Google have recently acquired the technology from SoftCard and without hanging about they kill support for Windows Phone,however MS keep proving apps for Google and Apple alike so where is the love,there is none it seems.
On their website the following reads.
What does the deal mean for Softcard users?
For now, the Softcard app will continue to work. Users can continue to tap to pay, redeem offers and apply loyalty at more than 275,000 locations across the U.S. Google has acquired some technology and intellectual property from Softcard and we encourage our Android users to download Google Wallet. In the near future, the Softcard app will shut down and all wallets will be terminated. A specific termination date will be provided soon.
Is there a way to automatically move my payment and loyalty cards to Google Wallet?
No. In order to use Google Wallet you must separately sign up for a Google Wallet account and enter in your payment and loyalty cards.
What happens to my personal information?
The information you have shared with Softcard will not be shared as part of this deal.
What happens to payment and loyalty cards in my wallet?
This information will not be shared as part of this deal. Once your wallet is terminated your wallet payment credentials and loyalty cards can no longer be used.
Should I terminate the wallet myself?
Your wallet will be automatically terminated in the near future. In the event you would like to manually terminate your wallet before that time, please contact your mobile carrier.
What about Softcard for Windows?
The Softcard for Windows Phone app will also be terminated. A specific termination date will be provided soon.
This has left many fans of Windows Phone quite annoyed,what do you think of this news,shout off below..
Motorola have announced a new budget handset which like its predecessors gives plenty of value for its money,the latest version comes with 4G and will follow on soon with a 3G version.
It also comes with the latest version of Android which is lollipop it come also with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor with a 1,2 ghz quad core CPU with a 400 mhz GPU.
It comes with 1GB RAM and 8GB of storage a nice screen sporting 4.5″ qHD 540×960 245 ppi IPS with an anti smudge coating and Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The rear camera is 5 MP with tap anywhere to capture, 4 X digital zoom,slow motion video,burst mode and Auto HDR. The battery is 2390 mAh which is claimed to last a day,video capture is 720p HD Video, 30 fps (MPEG4, H.264) whilst the reat camera is just VGA.
It will be available in Black and White and will cost $149.00 which is quite good.
Pebble have just announced their new smart watch called the PebbleTime. They have also returned to crowd funding on kickstarter to get backing for its newest timepiece.Is this a good or bad thing ? They have already reached their target and more in the space 15 mins.Pebble has been quite popular to be fair and have done rather well and i once owned one myself but due to the lack of functions and the ever more competitive market i moved on.
At its heart, Pebble Time is an awesome watch. The new color e-paper display is easy to read and always-on, perfect for displaying incoming notifications and your favorite watchface. Compared with display technology like LCD or OLED, power consumption is minimized, enabling Pebble Time to achieve an industry-leading battery life of up to 7 days.
Pebble Time’s new microphone lets you send voice replies to incoming notifications* or take short voice notes. We used the latest technology to maintain water resistance so you can swim or surf with Pebble Time (we do not, however, recommend talking underwater).
*Sending voice replies works with most major Android apps including SMS, Hangouts, Gmail, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp and hundreds more. For iOS users, voice replies are currently limited to Gmail notifications. We’re working to enable voice replies for more apps.
Pebble Time is 20% thinner than the original Pebble at just 9.5mm. Its ergonomic, curved design fits comfortably on either wrist and slides easily under dress shirts.
Pebble Time is stylish and durable. The lens is crafted from scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass with a bezel made of stainless steel. Like our previous watches, it’s water resistant – perfect for a run in the rain, water-balloon battle or a swim.
People love to personalize their Pebble watches. We’ve included a soft silicone band with each Pebble Time, but all standard 22mm watch bands will fit. All new Pebble watch bands include a quick-release pin, letting you swap bands in under 10 seconds. Now it’s super easy to find the perfect style for you!
