Apple Pay could make everyone’s mobile wallet purchases cheaper
Have you stopped to consider what impact Apple Pay will have on the credit card industry? Don’t worry, we hadn’t either, but Bank Innovation believe that the service might just send mobile payments mainstream. Currently, tapping your phone on a reader incurs a transaction fee of 2.75 percent, far higher than the 1.5 percent that’s imposed when you swipe a card. Because the issuing bank’s card isn’t there, there’s a greater risk of fraud that banks multinational financial services corporations like Visa and MasterCard then have to shoulder. According to the report, however, the biometric security in the new iPhones might have convinced both institutions that mobile payments aren’t a huge risk anymore. The site goes further, to suggest that both will create a “Cardholder Present” transaction fee which either matches the card rate, or is close enough to mean that you won’t be pulling out a calculator to work out if it’s cheaper to use your phone or card to buy subway tokens. Naturally, both financial institutions have denied that any such discussions are taking place, but hopefully it won’t be long before these systems reflect the real world.
Filed under: Cellphones, Apple
Source: Bank Innovation
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Hardcore PC gamers spend twice as much as others on their obsession
Take a gander through the comment section of any gaming-related article here on Engadget, and you’re all but guaranteed to find at least one person espousing how much better playing games on a PC is compared to doing so on, say, a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. But just who are those people? Joystiq has spotted a new report from The NPD Group that should shed some light on the situation. Understanding PC Gaming: 2014 calls them “heavy core” gamers. They spend five or more hours each week playing the likes of shooters and strategy titles, and have dropped about twice as much cash on games in the past three months compared to casual gamers. They, perhaps surprisingly, make up the smallest group surveyed: 20 percent compared to casual players’ 56 percent, while light core (the same demographic as heavy core, but spends less time gaming on a weekly basis) sits at 24 percent of those 6,225 people questioned.
The popularity of Steam sales and Humble Bundles had an effect on those surveyed, too. The NPD Group also notes that 46 percent of respondents visited a website to make a digital purchase of a game. What’s more, compared to those that still buy physical copies of games, half of PC gamers are more inclined to wait for a sale than pay full price for a new digital release. Other bits include the split between male and female gamers being almost dead even (similar to the Electronic Software Association’s measure). It’s all pretty interesting stuff and there are a few details we couldn’t get to in this post, so be sure to check out the source.
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Home Entertainment, Laptops, HD
Source: Joystiq
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Google wants to keep work documents and emails secure on iPhones and iPads
Google launched the Apps Mobile Management service earlier this year to help organizations manage employees’ or members’ Android devices that access files and emails saved on their Google Apps. Now, Mountain View has launched a counterpart for iPhones and iPads called iOS Sync, which can remind people to enroll their devices when they sign into any Google Apps for Work/Education/Government, such as Drive or Gmail. It also gives the business’ IT department the power to distribute WiFi passwords and certificates to ensure a safer connection, manage their Apps’ password requirements and enforce camera policies (read: disable it if taking pictures is prohibited) in the office. The service even allows administrators to block devices and to wipe them remotely in worst-case scenarios. iOS Sync will roll out to Google Apps for Work, Education and Government next week. It might even arrive without you knowing, as it’ll automatically be integrated right into the Gmail and Drive.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Apple, Google
Via: Venturebeat
Source: Google
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Channel 4 to replace 4oD with new ‘All 4’ service next year
Channel 4 basically pioneered online catch-up services when it launched 4oD for PCs eight years ago. Since then, 4oD has evolved and improved, most recently adding offline viewing for mobile devices and the ability to stream over 3G and 4G networks. Back in May, however, Channel 4 CEO David Abraham teased a “significant upgrade” to the service — incidentally, the BBC pushed its iPlayer redesign out around the same time — and today we’re learning more about what that will entail. For starters, 4oD will be renamed “All 4″ to reflect its comprehensive nature, with a new logo for good measure. It’ll incorporate all the live channel feeds, on-demand content and Channel 4 shorts you can already find on 4oD, but packaged in a brand new user interface.
