Staples and British Airline easyJet Now Accept Apple Pay on Web
Staples, a leading office supplies chain, has announced that its mobile website now accepts Apple Pay for convenient and secure payments using Safari on iPhone or iPad. The feature eliminates the requirement to manually fill out account, shipping, and billing information repeatedly for a more seamless checkout experience.
Likewise, British low-cost airline easyJet, the second-largest airline in Europe by number of passengers carried, has announced that customers can now use Apple Pay in Safari for bookings made on easyJet.com, including both its desktop website on Mac and mobile website on iPhone and iPad.
Apple Pay on the web works with iPhone 6 and later, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 3 and later. iOS 10 or later is required.
Meanwhile, in Russia, Apple Pay can now be used at select BP gas stations in the Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Pskov, Tver, Smolensk, and Novgorod regions, in addition to on the web with Safari for Russian airline Aeroflot, including both its desktop website on Mac and mobile website on iPhone and iPad.
Apple Pay officially launched in Russia earlier this week, two years after its U.S. debut. The mobile payments service is also available in Australia, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Switzerland, with New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, and other regions set to follow in the near future.
Apple Pay on the web is a new feature in Safari on iOS 10 and macOS Sierra, expanding upon in-store and in-app payments. The feature started rolling out in September on websites such as Indiegogo, StubHub, and Wayfair, with other committed partners including Airbnb, Fandango, Target, Ticketmaster, and more.
Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tags: Staples, easyJet
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Yahoo Adapted Email-Scanning Spam Filter to Satisfy ‘Secret Court Order’ Related to Terrorist Hunt
Following a report yesterday that cited three former Yahoo employees who claimed the company built a program to scan every customer’s email for specific information at the order of the United States government, new pieces of information have surfaced in a separate article from The New York Times. Specifically, anonymous sources close to the matter said that Yahoo built the program by adapting a filter meant to scan email inboxes for child pornography, malware, and basic spam content.
Yahoo was said to have done this in order to “satisfy a secret court order,” created to require the company to search for content containing a specific computer signature related to online communications of an unspecified state-sponsored terrorist group. Two of the anonymous sources — referred to as “government officials” — mentioned the Justice Department received the order from a judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court sometime last year, an order that Yahoo was “barred from disclosing” to the public.
Through its modifications to the spam filter program, Yahoo complied with the Justice Department’s order and made available any email that contained the signature, but as of now that collection method “is no longer taking place.” The order was described as “unusual” because it required the scanning of individual emails instead of user accounts as a whole, and was allegedly only given to Yahoo as other tech companies, including Apple, have said they never encountered such a demand.
In response to a request for comment, an Apple spokesperson told BuzzFeed News, “We have never received a request of this type. If we were to receive one, we would oppose it in court.”
A Microsoft spokesperson said, “We have never engaged in the secret scanning of email traffic like what has been reported today about Yahoo.”
A Google spokesperson told BuzzFeed News, “We’ve never received such a request, but if we did, our response would be simple: no way.”
According to the sources, federal investigators learned last year that members of a foreign terrorist organization were communicating using Yahoo’s email service, through a method that used a “highly unique” designator, or signature, in each communication. Although built to look for specific content, the modified program’s far-reaching scanning of each user on the service brought about unrest in the user base when the original report came out yesterday. Yahoo’s compliance is also being contrasted to Apple’s obstinate response in its battle with the FBI earlier in the year.
After the news broke, Yahoo said that the Reuters story was “misleading” and that the email scanning outlined in the report “does not exist on our systems.” Compounding the company’s woes, last month Yahoo confirmed that “at least” 500 million user accounts were compromised during an attack in late 2014, leaking customer information like names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birthdates, hashed passwords, and both encrypted and unencrypted security questions and answers. In the midst of all of this, Yahoo’s pending acquisition by Verizon could potentially face negative effects.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Tag: Yahoo
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Polar M200 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Tuukka Koski/Polar
Polar on Thursday announced the Polar M200, an entry-level GPS running watch and smart fitness tracker with a built-in optical heart-rate sensor. In addition to tracking pace and distance when running, the $150 (£150, about AU$200) watch doubles as an all-day fitness tracker and can measure steps, distance, calories burned and sleep at night.
It also supports notifications from an iPhone or Android smartphone. The M200 will vibrate to alert you to incoming calls, text messages, calendar events and social media notifications. It also includes inactivity alerts to keep you moving throughout the day.
The watch syncs with the Polar Flow app on Android and iOS. Here you can view detailed information on workouts and all day activities. The app also includes a running program that will build you a “personalized and adaptive training plan” for events ranging from a 5K all the way to a marathon.
