MasterCard Offers Apple Pay Users Free Public Transit in London Starting Today

In an effort to increase adoption of contactless payments, major credit card issuer MasterCard has launched a limited time “Fare Free Mondays” promotion, offering free public transit to Apple Pay users in London on Mondays between November 23 and December 14, 2015.

Starting today, and on the next three Mondays, MasterCard customers using Apple Pay to touch in and out on London’s public transit network will have up to £27.90 in daily fares refunded by MasterCard. The promotion is valid for travel on the Tube, buses, tram, DLR, London Overground and most National Rail services in London.

Mark Barnett, president of MasterCard UK&I:

“The move by TfL last year to accept contactless cards and devices on London Underground has been a phenomenal catalyst to the growth in contactless payments across the UK. Now that Apple Pay has arrived we want to encourage travellers on London’s transport network to try it out and give them another convenient option to pay for their travel. What better way to do this, than to offer MasterCard customers using Apple Pay the chance to travel for free over the next four consecutive Mondays.”

MasterCard competitor Visa today also unveiled a new Apple Pay “Ready” campaign in Europe, including two TV ads from agency Saatchi & Saatchi that highlight how fast, easy and reliable using a Visa card in Apple Pay is in everyday situations such as paying to use the Tube or in a cafe.

Apple Pay expanded to the U.K. in July and is accepted at more than 250,000 locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The iPhone-based mobile payments service recently gained support for Tesco Bank and TSB in the country alongside over 90 new U.S. issuers.

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple’s Fifth Retail Store in Beijing Opens November 28

Apple has announced that its fifth retail store in Beijing, and 27th in China, opens Saturday, November 28 at 10 AM local time. The store will be located in the new Chaoyang Joy City shopping mall at 101 Chaoyang North Road in Beijing’s city proper Chaoyang District.

Chaoyang Joy City shopping mall in Beijing, China (Image: Shotamuni)

The new store will be open 10 AM-10 PM local time everyday and offer traditional Apple Store services, including the Genius Bar, Workshops, JointVenture, events and seminars. Apple’s four other retail stores in Beijing are located at China Central Mall, Sanlitun, Wangfujing and Xidan Joy City.

Apple has opened more than seven new retail stores in China this year, including locations in Chongqing, Dalian, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Nanjing and Tianjin. The company is committed to expanding its footprint in China, an increasingly important market, under the leadership of retail chief Angela Ahrendts.

Apple opened a new store in Chengdu, China on November 21, less than a month after opening a new Dalian, China store on October 24.

Discuss this article in our forums

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: The new Prius and a two-legged puppy

2016 is shaping up to be a tremendous year for green transportation. This week Honda announced plans to launch its Clarity Fuel Cell car next year in the US, while Gogoro is getting ready to roll out its battery-swapping Smartscooters in Europe. Chevrolet scored a grand slam as the 2016 Volt won the Green Car of the Year award, and we jumped behind the wheel of the completely redesigned 2016 Toyota Prius to give you the scoop. We also showcased two wild pedal-powered vehicles: a folding bike that weighs less than a watermelon and the world’s longest bicycle, which stretches an absurd 117 feet.

Apple Shares New Apple Pay for iPhone Guided Tour

Following the launch of Apple Pay in Australia and Canada earlier this week, Apple has shared a new Apple Pay Guided Tour video that walks users through how to use Apple Pay on their iPhones.

The video goes through the steps of making a payment at an NFC terminal with a finger on the Touch ID home button of an iPhone and it covers the security behind Apple Pay. Apple Pay shares no credit card numbers or personal information with cashiers during the checkout process.

There’s also a walkthrough on how to set up Apple Pay through the Wallet app and details on using the payments service within an app.

Apple Pay is now available in the United States, the UK, Canada, and Australia, with the latter two countries receiving the service through a partnership with American Express. In 2016, Apple Pay will expand to Spain, Singapore, and Hong Kong through the same AMEX partnership.

Apple has previously published a number of Guided Tour videos, most recently sharing a video series that walks users through how to use the various features of Apple Music. In the past, Apple has also done quite a few Apple Watch Guided Tour videos to teach users how to unlock the full capabilities of the wrist-worn device.

Discuss this article in our forums

Sonnet Announces Availability of Long-Delayed Echo 15+ Thunderbolt 2 Dock

Sonnet this week announced the launch of its long-awaited Echo 15+ Thunderbolt 2 Dock, which is a 16-port docking station compatible with all Mac and Windows computers that feature Thunderbolt ports. It offers four USB 3.0 Ports, two 6Gb/s eSata ports, a FireWire 800 port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, two 3.5mm audio inputs, two 3.5mm audio outputs, and two Thunderbolt 2 ports.

A drive bay with 6Gb/s interfaces for one 3.5 inch or two 2.5-inch internal SATA drives is included, with support for SSD speeds of up to 750 MB/s. The USB 3.0 ports included in the dock provide 7.5 watts of power each for charging iPads, iPhones, and other electronic devices even when a computer is turned off.