Pebble Time comes in three colors:
Black watch case and silicone band with black PVD stainless steel bezel
White watch case and silicone band with silver PVD stainless steel bezel
Red watch case and silicone band with black PVD stainless steel bezel
Simplicity and focus, without compromise
Always-on, daylight readable screen with a great backlight
Timeline will work on Pebble and Pebble Steel (exact date TBD)
Works with iOS 8 on iPhone 4s and above
Works with all Android 4.0+ phones including Samsung, HTC, Sony, LG, Google, Motorola, Xiaomi and more
So they have achieved their goal in the funding they require so this is good news i guess,do you think they needed to crowdfund,will you get the new Pebble Time ? Read over HERE for more on kickstarter and get the early bird deal if interested.
HERE maps is spreading its wings,Currently on Windows Phone and iOS its now available on the Amazon App store this is good news for those who do not have access to the Play Store get the app for free.We are big fans of HERE maps and use them quite often and they work seamlessly on Windows Phone and Android,HERE maps allows you to download maps prior to travelling which then enables you to use them offline for free which is an added bonus..
You can download the app right HERE and start navigating..
Our Blackberry Passport arrived last week and of course as always we need protection and Noreve once again came to the rescue and provided us with a quite beautiful case for our passport the case is quite nice and bespoke and has a fantastic leather exterior to is and the lovely smell of leather is quite nice believe it or not.
The case is quite nice to hold and is in the fold factor design,for a large phone this may not suit some due to it folding down but if you are use to big phones and this style of case it will work fine its also not that bulky and does not add anything major to an already big squared device,it looks very slick and trendy and professional if i dare say.
Elegant case conceived in top quality handcrafted leather
– Hand-crafted manufacturing quality
– Practical thanks to its magnetic closure
– Slim and padded design
– Protects the device in an optimal manner
– All sides protective case
– Access to basic functions (multiple openings on the leather)
– Two business or credit card slots
– Headphones and headset jack access
– Charging and synchronization cable access
– Easy access to stylus
– Beautiful interior lining embossed with the Noreve logo
– Leather stand on the back for horizontal use
You can buy either of these cases from noreve over at this link here they range from €49.50 which may seem expensive to some,but these are quality bespoke cases and you can customize to our preference.
LG have announced some new mid range devices. The four devices will be available in both LTE and 3G versions, consistent with LG’s strategy to expand its appeal in the mass-tier segment with different products for different networks. The LTE and 3G versions of each model share nearly identical design cues with metallic back covers distinguishing the LTE models while the 3G devices feature patterned plastic back covers.LG have really come along quite well over the last two years so these devices will be most welcome for LG fans.
From the LG News Room
SEOUL, Feb. 23, 2015 — At this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC), LG Electronics (LG) will unveil a new line of exceptional smartphones at exceptional prices with the introduction of mid-range handsets with design elements and features usually reserved for premium models.
LG’s new lineup of four mid-range smartphones — Magna, Spirit, Leon and Joy — builds on LG’s design language to bring optimized performance and effortless user experience to a broader range of consumers. By combining the most essential hardware with LG’s premium design elements and user experience, LG has created the perfect balance of style and usability. The LG Magna and LG Spirit are designed to fit more comfortably in palm of one’s hand with its gently curved design while their displays are distinguished by a subtle 3000mm radius curve for a sleeker, more attractive profile.
The LG Magna, which means “ultimate” in Latin, features a 5-inch in-cell touch display, normally offered only in premium smartphones, and a Quad-Core chipset. With an 8-megapixel main camera and 5-megapixel front shooter, the LG Magna was designed with high quality selfies in mind. A class leading 2,540mAh removable battery keeps the Magna running all day even with heavy use.
The LG Spirit, which embodies the spirit of LG’s innovations, features a 4.7-inch in-cell touch display and an 8-megapixel camera. In-cell touch technology makes the phones look slimmer while maximizing their display areas and minimizing the bezels. By bringing images closer to the screen, in-cell touch displays offer improved sensitivity with faster touch recognition, better outdoor visibility and crisper images.
The LG Leon, “lion” in Latin, offers a 4.5-inch display in a compact, premium-looking body. The smallest of the group, LG Joy, has a 4-inch display and delivers pure enjoyment in a smartphone that fits in any pocket.
