Amazon's Free Photo Storage Offer: Nice, But Late And Not Too Compelling

Amazon's Free Photo Storage Offer: Nice, But Late And Not Too Compelling

ReadWrite

Amazon's attempt to make itself into the poor man’s Google continues with its latest online offer: unlimited photo storage for Prime members.
The company’s Prime service costs $99 per year, and offers a variety of "free" but circumscribed perks, including:

• Free two-day shipping on many (though not all) items
• Free video streaming (though only from a limited movie and TV-show selection)
• A streaming music service offering "over a million songs" (Spotify, by contrast, offers "more than 20 million")
• Free access to a limited selection of Kindle e-books (500,000 titles)

To that, you can now add Amazon Prime Photos, which basically offers the same free, unlimited photo storage that only users of Amazon's not-so-popular Fire Phone. It's rolling the service into its free Amazon Cloud Drive, which usually offers only 5GB of storage in its basic tier, plus additional free storage for Kindle books and, now, photos.
The new service is just the latest way in which Amazon is turning its massively successful cloud service—widely used by enterprises and developers and one of the fastest growing software businesses ever—into a consumer-facing product.


But Amazon's attempt to turn itself into an online "ecosystem" hasn't gone terribly well. The Fire Phone cost the company a $170 million write down, and its Fire TV streaming box got a lukewarm reception. Its Amazon Fire TV streaming stick launched a little too late, as gadgets like Chromecast and Roku dominate the market.

A Little Late To The Photo Shoot
Considering the abundance of storage offers out there, no one who isn't already using Amazon Cloud Drive seems likely to jump ship and dump their private photos into Amazon just because it's free.
Google, for instance, offers unlimited standard-size photo storage (photos larger than 2048x2048 pixels will count against Drive storage), and will automatically upload photos from Android phones. Facebook has unlimited photo storage, and Flickr provides 1TB of storage for free. Additionally, cloud service providers like iCloud, OneDrive and Dropbox continue to slash prices and give users more cloud storage data for less money.
Amazon's service does have one appealing, though minor, advantage: It will store full-resolution images for free. That might be enticing for photographers that want to store photos in the cloud without first downscaling them to lower resolutions.
Amazon Prime Photo is available on iOS and Android, as well as Fire tablets and the Fire Phone. Photos can be accessed from any device, including PlayStation consoles and LG and Samsung smart TVs.

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Sharp's night vision camera records color even in total darkness

Sharp's night vision camera records color even in total darkness

Jon Fingas

Engadget 

Say goodbye to the days of monochrome night vision footage, folks. Sharp recently unveiled an infrared security camera that captures color 720p video, even in absolute darkness. The trick is an imaging sensor that uses near-infrared for illumination; unlike virtually every other competitor, this camera doesn't have to resort to conventional lights (and thus give itself away) to get a vivid picture. The device will likely be limited to corporate and government customers when it goes on sale in late November, but it could have a big impact on your safety. Building managers will soon have an easier time identifying intruders, not just spotting them -- while the technology might not stop a break-in, it should increase the chances of catching thieves before they strike again.

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Google Glass Blocks Peripheral Vision

Google Glass Blocks Peripheral Vision

Bahar Gholipour

LiveScience

Wearing the device called Google Glass may obstruct a person's vision more than wearing regular glasses, researchers say.
The device partly block a person's peripheral vision, which is weaker in humans at distinguishing colors and shapes than a person's central vision, but it is better in detecting motion. So during activities such as driving or even walking in the street, unobstructed peripheral vision is essential for spotting things out of the corner of one's eyes.

"Interest in wearable head-mounted display systems for general consumers is increasing," and several models are being produced, the researchers wrote in their study. But exactly how these devices may affect people's vision is largely unknown, they said.

In a new study, Dr. Tsontcho Ianchulev, of the University of California, San Francisco, and his colleagues examined how much a person's peripheral visual field is obstructed by wearing Google Glass, which has a prism and a larger frame than most conventional eyeglasses. Three people participated in the study and wore Google Glass for an hour, long enough to get used to them.
The participants wore the device in three slightly different ways, so that the prism would sit either right in front of the eye's pupil (the dark area in the middle of the iris), or near the pupil, or a little above the level of the eye. The display feature of the eyewear — which can show a user information such as the weather, or phone calls they've received — was turned off during the experiment to avoid distractions.

The participants also wore normal eyeglass frames of similar shape, without the prism, as a control condition for the study.
To determine if Google Glass was obstructing their vision, the participants underwent standard tests of their central and peripheral vision. The results revealed that the Glass caused blind spots and obstructed participants' vision in the upper-right quadrant of the visual field. [9 Odd Ways Your Tech Devices May Injure You]

But the participants didn't experience blind spots when they wore the regular frames, according to the study published today (Nov. 4) in the Journal of American Medical Association.
The study only involved three people, so to get a larger sample, the researchers also looked online for photographs of people wearing Google Glass, and analyzed 132 such images. They found that in about 40 percent of cases, the prism was placed above the pupil, but in 60 percent of the cases the prism was near to or covered the pupil.

