iPhoto and iCloud, despite being the default photo application and accompanying syncing service that much of the Apple universe uses regularly, are actually kind of awful. iPhoto is slow and bulky. iCloud is limited, and more expensive than many competitors’ cloud storage services when you need to upgrade. And yet, we’re stuck with them…or are we? Fortunately, there are few applications from independent developers that can either improve Apple’s out-of-the-box experience by filling in the gaps its software overlooks, or lets you bypass using Apple’s products altogether. You may think that having so many one-off solutions for iPhoto highlights the problems with Apple’s own software. Or you can instead believe that these kinds of augmentations and improvements are the benefits of the wide-reaching app ecosystem Apple has enabled. It depends on if you’re a “glass half empty/glass half full” person, I suppose. This is not a comprehensive list, to be clear. It’s just a few tools I’ve found to help me survive which you might like, too. Obviously, there are plenty of cloud storage services you can use to workaround having to use iPhoto + iCloud (think Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, Amazon Cloud Drive, etc.). But these apps below are crafted with photos, not just files, in mind. Loom (10 GB free / pricing varies after) We’ve covered Loom here before on TechCrunch, and like many of the apps I turn to, the best thing about Loom is its simplicity. The service, available for Mac, iOS and web, is the Apple Photo Stream you should have had. The Mac app connects with iPhoto on your desktop or any folders you specify, while the iOS app will upload your photos and videos to the cloud. (Not iCloud, Loom’s cloud.) From there, you have an infinite “Camera Roll” of sorts where you can perform some basic organization and sharing, if you choose. Apple’s Photo Stream, for comparison, only displays your last 1,000 photos. With Apple’s service, if you want to keep your photos saved forever, you have to back them up yourself using iPhoto or iCloud storage when syncing your devices, or use some other manual backup method. After your photos are uploaded to Loom, you can also save space on your mobile device by clearing out your Camera Roll. Though Loom will display all your photos, it doesn’t actually cache your entire collection on your iPhone or iPad. And for those it does cache
via TechCrunch
Four Handy Tools To Workaround – Or Ditch! – Apple’s iPhoto