Square to replace its digital wallet app with one that lets you order dinner
Square pulled its Wallet app from the App Store Monday in order to make way for something new: Square Order. With Wallet, you could check in to a restaurant and pay your bill using just your name. With Order, you can still pay, except now you can select your artisan grilled cheese while en route to the cafe down the street and complete the transaction on your phone, bypassing the line entirely. It’s not just for restaurants either — we took it for a test drive in February , where we purchased a scarf from Uniqlo. Square followed that trial with beta testing in several take-out restaurants in the San Francisco and New York, which is also where Order is launching today. If you don’t live in either city, you won’t be able to use the app for now. However, you can get roughly the same experience on the web through Square’s recently announced product Pickup.
It’s not unlike what some other services like PayPal, GoPago and OrderAhead are already doing — the difference is Square can offer the experience for its existing merchants using the point of sale system they already have set up. As for Wallet, being removed from the App Store doesn’t mean it isn’t going to work anymore – yet. Square says it plans to support the app at least until Order is available everywhere. When it is, the company will reach out to customers who are still using Wallet and encourage them to make the switch, after which it will likely get rid of it for good. By that time, we can’t imagine anyone will complain. Because what’s better than telling someone to put your triple-extra-hot-latte on “Bob?” Not spending 20 minutes in line waiting for the opportunity.
Lighter tracks your smoking habits to shame you to quit
Ask any smoker: quitting is hard. Cigarettes become a part of your daily life, a habit that’s not only hard to break, but hard to keep track of. “Tracking is one of the most important factors in one’s health,” Ata Ghofrani told us at a recent Haxlr8r event. “Being cognizant of our smoking behavior.” Ghofrani and his partner, Kuji Nakano were looking for a way to track and reduce their smoking behavior, but found most health apps were dedicated to promoting positive behavior, not reducing negative ones. They soon teamed up to create Quitbit: a cigarette lighter that keeps track of how much you smoke.
At a glance, the Quitbit looks an awful lot like a regular Zippo-style lighter, albeit a Zippo with a screen. This small LED display (pictured above on an early prototype) runs a tally of how many cigarettes you smoke each day and how long it’s been since you last lit up. This data alone is enough to give smokers some accountability, but it can do more. A companion smartphone app can be used to track the data over longer periods of time, set goals, share successes with an online community and even track how much money smokers have saved from cutting back. The lighter can also be programmed not to work for extended periods — forcing smokers to cut back to a set amount of cigarettes each day.
It’s a neat device for smokers looking to quantify their habit, but it won’t completely replace your traditional lighter: the gizmo is all-electric, meaning it uses a coiled heating element instead of the usual flame. Still, if you’re looking to put a number on your oral fixation, check out the product’s Kickstarter page: it just launched.
Filed under: Misc
Source: Kickstarter
Near collision with airliner prompts US to crack down on drone use
The FAA might not have full legal authority to regulate drones just yet, but it at least has some evidence to support its case for tighter restrictions. The administration’s Jim Williams has revealed that an unmanned vehicle nearly smacked into a US Airways jetliner in Florida this past March; it came so close that the pilot was initially convinced there would be damage. While the remote-controlled aircraft was already violating rules by flying at 2,300 feet (it had to stay below 400 feet), Williams used the incident to argue for a better-safe-than-sorry approach to drone rules. It could be “catastrophic” if one of these vehciles gets sucked through an engine, he said.
The FAA already has plans to clamp down; it’s proposing rules for commercial drones in November. However, it may be years before these policies take effect. That could be a problem not just for the government agency, but also those wanting to use unmanned craft for everything from ads to journalism. Without clear guidelines, some companies have been eager to test the FAA’s limits — there may well be more legal battles (and potentially, accidents) until there are official rules on the books.
[Image credit: Daniel Betts, Flickr]
Filed under: Robots, Transportation
Via: CNN
SAM packs full-home control into a powerstrip
Home automation gadgets that allow you to remotely turn things on and off are certainly nothing new, but SensePlug’s SAM duo offers that and a lot more. The smart plug and power strip also houses sensors for tracking motion, temperature and ambient light. Alongside a companion app, this additional tech will allow you to set up “SmartRules” for the automated tasks. It’s kind of like IFTTT for your house. For example, you can dial in SAM to turn on a fan when the temperature rises above 75 or flip on the lights when it starts to get dark. Heck, you can even use the motion sensors to flip on the lights if someone gets in while you’re out. What’s more, the SAM Plug and Strip can also measure the energy use of whatever devices you happen to have plugged in. While SAM currently has just over 30 days left to go on Kickstarter, a $49 pledge will nab you a single smart plug and $109 nets a strip — if you happen to miss the early adopter incentives.
