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Facebook introduces 15-second premium video ads that auto-play without sound, stop if you scroll past

Mar13
by on March 13, 2014 at 5:16 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider, Social Media

Internet Market Considers MIcrosoft Bid for Yahoo
Facebook today introduced 15-second video ads, which will start playing without sound as they appear on screen and stop if you scroll past. If you tap the video, it will expand into a full-screen view with sound. The company says users can expect to start seeing these new ads “over the next few months.” Facebook first started testing what it calls “Premium Video Ads” back in December. The company says they are designed “for advertisers who want to reach a large audience with high-quality sight, sound and motion.” Facebook sells and measures the new format similar to how media firms…

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Microsoft launches Bing image match feature more than 30 months after Google adds search by image option

Mar13
by on March 13, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Insider

Microsoft today announced the addition of “image match” to Bing, a new feature which lets you find more versions of the same image. When you find an image that you like, but it comes in a low resolution or otherwise poor quality, you can hit the “Image Match” button. You can also click “image match” near the search box on Bing.com/images and paste the specific image URL, or even upload an image from your computer, and let Bing find all the different sizes. Google launched its “search by image” feature on June 14, 2011, meaning Bing is finally getting its…

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Europe pushes ahead with plans to make all phone chargers the same

Mar13
by on March 13, 2014 at 4:43 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, UK

Chargers
The European Parliament has today decided to go ahead with a plan to introduce common charger rules for smartphones and other portable devices that would see the end of proprietary charger designs. The thinking is that by having a common charger for mobile phones (particularly), we can collectively cut down on some of the waste and costs associated with the device cycle. “The current incompatibility of chargers is a nightmare and a real inconvenience for consumers. This new directive ends this nightmare and is also good news for the environment as it will result in a reduction of electronic waste,”…

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How the Web is powering the revolution underway for personal finance

Mar13
by on March 13, 2014 at 4:29 pm
Posted In: Analysis and Opinion, Apps, Around the Web, Design & Dev

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Vincent Turner is the founder and CEO of Planwise. In September 2012, I had intended to write a post on how the Internet has changed personal finance. Instead, I discussed that it had yet to, given that some fundamental building blocks to enable that change were only at a nascent stage. Some 18 months later, it is safe to move into the present tense and explore how the internet is finally revolutionizing personal finance. Progress Firstly, it would make sense to explore how each of the four companies I presented as bellwethers for innovation in the original post have progressed since 2012. Simple…

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Microsoft’s Office 365 Personal is limited to two devices, coming this spring for $69.99/year or $6.99/month

Mar13
by on March 13, 2014 at 4:21 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web

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Microsoft today announced Office 365 Personal, a new subscription offering for the company’s productivity suite in the cloud. Designed for the individual, it is limited to just one PC or Mac, plus one tablet, and will be available this spring for $69.99 per year or $6.99 per month. At the same time, Microsoft has also revealed plans to rename its Office 365 Home Premium subscription, which is aimed at households. It will continue to be available exactly as is, but will be called Office 365 Home once Office 365 Personal arrives in a few months. “We recognize that there are…

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