Author: Jennifer Goula

Tappy adds finger-scanning mobile payments to watch bands

Jennifer Goula
Finger-scanning mobile payments - Women wearing watch

A new battery-less biometric payment authentication system can turn a watch band into a credit or debit card. Tappy Technologies, a Hong Kong-based company, has developed a finger-scanning mobile payments authentication system that is small enough to fit inside a watch band. The system turns the watch band into a secure credit card or debit card, providing wearers with a convenient, battery-free, contactless payment solution. Tappy’s solution gives banks an alternative to sharing transaction fees with bigger tech companies. More and more consumers are becoming comfortable with using their smartwatches…

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New mobile commerce report reveals key trends about consumer mobile shopping

Jennifer Goula
Mobile Commerce Report - Mobile Shopping

Ibotta’s report finds that 47% of consumers prefer shopping on their mobile device. In its first ever Mobile Commerce Report, Ibotta, the Denver-based mobile shopping app, revealed that there were key trends regarding how and when consumers engage in mobile shopping. Knowing these trends could help retailers strengthen their m-commerce strategies to reach and connect with new audiences in the future. Fewer consumers are shopping in-store retail locations today than five years ago. Over the last ten years, mobile shopping has significantly changed. Both mobile devices and retail mobile shopping…

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Unique IoT wearable device could offer safety benefits to construction workers

Jennifer Goula
IoT Wearable Device - Construction Site - Construction Workers

Three companies are investigating the potential safety benefits of new a wearable device at construction sites. Travelers Companies, Inc. announced a partnership with Gilbane and Triax Technologies to study the potential safety benefits a special IoT wearable device can provide construction site workers. Travelers Companies is an insurance firm, Gilbane is one of the country’s largest contractors, and Triax Technologies is a leader in Internet of Things (IoT) construction technology. Construction workers are at a huge risk of work-related industries. Finding new ways to manage these risks and keep workers…

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Find saints and Bible characters in new mobile game Follow JC Go

Jennifer Goula
Follow JC Go - mobile game - christian chruch interior

The Vatican has approved a church-themed game inspired by Pokémon Go Follow JC Go! is a new mobile game designed to encourage young Christians to attend church. As you might suspect from its name, the game follows a similar theme to Niantic’s phenomenally popular Pokémon Go, launched back in 2016. The major difference being, however, that instead of finding and collecting monsters, you find and collect saints and other biblical figures. Pope Francis has applauded the Vatican-approved game. Even more interesting, Follow JC Go has not only received a stamp…

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Study finds most Americans can’t distinguish between social media bots and real humans

Jennifer Goula
Social Media Bot - Social Medai Platforms

Pew Research Center finds the majority of Americans believe these bots are used maliciously. A new study from the nonpartisan American fact tank has revealed that most Americans are not familiar with social media bots. Of the 4,500 adult Americans surveyed by Pew, while two thirds had at least heard of these bots, 34% said they were not aware of their existence. That being said, of those who had heard of the bots, 80% believe the accounts are used for nefarious purposes. The study gives insight into what the average…

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QR Codes to Offer 3D Printed Objects New Anti-Counterfeiting Protection

Jennifer Goula
QR Codes - 3D Printing Machine

Ensuring that a printed item is the real thing is now possible, thanks to the scientists who built an “exploded” QR (quick response) code into it. The number of products manufactured via 3D printing keeps increasing, therefore the potential for counterfeiting those products also rises. That is where QR codes come in. Quality Parts in 3D Printing Services Engineering scientists at the New York University have developed a system which tells 3D printers to include hundreds of tiny elements, made of inert materials located in the objects’ layers as they…

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3 Examples of How Virtual Reality is Changing the Shopping Experience

Jennifer Goula
Mobile VR - Virtual Reality Headset - Looking to the Future

Shopping in-store or browsing online may soon become a thing of the past as technology is transforming the shopping experience. Virtual reality is the future and numerous brands have already jumped on the band wagon. Attention shoppers! Prepare to be transported to another world! A Whole New Level of Shopping Trying before buying without leaving the house? Yes, it’s possible! Whether to find decorative items for the living room, to see clothing on models walking the runway before trying them on in real life or to see what a cruise…

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New Apple Watch is more than your average wearable

Jennifer Goula
New Apple Watch - Apple Watch Series 4 - Apple - YouTube

The Apple Watch Series 4 has been granted FDA Clearance for ECG monitoring. Receiving clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), makes the new Apple Watch the first consumer device to receive this clearance from the federal agency to operate as an over-the-counter (OTC) ECG-monitoring device. The Apple Watch Series 4 is one of the only devices on the market to provide users EKG readings. Upon the unveiling of its new Apple Watch, at its September event, the tech giant confirmed that the approval its smartwatch received from…

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Qualcomm unveils new Snapdragon Wear 3100 for Google smartwatches

Jennifer Goula
Snapdragon Wear 3100 - Image of Smartwatch on wrist

Google’s smartwatch platform is about to get a notable upgrade. After teasing its new platform at Google’s developer conference back in May, Qualcomm has finally announced the Snapdragon Wear 3100, its new next generation smartwatch chip platform for Google Wear OS smartwatches, reported CNET. So far, the most talked about feature of the new chips are improved battery life. One of the most talked about features of the new Snapdragon Wear 3100 chip is its ultra-low power system that extends battery life. “With the Snapdragon Wear 3100 Platform, we envisioned…

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Mobile banking fraud detected in seconds with new Microsoft AI solution

Jennifer Goula
Mobile banking fraud - Microsoft Technology - Microsoft building

Artificial intelligence (AI) tech can flag fraudulent transactions within two seconds. With an increased number of consumers banking on their smartphones, mobile banking fraud is becoming a growing concern. American multi-national tech giant, Microsoft, announced that its Azure AI technology can help with the growing fraud problem by detecting fraudulent transactions within two seconds of it occurring. The SIM Swap attack problem. The vast majority of mobile fraud occurs via a SIM swat attack, according to Microsoft. During this attack, the victim’s mobile number is hacked and cloned, allowing the…

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QR code pet license system rolls out in another Chinese city

Jennifer Goula
QR code pet license - Dog - Pet

Dog owners in Xuzhou can now register their animals online via a mobile phone app. Xuzhou, located in Jiangsu province, is the latest city in China to introduce a convenient QR code pet license system. Under the new system, police can access license information via an app by scanning a QR code. The systems allows authorities to penalize owners who break city pet laws. The license is easy to obtain. Dog owners can register their pets online via a straightforward process. The dog owner simply uploads their documents to the…

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