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Google Drive monthly plans cut to $1.99 for 100GB, $9.99 for 1TB and $99.99 for 10TB

Mar13
by on March 13, 2014 at 5:21 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Insider

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Google is lowering the prices of its Google Drive subscriptions, putting further pressure on its rivals. The 100GB tier has been dropped from $4.99 to $1.99 per month, while the 1TB option has been slashed by $40 to $49.99. Google is also offering some larger storage options, starting at $99.99 per month for 10TB. That’s considerably cheaper than some of its rivals. Dropbox currently offers its pro tier, for $9.99 (100GB), $19.99 (200GB) and $49.99 (500GB) per month. Microsoft, meanwhile, offers 50GB for $4.49 and 200GB for $11.49 per month. No matter what data allowance you’re interested in, Google is now offering some…

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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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