Android Pay has officially launched!
After months of anticipation, Android Pay is finally here! Although, really, it’s been around for awhile, just dubbed Google Wallet (before Apple Pay was even a thing…). Jokes aside, Android Pay will officially replace Google Wallet, and will work with any Android device with KitKat (4.4) or higher, and NFC.
Android Pay will not only hold your debit and credit cards, but it will also hold your loyalty cards, gift cards, and more right on your phone. Google says they’ll be adding even more features and usable banks and locations in the coming months, in hopes to allow you to keep that billfold at home.
Google will support the major card companies right off the bat: American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa. Specific banks are said to be supported as time goes on, starting with Citi and Wells Fargo.
Below are the companies that do or will support Android Pay:
Google is also assuring that security is focus with Android Pay, which will use a similar tokenization process that Apple Pay uses. Here is what they say:
“We know how important it is to keep your personal and financial information secure, so Android Pay is supported by industry standard tokenization. This means your real credit or debit card number isn’t sent with your payment. Instead, we’ll use a virtual account number that provides an extra layer of security. As soon as you make a purchase, you’ll see a payment confirmation that shows where a given transaction happened, so it’s easy to catch any suspicious activity.“
They also point out that if your phone is lost or stolen, you can use the already useful Android Device Manager to locate, lock, and even wipe your phone remotely.
They seem keen to point out that this isn’t the last you’ll hear of Android Pay, as they’ll constantly be adding features. Also, it’s interesting to read the announcement on the Blog, because if you read between the lines they seem to be implying that all of this has really been around for awhile in Google Wallet, even pointing out that you can instantly send/receive money from within Google Wallet at the end.
Anyways, this is all really cool, and it will be interesting to see how fast paying with our phones will be adopted. Google says that all NFC-enabled phones will begin to have Android Pay pre-installed on Android phones from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Perhaps that will be a step in making digital payments adopted everywhere.
Does this news excite you? Do you already use Google Wallet, so none of this is really news to you? Tell us your thoughts below!
SOURCE: Official Android Blog
The post Android Pay has officially launched! appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Android Pay is available starting today
Android Pay, Google’s tap-to-pay smartphone wallet, starts rolling out today, the company announced in a blog post. Android Pay will gradually hit all compatible devices over the next few days and it’s accepted at more than 1 million locations across the US, including Toys ‘R’ Us, GameStop, Panera, Walgreens, Macy’s, Subway and Whole Foods. Android Pay stores your credit, debit, gift and loyalty cards, and allows users to pay simply by unlocking their phones and placing it near an NFC-connected terminal. Yeah, it’s a bit like Apple Pay.
Android Pay is compatible with NFC-enabled Android devices, meaning those that run at least KitKat 4.4, and it will be available across all carriers. It supports credit and debit cards from Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover, and a hefty lineup of popular banks.
As for security, Android Pay uses tokenization, which means transactions are processed via individual account numbers, rather than your actual credit or debit card numbers. If you lose your phone — rather, your wallet — head to Android Device Manager to shut it down so no one can spend your cash. Those who use Google Wallet can expect that app to receive the Android Pay update over the next few days, while everyone else will be able to download the standalone app fresh from Google Play.
If you’re going to stick with a physical wallet for a while longer, there’s still some news here for you: The launch of Android Pay signals the imminent launch of Android’s latest mobile OS, Marshmallow.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Software, HD, Google
Source:
Android
Tags: androidpay, google, GoogleWallet, hdpostcross
Google officially rolling out Android Pay starting today
After months of speculation regarding a possible release date, Google has now officially announced that Android Pay will begin rolling out starting today. With Android Pay, you’ll be able to pay with your Android smartphone at over one million locations across the United States. The service will be able to store your gift cards, loyalty cards and special offers right on your phone, too.
Google says Android Pay will be rolling out to users over the next few days, and more features, banks and store locations will be added to the service within the coming months. To use Android Pay, you’ll need to have an NFC-enabled Android smartphone running 4.4 KitKat or later. The service will work on any mobile carrier, as well. It can support credit and debit cards from American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.
It should be noted that not all banks will be supported at the start. Google says credit and debit cards will work with some of the most popular banks and credit unions such as American Express, Bank of America, Discover, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC, Regions Bank, USAA and U.S. Bank. Citi and Wells Fargo support will be rolling out in the next few days, and Capital One is coming soon, as well. Unfortunately, if your bank isn’t included on that list, you can’t use Android Pay when it launches. Google will however be adding more and more banks as time goes on.
