Hasta La Gadget!

This ain’t the first rodeo for Visa and DeviceFidelity, and if we had to guess, we suspect it won’t be the last. Just a few short months after teaming up to bring contactless payments to any mobile with a microSD slot, the two are at it again — this time aiming for the oh-so-tantalizing iPhone market. Reportedly, the tandem is toiling away in an effort to concoct a protective iPhone shell with a secure memory card that hosts Vista’s contactless payment app, payWave. As it stands, the product would only function on the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, leaving upcoming iPhone 4G / HD / Barhopper buyers out in the cold. As with any other payWave-enabled handset, this would allow users to simply tap and go when checking out, a process that our pals over in Japan have had down for centuries now. If all goes well, market trials of the payment-enabled iPhone are set to begin this summer, or approximately six months too late for anyone to seriously care.

Continue reading Visa and DeviceFidelity working to bring mobile payment functionality to iPhone

Visa and DeviceFidelity working to bring mobile payment functionality to iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look, there’s no arguing that Apple charges a boatload for its first-party adapters, and this isn’t the first time that one of those overpriced dongles has caused an uproar (Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter, anyone?). But when the company trots out an iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter and promises to enable users to “see their videos and slideshows on the big screen,” it should probably make a few clarifications. Instead, more than a handful of consumers are revolting over on Apple’s own webstore, noting that any video laced in any type of DRM (iTunes flicks and Netflix streams included) won’t output at all. Contrary to popular belief, this adapter doesn’t actually mirror the iPad’s display, which is fairly absurd in our eyes — teachers are even stating that Apple’s own Pages and Keynote apps won’t output via the dongle, making this effectively worthless for blowing up presentations for all to see. We (sort of) get the DRM thing, but not including support in your own presentation app? Unacceptable. A tipster has noted that Apple informed him that “it’s up to the app makers to enable the video out function,” so we suppose all that’s needed to solve a lot of controversy is for some switch to be flipped in some direction. Any other hang-ups with this thing that the world should know about? Drop ’em in comments below.

[Thanks, Tony]

Update: A few tipsters have noted that Keynote does in fact work here. Here’s a growing list of what does and doesn’t work with the adapter.

Apple iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter not accomplishing the simplest of tasks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s a little past January, but it’s not like you’ve had too much trouble burning through your credit limit these past few months anyway, right? VeriFone — that company responsible for the other iPhone credit card accessory — has just announced that its slip-up case is now available in Apple retail stores. For those unaware, this card reader works on all iPhone 3G and 3GS handsets, and there’s a built-in stylus for capturing signatures from those arguably shady street-corner transactions that you’ll be engaging in. Best of all, the device and app are totally free assuming you agree to a 2-year service contract and a $49 “activation fee,” but we’d caution you to read through the fine print under “merchant fees” before tossing away too much of that profit margin.

Continue reading VeriFone Payware Mobile iPhone now available in Apple retail outlets, your CC weeps

VeriFone Payware Mobile iPhone now available in Apple retail outlets, your CC weeps originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 06:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Stephen, who digs this new chiclet keyboard craze, but wants one for his desktop. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I am interested in building a brand new rig, and I’ve come to admire chiclet keyboards like those seen on various laptops and the Mac keyboard — but I’m not a fan of the Apple tax. Is there a nice chiclet-style keyboard out there you would recommend for desktop users? I’d really like a full numeric keypad on it if possible.”

We know many of you use gaming keyboards and the like, but for those who’ve managed to locate a decent chiclet keyboard for desktop use, why not share your source? We’re sure there are plenty to go around.

Ask Engadget: Best chiclet keyboard for desktop use? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ilan Spillinger, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 VP, was on hand in Tel Aviv yesterday for a showcase of Project Natal. Although there wasn’t much in the way of groundbreaking stuff, the resulting video does show off the motion control system’s gender recognition (done through Natal’s facial recognition … you filthy child) and ability to track two players within the frame at the same time. A tipster from the audience tells us that earlier lag issues have been eradicated, although some jitter was indeed apparent when the second person stepped into Natal’s field of vision. Either way, it’s looking like Microsoft’s Xbox 360 peripheral is progressing well toward its release near the end of this year. Go past the break to see for yourself.

[Thanks, Roy]

Continue reading Microsoft gives us a look through Project Natal’s eyes (video)

Microsoft gives us a look through Project Natal’s eyes (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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