Online image storage test(s) & Skydrive image(s) signature

[schoolbusdriver]

"Windows Live SkyDrive" link feasibility study - passed. 25Gb free online storage per address.

[schoolbusdriver]

A slightly different test. Click the link to display a SilverLight slideshow

http://cid-2ba1863187cb84d7.skydrive...Anything?ref=1

[schoolbusdriver]

Yet another test.

[schoolbusdriver]

Testing again: Click the pic to start a SilverLight slideshow in a new window.

[schoolbusdriver]

Thumbnail test - if it works:

Fail.

Cant get a handle on the thumbnails. Suspect they're created in IE on my PC - don't actually exist on the website. Makes sense really.

[schoolbusdriver]

Skydrive signature test.

Clicking on pic....

1) - takes you to a folder - new window
2) - starts the folder as a slideshow - new window
3) - shows the picture in Windows Live - new window
4) - shows the picture on a blank page - new window
5) - I'll think of something............



Practical test:

[schoolbusdriver]

Another attempt to get thumbnails at mendhak's suggestion of parsing the page source.

Attempt 1

Looks like the small thumbnails you get in skydrive's "Icon" view. Yep, click on the pic to go to the open the page in icon view.

Attempt 2

This is the thumbnail displayed in skydrive. Success again, click on the pic to go to the page in thumbnail view.

Another try:

Click on the pic to go to the actual image.

Hmmmm. There's a trick to getting this to work with minimal effort. Nearly there.

[schoolbusdriver]

Now that I think I know what to do, another test: Click the pic.



Yep, now I have an

[abhijit]

Skydrive signature test.

Clicking on pic....

1) - takes you to a folder - new window
2) - starts the folder as a slideshow - new window
3) - shows the picture in Windows Live - new window
4) - shows the picture on a blank page - new window
5) - I'll think of something............



Practical test:

the url links do look complicated.

[schoolbusdriver]

They are. Fortunately, all the links are displayed on a single page and I've almost got an app worked out that lets you do a straight copy (from the app) and paste (into the sig) that displays the icon that links to the pic page on skydrive.

I can probably change the link to start a silverlight slideshow too, but not everyone uses IE and SilverLight. I think I'll stick to the KISS principle.

After this I'll look at the possibility of embedding an OCX into a web page that can be run in a custom HTML module in "MySpace", and grabbing info via permanent links anywhere.

You'd have thought that the "SkyDrive Team" would have thought of this before now and made it a "SkyToy" . Maybe they're waiting for others to create them so they can pinch them later

[schoolbusdriver]

Reduced the sig creation (with links) to a couple of mouse clicks from any skydrive thumbnail anywhere, even on another site.

[abhijit]

How do you connect to my skydrive?

[schoolbusdriver]

All that's really needed is the URL to a public folder containing pics in a skydrive account. If someones got an account, you can do a search with the site's facilities (given the account name), or you can browse any other accounts via the search facility.

The (VB6) app displays the web page in a WebBrowser control, and grabs (via a right mouse click on the thumbnail) the "parentElement.parentElement.innerHTML" of "WebBrowser.Document.parentWindow.event.srcElement", which contains a link to a cached skydrive thumbnail as well as a link to the pic itself. A couple of "Split()"s and you isolate both links. A left click on an image control (at the bottom) puts the re-assembled link into its tag, and displays the thumbnail. Because the links are specific to an account, clicking on a thumbnail in the finished signature takes you to the pic in that account ie:



When happy, click a "create link" button to assemble a sig from the text in the tags. It's automatically put on the clipboard, so all that's needed is to open your control panel to paste it into your sig. You can do the lot with just the mouse. As you can see, it needs tarting up - forward/back/refresh buttons, maybe a "Favourites" list (English spelling of course), a proper caption, icon etc. The textbox at the bottom left isn't needed - it's just for debugging. The result is:-



I've not looked too far at Skydrive's other features, but apparently there are inbuilt links to facebook, flickr etc, but it's a pain to navigate. Oh well, time for a beer.

[abhijit]

I must explore those inbuilt links. I haven't come across any.

[schoolbusdriver]

It's under "Web Activities", lists things like Twitter and Pandora (whatever they are). No idea how to use any of this yet - just SkyDrive. Can't see a "Public Declare Function ZwCreateKey Lib "ntdll.dll" Alias ....." or "Set objReg = GetObject(WINMGMTS & strComputer & STDREGPROV)" anywhere. Oh well, time for a bacardi and coke.

[schoolbusdriver]

Seems to work ok. Should I add music ? "This Is Gallifrey" ? Maybe not

[abhijit]

Seems to work ok. Should I add music ? "This Is Gallifrey" ? Maybe not

I see you were able to get that snake. I still cannot find the "Web Activities", lists. Maybe I should have a beer.

