Google Drops Price Of All Google Drive Plans

Google announced today on its blog that it’s lowering the monthly pricing plans it offers for users buying extra storage on Google Drive. Google attributes the changes to “recent infrastructure improvements” that is allowing it to offer more affordable storage options. Google reminds us that, as always, Drive storage purchased through the new plans counts towards storage for Drive, Gmail and Google+ Photos.

The new plans begin at just $1.99 for 100GB (down from the previous $4.99). There is also a new $10 plan for 1TB (down from $50 previously), and a 10TB and up option that starts at $99.99. Google will also continue offering the free 15GB option that comes with your Google account for Drive, Gmail and Google+.

The new pricing plans for Google Drive are available now through www.google.com/settings/storage. Users that are already signed up for a monthly plan will be automatically switched to the new plans.

Yahoo announces Flickr Storage Has Been Bumped To 1TB

Yahoo is doing it big today, and during an event in New York they have announced a complete revamp of Flickr. The interface of the website has changed, and now features content blocks and full bleed images instead of the thumbnail or list view of the past. In addition, registered users now have 1TB (as in a terabyte) of free storage space to keep their photos (depending on the photo size is anywhere between 100,000 to 300,000 photos), more than any other online service.

Last December, the Flickr app for iOS received a nice update, and today Yahoo says the Android app will be updated to the same version. That includes a UI change away from the grid we have now to a more content-focused layout resembling the website, as well as better social sharing through Facebook and Tumblr, photo editing and filters via Aviary, and photo-viewing enhancements like zooming and photo details. The update is now live, so if you're a user be sure hit the Google Play and iOS link below to download.

Google Play Store link 

Apple App Store link

Copy Now Available For Android

There’s a new kid on the block when it comes to cloud storage. I think just about everyone knows about Dropbox, Google Drive and Amazon Cloud Drive. Well, now it looks like we have a new challenger. They’re called Copy and they’ve recently introduced an Android application into the Play Store. After checking it out, I must say… I’m rather impressed.

Let’s talk about storage first. It’s pretty much a standard to offer 5GB of storage for free upfront. That’s a given. But where Dropbox offers bonus storage for getting friends to sign up (small 500MB increases), Google Drive the others offer nothing. Copy separates themselves from the competition by offering an additional 5GB for every person you get to sign up, who in turn, gets an additional 5GB for using your link. That’s HUGE. That means you’re probably not going to want to sign up on your own you’re gonna wanna use a friend’s sign up link.

Let’s take a look at the Android app. Overall, it’s very clean, very minimal. Stuff stored in the cloud is separated by the tab marked “Contents”. Clicking onto the tab marked “Upload” will display all the media on your phone, and you can further swipe to the left to access raw files (documents, apps, etc.).

For those that want to back up all their smart phone photos automatically to Copy, there’s that option as well. In fact, I kinda prefer over Dropbox. Where Dropbox will upload every single image whether it’s a screenshot, download, or picture taken with your camera Copy will only upload actual pictures taken with your camera, if you ask me that's a great feature over Dropbox.

In conclusion, it seems Copy is doing a whole lot right and what they don’t, can easily be addressed in a future update. You get a nice amount of free storage to start out with and if you’d pay for additional storage, plans start out at 250GB for $10 a month or $100 a year. Also, I didn’t talk much about it, but the desktop application for Mac and Windows is top notch and performs well (it’s almost identical to Dropbox’s offering). If you’re looking for a new place to store your virtual boxes of…. well photo's and what knots, Copy might be the perfect cloud storage for you. 

As I mentioned before, sign up with the affiliate link below to get an additional 5GB and check out the free app now available in the Google Play Store.


Affiliate Link (additional 5GB of free storage)

LG launches LG Cloud

Four days before the purported launch of Samsung's cloud service, Korea's other technology giant has unveiled LG Cloud. The eponymous service offers 5GB free space as standard, while owners of LG's Smart TVs or smartphones will get 50GB free for six months. It'll push content between your devices, appropriately compressed for the medium, so high definition images on your TV will be slimmed down to save your phone's data cap. The free beta begins in South Korea and the US from May 1st, with a global rollout pencilled in for next year.

Google Drive Leak Now Suggests 5GB Of Free Storage

Rumors surrounding Google’s cloud storage service are ramping up as we move closer toward the product’s rumored release date. The service will apparently be called Google Drive and is similar to Dropbox, which allows users to store files on cloud servers and access them from computers and mobile devices. According to a leaked screenshot obtained by TalkAndroid, Google Drive will offer 5GB of free storage instead of the previously rumored 1GB. The image also reaffirms that files can be accessed through computers, mobile phones, tablets and via a web browser, and it will allow users to edit a document in one place that will automatically be updated in all locations. Google Drive is rumored to launch the week of April 16th.

Quickoffice Launches Its Own Cloud Service Connect

Everyone’s about cloud these days so why would Quickoffice be any different. It isn’t and it’s launching a cloud service of its own Connect by Quickoffice, allowing users to access and search across a number of cloud services and devices, regardless of operating system. At the same time, the solution provides users with a “fluid” online and offline document creating, editing, syncing and sharing experience.

Device wise, Quickoffice users can access files on a Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, Android smartphone and tablet. As for the supported services, aside from Quickoffice’s own service, Connect also works with a number of popular third-party solutions, including Basecamp, Box, Catch, Dropbox, Egnyte, Evernote, Google Docs, Huddle, Microsoft SkyDrive, Springpad, SugarSync and WebDev. Finally, you can share your files via social networks like Docstoc, Facebook, LinkedIn, Slideshare, Scribd, Twitter and Yammer.

