The Latest iPhone Update Delivered A Huge Boost To Apple's Bid To Dominate Mobile Payments

Apple just launched its latest update to iOS 7, the software that powers the iPhone and iPad, and it includes a potentially huge improvement to its iBeacon software that helps Apple in its bid to control in the future of mobile commerce.

The idea behind beacons is that they use Bluetooth connections to send messages directly to people's smartphones, meaning that Apple and other retailers can use them to push location-based flash deals, give product info, or simplify mobile payments.

Coupled with TouchID, Apple's fingerprint security on iPhone 5S that makes mobile payments super-secure, an iBeacon network could dominate brick-and-mortar retail if it becomes widely adopted.
Apple is leading the pack with beacon technology because it has enabled almost all of its iOS 7-running devices to both send and receive beacon signals. Other companies, like PayPal and Qualcomm, make dedicated pieces of low-cost hardware that retailers can use to send signals.
So what changed in iOS 7.1? If you have an app installed, it will now "look" for beacons and receive notifications even if it's shut down, the site Beekn discovered. 

Before, you'd have to at least have an app running in the background for it to be able to "hear" beacon signals. This gave retailers who wanted to use iBeacon technology two major hoops to jump through: They first had to convince users to download their dedicated app, and then they needed to prompt people to open up that app once they walked into a store so that their phones could receive beacon signals as they shopped.
Now, even if you haven't opened an app since the day you downloaded it, you will still receive proximity-based messages that will pop up on your iPhone's lock screen, as long as you have Bluetooth on and location-data enabled. 
In order for this mobile payments future to be realized, though, consumers need to get used to the beacon shopping experience and the unbidden real-time notifications that go with it. Getting comfortable with beacon messages means actually starting to receive them. Apple's latest update will allow more retailers to start opting into iBeacon technology, which means more shoppers will be seeing their notifications, which, in turn, leads to more shoppers becoming used to the beacon experience.
"This update shows Apple's continuing to innovate the way beacon technology will be used going forward," says Business Insider Intelligence reporter, Tony Danovo. 
source: http://goo.gl/ZMwTJZ

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Some tips on shopping for smartphone service

The cellphone industry's traditional way of doing business -- locking customers into pricey two-year contracts -- has been upended thanks to upstart major carriers T-Mobile and Sprint and a bunch of smaller providers that are giving consumers more options and different ways to customize their service.

That means wireless carriers are falling all over themselves trying to gain new customers, making it a good time to shop around.

In a new report on the wireless industry, Consumer Reports estimates that consumers on family plans who are spending more than $200 monthly could take advantage of the new plans to save $100 or more each month.

 

With all the new options and plan permutations, smartphone consumers face almost too many choices. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP file photo)

 

But with all the new options and plan permutations, consumers face almost too many choices. "It can be very, very hard to figure out," said Cameron Craig, who cofounded a website called WhistleOut to help people sort through their wireless options.
Here are some tips that Craig and other experts suggest will help you make a decision:

Where will you use your phone? Root Metrics grades the service provided by the major carriers in particular metro areas and provides nationwide coverage maps. You can use those to see how strong the signals are likely to be at your house, your office and other popular destinations. Note that many of the smaller carriers actually offer service over the major carriers' networks, so you can also use Root Metrics' service to evaluate their coverage as well.

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Answering this question can also be helpful in picking a service plan. The difference between many plans these days is the amount of data they include. If you usually use your phone at home or the office, where it will be accessing the Internet through a Wi-Fi hotspot, you likely won't need all that much wireless data. If you are a road warrior who uses your phone mostly in the car, you may need more data than the average consumer.

How will you use your phone? The carriers generally provide tools through their websites to track the number of minutes you spend talking on the phone, the number of texts you send and the amount of data you use each month. They also sometimes will show your average usage over a period of time. Take a look not only at the average amounts, but also your peak usage, because carriers sometimes charge hefty overage fees when users go over their limits.If you're moving to a smartphone from a regular cellphone, Consumer Reports advises that most consumers can get by with about 1 to 2 gigabytes of data a month, particularly if they're conscientious about using Wi-Fi hot spots. However, consumers who are moving from a slower smartphone to one that connects to the Internet via the fast new LTE networks should expect to use up to 50 percent more data than before, says WhistleOut's Craig.