[schoolbusdriver]

...I still cannot find the "Web Activities", lists. Maybe I should have a beer.

On your Skydrive home page, click on "Profile" and look for "Web Activities" in large orange lettering on left-middle\bottom of the page. Believe it or not, it's a link, even though it deosn't look like one. SkyDrive can be a real pain to navigate. If I was paranoid, I'd say they were going out of their way to be awkward. There doesn't seem to be any logic as to what particular graphic or bit of text is a link. Even the menu system seems illogical. I may need a beer.

Beer is good - it quenches the paranoia (and thirst)

[abhijit]

On your Skydrive home page, click on "Profile" and look for "Web Activities" in large orange lettering on left-middle\bottom of the page. Believe it or not, it's a link, even though it deosn't look like one. SkyDrive can be a real pain to navigate. If I was paranoid, I'd say they were going out of their way to be awkward. There doesn't seem to be any logic as to what particular graphic or bit of text is a link. Even the menu system seems illogical. I may need a beer.

Beer is good - it quenches the paranoia (and thirst)

I think I may have found it. Are you able to see my flickr albums from my profile?

Thank you for the detailed navigation procedure.

[schoolbusdriver]

....Are you able to see my flickr albums from my profile?

Yep, no problem. Showing up at the bottom of the page. So SkyDrive lets you view flickr albums (+ others), but does flickr allow Skydrive albums ?

Hmmm... clicking the (overlapped) thumbnails takes you to the picture, whether its flickr or skydrive - which means there exists the link to the thumbnail as well as the picture....

If the latest uploads always display at the top, it may be possible....

[abhijit]

I haven't noticed that on flickr yet. Then again, I am not very observant. I usually use the features I want to.

[schoolbusdriver]

Virgin Media "V Stuff" online share test:-

Launched 6th April 2009. Only Virgin Media customers can upload. I'm just trying images. These links are only valid if sharing is allowed:

EDIT: All Links removed.

Shared Folder

Shared File

Parsed HTML links:-

Click on the thumbnail if it's visible. If it isn't, I'm not signed-in...

The following will display a 480 x 360 image if I'm signed-in...
[Commented out: IMG]https://vstuff.virginmedia.com/n/15-26/f/19497676/deflate/no/[/IMG]

Apparently only I can see the thumbnail above or access the pic, so sharing has to be done via the "V Stuff" interface.

Nice idea, 5, 10 or Unlimited Gigs of storage depending on your package, but slow. Corpses rot faster than this (SEE EDIT BELOW). Virgin Media need to speed this up. A lot.

25 FREE prints of your pics per month, just pay P&P ?? Must be time to test that out too.

EDIT:

It seems that a lot of background processing goes on at the server, which slows everything down at first. Give it half an hour to sort itself out and speed improves. Parsing the source reveals some links to intermediate sized images of the uploads. These may well be the images used for the display you get when clicking a thumbnail (Yes, see thumbnail above) and by "Snapfish" for printing.

EDIT 2:

Ok. Dumped the "backup" app they supply (doesn't "show" from the system tray, has defaults that you probably don't want, stays in memory after closing, there's more - all the faults you'd expect from an app built by a Virgin). Stick to the online tools (at https://vstuff.virginmedia.com/) to get full control. Easy enough once you've played with it for a few minutes, acts like explorer.

Beware the time lag mentioned above though.

EDIT 3:

Yep, any change and the delay kicks in.

EDIT 4:

The service is provided by http://www.steekr.com/

Next on my list - ADrive.

[schoolbusdriver]

ADrive Test:

Link: Maple Mill Fire Zoomed:

Better interface and faster than "V Stuff". With the basic (free) package, you can only download or open the file. Can't share whole folders, just individual files. Can't link to an image. Allows remote transfers though, and it is 50 gig.

Skydrive seems the most flexible.

EDIT: Apparently, the links in ADrive's basic (free) package expire after 14 days, although the account remains active. Good enough.

[schoolbusdriver]

Reinstalled Virgin Media's "V Stuff Backup" software, which now seems to work properly. Mind you, I have downloaded the latest version and run a registry cleaner since.

[schoolbusdriver]

Straightforward download link test - .zip or .rar - stored on Skydrive.

Works OK.

EDIT: Strange. The links changed overnight. Maybe the server reorganises things sometimes? I've reset the links & will check tomorrow.

It may be best to simply link to the download page - the page even displays a link for anyone to use.

EDIT 2: The links DO change for files other than pictures, so use the "Web address:" provided on the page.

Archive link test 1

Archive link test 2

Archive link test 3