Google ends its Hands Free mobile payment pilot after less than a year, but promises more to come

That’s kind of the thing about pilot programs – they don’t always result in a successful launch. Less than a year after beginning testing at select locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Google is pulling the plug on its Hands Free payment system. The company notified users of the unceremonious wind down via email and a notification on its site.

A week from yesterday, the program will be shut down and all settings associated with it will be deleted. That doesn’t mean, however, that it was all for naught. The company is quick to point out that it has learned some valuable lessons from the testing.

“Based on all the positive feedback,” Google writes, “we’re now working to bring the best of the Hands Free technology to even more people and stores.” What that actually means has yet to be determined. The company is quick to add that it “can’t share any more details about what’s next just yet,” but encourages that users hop on board with Android Pay.

9to5Google, which first spotted the shut down, notes that the company may be shifting those lessons learned to the company’s primary payment system, though the jury’s out about whether the ability to pay without pulling out a phone will be implemented directly.

It’s also worth noting that the company is said to be looking at some Hands Free payment-style options for its Android Wear devices, with Pay becoming a key part of the smartwatch OS.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says Trump’s immigration order “is one we do not support”

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has come out strongly against the executive order issued by Donald Trump regarding immigration and blocking certain refugees from entering the U.S. Amazon had previously expressed support for employees affected by the order in an email from HR VP Beth Galetti, but the new message from Bezos expresses opposition to the executive order in general, and also details steps Amazon has taken to fight the Trump administration measure.

Here’s the email in its entirety:

A quick update on where we are. This executive order is one we do not support. Our public policy team in D.C. has reached out to senior administration officials to make our opposition clear. We’ve also reached out to congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to explore legislative options. Our legal team has prepared a declaration of support for the Washington State Attorney General who will be filing suit against the order. We are working other legal options as well. 

We’re a nation of immigrants whose diverse backgrounds, ideas, and points of view have helped us build and invent as a nation for over 240 years. No nation is better at harnessing the energies and talents of immigrants. It’s a distinctive competitive advantage for our country—one we should not weaken.

To our employees in the U.S. and around the world who may be directly affected by this order, I want you to know that the full extent of Amazon’s resources are behind you.  

 Thank you,

 Jeff

We reported earlier that Amazon would be filing a declaration in support of the lawsuit being brought against Trump and his administration by Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, which Bezos references here. After publicly criticizing Trump prior to his election, the Amazon CEO met with the then president-elect at a Silicon Valley leadership round table in December, after which he expressed some optimism about how the initial meeting with the new administration proved “very productive.”

Bezos’ new reply opposing the order was directed to Amazon’s entire staff in response to Galetti’s original email, which is included below in full.

From: Galetti, Beth
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2017
Subject: Advisory—New Executive Order’s Potential Impact on Amazon Employees

As you may have seen in the news, the administration issued an executive order yesterday that restricts entry into the United States by foreign nationals who were born in, or are citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, even if you hold dual citizenship with another country, US permanent residence status or a valid US work visa. US citizens are not impacted by this restriction, which will be in effect for an initial period of 90 days, and may be extended or expanded.

From the very beginning, Amazon has been committed to equal rights, tolerance and diversity—and we always will be. As we’ve grown the company, we’ve worked hard to attract talented people from all over the world, and we believe this is one of the things that makes Amazon great—a diverse workforce helps us build better products for customers.

Our immediate focus is to make sure you all have the information you need to make travel decisions in the coming days and weeks. Here’s what you need to do now if you are a citizen of any of the countries listed in the order:

• If you currently reside and/or work in the US and are present in the US today, we recommend that you refrain from travel outside of the US until further notice as you may be denied re-entry to the US for the duration of the entry restrictions;
• If you currently work/reside in the US (as a green card holder or on a valid work visa such as an H, L, E, or TN) but are traveling abroad, please contact amazonimmigration@amazon.com. We are working on contingency plans for these employees and will be communicating with them directly;
• If you work for Amazon in another country (and are a citizen of any of the countries listed above) and have current plans to visit the US for business or personal reasons, we advise you to cancel them until the entry restrictions are lifted.

We are committed to supporting all of our employees and anyone in their immediate family who may be impacted by this order, including assistance with legal counsel and support, and will continue to monitor any developments.

Thanks,

Beth

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is joining the Starbucks board

Satya Nadella is set to join the board of Starbucks. The Microsoft CEO was announced as one of a trio of nominees who, if approved by shareholders, will increase the size of the coffee brand’s board to 14 people.

Starbucks said Nadella was put forward for his “invaluable insight in international operations and distribution” and, of course, his potential to strengthen the company’s tech focus. Nadella, who was born in Hyderabad, India and took the top job at Microsoft in February 2014, said he was “honored” to be offered the role.

“As a regular customer myself, I’ve always admired Starbucks’ focus and deep passion for its customers and the communities it does business in and hope my years of experience in the technology industry will be of value to the company,” he said.

The two other nominees include Lego executive chairman Jørgen Vig Knudstorp and Rosalind Brewer, who is president and CEO of Walmart-owned Sam’s Club.

