Hasta La Gadget!

Mastercard is already a big fish in the still tiny NFC contactless payment pond, and now it wants to take that same technology to a veritable ocean — internet sales. The plastic purveyor is tag-teaming with ING in the Netherlands for PayPass-based smartphone internet payments that would have a “comparable level of security” to bricks and mortar purchases — by transmitting an EMV-compliant cryptogram or QR code to merchants. That would theoretically make online shopping less risky, and the system would also allow coupons and vouchers to be applied, giving a “similar user experience in both the physical and digital world.” The Dutch trial has already started and will continue until early 2013, but there’s no word if new users can still jump in — check the PR after the break to read the tea leaves for yourself.

Continue reading Mastercard previewing smartphone internet payment system with in-person security strength

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile

Mastercard previewing smartphone internet payment system with in-person security strength originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The name Tesco is famous not only in the UK, but in many other countries around the world for offering lower prices of everyday items and groceries while you shop in a comfortable environment. I myself tend to get my weekly grocery shopping done over at Tesco, as the kind of goods that they have on offer tend to be fresh, not to mention being easy on the wallet. Well, here is an idea that the retail giant might hope to pioneer, that is, opening the first interactive virtual grocery store in Gatwick’s North Terminal, making it the UK’s first of its kind.

After all, what is worse than returning home from holiday to an empty fridge? Yes, I know, some of us do empty the perishable contents of our fridge before we leave for a holiday just in case there is a permanent blackout or brownout for a week or so, leading the contents of our fridge to rot and basically making your whole house smell like a skunk. Hence, when we return and open the fridge, there is nothing much left to chew on or eat, which is where this interactive virtual grocery store comes in handy.

Opening up the store in Gatwick will see the implementation of interactive digital displays to get your virtual shopping experience up and running, where passengers who pass through the North Terminal are able to browse products as though they were in a physical store in one sense, and this experience is culminated in the convenience of home delivery to boot. A quartet of interactive fridges in the virtual store are there for your perusal, and there will be half a dozen sites that are strategically positioned around the departure lounge for passengers to use.

Each of the ‘fridge’ can be scrolled using your hand, and you can browse through the products simply by touching the screens, followed by scanning the product barcodes in order to add them to your basket. More than 80 products are featured, and hopefully the Tesco staff will fulfill your order with fresh, unspoilt items by the time your order arrives at your doorstep!

[ Tesco announces interactive virtual grocery store at Gatwick Airport copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Who knew that a company which makes a lot of money on the web would be keen to pitch the web as important to the US economy? Google thinks it’s as natural as breathing, as it just took significant credit for fueling real-world shopping. About 97 percent of Americans reportedly searched online for a local business — it’s safe to say Google was involved in a lot of those hunts — and spent an average of nearly $2,000 per person at brick-and-mortar stores last year. The search giant extrapolates to argue that the web pumped about $500 billion into the US economy, even while excluding internet-only sales. That’s certainly a staggering number that shows how much of a cornerstone the internet has become for American business, although it comes across as slightly insecure: a company that’s reportedly under tight scrutiny from regulators might be eager to show just how much good it’s doing for the public in tough economic times.

Google shocker: American web company says web boosted American economy by $500 billion originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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