Kamis, 09 Mei 2019

Android users can pay in cash on Google Play - Engadget

Sponsored Links

Google

A few years ago, Google added carrier billing to the Play Store to make paid apps and in-app payments more accessible, even in emerging markets. Now, the tech giant is making it even easier for users in developing regions and other primarily cash-based societies to get their hands on paid content. It's rolling out a new payment option called "pending transactions," which Play Store Director of Engineering Aurash Mahbod describes as a "new class of delayed form of payment -- like cash, bank transfer and direct debit."

The version that's now live in Japan and Mexico allows users to buy paid apps by paying cash at local convenience stores. Google will follow up with the ability to pay for in-app transactions and will most likely make the option available in other developing nations.

They'd simply have to show the cashier the transaction code when they pay within the allotted time, so their accounts can be credited with the amount. If all goes well, their payments will be processed in as short as 10 minutes, though it could take as long as 48 hours if anything goes awry. Unfortunately, transactions paid through the option can't be refunded -- good thing users can think about their decision while making their way to the store.

Google launched the new payment option, since emerging markets are an area of growth for developers. The hope is to turn free users into paying ones. Cash-based transactions are still preferred in those regions, after all, where few people have access to credit cards and don't always have postpaid plans.

Source: TechCrunch
In this article: gear, google, google play, internet, mobile, payment
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
107 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Save
Comments

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/09/google-play-pending-transactions/

2019-05-09 07:52:14Z
CAIiEJf5MMI77Z7wO6x-CPWjWMEqGAgEKg8IACoHCAowwOjjAjDp3xswpuqvAw

Android users can pay in cash on Google Play - Engadget

Sponsored Links

Google

A few years ago, Google added carrier billing to the Play Store to make paid apps and in-app payments more accessible, even in emerging markets. Now, the tech giant is making it even easier for users in developing regions and other primarily cash-based societies to get their hands on paid content. It's rolling out a new payment option called "pending transactions," which Play Store Director of Engineering Aurash Mahbod describes as a "new class of delayed form of payment -- like cash, bank transfer and direct debit."

The version that's now live in Japan and Mexico allows users to buy paid apps by paying cash at local convenience stores. Google will follow up with the ability to pay for in-app transactions and will most likely make the option available in other developing nations.

They'd simply have to show the cashier the transaction code when they pay within the allotted time, so their accounts can be credited with the amount. If all goes well, their payments will be processed in as short as 10 minutes, though it could take as long as 48 hours if anything goes awry. Unfortunately, transactions paid through the option can't be refunded -- good thing users can think about their decision while making their way to the store.

Google launched the new payment option, since emerging markets are an area of growth for developers. The hope is to turn free users into paying ones. Cash-based transactions are still preferred in those regions, after all, where few people have access to credit cards and don't always have postpaid plans.

Source: TechCrunch
In this article: gear, google, google play, internet, mobile, payment
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Save
Comments

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/09/google-play-pending-transactions/

2019-05-09 07:47:57Z
52780290180690

Rabu, 08 Mei 2019

Google CEO takes a jab at Apple's security pitch: 'Privacy cannot be a luxury good' - CNBC

Google CEO Sundar Pichai testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, December 11, 2018.

Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images

As "privacy" has become the new buzzword of Silicon Valley, Google CEO Sundar Pichai is positioning the company's new products to fit the zeitgeist while undermining its competitor's messaging.

In an op-ed in The New York Times published Tuesday, Pichai asserted that "privacy cannot be a luxury good offered only to people who can afford to buy premium products and services."

The message may hint at Apple's comparatively expensive starting price for products like its smartphones. At its developer conference Tuesday, Google unveiled a $399 smartphone equipped with the latest privacy features of its Android operating system. That compares to Apple's newest budget model, the iPhone XR, which starts at $749.

Apple has arguably been at the forefront of privacy messaging among tech companies this year. CEO Tim Cook has not shied away from criticizing tech peers for their failures in protecting consumers' privacy while making trust and security central to Apple's brand. The company has also used its privacy features in advertising for the iPhone through commercials and billboards.

