Google Cloud's prices Discount

Google Cloud goes after Amazon by slashing prices, adding new products:

Businesses looking for major storage often lean on Amazon and its cloud service platform, but Google doesn't want to be the second-string option anymore.

During its Cloud Platform conference held on Tuesday in San Francisco, the company announced price updates and new products to help customers get up and working in the cloud faster. And ultimately, earn some bigger marketshare in the cloud storage space.

Google also slashed the prices for its Cloud Platform that should make both large and small-scale business partners happy.

In addition to a 10% drop in pricing last month, here's a look at the latest cuts: BigQuery Storage falls almost 25%; PD Snapshots is down about 80%.

Meanwhile, Disk SSD storage is cut nearly in half; and the price of large Cloud SQL instances dropped 25%.?

The company announced a service called Google Container Engine that lets businesses move from managing application components running on individual virtual machines to portable Docker containers that are scheduled into a managed compute cluster for you. Google said users will be able to create and tie together container-based services to make it possible for companies to log, monitor and manage incoming data.

Another addition is App Engine with auto-scaling support, Cloud SDK integration and support for runtimes built on Docker containers. The company also introduced a network called Google Cloud Interconnect, which will serve as the foundation for apps and IT architectures and bring its fiber network to direct peering across 33 countries.

Other rollouts include carrier interconnect with partners like Verizon and VPN support, starting in early 2015. This will let users keep apps and data in-house and using the public cloud for other tasks.

Other additions include a cloud debugger, Firebase — a company recently acquired by Google which lets you build mobile and web real-time applications — and an autoscaler.

Read Also: Now Sync Microsoft Office with Drop Box Account

When Google launched its cloud platform back in 2008, Amazon was the only real competitor offering a similar service — it debuted its own platform two years prior.

Earlier this week, it was revealed the Ubuntu cloud images will be accessible via Google Cloud.

Google, cloud, Prices, down, Discount on Google cloud, Internet, Gadgets, Tech news.

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Microsoft Office Sync with Drop Box

Microsoft Office apps will sync right to your Dropbox account:

Dropbox just became an excellent place to store your Microsoft Office files.

The two companies announced a partnership on Tuesday that will allow Microsoft Office apps to sync directly to your Dropbox account, speeding up collaboration and editing.

After adding your Dropbox account to Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint, you can navigate folders and files on Dropbox to view and edit in the native Office apps, Microsoft wrote in a blog post. The company added it will be updating its Office apps for iPad, iPhone and Android with the new feature "in the coming weeks."

On the Dropbox side, users can also edit Office documents, including Word, Excel and Powerpoint files, from within the Dropbox app on iOS and Android. The company also announced it will finally release an app for Windows phones and tablets in the next few months.

The partnership isn't confined to mobile, though; Dropbox integration will be coming to Office's web apps sometime in 2015.

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Microsoft and Dropbox have teamed up for tighter integration previously. Earlier this year, Dropbox revealed Project Harmony, a plan to bring collaborative real-time editing features to Microsoft Office documents for Dropbox's business users. The company promised the feature would roll out in the "coming months" in July, but hasn't revealed a specific timeline.

Software, Apps, Drop Box Synchronization with MS Office, Drop Box, Account, MS Office, Microsoft, Gadgets, Internet, Tech News.

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Samsung's fastest-charging device : Galaxy Note Edge

Galaxy Note Edge, Samsung's fastest-charging device, gets a U.S. debut date:

Samsung's Galaxy Note Edge, the strange-looking device with a curved edge screen that wraps around the phone's right side, is set to debut in the United States on Nov. 14.

The "Edge" part of the name refers to that smaller curved display, which is almost of completely different screen. The main display works like any other smartphone's, but the thin edge has its own functions, menus and icons.

With the extra strip display —a feature unique to the device — you can also get notifications and access your email, apps and more without interrupting any actions on the main screen. You can also use a stopwatch and ruler.

The design of the Note Edge could be an indication that Samsung is trying to turn heads. Samsung has recently struggled in the smartphone market, and the company has vowed to revamp its products at a fundamental level. The company reported its lowest operating profits in a few years last week, with a 74% decline in third-quarter income from the last year.

The phone is on the pricey side. With AT&T, the Note Edge costs $400 with a two-year contract (or $946 without a commitment). Sprint is offering the phone for $840, which you pay over a 24-month period with $35 payments. T-Mobile has a similar payment plan at $36.25 per month for 24 months, a total of $870. Verizon didn't have prices immediately available.

The Galaxy Note Edge is more than an expensive mobile sideshow attraction, though. The phone packs Quad HD on its massive 5.6-inch display and includes a 16-megapixel rear camera, plus a 3.7-megapixel front-facing camera (for selfies, of course).