The Echo 15+ also includes a built-in optical drive, and users are able to choose from an 8x DVD+/-RW drive, a Blu-ray BD-ROM/8x DVD+/-RW drive with Blu-ray player software for OS X, or a Blu-ray burner 4x BD-R/8x DVD+/-RW drive. Using an optical Thunderbolt cable and Sonnet’s Thunderbolt 2 expansion systems, the Echo 15+ can be connected to computer equipment located up to 60 meters away.

According to Sonnet, the Echo 15+’s aluminum case is sturdy enough to support the latest 27-inch iMac or a comparable display up to 34 inches.

“The Echo 15+ is the ultimate docking station for users to connect every device they need, including current and legacy devices — even the latest Ultra HD 4K displays — and expand their storage for backup or increased capacity in a single desktop device that connects to their computer with a Thunderbolt cable,” said Greg LaPorte, vice president of sales and marketing, Sonnet Technologies. “With the option to add internal storage supporting data transfer rates of up to 750 MB/s, as well as the ability to read from and write to optical media including Blu-rayTM Disc, Sonnet’s Echo 15+ Thunderbolt 2 Dock is the go-to station for flexible connectivity.”

Sonnet first announced the Echo 15 Thunderbolt docking station in April of 2013 and began accepting pre-orders at that time. Following the launch of Thunderbolt 2, the dock was delayed in early 2014 as Sonnet decided to upgrade the device to support it, and nearly two years after that, the dock is finally ready.

Pricing on the Echo 15+ Thunderbolt 2 Dock starts at $469 for the version with a DVD+/-RW Drive and goes up to $999 for the version with a Blu-ray Burner and two included 500GB SSDs. The dock can be purchased from the Sonnet website.

Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Pad & Quill Apple Watch Band or iPhone Case

For this week’s giveaway, we’ve partnered again with Pad & Quill, the maker of premium MacBook, iPhone, and iPad cases and other accessories. Pad & Quill is kindly offering prizes from its lines of leather watch bands and iPhone cases to the lucky winners.

Pad & Quill’s Lowry line of leather watch bands come in a cuff style and a standard band style. The Lowry Cuff is sized specifically for 42mm Apple Watch models while the Lowry Band is available for both 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch models. They’re all made of full-grain vegetable tanned leather and feature nickel-finished hardware and 25-year leather warranties. The Cuff retails for $129.95 and the Band is $109.95.

The company’s Classic Band, which Contributing Editor Mitchel Broussard found to be durable and professional-looking, is available for both 38mm and 42mm watch models in several colors with the choice between stainless steel and polished black for the metal hardware. The Classic Band retails for $99.95.

Pad & Quill makes several iPhone cases in various styles, including the wood-framed leather portfolio style Luxury Book for iPhone 6 Plus and 6s Plus, which costs $109.95, and the leather Bella Vida wallet case, which costs $74.95.

Four winners will be chosen. The first two winners can choose one Lowry Cuff or Band or Classic Band in the size and color of their choice. The second two winners can choose any one iPhone case from Pad & Quill’s entire case line-up.

To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter your email address. Your email address will not be given to any third party and will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page. Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

This contest will run from today (November 20) at 12:00 pm Pacific time through 12:00 pm Pacific time on November 27. The winners will be chosen randomly on November 30 and will be contacted by email. The winners have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address. The prizes will be shipped to the winners for free.

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Developing Support iOS App to Streamline Repair and Troubleshooting Process

Apple appears to be working on an iOS app that will provide customers with easy access to Apple support staff, troubleshooting tips, and repair options for their iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices. A series of screenshots of the app were provided by Sonny Dickson to uSwitch Tech, revealing key details about the app and what it’s capable of.

There are direct options for chatting with an advisor, scheduling an in-store visit (which lists the next available appointment at a local Apple Store), and sending a device in for service, along with a list of support documents and guides to solve common problems like using iTunes to do a restore, maximizing battery life, or upgrading to the latest version of iOS.

According to an “insider,” the app is tied to an Apple ID and will automatically list all of the devices that each person owns, giving them direct access to pre-defined troubleshooting problems, much like Apple’s support site does now. From there, it walks users through all of the available support options. It’s said to be “highly interactive and well integrated.”

Having a centralized spot to access support documents and repair options will be hugely useful for many users who may not know the extent of Apple’s online support offerings. The app will also further streamline the repair and support process, taking some of the pressure off of in-store Genius employees who work on repairs and potentially cutting down on the number of people coming in to the store for small issues.

It is not clear if the app is a standalone support app that will be added to iOS devices in the future or if this is functionality that will be incorporated into the existing Apple Store app. At this time, the Apple Store app has limited functionality when it comes to support, only allowing users to schedule appointments with Geniuses at their local Apple Stores.

Discuss this article in our forums