“Innovation and pushing to alter the status quo are also core to our culture, and by welcoming three world-class, values-based leaders to Starbucks Board of Directors upon their election at the Annual Meeting, we will strengthen our leadership and add unmatched expertise in technology, strategy, and retail to the company at a time of unprecedented change for our industry,” added Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz.

The Starbucks annual shareholder meeting takes place March 22 so look out for full confirmation then.

WhatsApp tests real-time location sharing in its app

Facebook may be distancing itself from location-sharing between friends in its own app, but Facebook-owned WhatsApp appears to moving in this direction. A new feature spotted in the beta version of the popular mobile messaging software shows that WhatsApp has developed a real-time location-tracking option that could be used among the app’s friends.

The addition was spotted this week via Fortune and the Twitter account @WABetaInfo.

The new feature is called “Live Location Tracking” in the beta software, and is currently found in Android (ver. 1.16.399) and iOS (ver. 2.17.3.28). At present, the way it works is that it allows a user to turn on live location tracking for a period of time they control. The app offers one, two and five minute options. During this time, select recipients would be able to follow your exact location in the app.

There’s also another option, “Enabled Indefinitely,” that can be switched on.

The feature would make sense for times when you’re trying to meetup up with a friend, or a group of friends, in a crowded location. Or, it could be used among family members as an alternative to a paid family locator service.

 Follow

WABetaInfo @WABetaInfo

2.17.3.28 iOS | 2.16.399+ Android: Live Location feature, that tracks the live location of other group participants (DISABLED BY DEFAULT).

3:49 PM - 26 Jan 2017

 
•  6161 Retweets
 
•  7676 likes

The implementation of the option has also been designed in a way that would limit users’ privacy concerns over the matter. It appears the option is switched off by default, as it should be, and WhatsApp users are able to control how long the sharing continues.

Location sharing like this is already available on iMessage, through the “Share My Location” setting. However, iMessage offers slightly different options. You can share for an hour, through the end of the day, or indefinitely.

While not all beta features will necessarily launch to the public, the fact that Location Sharing is in testing across platforms is a positive sign that WhatsApp is moving forward with the setting.

The move is notable given the increased privacy concerns around the mobile messenger as of late, following the uproar over a misreported news story that implied the app had a backdoor in its software. That’s not the case. The company made a design decision regarding security keys that’s more of a tradeoff, or, at worst, a vulnerability. It does not offer a backdoor to governments. WhatsApp also went on record to say that it would fight any government request to create a backdoor.

The problem with a story like this is that once word gets out – even if untrue – users may be hesitant to adopt a new feature like location-sharing because they’re now confused about the nature of WhatsApp’s privacy.

The move also comes at a time when Facebook has shut off its own exact location-sharing option through Nearby Friends, which worked similarly to the WhatsApp option. That is, you could choose to either temporarily or permanently share your constant exact location on a map with specific friends.  Now, Facebook users can only opt in to have your approximate distance from friends and current neighborhood shared.

The earlier implementation had made the social network feel a little creepy, especially if you forgot to turn permanent sharing off. That’s why it’s a little odd to see the same sort of precise location-sharing now arriving in Facebook-owned WhatsApp. But perhaps there’s a better sense of privacy in an app that’s designed more as a closed-door SMS replacement, rather than a larger, social network?

The feature is one of several new additions WhatsApp is testing. Also in the works is the ability to delete and edit sent messages that are still unread, the ability to reply to users’ statuses, and shake your phone to report bugs and problems to the WhatsApp support team.

WhatsApp declined to comment on location sharing, saying only: “We do not comment on future product releases.”

Tech:- Meet The New Beast Mobile Phone Made by Google

Google has been blessing the whole world with its search engine which allows you to search for everything even your own Name. Now they had come out with this phone to keep the world shouting
louder. The Mobile phone is made by Google and its written G at the back.

It bears the name PIXEL and PIXEL XL


You must fall in love with this phone specs....


This phone is running  5 .0 inches and 5.5 Inches display screen, 12 mp rare camera
, runs andriod version 7.1 Nougat, 32G ROM and 4G RAM

Its sold at $649 in USA, Canada, U K, Germany and Austrialia

 See Full Specifications below........

THE SPECS OF THE TWO PHONES ARE JUST THE SAME JUST DIFFERENT IN SIZE AND BATTERY LIFE....

 

 FOR PIXEL 


DISPLAY:-  5.0 inches FHD AMOLED at 441ppi
             2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4

SIZE:-  5.6 x 2.7 x 0.2 ~ 0.3 inches
              143.8 x 69.5 x 7.3 ~ 8.5 mm

BATTERY CAPACITY :- 2,770 mAh







FOR PIXEL XL


DISPLAY:- 5.5 inches QHD AMOLED at 534ppi
                    2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4

