Refurbished Apple iMac with 17 inch Monitor - through buyEtail

Intel Core Duo processor
The tech speak goes like this. The new processor is Intel's first "65 nanometer" chip, which means amazingly small transistors packed densely into the processor. Two of these processors are packed onto a single module, sharing a 2MB L2 cache.

Apple claims that this new processor (actually, new processors) outstrips the previous G5's by a factor of 2 (that's a 2.0GHz Intel machine running against a G5 2.1GHz).

Design
Externally, the iMac keeps the same clean and attractive appearance as the iMac G5. Everything is somehow crammed into a 17x17x6 inch package without causing heating issues (though I would be careful to ensure that a few inches of space is available above the machine to allow effective venting). The all-in-one unit swivels easily on its smooth base, and tilts with just a bit more than a breath's touch top or bottom. When you pick it up, though, you have no doubt that it's a full-up computer. The compact design and easy movement conceal the weight - nearly 16 lbs!

The only things exiting the back of the iMac before you start adding peripherals is the power cord (no bulky power supply, just a cord) and the USB cord to the Keyboard (unless you chose the Bluetooth wireless version). On the right side at the bottom is the mount for the remote control. Everything else is internal - including the speakers, DVD/ROM drive and bluetooth/wireless antennas. The iSight video camera peeks out of a tiny square lens aperature at top center, flanked by the microphone on the left and green "camera on" LED on the right. Even the IR port for the remote is hidden (behind the Apple logo).

Output ports: As before, the iMac sports "five" USB ports - three 2.0s behind, and two 1.1s in the keyboard. However, this is really three available ports, because the keyboard plugs into one of the ports in the back, and the mouse takes up one in the keyboard. It also has two FireWire 400 ports in the back, as well as headphone and optical digital audio outputs, an audio input, and Mini-DVI output.

Screen and Graphics
The 17" illuminated TFT active matrix LCD is still as bright and beautiful as before (I believe the 20" model has a newer, brighter screen). It is viewable clearly from a broad angle, both left-right and up-down. A light monitor auto-adjusts the screen for ambient lighting, though you can change it yourself also from the "System Preferences."

Graphics run by the outstanding ATI Radeon x1600 processor with 128MB of GDDR3 video memory.

Other components
- Memory: 512MB of RAM standard, like before. However, the new stuff is 667MHz and has two replaceable modules, not one. The old iMac had a built-in 512MB with one slot that you could load up to 2GB in, for a total of 2.5GB. The new one has two slots that each can take up to 1GB. After this impressive demo, I am ordering it with 1GB on a single module (a $90 upgrade from the Educational Store), leaving the empty slot for future upgrades, if needed. The 2GB upgrade (2 x 1GB) costs another $180, which is much better than the G5 (I believe the 2GB module which brought it to 2.5 total was over $1200).

If you choose to install new memory yourself (about the only internal DIY upgrade available), it's a simple operation which involves dropping a panel on the bottom of the machine, pulling the old module out (if necessary), clicking the new one(s) in, and replacing the panel. Only tool required is a small screwdriver, and it's probably a full 5-minute job (remember to GROUND yourself!).

- Hard Drive: A 160GB drive is standard, running at 7200RPM. This is upgradable to 250GB for $75 (70 through the Educational Store).

- Optical: The same 8x "SuperDrive" is standard (DVD+R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW... EIEIO). What this all means is that you can read and burn stuff fast (Double Layer writing at 2.4x, "Normal" DVD ops at 8x, CDs at 24x).

- Wireless: Built-in AirPort Extreme (802.11g) and Bluetooth 2.0+ Enhanced Data Rate remain as built-in, and standard.

- A standard 10/100/1000 Gigabit BASE-T Ethernet port is included.

- Apple Remote: The same six-button Apple Remote (which looks similar to the iPod Shuffle, with an IR cap on one end) mounts on the lower right side of the computer. With it, you can control DVDs, slideshows, music,

- Keyboard/Mouse: The Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse remain unchanged. Typing is smooth and accurate, and feedback is excellent. Those of you who want the IBM click will have to look elsewhere for an exchange. The Mighty Mouse is so much better than the old one-button model Apple clung to for so long. Pushing left or right clicks the appropriate button (there's still only one actual buttons - sensors detect if you're pressing the left or right). Squeezing the two force-sensing buttons on the base gives you a third option (default is to launch "Expose"). The coolest thing, however, is the scrollball on the top, a tiny clickable trackball that rolls in 360 degrees, so you can scroll left, right, up, down, or in circles. Very cool. The optical sensor tracks smoothly and correctly. All buttons are set so that you can program them through the Keyboard and Mouse Utility.

