diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 65988ca4..f5358f47 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 source 'https://rubygems.org'
+ruby '1.9.3'
 
 gem 'rails', '3.2.17'
 
@@ -14,6 +15,10 @@ gem 'formtastic'
 gem 'json'
 gem 'rails3-jquery-autocomplete'
 gem 'best_in_place'
+
+gem 'paperclip'
+gem 'aws-sdk'
+
 #gem 'therubyracer' #optional
 #gem 'rb-readline'
 
@@ -29,6 +34,10 @@ group :assets do
   gem 'uglifier', '>= 1.0.3'
 end
 
+group :production do #this is used on heroku
+ gem 'rmagick'
+end
+
 gem 'jquery-rails', '2.1.2'
 
 # To use ActiveModel has_secure_password
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 3346fa26..e4bbb146 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ GEM
       i18n (~> 0.6, >= 0.6.4)
       multi_json (~> 1.0)
     arel (3.0.3)
+    aws-sdk (1.44.0)
+      json (~> 1.4)
+      nokogiri (>= 1.4.4)
     bcrypt (3.1.7)
     bcrypt (3.1.7-x86-mingw32)
     best_in_place (2.1.0)
@@ -36,6 +39,10 @@ GEM
       rails (~> 3.1)
     builder (3.0.4)
     cancan (1.6.10)
+    climate_control (0.0.3)
+      activesupport (>= 3.0)
+    cocaine (0.5.4)
+      climate_control (>= 0.0.3, < 1.0)
     coffee-rails (3.2.2)
       coffee-script (>= 2.2.0)
       railties (~> 3.2.0)
@@ -68,8 +75,18 @@ GEM
       mime-types (~> 1.16)
       treetop (~> 1.4.8)
     mime-types (1.25.1)
+    mini_portile (0.6.0)
     multi_json (1.10.0)
+    nokogiri (1.6.2.1)
+      mini_portile (= 0.6.0)
+    nokogiri (1.6.2.1-x86-mingw32)
+      mini_portile (= 0.6.0)
     orm_adapter (0.5.0)
+    paperclip (4.1.1)
+      activemodel (>= 3.0.0)
+      activesupport (>= 3.0.0)
+      cocaine (~> 0.5.3)
+      mime-types
     pg (0.17.1)
     pg (0.17.1-x86-mingw32)
     polyglot (0.3.4)
@@ -129,6 +146,7 @@ PLATFORMS
   x86-mingw32
 
 DEPENDENCIES
+  aws-sdk
   best_in_place
   cancan
   coffee-rails (~> 3.2.1)
@@ -138,6 +156,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   jbuilder (= 0.8.2)
   jquery-rails (= 2.1.2)
   json
+  paperclip
   pg
   rails (= 3.2.17)
   rails3-jquery-autocomplete
diff --git a/app/controllers/maps_controller.rb b/app/controllers/maps_controller.rb
index a5ef3c6b..40107e72 100644
--- a/app/controllers/maps_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/maps_controller.rb
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ class MapsController < ApplicationController
   
   # GET maps/:id
   def show
-  	
-	  @current = current_user
+      
+      @current = current_user
 	  @map = Map.find(params[:id]).authorize_to_show(@current)
 	
 	  if not @map
diff --git a/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb b/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
index d16a8f80..d824b72b 100644
--- a/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class TopicsController < ApplicationController
       @topic.permission = 'commons'
       @topic.metacode = Metacode.find_by_name(params[:topic][:metacode])
       @topic.user = @user
-      
+        
       #if being created on a map, set topic by default to whatever permissions the map is
       if params[:topic][:map]
         @map = Map.find(params[:topic][:map])
diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index ac97d22e..bfbc1ffc 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -16,9 +16,6 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
     @user = current_user
     @user.attributes = params[:user]
     
