The Multiply Blog

Everyone's free to 'Zoom In'

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:59:00 -0000

Quick recap: we recently unveiled Multiply Premium, and received plenty of feedback regarding some of the changes that came along with it.

We've read every reply, and have some news that we think will please a lot of people.

"Zoom In" for all! Know the "Zoom In" link that appears above photos in an album? Previously, this link would display the original photo, just as it was uploaded, for Premium users.

"Zoom In" links are once again available to all users, and now take you to a new, larger-sized version of the photo (up to 1200 pixels) that's more suitable for viewing using a web browser. That's right: all users will be able to access these new, larger, "Zoom"-size photos!

And for Premium users... Multiply Premium subscribers now have access to all original (full resolution) photos. But along with this, and the Zoom-size change we noted above, we've also made a small change to the way Premium users access these.

Now, when a Premium user views a Zoom-size photo, they'll see a ...

Social Networking Conference

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 21:11:26 -0000

Our very own Peter Pezaris will be speaking at this event about mobile social networking:

The annual Mobile and Enterprise Social Networking event will take place in San Francisco on Thursday and Friday, July 10-11, 2008. It is for social networking executives that have an interest in learning about new technologies, business social networking, marketing strategies, business management, venture capital, networks and mobile telecom.

More info about the conference here.

Multiply at DigitalLife Summer Press Preview

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 20:58:40 -0000

A couple of us (Michael Gersh and Lyle Skolnick, to be exact) will be at the DigitalLifeSummer Press Preview Thursday in New York City, demonstrating Multiply. If you are attending, be sure to stop by our table and say

In Depth: The Multiply AutoUploader

Tue, 8 Jul 2008 02:50:00 -0000

So as you certainly already know by this point, we recently released a great big bundle of goodness in the form of the Multiply AutoUploader, Multiply Media Locker and Multiply Premium.

While all are wonderful in their own way, we don't think it would be unreasonable to call the Multiply AutoUploader — the tool that gets your photos and videos onto Multiply with neither fuss nor fight (nor effort, really) — the key to the whole easy sharing (and with Multiply Premium, storage and archival) process.

Of course, the AutoUploader is free for all Multiply users.
And setting it up happens to be quite simple:

1. Visit multiply.com/autouploader to install the AutoUploader. Click "Install Now," as it appears to the right.

If it doesn't, you may not have Adobe AIR installed just yet. Fortunately, getting it is easy: simply follow the stated instructions that appear to first install Adobe AIR.

Then, you'll be prompted to install the AutoUploader.
2. If you see a warning page that looks like t...

Celebrate the Fourth with Independence

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 20:19:00 -0000

No matter how you're planning on spending this July 4th, we have just the thing to let your Multiply site spend it looking all patriotic-like, decked out in stars and stripes!

To celebrate the anniversary of the United States' independence, we've come up with a brand-new theme, aptly titled "Independence." Simply apply this theme to your page to help celebrate the Fourth in style. And even if you're not from the U.S.... hey, the theme still looks cool. :-)

As with our other pre-made themes, this one is free for all Multiply users. Apply it to your site as you would any other: click "Customize My Site" followed by "Choose a Theme."

And, of course, you can continue using it after the Fourth.

A word on storage and Multiply Premium

Wed, 2 Jul 2008 17:33:00 -0000

Important Note: We've made some changes to the policy outlined in this entry.
For the latest information, please see this blog entry.

So, as you already know, we released Multiply Premium last week. And as we've heard back from a number of users, many of you really really like what we've come up with.

We'd like to better clarify a very important aspect of the service: our policies on the storage of photos and videos, for both free and premium users.

As you already know, a major component of Multiply Premium is the permanent archiving of the content you post to Multiply, in its original full-resolution format, forever.

Doesn't Multiply already do that?

While we said goodbye to upload limits nearly two years ago, it's long been our policy that we would only hold onto your full-resolution content for a limited amount of time.

What do we mean by "full-resolution"? Well, when you store photos on Multiply, three copies of each photo are made: 1) a thumbnail, 2) the version that appears resized...

Introducing the Multiply AutoUploader, Media Locker, Premium Service

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:59:00 -0000

We have a few things to announce today, and they all share one thing in common: they all make it easier to do what Multiply has been helping you do for years now — store and share your media with the people who matter most to you.

But don't let the serious, understated tone of the last paragraph fool you... this is huge, and we're as excited by this as you're about to be!

