Category Archives: Technology

Technology

Touchless Payments. Why Chip Readers need to die.

Pulling out your credit card for the world to see, sticking it in an annoying slot then typing in a PIN number does not sound secure and it is not.  Chip card readers are darn near the bane of my existence when we have payment methods such as Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay leading the mobile payment army.  With that being said, why are companies so slow to adopt contact-less payments?  Especially when other parts of the world have been using it for years, Canada is the perfect example (I live in the US).  For one, it will be a slight overhead to update to a newer technology and they may not want to pay those costs; however, with us moving into a more and more digital age, it will be a cost that they will need to reap sooner than later.
End-user Security
One reason that mobile payments aren’t being used is simply because people do not understand it nor do they want to.  However, retailers need to adopt it because it is largely more secure for the end user, which should be important because they would not be in business without us, remember that.  When mobile payments are made, your actual credit card number is not being used, a secure token is created representing your card, magic happens, then you are charged.  There is no taking your bank card out and showing the world, then additionally trying to cover up the pin pad so that an onlooker doesn’t see your pass code.  One other note is that card stripe readers can be hacked and allow thieves to put an additional skimmer over top of a legitimate reader that will store your credit card details allowing them to reproduce a copy of your card.
NFC payment processing.
Easy of use
How easy is it to rest your thumb on your fingerprint scanner and place your phone in close proximity to the NFC terminal?  It is almost a mindless task — it is so simple.  There are no cards to poke, prod or slide — your device makes it easy.
Bottom line:  As users of tech we have to demand that mobile payments be present, not only for our security but for ease of use.  It is up to us to push the issue.
Technology

Instagram update brings STORIES!

I really hope that the Facebook team at least asked Snapchat to borrow their idea..  Probably not.  In fact, it’s nothing like that, it’s a great idea that Instagram is implementing in a very traditional manner with their own unique spin.  In addition, Snapchat is an atrocious mobile application that seemingly runs quite well on iOS; however, on Android the app experience is abysmal and is a shell of it’s iOS counterpart, partially in part because of the Snapchat team itself.
Instagram Stories is rolling out to users now. Snapchat beware, the big dogs are here to play.
Instagram Stories is rolling out to users now. Snapchat beware, the big dogs are here to play.
What does this give Instagram?
This update officially makes Instagram the “one stop shop” for visual media.  Photos, short videos and now stories that are a compilation of your last 24 hours that can be shared with all of your followers or just a core group.  Instagram is already a well-liked app that’s available on both iOS and Android and it is equally consistent on both.  TechCrunch is calling the feature “..Snapchat for adults..”, which I can agree.  Instagram has a refined and polished UI while Snapchat is an utter mess.   [See TechCrunch’s full story here with a complete breakdown listing the similarities and differences here.]  Snapchat has seemed like a children’s playground since it’s inception.
What does this take away from Snapchat?
Is this the nail in the coffin for Snapchat?  From bad video quality on Android, to a horrible mess with RAM on the platform, this could make many users shift their content from one platform to another.
Bottom line:  Instagram has made a good move here while still keeping traditional posts front and center, they’ve added stories of people that you interact most to the top of the app.  This update will likely get an entire new audience into the foray of creating and sharing their photo/video journal to the world due in part to the maturity and clean look of the UI.  There are simply many people (myself included) who stayed far, far away from Snapchat and now that Instagram has introduced it’s own — it’s game time.
Creating your very own story is just one swipe away.
Technology

Pokemon Go Update Dissapointing Users

If you’re like me, you’ve been playing Pokemon GO since it’s release and have really enjoyed it, you’re probably level 10 or higher and have amassed some pretty powerful pokemon in your arsenal.  You probably also liked to track Pokemon that were a certain distance away from you or even liked to save battery by holding your screen down during your search (on iOS) — well guess what?  Niantic, the creator of our beloved game, just gave us a big fat middle finger with an update that removed those features!
Niantic has noted that there are more things that they have not yet added to the game that are coming.  Some things the community wants are:
  • Versus battles
  • Trading Pokemon
The question is why is the game creator shutting off features from the game that helped to make it so loved?  Meanwhile, they are still not providing the features that many users thought would be included in the game to begin with.  With things like this happening one can only wonder how long will this game maintain the traction that it currently has; although, it is important to the note that only a select group of users are vocalizing their pains.
Bottom line: Niantic, get it together!
Technology

Technology & Life — 2016

It is July 2016 and in a world filled with smartphones, smarthomes, smartcars and smart + INSERT DUMB THING HERE, there are mounds of technology that are at our fingertips that our ancestors would’ve loved to have been able to take advantage of.  We can communicate with friends and family across the world or country in minutes via Skype or FaceTime, publish a video that can be seen by millions on YouTube and have your car drive itself on the interstate — what a world we live in.
However, “with great power, comes great responsibility”.  We have all of these things at our realm that can help us; however, it can also be a hindrance if we do not seek our real people and real conversations instead of gallivanting on-line in forums.  Not only must we try our best to retain those real life moments (in moderation) we must also not allow technology to put our lives at risk (ie. using Tesla’s autopilot while sleeping at the wheel — a huge “no, no”).  Technology is great and as someone who’s life is largely influenced by it, I can see the huge overwhelming benefits of taking advantage of it; however, we must also not allow it to control us — if it doesn’t make your life better, then discard it.
Bottom line:  The technological advances that we see today are simply too much to act as if they aren’t great influences, I strongly suggest you utilize the tech around us to help make your life better, easier and more fun while ensuring that you aren’t putting yourself or others in danger.
Gaming, Multimedia, Technology

Pokemon GO is Here!!

The app that we’ve all been waiting for! Pokemon GO is released to the wild and we can finally catch Pokemon in real life!  The fun and adventurous thing about this game is that it is augmented reality and allows you walk around and explore your city and surroundings while catching these cool monsters.  Sorry, if you’re expecting to sit at your computer and fool around for hours on end — this app isn’t for you.
View of Pokemon GO gameplay.
View of Pokemon GO gameplay.
Pokemon GO delivers an overall fun experience with chances to meet real life people that are on the same mission as you are, to become a “Pokemon Master”.  Check out the wonderful experience of the app, which is available on iOS and Android from our friends at TWiT:
Bottom line:  Go catch ’em all!!