So, where can you use Android Pay? Google says over one million retailers, restaurants and more are on board, but here’s a good look at some of the most popular businesses already accepting Android Pay:
Security is a big deal for Google as well, which is why Android Pay is supported by industry standard tokenization. What this means is that your actual credit or debit card number isn’t sent with your payment. Google will instead use a virtual account number that provides an extra layer of security. Android Pay also makes it easy to check for suspicious activity, as you’ll quickly be able to view a payment confirmation that shows where each transaction happened.
The company says more Android Pay information will be coming our way soon, so stay tuned to Android Authority for those upcoming announcements. Oh, and to clarify, Google Wallet users will be able to access Android Pay via an update to the older Wallet app in the Play Store. Just yesterday, Google rolled out a completely new Wallet app to the Play Store that puts the focus on transferring money to other users.
We’ll be sure to let you know once the application becomes available.
You can get a good idea of what the Nexus 5X looks like from these case renders
Intrigued by the Nexus 5X? Renders from case listings on Amazon may give you a good idea of what to expect in terms of appearance.
The renders come from a familiar source: case manufactures looking for an early marketing lead who create unofficial renders of upcoming devices. These renders are based on product schematics that phone makers share with accessory companies ahead of new phone launches. The images are typically accurate in terms of the general dimensions and layout of ports and buttons, but case makers don’t know the finer details, like the material or finish of a device.
The Nexus 5X renders below come from Spigen and Ringke, two case makers that have released accurate phone renders in the past, most recently with the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
A source has confirmed to Android Authority the design of the upcoming Nexus 5X – from images we have seen, we can say that these renders (as well as the images leaked by Android Pit a few days ago) are spot on.
The LG-made Nexus 5X is expected to feature a Snapdragon 808 processor, a 5.2-inch Full HD display, and a fingerprint sensor on the back. According to our sources, the device will be around $50 more expensive than the original Nexus 5. We’re just weeks away from the expected September 29 launch, so everything should become clear very soon. In the meantime, we can’t rule out even more revealing leaks, so keep it tuned for more Nexus 5X coverage.
New Google Wallet app launched, may signal the impending Android Pay release
A new Google Wallet app has just shown up at the Google Play Store, and we mean that in every sense of the word. This is literally a separate app that you can install and see being positioned right next to the older one in your app drawer. The first question you may be asking yourself is: what the heck is going on here?!
We are expecting substantial changes to come to Google Wallet as Android Pay makes its way into the market. The whole situation is confusing, but it will all make sense once everything is said and done.
First, let’s talk about the new Google Wallet app. What is it good for? The more recent application will take care of all the functionality this service had before, sans the mobile payments bit. You can use this new application to manage your Google Wallet Card, withdraw your funds, see your account activity and send money. Oh, and you also get the new snazzy logo design language, which Google has been implementing for all its apps lately.
Google goes on to mention the following in their Google Play Store description:
“Looking to tap & pay in stores? Stay tuned for the new Android Pay app – coming soon.”
Our expectations are that the old Google Wallet will later be converted into the Android Pay application. This would make sense, as most of the contact-less payment coding is already there. Google just needs to work its magic, make it a system-integrated service (as opposed to just another app) and get the ball rolling.
Now there’s only one thing to worry about – when is Android Pay finally launching? Sadly, we don’t know, but we can almost taste the release. Google has already updated the Google Play Services app to include Android Pay. And now that the new Google Wallet has already hit the Play Store, we can assume Android Pay fun time is getting very close.
Head over to the Play Store to get the Google Wallet app. I have been testing it and seems to work like a charm!
Download the new Google Wallet from the Play Store!
Baidu unveils a voice-activated, AI-based smartphone assistant
Chinese tech company Baidu announced at its Baidu World conference on Tuesday that it is launching a voice-activated assistant for its Android-based smartphones. The program is called “Duer”, which roughly translates into “Du Secretary”, is expected to directly compete with Siri, Cortana and Google Now. Initially, the app will allow users to perform tasks like ordering food as well as controlling smart devices around the home and accessing other on-demand services (ride hailing, designated driver services, or housekeeping) via voice command. Eventually, the company plans to integrate Duer into its other apps, like Maps, and potentially even into the self-driving BMW that the company is rumored to be working on.
