Apple, banks say Apple Pay fraud not widespread
Apple and the big banks aren’t too worried about fraud in Apple Pay.
A lot has been going around lately about Apple Pay’s susceptibility to fraud. While some are estimating that fraud in the system might be as high as 6% at some banks, both Apple and several of their banking partners say that high levels of fraud aren’t a wide-ranging problem, according to CNNMoney:
But CNNMoney spoke to the nation’s largest banks, an association of community banks and Apple. The takeaway? This high level of fraud isn’t really widespread.
Banks also make this point: Banks get stuck with fraud costs. Yet dozens of small banks are in a long line to join Apple Pay by the end of 2015, according to L. Cary Whaley III, a technology policy expert at Independent Community Bankers of America. Why would they want to join if fraud is truly rampant?
Banks have different processes for loading cards into Apple Pay, and it is the responsibility of the banks to make sure that their processes are secure. Some require a phone conversation, while others require a security code sent to your buy email. Several banks also send you alerts when your card is added to Apple Pay. Any flaws in the system, as we’ve said before, come about when banks cut corners on the setup process.
Your Android phone will soon stay unlocked while you’re holding it
If you’re frustrated that your smartphone locks while it’s still in your hands, Google may soon come to your rescue. A handful of Android Police readers report that their Lollipop-equipped phones’ Smart Lock security now includes “on-body detection,” a motion-sensitive feature that keeps your Android device unlocked so long as it’s either in-hand or in your pocket. This isn’t completely secure (a pickpocket could have a field day), but you don’t have to worry about someone snooping on your personal info just because you left your handset on the table for a hot minute. Just when you’ll get this option isn’t certain, though. Google is slowly rolling out body detection to users through Google Play Services, not software updates, so you might not know it’s available until you dig through the settings at the right time.
Photo by Will Lipman.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Android Police
Google brings its Play Books service to five new countries
Earlier today, Google officially announced that it has now expanded the availability of its Play Books service to five new countries which are: Bulgaria, Croatia, Iceland, Slovenia and Slovakia. This expansion bumps the total number of supported regions up to 65.
The Play Books app allows users to purchase, download and install supported books on their Android smartphones and tablets, which, it turn, gives them the power to read whenever and wherever they please.
If your in one of the above countries and like the sound of Google Play Books, why not click the source link below to see what Google has to offer?
Source: Google Play Store
Come comment on this article: Google brings its Play Books service to five new countries
Urban Armor Gear smartphone case review; military grade protection for the rugged adventurer.
Militaristic Design
One of the first things we noticed about the Urban Armor Gear were the rugged design elements. From faux screws, honeycomb patterns, to the indentations on the back, everything about the Urban Armor Case screamed resilience. The case also does so while maintaining a relative low profile, at least where weight and bulk is concerned. Many people shy away from using cases for the sole reason that they make devices look and feel so much bigger. The Urban Armor Gear maintains a great balance with protection and size, so you hardly notice that you have a case on.
Shock Absorbing Bumpers
On the four corners of the device, you are greeted with shock absorbing bumpers that are integrated into the case. Chances are that when you drop your device, it’s going to hit on the sides, so this is a great added feature that guarantees extra protection for when that occurs. The bumpers are built seamlessly into the design as well, so they don’t detract from the overall look of the Urban Armor Gear.
Another cool feature about the bumpers are the pad built onto the backs. So whenever you place your device down, you don’t have to worry about the case getting scratched. While this does not really add to the protection of the device itself, it does help guarantee that your case will remain pristine and damage free for a longer period of time. I mean, you are going to be looking at the case for long time, or for however long you use keep your device protected with a case, so it bodes well that Urban Armor Gear took some measures to keep the case looking brand new as long as possible.