A bluetooth wireless keyboard/mouse combo is a $54 upgrade, but I'm not sure I see much utility in it for a desktop in my office.

- Power Supply: The internal power supply automatically adapts to 100-240V input, so those of us who move across oceans (I'm going back soon) don't have to worry about frying a power supply because we forgot to throw a tiny switch. I've never done that, but our resident Computer Technician did last year... ouch!

- iSight: The tiny iSight port hides a fixed camera which provides outstanding fixed and video resolution for such a device - up to 2.3MegaPixels Digital and 3.2MP Analog (though I confess I'm not sure I understand how one grabs true analog from a digital device). The iChat AV software is slick, and compatible with AIM so you can video chat with your PC-chained friends and associates. With a .Mac membership, you can do so while your text is encrytped.


Impressions

This machine is definitely a Mac. Sure, it's faster, but what has sold me on it is that I believe it retains its Mac-specific user-friendliness and robust architecture. In addition, Mac's OS-X remains more resistant to viruses (which combines with the fact that fewer viruses are written against Macs in the first place).

The user-interface remains the same. You plug things in to the firewire or the USB, and they work. It is a rare occurrence when you'll need to search for a software patch or driver, or play the PC configuration file game.

With the MightyMouse, my chief annoyance (the primitive one-button mouse) is gone, and now I will find myself on the PCs at work wishing I had the "magic button" on their primitive click-wheel mice.

The design, while low on my priority list, remains incredibly far ahead of most PC-clones. Everything fits in a small footprint, and you don't have Medusa's hair sprouting everywhere.

Bang for your buck is one place Apple has really improved. I went to look for a similar PC system, and here's what I found. You can buy a Dell XPS400, with a similar Core Duo processor (2.8GHz, 2MB L2, which will be pretty a bit slower in performance in most cases than the iMac 1.83GHz), upgraded to 1GB of DDR memory (slower - 533MHz vs 667MHz), 160GB hard drive, and a 256MB ATI PCI Express card. By deleting the 3.5 inch floppy, you end up with a similar Windows system. They'll throw in a 19" upgrade to the monitor for free. Cost? $1700 shipped, vs $1300 for the iMac from the Ed Store. For the same $1700 as the Dell, you could get the 20" iMac, which would blow it out of the water. 

source: http://www.epinions.com/review/Apple_iMac_Front_Row_MA199LL_Mac_Desktop/content_217791499908?sb=1

http://www.buyetail.com

Thomas Kinkade San Francisco Lombard Street Painting - through buyEtail

San Francisco, Lombard Street - 2001

This is a golden evening; the warm glow of sunset banishes the mist and paints the busy street with its cheerful light. The exuberance of city life is evident everywhere. On Lombard Street, on an evening such as this, life is a gala celebration of the endless possibilities of city life. I invite you to celebrate with me.

-- Thomas Kinkade

source: http://www.thomaskinkadegallery.com/store/index.php/san-francisco-lombard-street-2001.html

http://www.buyetail.com

We hope you have a great Memorial Day - Celebrate - Honor - Remember buyEtail.com

http://www.buyetail.com

Refurbished iPad and iPhones - Three Things Apple iPads Do Well For Seniors - buyEtail.com

My 4 year old grandson is facile and very  adept with his Dad’s iPad.  His generation knows nothing of clunky desk top machines that weighed 60 lbs. out of the box.  He knows only of a slick one pound device with brilliant color, great sound and video right at hand that can transport him to wonderful entertainment, challenging games and great educational opportunities for 10 hours without a plug. 

I was a late adopter of anything Apple and only came into the fold earlier this year.  One reason I bought my iPad was to be able to read many magazines on line and the weekend newspapers when on my boat and away from a newsstand or home delivery options.  Another was the amazing array of tide and weather information available through NOAA websites and those of others who take the NOAA data and massage it in meaningfully useful ways to form independent and very useful weather predictions.  There is no longer an excuse to be out in a bad storm when you can tune into radar displays that show storm cells as they form and head in your direction. That means plenty of time to get your sails down and head for a safe port in a bad storm.  All you need is the telecom carriers to support your device while you are out on the briny.  Unfortunately, that isn’t always a given in the Northeast. 

I was quite surprised at the advantages Apple and its tablet competitors offer to senior citizens with diminishing senses. That includes people with reduced mobility. It is also user friendly for those whose hands, wrists, and fingers, twisted with arthritis,  no longer want to cooperate to open doorknobs or to secure or open buttons or shoe laces.  For sure, Apple’s fine designs have made Motorola, Dell, and Hewlett Packard retreat from their early efforts in this product category. Amazon and Barnes & Noble have had more success with their book readers, Nook and Kindle which cost a fraction of the price of an iPad even if they can’t do all the same tricks.

