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What’s the Cheapest Way to Save All Those Phone Photos?

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- If you’re used to storing your photos and videos for free in the Google cloud, then this week brought some bad news: The days of unlimited storage are numbered.From June 2021, you’ll still get 15 gigabytes of storage for free, but anything over that and you’ll have to pony up. So with the heady days of free data storage nearing an end, what’s the most cost-effective way of storing pictures or any file from your smartphone? Should you keep uploading your snaps to the cloud, or store them on a computer? Should you pay for a larger hard drive on your device, or perhaps think about an external hard drive?Let’s start with smartphones. Memory is where firms like Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. really make their money. It will cost you an extra $100 for every 128 GB of memory you add to your iPhone or Galaxy, the most recent iterations of which are both available with up to 512 GB. That’s a lot more than the cost for either manufacturer: A similarly sized NAND flash memory chip costs just $1.66 at recent prices. It’s a very healthy gross profit margin indeed.Google meanwhile only offers its Pixel handsets with 128GB of memory. That was all well and good when the company let you store unlimited data in the cloud for free. But now it’s worth thinking about your options. How much will the cloud set you back? The main consumer cloud providers — the likes of Apple’s iCloud, Google One, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox Inc. — are pretty much aligned on price these days. For 200 GB you can expect to pay $2.99 a month, for 2 terabytes it will be $9.99.Americans replace their smartphones, on average, every 33 months, so buying an extra 200 GB of storage each month would cost $98.97 for the lifespan of the device. That works out significantly cheaper than buying a smartphone with more memory at the outset, since opting for an iPhone with an additional 256 GB of memory would add $200 to the price. Of course, the longer you’re willing to hold onto your handset, the cheaper it becomes versus cloud storage.How about forgoing additional phone storage and just regularly backing your handset up to your computer? If you’re an Apple fan, backing an iPhone up to a Macbook won’t save you a penny — additional memory options for the firm’s laptops cost the same per gigabyte as they do for the iPhone. In some instances, they’re even more expensive.But you can start saving money with external hard drives and thumb drives. A 256 GB thumb drive from SanDisk, a unit of Western Digital Corp., costs as little as $32.49. On a cost-per-gigabyte basis, that knocks the others out of the park: The smartphones and laptops cost the equivalent of 78 cents for each extra gigabyte; the cloud providers charge 49 cents; and the external hard drive averages out at just 15 cents(1).The problem is that external hard drives are a real pain to use. You generally have...

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7 Long-Term Stocks to Buy with the Election Behind Us

Snowflakes. Soy boys. And other pejoratives, many of which are unrepeatable in polite company. These are some of the lesser grievances that liberals have had to endure during the four years of the Trump administration. Barring unlikely and bizarre circumstances, President-elect Joe Biden will take over the White House, leading to much joy among the left. In this exuberance, it’s tempting to configure your long-term stocks to buy based on the election results. However, that would not be the wisest course of action. Don’t get me wrong — the transition to Democrats taking control of the executive office is wildly significant. As CNN reported, Biden plans to issue executive actions that will undo outgoing President Trump’s policies. Among them, controversial issues such as immigration reform will be top on the list. With such promised large-scale changes, of course it will have an impact on long-term stocks. But it’s important to not get myopic. Although you might want to direct your long-term stocks toward companies that will largely benefit from Democratic rule and avoid those that perform better under Republican stewardship, Biden probably won’t have full control of government. Even if he did, the Democrats can’t afford to alienate Americans who did not vote for the former Vice President.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips To be fair to Trump’s non-stop accusations of voter fraud, the electoral race was tight. Despite the federal government’s poor handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Trump still won over several million voters across all demographics, largely due to his economic policy strengths. 7 Retail Stocks That Will Benefit From 2020’s Holiday Shopping Season So, don’t buy into exclusively politically motivated narratives. Instead, for strategic portfolio allocation, consider companies that will do well irrespective of who’s in office. Based on large secular trends, these long-term stocks to buy should have an extended pathway to profitability. Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) Disney (NYSE:DIS) Costco (NASDAQ:COST) PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) Ford (NYSE:F) Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) Brookfield Renewable Partners (NYSE:BEP) Finally, a word of advice that’s not financially related. Nothing is as bad as it seems nor is it as great as it seems. Besides, if Biden wants to make his stay in the White House last longer than four years, he’s got some compromising to do. Therefore, approach these long-term stocks to buy agnostically. Long-Term Stocks to Buy: Amazon (AMZN) Source: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com Under ordinary circumstances, the concept of Amazon being a leading candidate among long-term stocks to buy is almost sacrosanct. For one thing, you can look at the incredible resilience of AMZN stock over the years. Despite many bumps and bruises, against all manners of accusations of antitrust behaviors, the e-commerce giant has continued to forge ahead. It’s the disrupter that is often the bane of small businesses, yet it’s our disrupter. Recently, though, Amazon’s status as the pinnacle of capitalistic success has put it in hot water. Sure, the company’s CEO Jeff Bezos may have clashed with President Trump. It’s no secret who Bezos supports. But just because Biden is in office doesn’t mean it’s clear skies ahead for AMZN stock. No, Biden must answer to the Democrats. Traditionally, the left has championed workers’ causes, including unionization, which isn’t favorable to Amazon.com. So, does that mean investors should axe Amazon from their list of long-term stocks to buy? Not at all. Indeed, when you look at the growing prominence of e-commerce, Amazon plays a pivotal role. No matter who’s calling the shots, AMZN will remain a force to be reckoned with. Disney (DIS) Source: chrisdorney.Shutterstock.com Although the cruise ship and airliner industries arguably represent the face of suffering from the novel coronavirus, Disney has been one of the most deeply impacted names among long-term stocks. After all, people travel from all over the world to attend its vast theme park empire. In addition, the disruption to Hollywood hurt Disney’s pocket badly, making DIS stock a questionable investment. Therefore, it’s no surprise that encouraging developments from Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) on the coronavirus vaccine front gave the Magic Kingdom a much-needed boost. Should a vaccine provide a viable solution, high-contact businesses could once again flourish, particularly from pent-up demand. Further, the return of theme parks is going to be vital for many local economies as Disney was forced to lay off tens of thousands of employees. But should the coronavirus worsen — or an even scarier proposition, another pandemic arises in the near future — Disney has unlocked the key to its potential success. From the company’s Star Wars franchise was derived The Mandalorian, which has been a runaway success. But not many lay observers know that the production team filmed half the scenes in an ultra-advanced semicircular LED-based studio, which allows for real-time visualization that’s far superior to greenscreen technology. 7 Battery Stocks That Hold the Keys to Next-Gen Innovations In addition to the actors’ benefit, this LED system allows Disney to film in its own cocoon, sheltered from the outside world. That means the company can produce content even during a severe pandemic, which is a huge catalyst for DIS stock. Costco (COST) Source: ilzesgimene / Shutterstock.com During the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, millions of Americans rushed to their local Costco stores to pile up on the essentials. Cynically, the demand was great for the warehouse retailer on one hand because the company experienced Black Friday-like crowds every day. Of course, not all Costco members abided by the mitigation protocols, which made for interesting viewing on social media. Now, the U.S. is again making Covid-19-related headlines for all the wrong reasons. Recently, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that on Nov. 6, new daily infections hit just under 133,000 cases. At time of writing, the seven-day moving average has breached the 100,000 case level. That is simply wild, which suggests that we could see greater demand for COST stock. However, I’m not interested in Costco simply as a play on the pandemic. While the numbers look bad, there is an argument to be made that people are getting used to the crisis. Further, with Biden at the White House, it’s possible that more folks will take the health crisis seriously. No, my interest in COST stock is that the underlying company caters to the well off. If we have a K-shaped recovery, this is one of the names that should belong in your list of long-term stocks to buy. PayPal (PYPL) Source: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com Another company among long-term stocks that has direct exposure to the Covid-19 pandemic, PayPal has seen its profile rise as people added one more reason to avoid cash: potentially, handling physical money could result in higher risk for coronavirus transmission. To be clear, we don’t know precisely how long the coronavirus sticks to surfaces such as paper money. However, this is more of a common-sense approach. Cash is germ friendly so unless we’re Scrooge McDuck, we shouldn’t be handling it too often. Still, this is just a one-dimensional factor for PYPL stock. I say this because whether we’re dealing with a pandemic or not, society is increasingly becoming cashless. Sure, there is the odd cash-only business that is still viable, such as your neighborhood pizzeria. But with digitalization comes multiple contactless payment options. At a certain point, you’d imagine that such business luddites will eventually go out of business if they don’t adapt. 