Filed under: Household
Source: Kickstarter
Engadget Daily: Twitter Mute, what you need to know about smart guns and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
What you need to know about smart guns
Nowadays, guns can shoot around corners, aim themselves and even use an iPhone as a scope. But what classifies such weapons as “smart?” Read on as our own Terrence O’Brien discusses the tech and implications surrounding the world’s smartest firearms.
Inmarsat offers airlines free global tracking to prevent another MH370
In hopes of preventing another flight MH730 situation, satellite tracking company Inmarsat is offering its services to all passenger airlines. And though the effort will cost around $3 million annually to implement, the company isn’t going to charge a single dime.
Twitter shuts up your annoying friends with Mute
Today, Twitter announced a new feature that lets you temporarily mute annoying people in your feed, rather than unfollow them. Don’t worry, you can unmute them again once they’ve stopped ranting.
Square’s new app lets you pre-order food and drink before picking it up
Today, Square launched Square Order: a new app that let’s customers place pickup orders with Square-powered cafes, restaurants or shops. So far, it’s only available in New York and San Francisco, but more cities are promised soon.
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Filed under: Misc
All of the US government’s spending will soon be available on one website
US government spending data can be a pain to track down; while much of it is publicly accessible, it’s scattered across many agencies that have their own ways of presenting information. Soon, though, you won’t have hunt for it at all. The recently signed DATA (Digital Accountability and Transparency) Act will publish all of that financial material on USASpending.gov in an easily readable, software-independent format. The law also calls for both more detailed budget data and a simplified set of reporting requirements.
Don’t expect greater transparency overnight. You can visit the website today, but the overhaul may take up to three years to complete. It’s also unlikely to shed light on secret programs at institutions like the NSA, where line-by-line fiscal details are normally kept under wraps. Nonetheless, the DATA Act should eventually make it much easier for Americans to spot wasteful spending, and even fraud — there’s a real chance that the revamp could pay for itself.
[Image credit: Mauro Parra-Miranda, Flickr]
Filed under: Internet
Via: InformationWeek, The Verge
Source: The White House, Senator Mark Warner
Custom controller lets disabled man dig into Minecraft using his eyebrows
Alexander Kostov has spinal muscular atrophy, a disease that makes impossible for him to use most traditional game controllers. Rather than let that hold him back, he just got creative with the help of UK-based gaming charity Special Effect. The company outfitted him with a rig to play titles like Minecraft and FIFA using his eyebrows. Kostov started out in 2013 with a custom controller that used voice commands as well as hand and eye movements. After using it for a while, he found that the original controls were useful but too subtle for some games — he needed a more precise solution. Kostov tried out a few different options, including a sip/puff switch that would give him control using breath, and finally settled on a head-mounted impulse switch that’s trigged by muscle movement near his eyebrows. With the system he can play FIFA using his old voice and eye controls, and then use his eyebrows as an extra level of control to do things like pass the ball or shoot.
The controller is one of many Special Effect has created to help disabled gamers. Some of the group’s previous projects include giving an Xbox joystick to a 6-year-old who couldn’t handle the traditional controller, and helping a wounded soldier find a way to play his favorite games using just one hand. The company offers the solutions (which are often quite expensive) to gamers for free from the group’s “loan library.“
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Science
Via: Kotaku
Source: Special Effect
Sony reportedly puts its OLED TV efforts on hold
There were hints that Sony’s OLED TV plans were in trouble when the company’s collaboration with Panasonic went south last year, and it now looks like those efforts have stalled out completely. Nikkei reports that Sony has put development of OLED sets “on ice,” shifting those involved to other projects. The electronics firm just doesn’t see the faster, higher-contrast displays catching on in the near future, according to the Japanese newspaper — it’s far more interested in pushing its 4K LCDs, which are selling like gangbusters compared to equivalent screens from rivals like Samsung.
The company hasn’t put out an official statement so far, and we’ve reached out to learn what’s happening. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if Sony gave OLED TVs the chop. The firm has been shedding businesses that aren’t profitable, including its PC line. When there’s a chance that Sony’s TV group could be profitable for the first time in more than a decade, it might make sense to cut any projects that are likely to bleed cash — no matter how eye-catching they may be.