Who will be on your plan? If you are buying service for more than one person, you can save money by signing up for a family plan from one carrier. Those plans typically offer discounted service for multiple phones, or allow consumers to share data.T-Mobile, for example, is offering a special deal that provides unlimited voice minutes, texting and data for two people for $100 a month total. That deal got the attention of Art Hernandez, who was shopping for a plan to cover himself and his son. He also plans to check out Sprint's deals.
"I heard those are the two that are basically the cheapest," said Hernandez, 69, of San Jose. "I don't use a cellphone much."

What phone do you plan to use? You can save money by sticking with your current phone. But doing so can limit your choice of carriers; if you have an AT&T phone, you typically can't use it on Verizon's network, for example.Also, some of the lower-cost networks have a much narrower range of available phones. So, if you have your heart set on the new iPhone 6 or the latest Samsung gadget, you may have to either pay full price for it or choose a different carrier.

How do you want to pay for your phone? The carriers have been moving to separate their service charges from the cost of phones and in the process have given consumers some new options to pay for their devices. Many carriers offer what amounts to no-interest financing deals, which allow consumers to pay for their phones over a two-year period. While these deals are similar in practice to the old two-year plans, the big difference comes at the end of the two years. Under the old setup, you'd still be essentially "paying" for the phone, but with these new options your bill will be lower because you've paid off the phone. Sprint now offers customers the option of leasing their phones, promising to replace them with a new model every two years. The leasing charge is typically less than what consumers would pay on a financing plan, but consumers don't get to keep the phone at the end of the deal.

Did you look for special deals or read the fine print? The wireless market is extremely competitive right now, with carriers offering new deals to lure in consumers, deals that could save you a good deal of money.source: http://goo.gl/2SGDTS

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Google-Motorola Nexus 6 coming to India on December 10; priced at Rs 43,999 onwards

Along with the Google Chromecast, the recently launched Nexus 6 smartphone is also making its way to India during the Great Online Shopping Festival that will take place from December 10-12.
The Google Nexus 6, which is the first Nexus phone to have been made in partnership with Motorola, will be available to purchase exclusively on Flipkart.com starting December 10. It comes in two variants - the 32GB model at Rs 43,999 and the 64GB variant, priced at Rs 48,999.
The Nexus 6, which looks a blown-up version of the recently launched Moto X (2nd Generation), comes with a 5.96-inch Quad HD display - bigger than both Apple's iPhone 6 Plus and Samsung's Galaxy Note 4.

Google's Nexus 6 smartphone, which looks a blown-up version of thenew Moto X (2nd gen), comes with a 5.96-inch Quad HD display.

The Google-Motorola Nexus 6 smartphone is one of the first devices to come with Android 5.0 Lollipop, the next version of Google's mobile OS. The largest-ever Nexus smartphone is equipped with a 2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor and features dual front-facing speakers.
The new Nexus 6 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilisation and a 2-megapixel front camera. According to the company, Nexus 6 users can get up to 6 hours of use from only 15 minutes of charging. The 3220 mAh battery in the Nexus 6 is claimed to last for 24 hours on a full charge.
The phone will be available in Midnight Blue or Cloud White colours.
The GOSF will see 450 partners offering their best deals for 72 hours this year, Google said in a statement.
Focussing on the first time buyers, gosf.in will feature a special section of Rs 299 with heavily discounted products with free shipping and cash on delivery option. The section will feature products and offers from brands like Philips, Uber, JBL, Benetton, Alia Bhatt collection and EverPure water purifier.
"Great Online shopping festival is India's version of cyber Monday and is an exciting platform to move the industry forward," said Anandan.
The consumer confidence to shop online has grown considerably in the last 12 months, boosting the growth of both large multinational and homegrown companies, he added.
Google India has partnered Aditya Birla Money My Universe as a preferred partner for this year's event. The initiative was launched by Google in 2012, and has seen tremendous response with most players seeing over 350 per cent growth in daily sales.
source: http://goo.gl/EitU6r

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