So without further ado, the goods.

Multiply AutoUploader

First, we're introducing the Multiply AutoUploader.

This tiny, brilliant piece of software patiently sits on your computer and automatically uploads your latest photos and videos to Multiply. No fuss, no hassle. And because it runs on Adobe AIR (which, in turn, runs on all modern computers) it runs on yours for sure.

And if you're worried about what gets uploaded: don't be. You tell the AutoUploader exactly which folders to scan and upload from. You're in control here: the only ones that'll be uploaded are the ones you want uploaded — all others will be igno...

Coming Soon: Easy mass editing, more

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:01:00 -0000

Today, we have a quick preview of something you're sure to love.

We think that this screenshot should be sufficient to explain the feature.

If it isn't, and you must know right now... coming soon there will be an easy way to change the access setting on multiple posts. Oh, and tags too.

While this is sure to get more than a few people more than excited, trust us when we say that it gets even better. This is but the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

That said, the iceberg isn't here just yet. We'll let you know when it is... but not a second sooner. :-)

Multiply + Firefox 3: Pretty good.

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:09:00 -0000

While you know this blog as the place you turn for Multiply news, today let's look elsewhere.

As many of you already know, Firefox 3.0 was released earlier this week. This is great news, as Firefox was already a pretty darned good browser, and it's always fun to see what's new in "point-zero" releases.

Let's see... it looks kind of cool, the new location bar is, well, awesome and lighter memory usage is always welcome.

But since Firefox is a web browser, and Multiply is a website, we'd be remiss if we didn't tie the two in together here.

While we try to make Multiply work as well as possible on as many browsers as possible, there are a few we officially support... and Firefox is indeed among them. (Internet Explorer and Safari are the others.) But Firefox is a particularly important one, since it runs on the three most prominent PC operating systems: Windows, OS X and Linux.

As far as Firefox 3 support in Multiply goes, things shou...

Happy Father's Day from Multiply

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:45:00 -0000

Father's Day is upon us again, and the warm wishes we extended on Mother's Day are equally applicable today... of course, to all the fathers out there!

Fathers are, too, special people and rightfully deserve recognition with their very own day. The exact day varies from country to country, but mid-June — right about now — seems a popular choice.

So, to all the fathers who use Multiply, today we extend to you our sincerest salutations!

And for users who are not, but simply happen to have, a father, Multiply is not only a great way to send him warm wishes, but also share things like photos or videos from the day's festivities... or perhaps even a bit of wisdom you've learned from your father.

Multiply Mobile: Small Improvements, Large Utility

Mon, 9 Jun 2008 21:38:00 -0000

We recently released a couple small improvements, which you may or may not have noticed, that make using Multiply on your phone (or other small-screen mobile device) a little bit easier.

For one thing, if you're using a mobile device we'll automatically send you to Multiply Mobile (multiply.com/m — our specially-designed mobile site that is ideal for viewing Multiply on a small screen). And if you happen to be on an iPhone, we'll send you directly to the special iPhone-tailored version of Multiply Mobile!

This even includes special cases, such as when you follow a link to Multiply from an e-mail alert. We know a number of users check their e-mail on their mobiles, so this is likely to be helpful as well. Put simply: however you get to Multiply, we try to give you the most appropriate interface for the device you're currently using.

And since we know that some users prefer to use the full Multiply interface, even when on their mobiles, y...

Featured Feature: Shutterfly Import Update

Fri, 30 May 2008 19:54:00 -0000

We thought we'd take a moment to have a look at the enhancement to the Shutterfly import tool we announced not too long ago. If you've previously shared photos on Shutterfly, you'll want to take notice. (If you haven't, there's nothing to worry about.)

Visually, the enhancement can be summarized as such:

Or, verbally, like so:

You now have the option of importing low-resolution versions of your Shutterfly photos.

This means that, by choosing to import smaller versions of your photos, you can spend less time waiting for imports, and more quickly share them with the people who matter most to you! (That said, if you're interested in ordering prints of your photos, you'll want to stick with the hi-resolution option, which grabs your images at sizes suitable for printing.)

The Multiply Weight Loss Challenge

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:08:00 -0000

If there's one thing that drives Multiply employees with a burning passion, it's helping people better share their lives with those who matter most to them. Naturally.

But if there are two things, the second is competition... and usually the friendly sort. Sometimes the competition features feats of physical achievements (as of late, basketball, formerly office chair sports or headerball) or being really good at foreseeing future dates (such as when a given employee will finally get engaged, or when another will give up on three-hour commutes to the office and just move closer already).

