Pagaré Smartstrap Plans to Bring Contactless Payments to Pebble Time
Financial tech startup Fit Pay recently launched a new Kickstarter for its third-party Pebble Time “smartstrap” called the Pagaré. The new accessory will bring NFC payment capabilities to the smartwatch, using the power of the Pebble’s smart accessory port, giving Pebble Time the same mobile wallet opportunities allowed to Apple Watch customers thanks to Apple Pay.
The Pagaré smartstrap will come in all of the same colors and finishes that Pebble creates for the Pebble Time, so that “you won’t have to sacrifice your style to receive the benefits of Pagaré,” according to Fit Pay co-founder and CEO Mike Orlando. The strap runs on its own battery, so with a small USB connector on one end, users will be able to charge the Pagaré smartstrap and the Pebble Time simultaneously.
Fit Pay said that its new smartstrap will be able to be used “at over 9 million point of sale terminals worldwide,” including places like GameStop, Panera Bread, and Whole Foods. Similar to the Apple Watch, when the Pagaré is removed from a user’s wrist it locks access to any of the payment features of the band. A four-digit passcode reactivates those features when the Pebble Time is reattached.
Pagaré has multiple layers of security to protect sensitive data. In addition to secure hardware, we leverage the same card network service as Apple Pay to replace your card number with a surrogate value called a token. This means we never need to store your credit card.
Notably, once the Pagaré app is installed on a user’s phone and credit cards are scanned in, the new accessory is “a completely phone-free solution.” Users will be able to pay at compatible NFC terminals using Pagaré without having their smartphone nearby. The company is looking to the future, as well, with plans to introduce transit and entertainment ticket options into the Pagaré suite of tools if the Kickstarter gets funded.
As of writing, the campaign sits at just over a $26,000 funded level with a goal of $120,000 over the next 29 days. Users interested can get in on an early bird discount of the Pagaré for $49, and once those are gone the band will cost $69 at retail price. Higher early bird reward tiers bundle in the Pebble Time ($199), Pebble Time Steel ($249), and Pebble Time Round ($249) alongside a Pagaré smartstrap.
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Apple Close to Approval for Opening Retail Locations in India
Apple is close to gaining clearance to open its first retail store locations in India, according to a source familiar with the matter speaking with Bloomberg. Apple will be re-submitting its retail presence application to the Indian government due to a format problem, but Bloomberg‘s source said that India plans to push the application through without issue.
Due to the fact that Apple is “a provider of cutting-edge technology,” the Cupertino-based company will be exempt from a rule set by the Indian government that states any foreign businesses selling a single brand must acquire 30 percent of its product’s manufacturing inputs locally. Since Apple manufactures most of its products in China, the stipulation has been an issue for the company in trying to make headway into the Indian retail market.
“Most of the growth in India will come from new users coming into the Apple ecosystem, unlike in the West where growth is mainly from existing users upgrading,” said Tarun Pathak, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Technology Market Research, based near New Delhi. “You can expect the stores to focus mostly on iPhones.”
Due to the high-end pricing of the iPhone, Apple has remained a small share of the smartphone market within India for the past few years. With 2 percent of the market, Apple is behind companies like Samsung (26 percent), Intex (10 percent), and Lenovo (9 percent) in terms of smartphone sales.
Last summer, Apple announced the Authorized Mobility Resellers program in India, which was reported to be focused on opening 500 retail store locations across 12 cities in India. With such a small share of the country’s 220 million smartphone users, it seems Apple is finally getting closer to increasing its foothold in the country.
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Facebook iOS App Under Fire Again for iPhone Battery Drain Issues
Facebook this morning came under fire once more over concerns regarding the impact its iOS app has on iPhone battery life.
Writing in The Guardian, technology reporter Samuel Gibbs claims to have found that uninstalling Facebook’s iOS app and accessing the social media site via Safari can save up to 15 percent of an iPhone’s battery life.
Gibbs relates how he uninstalled the app on his iPhone 6s Plus and recorded its battery life at the same time each day for a week, comparing the numbers to a daily average taken from a week with the app installed.
