Emailed photos become instant postcards with Postcardly

by Laurel Miller on

If you’re anything like me, perhaps you’re a bit too…lazy to send postcards when you’re on vacation trip. Like most of us, I got sucked into the convenience of email, and it was a good excuse to not deal with looking for a post office in a foreign country. On the other hand, I love sharing vacation photos. Which, understandably, tests the patience of those who failed to receive a postcard from me while I was on said trip.

If you possess similar habits, I suggest you check out Postcardly. This recently-launched company allows you to email photo attachments from your laptop, an Internet cafe, or your Smartphone. Postcardly will then turn that photo into a real postcard (you provide the text, and they print it up on the back of the card), and mail it to as many people as you want (delivery takes between one day and a week). Postcardly isn’t the first company to come up with this concept, but it differs in that their postcards are the real deal; they’re not a phone app (i.e. no need for roaming capability or a global phone), pop-out cards, or printed on flimsy stock. They’re keepsakes, if you will.

Pretty nifty, especially for kids or people like my dad, who can’t fathom computers (or really, anyone; who doesn’t love receiving a postcard?). Postcardly costs $4.99 a month for five postcards, $9.99 a month for 15 postcards, or a one-time charge of $19.99 for 20 prepaid postcards. Currently, they only mail cards mailed domestically; international service coming soon. Go here for a free trial of three postcards. And don’t forget to write!

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of April 22

by Adrienne Wilson on

Time to catch up on some of what you may have missed over the week… Without delay let’s hop right to it!

5. Write for Wend:
Here is your chance to get your travel writing out there and into a new glossy. Don’t save all those adventure tales for the grandkids – write for Wend and share them with us all.

4. 24 Hours of Flickr:
This May 5th Flickr is calling all around the world to photograph their daily routine and submit one single great photo from the day for an event/project called 24 Hours of Flickr. While something like such has been done before, it is still awesome to participate in if you haven’t before and love the Flickr community.

3. Environmentalist Greats Tour:
Heal the world and make it a better place – Yes? Then why not head out on one of these mean-green-eco-machine type tours… Okay, they aren’t mean, but you get the picture.

2. Underwater Post Offices and Mailboxes Around the World:
I have a hard enough time finding a post office on land and I’m not one of the greatest swimmers, so going underwater to mail off a package isn’t quite my thing. For those who do love exploring the ocean fully clad in scuba gear and discovering new exotic creatures (like underwater mailboxes) please send me a little something when you’re down there. I’d appreciate it.

1. A Canadian In Beijing: Two-Wheeled Matrimony:
Ember doesn’t stop does she? In fact she recently found a bike to keep her going and going in the land where bicycles almost totally rule the road. See what’s happening in Beijing now that she has her first set of wheels.