Lately, however, a new challenge emerged. A good handful of Multiply employees recently competed to see who could lose (and in one's case, gain) the most weight over a three-month period (as measured by a percentage of their starting weight).

The competitors are pictured below, at the start of the competition, with the winners spotlighted.From left to right, the three are Jeff, Nik and Tony.

And below is...

Nine Million Users

Fri, 23 May 2008 21:05:00 -0000

Just a quick note to let you know that the figures recently reported elsewhere (and on our splash page, for that matter) are indeed true... Multiply (or, more specifically, our users) recently passed the nine million user mark!

That's great news — we're thrilled to see so many people using Multiply to share and communicate with the people who matter.

Thank you... and congratulations!

New import tool, video player look

Tue, 20 May 2008 22:07:00 -0000

We decided that a few small improvements we've recently birthed were finally mature enough to leave home, so we've gone and pushed them out the door... straight to you guys!

Your web browser would make an excellent home for our...

Video player's new look Go ahead... watch any video on Multiply to experience the video player's sleek new look.

Audio/video recorder's new look We also went and applied the video player's new stylings to not only the tool for recording from your webcam, but also to the ones you use to leave audio or video replies! Why not leave us one to try it out? :-)

New photo import tool Ever shared photos on Shutterfly? Now you can easily bring them over to Multiply.

So please enjoy these new features, as you already do the existing ones.
And please let us know what you think of them. Your opinion is, as they say, very important to us!

Multiply at MashBash

Thu, 15 May 2008 21:59:12 -0000

Just a heads-up that Multiply will be at tomorrow's MashBash, hosted by Mashable and GBH.tv. MashBash is a New York-based tech networking event, where we'll do what people typically do at these sorts of things... meet and network with influencers, VCs, entrepreneurs, tech veterans, and press!

That's not all... they'll do this in the presence of Grandmaster Flash, who is going to be performing at the event!

If you'll be there, we'd love to see you... in particular, keep an eye out for Lyle!

What keeps Multiply running? (Here's a hint.)

Tue, 13 May 2008 17:18:00 -0000

While venture capital, strategic partnerships and generally good business sense have all helped keep Multiply going so far, there's a little something else, an unsung hero of sorts, that has certainly helped.

Coffee! While most of us like it — though others get their caffeine fixes from tea, soda or (gasp) not at all — its role in keeping our eyes open and fingers tapping keyboards should not be understated.

We've been through our share of nearby locations of multinational coffee chains and in-house coffee makers over the years at Multiply, and while each dutifully delivered acceptable doses of caffeine, none have been without their drawbacks.

Initially, we were using a commercial-grade coffee maker. There were no complaints then, but brewing an entire pot at once had obvious disadvantages: different people like their coffee at different times of the day, and leftover coffee would either get cold if the machine were turned off, or burn if left on, not to mention develop a decided...

Make Mother's Day memorable with Multiply

Fri, 9 May 2008 18:40:00 -0000

It's early May, dear Multiply users, and this means only one thing.

Well, it may actually mean a number of things, but if you remembered that Mother's Day is once again upon us, that means you're thinking like we're thinking.

If you're a mother who uses Multiply... that's great! You already know how easy Multiply makes sharing your media and keeping in touch with the people you know: not only your kids, but other relatives, friends, and those sorts of people.

You don't have to be a mother to enjoy Multiply — it's a great place for anyone to post their photos and videos (such as those taken during Mother's Day activities) and share them with more of the people they know. Like, naturally, their mother!

Since Mother's Day is a family holiday, now would be a good time to remind you that Multiply provides not only privacy options for sharing with precisely the people you choose, but also the best tools (like Live Replies and extensive alert options) for keeping the discussion around con...

Featured Feature: Blog Attachments

Tue, 6 May 2008 22:42:00 -0000

Multiply is a great place to share things like your photos, videos and blog entries... but what about your spreadsheets? PDFs? Other random things?

Guess what — you can do all that here too. Just attach the file, or files, to a blog entry.

Long-time Multiply users likely already know this. Not-as-long-time users may have even taken notice.

It's been well over a year since we first introduced this feature, and we thought it was a great time to re-introduce it to those who may not have been aware. So... if you want to share any random type of file on Multiply, here's how:

First, create a new blog entry. (Or edit an existing one.)