Connect comes with a native mobile application for iOS and Android, a PC or Mac desktop client and web portal for universal document and account management. The service automatically syncs documents to ensure the latest version is always available on any device.

When it comes to pricing, Quickoffice is offering Connect in three flavors: Basic, Premium and Professional, with the last mentioned costing $69.95 per year. During the limited time, Connect Premium will be available for a discounted price of $19.99/year (regular price is $44.99)

Google Drive To Be Released First Week Of April

After many false alarms, Google's cloud storage service has been coming for multiple years. The latest rumors came almost two months ago, when we found that a Dropbox-like service would be offered by the search giant. But today's unofficial news is a bit more exciting, as it states that "Google Drive," as it's being called, will be released "sometime during the first week of April."

This comes from GigaOM, a renowned tech news site, and they claim that the sources giving them this info are "well-placed and familiar with Google's plans."  As it goes with many new rumors, this one comes with a bit of extra details about the service.

The sources affirm that Google will be offering 1 GB of free storage, and charge for extra storage space. This comes as a surprise, since Google usually offers its services for free, or at least very affordable compared to the competition. But in this case, Dropbox would have the advantage by offering 2 GB for free. Not to mention Box's and Amazon Cloud Drive's free 5 GB.

None of this is set in stone just yet, as it is still a rumor. Prices for extra storage are still unknown, and that is where Google might have the advantage. Extra GBs could be more affordable than the competition, so it'll be interesting to see where they go with that.

In addition, it is mentioned that this service will launch for Google Apps customers, and will look much like Google Docs in regards to the interface. The search giant has also developed an API for developers to be able to make use of Google Drive.

The odds of this rumor coming to life are unknown, as they usually are. But we know Google must be getting ready for it, so we'll keep our eyes peeled. One of our readers even found a hidden "Add to my Drive" button within the Gmail coding.

This means that the service could be coming very soon. Maybe even early next month, as this rumor states. As always, take it with a healthy amount of salt until we get some more news. For now, the best idea is to stay tuned and hope to see this come to life soon, and with better offerings.

Recently found Updates

The guys from Talk Android have received a nice leaked image of what seems to be the PC client for Google Drive. The website's sources claim the same, but they state that the date of release has been changed to "the week of April 16th." But what makes this screen shot special is that it goes against GigaOM's claims that users will get 1 GB of free storage.

This image (along with the sources) confirms that users will get 2 GB of free storage, instead. This sounds much more enticing, but as mentioned above, it still does not beat the competition.

Google Announces ‘Google Play’ To Replace Android Market

Google on Tuesday announced “Google Play,” a cloud-based multimedia service for distributing and syncing apps and data across Android devices. The announcement comes on the heels of reports that numerous Google services haven’t performed up to expectations. With Google Play, users can store up to 20,000 songs for free, download more than 450,000 Android apps, browse Google’s selection of eBooks and rent thousands of movies. The service combines the Android Market, Google eBook store and Google Music into a single brand of cloud-based services. 

Google To Launch Cloud Service Called Drive

Google is rumored to be launching a cloud-storage service that would compete head-to-head with wildly popular cloud provider Dropbox, SugarSync and others. The search giant’s cloud service will be called Drive and it’ll not only be free to consumers up to a certain size limit but it will also be folded into Google Apps for enterprise customers.

Drive will offer users some cool features out the gate, like the ability to store photos, documents and videos on Google’s servers so that they could be accessible from any Web-connected device, according to the Wall Street Journal. People will be able to record a video on an Android phone and then have it uploaded automatically to Picasa through a service called Instant Upload. Bad-ass, right? The new cloud service will offer competitive prices compared to rivals Dropbox and Box.net.

This is something Google can excel in because the company is well-seasoned when it has to do with running cloud services. Just think, products like GMail and GDocs work almost flawlessly in the cloud. In fact, you can argue that no one does cloud better than Google at this point. It also is in control of Android, so think about how deep it could integrate a cloudservice into that platform.

If this rumor turns out to be true, then we should see GDrive in the coming weeks or months. I for one, hope this comes soon because it goes perfectly with my favorite Google services.

Dropbox Offering 4.5GB Of Cloud Space To Desktop Bug Testers

If you’re an avid user of Dropbox and love to test out new builds of software for your favorite cloud storage service, today’s your lucky day. Dropbox is showing off their version 1.3.12 beta release of their desktop software, offering up to 500MB of photos and video (or space for whatever you like) at a time, with 500MB more free each time you fill your space up. This testing ground software download is entirely free to download and will have you checking out a bevy of new options with the program itself including imports from iPhone, imports from SD cards, and a cleanup of the Windows user interface!

When you do download this update to your Dropbox software for desktop machines, you should know that there are different versions for different Linux builds, but one version per system for Mac OS X and Windows. Dropbox also warns users that they should make backup sets of files while using this update specifically as this testing sequence is in place to test out stability primarily. Those of you updating in the future when the beta is over should have nothing to worry about.

This update will bring you 500MB of free space when you hit the automatic upload option, then 500MB more each time you hit the limit up to 4.5GB more total. This version fixes an infinite restart of Dropbox when the database is corrupted, an import error for iPhone, handles your quota issues on first import more effectively, and has a lovely set of smaller bug fixes. The 1.3 import’s biggest changes are the allowance of batch uploads and downloads of files and the importing of files from cameras, phones, and SD cards in a much more effective manner.

You can download your version of the software courtesy of David E from Dropbox in their community forums and don’t forget to heed the warnings! Nothing is truly free, do your duty!