The writer accessed Facebook’s site through Safari for the same amount of time and for the same purposes as he had using the dedicated app. Gibbs also notes that he left Facebook’s Messenger app installed throughout.
In conclusion, Gibbs states that his iPhone had on average 15 percent more battery life by 10:30 p.m. each day without the social media app installed. He also notes large gains in free space, since the deleted app had consumed 500MB in total of his iPhone’s capacity. Gibbs chalks most of that up to Facebook’s cache, owing to the fact that the app itself is only a 111MB download.
Several other users of the app were recruited to carry out further tests and corroborated Gibbs’ energy-saving results without the app installed. A Facebook spokesperson said the company is investigating the matter.
Facebook is no stranger to concerns regarding the impact of its iOS apps on battery life. In October the company released an update to fix issues raised by users who saw large amounts of battery drain on their iPhones while the social networking app ran in the background, even with the background app refresh toggled off.
With the release of the update, Facebook said the problem was due to a recurring background audio issue, prompting claims from some tech bloggers that the “issue” was an intentional ploy by developers to keep the app active in the background and discreetly pre-load content.
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Ad-Less Apple Maintains Presence at Super Bowl 50
Apple was conspicuously absent from commercial slots aired during the television broadcast of yesterday’s Super Bowl 50, but that didn’t stop some of its products from popping up in ads for other companies’ wares (via AppleInsider).
In TV spots aired during the National Football League’s biggest game, a shout-out for Apple Music featured at the end of T-Mobile’s ad, which promoted the network carrier’s unlimited streaming feature.
Meanwhile, hawk-eyed viewers may have seen an Apple Watch make a brief cameo appearance in a Hyundai commercial showcasing the car company’s smartphone-compatible automotive system Blue Link, which enables remote voice-activation of several in-car controls.
Elsewhere, a Super Bowl-themed ad for Apple’s Beats headphones appeared on Twitter and YouTube, featuring Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton wearing a pair of Powerbeats Wireless 2 in-ear headphones while training.
Apple, along with Intel, Yahoo, and Google, gave $2 million in cash and other services to offset taxpayer costs of hosting Super Bowl 50, which took place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. In exchange for the donations, each company received a private Super Bowl suite and publicity around the game. TV commercials aired during the game however can cost up to $5 million alone.
Congrats @Millerlite40 Peyton Manning @Broncos Amazing season. pic.twitter.com/3RfQml832C
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 8, 2016
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsApple helped establish the annual hype surrounding Super Bowl TV commercials, with its “1984” television ad for the Macintosh being among the most iconic in TV advertising history. After a 15-year spell of absence, the company ran its last dedicated Super Bowl commercial in 1999, remembered for its depiction of sentient computer HAL 9000 from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
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5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly
VarageSale
[Price: Free]
This week’s Android Apps Weekly show is brought to you by VarageSale. VarageSale is a Craigslist kind of application where people can post things they want to sell and you buy them. Unlike Craigslist, you’ll be required to create an account before you can interact with the site which is a mechanic we liked a lot. From there, you simply search around, find the stuff you want, and then buy it.
During our testing, we found all kinds of stuff from cloths to electronics and even an engagement ring. You can browse various categories in areas near you and you can even leave seller feedback which helps show which sellers are the most reliable. It has a lot going for it and it’s definitely worth a shot if you’re getting ready to sell stuff or just want to look around. It’s totally free so check it out and show your support for the Android Apps Weekly show!
Get it now on Google Play!
Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Let’s take a look at the biggest headlines from the last week:
- We managed to get a hold of the official Reddit beta application last week and wanted to show you what it was going to look like. It seems to have a modern design full of Material Design along with a few other fun features. We don’t know when it’ll be released but it seemed to work pretty well to us.
- SoundCloud announced a new stations feature that will give users a chance to listen to music similar to how they do on Pandora. This comes not long after announcing signing deals with a couple of major labels and announcing that they’ll be turning into a legitimate streaming service to battle the likes of Spotify.
