Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve officially entered November, which means that 2013 is right around the corner – an alarming thought indeed. Today the folks at iFixit gave us an up close look at the internals of the iPad Mini, while Apple was told by a UK judge that it needs to change the Samsung “apology” on its website. Verizon is helping out with the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort, as is Apple by accepting donations through iTunes. We heard a whopper of a rumor that claims Google will soon introduce physical Google Wallet credit cards which, if true, could be a major game-changer.

Today we found out when the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini will be launching in the UK, and Kim Dotcom’s new website was overloaded shortly after “launch,” though at the moment the only thing you see when visiting Mega is a splash page. Apple has released iOS 6.0.1, and it was confirmed today that the iPad mini uses a 5-watt power adapter. Disney said that it will likely focus on Star Wars mobile and social games moving forward, while Sony’s Q2 2012 financial results are better than Q1′s despite the fact that the company still lost money in the quarter.

The Motorola Electrify M was announced for US Cellular earlier today, and Sony is apparently shipping out new PS4 developer kits that are based on AMD’s A10 Accelerated Processing Units. Time has named Google Glass the best invention of the year, while Amazon launched its Cloud Drive photos app for Android earlier today. Google Drive has gained support for direct sharing to Google Plus profiles, and Google Play carrier billing has popped up at Verizon Wireless. Our old friend OUYA made a new appearance today sporting Jelly Bean, scientists are currently trying to figure out a mystery surrounding Voyager 1, and leaked Grand Theft Auto V pre-order bonuses give away some of the game’s new locations.

Finally tonight, we have a couple original articles for you to have a look at. Chris Burns compares the photo quality of the Samsung Galaxy S III to that of the Nokia Lumia 920, while I go hands-on with the new Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 and give my first impressions of the intriguing new convertible notebook. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, enjoy the rest of your night folks!

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: November 1, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Google Wallet hasn’t had much uptake in the real world. When most of its use has revolved around one carrier, few payment points and even fewer phones, most of us have had to sit on the sidelines. If an Android Police source really did come across a leaked future build of Google Wallet as he claims, though, we may know how Google surmounts that problem: going old school with a real-world card. Screenshots in the app supposedly show a mail-in option for plastic that could completely replace credit and debit cards without turning to NFC. Any charges after a typical swipe of the magnetic strip would simply go to whatever payment source is set as Wallet’s default, letting minimalists slim down their actual wallets while sharing in the same discounts as their phone-wielding counterparts. Digital-only purists would still get something out of the deal, as the update could also bring person-to-person money transfers and support for mass transit cards. How soon the as yet unconfirmed app would appear is still a mystery, but it dovetails with Google teasing a Wallet revamp that’s rumored to take mobile use beyond its Android-only roots; we just didn’t anticipate that the company might bypass our phones altogether.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google

Google Wallet update purportedly leaks plans for a real-world card, transfers and transit passes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While the US wireless industry seems far away from finding a universal mobile payment system, T-Mobile’s new BFF MetroPCS appears to have made its choice. Taking to its official Facebook page, the carrier announced on Monday that the Samsung Galaxy S III is its first handset to support Google Wallet. In choosing Google’s mobile payment platform, MetroPCS joins two of its biggest competitors, Sprint and US Cellular. It should be noted that T-Mobile is deeply committed to Google’s wireless payment competitor Isis, which recently became ready for public consumption. Once the two carriers exchange nuptials next year, it’s possible that we could be looking at the wireless industry’s first mobile payment Brady Bunch. However, looking back at T-Mobile’s previous attempts at mobile matrimony, we won’t be holding our breath waiting for this union to become official.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Samsung Galaxy S III is the first MetroPCS handset to support Google Wallet originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Wallet is getting an overhaul, and Google has started accepting requests for invites to the new incarnation of its mobile payment platform. While there aren’t any details about what exactly will be new about the upcoming wallet, the invite process asks you whether you’re using Android, iOS, or “other devices,” which indicates some big changes allowing the system to work across platforms. More »

Outside of Sprint’s Galaxy S III variant, no other carrier-branded models have been made to officially support Google Wallet. That’s all set to change today with a maintenance update rolling out to owners of the US Cellular unit. Details of this maintenance release, uncovered by Android Police, outline a host of incoming bug fixes bundled in with Amazon’s app suite and Mountain View’s aforementioned mobile payment app. The leaked screenshot also indicates that other NFC-equipped devices on the operator’s lineup could be joining the fray soon, though nothing’s specified. You can go ahead and try to pull the OTA now, but for those of you with ants in your pants, a manual solution is available at the Samsung source link below.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Software, Mobile, Samsung, Google

US Cellular Galaxy S III update adds Google Wallet support originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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