Samsung discusses positive reaction to Samsung Pay in South Korea
Samsung Pay was originally announced with the Galaxy S6, although it’s been delayed several times since then. It finally went live last month, but only in South Korea, and is slated to kick off in North America later this month.
After a month in South Korea, Samsung has talked a bit about how people are reacting to and using the service, and so far it seems like customers and retailers alike are pretty happy with the experience so far.
Since launch on August 20th, Samsung has seen around 25,000 registrations for Samsung Pay per day, with over KRW 750 million being spent each day using the service. Not only are registration numbers good, but that also means people are actively using it, not just setting it up and forgetting about it. A majority of Galaxy Note 5 users have already used the service, which should be expected for the company’s latest flagship, but it’s positive news nonetheless.
Samsung also discussed competition in the mobile payment space, but they really only consider plastic cards to be their competition, not the likes of Android Pay and Apple Pay. Since Samsung Pay works with traditional credit card machines and doesn’t require merchants to install any additional hardware, it makes it extremely easy to replace a plastic credit or debit card with a smartphone in these situations. And since 80 – 90% of users are using Samsung Pay more than once, it’s pretty clear that people are willing to exclusively use their phone to make payments if it means they can leave the credit cards at home. The only drawback here is that Samsung Pay doesn’t support online transactions just yet, but that’s certainly on the to-do list for the service.
The interview also discusses several other highlights of Samsung Pay, including the security behind it and how eager banks and merchants are to get on board. Samsung also talks about their future plans, including adding location based services and coupons to the app, and whether or not they’ll be charging banks or merchants any fees for using the service.
It’s a pretty interesting interview, so it might be worth glancing over if you’re planning on using the service in the near future.
source: Samsung Tomorrow
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Cinemersia releases MansLaughter, a full film only on Samsung GearVR
Cinemersia is a production company who specialize in VR. Today they have announced that their feature film MansLaughter, is on Samsung GearVR. The film is very unique in the way it was made and a first in many areas such as: VR film length, VR digital content, quadraphonic VR sound engineering, core plot guidance, and story construct and design.
Called ‘an experiment in theatrical VR’, MansLaughter puts the audience in the middle of four scenes. Things are happening all around them, some actors are even in multiple scenes at once. However, in a VR world the audience can look around to view everything that is going on. When the audience does start to look around, that is when the audio stats playing from that scene. They can also choose what scene to watch, at what time, and in what order. It sounds pretty insane and awesome to me.
The story is summarized as follows on Cinemersia’s site:
“Four people in tangled relationships learn a man who’s won a $265 Million Mega Lotto is waiting to turn in the ticket. Delay is not his friend, nor are the other four as his caution gives them time for deception, double-cross and murder in order to claim the ticket for themselves. But who will end up with the money? Pay attention all around you to find out.”
Being the first of it’s kind, obviously a lot of work went into making it. Plus, being a very specialized VR film with things going on all around the viewer, it makes it a lot more difficult to write a script for.
David Marlett, the film’s writer and director said:
“I lost track of how many times we found ourselves creating things out of whole cloth due to necessity. For example, the script was a beast as the timings had to be precise. We had a terrific and very patient cast and crew as each of the four 10 minute central scenes are long takes, must run concurrently, and be exactly aligned to reveal only certain things in the plot based on how the audience engages with them.” He added, “It makes more sense when you experience it.”
The movie has a hovering object over key dialogue parts showing you where to look next ideally, but viewers are free to look anywhere they want. This film sounds like it would be great to watch multiple times as every time you watch it, it’s different.
MansLaughter is offered (for free) only on the Samsung GearVR. They said this is due to Samsung releasing MilkVR software (V. 1.35) that was developed specifically for films like MansLaughter.
If you have a GearVR this is definitely something you have to check out first hand. Due to being able to look all around, it’s recommended that you sit in a swivel char for the full 46 minutes.
Press Release:
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Today Cinemersia, a leading live-action VR cinema production company, releases their maiden VR film, MansLaughter, on Samsung GearVR head-mounted displays. Due to the novel design, the film is the first in a number of areas, including VR film length, VR digital content, quadraphonic VR sound engineering, core plot guidance, and story construct and design.