10 Cheap Stocks to Buy in November Under $10 Further, PYPL stock is a compelling opportunity because of how the underlying company addresses the unbanked and underbanked communities. Lack of access to the financial system is a detriment to our connected ecosystem. Thus, PayPal is doing some social good by helping to even the playing field. Ford (F) Source: Proxima Studio / Shutterstock.com Prior to the election when the opinion polls showed Biden having a consistent lead over President Trump, many investors had the same idea regarding long-term stocks to buy: pivot to companies that have strong clean energy implications. For many, that meant piling into electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA). To be sure, TSLA has absolutely dominated the markets. But in my view, this dominance also leaves the door open for Ford. True, American car companies have been languishing for years. However, Ford made a strong push to EVs with the Mustang Mach-E. Granted, automotive enthusiasts didn’t care for an SUV wearing the iconic Mustang badge. Still, demographic and consumer trends indicated that two-door pony cars were on their last legs. For F stock, the electric SUV just made business sense. Over the long run, I believe Ford can capture significant market share from Tesla. After all, Ford is a car company first. They’ve been in the business for a long time and understand what motivates the automotive market. Further, the Ford dealership and service center empire is vast, providing superior support for customers. If you love contrarian thinking, you may want to give F stock a good look. Nvidia (NVDA) Source: Steve Lagreca / Shutterstock.com One of the true no-brainer investments among long-term stocks, Nvidia offers extensive exposure to relevant markets. First and foremost, the company is renowned for its advanced graphics processors, powering some of the most groundbreaking video game systems. For those that are not familiar with the industry, video games have transitioned from niche consumer segment into a mainstream giant. As the coronavirus disruption demonstrated, games are no longer just for entertainment purposes. For example, racing simulators help Formula 1 drivers acclimate to tracks with which they’re not familiar. That has been even more crucial this year due to global shutdowns of live sporting events. Additionally, Nvidia powers the future through various artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies. An area of increasing competitiveness is autonomous driving. With so many players, it’s difficult to know which one will emerge victorious. But the underlying platforms will require advanced processors, which should boost demand for NVDA stock. 7 Penny Stocks That Are Ready to Take Off Finally, connectivity solutions will pave the way for smart city infrastructures. Again, Nvidia finds itself as one of the leaders in this space, a market which will likely only grow in importance. Therefore, if you’re not worried about day-to-day price swings, keep NVDA stock in your drawer. Brookfield Renewable Partners (BEP) Source: IgorGolovniov / Shutterstock.com Joe Biden is hardly what you would call a perfect candidate. Although he has proven himself to be mentally fit, at his age, cobwebs have inevitably developed. And they’ve come out at some inopportune times. For instance, during the second and last presidential debate, President Trump hit him hard on his confused stance on fracking and other environmental issues. Nevertheless, as I mentioned earlier, Biden must answer to the Democrats. Consistently, the party has pushed issues such as addressing climate change. Therefore, one of the logical long-term stocks to buy is Brookfield Renewable Partners. Clearly, Biden would not be popular within his own party if he broke rank and decided to go all fossil fuel on everybody. Not surprisingly, BEP stock has put on a tremendous performance this year, gaining nearly 58% year-to-date. Further, the raging wildfires we suffered this year raises the importance of sustainability, which should bolster Brookfield. But I don’t see BEP stock as being a catalyst levered exclusively to Democrats. The reality is that younger people care deeply about the environment. Therefore, the next generation of Republican leaders can’t afford to alienate whole swathes of voters. Ultimately, that’s great news for Brookfield and other sustainability oriented companies. On the date of publication, Josh Enomoto held a long position in F stock. A former senior business analyst for Sony Electronics, Josh Enomoto has helped broker major contracts with Fortune Global 500 companies. Over the past several years, he has delivered unique, critical insights for the investment markets, as well as various other industries including legal, construction management, and healthcare. More From InvestorPlace Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner Radical New Battery Could Dismantle Oil Markets The post 7 Long-Term Stocks to Buy with the Election Behind Us appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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