[Image Credit: ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images]
Filed under:
Internet, Apple, Microsoft, Google
Via:
The Guardian
Source:
China Daily
Tags: AI, apple, Baidu, BMW, Duer, google, Google Now, microsoft, search, Siri, voice-activated
TiVo owners can finally download recordings on Android
About a year ago TiVo added video streaming to its Android app, and now the app can also download recordings for offline viewing. It’s something TiVo DVR owners with iOS have been able to do for nearly two years, but better late than never (we guess). As noted by Dave Zatz, if you have a Roamio Pro or Plus, the necessary hardware to convert TV shows and movies (that aren’t flagged by your cable company to prevent transfers) is built-in, while owners of a Roamio Basic, Roamio OTA or Premiere box will need a TiVo Stream add-on to make the magic happen. We tried it and it worked without a hitch, and you can even choose what quality to download the recordings in, if you need to keep an eye on available storage space. The only bad news, is that if your space is mostly on an SD card, there’s no way to select a different download location at this time.
[Thanks, Dan]
Version 3.1 of our TiVo app for Android is now available. Supports downloads!
— TiVo Margret Schmidt (@tivodesign) September 8, 2015
Filed under:
Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Google
Source:
TiVo (Google Play)
Tags: android, download, DVR, google, hdpostcross, mobilepostcross, Premiere, Roamio, Stream, TiVo
Google’s new Wallet app makes its way to the Play Store
Google has clothed its Wallet app in a pleasant green hue, made it look crisper, and then sent it to the Play Store with its edgier (literally) new logo. In fact, Mountain View has released it as a brand new download instead of as an update to the old app, most likely to prepare for Android Pay’s arrival. This way, people can continue using the revamped Wallet app for peer-to-peer payments, even after Google transforms the old one into Android Pay through the latest mobile platform to instantly turn everyone into users.
The company’s answer to Apple Pay is geared more towards vendor payments — it’s baked right into the OS, giving you the ability to use tap-to-pay for purchases more quickly. Unlike Wallet, you don’t have to launch the app or key in your PIN for payments. That said, the revamped Wallet has all the features you’d expect in a payment application and can now even forward your balance to a linked debit card or bank account.
Filed under:
Misc, Mobile, Google
Via:
Android Central
Source:
Google Play
Tags: androidpay, google, googlewallet, mobilepostcross
You Sunk for Android Wear takes battleship action to your wrist
Is Android Wear for gaming? I wouldn’t say so, but if you are going to be playing with your smart watch, you may as well get a game that is optimized for the small screen experience. Given, this is hard to accomplish, but we are impressed about how You Sunk managed to successfully fit a warfare game into screens that usually range between 1.3 and 1.6 inches.
This is mostly because the experience is quite basic and has very simplified controls. But the title manages to be addictingly fun, which makes it a good download. Your goal is be to sink enemy ships, stop torpedoes from hitting you (by shooting them) and avoid harming friendly battleships.
A small radar located on the bottom-left corner will keep you well-informed about other vessels’ whereabouts, as well as alerting you when there is a torpedo headed towards you. You can look around by swiping left and right, then press the red button to fire. When you are on the offensive, you need to calculate the distance of the ship and shoot accordingly. For example, if a vessel is very far, you will have to shoot way ahead of it in order for the torpedo to hit it.
There are three difficulty levels, obviously labeled as easy, medium and hard. The situation can get pretty rough, but maybe you can raise above it by taking advantage of the 5 types of weapons you are offered. These include torpedoes, auto-guided torpedoes, auto-guided rockets, electro-magnetic impulses and nuclear rockets (that escalated quickly). Users can also choose between night, dawn and day. And if you need some more extra help, it’s also possible to upgrade your armor and torpedo speed.
The best part is that this game is free to download! Seriously, give it a good test and you may find yourself suddenly loving Android Wear gaming. The most addicting games are often the simplest ones. Furthermore, these titles can be among the funnest. Got an Android Wear watch? Go download You Sunk for Android Wear from the Google Play store and hit the comments to share your high scores and tell us how you are liking it!
Download You Sunk for Android Wear from the Google Play Store!
Hangouts updated to get ready for Android Marshmallow release
In the last few weeks we have seen more and more evidence of Google laying the ground-work for the upcoming release of Android Marshmallow. In the lead up to their sweetest release ever, Hangouts has been updated from v4.0 to v4.2 – though there is no real evidence for anything new except for some stuff found in the code by Android Police.
They seem to indicate that the new version is laying groundwork for the new control on permissions that will come with Android 6.0. Here is the code they isolate –
Otherwise, there is nothing else indicative of an update. Guess it just means we’re one step closer to Android Marshmallow!
However, if you are absolutely dying for anything new – you can grab the apk from APKMirror here.
Let us know if you do find something in this update that’s new!
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AIVAnet 