- Nintendo has announced that people can start signing up for the closed beta of Miitomo, their first Android game, starting on February 17th. We know a lot about the game already and how it will emulate social media to an extent. However, we won’t know everything until we get our hands on it and that may be sooner than later.
- Even though most of Apple’s apps have received a slew of terrible ratings in the Play Store, they seem to be doing pretty good. How good? Well, Tim Cook announced this week that even more Apple apps will likely be making their way to Android. We don’t know which ones yet, but our guess is likely iCloud and other productivity apps.
- Perhaps the biggest app news from the last week was Microsoft purchasing SwiftKey for $250 million. There hasn’t been a lot of information from either company but the popular guess is that Microsoft is after SwiftKey’s legendary predictive algorithms and AI. For now, nothing is changing, but after seeing what happened to Sunrise Calendar and Accompli, we wouldn’t blame you if you were a bit worried.
For even more Android apps and games news, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter! We had a metric ton of news there that we didn’t have time for here. If you want to sign up, use the form below and we’ll send you the Android Apps Weekly newsletter every Sunday!
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Sundance VR
[Price: Free]
Sundance VR is a newer application released with the idea of showing you full VR content including short films, music videos, and other types of VR stuff. It’s a newer app and there aren’t a lot of selections yet so you may not find the app overly enjoyable right now. However, if you own Google Cardboard or you’re interested in VR, I would keep this app in your crosshairs because it should get a decent selection of unique VR content eventually.
Get it now on Google Play!
LEGO Ninjago: Skybound
[Price: Free]
The latest LEGO game has hit the Google Play Store and like many were before it, this one is entirely free with no in-app purchases. This one continues the Ninjago series where the prior game left off and includes a lot of the same graphics and mechanics as prior Ninjago games. There is a stealth element where you can hide in the shadows instead of engaging in fights and the controls are very simple. It’s a great title for kids or adults and is especially great if you’re low on money.
Get it now on Google Play!
Marvel Avengers Academy
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Marvel Avengers Academy is the latest adventure/simulation game out of TinyCo. They are the same developers who did Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff. The game lets you play as your favorite Avengers as teenagers who are just beginning to find their abilities. You’ll battle bad guys, level up your characters, and even do teenager stuff like go on dates. It’s a mixture of adventure and simulation so there will be some management here and there and then some action here and there. It’s free to download but does have in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Promo Codes
[Price: Free]
Promo Codes is a new application that is meant to take advantage of the new promo codes feature in Google Play. It’s very simple. Developers sign up for the service and once per day, people using the app can check and see if they get a free promo code. If they do, they get a paid app for free. If not, well, better luck tomorrow. It’s a fun and unique way for developers to utilize their promo codes and even if the users lose out, they get to see a fun new app every day. This should be on every smartphone. Get it.
Get it now on Google Play!
Adventures of Mana
[Price: $13.99]
Adventures of Mana is a classic RPG that was originally released on Game Boy in the early 1990’s. Don’t worry, though, because Square Enix has updated the graphics and soundtrack to make it look way better than it did back then. The story line and content remains intact and you’ll play once again as the hero trying to keep the Dark Lord Glaive from reaching the sacred Mana Tree and destroying all life. It has simple, touch-based controls. There is also a steep price tag but at least there are no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Related best app lists:
If we missed any big Android apps or games news, tell us about them in the comments!
The 100% full wood Nexus 6P skin by Toast
I am not a huge fan of using cases for my smartphones because they add too much bulk. There is definitely a purpose to them if you’re the type who is rough on your smartphone. But if you are gentle on your devices you should strongly consider getting a skin. I have a really unique skin made by Toast on my Nexus 6P and it is pretty freaking amazing.
About Toast
Toast is a relatively new company getting its start in 2012 by a man named Matias Brecher which I had the pleasure of meeting him in person at CES 2016. My first impression was a good one. Similar to other people I know who own their own businesses, I could tell he took great pride and passion in his work. He was standing at the CES booth and actually applying real wood Toast skins to people’s personal phones.
Matias Brecher – “Papa Toast” at CES
In the 15 minutes I was at the booth, I did get a chance to speak with Matias and even though he was tired from being on the CES floor for three days straight, he took the time to tell me about his company. He even told me he was the one who designed and cut my custom AG skin.
