Technology: Self-Development.(Product/Service Evaluation)

Byline: Malcolm Beith

Raise your hand if you own a digital camera. Now raise your other hand (and you might as well drop your camera) if you don't know how to make decent prints. This year, shutterbugs will save an estimated 73 billion digital photos. But too many still don't know how to make quality prints; self-publishing software is often too complicated--and high-quality photographic paper and printers too expensive--for the average snapper.

One option: Buy a memory card, like Sandisk's Shoot & Store ($14.99, sandisk.com ), that you can take into a photo shop for developing. Even easier is to look online, where photo-sharing Web sites like ofoto.com and shutterfly.com allow amateurs to post their shots on the Internet and then leave developing and delivery in the hands of the experts. Here's a primer on how to get your personal pics onto the Internet faster than Pamela Anderson:

Does this compute? First step is getting your photos onto a computer. Nowadays, most PCs and laptops come equipped with a USB port and image-viewing programs, so simply connect the USB cable and start your transfer. If this still sounds too complicated, many cybercafes offer uploading assistance, as do Kinko's, photo shops like Kodak and even (gasp!) local libraries.

Download first to upload: Most photo-sharing sites offer free, easy-to-use uploading software. Ofoto's download process is a favorite for ease and simplicity; Shutterfly's is even simpler but doesn't allow you to check your ...