Photo and Video Sharing

Granted, you've been able to share images via dial-up for quite some time. But with broadband, you'll need only a few minutes, rather than hours, to upload a large batch of high-resolution files. And broadband opens up all sorts of new image-sharing possibilities, including peer-to-peer services that seamlessly shuttle photos and videos between PCs.

The photo-sharing craze began on sites designed for photo printing. For as little as 22 cents per photo, plus shipping and handling, sites like Ofoto, Shutterfly, and Snapfish will print your pictures on high-quality photo paper and mail them to you. But the real attraction is that these services let you share your photos with friends and family free of charge.

Once you upload your photos, they remain on a private Web site, and you can easily send the link to whomever you like. "These sites are primarily used for sharing," says Robert Palmer, director of digital photography research at Lyra Research. "Printing is used to generate revenue, but it accounts for a much smaller portion of activity."

The catch is that these sites let you share only a limited number of photos. With sites, such as Sacko and smugmug, designed specifically for photo sharing, you can pay to share an endless number of snapshots.