Hasta La Gadget!

Square gets most of the media hype, but without an international presence, would-be competitors have had a chance to carve out their own niches in the mobile commerce market. Sweden’s iZettle has managed to make quite a splash in its homeland, and it’s expanding its mini empire by finally bringing its wares to Android — albeit in an extremely limited form. Unless you’ve got a Galaxy S III, S II or a Note then iZettle still isn’t for you and with availability in a single Nordic country, it might seem more accurate to describe Android support as being in beta, but the company has ditched the testing tag regardless. Rest assured, however, it is actively working to add more handsets and export the app beyond its particle board-loving borders.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Software

iZettle comes to Android for a few lucky Swedish Samsung owners originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just in case you only thought Amazon, Netflix and Redbox were working the studio deals, HBO announced today it’s worked out an extension of its agreement with 20th Century Fox. Already the “premium network home” of Fox flicks for more than 30 years, this deal is long enough to keep it going into the next decade. The LA Times reports from its sources the the original deal would have expired in 2015, while the extension pushes it out to 2022 at a price of over $200 million per year. One key adjustment that’s been made for the digital age gives Fox the ability to continue to sell its movies over digital stores even while they’re airing on HBO unlike the previous deal, although we’re told this provision does not extend to rentals during that time. That’s on top of a previous tweak negotiated months ago that let Fox and other HBO partners provide digital copies of their movies on services like iTunes from the Cloud and Ultraviolet during the HBO pay window. One other note is that on the same day Netflix revealed its service is coming to several Scandinavian locales, HBO announced it’s doing the same, launching HBO Nordic in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.

Continue reading HBO and Fox cut a deal to keep the movies flowing through 2022, HBO Nordic launches soon

HBO and Fox cut a deal to keep the movies flowing through 2022, HBO Nordic launches soon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 23:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tanning can be dangerous, especially if you fall asleep on the beach while soaking in some rays. These UV-sensing wristbands will let you know when you’ve had too much sun. Once you’ve had your fill, they change colors to let you know when to cover up.

The bands work through an acid-releasing agent that picks up UV light. A dye responds to pH levels in the indicator. Once you’ve reached a predetermined UV level, the bands change from yellow to pink. The Swedish company Intellego Technologies plans on releasing different sensitivity levels, because people react differently to UV exposure: some people can tolerate more while others can tolerate less. Of course, you’ll still want to use sunblock and not just rely on the wristband to protect your skin.

The wristbands are supposed to be pretty cheap when they are released, so there’s no excuse anymore for getting all red from your last excursion to the beach. They will be available starting spring 2013.

[via DVice]

The Booth lounger is a good way to say “I don’t want to talk to you but I kindly invite you to stare at me.” With a removable hood, you can send the memo that although you don’t want to be bothered, you still welcome attention and intrigue. More »