Toast got its name by the process in which the designers engrave and cut with a laser that burns in a very precise manner. So Matias named his company after toast which also burns.
Toast is a true U.S. based company which does all of its business in Portland, OR. In just three quick years, they have already grown to a company of 10 where they handle every step of the skin creation process. They are very good people. Toast takes part in the 1% for the Planet program in which a minimum of 1% of Toast’s net proceeds are donated to help save the earth. It’s a rarity for such a new company to have a social conscience, but it does and I am happy to support a company like Toast.
“We are a small company dedicated to quality products and quality of life: for you, for us, and for our planet.”
Real wood skin made in the U.S.A.
Toast makes a wide variety of skins – mobile devices, tablets, gaming consoles and even custom skins out of real genuine wood. I happen to have the grey Nexus 6P which has an all metal body. And if you’ve owned an all metal device before you understand that metal can be easy to scratch. If you’re like me and are tired of having the same old look in a smartphone with most of them being black, white or gold, skins can offer a superior level of customization without adding bulk.
I have been a fan of the “wood” look but only a few devices employed the look. Leave it to Toast to fill that gap with real wood skins that can be applied to almost any smartphone. My Nexus 6P skin is made from Walnut with an Ebony inlay for the camera and custom laser etched AG in the center of the skin. I also have the optional Walnut front cover which rounds out skin.
Every single detail is covered when it comes to the Toast skin. The cutouts are perfect for the buttons, cameras, and sensors. The wood itself is about a millimeter thick which a sticky backing which means it is very delicate until it is actually applied to the phone. Since it does add thickness, the SIM slot, power and volume buttons are slightly recessed when the main skin is applied. But Toast provides perfectly cut out wood inserts for that too.
Every detail is well thought out and Toast even provides an alcohol swab to clean your device to make sure the skin gets proper adhesion.
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Installation
I am not a huge fan of applying skins because they can sometimes be painful, but not the Toast skin. The laser that does the cutting is perfect and I say that without exaggeration. Once you line up the rear microphone hole, found below the Nexus 6P camera, and align the buttons all you have to do is push down and it fits perfectly.
Once the main section is in place, I dropped in the Ebony AG insert as well as the camera insert. It was as simple as removing the protective covering over the glue and fitting it into the skin like a jigsaw puzzle. Following those, I then put the inserts in for the SIM card, power button and volume rocker. I was a little skeptical of the tight fit and was worried they would get stuck, but was pleasantly surprised when my buttons worked without issue. And then all I had to do was apply the front Walnut screen cover and I was done. The whole process took less than five minutes.
Results
The skin fit perfect. It gives my 6P a unique look that I have not seen before on another phone. It definitely adds grip to what otherwise is a slippery Nexus 6P, and it is 100% made in the U.S.A. and supports charity at the same time. It even smells a little like burned wood. Rather than talk up the results I am just going to provide some sweet pictures. Words can’t do it justice.
Summary
Of all of the skins I have tried, the Toast all wood skin is by far my favorite. It was super easy to apply, has a unique look and is made by a company with values that I adore. The skins start at just $34 and can work their way up to $50+ if you want custom designs and graphics. I highly recommend checking out Toast skins if you’re up for a new look. You will not be disappointed.
Learn more at Toastmade.com
The post The 100% full wood Nexus 6P skin by Toast appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Rumored Apple Stores: NYC, LA, Toronto, Paris and More
Apple’s retail expansion efforts over the past few years have primarily focused on China, where it has opened over 15 new stores since the start of 2015. Over that time, the company has only opened 7 new retail stores outside of the China region, including two locations in New York City and one in Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Dubai, Sao Paulo, and Miranda, a suburb of Sydney, Australia.
