Kamis, 09 Mei 2019

Android users can pay in cash on Google Play - Engadget

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

2019-05-09 07:47:57Z
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.
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2019-05-09 07:47:39Z
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Rabu, 08 Mei 2019

Google’s New Privacy Features Put the Responsibility on Users - WIRED

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  1. Google’s New Privacy Features Put the Responsibility on Users  WIRED
  2. Google Pixel 3A review: a $399 phone with a great camera  The Verge
  3. Dealmaster: There’s a bunch of special offers for the new Google Pixel 3A  Ars Technica
  4. Pixel 3a vs. Pixel 3: Great camera for the price makes Google's $399 phone the better buy  USA TODAY
  5. Google I/O 2019 event in 13 minutes  The Verge
  6. View full coverage on Google News

https://www.wired.com/story/googles-new-privacy-features-put-the-responsibility-on-users/

2019-05-08 20:32:00Z
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Logitech unveils a wireless version of its G502 gaming mouse - Engadget

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At long last, Logitech is releasing a wireless version of its popular G502 gaming mouse. It redesigned the G502 from the ground up for the Lightspeed variant, which uses Logitech's PowerPlay charging system. You should get up to 48 hours of use on a single charge with default lighting, or up to 60 hours with the lights off.

The mouse packs in the same Hero 16K sensor as the wired version -- it offers sensitivity up to 16,000 DPI and tracking at 400+ IPS to optimize responsiveness and accuracy. It also has a 1ms report rate, which should help minimize lag.

The wireless G502 will automatically connect with Logitech G Hub software, allowing you to customize its 11 programmable buttons and the lighting. At 114 grams, it's seven grams lighter than the wired sibling, though you can add up to 16g of weights to suit how you play. The mouse is also PVC-free, and Logitech will contribute a portion of each sale to programs that dispose of ocean-bound plastic. The G502 Lightspeed costs $150 and it should ship sometime this month.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/08/logitech-wireless-g502-lightspeed-gaming-mouse/

2019-05-08 15:00:36Z
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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

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

Tencent sparks frenzy in China by taking down a popular video game - CNN

A message posted on the game's official social media account said the testing period for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) ended on Wednesday.
It gave no further information about PUBG, instead directing users to download Game for Peace, a new multiplayer battle game.
PUBG has been a huge global success for Tencent (TCEHY) — users have spent more than $320 million on the game, according to research firm Sensor Tower. And news of its demise in China caused a frenzy on social media — the hashtag "PUBG is gone" was read more than 550 million times.
China opens the door to Nintendo's Switch and Super Mario
But PUBG has not made Tencent any money in the tech company's home country and the world's largest gaming market.
That's because Tencent hasn't been able to sell subscriptions or in-game purchases for PUBG and some other popular titles in China for months following a regulatory crackdown by officials.
Chinese regulators said they wanted to control the number of new online games and limit game time for minors. The measures are part of a government effort to reduce nearsightedness in children and adolescents.
Tencent started getting approvals for a few games in January. The decision to pull PUBG suggests that the company failed to get the green light to monetize one of its most valuable titles.
Tencent did not respond to a request for comment.
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds has pulled in $320 million for Tencent outside China.
Karen Chan, an analyst with Jefferies, said the "earlier-than-expected launch" of Game for Peace bodes well for Tencent, which received the official go ahead to make money from the new game last month.
Most of PUBG's Chinese users will likely migrate to Game of Peace, and that should drive mobile game growth later this year, Chan wrote in a note to clients.
Tencent's stock rose 2% in Hong Kong on Wednesday, outperforming the broader market. Shares in the world's largest gaming company are up 23% for the year, but still down 19% from an all time high in January 2018.
Its new game is similar to PUBG, but less violent. It's also "a tribute to the People's Liberation Army Air Force ... set under the backdrop of anti-terrorism military training," Chan said.
Still, some fans were unhappy about the demise of PUBG, a game where users took on the roles of special operations forces.
"Who wants to be some bullsh** player, I want to be a special op!" one user, who goes by the handle 'the girl who carries boxes,' wrote on Chinese social media.
"If you're gonna change the name, change it to something that sounds good, like what is 'Game for Peace'?" user Zhang Zhongru wrote.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/08/tech/tencent-pubg-china/index.html

2019-05-08 12:41:00Z
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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.

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

2019-05-08 13:00:00Z
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