Report LG Pay’s White Card to Feature IC Chip

Report LG Pay’s White Card to Feature IC Chip

Over the past few months, more details have surfaced regarding LG Pay, the company’s mobile payments platform that should launch at some point, although, there is no concrete info on when we should expect it. It was even rumored it would launch this past January, but that didn’t happen. Anyway, a new report out of Korea states that the White Card, which is the consumer-facing end to LG Pay, will feature an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip.

Anyone reading this who has a new credit card probably knows what an IC chip is, as the chips are becoming more widely adopted by financial institutions all across the world. To sum it up, IC chips help protect your credit card data from fraud and cloning, utilizing on-the-spot encryption methods. 

Not only will LG’s White Card feature the IC Chip, but will still work via the traditional MS (magnetic stripe) means. That allows the White Card to not only work at pretty much any terminal now, but any terminal that gets upgraded in the future to only work with IC chips, as they are becoming the worldwide standard for credit card payments.

As a refresher, think of White Card like a master key for your existing catalog of credit and debit cards. Once you upload all of your banking and credit card details onto White Card, you can use this single card for all of your purchasing needs, sort of like Coin used to do with the Coin 2.0 hardware.

Are you pumped for LG Pay and White Card?

Via: ETNews

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Report Google’s Amazon Echo Like Device is Codenamed Chirp Possible Google I O Tease to Take Place

Report Google’s Amazon Echo Like Device is Codenamed Chirp Possible Google I O Tease to Take Place

Back in late March, a report surfaced that stated Google was working on an Amazon Echo-like device. Not many details were known at the time, but really, how much info does one need? The Amazon Echo is a pretty straightforward device. You speak to it, it listens. It can play music from Amazon Prime Music, can create shopping lists for you, and even works with Nest, if you own a smart thermostat. Now, picture all of that stuff, but built by Google for use with Google’s multitude of services. 

According to sources of re/code, the device’s internal codename at Google is Chirp. Working like Google Now does on your smartphone, a user could say, “OK, Google” and the device will await your command.

We expect Chirp would do virtually everything Echo can do, such as play music from Play Music, read books aloud from Play Books, create calendar events that are synced with your Google Calendar app, and give you a breakdown of top news stories from sites you frequent. It is also reported that Chirp will look similar to an OnHub WiFi router.

Sadly, the same sources claim that Chirp is not expected to be launched during this year’s Google I/O, which takes place next week in Mountain View, CA. However, it is expected that the device will be teased on stage during the keynote, with launch set for later this year.

Is Chirp shaping up to be something you want inside of your home?

Via: re/code

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Report No More Android Wear Devices From Samsung

Report No More Android Wear Devices From Samsung

Not that anyone was expecting to see one, but according to Fast Company, who spoke with executives of Samsung, there are no future plans for a Samsung-made Android Wear device. The only Android Wear smartwatch Samsung ever released was the Gear Live, which was made available after Google I/O in 2014. Since then, Samsung has used Tizen, its in-house operating system, exclusively for wearables. 

However, while that news should not alarm or upset anyone, the Samsung executive (no name provided), stated that Android Wear is not as battery-efficient as Tizen. No doubt, Android Wear and smartwatches in general have a ways to go in the battery department, but is Tizen really that much better?

Back when Kellen was using the Gear S2 (powered by Tizen), he never mentioned incredible battery life, which leads us to believe its not just battery life that turns Samsung away from Android Wear. Could it be that Samsung has already invested a ton in its own wearable ecosystem? That seems more likely.

Whatever the reasoning may be, don’t expect a Samsung Android Wear watch anytime soon.

Here, you can borrow my tissue to wipe the tears.

Via: Fast Company

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Report Project Chirp Google’s Amazon Echo Competitor to be Called Google Home

Report Project Chirp Google’s Amazon Echo Competitor to be Called Google Home

On the eve of Google I/O, details are emerging regarding Google’s Project Chirp. If you have missed the previous reports, Project Chirp (otherwise known simply as Chirp), is the Amazon Echo competitor device that Google is working on, said to be powered by Google Now and other Google technologies. According to the latest report from the New York Times, Chirp will be officially called Google Home, set to be unveiled during Google’s keynote address tomorrow morning in Mountain View, CA. 

Detailed in the report, Google Home will do essentially everything Echo can do, which is answer simple questions using the web, as well as possibly connect to other smart devices in your home. That’s the goal, at least. Not too many tidbits on operation were given, but considering we are potentially less than 24 hours away from unveiling, we will know everything soon enough.

According to the source of the New York Times, Google Home will not be available for purchase until this fall, but with an unveiling during Google I/O, you can expect that Google is looking to bolster app integration and support for 3rd-party systems by the time launch comes around. The Echo from Amazon has had nearly two years to build on the platform, so Google has a bit of catching up to do.

