Facebook announces payment services through Messenger
Facebook has announced a new feature for its Messenger app that will allow users to send and receive money from their friends.
While the code for the payments feature was first discovered in October, today is the day that Facebook decided to turn the switch on the service. People who want to send money in the app simply start a chat with the designated person, then press the ” $” icon and type in the amount of money they want to send. Finally, the user taps the “Pay” selection, adds a debit card and sends the money. To receive funds, the user just taps “Add Card” in a message to add their debit card to get their money.
Facebook says:
The first time you send or receive money in Messenger, you’ll need to add a Visa or MasterCard debit card issued by a US bank to your account. Once you add a debit card, you can create a PIN to provide additional security the next time you send money. On iOS devices you can also enable Touch ID. As always, you can add another layer of authentication to your account at any time.
The company added that it was taking security seriously with this new payment feature in Messenger. It said:
We use secure systems that encrypt the connection between you and Facebook as well as your card information when you ask us to store it for you. We use layers of software and hardware protection that meet the highest industry standards. These payment systems are kept in a secured environment that is separate from other parts of the Facebook network and that receive additional monitoring and control. A team of anti-fraud specialists monitor for suspicious purchase activity to help keep accounts safe.
The new payments feature is just for US users of Facebook Messenger and will be rolled out in the coming months
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Source: Facebook
Facebook announces payment services through Messenger
Facebook has announced a new feature for its Messenger app that will allow users to send and receive money from their friends.
While the code for the payments feature was first discovered in October, today is the day that Facebook decided to turn the switch on the service. People who want to send money in the Messenger app simply start a chat with the designated person, then press the “$” icon and type in the amount of money they want to send.
FB Pages Manager Pro is this week’s myAppFree Deal
FB Pages Manager Pro is a feature rich Windows Phone app for managing Facebook Pages on the go. The app basically lets you manage your Facebook Pages as you would from your desktop browser just from the smaller screen of your Windows Phone.
FB Pages Manager Pro typically runs $1.99 in the Windows Phone Store but for the next twenty-four hours you can pick up FB Pages Manager Pro for free through the myAppFree Deal of the Week. As an added bonus, this deal will also give you access to the Windows 8 version free as well.
Apple rumored to offer sharing of customer data with networks for TV service
Apple is rumored to be willing to share customer data with potential partners to get its reported TV service off the ground.
The information that Apple is said to be offering would tell partners who viewers, are, what they are watching, and when they watch. Apple would also apparently leave it up to each content provider whether or not to show ads. Overall, the company is reportedly taking a hands-off approach, according to The New York Post:
“They’re allowing a lot more decision-making by the content owner,” said one source familiar with the talks, adding that Apple has told potential partners, “It’s up to you, whatever you guys want to do.”
Handing this type of data over to their partners would be at odds with Apple’s policies. The company often champions consumer privacy, with Tim Cook going so far as to write a letter on the topic last year. It seems odd that Apple would make this kind of about-face now.
The Post also says that the service could cost around $20 per month, though the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that the price could be somewhere between $30 and $40. This new report reiterates that Apple has been talking to Disney, CBS, and Fox, among others for a launch in fall 2015.
Source: The New York Post
Overdog interest-based matchmaking app now live for all Xbox One owners
Overdog, the Xbox One app that tries to match gamers with other people based on non-gaming interests, is now available to download for all owners of the console in the US, Canada and the UK. The app was previously made available for members of the Xbox One preview program.
HTC to offer free broken phone replacement for first year with ‘Uh-oh’ service
HTC appears prepared to offer you a replacement device for up to a year if your phone is damaged, or you change carrier.
HTC is hosting a live stream tomorrow that it’s dubbed “Uh-oh”, with little more than an image of the new HTC One M9 to explain what is going to happen during the event. A quick look through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reveals HTC “Uh-oh” as a trade-in/replacement service with the potential for tech support of some kind to be offered, but with as generic as trademark filings can be sometimes that’s not too much more to go on.
Fortunately, a source familiar with HTC’s plans has clued us in on some of the details for this HTC event and the services that will be announced on stage. And even if what we know so far is all that gets announced, this event will be a fairly big deal to HTC One M9 owners.
Samsung starts pushing out Lollipop OTA for the Note 4 in the UK
Samsung is now pushing out the long-awaited Lollipop update to all unlocked models of the Note 4 located in the UK. The 729.59MB upgrade transports the latest build of the Android operating system to the handset, in addition to a handful of bug fixes, stability improvements and speed optimizations.
