Kangadoo was created to allow you to share photos with your less web-savvy friends and family members. The genius is probably in the simplicity of the site. It does what it’s supposed to do, but not much more.
A year of Kangadoo service ($30) provides a personal website, easy upload access and unlimited photo storage.
The Great
Kangadoo photo sharing service can be purchased at various retailers or through their website. Once you have purchased a service package, you can register with your activation code. Kangadoo will automatically generate a URL and email it to you with a secure link. Clicking on the link takes you to your personal website. You can also share the link with others, but be forewarned that the secure link is also your "password." Once you share it, people have open access to add, view, delete and download photos. There is no way to limit access to just viewing photos.
To upload your pictures, simply email them as an attachment from your computer or phone. The subject of the message becomes the caption for the photos. Anyone can send photos to the site once they know your private email address, so it’s a nice way to get photos of all the grandkids in one spot.
Once your site is up, you can set it as the home page for your web browser. This is designed for grandparents who may not know how to access photos elsewhere, or may forget to check for new shots of the grandkids.
The Not-So-Great
Kangadoo is great idea, but I think there are some kinks to work out. My major concern is around security. The sites don’t require a password to view, download or delete photos. They have set it up so that a user needs to be invited the first time they use the service, but once they’re invited, they have free access. I’d like to see password protection at least for the download and delete options. All you need is one angry relative and you’ve got some trouble on your hands!
I also have a small complaint about the auto-generated urls. You should know that you will be assigned a url based on the email address you enter. Choose an email that you're comfortable sharing with relatives!
One of the most important things of sharing photos with my family is their ability to order prints. Kangadoo is lacking in that area, but hopefully it's a feature they'll consider adding. Kangadoo is competing with other (free) services that allow you to create photobooks and gifts. Sure, those sites are a bit more complicated, and you can’t easily set them as a home page like you can in Kangadoo, but the ability to order prints is a big selling point.
The Bottom Line
Kangadoo is a great photo sharing service for families who want to share photos with relatives who struggle with technology. The ability to consolidate family photos and use them as the home page is ideal in that situation. It's also nice for busy/active parents who will appreciate the ease of adding photos to the site from a phone or computer. I can also see this as a great way to share vacation photos from places where there is no Internet access.
For those of you who don't have those needs, and whose family members can handle a bit more technology, there are free services that may be a better match for your family.
