Flickr revamped the web version of its Uploadr tool on Wednesday. The new version has switched to HTML5 with a more natural drag-and-drop interface to load photos. Making the switch now lets Flickr show thumbnails, like the native desktop and mobile apps, as well as reorder images, tag friends, and otherwise handle most tasks that would have needed to wait until afterwards.
Uploads are now much faster, although this isn’t necessarily directly connected to the HTML5 code. Americans should see about 20 to 30 percent faster uploads, while Canada and other countries can see as much as a 60 percent boost. Reflecting larger sensor sizes on DSLRs, Pro accounts can now upload images as big as 50MB each; free users can upload 30MB files.
More updates were coming, Flickr said.
Yahoo’s photo sharing site has been conducting a sweeping overhaul of its services in the wake of major corporate restructuring. It has faced stiffer competition not just from conspicuous web rivals, such as 500px, but also social networks with a strong or primary focus on mobile photo uploading, like Google+ and Instagram.