The M200 is waterproof down to 30 meters (about 98 feet), and can be worn in the shower and while swimming. Polar has said the battery will last up to 6 hours with an active GPS signal and heart-rate tracking, which is a bit disappointing. The comparable Garmin Forerunner 35 is able to squeeze out an impressive 13 hours of battery life under the same circumstances. Polar also didn’t specify how long the watch would last as a normal fitness tracker.
The Polar M200 will be available later this year for $150, £150, and about AU$200.
Parrot Mambo MiniDrone Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The Parrot Mambo is a tiny drone that fits in the palm of your hand.
Aloysius Low/CNET
Parrot’s minidrones aren’t really designed for shooting awesome aerial videos. Smaller drones like the palm-sized Mambo are there to let you experience the joy of piloting a drone without forking out too much cash.
Retailing for $120 (which converts to about £95 or AU$160), the Mambo costs a lot less than the higher-end Bebop 2 ($549). It’s quite a fun toy to play with, but it does have its limitations. For one thing, you only get 8 minutes of flight time, which passes quicker than you think.
I found the drone pretty easy to control once I got the hang of it. It took me about one minute to figure it out, despite having never flown a drone before. You can fly it either with your phone or the Parrot Flypad controller. If you’ve flown other Parrot drones, you’ll recognize the control scheme as well and won’t need to learn how to fly all over again.
The Mambo has a flight time of 8 minutes if loaded with accessories such as the cannon accessory, and 9 minutes without.
Aloysius Low/CNET
You can outfit your Mambo with a peashooter cannon or a grabber that can lift up to 4g (0.14 oz). Getting hit by the peashooter won’t hurt, but it’s hard to find the tiny pellets after you’ve fired them. The grabber doesn’t lift much, but Parrot has a video showing the Mambo lifting a sugar cube to drop into tea, so if you practice hard enough, you might impress a visitor from the UK when they drop by your place.
The Parrot Mambo makes for a fun introduction to drone flying, but don’t expect to do much more with this. The short battery life also means you may want to invest in a spare battery to swap in when the Mambo’s juice runs out.
Key specs:
- Quadcopter-style drone
- 550mAh battery for around 8 minutes of flight
- Comes with a peashooter cannon and a grabber accessory
- Uses Bluetooth to stay connected with your phone
- Requires iOS 7 or Android 4.3 an above
Parrot Swing MiniDrone Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The Swing is able to hover like a quadcoter, or switch to plane mode where it flies horizontally.
Aloysius Low/CNET
If piloting a quad-copter drone isn’t your cup of tea, why not try one that flies more like a plane instead? That’s the idea behind Parrot’s Swing minidrone, which features a unique X-shaped design that feels like something from Star Wars.
Lacking the sleek fuselage of an X-Wing fighter, the Swing is all about the wings. There’s not much to look at, to be honest, but there’s more than meets the eye when the Swing takes to the air. It costs $140, which converts to around £110 or AU$185.
The Parrot Flypad controller lets you use the controller to switch between quad-copter and plane modes, and you can choose between three different speeds. I was easily able to get the Swing to take off and weave around for a good 8 minutes or so, but I felt I hadn’t really learnt how to control it in the short time I spent with the Swing.
Plane mode is a lot trickier to learn, given that the drone will constantly be moving. And be warned: Making a mistake will send it crashing into something. But if you’re worried about crashing, you can quickly hit the stop key. That switches the drone back into hover-quadcopter mode.
The Flypad controller allows you to control the Swing at a distance of up to 60m.
Aloysius Low/CNET
If you’re wondering whether you should get one, consider this: The Swing isn’t the easiest drone to learn but it offers plenty of fun, especially when you’re zooming around in plane mode. Unfortunately, that’s all you’ll be doing. The drone doesn’t offer a camera for video recording or any other features. It also uses Bluetooth, which means range is limited to around 20m, but you can increase this to 60m using the Flypad controller. Battery life, as mentioned, isn’t very good either, but you can swap in a fresh new battery as needed.
Key specs:
- Can switch between quadcopter or plane mode
- Can go up to 30 kph, or around 18.6 mph
- Compatible with iOS 7 or Android 4.4
- Up to 8.5 minutes of flight time
Google Pixel XL vs Samsung Galaxy Note 7 first look
Google has taken the wraps off the Pixel XL, their new flagship handset, so it is only natural to compare it to one of our all-time favorite series. In this post we are putting the new Google Pixel XL right up against the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Shall we get started?