-    #@m = params[:metacodes][:value]
-    #@user.settings.metacodes=@m.split(',')
-    
     @user.save
 
     sign_in(@user, :bypass => true)
diff --git a/app/models/topic.rb b/app/models/topic.rb
index 149321c9..668c94fe 100644
--- a/app/models/topic.rb
+++ b/app/models/topic.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,24 @@ has_many :topics2, :through => :synapses1, :source => :topic2
 
 has_many :mappings
 has_many :maps, :through => :mappings
+    
+  # This method associates the attribute ":image" with a file attachment
+  has_attached_file :image
+    
+  #, styles: {
+  # thumb: '100x100>',
+  # square: '200x200#',
+  # medium: '300x300>'
+  #}
+
+  # Validate the attached image is image/jpg, image/png, etc
+  validates_attachment_content_type :image, :content_type => /\Aimage\/.*\Z/
   
+  # This method associates the attribute ":image" with a file attachment
+  has_attached_file :audio
+  # Validate the attached audio is audio/wav, audio/mp3, etc
+  validates_attachment_content_type :audio, :content_type => /\Aaudio\/.*\Z/   
+    
   def synapses
      synapses1 + synapses2
   end
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index ae03c659..1be8144a 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -11,13 +11,32 @@ has_many :mappings
 
   devise :database_authenticatable, :recoverable, :rememberable, :trackable, :registerable
   
-  attr_accessible :name, :email, :password, :password_confirmation, :code, :joinedwithcode, :remember_me
+  attr_accessible :name, :email, :image, :password, :password_confirmation, :code, :joinedwithcode, :remember_me
 
   serialize :settings, UserPreference
 	
   validates_uniqueness_of :name # done by devise
   validates_uniqueness_of :email # done by devise
     
+  # This method associates the attribute ":image" with a file attachment
+  has_attached_file :image, :styles => {
+   :thumb => ['100x100>', :png],
+   :square => ['200x200#', :png],
+   :round => ['200x200#', :png]
+  }, :convert_options => {:round => Proc.new{self.convert_options}}
+
+  # Validate the attached image is image/jpg, image/png, etc
+  validates_attachment_content_type :image, :content_type => /\Aimage\/.*\Z/
+  
+  def self.convert_options
+    trans = ''
+    trans << ' ( +clone  -alpha extract '
+    trans << '-draw "fill black polygon 0,0 0,100 100,0 fill white circle 100,100 100,0" '
+    trans << '( +clone -flip ) -compose multiply -composite '
+    trans << '( +clone -flop ) -compose multiply -composite '
+    trans << ') -alpha off -compose copy_opacity -composite '
+  end
+    
   if ActiveRecord::Base.connection.table_exists? 'users' 
     codes =  ActiveRecord::Base.connection.execute("SELECT code FROM users").map {|user| user["code"] }
   else 
diff --git a/app/views/maps/show.html.erb b/app/views/maps/show.html.erb
index 474a6c1a..8a325a73 100644
--- a/app/views/maps/show.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/maps/show.html.erb
@@ -116,13 +116,13 @@ if (json.length > 0) {
     
 <% if authenticated? && (@map.permission == "commons" || @map.user == user) %>
 // this is for the heroku staging environment
-window.realtime.socket = io.connect('http://gentle-savannah-1303.herokuapp.com'); 
+//window.realtime.socket = io.connect('http://gentle-savannah-1303.herokuapp.com'); 
     
 // this is for metamaps.cc
 //window.realtime.socket = io.connect('http://metamaps.cc:5001'); 
     
 // this is for localhost development    
-//window.realtime.socket = io.connect('http://localhost:5001'); 
+window.realtime.socket = io.connect('http://localhost:5001'); 
 
 window.realtime.socket.on('connect', function () {
     console.log('socket connected');
diff --git a/app/views/users/edit.html.erb b/app/views/users/edit.html.erb
index 732b0f03..1bb64d46 100644
--- a/app/views/users/edit.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/users/edit.html.erb
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 <h1 class="index">Your Settings</h1>
 <%= formula_form_for @user, url: user_url do |form| %>
   <h3>Edit Account</h3>
+  <label for="user_image">Profile Picture</label>
+  <% if @user.image %><%= image_tag @user.image.url(:round), :size => "48x48" %><% end %>
+  <%= form.file_field :image %>
   <%= form.input :name, label: "Name", class: "name" %>
   <%= form.input :email, label: "Email", class: "email" %>
   <%= form.input :password, label: "Password", class: "password", :autocomplete => :off %>
diff --git a/config/environments/development.rb b/config/environments/development.rb
index 7f1b0375..d3a8b0b7 100644
--- a/config/environments/development.rb
+++ b/config/environments/development.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,16 @@ ISSAD::Application.configure do
   config.consider_all_requests_local       = true
   config.action_controller.perform_caching = false
   