Billed as ‘an experiment in theatrical VR’, MansLaughter places the audience in the middle of four scenes happening around them, with most of the actors appearing in multiple scenes simultaneously. In that virtual reality space, audiences can choose (by turning around) what scene to watch, at what time, and in what order. Only the scene being looked at can be heard, though there is a slight dialogue overlap right in-between the scenes, adding to the complexity of the writing.
The story is summarized as follows on Cinemersia’s site:
“Four people in tangled relationships learn a man who’s won a $265 Million Mega Lotto is waiting to turn in the ticket. Delay is not his friend, nor are the other four as his caution gives them time for deception, double-cross and murder in order to claim the ticket for themselves. But who will end up with the money? Pay attention all around you to find out.”
“A significant amount of invented physical and technical design went into making MansLaughter work,” said the film’s writer and director, David Marlett. “I lost track of how many times we found ourselves creating things out of whole cloth due to necessity. For example, the script was a beast as the timings had to be precise. We had a terrific and very patient cast and crew as each of the four 10 minute central scenes are long takes, must run concurrently, and be exactly aligned to reveal only certain things in the plot based on how the audience engages with them.” He added, “It makes more sense when you experience it.”
There was no traditional editing, but Marlett added what he calls the ‘blue goo’, an inverted editing device, an object hovering high over key dialogue and moving between the four scenes. That allows the audience to either follow the director’s suggested path through the core storyline, or look elsewhere for more plot layers and subtext.
“We had an extraordinary post-production team putting it all together, including writing code and creating tools and tech where none previously existed,” added Marlett. “They include Daniel Gaucher at EDITVR, Tim Gedemer at SourceSound, Greg Roberts at dSky, and Andrew Dickerson at Samsung. It was because of those four guys that we were able to pull off the many unseen hat-tricks and shoe shuffles that make MansLaughter work.”
MansLaughter is offered (for free) only on the Samsung GearVR. This is due to Samsung’s recently released MilkVR software upgrade (V. 1.35) that was developed in part for MansLaughter, and because of the GearVR’s unique-in-the-VR-market-for-now cordless/mobile functionality. “Because of the four way scenes in the full 360 degrees, the audience needs to be free to turn,” saidCameron Ayers, one of the film’s producers, adding a recommendation of a comfortable swivel chair for the full 46 minutes it takes to watch it all. “MansLaughter is free because it’s an experimental film,” said Ayers. “When we release full feature films, like ARAPAHO, they’ll have prices comparable to traditional movies on demand.”
The team at Cinemersia are rapidly building on what was learned from MansLaughter. Currently they’re in pre-production on their next two VR projects, both being billed as revolutionary. ARAPAHO will be a full 90 minute immersive, VR feature film (“Dances with Wolves” meets “Sliding Doors”, and through VR you’re out there on the prairie), and INNERDRONE, a TV/VR hybrid set in the near future (“Homeland” meets “Lone Survivor”, and through optional VR you can be either inside the combat or not).
See www.Cinemersia.com for more information on MansLaughter, and Cinemersia’s next VR films.
Contact:
Cameron Ayres, Producer
CINEMERSIA
contact@Cinemersia.comDavid Marlett, Writer/Director
CINEMERSIA
dmarlett@Cinemersia.com
Come comment on this article: Cinemersia releases MansLaughter, a full film only on Samsung GearVR
iPhone 6s First Impressions: ‘Familiar and Yet Different’ for an ‘S’ Generation Device
Perhaps the biggest announcement out of the “Hey Siri” event today was Apple’s confirmation of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, two new smartphones that will bring new features to Apple’s smartphone line, including faster Touch ID, 3D Touch, and improved cameras. Following the event, Apple let a handful of media have closer looks at the new line of iPhones, all of whom came away with nearly universal positives regarding the small “S” generation design changes and its beefier upgrades under the hood.
TechnoBuffalo has posted one of the first videos of both the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, noting that while the latter’s name “is a bit of a tongue twister,” both phones appear to back up Apple’s claim of improved internal upgrades. Particularly, they were impressed by the 3D Touch feature and its “quick actions,” that provide shortcuts like taking a selfie with the camera app or peeking into a text message in Messages.