 The Three Things Apple Got Right:

1. As eyesight fades and it becomes harder and harder to see the printed page, what a wonderful facility tablets offer to their users to simply expand the type to a size that is easy for you to read.  There is no embarrassment to have to ask for a large type newspaper or book. You can simply push your fingers apart and make the type whatever size works for you.

 2. If the senior is comfortable with the internet, it is still possible for them to easily read email from siblings, children and grandchildren who want to keep in touch with them.  Even if they cannot type themselves, they can at least receive and enjoy communications from their friends and loved ones.

3. Friends and family can load in large photo albums of old photos or new ones that can be easily viewed by the senior.  I recently met a woman who had just been to Florida to visit her 89 year old father, now in a nursing home.  His hands are gnarled with arthritis and he surely cannot type but he could easily swipe his hands across the pictures he was viewing to move along to the next one.  He was thrilled to be able to control the device by himself on this simple level and asked if he could have one of his own.

source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/joanlappin/2011/09/28/three-things-apple-ipads-do-well-for-seniors-and-the-one-huge-error-its-design-failed-to-consider/

by Joan Lappin

http://www.buyetail.com

Thomas Kinkade's It Doesn't Get Much Better - 2001 - buy through buyEtail.com

It Doesn't Get Much Better - 2001

When you stumble on a breathtaking fishing hole like this on a mist-drenched morning, it hardly matters whether they're biting or not. When, as in my very hopeful canvas, the stately fisherman, properly outfited in full waders, hooks onto a feisty rainbow trout, it truly doesn't get much better than this.

-Thomas Kinkade

source: http://www.thomaskinkadegallery.com/store/index.php/images-gallery/cabins-and-landscapes/it-doesnt-get-much-better-2001.html

http://www.buyetail.com

Refurbished Xbox One - Microsoft's one console to rule it all. from buyEtail.com

The Xbox One, Microsoft's one console to rule it all. Video games, TV, music and movies, everything you do in the living room short of sitting down.

It's a plan of great ambition, and possibly fractured focus. Is Microsoft taking on too much with one system?

That was the general reaction at E3 2013 when the Xbox One's cable TV integration and always on Kinect were revealed, all for a price tag that turned out to be $100 heavier than the PlayStation 4's. Sony went on to arguably win the show with some excellent counter-programming.

On November 22 the Xbox One pushed through the bad buzz with a launch lineup padded with installments from familiar franchises. Games like Call of Duty: Black Ops, Dead Rising 3, Assassins Creed: Black Flag IV and NBA 2K14 made sure the early adopters lined up at midnight would have something to play.

The real question is this: can the Xbox One overcome the mixed messaging, the now-canned 24-hour online dependence and the other potholes that had it stumbling out of the gate, and allowed Sony to win E3 2013 with some sharp counter-programming?

And can it live up to the legacy of the Xbox 360? For long stretches of the last console generation, the Xbox was king. While the Wii was everywhere, and millions of gamers and AV enthusiasts eventually picked up a PlayStation 3, for a while there the phrase "let's play some Xbox" was almost interchangeable with "let's play some video games."

It was the console that brought Xbox Live into maturity, setting the standard for the online experience on a gaming console. It taught couch gamers to tolerate the tech support look of a headset in exchange for voice communication, and that you get what you pay for: a year of Xbox Live Gold might have cost as much as a game, but the service was more robust than Sony's PSN.

We've recently seen Microsoft's master plan at E3 2014. More exclusives are trickling in like Sunset Overdrive, Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Forza Horizon 2, but we've yet to see a definitive reason to buy Microsoft over Sony in this console generation.

But updates are coming fast and furious. By this time next month users should have the ability to remotely start downloads on their Xbox Ones and real name sharing should be completely functional.

The Xbox One wants to be everything to everyone. Games, movies and music, its lofty ambition is to put all your entertainment in one box.

Does Xbox One truly make you master and commander of the living room, or is it all more trouble than it's worth? Allow us to break it down.

We liked

The Xbox One had the stronger launch lineup. We had a blast mulching hordes of zombies in Dead Rising 3. Ryse, on the other hand, was an excellent showcase for the system's graphical prowess. Forza Motorsport 5 is a visual feast with plenty of depth and pairs nicely with the Game DVR feature. In reality, both systems have a similar crop of third-party offerings, but the One's exclusive games feel more distinct and original.