The UI is set to be the biggest change, with Channel 4’s sample imagery giving us an idea of how the new visuals-driven look will appear iPads. The much simpler layout will split content into three categories: On Demand, Now and On Soon. As you’ve probably worked out, the first will be home to the standard catch-up archive, but will also include related content like interviews and picture galleries. The “Now” tab is where you’ll find live channel streams alongside “interactive content formats,” short videos including news nuggets, and social media feeds so you can keep up with all the Come Dine With Me banter. “On Soon” is the hub for finding out what’s… on soon. It’ll serve up show promos and “exclusive episode premieres” before they air on TV, as well as letting you set reminders for anything that takes your fancy.
If you have an existing Channel 4 account or register a new one (currently not required to watch anything on 4oD), your All 4 experience will also be tailored based on your viewing habits. There’s still some time to wait before getting your hands on the new-look 4oD, as it’s not due to start rolling out until the end of March next year. All 4 will be hitting PC and iOS platforms first, with Android, smart TVs, consoles, set-top boxes and the like welcomed to the fold during 2015.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Via: Pocket-lint
Source: Channel 4
.CPlase_panel display:none;
MSI’s laptop dock is bigger than the desktop it’s designed to replace
There are several reasons to buy a gaming laptop over a desktop, but the biggest two would be portability and desktop footprint. That’s what makes MSI’s GamingDock such a curious proposition, since it trades both features in exchange for more raw power. Essentially, GamingDock is a big-ass box with a PCIe x16 slot that’s designed to take a top-of-the-line desktop graphics card. Then, all you have to do is dock your GS30 Shadow into the top and you’ll be able to dump the pixel crunching on the more heavyweight hardware. There isn’t much more to it than that, but if you’re interested, the GamingDock will launch in January at a price that’s yet to be decided.
Filed under: Laptops, Peripherals
Source: Engadget Spanish (Translated)
.CPlase_panel display:none;
The Premier League’s new app helps you enjoy a wet Wednesday night in Stoke
Old football folklore states that a super-talented and skillful overseas player hasn’t earned his stripes until he’s performed on a cold, wet and windy Wednesday night in Stoke. Those achievements would be nothing without fans there to chronicle them, so the Premier League has launched a new app to ensure there’s enough travelling supporters there to do just that. Available on both iOS and Android, Away Days has a simple premise: to get you to the stadium with plenty of time before kick-off. You’ll get access to live travel updates, details on the best places to crash, pubs to drink in, as well as comprehensive overviews of the stadiums themselves. The Premier League has gone as far as partnering with clubs and suppliers to cut the cost of getting to the ground, while also offering money off food, drink and parking when you arrive. Good news if you’re looking forward to seeing Falcao, Di Maria, Shaw, Rojo, Blind and Herrera attempt to emulate legends past at the Britannia come New Year’s Day.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile
Source: Premier League Away Days (iOS), (Android)
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Weight Watchers now pulls in data from fitness trackers like Fitbit and Jawbone
If you’ve ever belonged to Weight Watchers, you know it’s pretty good at logging your food intake. But exercise? Not so much. Unless you use a qualifying pedometer, you have to manually enter your activity, which means calculating how much time you spend walking each day. Finally, though, Weight Watchers is doing the sensible thing: It’s integrating its app with fitness trackers, starting with models from Jawbone and Fitbit. So, if you walk an hour while wearing your Up24 or Fitbit Flex, the Weight Watchers app will suck in that data, and convert that activity to Weight Watchers points. (People on Weight Watchers earn a sort of currency, which they can trade in for more food, if they so choose.)
As someone who until recently subscribed to Weight Watchers, I can confirm this is good news. Even with so many fitness trackers on the market, WW still has a best-in-class food database; it’s simply more comprehensive than anything Fitbit or Jawbone has to offer. And, you know, the program works. That’s why people pay for it. But food-logging regimens are harder to follow faithfully when you have to manually enter lots of data and indeed, it can be annoying to type in my 35 minutes of running, when I already logged it with Jawbone.