But if recent rumors are any indication, Apple still has significant plans for new stores in several major cities around the world, including Birmingham, Brooklyn, Istanbul, Manhattan, Los Angeles, Paris, Toronto, and more. The following is an excerpt from our new Apple Store roundup that tracks recent retail stores — from new and renovated to rumored and confirmed locations. Read more 
130+ HD minimalist wallpapers of colors, macro images and more
Your phone probably has a fantastic display and there is no better way to see the beauty of it than through a wallpaper. We’ve collected a huge library of over 130 wallpapers of macro images, color, water droplets, dandelions and flowers all to make your background pop. These are perfect to show off the pixels and color gamut on your Android, iOS or Windows smartphones. They’ll also look great on your tablets as well.
We’ve changed things up lately and will be sharing the entire collection through Google Photos rather than hosting them on our servers. There are thousands of you who love these wallpapers and rather than drain the speed on our server, we’re offloading that responsibility to Google. All you have to do is join the collection through this link and you’re free to download all of the wallpapers to your device.
We would also love it if you tweeted screenshots of your home screens to us at Twitter.com (@AndroidGuys). We might feature your background in an upcoming wallpapers collection!
See the entire collection by clicking on this LINK to Google Photos.
Here some of our favorites from the collection.
Dandelion seed with water drops
The post 130+ HD minimalist wallpapers of colors, macro images and more appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Apple Launches Repair Program for Late 2013 Mac Pro Video Issues
Apple today launched a new Repair Extension Program that addresses video issues on some late 2013 Mac Pro models, according to an internal notice obtained by MacRumors.
Apple has determined that graphics cards in some late 2013 Mac Pros, manufactured between February 8, 2015 and April 11, 2015, may cause distorted video, no video, system instability, freezing, restarts, shut downs, or may prevent system start up.
Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will repair eligible Mac Pro models affected by the video issues free of charge. Customers can book an appointment with the Genius Bar at an Apple Store or visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider to determine if their Mac Pro is eligible for coverage.
Unlike Apple’s voluntary recall of some international AC wall adapters last week, Apple is unlikely to publicly announce this repair program on its support website, but it may contact some customers directly.
Apple has sold around 11 million Macs since Q2 2015, which is when the affected Mac Pro models were first sold, but the company does not provide a sales breakdown by type of Mac. It is also unclear if the affected Mac Pros were sold beyond April 2015, making it difficult to gauge how many customers are potentially impacted.
A lengthy Apple Support Communities topic was posted about Mac Pro video issues in February 2015, and it has since amassed nearly 3,500 views and 50 replies from affected users. One customer claimed Apple agreed to replace his Mac Pro’s graphics card after he contacted the company’s support team about the issue.
Apple also launched a repair program for 2011-2013 MacBook Pros with video issues in February 2015.
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iPhone 5se May Come in Silver, Space Gray, and Bright Pink
Apple’s rumored iPhone 5se may come in Silver, Space Gray, and a pink shade that’s different than the Rose Gold of the iPhone 6s, reports Japanese site Mac Otakara [Google Translate], citing information obtained from a third-party vendor.
The site compares the shade of pink to that of the seventh-generation iPod nano and sixth-generation iPod touch, which is a deep pink that is brighter than the Rose Gold iPhone 6s. Mac Otakara was not able to see the shade of pink firsthand, so its exact tone is not clear, but the vendor said it is not the same color as the iPhone 6s.
Early iPhone 6s rumors said pink would be a color choice for the device, but it turned out that “pink” was actually Rose Gold. Today’s rumor, if true, makes a clear distinction between Rose Gold and a deeper pink shade, so it seems unlikely the vendor is making the same mistake.
Other potential colors for the iPhone 5se are not mentioned, but Space Gray, Silver, and Bright Pink is an odd lineup, so there’s a possibility that Apple will include other color options. The first “iPhone 6c” rumors pointed towards a brighter color lineup for the device, but later rumors have indicated that it will be available in the traditional Silver, Space Gray, and Gold colors.
With the iPhone 5se just over a month away from a potential unveiling at a March 15 event, we may soon see part leaks or more concrete detail that gives us a better picture of the colors we can expect. Other iPhone 5se rumors point towards an iPhone 5s-style design with the curved cover glass of the iPhone 6, an A9 processor, Touch ID, and an 8-megapixel rear camera.
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AIVAnet 