Google is launching Picasa 3.0 (beta)

New Picasa 3.0 Takes Photo Sharing From "Easy" To "Effortless"; Upgraded Picasa Web Albums Now Focuses on the People In Your Pictures

As people buy more expensive digital cameras in hopes of taking better pictures and sharing more photos with friends and family, many have discovered that a few all-too-familiar problems won't go away no matter how many megapixels you buy -- like clunky PC utilities that seem determined to take the fun out of photography, and labor-intensive photo-sharing sites that feel like a chore unto themselves.

So today, Google is launching a one-two combo of Picasa 3.0 (beta), the next generation of its free photo-editing software, alongside a major technology upgrade to its free online photo-sharing site, Picasa Web Albums.

Picasa Web Albums now helps users automatically sort and share their online photos based on who's in each picture.  Instead of requiring you to painstakingly label your photos one-by-one, the 'name tags' feature in Picasa Web Albums uses advanced clustering technology to quickly group together pictures of the same person.  And new features in Picasa 3 make getting your photos online easier than ever, with a one-click 'web sync' that uploads an album and keeps it updated on the web when you make changes on your PC.  Technophobes and photography buffs alike will find new ways to have fun with their photo collections and unlock the full potential of their digital cameras -- producing great-looking photos that can be shared in a snap.

Source: Google Press Release

Download Picasa 3 (Beta) Here