SkyDrive Slide Shows once more

SkyDrive continues to get improved, sometimes large steps with fanfare, at other times small incremental upgrades. Self-running slide shows are once again available.
Last July I lamented the loss of self-running slide shows in SkyDrive (Slideshows and the new SkyDrive). The upgrade in November 2011 restored that feature. It is now not quite as nice. The old Silverlight version provided pleasant surround shades and could be launched from the link. The current version is plainer looking and requires the viewer to click on a “Play slide show” link.
Here, to test the present implementation, is a photo collage that links to an album with these photos. Be sure to click the “Play slide show” link in the upper right area to start the show. This post, coming just after the holidays in early January 2011, uses food photos – what else? They have been accumulated over the past months for another project, but seemed just yummy for this post illustrating the SkyDrive slide show feature.
Note: Some of the photos load faster than others – there is a mix of resolutions for testing quality and speed.

By the way, the little bug demonstrated in my video in that July post has also been corrected. Thank you Microsoft!
For other recent improvement to SkyDrive, please see SkyDrive improves file and folder management (over at This ‘n That).

.:.

© 2011 Ludwig Keck

Technorati Tags: photography,digital photography,digital imaging,slide show,SkyDrive,Windows Live SkyDrive

Slideshows and the new SkyDrive

For the most part we take pictures to preserve memories, and we enjoy reliving these moments by sharing the photos. In the early days of photography the rare and precious images were presented as prints, often elaborately framed. As the cost came down and cameras became accessible to everyday users, albums became a means of sharing. Then the thirty-five millimeter camera and Kodachrome ushered in the era of the slide show.
Albums are still very much with us, but the computer, the Internet and digital photography have given “slideshow” a totally new meaning. Online photo sharing sites are  ubiquitous. One of the pleasant features everywhere is the self-running slideshow. So when Microsoft recently polished up their SkyDrive service and omitted the automated presentation feature, I and a whole lot of others cried foul (see my post: The new SkyDrive – Bouquets and Brickbats. The picture of the yellow flower here links to a small album so you can see the new look – Maybe the complaint has been corrected by the time you get to this album).
Here is a tongue-in-cheek look (just 50 seconds) at the new SkyDrive with its miniature slideshows in the album view and a light-hearted stab pointing out an unfortunate little bug:

A witty peek at the new SkyDrive

Things are never as dark as they seem, and the self-paced slideshow of SkyDrive albums is by no means gone for now. If you have Windows Live Messenger you can still get gorgeous, full-screen, self-running slideshows of your friends albums. To illustrate this other way to an automatic slideshow, view the movie clip below (this one is just over 2 minutes in length). This clip shows the desktop of my virtual friend “Student M”. He launches Live Messenger and sees some images. Moving the pointer to these starts a tiny slide show. Clicking on one opens a viewer with all of the expected slideshow features – even allowing full screen view.
This little movie is presented in HD for better enjoyment. You can double-click on the image to go to YouTube directly where you can see it in full-screen “high definition”  (alas, high speed access to the Internet is required for best viewing).

Getting to a slideshow by way of Messenger

How do you share your albums? Are slideshows important to you? I would really like to see your comments.

.:.

© 2011 Ludwig Keck

Technorati Tags: photography,digital photography,slide show,SkyDrive in HTLM5,SkyDrive,Messenger,Live Messenger