Summary:This week Sony's Android Wear watch appeared, as did details about new features in Android Wear 5.0. Google confirmed Lollipop is rolling out.
Sony Smartwatch 3 now available for purchase
Sony has joined the Android Wear army with the launch of the Smartwatch 3. It's not very stylish but has a slightly rugged construction that may appeal to those with active lifestyles.
The MSRP of $249 for Android Wear smartwatches seems to be popular, and the Sony Smartwatch 3 joins models from other OEMs at this price.
Lollipop, aka Android 5.0, is rolling out for a number of devices. This includes Android Wear watches, and new features have been detailed by Phandroid.
New features include better ways to handle battery life and storage needs. New watch faces are part of the new package as well as better handling of the display for those with vision issues. There are several other big features detailed in the Phandroid article.
When major versions of a mobile OS get announced, device owners start chomping at the bit to get it. Nexus device owners got the good word from Google this week as it confirmed that Lollipop has begun rolling out.
It's a sign of the times that the notification from Google was done on Twitter.
Samsung and BlackBerry partner to make Android more secure
Security is on everyone's mind and Samsung is aiming to address that with a partnership with BlackBerry. The alliance will pair Samsung's Knox platform with BlackBerry's secure BES12.
The duo claims this offering will provide an end-to-end security solution for the enterprise.
When you use Google, you are making a deal. You get to use Gmail and search and YouTube and Google Maps for free and in exchange, you agree to share information about yourself. Google gets to sell that information to advertisers.
The more Google knows about you, the more it can match you to an advertiser who thinks you are an ideal customer. Advertisers are willing to pay more for ads served to ideal potential customers. For instance, airlines want to target people who love to travel. Children's clothing makers want to target parents.
Google uses a lot of methods to learn about you. There's the stuff you tell Google outright when you sign up for its services, like Gmail and Google Maps, or via an Android phone, like your name, phone number, location, and so on. Google also deduces information about you from watching your internet searches (what do you search for? click on?) and from the stuff you do with Google's products.
By visiting a site called "Ads Settings" you can see what Google knows about you.
It's not that easy to find Ads Settings. First, click on the link below or type it into your browser: https://www.google.com/settings/
For years, tech companies have dreamed of a future in which people ditch their wallets and pay for things with their smartphones. And for years, that has not happened.
In the three weeks since the company released Apple Pay, its first stab at a mobile wallet, some major retailers are seeing a wave of consumers eager to check out at the register with their iPhones.
And even some of Apple’s competitors, like Google and Softcard, say Apple has helped create general awareness of mobile payments, including for their services.
Whole Foods, the high-end grocery chain, said it had processed more than 150,000 Apple Pay transactions. McDonald’s, which accepts Apple Pay at its 14,000 restaurants in the United States, said Apple Pay accounted for 50 percent of its tap-to-pay transactions. And Walgreens, the nationwide chain of drugstores, said its mobile wallet payments had doubled since Apple Pay came out.
Apple Pay is still far from a dominant payment system. But the retailers’ numbers are the first faint signs of a mainstream willingness to stray from cash and cards. Apple, analysts say, has tapped into something.
Whole Foods, the grocery chain, said it had processed more than 150,000 Apple Pay transactions since the service started.CreditEric Risberg/Associated Press
"Quite frankly, a lot of it has to do with the strength of the Apple brand and how much merchants and customers love how easy the experience is,” said Denée Carrington, an analyst with Forrester Research. “I’m not saying it’s changing the landscape overnight. But this has never happened with other mobile wallets.”
Not all retailers are blown away just yet by early adoption of Apple Pay. Toys “R” Us, which supports Apple Pay in all of its 870 stores, said that although the number of mobile payments at its stores increased after the introduction of Apple Pay, there were still relatively few mobile payments because customers were still learning about the new technology.
But Softcard, Google and other companies that also offer mobile wallet products, say that Apple’s entrance may be good for all players that offer mobile payments.
“Apple Pay has been a huge tailwind,” said Michael Abbott, chief executive of Softcard, a mobile wallet backed by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.
Mr. Abbott said that because of Apple, many companies now want to support the same technology for paying by phone: near-field communication, which enables devices to exchange information wirelessly over very short distances. This consistency would help make paying for things with a smartphone less confusing for shoppers.
Since Apple Pay was released, the Softcard app has been downloaded more often by new customers and used more frequently by its existing members, according to Mr. Abbott.
Last week, Google said its mobile payment product, Google Wallet, had also been used more after Apple Pay’s release.
“It’s a rising tide that has lifted all boats,” Mr. Abbott said.
Mobile payments have quickly been growing more popular, but over all, spending with a smartphone is low. The research firm Gartner estimated that worldwide, people spent $235.4 billion through mobile payments in 2013, compared with $163.1 billion in 2012. But that number is much smaller in North America, where consumers spent about $37 billion through mobile transactions in 2013, up from $24 billion the previous year.