The results suggest that many people wear the device in a position that's likely to cause blind spots and interfere with their daily activities, the researchers said.

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A consumer Oculus Rift is still 'many months' away

A consumer Oculus Rift is still 'many months' away

Adi Robertson

The Verge

The consumer version of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is where it's been since at least 2013: "months, not years" away. According to The Next Web, Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe told a crowd at Web Summit 2014 in Dublin that a consumer headset was getting closer to production, saying that the company had roughly figured out the features it wanted with the Crescent Bay prototype that was announced in September. "We're all hungry for it to happen," Iribe said. "We're getting very close. It's months, not years away, but many months."

This is not, on its own, a notable statement. Not only did Oculus say something similar around the release of Crescent Bay, an astute Reddit user pointed to an interview from August of 2013 in which product VP Nate Mitchell uses the same phrase. But it indicates that Oculus is still shying away from any real timeframe, at least in the short term. It's previously refused to confirm that 2015 will see a consumer release, and anything short of late 2016 is still "not years" away. "We've gone out there and set this bar and said, ‘We want to get it right,'" Iribe is also quoted as saying. "We don't want it to be four or five years. We're eager for this to happen." He and others at Oculus have been clear about seeing VR as a long-term project, in which even the consumer version of the Rift would be only a first step.

The Crescent Bay prototype comes with integrated headphones, a screen of high but unknown resolution, and a wider range of motion compared to the current Development Kit 2. The consumer version will have different specs, but it's going to provide roughly the same features. The company is still quietly working on figuring out VR movement. This summer, it acquired Carbon Design Group, a design firm that worked on the Kinect and Xbox 360. At Web Summit 2014, Iribe reiterated something he and others have said before: gamepads, mice, and motion trackers aren't adequate, and no one quite knows what works. This doesn't necessarily mean Oculus will wait to perfect a controller before shipping the consumer Rift, but its focus on creating a full, seamless VR experience could potentially be pushing it in that direction... and pushing the release date back.

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Meet Perrie Edwards New Puppy, Teddy!

Meet Perrie Edwards New Puppy, Teddy!

Hot on the heels of the news that One Direction member Zayn Malik is so busy with his career that he hasn't had time to plan his wedding to Little Mix member Perrie Edwards, Perrie has revealed she has a new pet to occupy her free time! Perrie introduced the world to her new puppy Teddy today, sharing the sweet photo below along with writing:

"Mixers meet my new little darling.... Her name is teddy!"

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Is One Direction Signing Another Record Deal?

GETTY IMAGES

Even though One Direction's new album Four isn't out yet, there's already rumors that the band is being pushed to record more music! According to Daily Star, Simon Cowell wants to extend their contract — and is offering them each £2.5 million to do it.

“One Direction are big business and Simon and [company] are desperate to keep the money-making machine going for as long as possible," their source said.

“The negotiations are already in the very early stages and are being kept top secret.”

Under their current contract, the guys are expected to release two more albums and a greatest hits record, but this new deal would mean two more 1D albums through Syco. We can't complain with that!

Of course, this is all still rumored. We just hope they do whatever makes them happy. Since theyhave been working like crazy, we wouldn't blame them for going on hiatus after they wrap up their current contract! Obviously, they have no plans to split for good.

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Justin Bieber Releases Collector's Edition Perfume

Justin-Bieber-Collectors-Edition 

Justin Bieber has released a brand new perfume! The fragrance is titled Collector's Edition and it is dedicated to JB's loyal fans!

The description of the fragrance reads "Experience Justin’s most personal fragrance yet; Fans feel the connection like never before…"

The Collector's Edition perfume is "sparkling and bright with an energetic burst of mouth-watering fruits...The heart uncovers a blooming floral bouquet while the creamy and addictive dry down of sensual musks and warm amber leaves you forever thinking of Justin."

Justin also told PEOPLE about the perfume:

"It’s all about the personal connection I have with my fans."

He also added:

“You can tell when a woman feels confident by the way she carries herself, and I think fragrance has a lot to do with it. Collector’s Edition is meant to make my fans feel good. It has an amazing energy to it. When a woman feels good, she looks good.”

Sounds like this is a fragrance that all of Justin's fans will love! The perfume is available at a number of retailers, including:

• Macy's
• Sephora
• Nordstrom
• Dillards
• Ulta
• Lord and Taylor
• Belk
• Stage
• Bonton
• Boscov's
• Target
• Amazon

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Selena Gomez Calls The Cops On Suspected Intruder

INSTAGRAM

Uh oh! Selena Gomez is known for not having the best luck when it comes to intruders in and around her homes. Earlier this year Selena purchased a home in Calabasas, California, and within the first few weeks of owning the property she called the police on an individual in her guest house. Now, Selena had to get the police involved again!

Selena called the cops last week when she found the front door to her house unlocked! Selena was concerned that someone had entered her home while she was away.

The police quickly responded to Selena's call, but deemed her property free and clear of trespassers. Thank goodness!

We think Selena should totally beef up her security team though!

