Apple Pay explained: What is it and how does it work?

Apple Pay is a payment system designed to change the way you shop. The company has been leading the way in the effort to move consumers from physical wallets packed with cards to a world in which your iPhone or Watch does all the work.

We’ve combed through all the technical details and complexities involved with Apple Pay to give you an easy-to-read summarisation. Take a moment to read on because Apple Pay will certainly change how you pay and it’s worth knowing all about it so you aren’t caught short.

READ: Apple Pay hands-on: Shopping with your iPhone

Apple Pay: What is it?

Apple Pay is a contact payment technology as well as a feature on the latest iPhones and Apple Watch. It pulls your credit cards, debit cards, and other sensitive-payment data from the Wallet app, enabling you to use an iPhone 6, 6S, SE or Apple Watch as a wallet at store checkouts.

Apple Pay: When and where is it available?

USA

Apple Pay initially became available in the US. It debuted on 20 October 2014.

UK

Apple Pay launched in the UK in July 2015, about 9 months after its initial debut.

Apple Pay: Will it expand internationally?

Europe

Apple Pay is available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and China.

Job listings (via MacRumours) have indicated Apple Pay might expand to Europe, Middle East, India, and Africa. Apple has not confirmed any launch dates or regions in regards to international availability, however.

Apple Pay: Which devices currently work with it?

Apple Pay works with iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus and later (Apple Pay in stores and within apps), iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, or iPad mini 3 and later (Apple Pay within apps), and Apple Watch (when paired with iPhone 5 or later).

Apple Pay: Which banks and cards support it?

Apple Pay supports most major credit and debit cards providers and US banks.

It works with Visa, MasterCard, and American Express cards from financial institutions (like American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo). Other companies adding support soon include Barclays, USAA, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC, and US Bank.

For the UK, Apple Pay works with M&S Bank, Bank of Scotland, Halifax, Ulster Bank, NatWest, American Express, Santander, Royal Bank of Scotland, Nationwide, HSBC, First Direct, TSB, MBNA and Lloyds Bank.

Here is a list of every bank that supports Apple Pay in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and China.

Apple Pay: Does it work with US federal-payment cards too?

Yes. The White House announced on 13 February that Apple’s mobile-payment system would work with federal-payment cards, including Social Security and veterans benefits that are paid through debit cards.

The deal includes the Direct Express payment network and government cards issued through GSA SmartPay. Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, also said Apple Pay would support transactions with the federal government by September, meaning you’ll be able to use Apple Pay to buy tickets and gift shop items at national parks, etc.

It’s worth noting that, by making this announcement at the White House Cyber Security Summit, the US government is officially admitting it is confident in Apple Pay’s security capabilities, and thus more governments from around the globe might soon add support for Apple Pay.

Apple Pay: Where else can you use it?

Apple Pay works anywhere that accepts contactless payments, which includes over a million stores. Just look for the contactless payments symbol near readers at checkout.

A few of the US stores and restaurants that accept Apple Pay include: Babies-R-Us, Bloomingdales, Disney, Duane Reade, Macy’s, McDonalds, Nike, Petco, Staples, Subway, Toys-R-Us, Unleashed, Walgreens, Whole Foods, etc. You can find a complete list here.

The UK already has an established contactless payment system, and you’ll be able to use Apple pay at many of the stores and restaurants you already do, including: Boots, Bill’s. Dune, Waitrose, M&S, Wagamama, Nando’s, Liberty, Lidl. A full list is available here.

You can also use Apple Pay within many apps. For example, to pay for your British Airways flights through the app.

Apple

Apple Pay: How do you set it up?

iPhone/iPad

You need to use Apple’s Wallet app to setup Apple Pay, or rather store your credit cards and debit cards. Apple Pay pulls this data to pay for goods.