Jan Dawson, a telecom analyst for Jackdaw Research, said that the hurdle for Apple Pay was that only the latest Apple phones, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, support it. Also, there are still many American merchants who do not support mobile payments. So it will probably take several years before Apple Pay becomes mainstream, he said.
“Apple Pay is going to be a slow-burn success,” Mr. Dawson said. “Until then, it will be something of a novelty and something that most consumers use occasionally if they use it at all. That’s still enormous progress.”
With Apple at record highs, its market capitalization is now bigger than Russia's entire stock market (the 20th largest market in the world). What's more, as Bloomberg notes, there would be enough money left over after selling Apple and buying Russia to purchase over 190 million contract-free 64Gb iPhone6 Pluses (enough for every Russian).
If you owned Apple Inc., and sold it, you could purchase the entire stock market of Russia, and still have enough change to buy every Russian an iPhone 6 Plus.
...
Russia, the 20th largest among the world's major markets, is not the only one Apple has surpassed. The company, which forecasts a record holiday-sales quarter and has $155 billion in cash, is also bigger than 17th-ranked Singapore and 18th-ranked Italy.
Video do museu da Família Teixeira,situado na Fajã da murta na Freguesia do Faial.( Este museu é uma homenagem a uma Família que um dia deixou a sua terra em busca duma vida melhor, sem nunca esquecer as suas raizes.)
(Photo: Woman Lounging in Pool with Cocktail via Shutterstock) Whether you're drinking beer, Champagne, or the "Champagne of beers," one thing we can all agree on is that booze tastes even sweeter when it's free. But how can you score free drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) without compromising your morals? Why, with these savvy tips, of course! Read on for 10 shameless ways to get a free drink while traveling.
Join a rewards club
Just like you should never fly without joining a frequent-flyer program, you should never eat at a chain restaurant without joining a loyalty club. Most chains, like Starbucks, Caribou and Qdoba, will treat you to a free beverage after you've earned enough points.
Ask for it as compensation
If your flight is delayed, if you get bumped or if the flight attendant asks you to move seats to accommodate other passengers, ask if you can get a free drink or two as compensation. They're likely to say yes.
Sign up for newsletters
Southwest Airlines sometimes includes free-drinks coupons in its Click 'N Save newsletters. (Other carriers occasionally do this as well.) If the thought of potentially free in-flight booze outweighs the thought of endless junk emails, go for it.
Stay at hotels with free happy hours
Location, room price and happy hour: all things you should consider when booking a hotel. Many properties now offer free happy hours for guests. The Embassy Suites Hotels, for example, offers free alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (plus snacks) every night for guests at all their locations. Likewise, Kimpton Hotels offer nightly wine hours, where guests can sip free vino.
Scope out gallery events
Art and alcohol go well together, which is why many galleries have free events with open bars. Bonus: You'll get to drink your free libations surrounded by gorgeous art. Check local papers, online listings and your concierge's knowledge to learn about events happening in your destination.
Attend the captain's party on a cruise ship
Many cruise lines host a captain's cocktail party on every voyage so that passengers can meet the crew. The booze usually flows freely at these parties, which can last for an hour or longer. On Disney Cruises, all trips have captain's cocktail parties with free drinks, so that cruisers can mingle with the captain and Disney characters.
Use Groupon or other deals sites
Looking for a quick weekend getaway? Sign up for Groupon and other flash-deals sites. These sites often offer one- or two-night hotel stays that include a complimentary bottle of wine. Although, be warned: The free alcohol is usually something that's only worth around $10. Price out the room without the Groupon to see if it's really that much of a deal.
Hit up the airport lounge
Location, room price and happy hour: all things you should consider when booking a hotel.(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Free beverages are worth double in an airport since you'd otherwise be paying twice the typical rate for drinks in airport restaurants. Airline lounges, however, are full of free drinks. You don't always have to shell out for a first-class ticket for this perk, either. Porter Airlines, for example, offers lounge access for every passenger. Inside, you can sip on Starbucks coffee, Tazo teas, juices, sodas and waters.
Let people know you're celebrating
Celebrating an anniversary, birthday, honeymoon or other life event? Let everyone know, and they might set you up with a free glass of bubbly. If you're booking a restaurant on OpenTable, use the Special Requests field to share your happy occasion. For hotels, call ahead or make a note in your online reservation. Or, try to discreetly let a gate agent know what you're celebrating—he or she may comp you a drink or two.
Attend an art auction at sea
Free sparkling wine is often served to attendees at cruise-ship art auctions. But don't drink and bid, lest you buy something you'll sorely regret in the morning!
What tricks have you used to get free drinks? Tell us in the comments.