Right off the bat you can tell these are two very different smartphones. The Google Pixel XL brings forth a style we have grown very used to in the industry. It has a metal design and a sleek body that has become a standard in the high-end market. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 sports the same metal edge and glass front and back currently recognizable in all the latest Samsung handsets.
But that is all looks, right? Which one looks and feels best is a matter of preference. What we can tell you more about is resistance. The Google Pixel XL rocks an IP53 rating, which makes it dust and splash resistant. Meanwhile, Samsung goes all out with an IP68 rating – it is dust tight and can be immersed in water up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 also has that now-iconic curve along the edges of the front. This doesn’t do too much in terms of functionality, but it does make the phone feel thinner and more comfortable in the hand. The Google Pixel XL is also a beauty to hold, though. It’s just a matter of whether you like metal or glass better. What we can say is that the Google Pixel XL feels very solid. It is manufactured by HTC, after all. Samsung phones do tend to feel a little more fragile.
In terms of color choices both handsets have a few, but the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will grant more options. Sammy’s handset comes in Silver, Gold Platinum, Blue Coral, Black Onyx. Meanwhile, Google’s new phone has three variants: Very Silver, Quite Black and Really Blue (yes, that’s what they are calling these colors).
USB Type-C continues to become the standard and now we can see both handset featuring the new port. It can still be hard to adapt to it, due to lack of adoption, but it is the future and does provide certain improvements. A reversible connector, faster transfer speeds and better compatibility are only a few examples.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 comes with a slightly larger screen, but the quality turns out to be nearly as good in both cases. Google’s Pixel XL features a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with a 2560×1440 resolution, while Samsung’s phablet touts a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED panel with the same definition.
High-end specs can only get so good nowadays, and both phones are nearing the current threshold.
In terms of performance we should see nearly identical results. High-end specs can only get so good nowadays, and both phones are nearing the current threshold. The Pixel features a powerful Snapdragon 821 processor with 4 GB of RAM, and the Note 7 is not far behind with its Exynos 8890. But when it comes to internal storage the Google Pixel XL has the upper hand, as it comes in variations of 32 and 128 GB. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is limited to a single 64 GB version.
Things change once we start considering external memory, though. Google has built no expandable storage support into the new Pixel phones, and Samsung’s device can take microSD cards.
Battery life should also be pretty similar, as both phones feature nearly identical specs. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 does have a bigger 3,500 mAh battery, but it only beats the Pixel XL by 50 mAh. The Galaxy Note 7 does win this round too, though, as it has better options for charging. Both come with fast-charging capabilities, but this time around Google is doing away with wireless charging, something many of us consider disappointing.
Shall we talk security? These handsets have great fingerprint readers with super fast recognition, but Samsung is bringing something interesting to the table – an iris scanner, which uses a dedicated camera near the selfie cam to search for a registered set of eyes to unlock the phone.
At first sight it may seem like these cameras are very similar, but there are a few key differences to be noted. The 12.3 MP Pixel XL camera has no OIS, but does promise large pixels (better light intake), super fast laser auto-focus, an f/2.0 aperture, slow motion and 4K video capture.
See also: Shootout: How good is the new Pixel XL camera?54
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 doesn’t fall behind, though, and some may say it is better. Its 12 MP sensor does have a better f/1.7 aperture, optical image stabilization and a dual pixel set-up for improved light intake. You can be sure we will be testing sample photos further. For now we really can’t pass judgement on which is better.
Overall, the user experience of these phones will predicate on Android and multitasking preferences. The Note 7 has a myriad of features to boast, including all of the different methods of multitasking that include the Multi Window and the Pop-Up View – and, of course, the S Pen brings its own very long list of features to the fold. Sharing is easier than ever in the Note, with tools like Screen Write, the Notes application that consolidates pretty much all ways of working with digital notes, and the Smart Select that now has a tool for recording 15 second GIFs of (almost) anything that is going on in the given frame. And for the users who need a constant reminder of any piece of information, the Screen Off Memo can pin notes to the Always on Display so that it is constantly within view.
Also read:
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL hands-on
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL vs the competition
The Google Pixel XL is limited by what the vanilla Android experience has to offer. It is a better option for those who prefer a cleaner experience with no bells and whistles, but we also can’t deny Samsung’s improvements have proven to be very convenient to many of you. One thing is for sure, the UI on Google’s software will be easier on the eyes and much more simplified.
The huge benefit Pixel users get is the promise of quick Android updates. Remember this is the replacement to the Nexus brand, which promises to keep you on the bleeding edge of Android software. And I must say, Android Nougat is so far quite delightful, bringing a lot of refinements to what we are used to in Marshmallow, including better ways of handling tasks and notifications as well as a bit more eye candy to please the design-minded.