What most people will pay attention to is the new 3D Touch technology, which is capable of discerning between a light tap and a hard press. This new feature will allows users to Peek and Pop into apps and other functions; Peek at an address in Maps, or quickly look at a photo on Instagram. Or you Pop into an app and quickly take care of business.
SlashGear called the iPhone 6s “familiar and yet different,” noting that while the phones look largely the same as last year’s models, there’s enough new aspects to each device “to keep things more than interesting.” The site liked the already-impressive third-party support for 3D Touch and found the front-facing selfie camera — which uses the actual iPhone screen as a Retina Flash — to work “surprisingly well.” Unfortunately, they weren’t as big on one of Apple’s more surprising announcements, Live Photos.
Live Photos I’m not so sure about. They’re reminiscent of HTC’s Zoe idea, which though interesting at launch weren’t all that enduring over time. Capturing 1.5-seconds either side of a still feels a little on the short side to me, though maybe I’ll be proved wrong when third-party apps wade in and take advantage too.
All in all, for an off-season upgrade there’s plenty to like about the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Those already fans of iPhone will love the tweaked hardware and boosted performance, and 3D Touch could do to capacitive touchscreens what multitouch did to resistive ones.
On the photo and video side of things, Wired said images and video on the new iPhones “look insane,” and that while the storage implications of Live Photos is yet to be determined, the new feature is endearing and creates a more lively photo gallery. The site also particularly touted the usefulness of the new 3D Touch feature, describing it as a way for the iPhone to feel “less like a collection of apps and more like a single, cohesive thing.” All the same, the site believes there could be a downside to 3D Touch in the way users have to hunt for it in the first place.
The problem with 3D Touch is that you never know where the hidden menus are—some apps don’t support it, neither do some menus, and you never get a hint. So you’re forced to hunt around looking for this buried treasure, which I’m worried I’d just stop doing after a while. 3D Touch lets you “see” what’s inside whatever you’re looking at; but how far it will let you look is difficult to say so far.
Despite the noteworthy bits, this is the same S cycle upgrade we’re used to: You’re getting a lot more power, a few new ways to go about using your device, and a couple of small things that make the phone more fun. Oh, and that rose gold looks pretty good.
The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be up for pre-order at 12:01 Pacific this Saturday, September 12. Both devices will then be available on September 25 in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and in over 130 countries by the end of the year. There are a myriad of ways to purchase the device, which now include the new iPhone Upgrade Program announced today.
3D Touch in iPhone 6s is a ‘Breakthrough,’ Was ‘Really Hard’ to Make
Apple today spent about ten minutes introducing 3D Touch as one of the headline features of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, but a new Bloomberg interview with company executives Jony Ive, Craig Federighi, Phil Schiller and Alan Dye reveals that Apple spent several years working on the challenging new display technology.
“Ultimately, this is our focus,” says Ive, squeezing a new iPhone 6S. “This is what galvanizes our efforts right across the company.” And 3D Touch, he adds with emphasis, “is something we’ve been working on for a long time—multi, multi, multi years.”
Schiller noted that, from an engineering standpoint, creating hardware that is capable of 3D Touch’s functionality was “unbelievably hard,” coming at a “tremendous amount of cost and investment in manufacturing” for Apple. For that reason, the company had to ensure it got the technology right.
Accordingly, Apple set out to do just that.
Working with Corning, Apple created pliable iPhone cover glass. Swipe it, and the phone works the way it always has. But press it, and 96 sensors embedded in the backlight of the retina display measure microscopic changes in the distance between themselves and the glass. Those measurements then get combined with signals from the touch sensor to make the motion of your finger sync with the image on screen. […]
To make what is counterintuitive feel normal, each on-screen “peek” and “pop” is accompanied by a 10-millisecond or 15-millisecond haptic tap, little vibrations that say “good job” to your fingers when an action is complete.
And, after a multi-year, tedious design process, Apple is now satisfied with 3D Touch.