-  
+  # S3 file storage
+  config.paperclip_defaults = {
+    :storage => :s3,
+    :s3_credentials => {
+      :bucket => ENV['S3_BUCKET_NAME'],
+      :access_key_id => ENV['AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID'],
+      :secret_access_key => ENV['AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY']
+    }
+  }
+    
   config.action_mailer.delivery_method = :smtp
   config.action_mailer.smtp_settings = {
     address:              'mail.metamaps.cc',
diff --git a/config/environments/production.rb b/config/environments/production.rb
index 8b1bf0f9..962b0dd2 100644
--- a/config/environments/production.rb
+++ b/config/environments/production.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,17 @@ ISSAD::Application.configure do
 
   # Compress JavaScripts and CSS
   config.assets.compress = true
+    
+
+  # S3 file storage
+  config.paperclip_defaults = {
+    :storage => :s3,
+    :s3_credentials => {
+      :bucket => ENV['S3_BUCKET_NAME'],
+      :access_key_id => ENV['AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID'],
+      :secret_access_key => ENV['AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY']
+    }
+  }
   
   config.action_mailer.delivery_method = :smtp
   config.action_mailer.smtp_settings = {
diff --git a/config/initializers/paperclip.rb b/config/initializers/paperclip.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1447988b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/initializers/paperclip.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Paperclip::Attachment.default_options[:url] = ':s3_domain_url'
+Paperclip::Attachment.default_options[:path] = '/:class/:attachment/:id_partition/:style/:filename'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/db/migrate/20140625212637_add_image_and_audio_to_topics.rb b/db/migrate/20140625212637_add_image_and_audio_to_topics.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..46bead64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20140625212637_add_image_and_audio_to_topics.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+class AddImageAndAudioToTopics < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def self.up
+    add_attachment :topics, :image
+    add_attachment :topics, :audio
+  end
+
+  def self.down
+    remove_attachment :topics, :image
+    remove_attachment :topics, :audio
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/migrate/20140707161810_add_image_to_users.rb b/db/migrate/20140707161810_add_image_to_users.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0a479fda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20140707161810_add_image_to_users.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+class AddImageToUsers < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def self.up
+    add_attachment :users, :image
+  end
+
+  def self.down
+    remove_attachment :users, :image
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index 0a8292d7..c3fce2b2 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended to check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema.define(:version => 20140517115841) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema.define(:version => 20140707161810) do
 
   create_table "in_metacode_sets", :force => true do |t|
     t.integer  "metacode_id"
@@ -83,8 +83,16 @@ ActiveRecord::Schema.define(:version => 20140517115841) do
     t.text     "permission"
     t.integer  "user_id"
     t.integer  "metacode_id"
-    t.datetime "created_at",  :null => false
-    t.datetime "updated_at",  :null => false
+    t.datetime "created_at",         :null => false
+    t.datetime "updated_at",         :null => false
+    t.string   "image_file_name"
+    t.string   "image_content_type"
+    t.integer  "image_file_size"
+    t.datetime "image_updated_at"
+    t.string   "audio_file_name"
+    t.string   "audio_content_type"
+    t.integer  "audio_file_size"
+    t.datetime "audio_updated_at"
   end
 
   create_table "users", :force => true do |t|
@@ -110,6 +118,10 @@ ActiveRecord::Schema.define(:version => 20140517115841) do
     t.string   "current_sign_in_ip"
     t.datetime "reset_password_sent_at"
     t.boolean  "admin"
+    t.string   "image_file_name"
+    t.string   "image_content_type"
+    t.integer  "image_file_size"
+    t.datetime "image_updated_at"
   end
 
   add_index "users", ["reset_password_token"], :name => "index_users_on_reset_password_token", :unique => true