Kinect is great for simple commands. Saving gameplay footage, quickly pausing a movie, answering a Skype call, all these features work smoothly and make for a convenient and fun interface. Kinect is also surprisingly good at hearing you over the TV.

Xbox One's gameplay video sharing is less locked down than the PS4's. Xbox One doesn't keep a running video archive like PS4, but it does grant you a lot more freedom with your footage. You can upload right to Skydrive, then download the an MP4 of the clip and do whatever you like with it. The PS4's sharing is limited to the PSN or Facebook, with no actual access to the file.

It's the best place to see TV alongside streaming media. Being able to perform a Bing search for a show and see when it will be on next as well as the places to rent or buy it is fantastic. While the Xbox One's media integration isn't perfect, there's no other system that brings this kind of service to your TV.

The interface is fast and customizable. The system comes out of standby in less than thirty seconds, and menus move as fast as you can manipulate them. We also loved the convenience of Pins, which let you keep almost anything just a click away.

source: http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/gaming/games-consoles/xbox-one-1153153/review#articleContent

by Nick Pino

http://www.buyetail.com

Great deals on Refurbished Samsung Galaxy S5 - Top 5 tips and tricks for using Samsung S Voice - buyEtail.com

Samsung went to the trouble to make its own voice-recognition app — here's how to use it

S Voice is the bundled voice command application that comes with the Galaxy S5 and other Samsung devices which allows you to take all sorts of actions without having to fiddle with your phone . These five tips will get you up and running with S Voice in no time.

Before diving in, let's just make sure S Voice is working properly for you. S Voice should be ready to go right out of the box. Just press the home button twice at the bottom of the device in the center and a screen should pop up with a little microphone at the bottom. If not, you may need to enable the shortcut.

Swipe down from the top of the home screen, and tap the gear in the top-right to go into settings.

Scroll to the bottom and tap S Voice.

Tap "Open via the home key" if the box is not already checked.

Setting up a custom voice command can wake up S Voice without even needing to touch your device . All you have to do is say the wake-up command while S Voice is open. By default, the command to do this is "Hi Galaxy," but you can change it to something a little more your style. It's worth noting that this does not work like "OK Google" does from every screen.

Start S Voice by pressing the home button twice. The home button is at the bottom of the device, in the center.

Tap the three dots in the top-right to bring up the menu, and tap Settings.

Tap Voice wake-up, then tap Set wake-up command. If you can't tap Set wake-up command, you may need to tap the switch in the top-right first.

The next screen will prompt you to say your wake-up command four times after tapping the microphone button. Make sure you're in a relatively quiet area before trying to do this, or else it won't recognize what you're saying.

Know the S-Voice commands

S Voice can be a little stiff when recognizing commands, so be sure you know which commands you're likely to use most often and how to say them so S Voice can be its most useful. Some of these you might not have even realized were options. Here is a list of S Voice commands and examples of how to use them.

Voice dial - "Call Charlie mobile"

Message - "Text Katie message Are you free tonight for dinner?"

Seach contacts - "Look up James"

Memo - "Memo Send mom a card"

Schedule - "New event  Lunch with James July 21st at 1 PM"

Task - "Create task Concert review due May 18th"

Music - "Play artist The Beatles"

Social update - "Twitter update Why do humans live so far north?"

Search - "Google Population of Portugal"

Open app - "Open Calculator"

Record voice - "Record voice"

Set alarm - "Set alarm for 6:00 AM"

Set timer - "Set timer for 2 minutes"

Control simple settings - "Turn Wi-Fi off"

Navigate - "Navigate to Cambridge, MA"

Hear news - "Read the news"

Weather - "What is the weather for today?"

Get an answer - "What is the highest mountain?"

If you're behind the wheel, S Voice can read out your incoming messages and accept hands-free commands at the same time. This is called Car Mode, and can be activated easily. S Voice and Car Mode are separate features though, so you won't have full access to every S Voice command when activated. Ironically enough, you can't turn on Car Mode from S Voice. Here's how to get started  with Car Mode.

Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the three tiles icon in the top-right to view more settings toggles.

Find and tap Car Mode.

If launching for the first time, you'll need to agree to the terms of service and pair up with your car's Bluetooth audio system, if it has one.

Once launched, Car Mode will listen for Hi Galaxy, just like S Voice and allow you to launch phone calls, dictate messages, start navigation, and control media playback. You can also reject calls with a voice command and set an automated SMS reply.