For those in need of a refresh, the Lollipop upgrade brings support for multiple accounts, improved notifications, a smoother multitasking experience, Ambient Display, smarter internet connections and the recently-announced Material Design guidelines.
To start the update, make sure you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. Then, from the home screen, press the Menu key, followed by Settings. Scroll to the bottom and tap ‘About Device’, followed by ‘Software Update and ‘Update Now’.
Come comment on this article: Samsung starts pushing out Lollipop OTA for the Note 4 in the UK
New Android 5.1 factory image LMY47E for Nexus 6 now available
The Nexus 6 first started receiving the newly-announced Android 5.1 Lollipop update about a week ago, but Google has already released an updated build of the software for the device. It brings build number LMY47E to the Nexus 6, up from the LMY47D build we first saw as an OTA update a few days ago. The improvements in this update are pretty minor, but still warrant a bit of explanation.
The new build carries an updated radio image, which controls different signals from your device like Wi-Fi, cellular connectivity and Bluetooth. We’re not sure what exactly it’s changed with the radio image this time around, or if this new build will be sent out as an OTA update. That’s about the only change we’ve seen in this build so far, but if we find anything else, we’ll be sure to let you know.
Like I said, this is a pretty small update. But if you really need your Nexus 6 running on the latest software, head to the source link below to download the new factory image.
For you Nexus owners out there, how are you liking Android 5.1?
Apple Luring TV Content Partners With Promises of Data Sharing
Apple is having more luck getting content partners to participate in its upcoming streaming service by promising to share data with them, reports the New York Post. News of Apple’s most recent streaming television plans surfaced yesterday, after The Wall Street Journal reported the company was in talks with programmers like CBS, Disney, and Fox for a service that may launch in June.
Apple has struggled to create a streaming service for several years, but has continually run into problems negotiating deals with cable companies and content providers who are reluctant to disrupt existing streams of revenue. According to the New York Post, Apple is planning to share details on who viewers are, what is watched, and when it is watched in order to tempt content providers to participate in the streaming service. Apple is also said to be allowing content providers to have a significant amount of control over the service, letting, for example, providers decide when to air ads.
By dangling the “data carrot,” Apple is offering something that traditional cable companies, Amazon and Netflix have refused to hand over to programmers.
The tech giant is playing unusually nice in an attempt to catch up to rivals such as Sony and Dish’s SlingTV, which are fast building similar slimmed-down channel packages without a cable TV subscription.
Apple once had very ambitious plans for a streaming television service, which it envisioned would offer channels a la carte, but ongoing problems reaching deals with providers have caused it to scale back on its ambitions. When establishing iTunes Radio, Apple made concessions on pricing in order to get deals signed, and it’s likely the company is willing to make some sacrifices to get its television service off the ground.
Today’s report should be read with caution, as handing over user data to third-party programmers is something of an unusual move for Apple. The company has gone to great lengths to assure customers that it collects limited data whenever possible. Tim Cook has, on multiple occasions, stated “You are not our product” when speaking on user privacy.
We believe customers have a right to privacy, and the vast majority of customers don’t want people knowing everything about them. When you make a purchase, we make a little bit of money. It’s very simple, very straightforward. You are not our product, that’s our product.
Apple is said to be planning to unveil the streaming television service at WWDC, with a launch coming in the fall. Pricing has not yet been finalized, but the service, which will include approximately 25 channels, could cost between $30 and $40.
Deals are still in the works and have not been agreed upon, so launch timing of the service could shift in the future.
Facebook Messenger App for iOS Gains Money Transfer Feature [iOS Blog]
Facebook today announced a new feature for its Facebook Messenger app for iOS — money transfers. It’s now possible for Facebook Messenger users to send and receive money right within the app, letting Facebook compete with other money sending services like Venmo and Paypal.
The new money sending feature is free to use. Sending a friend a payment can be done by tapping the “$” icon located on top of the keyboard, which is also where stickers are accessed and photos are inserted. After tapping the icon, enter the amount to send, tap “Pay” in the top right corner of the app, and add a debit card (Visa or MasterCard) to make the payment.
Receiving money can be done by opening the conversation from the friend who sent the money and adding a debit card to accept the money. Funds are transferred immediately when sent through the app, but it can take one to three business days for the money to be made available.
Facebook says that it uses multiple layers of software and hardware to protect its payment systems, and on iOS, the app can be secured with Touch ID.
According to Facebook, the new money sending feature will be rolling out over the coming months in the United States. The Facebook Messenger app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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