Thursday, September 5, 2019

Apple is 'Watching Cryptocurrency' and Wants to Do More With Tipping and Mobile IDs

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Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey recently sat down with CNN anchor Christine Romans at a private event in San Francisco to discuss the future of payments, including Apple Pay and the Apple Card.

Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey via CNN Business

As to be expected, Bailey made some boilerplate comments about the security, privacy, and ease of use of both Apple Pay and the Apple Card, but she also touched on cryptocurrency, tipping, and mobile IDs.

On cryptocurrency, Bailey said it is an "interesting" field with "long-term potential":
We're watching cryptocurrency. We think it's interesting. We think it has interesting long-term potential, but we're primarily focused on what consumers are using today… and are happy with. Most people are pretty happy with their debit card as an example. And so helping people do that in a more secure way on our platform and in a more real time way is what we're focused on.
On tipping, Bailey said it is one area where Apple still needs to "work more on that":
We get that feedback a lot from customers about when they start using mobile payments and Apple Pay, they stop carrying cash. And one of the key areas where they would like us to do more is actually in tipping. You'll see in some of the point-of-sale systems now great tipping functionality if you pay with mobile payments, but still that personal touch is one area where we still need to work more on that.
Apple Pay and the Wallet app have already provided digital alternatives to credit and debit cards, student IDs, movie tickets, boarding passes, and more. Asked what the hardest remaining item in a wallet would be to digitize, Bailey said identities, such as a driver's license or a passport:
I think the hardest thing is identity. And the reason is that identity, to be legal, has to be government issued… it has to be authenticated by the government. We see across the globe many countries starting to use mobile to add passport… you might use mobile passport when you're going through airports today. It is moving, and I think it will continue. It's not too far away… it just won't be as fast as some of the other activities we have.
Bailey also confirmed that Apple is "working on" allowing users to export their Apple Card financial data to a budgeting app like Mint.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

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Sonos Unveils Its First Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Supports AirPlay 2

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Sonos today introduced its first portable Bluetooth speaker, the Sonos Move.


The battery-powered Sonos Move features both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for listening at home or on the go, AirPlay 2 support, built-in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and up to ten hours of continuous music playback per charge. The speaker features an oval-shaped design with IP56-rated water and dust resistance.

AirPlay 2 support means music playback on the Sonos Move can be controlled with Siri, and the speaker will also appear in the AirPlay picker on iOS devices and in the Home app across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.

Sonos Move pre-orders begin today on Sonos.com. The speaker will be available starting September 24, priced at $399 in the United States.

Sonos also unveiled a lower-priced version of its Sonos One smart speaker, the Sonos One SL. The speaker lacks built-in microphones in exchange for a $179 price, $20 less than the regular Sonos One. Like the Sonos Move, the One SL supports AirPlay 2.

The new One SL replaces the Sonos Play:1 and will be available globally starting September 12.


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Eve Launches New 'Eve Extend' Bluetooth Range Extender

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Eve Systems, known for its range of HomeKit-enabled products, today highlighted four new devices that are coming out later this year, some of which will be available in the United States and some limited to Europe.

Eve Extend, a Bluetooth range extender designed for the Bluetooth-equipped Eve devices, is launching today. It's designed to connect to your Bluetooth Eve accessories to make them available across your WiFi network.


Eve Extend is able to connect to either a 2.4GHz or 5GHz WiFi network, and it can work with up to eight Eve accessories. More than one Eve Extend can be paired up to expand the reach of Eve products to all corners of the home. Eve Extend can be ordered from the Eve website for $50 starting today.

A European version of the Eve Light Switch, which replaces a traditional light switch and adds HomeKit connectivity, is launching in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands this fall. Eve Light Switch is priced at 99.95 euros and will be available on October 1.


Eve is debuting a new version of the Eve Thermo smart radiator valve, which features a clearer display, better touch controls with feedback, and a quieter motor. Eve Thermo will be available for 70 euros starting on September 16.


Eve is also working on the Eve Water Guard, a device that's designed to detect moisture and send alerts so you can address a leak as soon as it happens. Eve Water Guard comes with a 4.3 foot water sensing cable that extends its detection range beyond other HomeKit water detectors on the market.


Eve says that the Eve Water Guard will be launching in January 2020, with pricing and availability to be announced at a later date.

Tags: HomeKit, Eve

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Bloomberg: Apple Planning iPhone With Both Face ID and Touch ID Under Display by 2021

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Apple is developing an in-display fingerprint scanner for future iPhones, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu.


The report claims Apple is considering including the in-display scanner in a 2020 iPhone if testing is successful, but there is a possibility the tech will not be ready until 2021. This lines up with a prediction from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who expects an iPhone with both Face ID and in-display Touch ID in 2021.

The upcoming fingerprint reader would be embedded in the display, enabling users to unlock the iPhone by placing a finger almost anywhere on the screen, and it would work in tandem with the existing Face ID system. This would give users the convenience of two biometric authentication options.

Face ID and Touch ID each have their weaknesses, such as Face ID not working well when an iPhone is laying flat on a table, or Touch ID not playing friendly with wet fingers. With both systems, users would have the best of both worlds, using the authentication option that is better in a given situation.

Several major Android smartphone makers have adopted in-screen fingerprint scanners over the past few years, including Samsung.

Apple is also working on its first low-cost iPhone since the iPhone SE, which could launch as early as the first half of 2020, according to Bloomberg. As Nikkei reported earlier this week, the device said to look similar to the iPhone 8, including a 4.7-inch display and a Touch ID home button.

The iPhone 8 currently retails for $599 and up, while the iPhone SE started at $399, but was later discounted to $349.


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