For those times when you know you won't be able to access your phone for a while, you may already by using a Bluetooth headset. S Voice can be set as the default voice dialing application associated with Bluetooth. How you start voice dialing will vary by Bluetooth device, but generally you just need to hold down the primary button for a moment. After pairing your headset and activating voice dialing, your Samsung Galaxy S5 will pop up with a prompt asking for which apple to use by default. If something else opens, here's how you clear the default app to make way for S Voice.

Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the gear icon in the top-right to go into settings.

Tap the magnifying glass icon and type in "default". A settings search result for Default Applications should appear below. Tap it.

Find S Voice on the list and tap the Clear button.

Once finished, try launching voice dialling again from the device, and you should get the option to select S Voice.

That's S Voice!

That's S Voice on the Samsung Galaxy S5 in a nutshell. It should help beginners get started, as well as provide a foundation for those that had never given it an earnest try. We're always happy to help out, so be sure to leave a comment here if you're having any issues with S Voice.

source: http://www.androidcentral.com/top-5-tips-and-tricks-using-samsung-s-voice?pg=5#content

by Simon Sage

http://www.buyetail.com

Is Apple Pay a Banking Trojan Horse? - buyEtail

Is Apple Pay a Banking Trojan Horse?

While the spotlight during Apple's annual product announce-ment was primarily focused on Apple's new hardware offerings (the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and the Apple Watch), Apple Pay just might prove the more revolutionary announcement over time.

By Jim Marous, Partner at The Financial Brand and Publisher of the Digital Banking Report

Over the past 24+ months, Apple has opted to remain on the sideline instead of offering an integrated mobile payments solution. During this period, Apple introduced components of a potential payment solution, including the Passbook application for storing coupons, tickets and loyalty cards, the Touch ID fingerprint scanner with an API paving the way for more secure applications, and the iBeacon for location-based information and offers.

Like they did with music labels for iTunes and cellular carriers with the iPhone, Apple reached out to many of the biggest partners ahead of introducing Apple Pay – the major card carriers (American Express, MasterCard and Visa), the six biggest issuing banks representing 83 percent of credit card volume in the U.S., and major retailers like Macy’s, Bloomingdales, McDonald’s, Walgreens, Nike, Staples and Disney (with 220,000 stores).

Instead of payments disruption, Apple’s initial foray into payments appears to be focused on improving the experience between the consumer and the merchant … removing friction and improving the security of each transaction. In other words, instead of replacing the incumbent payments network, Apple decided to leverage what was already in place, building partnerships with key players.

“Any calls for Apple to disrupt banking or payments has proven to be premature, considering that Apple prefers status quo more than it’s fans,” said Cherian Abraham, mobile commerce and payments lead at Experian.

Evolution Not Revolution

Using near-field communications technology, Apple Pay will enable consumers to make payments at participating outlets with a swipe of an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus or an Apple Watch. Apple Pay uses the Passbook app, the Touch ID, NFC, and a secure element to process payments.

Apple Pay will also support online purchases with a one-touch checkout. This process will eliminate common online shopping hassles, like entering credit card information and typing out a billing address. Private information will be secure since it will not be shared with the merchant. A bunch of merchants are already on board with Apple Pay online, including Uber, Disney, Sephora, Starbuck, Groupon, Target, Staples, Tickets.com, Panera Bread, and more.

NFC at the point of sale will be categorized as card-present transactions for interchange fee purposes, and in-app purchases will be considered card-not-present transactions with fees aligned with more secure forms of card-not-present.

NFC payments are far from being new. In fact, they have been part of the Android ecosystem for years. The concept of a mobile wallet that stores payment credentials is also not new, with PayPal, Venmo, and even the on again, off again Google Wallet paving the way. Yet, Apple always makes what others have done before them more exciting. Despite not being first with either a payments app or mobile wallet, Tim Cook unabashedly ended the Apple Pay segment of his presentation with a prediction: “ApplePay will forever change the way all of us buy things.”

“The tech giant [follows] a familiar pattern: let the first movers flail with the earliest versions of some product or service, then release a more polished version of the same idea. The mobile wallet in 2014 is a lot like the MP3 player in early 2001, just before the launch of the iPod, or the smartphones available in 2006 ahead of the first iPhone. The tools now exist for fully functional mobile wallets, just not in a way that has won over the shopping masses.” – Bloomberg

Focus on Security

The debut of the plastic replacement Apple Pay solution comes as another wave of ‘bad news’ over digital security is part of the daily news cycle, with another major retailer data breach being announced and an iCloud hack that exposed nude images of celebrities.