At a speech in Brussels last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook blasted the business models of rivals like Google, but stopped short of calling them out by name.

"We shouldn't sugarcoat the consequences. This is surveillance. And these stockpiles of personal data serve only to enrich the companies that collect them," Cook said in the speech.

Google is now trying to take the privacy message a step further, saying not only that its products will be secure, but that it will democratize that security.

"'For everyone' is a core philosophy for Google; it's built into our mission to create products that are universally accessible and useful," Pichai wrote in the Times op-ed. "That's why Search works the same for everyone, whether you're a professor at Harvard or a student in rural Indonesia. And it's why we care just as much about the experience on low-cost phones in countries starting to come online as we do about the experience on high-end phones."

Google presented a suite of new products at its event Tuesday with the goal of giving users more control over their data. Besides the new smartphone, Google is introducing its incognito mode from its Chrome browser to its Maps app, allowing users to search locations without the data being linked to their accounts. It's also making it easier to access security settings that let users choose what Google stores and for how long.

Google itself has come under criticism for its own approach to privacy in the past, which could open it to criticism over the idea of democratizing privacy. Just last year, the company faced internal backlash over a project that explored the creation of a censored search engine in China, before reportedly ending the project. Its social network, Google+, also exposed personal information from 500,000 of its users.

Read Pichai's full op-ed at The New York Times.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

Watch: Google CEO makes privacy pledge in New York Times op-ed

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/08/google-ceo-says-privacy-cannot-be-a-luxury-good.html

2019-05-08 14:39:00Z
CAIiEAD2gyjmFgIAobNIzdHzPiQqGQgEKhAIACoHCAow2Nb3CjDivdcCMJ_d7gU

Epson's $500 smart glasses are literally powered by your phone - Engadget

Sponsored Links

Epson

Smart glasses have been kicking around for more than half a decade now, so it's a bit jarring when a new model is released and they look, well... ugly. Google has already demonstrated that it's possible to build a pair without bottle-thick lenses and chunky frames, and yet the market's newest arrival, Epson's Moverio BT-30C smart glasses, boast exactly that.

Aesthetics aside, though, Epson's latest offering comes with features that could help give smart glasses the nudge they need to take hold in the consumer market -- at the moment such devices are largely the sole domain of business. The Moverio BT-30C connect with an Android smartphone of Windows PC over USB-C, a plug and play function that mitigates some of the hassle seen in previous iterations with custom controller boxes.

The glasses project up to three apps on three different screens against a transparent background and come with an OLED display for sharp, bright imagery. The glasses also come with a dark lens shade, for a movie-theater experience when streaming videos. Of course, none of these features alone will have consumers lining up for a pair, but their reasonable price tag of $499 will certainly make them a little more enticing, given previous models hit the market at $699. It's not small change, but making smart glasses more affordable will certainly be a guiding principle in the way tech giants approach getting this tech into the mainstream.

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/08/epsons-500-smart-glasses-are-literally-powered-by-your-phone/

2019-05-08 13:21:01Z
52780289231743

Amazon’s new Blink XT2 smart camera is cheaper than the original - The Verge

Amazon has announced the Blink XT2, the follow-up to Blink’s XT camera that was released in late 2016. The Blink XT2 is built with a new chip, which yields a longer two-year battery life via two lithium AA batteries, and enhanced motion detection over the original. Best of all, it costs less.

The Blink XT2 is now available for preorder at $89.99 per camera, each of which includes free cloud storage with no monthly fee tied to it. If you’re planning on installing multiple Blink XT2 cameras around your house or property, Amazon is selling a $99.99 bundle that includes an XT2 camera and a Sync Module, which is necessary for pairing the wireless Blink cameras together. Preorders will begin shipping in the US on May 22nd, and the new camera will be available in Canada later this summer. Best Buy will also stock the new Blink camera.

The XT2 looks almost exactly the same as the XT, and, similarly, the XT2 is weather-resistant (IP65 rated), and it can record 1080p footage. Amazon and Blink have incorporated two-way talk into the XT2, and it also works with Alexa voice commands. Beyond simple queries, you can see a live feed from your cameras on your Amazon Echo Spot, Echo Show, or Fire TV device by saying “Alexa, show me the [name of your camera].”