Great Button Craftsmanship
The buttons are made to be slightly bigger than average, which is a feature that we personally loved. Having reviewed various in the past, nothing makes a grade A case into a B than having horrible buttons. The buttons on the Urban Armor Case registered every click immediately and I didn’t feel like I had to go workout just to be able to power on the device. They are also made of a
High-Grade Protection
Urban Armor Cases meet or exceed MIL-STD-810 standards. So you know that the case can take a beating. The case itself is made of composite materials, with a hard outer shell and a soft inner core. This makes the Urban Armor Gear extremely resilient to drops and scratches. The materials are also resistant to UV rays, and chemicals found in common skin lotions. So you don’t have to worry about handling the device, or taking it out in the sun.
Final Thoughts
If you need a case that not only looks great but offers fantastic protection, then the Urban Armor Gear should definitely be on your radar. With great, militaristic aesthetics, high-grade protection, and low profile, you would be hard pressed to find a better case. For more information regarding the Urban Armor Gear, you can head over to their website using the link provided.
The post Urban Armor Gear smartphone case review; military grade protection for the rugged adventurer. appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Xbox head re-affirms commitment to Phantom Dust following gameplay footage leaks
Yesterday, footage of the upcoming Xbox exclusive Phantom Dust leaked online, following a shift in game’s developmental studio. Phantom Dust was a card-builder / JRPG hybrid released for the original Xbox. The in-development reboot was revealed at last year’s E3 via a CGI trailer.
Phantom Dust’s original developer Darkside Games were removed from the project, leading to the closure of the company. It’s unclear exactly what happened, especially considering that the footage below looks quite decent.
Diorama – a very simple tilt shift app for Windows Phone
Diorama is a relatively new Windows Phone photography app that hopes to appeal to your need for quick and simple solutions. The app creates a tilt shift effect to your images by blurring portions of the top and bottom areas of a photograph. The result can make the images of large images look more like model dioramas
The Windows Phone app also has the ability to adjust an image’s color saturation and has an in-house camera app to capture new images to use with the tilt shift effect. In tinkering with Diorama over the past few days, while there is room for improvement, the app comes across as a simple and quick way to create unique photos.
VLC for Windows Phone updated with partial hardware decoding and more
The VLC media player for Windows Phone was updated today to version 1.2.0. While there’s no official change log, a Twitter post from the app’s development team at VideoLAN says it has “numerous improvements and partial hardware decoding.”
Grab this Lightning car charger today while it’s 50% off the regular price!
Dressed in a brilliant white with chrome accents, this lightning car charger plugs into your vehicle’s DC outlet and features an extra USB port on the other end for charging another device as well as your lightning-compatible iPhone or iPad. Available today for only $14.95
BBM Protected now supports iOS and Android for more secure messaging
BlackBerry is now offering its BBM Protected services to iOS and Android devices. This will allow those smartphone owners to access a more secure enterprise-based version of its BBM messaging service.
BBM Protected now supports the iPhone for more secure messaging
BlackBerry is now offering its BBM Protected services for the iPhone. This will allow smartphone owners to access a more secure enterprise-based version of its BBM messaging service.
Here’s how BlackBerry describes the new BBM service :
BBM Protected offers an enterprise-grade secure instant messaging service with all the features of a consumer IM app, the hardening of on-premise security together with the convenience of a cloud service. All messages are encrypted using keys generated by the communicating mobile devices themselves. This BlackBerry innovation effectively prevents ‘man in the middle’ hacker attacks, providing greater security than competing encryption schemes, and earning BBM Protected FIPS 140-2 validation by the U.S. Department of Defense.
With the announcement this week, organizations using BBM Protected can now let their employees chat securely using BBM Protected to non-BBM Protected workers at other companies, or customers. The result: instant federation and bulletproof security for messaging communications with partners outside of your enterprise.
BBM Protected is available through an extra subscription service via BES, from BlackBerry, but they are also offering a 30-day free trial. The iPhone version works with IOS 6.0 or higher and with BBM 2.6 or higher.
- Free – Download now
Source: BlackBerry
AIVAnet 