On your iPhone, open Wallet. On your iPad, go to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay. Tap Add Credit or Debit Card. If your card is already on file with iTunes, enter the card’s security code. Otherwise, you can use your device’s camera to capture the information on your credit, debit, or store card. Then fill in any additional information needed.

Your bank will verify your information. You may need to provide additional verification. After your card is verified, tap Next, and then you can start using Apple Pay.

Watch

To setup Apple Pay on the Watch app on your iPhone, open the Watch app on your iPhone, then tap the My Watch tab, and tap Wallet & Apple Pay. Tap Add next to the card that you want to add.

Your bank will verify your information. You may need to provide additional verification. You’ll receive a notification on your Apple Watch that your card is ready for Apple Pay.

Apps

Apple Pay has an API, so it isn’t just limited to physical retail locations. You’ll be able to use Apple Pay to purchase things through apps. For example, in the UK, British Airways supports Apple Pay, so once you select your flight, you can pay from the iPhone without having to plug in your card details.

Checking out is as easy as selecting Apple Pay and placing your finger on Touch ID.

Apple Pay: How do you use it?

iPhone

Apple Pay requires the Near Field Communication antenna and Touch ID on iPhone 6 and later.

To pay at checkout, just hold your iPhone near a contactless reader with your finger on Touch ID. You won’t have to look at your iPhone’s screen, because a subtle vibration and beep will confirm that you paid correctly. There’s also no need to open an app or wake your iPhone’s display.

Your fingerprint confirms the payment, or you could enter a passcode if you haven’t setup Touch ID. Once approved, a receipt is recorded in the Wallet app so you can see what you’ve purchased.

Watch

To pay at checkout, double-click the button below the Digital Crown on Watch while also holding the face of Watch near a contactless reader. Similar to Apple Pay for iPhone, a pulse and beep will confirm that your payment information sent.

Apps

Apple iPhone apps can also integrate with Apple Pay, meaning you will be able to select Apple Pay at checkout when ordering anything from an app. You also still need to place your finger on Touch ID when paying.

Some of the apps that currently support Apple Pay include: Groupon, MLB, OpenTable, Panera, Sephora, Starbucks, Target, Ticket.scom, Uber, and more. The full list is available here.

Apple Pay: Is it secure at all?

Yes. Apple said it doesn’t save your transaction information or card numbers on its servers, though your most recent purchases are kept in the Wallet app.

Apple Pay, which has a tokenised backend infrastructure, makes card payments secure by creating a number or token that replaces your card details. More specifically, it creates a Device Account Number for each one of your cards.

According to Apple, the Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted, and securely stored in the Secure Element, a dedicated chip in iPhone and Apple Watch, and when a payment is initiated, the token is passed to the retailer or merchant. The retailer or merchant therefore never has direct access to your card details.

Apple

Apple Pay: What if you lose your iPhone or Watch?

Losing your iPhone or Watch is stressful enough, but with Apple Pay, the chances of that happening just got a lot more frightening. But it doesn’t have to be that way, in Apple’s opinion.

The company said you can use Find My iPhone to put your device in Lost Mode. This will lock everything and prevent others from accessing your content including Apple Pay or Wallet data.

Alternatively, you can use Find My iPhone to wipe your iPhone clean completely. 

Want to know more?

Apple has this website that details how to set up and use Apple Pay.

Learn coding, design, and more with the 8-course computer science bundle

Whatever your tech ambitions may be, there’s no substitute for quality training, especially if you want to increase your earning power and advance your career. With 8 courses in a variety of tech-related subjects, The Complete Computer Science Bundle will set you up for success – all at 89 per cent off from Pocket-lint Deals.

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Pluralsight: Expert-taught tech and creative courses now 40 per cent off

The fast track to learning is now available through Pluralsight, a global network of expert-taught, on-demand video courses on a wide variety of tech and creative subjects. With an author archive of 900+ leading industry experts, Pluralsight sets you on track to success with proven professionals. For a limited time, Pocket-lint readers can take 40 per cent off a full-year subscription.