Then, click the paper-clip icon you'll find on the blog editor toolbar. (If you don't see the bar and use Safari, try upgrading to the latest version.)

Next, select the file you'd like to attach. (You can attach up to five files, each smaller than 20 MB.)

Finally, save your changes to the blog entry. (Use the handy "Save Changes" button.)

Have you learned s...

Web 2.0 Conference recap

Fri, 2 May 2008 20:10:00 -0000

Remember the Web 2.0 Conference we mentioned last week? It's over now, but we've heard that it turned out to be good times for all... or, at least for Multiply's own Julie and Dave!

They had a veritable blast, not only posing for photos but naturally, talking up Multiply, hearing about what else is out there, networking with interesting people, and so on.

Julie says, "We enjoyed meeting with a wide variety of attendees both at the conference and at the networking events, and were pleased to see Multiply really resonate with everyone who heard about us."

Sounds great, guys!

Looking Back: Extra Online Buddy Settings

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:15:00 -0000

A few months back we announced a feature that came by popular request: separate access settings for Online Buddies.

As you already know, the Online Buddy relationship type on Multiply lets you connect with a single individual, without becoming part of their network, and vice versa. This is useful when you want to add someone you may not know that well as a contact: if you don't know them that well, how likely is it that you know the people they know?

Using the new settings, you're able to choose whether to include or exclude your Online Buddies, not only when posting content, but also for sharing your profile information, like your last name, e-mail address, interests and such.

First we previewed it for you.

Then we announced that it was available.

And now, we're curious to hear how you've made use of it.

Is the feature as useful as you hoped it would be? Is it more?

Have you added more contacts you otherwise wouldn't have been able to before?

Were you able to reclassify any exis...

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 05:42:00 -0000

We're proud to announce that renowned author and New York Times reporter Jennifer 8. Lee is using Multiply to share news and updates related to her new book, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: A Book Adventure through the Mysteries of Chinese Food... including links, videos, blog entries, and even a calendar of events.

Not only has Jennifer chosen to share all this content on Multiply, but she also invites you to weigh in with your own, related to the book and the topic, on a Multiply group she created.

Jennifer's book details the history of Chinese food in the United States, and sheds light on things you may not realize you never knew, like just who that General Tso guy is, and what people from China think of fortune cookies (which are not as Chinese as you may think). In fact, here's a video about just that!

The book also previously made the New York Times bestseller list. Congratulations, Jennifer!

Web 2.0 Conference

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:45:06 -0000

Web-savvy folks: if you're going to be at this year's Web 2.0 conference (which they refer to as "a global annual gathering of technical, design, marketing, and business professionals who are building the next generation web"... which sounds a bit like us!) next week in San Francisco, keep an eye open for Multiply's very own Dave and Julie.

We suggest this course of action because, well, they'll be there too, and would like to say hello.

Some thoughts on Posting via E-mail

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:37:00 -0000

One thing that became apparent while looking over the results of our recent photo survey is that a clear majority of respondents were interested in more options for getting their photos onto Multiply.

We're looking into the feasibility of upload plugins for specific applications, but in the meantime, we wanted to remind you of an option available right now that you may find useful: Posting Via E-mail!

A brief aside: as you probably already know, it's been possible to post content to Multiply via e-mail since 2006. To do so, simply select a secret PIN and choose a default access level on the settings page. Then, you can post content, like photos, by attaching it to an e-mail sent to secretpinhere@your-user-ID.multiply.com.

See the FAQ for all the details on Posting via E-mail.

But consider this: you can use Posting via E-mail to send content directly to Multiply... in ways you may not have realized!

Let's say you're on a Windows computer (as shown in the screenshot); you can easily selec...

Multiply at DigitalLife Best of the Holidays

Mon, 5 Nov 2007 23:37:35 -0000

Tomorrow, a couple of us from Multiply will be at this year's DigitalLife Best of the Holidays Press Event. We're rather pleased to be among the companies demonstrating their products. If you're going to be there, be sure to stop by our table and say

Multiply at TechCrunch40

Thu, 6 Sep 2007 19:51:47 -0000

If you're going to be in San Francisco for the upcoming TechCrunch40 event — that's great — Multiply will be too. Our very own VP of Business Development, David Hersh will be attending; you'll find him somewhere in the crowd on day one (wearing the Multiply shirt, naturally), and manning the Multiply booth in the demo pit on day two. Why not stop by and say