Let’s see a show of hands for who is anticipating the announcement of Google Home.

Via: The New York Times

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Report Samsung to Implement “Focus” Communication Hub Into Galaxy Note 6

Report Samsung to Implement “Focus” Communication Hub Into Galaxy Note 6

According to the latest from SamMobile, Samsung will look to implement a feature called Samsung Focus into the Galaxy Note 6, a communication hub of sorts, similar to BlackBerry Hub. Hub is a one-stop shop for different email services, social networks and texting services, allowing users to do most of their communication via a single application. That is Samsung’s goal with Focus, reportedly.

Claimed by SamMobile, Focus will focus on email, calendar events, handle contacts, and memos. It’s possible that Focus could simply replace all of Samsung’s general applications that handle these tasks, but that seems unlikely. As an example of usage, a user could log into various social networks from Focus, such as Facebook and Twitter, and handle all of the communication from the Focus hub. In addition, you could manage different email accounts from Focus, handling all incoming and outgoing messages from the same inbox. Same could be said for instant messages and texts.

From what SamMobile has seen so far, the app appears to be designed rather well, borrowing heavily from Google’s Material Design. For consumers, that’s a good thing. Upon opening the app, your daily schedule will be listed, along with dedicated pages for contacts and memos. As previously stated, it would be your go-to app for communication and networking.

With Samsung reportedly set to launch Focus with the Galaxy Note 6, it is currently unknown if it will be brought to past Samsung devices, but it is somewhat expected to at least make it available to Galaxy S7 models.

While it’s nothing new that Samsung wants to create yet another app, if Focus might rid the Galaxy Note 6 of other Samsung apps, that would be most welcomed. Here in the US, Google provides most of its popular apps (Calendar, Messenger, etc.) on Google Play these days, so doubling up with Samsung apps is just overboard.

Are you interested in Focus?

Via: SamMobile

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Report Samsung Pay Will Soon Move Into Online Payments too on Both Android and iOS

Report Samsung Pay Will Soon Move Into Online Payments too on Both Android and iOS

To help boost the amount of users making purchases through Samsung Pay, Samsung is reportedly working on an extension to the existing Samsung Pay platform that will be available to both Android and iOS devices, as well as online for desktop users. According to industry insiders, this Samsung Pay extension could launch as early as June.

To recap Samsung Pay as a whole, it is a bit different from what is offered by Google (Android Pay) and Apple (Apple Pay). As of right now, only select Galaxy device owners can use Samsung Pay in stores, and it is also limited to whichever banks support it. The list of supported banks is growing, but there are still plenty that do not. If you do have a supported bank and smartphone, users can upload banking and credit card info into Samsung Pay, then pay for goods at almost any retailer in the US, as long as there is a MS-powered credit card terminal. Samsung Pay does not entirely run off of NFC (Android Pay and Apple Pay do), so it allows users to benefit from the service in more places.

More importantly, both Apple Pay and Android Pay heavily support online payments through 3rd-party applications. This is the area where Samsung is playing catch up and this reported extension is Samsung’s investment into that online payments realm.

Think of this possible extension as a counter to PayPal online. When checking out inside of an online store, or even through a mobile app, many retailers grant the option to use PayPal for hassle-free payments. Your banking and credit card info is already stored on PayPal, which makes the payment experience much quicker. This same experience is what Samsung is reportedly going for. By offering Samsung Pay more broadly online, as well as to virtually all Android users and iPhone owners, the company can grow the amount of users exponentially.

Details regarding partners and concrete launch timeframe are unknown, but it seems that Samsung wants to launch as quickly as possible. Of course, nothing has been made official by the company yet.

If you are a current Samsung Pay user, could you see yourself using Samsung Pay for more online desktop purchases?

Via: ET News

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Report Next Galaxy Note May be the Note 7 Not Note 6

Report Next Galaxy Note May be the Note 7 Not Note 6

In the whacky world of smartphone marketing, it may seem odd to have two lineups of devices not on the same number-naming structure. At Samsung, we have the Galaxy S line, as well as the Galaxy Note line, but these lineups are not on the same number, and apparently, that’s a problem. This issue, if it even is an issue, originates from Samsung releasing the first Galaxy Note device one year later (October, 2011) than the first Galaxy S (June, 2010). Because of this time difference, it has caused the two lineups to be out of sync in the numbering structure.

Today, the latest Galaxy S on the market is the Galaxy S7, and the latest Galaxy Note is the Galaxy Note 5. Note that the next Galaxy Note, the Galaxy Note 6, is likely only a few months away from launch. Well, according to the latest overseas report that cites industry insiders, Samsung may skip the “Galaxy Note 6” name completely, and instead, will release the Galaxy Note 7 to go right alongside the popular Galaxy S7. 