With the new mid-range lineup, LG is carrying over popular UX features originally designed for its premium smartphones. Gesture Shot makes it easy to take great selfies with a simple hand gesture that starts a three-second countdown. LG has extended the distance from which the camera can recognize gestures to1.5 meters to accommodate popular selfie sticks. Glance View, which debuted on the G Flex2, lets users quickly access key information such as time, recent messages or missed calls with a simple downward swipe of the screen, even while the display is off.
“LG’s new mid-range collection continues our legacy of offering amazing smartphones at reasonable prices,” said Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “For millions of consumers around the world, the deciding factor on which smartphone to buy isn’t how fast or how big it is but how balanced it is. With our new mid-range smartphones, more and more customers will be looking to LG for their next handsets.”
LG’s new mid-range collection will begin its global rollout this week in select markets. Visitors to MWC 2015 will be able to experience all of LG’s newest products first-hand at LG’s booth in Hall 3 of Fira Gran Via.
YouTube kids has now hit the play store,sadly only for the US,we had an APK sent over to try it out but im sure there will be some available on the net shortly.For now its only on Android but will be made more available over the coming weeks.
Over on the YouTube blog here is the report on what the app will feature.
Family-focused content
For years, families have come to YouTube, watching countless hours of videos on all kinds of topics. Now, parents can rest a little easier knowing that videos in the YouTube Kids app are narrowed down to content appropriate for kids. You can browse channels and playlists in four categories: Shows, Music, Learning and Explore. Or search for videos of particular interest to your family, like how to build a model volcano, math tutorials, the amazing (and endless) world of trains—and everything in between.
Parental controls We realize every family is different, so we’ve built options into the app that help you control the experience for your kids:
Timer: Let the app be the bad guy with a built-in timer that lets you limit kids’ screen time. The app alerts your child when the session is over, so you don’t have to. (You’re welcome. 😉 )
Sound settings: Sometimes you need a little peace and quiet! You have an option to turn off background music and sound effects, so your kids can keep watching while you catch a breather.
Search settings: If you’d rather limit your children to just the pre-selected videos available on the home screen, you can turn off search.
Product feedback: Our goal is to improve YouTube Kids all the time, so we’ve included a space for you to give us your feedback.
On downloading the app we are introduced with a nice soundtrack and startup,we then have the options to set the parental controls which is straight forward enough to work with,then we can move into the app and select from shows,music,learning and explore there is also a search function which works quite well,so far it looks quite good and its keeping my daughter entertained so far.The layout is quite simple and easy to follow,to access the parental settings you need to enter the password and they will then appear,
Source if you want to download the APK for it you can here at your own will..
Kids love to play games and there is never enough,my daughter checks the store every day,with my observation of course and she is always adding or deleting games on her Lumia 625,its very hard to keep her happy at times and i find most of the time kids go by the thumbnail photo and point to it and request it,however its always worth noting you should always read up some more on the game prior to downloading.
Mash&Co is a multimedia episodic app for pre-school kids and families ,parents can monitor their kids performance with this app and watch their skills grow too.
The app has animated digital novels,cartoon series and mini games which is quite cool all this in one application.There is a multi touch UI which is colourful and fun so all can get involved and its also safe along with a stimulating environment.
Features
Interactive animated tales – Animated series of Mash and Periwinkle who are the characters, Mini Games ,Various chapters of animated tales which children can interact and progress which progresses stimulation,creativity and attention. Also non verbal language ensures all kids around the world can play and get involved. The first three contents are free in this version so there will be add ons to buy,you can put this game in the Kids Corner of your Lumia device too..
The Game is free to download and is 16MB you can download it right HERE
YouTube is a very popular platform to watch videos,music and all sorts and i spend some time on it myself but all is not always as it seems there in the real world just like any other platform.However there is a new You Tube for kids app now where it will be a safe environment for kids and parents can monitor their activity and set time limits for them too which is a good idea.
The App will be only on Android on release, It will feature videos, channels and playlists targeted specifically at youngsters, including “Thomas the Tank Engine,” “National Geographic Kids” and “Reading Rainbow,” while cutting out less kid-friendly or distracting elements on YouTube, including user comments and cruder videos..
