New: Hide Your Orkut Albums, Video's And Testimonies From Public View

(Hat Tip: Jerry from Orkut Plus)

Google has recently given users the ability to hide their Orkut albums, videos and even testimonies from public view. This is great news, especially for girls as it will help prevent morons from stealing their images and cloning them on Orkut.

In order to activate this users will have to visit the "Privacy Tab" which can be accessed by visiting this link:

http://www.orkut.com/PrivacySettings.aspx

Next, scroll down towards the bottom of the page until you see the "allow content to be viewed by" text.



You will notice two columns, one with drop menu's and the other simply listing the features you can hide from public view.

Simply select whether you want your albums, video's and testimonies to be viewed by friends or to the world.

This move should help keep down "image theft" on Orkut, and teamed up with the scrapbook privacy settings should make Orkut a much safer place online.

Note: I would HIGHLY recommend ladies on Orkut to make your albums, video's and testimonies private, as the last thing you want is some creep trying to figure out your fashion tastes are, not to mention what your friends say about you.

Did Google Increase The Album Limit On Orkut?

(Hat Tip: iWizard)

It looks as if Google has quietly increased the image limit on Orkut albums. Users can now upload a whopping 25 images to Orkut instead of 12, as this screen shot of my album shows below.



Ironically Google still lists the 12 page limit over on their help page.

Although there is no word from the official Orkut blog regarding this change, it seems as if Google is throwing users a small treat for staying on their social network.

Even though this is a welcome change, I think it would be better if Google simply removed the number restriction all together, and simply based it upon the amount of space users took up (perhaps even tying it to their "Google hard drive" service).

Note: Come on Google! You allow users to upload videos without "numerical" restrictions. Why not images as well? :-)

More Evidence Of Picasa Orkut Integration?

(Hat Tip: Luis Guilherme)

Luis over at Inside Orkut Brasil has published some screen shots highlighting of what could be the beginning of Picasa Web Albums integrating with (or hopefully replacing) Orkut Albums.



Notice how similar these arrows look like when compared to the ones used in Picasa Web Albums.



I'm not seeing anything yet, although if this rumor is true hopefully it will be something more than a cosmetic change as Picasa Albums has a lot more function (and space) than Orkut Albums.

Note: Is anybody else seeing this?

Update (5/16): I see this in my Album right now, and Luis has informed me that Google is rolling this out to more profiles.

(Orkut Help Group) You asked for it, so we're adding a better way to flip through
somebody's photo album on orkut.

Instead of having to click on a photo, then click "back to album" to
get to the next pic, you can now just click on the arrows above the
pic to see the next or last one!

We're rolling this out a few profiles at a time, so just hold tight if
you don't see it yet.

Happy scrolling!
orkut Guide

By the looks of this, it seems as if this is nothing more than a cosmetic change. Alas, and I was looking forward to Picasa becoming one with Orkut Albums soooo much.