Read Also: Microsoft Stop Selling Windows 7

Samsung added that this phone the fastest-charging device of any of its smartphones. The battery can charge up to 50% in 30 minutes and last up to a day on a 10% charge.

The phone runs Android's KitKat operating system, not its latest Lollipop, and will be available in black and white.

Samsung, Galaxy, Note, Edge, Fastest Charging Device, Smart Phone, Mobiles, Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, Tech News.

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Microsoft Stop Selling Windows 7

Say farewell to Windows 7: Windows 7 is out the door:

As of late last week, Microsoft stopped selling the consumer versions of Windows 7 Home Basic, Premium and Ultimate to computer manufacturers. Once the supply runs out, you won't be able to get a new computer with that software installed.

Only Windows 7 Professional was spared, so businesses that need more computers with the software don't need to worry — at least, until next year.

The changes affect companies that build PCs. Microsoft already stopped selling Windows 7 software packages to the regular public in 2013 Microsoft already stopped selling Windows 7 software packages to the regular public in 2013, but now original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can't license it, either, meaning they can't build more computers with Windows 7 as the default operating system.

It's unclear how many PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed are still in stock; it might take some time to notice its dismissal.

Windows 8 was largely a failure for the company; it was given the cold shoulder by businesses and derided by users. One of the big complaints was the absence of the Start Menu.

Windows 10, Microsoft's next big upgrade for its Windows operating system (it skipped Windows 9), is slated for launch in late 2015. This is a sign the company is gearing up for the change: A preview version of the software was downloaded by 1 million users in the first two weeks following the platform's announcement.

Mainstream support from Microsoft for Windows 7 will end in January 2015.

Microsoft cut off retail sales of Windows 8 on Friday, so consumers can't buy the software package after supplies right out. In other words, you won't be able to walk into a store and buy a Windows 8 box set much longer. OEMs still have that option, though.

Read Also: Video Review of HP's Smart Watch

Windows 8's retail lifespan just exceeded two years; it was first available for purchase on Oct. 26, 2012. That's much shorter than a traditional software cycle for a Windows operating system.

Apps, Software, Windows, Microsoft, Windows 7 Stopped, Gadgets, WTF, Windows 10, Tech News.

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Get Gmail 5.0 for Android before it comes to Google Play

You can get Gmail 5.0 for Android before it comes to Google Play:

Gmail wants to be your one-stop shop for all your email accounts on Android. Gmail 5.0 adds support for Yahoo Mail, Outlook.com and corporate Exchange accounts. The new version also features Material design, Google's new software aesthetic.

Details about the update leaked a couple of weeks ago, and now the actual update appears to have leaked; Android Police posted links to download the .apk files. So far the update hasn't appeared in Google Play, and it's unclear if it'll come to iOS.

With Gmail 5.0, users will be able to set up and switch between other email accounts just like they would Gmail accounts, selecting the inbox they want to see by first swiping from the left, then tapping on the account.

The new Gmail is also one of the first to incorporate much of "Material" — Google's new design methodology for Android 5.0 "Lollipop", which the company first unveiled at the Google I/O developer conference. The app makes heavy use of Material's color palate, with liberal use of layers, and many of the design elements from Inbox, Google's new standalone app that aims to re-invent the email app.

Including non-Gmail accounts in the Gmail app represents a strategic shift for Google Including non-Gmail accounts in the Gmail app represents a strategic shift for Google. Apps that consolidate email accounts from multiple services — such as Mailbox, Boxer and Acompli — are myriad, but they've become more viable alternatives to the default email apps on smartphones now that mobile notifications and background refreshing of apps have become more sophisticated. With version 5.0, Gmail will now compete more directly with third-party apps.

Read Also: Top 5 Features of New Android 5.0 (lolliPop)

At the same time, Gmail's evolution mirrors that of the Chrome browser, and helps push a more Google-centered experience on Android. While Chrome still coexists with the "Internet" app on Android devices, Chrome has become the preferred browser on the platform; Gmail appears to be doing the same thing to Android's "Email."

Apps, Software, Gmail 5.0, Gmai Android App, Google Inbox, Mobile, Smart Phones, Tech News, Google, Yahoo, Outlook Update.

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Top 5 features coming with Android 5.0 (lollipop)

Top 5 features coming to your phone with Android Lollipop:

Google is set to unveil its biggest overhaul to the Android operating system yet – Android 5.0, also known as Android Lollipop.

The new operating system – designed for Android smartphones, tablets and Android smartwatches – features a sleek new design and many long-awaited features, including improved notification controls.

Here are some of the standout features you can expect from Lollipop:

New design, new appearance:

Lollipop is garnering a lot of attention for its appearance.

