flickrpro
Latest
Flickr's revived Pro tier gives you ad-free photos and better stats
When Flickr rolled out its big redesign a couple of years ago, it also did away with Pro accounts. Unless you were a legacy user, your only real paid options for the photo service were to kill ads or up the storage -- not so hot if you were a serious shutterbug. However, you'll be glad to hear that Flickr just brought Pro back. The new tier is more expensive than before (the same $50 per year as the ad-free version, or $6 per month), but promises to one-up some of the features you've seen in all of Flickr's previous premium offerings. It removes ads for your own browsing as well as for anyone who visits your images, and there are improved stats that help you understand which photos are drawing eyeballs. If you pay for a yearly membership, you also get a 20 percent first-year discount on Adobe's Creative Cloud Photography subscription (no small amount if you regularly edit pictures) and lower-cost shipping for Flickr merchandise like Wall Art.
Flickr Pro users are grandfathered in, get to keep unlimited storage for $25 a year
While Flickr did seem generous by offering free users 1TB of space as long as they're willing to put up with ads, it also got rid of the much-beloved Flickr Pro option that awarded unlimited storage for only $25 a year. Now the only upgrade options are to cough up $50 annually to go ad-free or $500 a year for 2TB instead of one. Many existing Pro users, thinking they would be forced one way or another, took to social media and Flickr forums to vent their frustrations at the potential loss of that limitless space. However, Yahoo has confirmed to us that existing Flickr Pro users will continue to enjoy unlimited storage as long as they pay $25 a year to renew their subscription. In addition, we have word that there are no plans for Pro renewals to go away. There's also a FAQ posted on Flickr that clarifies the issue, stating "recurring Pro users currently have the ability to renew." That said, if you do let your subscription expire, your account will automatically be downgraded to the free version, so Pro users would do best to keep on the renewal ball if they want their years of precious memories to stay on the service.
AT&T to stop giving U-verse users free access to Flickr Pro
It may be easiest to bang on those cable carriers who all seem to hop on the price hike bandwagon at the same time, but AT&T's making a name for itself in the up, up, up department. Shortly after hearing that a few U-verse TV components would be priced higher come February, we're now clued in to the fact that U-verse users will no longer have gratis access to Flickr Pro. Beginning on January 31, 2009, those currently using a Flickr Pro account will downgraded to the free version of Flickr unless they opt to pay the $25 yearly fee. Who knows -- maybe not enough users were taking advantage? Either way, the news sure bites for those who've been enjoying it on the house.[Thanks, Justin]
