find this link on the share page for any image within an album that has been posted publicly, whether by you or another user. The embed link is available for your own protected albums as well, in case you'd like to share your own images more widely. How you share your own content is your own choice, but naturally, it isn't available on others' protected albums. You should know better than to even try! :-)

Here's a bundle of brand-new features that should make all users, both new and old (and future) alike, quite happy.

First, for the current users:
(because you're awesome)

More customization of your message board
Ever wanted to hide some of those boxes next to your message board? If you haven't, we don't blame you, because they're great. But in case you want to try something new, now you can! Just click "Preferences" on the message board page and pick the boxes you'd like to hide.

Easy image embedding elsewhere
In case you happen to find yourself on a website that isn't Multiply (why, we're not sure) and would like to share an image stored on Multiply with the unenlightened masses out there, we've made it easier to do so. Just go to the page of the particular photo you'd like to use (i.e. visit album where it's stored and click the appropriate thumbnail) and click that sweet new "share" link below. Then grab the HTML, conveniently located below, paste it into the other site and share it!

No auto-loading for non-new videos
We've changed the way the Flash video player works for repeat viewings. Now, when you view a video for the first time -- and only the first time -- it will automatically begin loading in the background, for quick playback when you press play. (Note that it won't auto-play. That's just annoying.) On subsequent viewings, it'll wait patiently for you to press play, which you're not likely to do anyway, as you're probably just there to view the new comments.

And for those who aren't users yet:
(because you're future-awesome)

Find your friends before you join
If you're on the fence about joining Multiply, or are just wondering if any of your friends have joined yet (and forgotten to tell or invite you), you can now check by clicking "Find friends" right on multiply.com. Either give us a few e-mail addresses you'd like to check, or import your entire contact list from a webmail account for full-coverage.

(This isn't just for new users, either! Current users who want to find their friends will find a link to this at the top of the search page.)

And, of course, for everyone:

A brand new look!
...and you've probably already noticed this. If you haven't, that's alright too.

Certain parts of Multiply are sporting a sleek new look. It's not a completely radical change, more a bit of a visual refresh. The new beauty, however, is more than skin-deep. Some may even call it functional. See if you can tell what's new!

So please, enjoy these new features.
Feedback, as always... you know we love it. :)

If you're away from your computer for any stretch of the day, the poor thing probably gets sad and lonely, sitting around twiddling its digital thumbs with nothing to do all day.

Rather than having it display the same old flying toasters on your screen while you're gone, why not let it download and display the latest photos posted by the people you know on Multiply?

Click here and download the executable (Windows only at the moment, sorry!). Once installed, simply enter your username and password into the program, and if you'd like, set the few (optional) options available, like how long each photo should be displayed onscreen and what time of day new photos should be downloaded.

The screensaver does more than just show you photos -- it also shows you who posted them, when they were posted... and even the number of replies that have been left so far! If you see a photo on which you'd like to comment, simply click it and the screensaver will get out of your way, launch your web browser and take you right to the photo's page!

If you'd like to change whose photos appear, you can do this too on the settings page. Your choices range from (for narcissists) only your own, or any other proximity setting you'll find on your message board.

When we announced the new (spiffy) album editor, we knew we were onto something big. But we also knew we weren't quite finished yet.

Behold a new, easy way to re-arrange photos within an album:

After uploading new photos, or while editing an existing album, simply click the brand-spanking new Re-order Photos link and you can automatically re-order your photos in a few different ways. (Of course, you can still drag-and-drop to arrange your photos in any order you like.)

Selecting...

• "by Subject" will alphabetize them by title
• "Order Uploaded" will reset the original order in which you selected them
  
• "Date Taken" will do... simply that! (Note that if you used the Java uploader and chose "Format for web," or your photos don't contain Exif data for some other reason, this option won't be available.)

For a good while now, you've had options for getting your photos on Multiply. You could upload them with any of our web-based uploading tools, import them from another photo-sharing site, or even post them from your e-mail-enabled cameraphone.

The most recent change to uploading photos to Multiply came last November with the release of Multiply 3.0 and our new all-in-one uploader/album editor. The feedback we received was mostly positive, though our users pointed out a few areas we could look to for possible improvements. (Thank you for the suggestions!)

And now, we've done just that -- no matter which web-based uploader you use, you'll be able to use our brand new album editor to drag and drop your photos to re-order them; photo rotating and caption editing is also as simple as clicking a thumbnail. Of course, you'll also get to use this brand new bunch of goodness when editing a photo album.

We've also brought the Java uploader back in all its drag-and-drop-many-files-at-once glory, as the new default. If you'd like to switch between this and the lighter HTML version, simply use the "Check out..." link below the import tools.

So go ahead and give this a try!
If you don't have anything new to share just yet, why not edit an old album and add some tags?

One of the coolest new features unveiled with the recent release of Multiply 3.0 is our new Ajax-based photo uploader. Those who appreciate the drag-and-drop goodness of our Java-based uploader will be pleased to know that it's still available... but if you haven't already, you'll at least want to give this new option a try.

As you select photos one at a time in the Ajax uploader, uploads will begin immediately and will continue in the background as you choose more photos, set titles and captions for those that have already been uploaded... or even set tags, access control and other options for the album.

We made one particularly cool change earlier this week. Now, once you start editing caption and title text for an album, you won't even need to touch your mouse again until you're done. Just click a photo title to get started, and use your "Tab" key to save your text and switch to the next photo.

So if you tried this before the change, we invite you to try it again. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Two months in the making, we're proud to pull the covers off of some really, really ridiculously great new stuff.

As you read this, you've probably already noticed some of the more obvious changes we've made. And chances are, you're reading this because you're curious about these new features. Or maybe you're just wondering what the heck's going on!

In the coming days, we'll be taking a closer look at the nuts and bolts of some of what's new, but for now here's a quick rundown, in case you're the curious (or impatient) type. We don't blame you for wanting to get your hands on these sweet new features already.

Behold:

• Brand-new, super-charged "My Multiply" message board
• All-in-one Ajaxified photo uploader/album editor
• Simplified layout, featuring new navigation links at the top of every page
• Hide messages from your message board
  
• Streamlined settings page
• "My Network" page, showing you precisely who's whom
  
• Dragable (and dropable) video page featuring for quick re-ordering
• Even more customizable homepage (hide unwanted boxes!)

As you know, these changes didn't just make themselves. Many thanks go out to everyone who had a hand in this release -- in addition to the usual folks, we'd like to extend major thanks the tireless users who helped us out in QA over the last few weeks. You guys rock.

Don't look now, but it just got easier to organize your photos on Multiply.

If you use a computer (and we have reason to believe you do), one concept you're probably familiar with is "drag-and-drop," to the point where this seems to be a natural way to organize things. Just think about how you move icons around your desktop... and upload your photos to Multiply! (Using our recently introduced Java-based photo uploader...)

You drag. You drop. It's easy.
And now, you can rearrange your photos in the same way.

To give this a try, simply upload a new photo album, or use one you already have. Once viewing the album, click the edit link underneath the thumbnails, followed by Rearrange Photos. Drag and drop them until they're in the order you like, then click OK when you're done.

(Fun tip: You can rearrange your albums in the same manner. From your My Photos page, simply click Rearrange Albums.)