To address security concerns, Apple is storing cards securely by encrypting the information and storing multiple credit cards in Passbook. Each card gets a device-only account number, so the actual card number is never stored or shared. As a result, a cashier never sees an account number or name. Apple Pay also replaces the three-digit code on the back of credit cards with a dynamic security code.

Apple Pay can either use the card currently stored on an iTunes account, or the consumer can add a card by taking a photo of another card and easily add it to Passbook. Apple Pay will leverage TouchID/fingerprint technology to authorize transactions, with the company emphasizing the relative speed/convenience of this one-touch payment method.

“We’re totally reliant on the exposed numbers, and the outdated and vulnerable magnetic interface — which by the way is five decades old — and the security codes which all of us know aren’t secure.” – Tim Cook, Apple CEO

Rumors leading up to today’s announcement suggested that the company had used its enhanced security and anti-fraud features to negotiate unprecedented discounts on the already low “card present” rates applied to traditional in-person credit card transactions. If true, that could eventually impact the balance of power a bit between merchants, banks and Apple.

Regarding security, Tim Cook told USA Today, “This is something that the merchants believe in, and the banks, because they love fraud plummeting. There’s that moment when a consumer’s card gets rejected for fraud (by a merchant) and they can’t pay for what they’re buying. When you combine all that, it’s like striking a match. It’s going to spread and spread fast.”

Finally, Apple will not collect consumer transaction data as once anticipated. This reduces the threat to the current ecosystem and to financial institutions in general.

The Power of Apple

Apple has over 800 million registered iTunes accounts, some portion of which will upgrade to the iPhone 6 devices. Though that shift may not happen overnight, eventually users will upgrade as their contracts expire and Apple continues to release new features that draw users in.

That, in fact, is Apple’s biggest advantage in entering the mobile payments market where competitors like PayPal, Google and the mobile carriers themselves already offer their own mobile payment solutions, some of which also involve NFC technology.

The power of Apple also will be seen almost immediately with the relationships struck with card companies, financial institutions and retailers. Beginning in October, Citi and several other of the largest financial institutions will provide cardmembers the option to pay with their eligible credit or debit card using their iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Whether they are buying in stores or online from merchants in apps, organizations will promote their partnership with Apple by stressing the simplicity and security of using Apple Pay.

Announcements similar to the one below from Citi will become commonplace.

“Citi has a long history of delivering choice and value through innovation that meets our cardmembers’ needs. We are looking forward to delivering to our cardmembers another way to simply and quickly make payments for a broad range of purchases such as buying a coffee, groceries or purchasing digital music.” – Barry Rodrigues, Head of Enterprise Payments at Citi

Impact on Payments Players and Use

NFC wallets have struggled for adoption, and one reason was because merchants didn’t have point of sale terminals equipped with the capability (and some merchants turned off the NFC functionality). But as merchants upgrade their terminals for the October 2015 deadline for EMV-chip card acceptance in the U.S., those new terminals will likely have NFC functionality.

“Overall, it’s still going to be the breakthrough experience tied to phone and watch that we’ve been waiting for … this will be huge and the naysayers will be proven wrong.” – Bradley Leimer, Mechanic Bank

Apple Pay should definitely accelerate the timeline for mobile payment acceptance in the US. While only about 20% of merchants accept NFC (tap & go) today, Apple’s move should tip the industry to upgrade point-of-sale terminals.Products such as eBay’s ‘One Touch PayPal‘ could also have a positive impact.

Analysts believe that Apple Pay will have a positive impact on the card networks and certainly the terminal manufacturers with a possible negative impact on issuers and acquirers. And while Apple’s sizable smartphone market share, loyal users and iTunes card accounts could no doubt make it a significant player in the mobile wallet marketplace, it is believed that it may actually increase the opportunity for PayPal (and other payment players) in the near term.

Notably absent among the list of launch partners are the world’s largest retailers like Wal-Mart, Safeway, Target and CVS as well as thousands of convenience stores that have fought heavily against recent attempts to regulate interchange fees under the Durbin Amendment. The Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) comprising as many as 110,000 locations and has just introduced their CurrentC mobile wallet.

If Apple wants ApplePay to become truly ubiquitous, both in-person and within mobile apps, it will eventually need to convince these holdouts that it adds more value than it takes away (through any fees).

Denée Carrington, Senior Analyst at Forrester Research said, “Apple Pay will ignite consumers’ interest in mobile payments by providing a seamless, secure, and easy way to pay both in store and on the go. By partnering with the leading merchants across retail, grocery, drugstore, and dining, consumers can use Apple Pay with merchants they shop every day — which will accelerate the growth of mobile payments in the US.”