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David Henrie Shares Huge "Wizards Of Waverly Place" Secret

DISNEY CHANNEL

David Henrie has just shared a seriously huge Wizards Of Waverly Place secret! Turns out the Disney Channel based Wizards Of Waverly Place on a planned pilot titled The Amazing O'Malley's.

David not only revealed the plot of the show - a family that owned a magic shop - but he also spilled that he and Wizards Of Waverly Place co-star Selena Gomez were set to play twins in the series!

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Taylor Swift Takes Her Albums Off Spotify

Taylor Swift Takes Her Albums Off Spotify

Taylor Swift‘s music has been removed from Spotify and fans who use the service will have to find another way of listening to the singer’s albums.

The decision lead Spotify to release a statement on its website to notify fans.

“We love Taylor Swift, and our more than 40 million users love her even more – nearly 16 million of them have played her songs in the last 30 days, and she’s on over 19 million playlists,” the statement read. “We hope she’ll change her mind and join us in building a new music economy that works for everyone. We believe fans should be able to listen to music wherever and whenever they want, and that artists have an absolute right to be paid for their work and protected from piracy. That’s why we pay nearly 70% of our revenue back to the music community.”

“PS – Taylor, we were both young when we first saw you, but now there’s more than 40 million of us who want you to stay, stay, stay. It’s a love story, baby, just say, Yes,” the company added

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Taylor Swift Announces Dates for Her 2015 World Tour

Taylor Swift Announces Dates for Her 2015 World Tour

Taylor Swift may be coming to your city soon.

The singer, who released her first pop album, "1989," last week, just announced dates for her world tour, kicking off next year.

“Without a doubt, this [album] is the best thing I’ve done," she said during an appearance on "Good Morning America" last week. "So to have people able to finally have it now and to have the fans understand what I’ve been working on for two years, it’s just the most amazing feeling."

May 20, 2015 – Bossier City, LA – CenturyLink Center

May 22, 2015 – Baton Rouge, LA – LSU Tiger Stadium

May 30, 2015 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field

June 2, 2015 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center

June 3, 2015 – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena

June 6, 2015 – Pittsburgh, PA – Heinz Field

June 8, 2015 – Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Arena

June 9, 2015 – Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena

June 13, 2015 – Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field

June 20, 2015 – Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia Germany – Lanxess Arena

June 21, 2015 – Amsterdam, North Holland Netherlands – Ziggo Dome

June 23, 2015 – Glasgow, Scotland United Kingdom – SSE Hydro

June 24, 2015 – Manchester, NW England United Kingdom – Arena

June 27, 2015 – London, England United Kingdom – British Summertime Hyde Park

July 6, 2015 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre

July 7, 2015 – Montreal, QB – Bell Centre

July 11, 2015 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium

July 13, 2015 – Washington, DC – Nationals Park

July 18, 2015 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field

July 24, 2015 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium

July 25, 2015 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium

August 1, 2015 – Vancouver, BC – BC Place Stadium

August 4, 2015 – Edmonton, AB – Rexall Place

August 5, 2015 – Edmonton, AB – Rexall Place

August 8, 2015 – Seattle, WA – CenturyLink Field

August 15, 2015 – Santa Clara, CA – Levi’s Stadium

August 17, 2015 – Glendale, AZ – Gila River Arena

August 18, 2015 – Glendale, AZ – Gila River Arena

August 25, 2015 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center

August 26, 2015 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center

August 29, 2015 – San Diego, CA – PETCO Park

September 4, 2015 – Salt Lake City, UT – EnergySolutions Arena

September 5, 2015 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center

September 6, 2015 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center

September 9, 2015 – Fargo, ND – Fargodome

September 11, 2015 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center

September 12, 2015 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center

September 16, 2015 – Indianapolis, IN – Bankers Life Fieldhouse

September 17, 2015 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena

September 18, 2015 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena

September 21, 2015 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center

September 22, 2015 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center

September 25, 2015 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

September 26, 2015 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

October 2, 2015 - Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre

October 3, 2015 - Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre

October 8, 2015 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena

October 9, 2015 – Omaha, NE – CenturyLink Center

October 10, 2015 – Omaha, NE – CenturyLink Center

October 13, 2015 – St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center

October 14, 2015 – St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center

October 17, 2015 – Dallas, TX – AT&T Stadium

October 20, 2015 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena

October 21, 2015 Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum Complex

October 24, 2015 – Atlanta, GA – Georgia Dome

October 27, 2015 - Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena

October 31, 2015 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium

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Hilary Duff Shows Off Her Top Knot Hairstyle On The Set Of "Younger"

INSTAGRAM

Hilary Duff is about to return to TV with a brand new show titled Younger. The series will air on TV Land and also stars the following actors:

• Sutton Foster
• Debi Mazar
• Miriam Shor

The show is based on the novel "Younger" by Pamela Redmon Satran, and follows a single mom trying to get back into the working world. The woman runs into a guy who convinces her to lie about her age to find the perfect job.

Hilary shared the photo above from the set of the show. We are loving her top knot hairstyle! 

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