Stated in the report, Samsung wants to eliminate any inconsistency it currently has with the numbering structure, so jumping ahead to the Galaxy Note 7 seems to solve that issue entirely for them. However, to my recollection, skipping a number in a series of smartphones has not been done before, by any company, so we won’t know the possible affects it has on the unbeknownst populace. Will average consumers even notice that “6” has been skipped, or will there only be a few angry bloggers?

According a reported high-ranking representative of the telecommunications industry,”When Galaxy Note 6 has its model number lower than Galaxy S7, which is the newest model, is released, it can give out a feeling that it is an outdated phone. It is known that Samsung Electronics has made the numbers same to unify a premium image.”

That is certainly an argument Samsung can make, but if you ask me, the fact that the Galaxy Note and Galaxy S line are not the same is fine by me. The company continues to sell millions of phones, so I don’t get the sense they have been losing business because of numbering. This is the first report we have seen that describes a potential name change, and as we get a bit closer to an unveiling, we will certainly keep you posted.

I guess this answers the “Why was 6 afraid of 7?” question pretty well.

Via: ET News

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Report Moto X Line to be Replaced by New Moto Z Phones

Report Moto X Line to be Replaced by New Moto Z Phones

According to a report out of Venturebeat, the Moto X line may have been unceremoniously retired by Lenovo in favor of a new Moto line dubbed Moto Z. This news comes on the heels of Lenovo announcing new Moto G phones that may show up later this summer in the US and just before Lenovo shows off new Moto products at its Tech World conference in early June.

Today’s report claims that unpublished marketing materials have revealed the new branding, which also might shift the DROID line at Verizon into Moto Z branding. Let’s talk about what we are being told today. 

The Moto X line is dead and the Moto Z line is taking over. The two Motorola phones under codenames Vector Thin and Vertex, whose details were leaked last week, will arrive publicly as the Moto Z Style and Moto Z Play, respectively. Those names certainly match up to last year’s Moto X Pure Edition, which was more widely presented as Moto X Style outside of the US. Its counterpart, as you may recall, was the Moto X Play.

As for the DROID line, Verizon and Moto may end up ditching the Turbo and MAXX lines in favor of this Moto Z branding, only they’ll be dubbed “DROID Edition.” So we could have a Moto Z Style “DROID Edition” and Moto Z Play “DROID Edition.” That’s ridiculous, but then again, these are DROID phones we’re talking about.

Finally, we have additional information on the modular aspect to all of these phones. According to today’s report, the individual modules may end up being sold as MotoMods instead of Amps, which was previously rumored.

So much re-branding. I hope you know what you are doing, Lenovo.

Via:  Venturebeat

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Report Google Created a Android Update Ranking System by Manufacturer Might Publish It

Report Google Created a Android Update Ranking System by Manufacturer Might Publish It

According to a report out of Bloomberg, Google has created a ranking system for Android device manufacturers based on how quickly they are not only updating their phones to the latest versions of Android, but applying the most recent security patches as well. Google has apparently considered publishing their findings, which of course, would be bad for manufacturers, almost all of which are terrible at updating phones in a timely manner. 

The report dives into slow updates and how some manufacturers have attempted to improve their timeliness, but carrier involvement has often delayed important updates for months. Some carriers have softened timelines a bit over security patches since big scares, like Stagefright. However, the larger, feature-packed updates are still taking longer than we all want them to. None of this is news to us, as we continually complain about how much of a disgrace most Android phone manufacturers are in the update department. Sure, some have improved in recent years, but we see them all come and go as the shining update stars from time to time and hesitate to crown anyone as even “good.”

But we really just care about whether or not Google will post this ranking system, right? Think about how amazing it would be for consumers to be able to point to Google’s list and then at the manufacturer of their phone (and the carrier) to say, “You know what, you are terrible at updating, so I’m not buying another phone from you until you get better.” That’s power I think we all deserve to have.

Google could place a chart or list for this right on their Android distribution page and update it monthly. They already show updated numbers at the beginning of each month for each Android version’s percentage of the pie, so they may as well include the phone manufacturers whose phones are contributing (or not contributing) to each slice.

Quick, someone fire off a change.org petition to force Google into publishing their findings. (That’s sarcasm, by the way.)

In all seriousness, this is something that Google really should do. While it might be a bit of PR disaster for a number of companies on day 1, it should only lead to improvements from everyone in pushing out updates, assuming they care about their public perception and consumers coming back for more. I can’t think of a better way to start turning this all around.

Via:  Bloomberg

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