SIZE:-  6.0 x 2.9 x 0.2 ~ 0.3 inche
              154.7 x 75.7 x 7.3 ~ 8.5 mm

BATTERY CAPACITY:- 3,450 mAh










                                      FOR BOTH DEVICES :_

_________________________________________________________________________________

BASIC PARAMETERS


COLOR:-  Blue, Sliver, Black

OPERATING SYSTEM:-  Funtouch OS  based on Andriod 7.1 Nougat

STORAGE:- 32gb expandable to 128GB

RAM:- 4G

PROCESSOR:-  Quad-core  64-bits

BATTERY :- non-removable

_________________________________________________________________________________

CAMERA

REAR:-  12.3mp accompanied by an LED flash

FRONT:- 8.0mp (no flash)

_________________________________________________________________________________

SENSORS:- Accelerometer , Gyrometer, Magnetometer, Pixel Imprint, Finger print, Hall effect sensor, Barometer, Advanced X-axis, Haptics for sharper /defined response

CONNECTIVITY

FREQUENCIES:- GSM : 850/900/1800/2100MTZ
                              WCDMA:850/900/2100MTZ
                              FDD-LTE : BANDS 1/2/5/7/8/20/20

LTE:-   4g ,  3g , 2 LTE
_________________________________________________________________________________

SIM CARD VERSIONS:-  supports  nano sim cards [dual]

GPS:-  Supported

BLUETOOTH:- 4.2

USB:- v.2.0

WI-FI:- Supported

OTG:-  Supported

FM:- supported

Technology Gone Wild:- This Kissing Device allows You Kiss Online On Your Iphone.

As what we have been talking on how technology has gone wild. Technology has gone along to make social media worst by inventing the  Kissenger which allows you kiss online. Definitely is seems so wired but it a little bit fun.

 The kissenger  app and its device was specifically made for Iphone users and it was dropped at the range of Iphone 6 up.

It looks more like a horrible robotic kissing pad which you can attach to your iphone and kiss online at random. This mostly was recommended for long distance relationships. 

Kissenger, which proudly portrays itself as the “world’s first mobile kiss messenger” combines a huge plug-in kiss detection dongle with an iOS app that transmits smooch  wireless data  to someone who also has the app and a Kissenger device. The kiss pad has the shape of the lips, and under the rubbery silicon shell you'll find some “high precision force sensors” that detect the force of the kiss and then duplicate it elsewhere. The lip pad also houses small actuators, which the company claims create “a realistic kissing sensation.”

The company which produced the accessories noted just  three potential users of the so called Kissenger..

For Families – It's weird but  understandable at  least. The Kissenger site shows a little girl in London giving her grandma in Tokyo a kiss on the cheek using the device. Seems awkward, but i’ll give it a pass. 

For Couples – Well, this one is pretty obvious. It's targeted at people in long-distance relationships who will do anything to feel their partner’s presence for just a moment. It's  a smart move nevertheless. 

For Fans –  Kissenger says the device could be used “to connect celebrities and their fans from all around the world.”  This must be found when craze has invaded humanity.

More wired Technology is on way "The Sex Robot is out too"... To be introduced soon

Meet BlackPods: Apple AirPods In A New Avatar

A company named BlackPods is offering its customers, custom colored AirPods to go with their Black, Jet Black or Space Grey iPhones. A new BlackPod comes at $249 whereas repainting a white AirPod will cost $99.  ( BlackPods )

The announcement of Apple AirPods along with iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in September, met with a negative reaction from the public. The frustration was further increased when there was a delay in shipment of AirPods pushing its arrival to mid-December 2016.

The consumers were forced to either purchase a dongle which plugs into the lighting port or buy the wireless white AirPods from Apple.

Another major issue arose when customers found the white color of the AirPods not so appealing as it clashed with their Jet Black iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Some consumers even took the help of third parties in an attempt to color their AirPods black, but to no effect.

To relieve customers of this issue, a company called BlackPods now claims it can deliver new black colored AirPods if ordered or can repaint your existing white one!

BlackPods

BlackPods claims it has developed a proprietary coating system to specifically color the AirPods. The process of repainting is completed in three phases and gives a luxurious scratch-resistant finish to the earbuds. The repainted AirPods will complement perfectly any Black, Jet Black or Space Gray iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus.

"We love Apple's AirPods, but talked to many users who wished they could have them in other colors. (It) seemed that most AirPods owners wished they came in black to match their jet black/matte black iPhones," says Peter O' Petteri, founder of BlackPods.

The website of BlackPods claims customized AirPods are "hand-finished" by a team of skilled artisans based in Brooklyn, New York and it takes three days to complete the process of customization.

BlackPods Pricing And Availability

A new customized AirPods come at $249 and can be bought from BlackPods own website. For people who already own white AirPods, they can opt for the repainting service offered by the company. This will set consumers back by $99. BlackPods clearly states that a customer's credit card won't be charged until their order is ready to ship.

Ads by Kiosked

Apple AirPods

The AirPods came in to being when the company decided to ditch the headphone jack on its current flagship model iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.  The AirPods originally colored in white came with a charging case and a Lightning to USB cable.

Prices at $159.00, the AirPods can currently be purchased from Apple's online store with free shipping.

AirPods can quickly access Siri by a double tap and has a one tap setup for all Apple devices. The AirPods are compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models running iOS 10 or above. It is also compatible with Apple Watch models with the watchOS 3 and macOS Sierra updated Mac models.