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Tag: Technology

  • Starbucks tests smart smartphone case

    Starbucks tests smart smartphone case

    Starbucks Japan is involved in a unique trial which allows customers to order and pay for their coffee with a swipe of their phone.

    The concept uses a branded smartphone case which is preloaded with the customer’s preferences.

    Trend monitoring website Springwise.com reports the Starbucks Touch phone case was developed in collaboration with Japanese clothing brand Uniform Experiment, and can currently be used in two Starbucks branches in Japan.

    The case – made for iPhone 6 – is designed to resemble a Starbucks coffee cup and features the brand’s iconic logo. It works like a prepaid Starbucks loyalty card, letting customers make cashless coffee purchases. It also enables users to save their preferred store and favorite beverage via a companion app. Upon arrival, customers simply launch the app and place their order, settling up by touching their phone case on the contactless payment device.

    The Starbucks Touch is available online for JPY 3000, or about US$25.

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  • UnionPay partners with Latitude19

    UnionPay partners with Latitude19

    Latitude19 Technology says its internet payment gateway is now registered with UnionPay Online Payment, a service for eCommerce transactions that enables UnionPay cards to be accepted over the internet with real-time transaction authorisation.

    The service brings the convenience of transacting over the internet to all Issuers, Acquirers, Merchants, and UnionPay cardholders in a simple and secure way, opening the way for holders of more than 5 billion UnionPay cards to shop online.

    Latitude 19 Technology CEO & founder, Timothy Moore said UnionPay registration is an important milestone in the company’s strategy to become the leading global offshore payment gateway.

    The deal makes Latitude19 the first provider for UnionPay in the Caribbean and Latin America.

    “Our partnership with the world’s largest card association, will fast track our growth and provide valuable solutions for our clients.”

    Latitude19 Technology’s UnionPay International credit card issuing program is based on a globally recognised platform that has been designed to rapidly launch and deploy new programs or expand existing programs in real-time versus taking months with other legacy platforms. It supports debit, credit, or emerging payment programs in plastic, virtual, or mobile form.

    Latitude19 Technology is a Cayman Islands-based secure, international, online payment gateway that offers competitively priced, custom credit card payment solutions for eCommerce merchants.

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  • Vietnam tablet market soars

    Vietnam tablet market soars

    The rapid growth of the Vietnam tablet market is boosting the potential of eCommerce in the fast-maturing Southeast Asian nation.

    New figures from GfK this week show the growing number of lower priced entry level tablets has seen a double digit growth in sales in first five months of this year – or 149,000 extra units – to reach 582,000.

    GfK projects the media tablet market will achieve even higher sales in the third quarter of the year with the anticipated back to school promotions, with annual sales estimated to hit 1.9 million for the year.

    Yet the total amount spent on tablets has fallen by about five per cent, due to the greater contribution of those lower value media tablet models.

    “Over three in every four (76 per cent) media tablets sold so far in 2015 cost less than US$300, as compared to just one in two (50 per cent) in 2014; signifying a strong shift in market trends towards the low-end segment,” observed Tran Khoa Van, MD of GfK in Vietnam.

    “The result of more media tablets being sold at lower prices brought about a shrinkage in the total market value in spite of strong consumer demand for the gadget.”

    On the other hand, high-end media tablets priced above US$500 which accounted for 29 per cent of the total market’s sales volume had reduced by half to make up only 14 per cent share in the first five months of this year. A similar trend is seen in the US$300-500 segment, where its 22 per cent share last year was reduced to 11 per cent in 2015.

    According to GfK findings, the average price of media tablets declined by 30 per cent from US$367 last year to US$259 this year. Although the number of brands catering to the Vietnamese market reduced from 56 to 49, the remaining players have introduced 20 more new models – from 278 to 298.

    Another emerging trend is the rising popularity of smaller screen sized media tablets, specifically the 7.9” and below segment. Over seven in 10 (71 per cent) of media tablets purchased this year were of this size, up from its 62 per cent market share last year.

    On the other hand, it was the 9-10” segment which reported a dwindled market share by half – from 26 to 13 per cent.

    “Price erosion is a natural progression of a tech product’s lifecycle and the average price of media tablets will definitely be drifting down further from the low of US$250 reported in the latest tracked month of May,” said Van.

  • Levi, Google make sensible garments

    Levi, Google make sensible garments

    Google is working with denim maker Levi Strauss to create ‘sensible clothes’ permitting the wearer to work together with wearable units like watches, no matter how massive their fingers and thumbs are.

    The analysis has been carried out by a small Google analysis group, which specialize in area of interest tasks, referred to as Superior Know-how and Tasks (ATAP).