Apple is feeling confident enough that it’s integrated 3D Touch into everything on the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus—the phone, the weather app, iTunes, messaging, and the Web. Facebook and Instagram plan on incorporating it into their iOS apps shortly after the phones arrive in stores on Sept. 25.
The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus also feature a faster A9 chip with an embedded M9 motion coprocessor, improved 12-megapixel rear-facing camera with 4K video recording, faster Touch ID, stronger glass and Series 7000 aluminum, Live Photos, always-on Hey Siri and more.
Bloomberg‘s longform How Apple Built 3D Touch article is a worthwhile read.
Logitech Debuts First Third-Party Keyboard Case for iPad Pro
Earlier today Apple announced its long-rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro at its “Hey Siri” special event. The new iPad model was introduced alongside a new Microsoft Surface-like Smart Keyboard, which connects to the iPad Pro via the three-dot Smart Connector. Now, Logitech has announced its own keyboard case for the iPad Pro, making it the first third-party manufacturer to produce an accessory for the Smart Connector.
We’re excited to introduce the Logitech® CREATE Keyboard Case for iPad Pro, developed closely with Apple to leverage the new Smart Connector™, eliminating the need to power on, set up or charge the keyboard – it is always ready when you are.
The keyboard’s ability to utilize the Smart Connector allows it to automatically power on and pair with the iPad Pro as soon as its connected because the Smart Connector allows facilitates both data and power transfers. This lets the user avoid having to pair their device via a Bluetooth set-up process or worry about charging the keyboard or swapping out its batteries.
While Logitech and Apple developed the keyboard together because of the Smart Connector, it’s unknown whether other manufacturers will also get the opportunity to develop keyboard cases that take advantage of Apple’s new connection port.
The keys of the CREATE keyboard case are full-sized, allowing users to easily adjust from similarly-sized laptop keyboards and do the work they need. It’s also built with a “tightly-woven premium fabric” that Logitech says helps resist accidental bumps, spills and scratches.
The CREATE Keyboard Case will be available for purchase alongside the iPad Pro, which will launch in November. It’s unknown how much the CREATE Keyboard Case will retail for.
Apple Reduces Prices of iCloud Storage Plans
Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller today announced that iCloud storage plans have been reduced in price. 5GB of iCloud storage remains free, while paid upgrades include 50GB for 99 cents per month, 200GB for $2.99 per month and 1TB for $9.99 per month. Prices in other countries may vary based on currency exchange rates.
Apple’s old iCloud storage plan pricing tiers were as follows:
- 5GB: Free
- 20GB: $0.99/month
- 200GB: $3.99/month
- 500GB: $9.99/month
- 1TB: $19.99/month
Apple’s new iCloud storage plans are priced more competitively against other cloud storage services such as Google Drive, which also offers 1TB of storage for $9.99 per month. Microsoft OneDrive remains cheaper, however, offering 1TB of storage and an Office 365 subscription for $6.99 per month.
Speck: Our iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Cases Fit iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
Last week, MacRumors reported that the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus would be slightly thicker than the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, confirming months of rumors that the latest iPhones would be thicker. iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users looking to upgrade may have been worried their existing cases would not fit the thicker models, but case manufacturer Speck has taken to its Facebook to announce that its older cases will fit the newer iPhones, suggesting the size differences won’t matter for most cases.
Speck says that all of its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cases fit the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, which likely means that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cases for other manufacturers will also fit the new devices. Officially, Apple’s listing of the weight and dimensions of the new phones reveals that they’re only slightly thicker, taller and heavier.
The iPhone 6s Plus is .01 inches taller, .01 inches wider, .01 inches deeper and .7 ounces heavier than the iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6s is .01 inches deeper and .49 ounces heavier than the iPhone 6. A large amount of the size difference could come from Apple changing the aluminum used for the shell as well as strengthening several weak spots to help address concerns over bending, which is especially noticeable in the change of dimensions from the iPhone 6 Plus to iPhone 6s Plus.
Speck also announced brand new cases for both the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus today, refreshing its existing line of CandyShell cases with new colors and patterns. Additionally, it revealed the CandyShell Clear, Speck’s first completely clear case and the world’s first military-grade protective clear case.
