iPhoto

iPhoto is standard when it comes to Macintosh computers but you can also install it on other devices. You can use the iPhoto via iCloud and share your photos online. The photos are sorted by events and you can control how everything is shown to the public and shared. You can also build photo albums and slideshows that can be shared or printed from your various events. It is actually one of the best web album Google alternatives available.

Flickr

Flickr has taken the place of Picasa in many people’s hearts. The program is quite easy to use and you can even lock your permissions. This allows you to let photos be public without giving people permission to copy and or republish your images without your express consent. This gives you some control even though your images are going out wide on the web. You can create circles of friends and share you photos however you like amongst those you know. This gives you a chance to share your life without opening it up to everyone at the same time. The Google alternative is a platform which is easy to use and the buttons even give you options for photo editing and various filters you can use to enhance your photo taking skills.

SmugMug

SmugMug boasts of the most options when it comes to privacy and security for your images. You can order prints direction for the site and you can store unlimited photos. The Pro version gives you the ability to edit your photos and even your video on the site. There is a free trial period before you will start having to pay. SmugMug offers mobile apps for all sorts of devices including the iPad, iPhone and Android phones. There are no ads on your photo sharing, making it even more appealing to those you are shoring with. You can import your images from any other program so there is no conversion problem or waiting time to get your photos into the new system. SmugMug has been a godsend to the bloggers who enjoy sharing images but want to license the photos.

DropBox

While not a conventional online photo album, it is a way to share with others by offering permission and not really publishing to the web. You control the various folders on your computer and you upload images as you like. The files are then shared with only the people you have chosen. This gives you total control over the photos and keeps you from having to choose a proprietary program, an excellent Google alternative.

Instagram

Many don’t consider Instagram a web album substitute because it is not for uploading your standard images to, but it is a way to share images as you take them. If you are not sure how much you want to publish on the web, this gives you a great sense of control over what you share and how you do it. The Google alternative comes with a series of filters and options that add depth to your images and you get the joy of sharing everything right away.

Whatever program you choose for sharing your images, know that there are many programs equal to if not better than Picasa. You don’t have to feel forced into a corner with a Google application, but rather choose what you like best. When you are working on your images you can use your program to store, share and file your images in a way that works for your computer and your sense of organization.

Visual Website Optimizer

Visual website optimizer is one of the best in the market for taking images into account. It is often overlooked, but really you can grab more attention with photos and videos than with words anyway. This optimizer looks at the overall layout of the website along with key word choices and filters results appropriately. In addition, it allows you to put in meta data for the images in order to help showcase your site. You will be able to see exactly how your web page will look no mater what browser someone is using. This Google alternative can help to ensure that you are not losing clicks based on a sloppy layout or a confusing landing page based on how the browsers are reading your content.

Unbounce.com

Unbounce is another Google alternative gaining popularity. This will give you all the algorithm feedback to let you know how optimized your page is for search engines, and it lets you see how your pages look across the board. It also features a variety of landing page template designs that have been proven to work over the years. These pages can help you organize your landing page in a way that encourages people to filter through your whole site and stay on the page completing purchases and converting into customers. This is an easy to use site that feels much more intuitive than the other sites out there.

Optimizely.com

Founded by former Google product managers, these people know how the system works and how to best drive traffic to your site. While many people view optimizers as a way to “game” the system, the truth is you are reaching out via a different form of advertising. You have to look at it as using the best market research available to reach your customers. The market has just changed over the years. Optimizely was founded on the premise that you really do need technical skills to get all the attention you can out of a page, and the average website builder and launcher does not have those skills. This platform costs a little more, but it walks you step-by-step through optimization and you will come out the other side with more views and more sales than with any other optimizer for sale today.

Why Pay?

Optimizers get a bad rap. Even as a Google alternative, many people do not understand what they are really paying for but you have to think about it like an ad or a logo design. When you first launch something you want to make sure people are going to respond well to your product. Your webpage is the face of your company. Just like you would spend money on a graphic designer to do your layouts, spending money on an optimizer ensures you are getting the right “layout” to reach your audience.

There are many scams on the web. There are many ways to get taken for money, but an optimizer really isn’t one of them. The optimizer helps make sure everyone sees your page as finding you in the sea of information is difficult. Using the way search engines work, and the way people process information, your site will be more effective, and in turn, you will have success. The more you understand your customers and your potential customers the more you can grow you business; the web is just another facet of this understanding.

Siri

Siri has probably become the most well-known Google Voice alternative due to the many commercials and the proliferation of the iPhone in the marketplace. Siri listens and learns your vocal pattern and will get more accurate over time. Many people found Siri frustrating at first because it did not understand the words spoken but after time and corrections it makes the adjustments to better understand you questions and requests. It can do everything from typing text messages for you to finding your friends. Siri is one of the best Google alternatives on the market.

Vlingo

Vlingo is a voice recognition app that is known to be the “perfect assistant.” Vlingo can even update your Facebook status and even read your incoming text messages for you. This works the same as Google Voice and can find web sites and addresses for you with simple commands. You can install it on a variety of devices though it seems to work best on the Microsoft platform.

Edwin

Edwin marries two apps together in order to form a Google alternative to voice recognition. You will be using SpeechSynthesis and TTS Extended in order to make the program work properly. It does have a bit of a learning feature, but it is not as smart as Siri. You will be able to use it to check the weather, translate text, make calls and send messages. Edwin is often used by those with Android phones but you can use other smartphones with Edwin as well. If you want to install it on an iPhone you are going to have to jailbreak the phone as the Mac proprietary element wants you to upgrade to Siri.

Speaktoit Assistant

This is a more basic voice recognition program. It will allow you to update statuses and do simple tasks but it is not as complete as many of the other programs out there. The Google alternative uses a more natural language format, much less formal but it does not handle doing stepping stone tasks. Each thing has to be separate. You are not going to be able to look up an address and go straight to getting a map of that location, it does not stream things together in that way. Of course, it covers most of what normal people use it for and you can always record your thoughts and lists, it will even print a list for you if you request it.

Voice recognition software is made to help make things run more smoothly in your home. You can arrange your life and you may even find yourself slightly addicted to being able to shout out orders and your phone understanding. It becomes cumbersome to actually have to type after you have found the voice recognition system that works the best for you. It can take a few steps to find the right one. You need one that can work with your vocal register.

Some people find Siri to be perfect while others prefer Edwin. This often has to do with pitch and cadence. The programs can only learn so much and they have to be able to work with many different people. Don’t be afraid to try different Google alternatives in order to know what you enjoy most. Figure out what services you use the most and figure out which recognition system seems to understand you the best. Once you have done that you will likely never go back.