The OS has a new colour scheme, different typography, and boasts realistic lighting and shadows – which Google says will help people navigate their devices better.

Apple users may notice some similarities between Lollipop and iOS 8, the iPhone’s latest operating system. Windows and graphics appear much flatter than previous versions – much like Apple’s redesign – and transitions between apps will appear more animated.

Some apps will even change the background colour of the display depending on the time of day.

Better notifications:

One of the more useful changes to Lollipop is the way in which users can manage notifications.

The OS now allows users to respond or dismiss notifications directly from the lock screen and when running other apps. Users can also control what apps send them banner notifications and how much information is included in the preview.

To cut down on disruptions, Lollipop has “Priority Mode,” which only allows notifications from important people to come through – all other notifications are muted.

Users can schedule a daily “downtime” for their phone in Priority Mode where only important notifications will get through – which might come in handy for anyone whose notifications keeps them awake at night.

Improved battery:

Google is hoping to boost the battery power across all devices with special battery-saving settings in Lollipop.

Users are now able to monitor individual app’s battery consumption. The OS also includes a battery saving feature that Google claims will extend device use by up to 90 minutes.

Multiple user accounts:

While some Android tablets have previously supported more than one user profile on a device, Android-powered smartphones haven’t – until now.

Lollipop now allows users to set up multiple user profiles on smartphones and tablets. The feature also lets users access their messages and contacts by logging onto a friend’s Android smartphone.

There is also a guest profile option that users can set up, which will prevent friends from snooping through your phone if they want to play on it.

Google Fit:

With Lollipop comes Google’s new fitness hub, dubbed Google Fit.

Read Also: Play Hidden games on Android Lollipop

Google Fit – which is similar to Apple’s Health app – uses sensors built into the user’s smartphone to track daily activities like walking, running and biking. Users will be able to keep track of their fitness or weight loss achievements by setting daily goals – Google’s default goal is at least an hour of activity a day, but it can be customized to meet each user’s fitness level.

Android, Android 5.0, Android Lollipop, Android Wear, Apple, fitness, Google, Google Fit, iOS, iOS 8, Mobile Operating Systems, Nexus, Notifications, smartphones, tablets.

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How to Swap Heads in Photoshop

Learn to Swap Heads on Photoshop:

Sometimes you don’t want to spend hours creating the perfect image, you don’t want to carefully fix every small mistake and make the most convincing photo collage the world has ever seen, sometimes you just want to stick someone’s head on someone else for humorous effect. Here’s a quick and simple way of doing just that.

We’ll use Batman and Robin as an example, the proper Batman and Robin, Adam West and Burt Ward. We’re using the caped crusaders for two reasons:

1) Because they both have very different colours and shapes in their heads and bodies, one is larger and all dark colours and wears a cowl, the other is smaller and all bright colours and just has an eye mask. This makes them a good example of changing heads on two very different individuals.

2) Because sixties Batman and Robin are cool. They just are.

Open your image in Photoshop, in this case we are going to swap the heads, it works much better when the backgrounds to the two heads is similar. Use the crop tool to select a square around one of the heads, copy it and move the copy over the other head. Resize and tilt the head so it roughly matches the head you are replacing, ideally make it slightly larger. Select the eraser tool, a brush size about a quarter the size of the head you are replacing, and a soft edge to the brush, about 30%. Now use the soft eraser to delete the square edges around your replaced head. If the background is similar you should get away with the two background blending, as we have here with Batman and Robin.

Read Also: How to get more and more Followers on Twitter

Repeat the above steps for head two, erasing as close as you can to the edge of the head, but remembering not to actually erase any of the head, just enough of the backgrounds to blend the two together. It won’t win any awards, but it takes less than 30 seconds and if you are just trying to send a jokey email image, it’s an ideal little trick.

Photoshop, Swap, Heads, Picture Editing, Adobe Photoshop, How to Swap Heads in Photoshop.

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Facebook's New Chat room App 'Rooms'

Facebook Rolls Out Old-Times Like Chat Rooms App:

Facebook’s Creative Labs division has launched a new stand-alone app called Rooms. The app takes inspiration from forums, IRC chat rooms and communities we — the elder group of internet users — are familiar with.

Upon downloading the app, you can either join an existing room or create a new one. Rooms are based on a focused set of topics, ideas and events. So there could be a room for your favorite football club, your batch in university or the latest Game of Thrones episode. The descriptions, color schemes and settings of a particular room can be customized. For adding people to a room, the app creates a QR code which can be shared publicly or just amongst friends.

One great thing about the Rooms app is that you don’t have to use your real name in the app. In fact, you can choose different usernames in different rooms.

The use of QR codes is interesting. Talking about why the team behind Rooms chose them over links, the Josh Miller, who manages the project said, ‘Linking was the main way you found things in early web, but links are tough on mobile. If links were the easiest on web, photos are easiest on phone.’