Fox will stream 104 NFL games this season, cable subscription required
Your options for streaming NFL action over the internet this season continue to grow. Fox announced today that it’ll stream 104 games, including three NFC playoff matchups, through its Fox Sports Go app. The catch? You’ll need a cable subscription to get in on the action. This is the second year that Fox will stream NFL games though the streaming app that’s available to customers of Comcast, Cox, Charter, AT&T U-Verse, Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, Verizon FiOS and others. What’s more, thanks to NFL restrictions, you won’t be able to stream games to your phone from Fox Sports Go, so you’ll have to employ those other devices (if you’re paying for TV, of course). If you’ll recall, the NFL has a deal with Verizon to stream games to its customers (hence the restriction) and NBC, ESPN, CBS and Yahoo will also serve up on-field action this season. And as you might expect, streaming from ESPN requires a cable subscription, too.
[Image credit: Joe Robbins/Getty Images]
Filed under:
Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source:
Fox Sports
Tags: cable, football, fox, foxsportsgo, hdpostcross, livestream, nfl, sports, streaming
The iPad Mini 4 vs. the iPad Mini 3: What’s changed?
The iPhone might have gotten bigger, but there’s still a place in our hearts for small tablets, as evidenced by today’s announcement of the iPad Mini 4. It offers more screen space than the iPhone 6s Plus while being more pocketable than the iPad Air 2. And, unlike the iPad Pro, you can still easily hold this in one hand. But what makes this worth upgrading from the (now discontinued) iPad Mini 3? We’ve got the specs for both lined up right here so you can see if the Mini 4 is fresh enough for your dollars.
| iPad Mini 4 | iPad Mini 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399 and up (WiFi), $529 and up (cellular) | $399 and up (WiFi), $529 and up (cellular) |
| Thickness | 6.1mm (0.24 inch) | 7.5mm (0.29 inch) |
| Weight | 298 or 304g (0.65 or 0.67 pounds) | 331g or 341g (0.73 or 0.75 pounds) |
| OS | iOS 9 | iOS 8 |
| Display | 7.9-inch IPS LCD Retina display | 7.9-inch IPS LCD Retina display |
| Resolution | 2,048 x 1,536 (326 ppi) | 2,048 x 1,536 (326 ppi) |
| Processor | Apple A8 | Apple A7 |
| Memory | 1GB | 1GB |
| Storage | 16 / 32GB | 16 / 64 / 128GB |
| Ports | Lightning | Lightning |
| Front camera | 1.2MP FaceTime | 1.2MP FaceTime, 720p |
| Rear camera | 8MP iSight, f/2.4, 1080p | 5MP iSight, f/2.4, 1080p |
| Cellular radio | Optional GSM/EDGE CDMA UMTS/HSPA/ HSPA+/DC‑HSDPA LTE |
Optional GSM/EDGE CDMA UMTS/HSPA/ HSPA+/DC‑HSDPA LTE |
| WiFi | Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | v4.2 | v4.0 |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | 10 hours | 10 hours |
Get all the news from today’s iPhone event right here.
Filed under:
Tablets, Mobile, Apple
Tags: apple, iPad, iPadmini3, iPadmini4, iphone2015, mobilepostcross, tablet
Discover cards will work with Apple Pay starting September 16th
Discover has been dragging its heels on Apple Pay support for its credit cards (it confirmed its plans back in the spring), but it’s finally ready to get with the mobile payment program. The firm now expects to roll out Apple Pay compatibility on September 16th, with perks (such as a 10 percent cashback bonus and additional travel miles) kicking in if you use Apple’s tech to buy goods before the end of 2015. This might not matter much to you if you’re a loyal AmEx, MasterCard or Visa fan, but the move means that every major US credit card provider now accepts the iPhone-only service. While this still doesn’t represent truly universal card support in Apple Pay, it’s much closer than before.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Mobile
Source:
Discover (BusinessWire)
Tags: applepay, creditcard, creditcards, discover, iphone, mobilepayments, mobilepostcross, payment
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