    The 2 corporations have launched a video explaining their particular partnership, dubbed Challenge Jacquard, in honour of the Frenchman who invented a loom. Watch it under.

    The core of the innovation is weaving conductive threads into the denim.

    “We’re enabling interactive textiles,” Emre Karagozler of ATAP stated at a briefing presentation in Google’s annual developer convention.

    Conductivity could be restricted to only a sure a part of the clothes merchandise, or throughout complete material. It’s versatile and washable.

    In an indication, customers could be seen controlling a pc display by touching their garments.

    Google says Venture Jacquard makes it attainable to weave contact and gesture interactivity into any textile utilizing normal, industrial looms.

    Something involving material, from fits or clothes to furnishings or carpet, might probably have pc touch-pad type management capabilities woven.

    “Conductive yarn is related to tiny circuits, no greater than jacket buttons, with miniaturised electronics that may use algorithms to recognise touches or swipes,” the ATAP staff stated.

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  • Walmart China launches app-based retailer

    Walmart China launches app-based retailer

    Walmart China says it needs its clients to take pleasure in its services “anytime and anyplace”. So this week it has launched its hypermarket app retailer Walmart To Go in Shenzhen.

    The platform consists of the newly launched Walmart cellular buying app, To Go Service Middle in shops for self decide up and a number of on-line and offline e-payment choices.

    Walmart will pilot “Walmart To Go” in Shenzhen (excluding Yantian and Dapeng) and supply high quality E-Commerce expertise to clients with its community of 23 shops. Walmart To Go can be adjusted and upgraded in response to clients’ feedbacks and progressively broaden its service nationwide.

    Clients can now obtain the  app for each iOS and Android app shops.

    At present the app provides greater than 10,000 gadgets, with 1000 recent/dairy/frozen SKUs in addition to merchandise masking grocery, well being and wonder merchandise and family chemical compounds. Extra gadgets bought in bodily shops can be added progressively.

    Walmart To Go goals to offer “a top quality buying expertise to clients” the corporate stated in a press release.

    “From ordering on the app, choosing merchandise from the shelf, to residence supply or in retailer self-pick-up, clients will expertise a considerate service by Walmart devoted groups.”

    President and CEO of Walmart China, Sean Clarke, described Walmart To Go as “an necessary milestone”.

    “It’s an enhancement and extension to our brick and mortar enterprise. We’re uniquely positioned to combine bodily and digital retail seamlessly. Walmart needs to be an actual O2O firm. We’ll proceed to innovate each on-line and offline to satisfy the altering calls for of our clients, and would be the most trusted omni-channel retailer in China.”

    To offer the perfect supply providers to Chinese language shoppers, Walmart leveraged its expertise within the US, UK, and different comparably more experienced eCommerce markets. Each bodily retailer acts as an unbiased customer support and operation middle with a devoted staff of Walmart employees answerable for app orders. The employees will cowl the order preparation course of from product choosing, packaging, to delivering or handing the merchandise to clients in retailer. For recent meals that require a sure storage temperature, the Walmart supply staff will use particular insulated luggage to ensure the identical off-the-shelf freshness a buyer expects in a Walmart retailer.

    In the meantime, Walmart works with skilled logistics firm to construct devoted supply group accountable just for Walmart orders, and every supply van has a vivid Walmart To Go emblem on it.

    If clients select home-delivery providers and full an order earlier than 11 am, the merchandise could be delivered on the identical day. Supply charge can be freed from cost if the acquisition is over 188 RMB. Clients may also determine to select up their order in any retailer they need. The assigned retailer will put together the gadgets inside about 4 hours based on buyer choice of the pick-up time.

    After clients obtain the reminder message on their cell phone, they might go to the To Go Middle to select up the order by order quantity. For instance, a working mom, who lives in Nanshan however works in Futian, can determine what to have for dinner at midday and place her order on the app. After work, she will decide up her order from a retailer close to her home and convey the meals house to organize for dinner. It’s fear free and time saving for patrons demanding for comfort.

    Merchandise bought on the app are the identical as those bought in bodily shops. This ensures that the merchandise are from genuine sourcing channel. App customers additionally take pleasure in the identical worth and after gross sales providers as in bodily shops. As an example, app consumers can convey the merchandise bought on-line with the supply notice to any Walmart retailer for refund, and their cash will probably be returned to their cost account. Walmart’s 100 per cent Fear Free Recent Assure additionally applies on app. If app customers aren’t glad with the recent merchandise they purchased, they might refund inside 14 days of buy.

    Clients pays with Union Pay, Alipay and E present playing cards on Walmart app. Bodily shops may even have particular e-payment checkouts to simply accept Alipay and different cellular cost strategies. Walmart will add extra e-payments within the shops and on the app sooner or later to offer extra immediate, environment friendly, and handy cost providers.

