basics

What is pikeo?

pikeo helps you organize and have fun with your pictures. You can tag your pictures place them on maps, create albums and even slideshows with map animations. You can also share your photos with friends and family. More is coming, so don't hesitate to check our blog for upcoming cool features.

Where can I go for help?

You can refer to this document or email us.

How much does it cost?

For now, pikeo has only one free type of account with 2GB free space. More space should be available soon with paying subscriptions.

Where do I go if I forget my password?

If you forget your password just go on www.pikeo.com and click on forgot password. A new one will be automatically sent to your email address. Use this new password to log in and don't forget to go to your profile to change it to a password you will remember easily.

Can I order prints?

For now, you can't order prints. But this feature should come soon.

How do I report a bug with the site?

You can email us to report a bug or problem with the site. Wherever you are in pikeo you can find a link to report bugs at the bottom of the page

Which web browsers are supported by pikeo?

Any modern web browser with solid support for XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript should be up to the task of displaying our site. pikeo has been tested in, and is supported by the following web browsers:

  • Mozilla
  • Firefox
  • Netscape
  • Internet Explorer
  • Safari

Missing from the above list is Internet Explorer 5 for Mac. In June 2003, Microsoft declared that development for IE5 Mac was officially coming to an end. At this time, we have decided not to support this discontinued browser. We highly recommend the latest version of Mozilla Firefox for the best experience using pikeo.

 

tagging

What is a tag?

A tag (sometimes also called a "keyword") is a short piece of text that provides a minimal description (unlike captions or extended comments) of an image (or set of images). Tags become very useful when it comes to finding pictures quickly.

What can I tag?

In pikeo you can tag your media as well as your contacts' media.

What tags can I use?

You can use any word or a combination of words (including numbers), up to 32 characters in length, to tag an image. Such a tag will be used in the future to search for and retrieve this or other images that have been tagged with the same word(s). Each tag must also have one of three categories associated with it:

  • "who" (subject)
  • "where" (place)
  • "what" (other) .

This category is selected every time a tag is specified. The category associated with a tag is indicated by one of three unique colors.

How do I tag my media?

You can tag your pictures from almost all places in pikeo. You can add tags to one or a group of pictures in the My Pictures page. You can also add tags when you see an enlarged view of the photo. Hidden in the site you can find the Power tag page which is purely dedicated to batch tagging.

In all of those pages you will find the tagging assist box (TAB).

When in the My Pictures page:

  • Simply click on the image you want to tag, and TAB opens alongside this image.
  • You enter the tag you want to use in the text box.
  • As you type the first letters of your tag, a list of previously used tags appears from which you can make a selection, or you can continue to spell out your tag completely.The previously used tags are either yours or your contact's tags.
  • If this is the first time this tag is used, you are given a choice of specifying is this tag if for a place (where), a person (who) or just a description (what).
  • You can either click on the appropriate choice, or click on the "Add tag" button when the desired choice is highlighted.
  • Tip: You can also specify the same tag under more than one category.

How do I batch tag my pictures?

You can tag several pictures at once from the My Pictures page.

  • Just select the images you wish to tag by clicking on them while holding down the control (Ctrl) key or the shift key on the keyboard (it allows to select several pictures at once).
  • The TAB will show and allow you to tag all the selected pictures

Alternatively, you can use the Power Tag page for advanced batch tagging. Once you selected the goup of pictures you want to tag in the My Pictures page, just click on the Power Tag link, and tag away. From there, you can select multiple pictures (using the shift and ctrl keys) and click on the tag you want to apply to them.

  • If the tag you want to use doesn't exist yet, you can use the tagging assist box (TAB) described above.

How do I tag my contacts' media?

Tagging your contact's media is pretty similar to tagging your own. When you visit their page, you can use the tagging assist box that appears on the bottom left of the screen when you look at the enlarged view of a picture.

How do I remove tags?

You can only change or remove tags that you created or any tag from your pictures. You can delete a tag when you click on a picture and see the list of tags associated to this picture. By clicking on the ?X?, you will be able to remove this particular tag from this picture or group of pictures. You can do the same in the enlarged view of a picture.

If a tag is not attached to any picture anymore it will automatically dissapear from your list of tags.

What is geo-tagging?

Geo-tagging is the cool feature around which pikeo has been mostly designed. We believe that pictures tell better stories when you can actually see on a map where they have been taken. Geo-tagging consists in attaching a physical location to your picture.