Finally, many believe Apple’s new payments service may eventually challenge carrier-backed ISIS — soon to be renamed to “Softcard” — Coin, and even Square.

A Potential Trojan Horse?

While the introduction of Apple Pay eliminated much of the ‘doom and gloom’ discussion within the banking community, the industry may not be in the clear just yet. This is because there were several notable missing components to the initial announcements by Apple that could have a significant impact on consumer relationships with their financial institution.

In the wave of announcements, there was no mention of increased NFC functionality for the future versions of the iPad. Without NFC capabilities, plugging in a Square payments dongle won’t allow merchants to support ApplePay. While this may be on the drawing boards, Apple could take an alternative partnering position with smaller merchants.

Before the introduction of Apple Pay, there was significant discussion around the integration of Apple’s iBeacon solution (based on Bluetooth Low- Emmission, or BLE technology) to deliver targeted, actionable offers to consumers. Building a rewards network directly with merchants using this technology could significantly alter the balance of power with consumers as product/behavioral insight could still be collected without connecting the data to specific payment information. Much like a closed ad network, this capability could be the Holy Grail of payments revenue.

Finally, a more subtle, yet potentially game changing observation mentioned by Karen Webster, CEO of Market Platform Dynamics, is how Apple chose to name its payments capability Apple Pay as opposed to iPay or iWallet. “Apple wants the consumer association with Apple first and foremost. Sure, card brands and network brands are visible, but Apple Pay will make every other brand subordinate to it because that is how the consumer and the merchant will view it,” said Webster.

“That means that the power, at least in the iOS ecosystem, is likely to accrue over time to Apple. And with 800 million registered accounts, well, it might not need that much time,” continued Webster.

And what does that power mean when you look at person to person payments (P2P) that also was left out of the presentation by Apple?

A Future View

Apple will begin rolling out Pay within a month, and it will be accompanied by an iOS 8 update. American Express, Bank of America, Capital One Bank, Chase, Citi and Wells Fargo will be the first banks to offer Apple Pay with additional banks coming quickly thereafter including Barclaycard, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC Bank, USAA and U.S. Bank.

Large and otherwise impressive companies like PayPal, Google, Amazon, Square, and Stripe, have all tried to tackle this problem before with limited success. But as is the case in most categories it enters, Apple has a way of delivering ‘mass’. This is why bank and credit union executives should expect ApplePay to be accepted and move the needle rather quickly.

“While it’s too early to know the business model implications (as Apple has been very secret about the back end agreements, though issuers and networks seem to be on the winning side), the industry will finally see whether what it has bet on is true: that only Apple can change user behaviors significantly,” says Yann Ranchere, director at Anthemis and finance 2.0 blogger.

source:  the financialbrand.com

by Jim Marous

http://www.buyetail.com

Best Deal in Town on our Flat Screen Sony TV's from buyEtail

We have the new Sony 4K TV's at a great price. Don't miss out come to our new store on 3404 Beltline Rd, Dallas, TX

http://www.buyetail.com

Great Deal on Thomas Kinkade's Prints - buy through buyEtail.com

Get a great deal on our Thomas Kinkade Prints $49.00

Open Gate




Paris City of Lights



Pathway to Paradise




http://www.buyetail.com

Riding Lawn Mowers, Washers, Dryers and Refrigerators from our New Retail Store Dallas, TX - 3404 E. Beltline Rd., Dallas, - buyEtail

You heard right we have Riding Lawn Mowers, Washers, Dryers and New Refrigerators at our Retail Store on 3404 E. Beltline Rd., in Dallas.

Best prices in town.

http://www.buyetail.com

Refurbished Apple iPads - Apple app roundup: Best Music and Entertainment apps - from buyEtail.com and our New Retail Store Dallas, TX - 3404 E. Beltline Rd., Dallas, TX buyEtail

AMPLIFi Remote “AMPLIFi Remote introduces a new world of possibilities for guitarists, including features that interact with Apple Watch.”

Notation “Notation converts the regular audio from your iPhone’smicrophone  into musical score and guitar TAB, all in real time.”

Pandora Radio “Experience personalized music discovery with Pandora for Apple Watch.”

Shazam “Shazam in no time. Launch Shazam on your Apple Watch for the artist, song, and lyrics that unfold with the music.”

Shazam Encore “Shazam in no time. Launch Shazam on your Apple Watch for the artist, song, and lyrics that unfold with the music.”

SoundHound “SoundHound + LiveLyrics on Apple Watch displays song name and the lyrics, magically scrolling in sync with the song. From the gym, car, cafe or at home, you can SoundHound songs with one tap on your Apple Watch making it more convenient and joyful than ever to capture songs you love and experience the lyrics.”