Ideally, the integration with Jawbone, etc. would be two-way: Weight Watchers would share your food log, to make up for the fact that Jawbone and Fitbit aren’t as good at recording your food intake. Also, since Jawbone and Fitbit both work with WiFi scales, it would be nice if those apps could send your weight straight to Weight Watchers so that you don’t have to log it manually. Alas, though, the connection is one-way-only, with Jawbone and Fitbit sending your activity data to Weight Watchers, but not the other way around. Which makes sense: Weight Watcher’s food database is its crown jewel, and I can see why it doesn’t want to share it. But Weight Watchers is a weight-loss program first, and a technology company second; its app isn’t as polished as Jawbone or Fitbit’s. To let users bring their WW data into a different app would make for a more pleasant user experience.
For now, at least, Weight Watchers will only pull in data from Jawbone and Fitbit, though Weight Watchers says support for other devices is coming soon. Also, because the integration works with the help of Apple HealthKit for iOS 8, this feature is only available on iPhones and iPads. (Boo.) Weight Watchers declined to say if an Android version is on the way. In the spirit of choice, though, we hope it is.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Here are seven cool projects made possible with Intel’s tiny computer
Thinking about using Intel Edison for your next builder project, but feeling a little uninspired? Don’t worry: IDF 2014 is rife with examples of how to use the company’s new development board. In the weeks leading up to the conference, Intel employees and partners alike used it to build robots, memes, high-altitude balloons and even clothing for a small showcase of the development board’s potential. Care for a peek? Check out the gallery below to see some of Engadget’s favorite Edison projects from IDF 2014.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
GiffGaff to scrap most of its unlimited data bundles
GiffGaff, the network famed for its low-cost unlimited internet “goodybags,” could soon face a backlash from some of its customers after quietly announcing it’s axing some all-you-can-eat data plans. The O2-owned MVNO has said it will remove unlimited internet options from two of its three most popular pay-monthly tariffs and introduce new data caps instead. The new allowances, which include a 3GB or 5GB limit on GiffGaff’s £12 or £15 bundles respectively, will come into force from September 24th, alongside new throttling measures (which include dropping speeds to 300Kbps at peak times) for those who remain on its unlimited tariffs.
The changes will likely affect those subscribing to lower-priced goodybags most, but GiffGaff is trying to limit the impact for the majority of customers. As such, it’s allowing existing users of its £15 goodybag to retain their unlimited data if they agree to top-up every two months, and it will also drop the cost of its £20 top-level package (2000 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data) to £18 until March 31st 2015. “We do understand that unlimited data is popular but it does create network problems that we are seeking to address with these changes,” GiffGaff said in a statement to ISP Review, suggesting it too is finding it harder keep up with the demand for limitless data. Earlier this year, Three put an end to unlimited tethering for new customers in a bid to stop a small number of data-hungry users from ruining speeds for the majority.
Via: ISP Review
Source: GiffGaff (1), (2)
.CPlase_panel display:none;
OneDrive takes cues from Dropbox to make file-sharing easier
Looking for some OneDrive news? Good, because we’ve got it. First up, now you can upload files as big as 10GB using the Mac and Windows desktop apps, and all of the mobile applications, according to Microsoft. Redmond says that its also increased the amount of simultaneous uploads and downloads which allows for faster syncing as well. Perhaps the biggest new bit, though, is the ability to get shareable file-links directly from Windows Explorer without the hassle of going to the web client and copying the file-address that way. It sounds a whole lot like what Dropbox has been doing for awhile now, and Microsoft says that this was a top feature request. Last but not least, the outfit says that it’s worked to bring dragging and dropping folders directly into the OneDrive website via browser, specifically namedropping Chrome, into the fold too. If there’s anything else you want to see in the app, drop Redmond a line — it seems like those requests don’t fall on deaf ears.
Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Internet, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: OneDrive Blog
.CPlase_panel display:none;
AIVAnet 