For example if you tag a picture with the word Home, you can specify on a map where your Home is. Later on you will be able to click on that very location on the map to retrieve the pictures taken at Home. If you think it's cool, wait until you've tagged the pictures of your different vacations outside of Home!

How do I geo-tag images?

Wherever you are in pikeo (My Pictures, enlarged view, even the upload page) when you create a tag for a place (to which we refer as a "where" tag) you will be proposed to specify the location of this place on the map right away. If you do so, you just need to:

  • browse the map until you reach the location
  • click on the pin icon on the top left corner
  • place the pin on the right location
  • click on Finish
    • You're done!

If you chooses to not specify a location for a tag right away, no problem. Pikeo remembers that your tag has not been positioned on the map and in the My Pictures page your tag will be followed by a little icon with a question mark. By clicking on it you can specify the position of this tag on the map. Whenever a tag already has a location, the icon becomes a nice little orange earth on which you can click if you want to change the previously entered location.

How do I see images from locations on a map?

Whenever geo-tags have been created pins appear on the maps. Consequently, on any page you see a map with pins you can just click on any of them and a little window will appear with the latest pictures taken there. Click on the "view all" link to see all of them appear.

To make it even cooler, the map you can see in your Home page gives you an overview of the last 10 locations used by you and your contacts. This way, when your friend just comes back from that trip in New Zealand, a point will appear on the map, linked to all the pictures she took there.

 

adding, removing and editing images

What file format is supported?

For now we support JPEG picture files only.

How do I upload images to pikeo?

On the upper part of the screen you have an Upload tab dedicated to just do that.

  • First click on the browse button
  • Select the pictures you want to upload from your computer. you can select several pictures to upload at once (just hold down the control (ctrl) or shift key while selecting your pictures)
  • Click on Open
  • If your selection is correct click on Next, otherwise click on Start over
  • On this screen choose who can see your pictures (see here how to give people contact, friend or family status)
  • Click on Next
  • If you wish to add tags common to the pictures you upload, enter them now
  • Click on Upload

pikeo will upload your pictures and tags and bring you back to the page you were before the upload. You're done!

How do I create albums?

Creating an album is a breeze thanks to the tagging capabilities of pikeo. Once you are on your My Pictures page:

  • click on new album in the Albums pane in the upper left corner.
  • You will be proposed to create a smart album or a regular one. Choose which one you want and click OK.

On the left side of the screen you get two panes, one with your album description and the usual one with tags. On the right side you get the album preview at the top and the picture tray at the bottom

  • The Classic Album

    It is the album the way you know it. The picture tray is here to help you select which picture you want to add to your album, like a shoebox containing all your photos. You can use the tags to filter down which pictures are displayed. After that you can just drag and drop any picture you want into the album preview pane above. Once you are done with your selection you can also reorder the pictures by moving them around.

    Don't forget to select one of your pictures to be your album cover.

  • The Smart Album

    It is an album that is defined by a tag or a group of tags. Each picture with this tag(s) gets automatically included in the album so it gets updated automatically. Just begin by selecting a tag in the left pane. The picture tray will show you all the pictures that include this tag, as well as a Smart Tag. By adding this smart tag to your album you automatically add all the corresponding pictures (and all the future ones too) A smart album can include several smart tags. Its main characteristics are that it is defined by tags, always up to date and pictures are ordered by date since the album is automatic.

    For example:if you tagged the pictures of the last weekend "Wedding Celine" you just need to click on the tag to select only these pictures and then make them an album of the event.

    The fun part is: you can create very interesting albums depending on which tags you use.

    For example we like to stitch pictures together to make panorama photos. Consequently we use the tag panorama which allows us to create an album with all our panorama pictures.

    The cool parts? Each time I attach the panorama tag to a new picture, it gets automatically added to the album; same for the album after the name of my nephew for example so I can see him grow throughout the years.

    In the left pane you can specify that you want your friends pictures added to your album too.

    For the wedding album, it means that I get all of my friends' pictures of the same event without having to go get them myself, right in my album; and for the panorama album it allows the collection to grow much faster!

    You got it, possibilities are endless.

  • Don't forget to give your album a name
  • Click on save once you are done!

What is this "trip journal" thinggy?