TuneIn Radio “TuneIn is now compatible with Apple Watch! Change stations, jump to recent & related stations, follow stations and shows, play, pause & skip through content, and see what’s playing.” source: http://www.todaysiphone.com/2015/04/apple-watch-app-roundup-best-music-entertainment-apps/ by Adam Oram http://www.buyetail.com

Refurbished Amazon 4th Generation Kindle - Amazon Kindle (4th Gen) Review - in our New Retail Store Dallas, TX - 3404 E. Beltline Rd., Dallas, TX buyEtail

 

The new Kindle Fire may have gotten most of the attention when Amazon refreshed its Kindle lineup this year, but Amazon is still very much in the e-reader market. The fourth-generation Kindle, the Kindle Touch, and the Kindle Touch 3G all promise to deliver the traditional Kindle experience in a lighter and less expensive package - continue reading for our thoughts on the new $79 Kindle.

Hardware and Tech Specs

The new Kindle’s 6”, 600x800 E-Ink Pearl screen is basically the same as the previous model’s, but that’s where most of the hardware similarities end: the keyboard, a mainstay of all previous Kindles, has been removed and replaced by four physical buttons and what Amazon calls a “five-way controller,” a directional pad surrounding a button. Typing is now done using this controller and an on-screen software keyboard, which I’ll complain a bit about later.

For all the inconvenience of text entry, the keyboard’s removal does noticeably reduce the Kindle’s size and weight - the new unit is 6.5” (166mm) tall, 4.5” (114mm) wide, and 0.34” (8.7mm) deep, and weighs just a shade under 6 ounces, down from the 8.5 ounces of the previous model. As a result, it’s comfortable to hold in one hand for most extended reading sessions. Many promotional shots show it nestled in the back pocket of someone’s jeans, which you can do, even though you feel like you’re going to snap it in half when you sit down. Suffice it to say that it slides easily into most bags, cases, and purses without issue.

On the inside, the Kindle is outfitted cheaply (to hit that $79 price point) but well enough, given its intended function - the fine folks over at Blog Kindle have done a very thorough, device-bricking teardown of the Kindle so that we didn’t have to. The action is driven by a Freescale i.MX50-series Cortex A8 SoC running at 800MHz, while an Epson KCRE7000 E-ink display controller handles the visuals. An Atheros AR6103 chip provides wireless b, g, and n Wi-Fi speeds of up to 72.2 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. 256MB of RAM from Hynix and 2GB of flash memory from Sandisk round out the rest of the Kindle’s important chips.

All of this hardware is powered by a 890mAh 3.7 V battery, which Amazon says is good for about a month, and while I haven’t had the thing for a month I can say that this sounds about right - after a week of daily usage, I’ve used about a quarter of the Kindle’s battery life. There’s no charger included in the box, but the included micro-USB cable can be connected to any computer or USB charger - the Kindle had no problem with my iPhone’s charger, and I expect that most micro-USB chargers will work without issue. Amazon also sells its own branded adapter for $10.

The basic Kindle’s 2GB of storage space (which in practice works out to be around 1.3GB after the system software) is half that of the previous generation Kindle and the forthcoming Kindle Touch, though it’s certainly as much as you need to store anything you’re actively reading. Amazon’s cloud storage lets you archive anything you’re not reading, and you can re-download it to your device in short order if you’ve got a Wi-Fi connection.

Aside from Amazon’s .AZW format books, this Kindle supports TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, and PRC files natively. HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP files can all be viewed after being converted by Amazon or another program. You’ll notice that there are no audio files on this list - the low-end Kindle doesn’t support audio in any way, so audiobooks, the “read to me” text-to-speech feature, and music are incompatible with it. The Kindle Touch will include audio support when it launches in November, and the Kindle Keyboard (a rebranding of the previous-generation device) continues to support audio.

Plugging the Kindle into your PC puts it into USB drive mode, where you can charge the device and move files into its flash memory. To continue to charge the Kindle while using it normally, eject it from the computer.

The Kindle comes in a simple, unadorned cardboard box with “Kindle” emblazoned on the side. Open it up, and you’ll find the device and the micro USB cable nestled in an all-cardboard enclosure that should be familiar to anyone who has experienced Amazon’s “frustration free” packaging - the lack of plastic makes it both easier to open and more environmentally sound. A simple slip of cardboard tells you how to navigate with and charge the Kindle, and there’s no other manual in sight.

source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4988/amazon-fourthgeneration-kindle-review

by Andrew Cunningham

http://www.buyetail.com