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The road to Panama: A history of whistleblowers and hacks

Yesterday, a coalition of journalists across the world launched the Panama Papers, a project to uncover the dirty secrets of the rich and powerful. An anonymous source provided reporters at German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung with a 2.6TB dump of files from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca. The documents reveal a web of private, secretly-held offshore companies that can be used to hide a fortune or avoid paying tax. For instance, The Guardian accuses Russian president Vladimir Putin of hiding $2 billion in offshore companies that are “owned” by a close friend. It has taken anything up to a year for a team to scour the data to find some dirty secrets, and far more are likely to emerge as more of the files are analyzed. This didn’t happen in isolation, however. It’s just the latest in a long line of leaks and breaches that have put what some would prefer remain secret in the spotlight. Check out the timeline above to look at some of the most notable ones of the last few years.

US Army hopes to outfit soldiers with tiny drones by 2018

American soldiers should soon get drone support beyond just big, expensive machines flying well above the battlefield. The US Army has requested industry information on the feasibility of making tiny drones (Soldier Borne Sensors in official lingo) that would help infantry gather intelligence on a small scale, such as peeping over a hill or around a building. Its dream recon machine would weigh no more than a third of a pound, launch within one minute and fly for at least 15 minutes. Ideally, the drones would be in service as soon as 2018.

These kinds of drones aren’t completely new (both British and Norwegian soldiers are already using them). However, they’re usually hand-built and expensive — not very practical for one of the world’s largest militaries. This initiative could lead to mass-produced miniature recon drones that help squads when conventional air support just isn’t an option.

Source: Army Times

Android’s April security update tackles another Stagefright flaw

Google’s monthly Android security updates are nothing new, but its latest release may be particularly important. The new April update tackles eight critical vulnerabilites that include one in the libstagefright library — you know, the same media framework that recently faced a rash of real and potential exploits. It also patches a nasty kernel flaw that would give attackers full control over your device. You’ll get first crack at the fixes if you either have a Nexus device or can install an Android Open Source Project build, but other vendors that offer Google’s monthly updates will likely follow suit before long.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Android

Drone makers form their own political lobbying group

Big drone makers aren’t satisfied with existing efforts to get in the US government’s good books, apparently. DJI, 3D Robotics, GoPro and Parrot have forged the Drone Manufacturers Alliance to lobby for a “carefully balanced regulatory framework” that makes sure drones are “safely integrated” into American skies. In plainer language, they want to make sure that regulation doesn’t run counter to their interests — they don’t want their business to fizzle out because of a future law.

The move represents a split of sorts. Companies like 3D Robotics and DJI helped form an earlier group, the Small UAV Coalition, but jumped ship before kickstarting this new organization. This doesn’t mean that they were upset with the Coalition’s direction, but it does suggest that they wanted more direct representation of their hopes and fears.

Source: TechCrunch

FCC labels ensure you get your daily dose of internet

The FCC passed its so-called Open Internet guidelines last year, and much of the talk focused on the practice of net neutrality. Those rules also reclassified broadband service as a utility and discussed steps for increased consumer protections, including consumer broadband labels to explain cost details and more. Revealed today by the FCC, the new labeling system offers information on pricing, data allowance and network performance so that customers can easily find the information they seek before signing up with a service provider.

What’s more, there are versions for both mobile and fixed broadband service in an effort to not only provide clarity, but alleviate some of the sticker shock when a bill arrives. They should look really familiar too, since they look like a carbon copy of nutrition labels in the US. Under the FCC’s open internet rules, service providers have to display all of the information in a way that’s understandable easy to find. However, broadband companies aren’t required to implement the new labeling system.