Trip journal has been created for these trips some of us do, across a state, country (or even parks if you like to carry a gps around to later tag your pictures).

The idea is that for a lot of vacation we tend to travel from places to places and take pictures at each stop. So the trip journal is an album that recreates that experience by taking the location tags attached to your pictures and making them stops along a path. A line joins each of these stops and is displayed each time your pictures show a new location. This makes total sense once you watch your album as a slideshow. Next to the pictures you will be able to see a map showing the path of your trip and evolving with the pictures displayed.

As we said before we believe that pictures tell better stories when you can actually see on a map where they have been taken. Well the trip journal helps you tell the story of your trip better.

How do I make a regular album a trip journal (and vice versa)?

When you click on an album all its information appears in the album information pane (bottom left) including if it is a trip journal. By clicking on the Edit link you can modify the album, as well as make this album a trip journal. Just check the box and save!

How do I rotate an image?

Double click on the thumbnail of the image you want to rotate. It opens it in the Detailed View that allows for more control over each and every picture. At the bottom right corner, right under the image, you have two buttons for rotating the picture right, or left. It's that simple.

How do I delete images?

There are two ways to delete an image.

  • First in My Pictures page, when you mouse-over over a picture the magic tag box that appears allows you to tag the picture, change its title and also delete it.
  • Also, when you are in the Detailed View of a picture (accessed by double clicking on its thumbnail) you have a button to delete it available in the right pane

Once you delete a picture it is permanently removed from pikeo, so make sure you have a copy saved on your hard drive.

How do I save pictures from pikeo on my hard drive?

You can download any picture from pikeo, as long as its author gave you the right to see it. You can download individual pictures by displaying them in the detailed view:

  • Double click on the picture's thumbnail to acces the detailed view.
  • Click on the Download icon located under the picture.
  • Specify where you want the picture to be saved on your hard-drive
  • Click on OK

 

searching and browsing

How do I search for images with a particular tag?

If you are looking for your images the best way is to go to My Media page and click on the appropriate tag on the left side of the screen (you can then extend this search to your contacts' pictures as well) If you just are curious and want to find anybody's photo with a particular tag, just use the search box at the upper right corner of the screen. Type-in the word you are looking for and press enter. There you are!

Note that you can also use this box to find people

How do I search for images using several tags at once?

This feature is available only when searching within your own pictures for now. Go to My Media page and click on the appropriate tag on the left side of the screen (you can also extend this search to your contacts' pictures). Once the result is displayed the available tags attached to the pictures are still visible and you can just click any of them to refine the search. Of course you can repeat this step as long as you have pictures to search through.

How do I search for images using a map?

Whenever you have created geo-tags you can just go back to the My Media page and put your mouse on top of any points available on the map and a little window will appear with the latest pictures you took there. Click on the "see all" link and they will appear on the upper half of the screen. To make it even cooler, the overview map you can see in your Home page gives you an overview of the last 10 locations used by you and your contacts. This way, when your friend just comes back from that trip in New Zealand, a point will appear on the map, linked to all the pictures she took there.

How do I search for images according to date?

In the "find a picture" pane available in My Media page, you can also enter dates to do a search. If you just enter a start date, the result will be all the pictures taken between that date and now. If you just enter an end date, the result will be all the pictures taken between your oldest picture and that date.

How do I do a general search on everybody's images?

If you just are curious and want to find anybody's photo with a particular tag, just use the search box at the upper right corner of the screen. Type-in the word you are looking for and press enter. There you are!

How can I see my contacts' images?

Each time the name of one of your contacts appears below a picture you can just click on his/her name and you will be brought to this contact's picture page with her images, tags, albums and map overview. You can also directly go to this page by clicking on your contact's avatar in your Home page.

How can I see an enlarged view of an image?

Just double click on that image, and you will be brought to the Detailed View that provides and enlarged view and many other features easy to access.

 

sharing

How do I find a contact and add it to my list?

It is extremely easy to find new people on pikeo and it all goes through the search box in the upper right corner of the screen

  • You can enter the user's screen name (or the first letters of it) in the search box. The user should show up in the results
  • You can search by place name. Just enter the name of a city and all the users that live there (as they specified in their profile) will show up in your search result. Just try with San Francisco

After that, if you want to add this user as a contact:

  • Click on her name to reach her page
  • Click on the add contact link next to the user's avatar in the upper left pane
  • Select which level you want to give to this contact (simple contact, friend or family) to define what pictures she can see
  • Click on Save Changes

It is that easy!

