The Familiar Blog

Happy Mother's Day!

We'd like to take a moment to recognize all moms this Mother's Day.  We celebrate you and the many ways you give to your families each day.  Thank you for all you do.

We here at Familiar would like to give a special thank you to our Mothers. You are amazing and we deeply appreciate your support.  We couldn't have done this with you.

Gayle Fortna - Ray's Mom

Diane Wertergaard - Josh's Mom

Maragret Womack - Marcus' Mom

Rajul Kambuj - Aakash's Mom

Pam Bohlander - Mike's Mom

Happy Mother's Day!  Thanks moms!

- Aakash, Josh, Marcus, Mike, Ray

 

Familiar for Android

Get Familiar for Android

For all of you who have been asking, Familiar is now available for Android phones! You can get it from Google Play today.

The Android app provides all of the awesome features that are on Familiar for iPhone, and a few more.

• Quickly get the best photos from your Android phone to your family and friends
• Easily invite people from the address book on your phone
• Highlight the photos you love so you can quickly access them to show off to your friends
• Get notified whenever someone on Familiar adds new photos
• Add captions to your photos

 

Let us know what you think!

Get Familiar for Android

Familiar for iPhone

Get Familiar for the iPhone

We couldn't stop there, right? While the iPad is the perfect tool for viewing, you don't take it everywhere. The iPhone in your pocket however, is a different story. As a powerful and portable camera on the go, it made sense to bring Familiar to your iPhone for portable viewing and quick photo adding.

Quick access to photos you love

Once upon a time people carried around a few favorite family photos in their wallet or purse. Now you can take that sentiment to the next level. Tell Familiar which photos you love and they'll always be available in your pocket.

Easily add photos taken with your iPhone to Familiar

For most of us, our smart phones have replaced point and shoot cameras. If that's you, adding photos to Familiar just got a lot easier. Love using Instagram, Hipstamatic and other great filter apps? Now you can take those great shots and easily add them directly to Familiar. Add a caption with one tap, and your family is instantly updated with those great photos on their iPad, Mac, or Windows PC.

Invite more friends

Now when you're making people jealous of your Familiar photos at the next family function, you can easily invite them to join the fun…right then and there!

Notifications

Just like the iPad, the iPhone has push notifications so you never miss new photos.

We tried to incorporate all your feedback into our new apps and we hope that you love.  Please don't hesitate to send us your feedback.

Enjoy!

Get Familiar for the iPhone

Familiar for iPad

Get Familiar for iPad

You asked for it...we built it. Familiar for iPad is available in the app store. Now all the photos you see in your Familiar screensaver on your desktop can turn your iPad into a stunning picture frame too!

From the start, we imagined what a perfect fit Familiar would be for the iPad with the iPad's incredible screen and widespread popularity. Our goal was clear: to create the most beautiful and simple way for you to view photos from family and friends.

Beautiful slideshows and simple photos browsing

We knew we had to take advantage of the amazing iPad screen. If you're lucky enough to have snagged a third generation iPad, you know how astonishing the screen is.  With Familiar, you can see high resolution family photos directly on your iPad. Choose from two unique viewing options: stacked in threes, or one at a time like a film strip. With Familiar running, you can set your iPad on a stand, press "play" and watch a beautiful slideshow on your new digital picture frame!

Simple to add Family, Friends and Photos

Familiar on the iPad makes it really easy to connect with family and close friends to view the best photos.  When you sign up, we'll let you know if any of your family members or friends are already using Familiar.  You can also invite family and friends not using it yet. Then, you just add all your favorite photos directly from your iPad.  Once you're connected to family and friends on Familiar, the photos you add will automaticlly show up in their iPad picture frames and screensavers.  When your family and friends add photos, you'll see their photos on your iPad too.

 

FYI: We don't upload your address book to our servers.

No more wondering if you have new photos 

Finally - we heard your feedback. You were missing some of the photos added by family and friends, so we added notifications. Now, every time one of your family members that your connected to adds new photos, you'll get notified. 

We're really happy about the app and we hope you are too. Go check it out in the app store, and be sure to let us know what you think!

Get Familiar for iPad

Introducing Familiar - turn your computer into a social picture frame!

 

I'm excited to announce the launch of Familiar. It’s just before the holidays and we think Familiar is the perfect gift.  Familiar turns your computer into a digital picture frame, programmed by your closest friends and family. Familiar brings photos directly to your screen, blending elements of the picture frame and slideshow to personalize your screen with life’s cherished moments. Mom and Dad, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters can all get connected on Familiar so their screensaver is personalized with the best family photos.  

Let me give a little background on why we set out on this adventure in the first place. I am married with two kids, ages 2 and 4. Sharing memories with my extended family is pretty challenging today. My wife and I take lots of pictures and video, and we keep track of all the fun things our kids say with private Twitter accounts. The challenge comes when helping my Mom, Sister, Brother, and in-laws to share in these memories too. Some use Facebook, others email, and we’ve used Dropbox too. In the end those memories get lost in email or stuck on the web. On top of that we don't really like sharing photos of the kids on the web.

We felt there must be a better way. Many families have a connected computer in their home, office and maybe even on the kitchen counter. Wouldn't it be great if that computer became a picture frame when it’s not being used?  Imagine your mom, sister or brother walking by and seeing your best travel photos or photos from today’s trip to the zoo. My Mom would be thrilled to be cooking dinner and have new photos of her grandkids simply show up on her screen. Familiar is about getting your best photos seen by the people you care about the most.

By connecting the screens of your family, we think you'll feel more connected to your family and friends, all by simply bringing their photos right to your screen. Expect to see many more updates from us as we continue to add cool new features and support more connected devices in your home.

We hope you like it and look forward to your feedback. Check it out today!

Marcus & The Familiar Team