[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Via: OLED-Display.net
Source: Nikkei
Disney uses adorable little robots to illustrate big ideas
Disney Research has had some neat ideas in the past (capacitive touch feedback for plants, as an example), but the lab’s amped up the cute factor lately. Its newest project? Getting tiny, LED-adorned robots to illustrate things such as The Big Bang. Like a good deal of Mickey’s science projects, the experiment, dubbed “Pixelbots,” is based around interactivity. The 2-inch swarm bots use magnetic wheels to move about on vertical surfaces. Meanwhile, an algorithm ensures that they won’t hit one another and RGB diodes keep the robots looking pretty. Individual units can even be plucked out of formation and the pack will intelligently work to fix the gaps and reform the original shape.
Patterns can either follow a pre-made script or be made on-the-fly with a few types of physical input. The embedded video shows a PC-based drawing program, gesture input that follows a user’s body movements and, lastly, a tablet that grants multiplayer augmented reality games. As the researchers have told Wired, the experiments conducted with 75 of the micro machines could scale to a pack of 750 or more and make a display that “really grabs the attention” of passersby. Given the ethereal nature of Disney’s research projects, though, when we might see the Pixelbots in one of Walt’s parks isn’t too clear.
Filed under: Robots, Tablets, Science, Alt
Via: Gizmodo
Source: Disney Research (1) (PDF), (2)
Must See HDTV for the week of May 12th: Her, Crocodile Dundee and so many finales
It’s that time of the year, when most TV shows wrap up their run. From Castle to The Mentalist to Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (which is surprisingly coming back for another season) to Grimm, finales and conclusions abound. We’ve also received that bad news that one of our favorites, Community, has not been renewed for the upcoming season, putting us in an extra melancholy mood. If you also need a lift, check this week’s Blu-ray releases for the Crocodile Dundee 1 & 2 double-pack, plus Eastbound & Down S4 and Orange is the New Black on disc. There’s no F1 this week, but sports fans have more NBA and NHL playoff action to look forward to, plus the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star race this weekend. Check after the break for a list of what’s new this week plus a few trailers, and drop a note in the comments if you see any highlights that we’ve missed.
Blu-ray, Streaming movies & Games
- I, Frankenstein (3D)
- Her
- Eastbound & Down (S4)
- Orange is the New Black (S1)
- That Awkward Moment
- Crocodile Dundee / Crocodile Dundee II
- The Godfather Part III
- Stranger by the Lake
- Slender: The Arrival (PS3, Xbox 360)
- Super Time Force (Xbox 360, Xbox One)
Monday
- Heat/Nets Game 4, TNT, 8PM
- Bones, Fox, 8PM
- Dancing with the Stars, ABC, 8PM
- Star-Crossed (season finale), CW, 8PM
- Years of Living Dangerously, Showtime, 8PM
- The Voice, NBC, 8PM
- WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
- Friends with Better Lives, CBS, 8:30PM
- The Dead Mother’s Club, HBO, 9PM
- 24: Live Another Day, Fox, 9PM
- Mike & Molly, CBS, 9PM
- Warehouse 13, Syfy, 9PM
- Louie, FX, 10 & 10:30PM
- Metal Hurlant Chronicles (season premiere), Syfy, 10 & 10:30PM
- The Blacklist (season finale), NBC, 10PM
- Castle (season finale), ABC, 10PM
- Kings/Ducks Game 5, NBC Sports Network, 10PM
- Spurs/Trailblazers Game 4, TNT 10:30PM
Tuesday
- Inside: US Soccer’s March to Brazil, ESPN, 7PM
- Wizards/Pacers Game 5, TNT, 7PM
- Coming Back with Wes Moore (series premiere), PBS, 8PM
- Glee (season finale), Fox, 8PM
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (season finale), ABC, 8PM
- The Voice, NBC, 8PM
