Hasta La Gadget!

The business of commerce is alive and well, and while there’s far too much noise for anyone to stand on the mobile side, Paytouch is hoping to add a new wrinkle on the conventional end. The Barcelona-based outfit was on hand here at The Next Web Conference, showcasing its biometric payment terminal and setting the stage for what’s to come. For those unfamiliar, the Paytouch terminal is currently being used at Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel — users with a Paytouch account simply link their credit card to their fingerprints, and a two-finger press is all it takes to order another glass of sangria. The benefits are fairly obvious for all parties involved. For the consumer, there’s no longer a need to carry a credit card that can be skimmed, lost or stolen; for the retailer, it’s able to encourage impulse buying in an entirely new way; for Paytouch, there’s a commission paid on each purchase.

Filed under: Software

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Source: Paytouch

Sprint has been teasing for weeks that its LTE network would soon launch in Los Angeles. If a fresh leak from Phone Arena proves true, we may at last be down to the final hours before the Now Network officially flicks the switch for those Angelenos — and a good chunk of the US population, for that matter. The staff memo reportedly has LTE formally launching in 21 markets on April 12th, with LA being joined by larger cities across the US like Charlotte, Memphis, Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Newport News. Its schedule also has a number of sizable cities joining the mix across 10 states, with multi-city expansions on the way in California, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and (as you likely noticed) Virginia. Although the faster 4G service still won’t be ubiquitous on Sprint if the rollout goes ahead as claimed, the expansion could be a very convenient complement to the HTC One launch.

Update: Much like San Francisco, LA will be something of a soft launch: Sprint has noted that bits and pieces of the LTE network are in testing.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sprint

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Source: Phone Arena

Though Bulgaria mightn’t be your first choice for a relaxing holiday, fresh imagery from Google may change your tune — or at least give you a chance to experience it vicariously. Mountain View just added that nation for the first time to its Street View rolls, bringing major cities like Sofia and Varna along with attractions like the Black Sea coastline, the Architectural Museum Reserve Tsarevets and the Borovets ski resort, to name a few. In addition, Google added over 200 new Russian locales like 2014 Winter Olympics site Sochi and the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamun in the Republic of Kalmykia. Lastly, virtual travelers will get to enjoy new photos from the Scottish coastline, East Anglia and parts of South Wales along with refreshed imagery from major cities like Manchester, Glasgow and London. For more, grab a spot of Earl Grey (or Russian) tea and hit the source.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Google Lat Long Blog

Just days after finally pushing out its redesigned iTunes 11 software, Apple has thrown open the doors to its iTunes music store in 56 new countries today. The list of countries includes Russia, Turkey, India and South Africa where customers can download DRM-free tracks from both major labels and local acts. Additionally, movies from a number of distributors large and small are now available in Russia, Turkey, India and Indonesia, with “select additional countries” gaining access soon. That brings the iTunes store count to a total of 119 countries where it’s pushing media, while the App Store offers 700,000 apps in 155 countries around the world. There’s a few more details (although oddly not an official list of all the countries, but MacRumors appears to have worked them out if you’re interested) in the press release after the break, international listeners can just open up iTunes and see if that buy button is clickable.

Continue reading Apple opens iTunes Music Store in 56 new countries, four get movies too

Filed under: HD

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Source: Apple

Sprint’s efforts to bring LTE to the masses have led to a large amount of frustration from the consumer base, but an announcement made by the carrier this morning shows that it’s hard at work to rectify that. The Now Network is nearly ready to blanket up to 100 markets with the high-speed data tech in the near future, and the full list of cities (shown after the break) can expect to enjoy LTE in the “coming months.” That leaves a whole lot of wiggle room for Sprint, admittedly, but at least the company is not backing away from its Network Vision goals. Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia and Washington DC are among the major markets listed, but take a look below to see if your municipality has made the cut this time around.

Sprint 4G LTE service is expected to be available in the coming months in Chicago, Boston, New York and Los Angeles. And that’s not all. We expect to bring Sprint’s all-new network to more than 100 new cities during this period.

Continue reading Sprint announces 100-city LTE expansion in ‘coming months,’ adds New York, Chicago and LA to the list

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Sprint announces 100-city LTE expansion in ‘coming months,’ adds New York, Chicago and LA to the list originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 10:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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