How do I set and edit my contacts and their access levels?

In you Home page, you have a list of all your contacts, and an "Edit" button allowing you to change your relationship level with each of them, including removing them from your contacts' list.

How do I hide images from others?

Whenever you upload a group of pictures you can select if you want them to be private, visible by your friends, family or everybody. Once the pictures are in pikeo you can change this setting two different ways:

  • For a group of pictures (or just one) you can go on the My Pictures page and click on the photo(s) you want to edit. Right here in the popup you can change the privacy level of a picture (or a group of pictures by holding the control key (ctrl) while selecting the pictures)
  • For an individual picture you can also go to the Detailed View of the picture (double click on its thumbnail to access it). The option is available in the right pane, under the picture by clicking on change.

How do I know what the permissions of an image are?

Here again two ways exist.

  • In the Detailed View of the picture you can see which privacy level is attached to the picture by looking in the right pane, just under the picture.
  • Directly from the thumbnail view in My Pictures page, you can access a lot of information about your images. When you mouse-over over a picture the magic tag box that appears allows you to check its privacy status (as well as tag the picture, change its title and also delete it).

How can i share my pikeo pictures with friends that are not on pikeo?

We offer a lot of ways for you to do so

  • First you can just send them a link to your entire pikeo page (where they will only see the public pictures of course). In your Home page in the pane with your avatar you can find a link entitled 'link'. Just click on it and copy the web address that is provided. You can send the address by email or put it in your blog as a link that people can use to access your public pikeo page.
  • You can send links to specific albums as well. Go to My Pictures page and click on the album you want to share. In the bottom pane you can find a similar link to this album link that you can use. Click on it and copy the web address provided. You can copy it in an email or your blog to direct people straight to this album. They will still be able to browse other public pictures from your page
  • You can also do it for all your pictures, but we provide you with a little bit more here such as blog publishing. Find the picture you want to publish and double click on it. Once in the detailed view click on the publishing icon below the picture:
    • You can use the similar link as for the album or your page to bring people on pikeo directly on this picture
    • You can use our piece of html that you just need to paste in your blog post to have the picture displayed there, with a link back to pikeo if you click on it.
    • Finally we also provide you with a direct URL to the original of the picture for you to use anywhere you want (you probably already know what you're doing if you use this one)
    Remember that you will be able to use these only if you made the picture public

How Do I invite more people to join pikeo?

On your Home page you have a list of all your contacts within pikeo. If you want to invite new people to join our growing community, just use the Invite link on top of your contacts list. This will allow you to send an invitation email to your friend whom you know will just love the service. Since we are in beta, you can only send 3 invitations, so choose wisely as they are not expandable yet.

 

configuring pikeo

What is my avatar and how do I set it?

The avatar is the little picture of you that your friends will see above your name in their contact list. It's basically your face to the pikeo world and since it's that important we made it easy for you to change it. In the Profile tab, you can view and edit your avatar and your profile. Just click on the change my avatar button (yes we had to think a lot to find this one). Note that in your Home page you can just click on your avatar to edit it.

  • It opens a pop-up with all your available pictures in it.
  • Just select the picture you want to use as a base, click next
  • Now you can then specify which part of the picture should be used for your avatar by zooming in and out and moving the avatar frame around the picture to specify which area we should use.
  • Click OK and you're done!

It's so easy that we like to change ours often.

How do I set up my profile?

In the Profile tab you can view and edit your profile. Just click on the Edit buttons and you'll be able to enter information such as your name, your nickname, the place you live in, your birthday or just some random thoughts you want to share with your contacts! None of it is mandatory so you can leave all the fields blank if you feel like it.

What part of my profile is seen by others?

When you edit your profile, one part is labeled public, and the other one private. To keep things crystal clear we labeled as public the part visible to others (clever huh?), which is basically:

  • Your city
  • Your country
  • Your blog or website url
  • Some space for free expression: your thoughts of the day, or the catch-phrase you love the most? whatever you choose!

How do I change my password?

Your password being part of your profile information you just need to click on the edit link in your profile page. There you can change your profile information or click on the Change my password button. You will be asked to enter your old one for confirmation, and to type-in your new password, twice (this is to make sure you didn't make any spelling mistake). And you and your new password are set.