It’s still puzzling why the Blink cameras won’t integrate with Ring devices or even its own Amazon Cloud Cam. The XT2 actually competes directly with Ring’s own Stick Up camera. While the new features and lower price of the XT2 are appreciated, it doesn’t change the fact that Amazon has several players in the connected home space, yet they’re currently all at odds with each other.

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/8/18534552/amazon-blink-xt2-indoor-outdoor-camera-price

2019-05-08 13:00:00Z
52780289469232

Android Q beta 3 adds developer option that forces dark mode on all apps - Android Police

Google has officially announced dark mode for Android Q at I/O and has updated the Material Guidelines telling developers how to properly implement the theme in their apps. But of course, there's always going to be some apps that simply won't receive a gray look, be it because it's abandoned or just not a priority to the developer. To test how the OS could circumvent these, Android Q beta 3 introduces a brute method that forces all apps into dark mode.

The feature is available in the developer settings or by searching for the keyword override force-dark (after first opting into developer settings, naturally). When the dark theme is activated, all interface elements on your screen receive intelligently reversed colors, similar to Chrome's experimental dark mode tests at the beginning of the year. For some apps, this ends up looking neither good nor functional, but take a look yourself.

As you can see, it's hit or miss for now. Bad examples include Telegram and Whatsapp, with both not really going dark, and Telegram's text becoming unreadable. But I like the way the Google app and Instagram look and hope for a similar official implementation soon. WebViews and Google Chrome remain completely untouched by this mode.

Right now, the forced theme also interferes with the standard white mode, as whites end up staying inverted here, too. This is the case for Google Feed, among others. Obviously, this feature is still a work in progress and might very well disappear or improve before Android Q launches later this year.

  • Thanks:
  • Jordi,
  • Armando,
  • Jonathan

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/05/08/android-q-beta-3-adds-developer-option-that-forces-dark-mode-on-all-apps/

2019-05-08 11:07:00Z
52780289164241

Android TV will benefit once Assistant is linked to live TV guide data - Engadget

Remember Android TV? Google does, and not just so it can throw some unexpected advertisements on it. During the opening day of I/O 2019, Google revealed that over 80 percent of Android TV devices are already running version 7 or higher, and the company expects to have more that 60 percent on 8+ / Oreo by the end of the year -- even if it didn't discuss any upgrades on the way to software based on P or even Q. It's also counting over 1,000 streaming content providers on the platform these days, with more than 5,000 compatible apps.

Android TV

While Google Assistant has already tied in with video on-demand services, an upgrade coming soon will surface live TV guide information through assistant, so users can tune into things using voice control. During the session, Google reps pointed out Philo as an early partner that had live demos ready to show at the event. Just like so many things Google discussed at I/O, a major point of Android TV is its ties with Assistant -- even though it took until last fall to add the ability to launch a Netflix video that way -- so we'd expect most of the developments will happen there.

The other big push is for app developers to take advantage of the Channels added in its last UI refresh, that help surface content in ways similar to what we've seen from the competition like Roku and Fire TV. Without platform updates or new hardware it's hard to tell how apps themselves may change, but bringing content forward to the home screen -- where those Google-provided ads are -- is a big part of its push.

Android TV

A more concrete announcement -- and significant for developers in attendance -- Google also promised a "complete refresh" of the Play Store on Android TV. That's not limited to just a new UI either, the promise is that it will be easier "to buy and subscribe on Android TV." The way to do that is by integrating Android Pay improvements, and the ability to pay by simply typing in a PIN. The promise is that you'll be able to sign up for a service, install the app and even pay for it without having to type in a bunch of information using your remote.

Catch up on all the latest news from Google IO 2019 here!

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/08/google-assistant-epg-android-tv-play-store/

2019-05-08 08:35:40Z
CAIiEK34Ouz4OMgbJiSDpuMKcXQqGAgEKg8IACoHCAowwOjjAjDp3xswicOyAw