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  • New know-how guarantees buying revolution

    New know-how guarantees buying revolution

    Think about purchasing with no trolley. New know-how on show in Korea this week demonstrates how shoppers can buy groceries in a grocery store, scan the barcodes of the merchandise they need to purchase and have them delivered at house at their comfort.

    The idea was mentioned by an SK Telecom official on the World IT Present 2015, the most important IT exhibition in Korea, held at Coex .

    Korean cellular carriers are specializing in cubicles the place guests can expertise day by day life with future communications applied sciences.

    For instance, SK Telecom, the most important cellular service in Korea, ready a mannequin house the place guests can expertise its “Sensible Residence Service” app, which lets customers activate and off numerous units present in abnormal homes like door locks, dehumidifiers, boilers and fuel valves. They will regulate lighting of their houses a thoughts boggling 36,000 methods.

    SK additionally recreated a big grocery store as a part of its exhibit. Within the demo retailer, guests can expertise its “Sensible Shopper” app, which helps customers make straightforward purchases by scanning product barcodes.

    To not be outdone, KT unveiled its GiGA Path know-how that mixes Wi-Fi and long-term evolution networks to help cellular connections which are 4 occasions quicker than these provided by present know-how. The corporate pledged to be the primary on the planet to unveil a 5G cellular community, with a deliberate launch in time for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Video games.

    At SME cubicles, corporations exhibited promising know-how reminiscent of three-dimensional printers, versatile joint robots, drones and wi-fi recharging techniques for cellular units and digital automobiles.

    In the meantime, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics launched their newest TV and different IT merchandise. Samsung exhibited ultra-high-definition (SUHD) televisions and new flagship smartphones together with the Iron Man restricted version of the Galaxy S6 Edge. LG displayed natural light-emitting diode (OLED) televisions, its newest flagship handset and smartwatches.

    A customer to the present stated, “With the exhibition, we will think about our future lives. Nevertheless, it’s a pity that it couldn’t differentiate itself from the Cellular World Congress held earlier this yr.”

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  • S Korea’s E.Land to optimise provide chain operation by implementing Manhattan’s know-how

    S Korea’s E.Land to optimise provide chain operation by implementing Manhattan’s know-how

    E.Land World Ltd, the most important attire model in South Korea and the core attire subsidiary of worldwide retail group E.Land, is implementing Manhattan’s Provide Chain Commerce Options to assist fulfil on its service promise to clients and allow future enterprise progress.

    With Manhattan’s know-how, E.Land World will have the ability to present a speedy and constant fulfilment expertise to its clients. The answer deployment is already underway on the firm’s Cheonan distribution centre (DC) in South Korea, a newly constructed 1 million sq. ft. facility using 300 individuals and dealing with 340,000 stock-keeping models.

    The implementation is being carried out by a joint workforce from Manhattan Associates, E.Land IT subsidiary E.Land Techniques Ltd. and native Manhattan associate Worth Chain Consulting & Applied sciences.

    “As a market-leading style model, it’s crucial that E.Land World is supported by an environment friendly, strong and agile provide chain infrastructure,” defined Choon Woo Leem, vice chairman of Logistics at E.Land World. “The Manhattan options will assist us optimise our provide chain operation and provides us a extremely versatile fulfilment functionality, making certain we will meet the more and more refined necessities of our clients.”

    Whereas the primary part of the challenge is focussed on the South Korean distribution centre supporting the attire retail subsidiary, dad or mum firm E.Land plans to roll out the Manhattan know-how to different group companies in a number of geographies. E.Land expects the second part of the challenge to begin with deployments at distribution centres supporting its retail enterprise in China.

    E.Land’s retail operations span a number of markets all over the world together with China, Japan, Sri Lanka, UK, US and Vietnam. It operates companies within the restaurant, leisure, grocery, e-business and development sectors. The attire division of the group boasts 60 totally different style manufacturers and group annual turnover exceeds USD7 billion. In recent times, it has acquired the worldwide advertising rights for Okay-Swiss, the worldwide tennis shoe model and launched the SPAO and MIXXO style manufacturers in Japan.

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  • Wearable tech drives fitness tracker boom

    Wearable tech drives fitness tracker boom

    Nearly 19,000 health fitness trackers were sold in Singapore in the last six months as wearable technology meets fitness fad.

    According to data from research house GfK, the tracker market was worth more than US$2.3 million during the last six months,as increasing numbers of enthusiasts are slowly, but surely picking up the new ‘tech toy’.

    More than 100 units were sold every day between September and February.