Via: Consumerist

Source: FCC (PDF)

Intel loses execs managing PCs and the Internet of Things

Intel has had its fair share of high-profile departures as of late (most notably the iconic Mooly Eden, who left last year), and they don’t appear to be stopping any time soon. Senior VP Kirk Skaugen, the head of Intel’s Client Computing (aka PC) division, is leaving the company for his “next career opportunity.” He’ll finish on April 8th, and will be replaced by mobile client VP Navin Shenoy. Meanwhile, Internet of Things group manager Doug Davis is retiring at the end of 2016. There’s no named replacement yet, but Davis will stick around until someone can fill his shoes.

These aren’t forced departures, but they could still deal a blow to Intel. Davis and Skaugen are long-serving company veterans (32 and 24 years respectively), and they’re leaving at a crucial time. Intel is taking a bruising as the PC market shrinks, and its work on IoT devices is just taking off. While new blood could give the chip giant a fresh perspective, it might also toss out years of experience that could come in handy as the corporation changes direction.

Via: Recode

Source: Intel

Remocam: Security camera and a remote control – review

There are certain things that go together. For example, peanut butter and chocolate make the best desserts. However, other things like pickles and ice cream make an unpleasant combination. Remocam takes a security camera and combines it with an infrared remote control. Is it a match made in heaven?

Remocam overview

The Remocam is a wireless security camera that is both viewable and controllable from your smartphone. It comes with an impressive list of features and specs.

• HD camera sensor with 720p recording
• Motion sensor
• Cloud and local recording
• 335˚ pan and 95˚ tilt motion
• 256-Bit AES encryption
• Night vision
• Siren
• Two-way communication
• Light sensor
• Infrared remote sensor
• Live streaming

The most unique feature of the Remocam is the infrared remote sensor that allows you to control any device with an infrared remote.

Remocam setup

The setup is fairly easy and it mostly involves the Remocam app found on Google Play. The app will first prompt you to connect to the Remocam via WiFi Direct in order to select your wireless network and if your network is protected, the network key. You will also need to set up an account with Remocam. All this takes around a minute or two to complete.

The only other setup options that you will need to complete, relate to the infrared remote control features. If you have a Samsung, Sony, or LG TV, then the remote setup is extremely easy. All you need to do is select the brand of TV. There are preset TV controls for these TV brands only.

For any other TV brand or infrared remote, you have to program each function for each device separately. This is done by first positioning camera towards the device, pointing the remote at the camera, and then pushing the button that corresponds to the command you wish to record. While this is rather tedious, the good thing is that with one click, the Remocam will move to the position of the selected device and execute the programmed command.

Remocam usage

I found the Remocam controls to be incredibly intuitive. All the controls just make sense. There is only one caveat and that is the non-Samsung, Sony, or LG TV control setup. When you try to add another brand of TV, there is a message that tells you to go to the previous screen to add the TV. However, on the previous screen, there are only two buttons. One that says “TV” and another that says “Add”. You need to go to the add button. I think if they said to select “Add” from the previous screen, it would be more apparent what needs to happen.

One of my favorite features was the motion sensor and video recording. When the motion sensor is triggered then the Remocam saves both the 10 seconds before and the 10 seconds after the motion was detected. I was able to see exactly when packages arrived and when the kids got home from school.

The camera was placed behind a window that the kids loved to smudge with their fingerprints.

As I mentioned earlier, the video can be saved either locally to the Remocam or their cloud service. The first 30 days of cloud service is free but after that, you’ll need to subscribe to one of their plans to continue saving videos to the cloud. Plans start as low as $3.99 per month or $39 per year. It’s important to note that streaming recorded video through the app or online is only available with a cloud plan. If you chose to record locally, you’ll need to remove the micro SD card and insert it into a device for viewing. The maximum capacity card the Remocam supports is 32GB.

4 out of 5 stars

Overall this is a great product, but to maximize its effectiveness you’ll need to make sure and subscribe to a cloud plan.

The Remocam sells for $199 which is right in line for this type of product. Add in the additional features like infrared remote controls and local recording, the Remocam stands out among its competition.