The Pixel XL also packs a couple of features that are going to stay exclusive to it: the most important is Google Assistant, the greatly improved replacement to Google Now. But you also get unlimited original format photo and video storage, an integrated support app, and a customized launcher you won’t see on other devices.
Now, let’s talk money. The Google Pixel XL starts from $769, which is expensive, but then the Note 7 is even more pricey, costing as much as $900 at US carriers.
See also: Here’s where you can buy a Google Pixel in the US18
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 does show some advantages, mainly in software optimization, an iris scanner, S-Pen features and certain camera specs, but the Google Pixel XL offers performance, a clean software, Google Assistant, a metal construction and timely updates for what could be a slightly lower price point. Android purists will definitely choose Google’s phone any day.
But tell us what you think! Which phone will you go for?
Your white Pixel phone isn’t going to be great in Daydream View
The one big flaw in Daydream View.
Google’s new Pixel phones are beautifully crafted pieces of technology. Ignoring all of the “it looks like an iPhone” nonsense from people who have yet to actually hold the phones, these Pixels look and feel fantastic. The three colors they come in all stand out in their own way, too. Really Blue, Very Silver, and Quite Black are fun, striking designs all ready to live in your pocket or in a new Daydream View headset. That headset is its own unique step forward for Google and VR, but in our hands on with Daydream View it became clear there’s likely to be a very real problem when using the two Pixel color variants with glossy white fronts in this headset.
The demo area for Daydream View was intentionally dark. Darker than the rest of the event space by quite a bit, which is impressive given the night club vibe some of the event gave off. These demo stations each had a Quite Black 5.5-inch Pixel in the headset, ready to be used. Sitting all the way in the back of this dark demo station, turning my head so my back was facing the light source revealed some substantial light bleed coming from the sides of the headset not being totally flush with my skin. On the one hand, this design is great for comfort and for keeping my prescription glasses from being smashed against my face. It’s a great feeling, especially when compared to the Samsung Gear VR. On the other hand, despite Google’s efforts to hide it the light bleed was plenty noticeable.
This may not be a big deal in most user situations if you’ve got the Quite Black Pixel, but both the Very Silver and Really Blue Pixels have a glossy white front. That white front means reflections from the light bleed are going to both stand out and add more light to the space between your eyes and the lenses. That’s a problem for two reasons.
First, the headset itself is going to be less immersive when you can see the rest of the world around you in reflections. Immersion matters in Daydream a whole lot more than it ever did in Cardboard, because you’re expected to be wearing this headset for a while. Second, and perhaps more important, the reflections are going to give your eyes something else to focus on. Rapidly focusing between the content on the display and the reflections on the glass is going to rapidly increase eye strain, which could lead to users with headaches and general soreness much more quickly than with most other VR headsets designed to be worn for extended periods of time.
If you’re only ever planning on using Daydream View in a dark room, or if you’re planning on using Daydream View with the Quite Black Pixel, this isn’t likely to ever be a real problem. If you’re using one of the Pixels with a white front and you’re in brightly lit rooms or rooms with lots of lit objects on the walls around you, there’s potential for concern. We’ll know more for sure once we’re able to spend more time with the Pixels and their new VR headset, but if you’re excited about Daydream View make sure you choose your colors wisely.
Google Pixel + Pixel XL
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL hands-on preview
- In pictures: Google Pixel and Pixel XL
- Pixel + Pixel XL specs
- Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
- Verizon is the exclusive U.S. carrier for the Google Pixels
- Join the discussion in the forums!
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LG V20 arrives on T-Mobile October 28 with support for new AWS-3 network
T-Mobile is debuting the LG’s V20, the spec beast, on October 28.
America’s third-biggest carrier is set to sell one of the biggest phones of the year, the LG V20, starting on October 28.
Every purchase, for a limited time, comes with a pair of B&O BeoPlay H3 headphones, which at a retail cost of $149 is a nice bonus, but the big takeaway here is that we finally have a date for when this phone is going to be sold.
Alongside the phone itself, T-Mobile is also confirming that the V20 will support Band 66, which is needed for the carrier’s nascent AWS-3 network. Android Central previously reported that the V20 would be the first to support Wind Mobile’s upcoming AWS3-based LTE network in Canada, and now we know why: the phone was always intended to run on T-Mobile’s rollout of the same.
