Friday, August 10, 2007

Google Paid Storage

Google is offering paid storage for Picasa Web Album and Gmail and would extend the program to other services such as Google Docs & Spreadsheet soon. The paid storage could be shared among different services. The cheapest plan start at $20/year for 6GB.

Personally, this idea is pretty disappointing as I am expecting Google to offer unlimited storage to its users in the near future but it seems they are not interested in offering free yet ad monetized storage anymore. Gmail's keen competitor, Yahoo Mail, is offering unlimited storage now and I thought this was the trend. Well, don't imagine you can backup everything on your computer in GDrive, you might only get another gigabyte only. Sigh.

Manage your storage usage | Purchase extra storage

P.S. I would be Off to Iceland until 27 August so this would be the last post before I leave.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Google Business Referral Representative

Google Maps allows business owners to add and edit their businesses helping them to connect with potential customers in their communities. However, Google thinks that relying merely on business owners is not efficient enough to 'organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible'. Therefore, they would like to pay US residents to help them add in more listings by being a Google Business Referral Representative. The details of the program is listed in form of a FAQ below.

What do you have to do?
You would have to visit local businesses to collect information (such as hours of operation, types of payment accepted, etc.) for Google Maps, and tell them about Google Maps and Google AdWords. You'll also take a few digital photos of the business that will appear on the Google Maps listing along with the business information.

How much will I be paid?
You can earn up to $10 for each approved and verified referral. $2 when a business referral is approved by Google; and $8 when an approved business verifies that the information you submitted is accurate.

Who is eligible to join the program?
You must be authorized to work as a contractor in the U.S., be at least 18 years of age, and be able to complete an IRS Form W-9.

When would you get paid?
If you earn at least $25 a month, you'll receive a monthly check.

Does that mean I'm a Googler?
Sorry, but no. Google Business Referral Representatives are independent contractors to Google, not employees.

Local Business Referrals Program

Get Started | FAQ