- NCIS (season finale), CBS, 8PM
- The Originals, CW, 8PM
- Riot: Steve Carrell and Andy Buckly (series premiere), Fox, 9PM
- From Dusk Till Dawn, El Rey Network, 9PM
- About a Boy (season finale), NBC, 9 & 9:30PM
- Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge (season finale), Syfy, 9PM
- The Goldbergs (season finale), ABC, 9PM
- NCIS: LA (season finale), CBS, 9PM
- Supernatural, CW, 9PM
- Clippers/Thunder Game 5, TNT, 9:30PM
- Growing Up Fisher, NBC, 9:30PM
- Trophy Wife (season finale), ABC, 9:30PM
- Freakshow, AMC, 10 & 10:30PM
- Chicago Fire (season finale), NBC, 10PM
- Fargo, FX, 10PM
- Playing House, USA, 10PM
- Person of Interest (season finale), CBS, 10PM
- Awkward, MTV, 10PM
- The Listener, ION, 10 & 11PM
- Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan, BBC America, 10PM
- Tosh.0, Comedy Central, 10PM
- Inside Amy Schumer, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
- Faking It, MTV, 10:30PM
- Small Town Security, AMC, 11PM
Wednesday
- Survivor, CBS, 8PM
- Melissa & Joey, ABC Family, 8PM
- American Idol, Fox, 8PM
- Arrow (season finale), CW, 8PM
- The Middle, ABC, 8PM
- Revolution, NBC, 8PM
- Nature, PBS, 8PM
- Suburgatory (season finale), ABC, 8:30PM
- Baby Daddy, ABC Family, 8:30PM
- The 100, CW, 9PM
- Criminal Minds (season finale), CBS, 9PM
- Law & Order: SVU, NBC, 9PM
- Modern Family, ABC, 9PM
- Mixology, ABC, 9:30PM
- Catfish, MTV, 10PM
- The Americans, FX, 10PM
- Legit (season finale), FXX, 10 & 10:30PM
- Chicago PD, NBC, 10PM
- Nashville (season finale), ABC, 10PM
- The Ultimate Fighter, Fox Sports 1, 10PM
- Triptank, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
- Deal With It, TBS, 10:30PM
- True Life: I Want A Threesome, MTV, 11PM
Thursday
- The Big Bang Theory (season finale), CBS, 8PM
- The Vampire Diaries (season finale), CW, 8PM
- The Millers (season finale), CBS, 8:30PM
- American Idol, Fox, 9PM
- Grey’s Anatomy (season finale), ABC, 9PM
- Reign (season finale), CW, 9PM
- Rosemary’s Baby (part 2 of 2), NBC, 9PM
- Anger Management, FX, 9:30PM
- Bad Teacher, CBS, 9:30PM
- Maron, IFC, 10PM
- Real World/Road Rules Challenge, MTV, 10PM
- Black Box, ABC, 10PM
- Elementary (season finale), CBS, 10PM
- Comedy Bang! Bang!, IFC, 10:30PM
- Loiter Squad (season premiere), Cartoon Network, 11:59PM
Friday
- WWE SmackDown, Syfy, 8PM
- Whose Line Is It Anyway?, CW, 8PM
- Grimm (season finale), NBC, 9PM
- Hart of Dixie (season finale), CW, 9PM
- Shark Tank (season finale), ABC, 9PM
- Continuum, Syfy, 10PM
- Hannibal, NBC, 10PM
- Vice, HBO, 11PM
Saturday
- Return to Zero, Lifetime, 8PM
- NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Fox Sports 1, 9PM
- Orphan Black, BBC America, 9PM
- Da Vinci’s Demons, Starz, 9PM
- In the Flesh, BBC America, 10PM
- Saturday Night Live: Andy Samberg/St. Vincent (season finale), NBC, 11:30PM
- Comedy Underground with Dave Attell, Comedy Central, 1AM
Sunday
- Bob’s Burgers (season finale), Fox, 7PM
- American Dad (season finale), Fox, 7:30PM
- 2014 Billboard Music Awards, ABC, 8PM
- Tigers/Red Sox, ESPN, 8PM
- The Simpsons (season finale), Fox, 8PM
- The Amazing Race (season finale), CBS, 8PM
- Family Guy (season finale), Fox, 8:30PM
- Nurse Jackie, Showtime, 9PM
- Game of Thrones, HBO, 9PM
- Mr. Selfridge (season finale), PBS, 9PM
- Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, Fox, 9PM
- Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, CNN, 9PM
- Turn, AMC, 9PM
- The Good Wife (season finale), CBS, 9PM
- Californication, Showtime, 9:30PM
- Mad Men, AMC, 10PM
- Penny Dreadful, Showtime, 10PM
- Silicon Valley, HBO, 10PM
- The Mentalist (season finale), CBS, 10PM
- Veep, HBO, 10:30PM
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11PM
- Robot Chicken, Cartoon Network, 11:30PM
Filed under: HD
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