Read Also: Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Tablet Review

You can simply create a QR code and post it online, share it in emails or social media or print it and put it up on a wall. Anyone who wants to join the room is prompted to open the QR code image in the Rooms app and that’s it.

Community guidelines like no abusive, no hate speech and age restrictions do apply though.

You can Download the Rooms app from iTunes here. There is no word on whether or when we can expect an Android version, though we anticipate this to happen very soon.

Facebook, Chat Rooms, Facebook Chat Room App, Room App by Facebook, Room App for iTunes, Room App for iPhone, Room App for iPad, iPhone, iPad, Apps, Rooms App.

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Facebook Photo Upload Upgrade

Facebook Makes It Easier to Share Photos 'In the Moment'.

Facebook rolled out an update to its app on Monday that adds a new way to quickly organize and post small batches of photos from your smartphone.

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How to use Samsung Galaxy Hidden Menu

There's a cool feature on the Samsung Galaxy smartphone that will render your user's manual useless.

A hidden menu, which you can access by dialing a specific string of characters, lets you troubleshoot hardware issues and check your phone's functionality.

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Microsoft Office 365 Offers Unlimited Cloud Storage

Microsoft's cloud-based Office platform just got a big upgrade: The company announced on Monday that Office 365 subscribers will soon have unlimited storage on OneDrive at no additional cost.

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Google's New Inbox Invite Upgrade

Google Inbox Users Can Now Invite Others to Join:

If you're still waiting for an invite to Inbox, Google's new app that rethinks email, we have good news: Just bug your friends who already have it.

The service, which is still in beta, rolled out to limited users on Wednesday. Users who emailed inbox@google.com could request an invitation, but only Google employees had the ability to invite others. But now, that's changed.

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Hackers Are using Microsoft PowerPoint to Hijack PC's

Hackers Are Exploiting Microsoft PowerPoint to Hijack Computers

Powerpoint Hackers:

Hackers are exploiting a security flaw in Microsoft Office by using PowerPoint to attack Windows users and gain control of computer systems.

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Android Smart Watches now have Offline Music Sync & GPS Support

Huge Android Wear Update Brings Offline Music Sync and GPS Support:

If we had to choose our biggest qualm about wearables today, apart from battery life, it would be the fact that most of them are nearly useless when away from your smartphone.

Now, in its first big update to Android Wear, Google addressed that issue, adding offline music syncing and GPS support.

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PhotoMath App: Best Friendly App for Math Students

PhotoMath: Math Student's New Best Friend Is the Teacher's Nightmare:

Touted as the world's first camera calculator and launched last week, PhotoMath is an app that uses text recognition technology to solve simple math equations.

But PhotoMath doesn’t stop at just solving the equation, it also provides step-by-step instructions explaining how it got to the answer.

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Foursquare Reintroduces Leaderboards

Swarm just got a little more like the old Foursquare.

The local search and discovery service just introduced two new competitive features to Swarm: themed leaderboards and golden stickers.

These are essentially revamped versions of features from the original Foursquare app.

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The Ultimate Android App to Increase Your Battery Life

It's not always easy to tell which apps are affecting your battery life the most.

A new Android app from Purdue University researchers, Estar, aims to fix this problem by identifying your most power-hungry apps, and providing more energy-efficient alternatives.

Upon launching, Estar provides two options: "install energy efficient apps" or "stop power hungry apps."

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Instagram's First Standalone App

Between Facebook's Slingshot and Instagram's Bolt, there's been no shortage of photo-focused standalone apps from Facebook this summer.

But unlike Bolt and Slingshot, which have so far proved underwhelming, Instagram's latest standalone, Hyperlapse, is simple, elegant and actually really useful. The app, which rolled out Tuesday, allows users to quickly and easily create on-the-go time-lapse videos— something that hasn't been easily and effectively accomplished on mobile, until now.

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Best Tracker App for Your Car

Fitness trackers record your sleep patterns and exercise habits with ease, but the makers of a new device aim to bring that same kind of "quantified-self" tracking to another valuable part of your life: your car.

The FIXD sensor is a device that connects your car to your smartphone via Bluetooth and delivers updates on everything from when you need an oil change to when you need to replace your air filter.

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The Firefox OS Smartphone

The inaugural Mozilla Firefox OS smartphone launched in India on Monday and it only costs $33. Dubbed the Cloud FX, the device is the result of a partnership between Mozilla and handset company Intex Technologies.

Mozilla announced at this year's Mobile Asia Expo that it was bringing the Cloud FX to Indian and Indonesian markets. However, the introduction of cheaper smartphones to India was first teased at the Mobile World Congress in February.

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