I signed up for the Pixoo beta a while back and finally received my invitation yesterday. The concept is so simple it’s hard to imagine I’ve not come across a similar service till now. Basically, you send Pixoo a picture of your self and they touch it up and then format it for 49 difference online communities such as Digg, Facebook, Flickr, LindedIN, MSN Messenger, Revver, Twitter, Yahoo Mail and many others.
The number of fixes Pixoo can make to your picture is extensive. Just a few of the fixes include changing the background, removing blemishes, changing your clothing, removing distractions, whiten your teeth, and even touch up your mustache or beard. There are many things they can do. There’s an area on the picture submission where you can give them any special instructions if your fix isn’t listed.
Here is the picture I submitted to Pixoo
I asked Pixoo to lighten the background, remove the shadows, remove skin blemishes and make me look professional. Basically, make me look like Brad Pitt. That’s not too much to ask! Here is what they sent back about 12 hours later.
They did a great job. I love the background. They also removed the shadows and they made me look look better than I do in person. A few of my Twitter pals and coworkers told me I look like a weatherman. Ok, not the look I was after. Some figured I was interviewing for another job. The picture looked a bit on the formal side, but Pixoo makes it easy to send it back for additional touch up at no extra cost.
This time I told Pixoo to keep the background but put me in a Steve Jobs approved, black mock turtleneck shirt. Here’s what they sent back about eight hours later.
Hey, that’s more like it! When I told Pixoo this would work, they sent me to a page that was filled with all versions of this photo. That page looks like this:
The pages includes several nice touches. First, they show a preview of how the picture will look on the different services. You can download each picture individually (Not sure why anyone would want to do this) or one can download a ZIP file that contains all 49.
I believe the pricing for the service is $20 per picture. If you’re accepted into the beta program they charge $10. The service is so impressive that even 20 bucks feels like a bargain.
One other thing. I never realized till today how often I use a picture icon like this. I went around to the different services I use and updated my picture. Almost immediately I received feedback on the picture. If you blog or you Twitter or whatever that little picture is your brand. It’s often the first thing someone sees as they come across your profile.
I’m sure many people already have a high quality picture of themselves. If you do, great. If you don’t I highly recommend Pixoo.
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