Aside from new networking technology, the V20 has all you’d expect from a high-end phone, including Android 7.0 Nougat: a Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage, and an intriguing dual camera setup that has a “normal” 16MP sensor with a f/1.8 lens and a second 8MP sensor with a wide-angle f/2.4 lens. It’s also got some serious manual camera controls for video buffs, and a 32-bit Quad DAC to make music sound great. Finally, a 3,200mAh removable battery and microSD expansion cement it as an enthusiast’s dream phone.
There’s no word on pricing right now, but we’d expect the V20 to come in around $650 on T-Mobile and other carriers when arrives later this month.
See at T-Mobile
LG V20
- LG V20 preview
- LG unveils the V20
- LG V20 specs
- LG V20 vs. Galaxy Note 7
- Discuss the V20 in the forums!
Grab 5 USB-C cables in various lengths for just $15 right now!
Right now you can grab a 5-pack of Aukey’s USB-C cables for just $15 at Amazon, a savings of $21. This is a perfect way to pick up a bunch of cables at an affordable cost to start or build up your collection. They come in a variety of lengths, including three 3.3-foot, one 6.6-foot and one 1-foot USB-A to USB-C cables. Being USB 3.0 cables, they support faster charging and transfer speeds, and the cables are both flexible and durable to stand up to your usage.
This deal won’t last long, and you don’t need a coupon code to get the savings here. Be sure to act quickly if you are interested in these cables so that you can get them before they’re gone.
See at Amazon
Google Pixel: A smaller flagship phone makes its triumphant return
You don’t have to find the biggest to get the best with the Pixel.
My favorite part of the Pixel event — excuse me, the Pixel, Phone by Googleevent — was when Google announced that the smaller of the two phones they wanted everyone to love had the same internal specs as the bigger one. The same CPU, the same amount of memory (both kinds), even the same colors. Outside of the screen and the overall size, they were identical. And the Pixel’s not even that small at 5 inches. But it is one of the few times that you don’t have to buy the biggest most gigantic version of a phone to get the best specs. I know I’m not the only person who reached for a credit card at that little factoid. I asked around. I’m not.
A 5-inch phone isn’t really small, but we’re getting closer.
Actually, in a world where companies have continued to build bigger and bigger phones because that’s much cheaper to do, then passed it off as a response to undisclosed market research, things have tapered off a bit on that front. This is again largely because of hardware and costs — the really good screens being used now are both difficult to manufacture and pricey as hell past a certain size — but also because the people making the phones care more about how they look. The big screen tiny frame look is what most companies (not all, thankfully) think looks more premium. They’re not the only ones who feel this way. Show off a new phone with a moderate sized screen and some real estate to hold it with around the edges and some of the first responses will be “bezels!” or the like. This makes a phone that doesn’t fit this narrative rare. Especially if you want the same great stuff under the hood.
Both Pixels mostly fit this bill. The bigger model is only 5.5 inches and neither looks like this with no place to put your big clumsy thumbs when you’re watching a Fail video or playing some pointless game (two of my favorite things to do in life). Seriously — hate on bezels that only exist to be bezels all you like. I’ll know that you never tried to use that damn Sharp Aquos thing from Boost.
Oh God how I hate you, Sharp Aquos thing from Boost.
Another thing the Pixel, Phone by Google (I’ll get tired of typing that before Dan Bader tells me to stop) (No I won’t) did that was very iPhonesque in the very unAppley world of Android is put the same guts inside the “little” flagship phone. Not that the 5-inch Pixel is little. My Xperia Z3 Compact was little. My Moto X was little. The Pixel is not-biggerish at best. Nevertheless, same shit under the hood. Glorious sameness. For some reason, this matters to me. Nothing I’ll ever do will really push the processor to the limit or run out of RAM. If that were the case, we’d already know because no Android phone could do them. But still, after seeing all these phones other people really, really liked I get one that I really, really like. I’m not complaining.
Of course, the Pixel’s also very much like the iPhone in one other way — it won’t take six or more months to get updated. Apply salve to burned area.
Does this mean anyone is going to follow suit or that phones are going to start shrinking? Doubtful. Companies will make the phones they think they can move out the door fastest, and some of those will be smaller than others. They’ll probably still be burdened with mediocre specs, too. If the Pixel ends up selling 70 million or so units (it won’t) other companies might notice (nope) and follow along to catch this market, too (not going to happen). But Google will probably keep doing it until they abandon yet another thing I love. I’ll at least have that to look forwards to.
Anyhoo, to hell with the future. I’ll take what I can get when I can get it. For 2017, that means a Pixel. (Please don’t explode.)
AIVAnet 