    GfK commenced point of sales tracking of health and fitness trackers soon after the product entered the mainstream market and started witnessing rising consumer receptivity. At its peak month in December 2014, over 5200 of the gadgets were sold -generating more than US$530,000 in overall sales in one month alone.

    “Still considered at the infancy stage of the product lifecycle as it has barely been a year since the product has been launched here, the health and fitness tracker is currently appealing to the tech-savvy early adopters,” said Gerard Tan, account director for Digital World at GfK. “However, since GfK started tracking sales of the product in September, we have witnessed stable demand, growing the market steadily in into an approximate US$2 million business in the six month span.”

    GfK reports eight major brands of health and fitness trackers offering nearly 50 models in Singapore. A comparison of monthly sales performance in the six months revealed some emerging preferences among local consumers. For instance, devices that are equipped with a wireless feature have been consecutively rising in share of sales volume, from 54 per cent in September to 76 per cent in the latest month.

    And there is growing demand for models which come with the heart rate sensor. In February 2015, two in every five health and fitness trackers purchased have this feature – compared to just six per cent six months ago.

    “Consumers in our developed market are receptive towards the new wearable technology and manufacturers continue to actively launch their flagship models in Singapore first for the Asia region,” said Tan. “As the market starts getting increasingly crowded, manufacturers will need to identify their distinct fitness tracking feature or move away from the traditional form factor to create new wearable designs and experiences in order to stand out and gain edge in the market,” he concluded.

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  • Cyber attacks on US retailers drop, but records stolen remain high

    Cyber attacks on US retailers drop, but records stolen remain high

    Cyber attacks agains US retailers declined by as much as 50 percent since 2012, but the number of records stolen from them remains at near record highs, a new IBM study shows.

    IBM Security researchers recently reported that during the year cyber attackers still managed to steal more than 61 million records from retailers despite the decline in attacks, demonstrating cyber criminal’s increasing sophistication and efficiency.

    According to the research, cyber attackers are using new techniques to obtain massive amounts of confidential records with increased efficiency. This is why despite the decline in the number of attacks, the perpetrators were able to impact a far greater number of victims with each incident.

    “The threat from organized cyber crime rings remains the largest security challenge for retailers,” said Kris Lovejoy, General Manager, IBM Security Services. “It is imperative that security leaders and CISOs in particular, use their growing influence to ensure they have the right people, processes and technology in place to take on these growing threats.”

    Surprisingly, majority of cyber attackers scaled back their hacking efforts around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the two biggest shopping days of the year.

    IBM’s Digital Analytics Benchmark, the number of daily cyber attacks during the two week period (24 November – 5 December) was 3,043, nearly one third less than the 4,200 average over this period in 2013.

    In a year’s time, the number of breaches also dropped by more than 50 percent for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In 2013, there were more than 20 breaches disclosed including several large breaches that caused the number of records compromised to rise drastically, reaching close to 4 million. Over the same period in 2014, 10 breaches were disclosed which resulted in just over 72,000 records getting compromised

    Despite this “cyber threat slow down,” the retail and wholesale industries emerged as the top industry target for attackers in 2014, a potential result of the wave of high profile incidents impacting name brand retailers.

    IBM need that while there has been a rise in the number of Point of Sale (POS) malware attacks, the vast majority of incidents targeting the retail sector involved Command Injection or SQL injection. The complexity of SQL deployments and the lack of data validation performed by security administrators made retail databases a primary target.

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  • LINE introduces mobile payment service

    LINE introduces mobile payment service

    Mobile platform LINE recently introduced a mobile money and transfer purchasing service called Line Pay, which is a new feature included in its 4.8 version update.

    With 170 million monthly active global users, LINE said the platform will provide a means through which shoppers can make make secure and convenient payments anytime, anywhere, straight from their smartphone.

    In the first phase of its release, LINE Pay will support only payments on LINE store. Users can register their credit cards to purchase paid content such as stickers and apps.
    All charges on the LINE Store made via LINE Pay will receive discounts of up to 25 percent for a limited time.

    In the future, the company said more offline shops and additional features such as money transfers between LINE users will be included.

    To ensure security in transactions, a LINE Pay-exclusive passwords is required, which prevents features from being used even if the account is logged in to by a third party. LINE said it also utilizes a monitoring system to detect and report accounts that are suspected of illicit activity and will work to ensure a safe and secure payment service for its users.

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  • Rise in the market for video surveillance

    Rise in the market for video surveillance

    The growing use of video surveillance systems in sectors such as hospitality, banking and financial, government, transportation, education and retail has created huge growth opportunities for the manufacturers, distributors and system integrators in this industry.

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