Richard Yao, Author at IPG Media Lab

6 Things You Need To Know About The New “Apple Pay”

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Richard Yao

Back at the beginning of the year, reports suggested that Apple would enter the mobile payments space, which were paid off today: Apple officially revealed the NFC-based mobile payment function along with the new iPhone 6. To get ready for this imminent shift in the payment field, here are six things you need to know about Apple’s bid for mobile payment:

1. It’s integrated into the Passbook App and iWatch

The updated Passbook App acts as the hub for Apple Pay. By adding your credit card information with the iSight camera and pulling from the various third-party apps that support mobile payment and centralizing the function, Apple’s “ticket stub” app just become the de facto mobile wallet. Meanwhile, the iWatch can act as an extra payment option.

2. Major credit card companies have signed up

To make the new payment function easier for users to adopt, Apple has been working with all major U.S. credit card companies, including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. In addition, Apple already has payment credentials for some 800 million people globally through iTunes accounts, which will no doubt make the transition from credit card to mobile payment much easier.

3. Many big-name businesses have also signed up

Apple has been signing up volume merchants to familiarize people with paying via mobile. Disney is reportedly outfitting its retail stores with new point-of-sale devices that support NFC. Other retailers, such as Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, McDonald’s, Subway, Whole Food, Walgreens, CVS, and Duane Reade are also among the first wave of businesses getting on board with Apple.

4. It works for online payment as well

By teaming up with online and mobile retailers like Target, GroupOn, Uber, and Open Table, Apple Pay will be seamlessly integrated into ecommerce.

5. It uses Touch ID and tokenization for extra security

Apple is address security concerns with “tokenization”, which uses one-time codes to secure the transfer of payment information. However, not all NFC payment terminals can accept this type of payment, which means all merchants currently using the non-token model of NFC payment will need to update their end devices to get on board with Apple’s security standard.

6. It will lead to mass adoption of NFC in the US

NFC-based payment has been around on selected Android devices for a while, and has been doing well in some emerging markets, such as China. But with Apple finally getting on the NFC wagon, mass adaptation of the NFC mobile payment seems practically inevitable. In fact, the NFC payment market is estimated to grow to $100 billion in 2016, so it’s time to either get on board, or get left behind.

What You Need To Know About The New Apple Watch

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Richard Yao

One smartwatch to rule them all? Thanks to its innovative “digital crown” UI, biometric data capturing abilities, embedded NFC chip, and integration with other Apple devices, the Apple Watch could just be the one product to bring wearable tech into mainstream.

Product Specs

Apple geared up for the Apple Watch launch by hiring several fashion executives, and it shows. As sleek and chic as any other Apple product, all three collections of the Apple Watch—Watch, Sport, and Edition—feature a beautiful “flexible” screen protected by sapphire glass. By using designer fashion for elevated product design, Apple clearly intends to capture the high-end of the nascent wearable market.

From a technical perspective, battery life is still a challenge, but the Apple Watch does offer a cool inductive charging feature. Starbucks started installing Powermat’s wireless charging stations at its coffee stores earlier this year, and we suspect this is hardly a coincidence.

Key Benefits

Health and Fitness: With its advanced sensors and wearable attachment, the Apple Watch is the focal device for health monitoring and data acquisition. Combined with new Fitness App and Workout apps, the Watch is truly a comprehensive health and fitness device.
Extension of the iPhone: With wireless phone call, iMessages and the support of a myriad of Apps, the Apple Watch works well as an extension of Apple’s handsets.
Seamless integration: Handoff, a new iOS feature that allows users to push content between their iPhones, ensures data sync-up across devices.
Supports Apple Pay: Thanks to its embedded NFC chip, the Watch will support Apple Pay, making it even easier to use Apple’s mobile payment system.

“Hearable” Is The New Wearable

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Richard Yao

When it comes to smartwatches or fitness bands, the wrist is the focus of the current wave of wearable technology. But wireless smart-earbuds, also fashionably dubbed “hearables”, might just be the piece that truly mainstreams wearables. From Samsung’s necklace-like Gear Circle to Motorola’s new micro-headset The Hint, more and more tech companies are coming out with their own hearables that sit in your ears, freeing up your hands and eyes.

The prerequisite technology for mature hearables—voice command, wireless connection, and cloud processing—already exist, while obstacles like including battery life, connectivity, and faster cloud processing are being tackle by industry leaders. Intel has plans to develop a voice recognition that uses offline possessing for faster responses. Google, meanwhile, has been working on its voice control for years as part of its Google Now interface, and is allegedly grooming it to be featured on its wearbles.

By utilizing the oft-ignored auditory sense and eliminating screens that require constant visual attention, hearables are convenient, unobtrusive, and most importantly, intuitive—all invaluable qualities that make them easily adoptable. With the worth of hearables market predicted at over $5 billion by 2018, these smart-earbuds are set to take over as a key part of wearable tech.

Who Will Dominate the Smartwatch Market?

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Richard Yao

Wearable tech is one of the hottest trends in tech industry right now, and the smartwatch is leading the wearable movement at the moment. In fact, in just the past week, five notable tech companies have each launched or updated their own smartwatch.

Samsung Gear S

Announced yesterday at Samsung’s AFI event, Samsung Gear S is the sixth smartwatch launched by the company in the past 12 months. Featuring a two-inch screen and integrated 3G SIM-card support, the Gear S is not only the biggest smartwatch on the market, but also the only one that could function independently. However, some have voiced concern that its bulky design could hinder mass consumer adoption.

Sony SmartWatch 3

Sony is also trying to stay relevant in the wearables game with its new Sony SmartWatch 3. The new model runs the Android Wear system, and is fully integrated with Sony’s Lifelog Android app, which tracks everything from music played to sleep stats, enabling the completely “quantified self”.

Asus ZenWatch

Asus, the world’s fifth-largest PC vendor, entered the smartwatch battle royale earlier this week with its new ZenWatch. Mostly a standard companion piece, ZenWatch features a unique Wellness app that measures your “relaxation levels” and provides tips on how to improve your relaxation score.

LG G Watch R

Most smartwatches on the market right now feature rectangular screens, so it’s refreshing to see Korean manufacturer LG come up with a circular design that mimics the shape of a real wristwatch for its G Watch R. Although a substantial improvement over the original G Watch, it shares a similar design to the Moto 360, released 2 month ago by Motorola, and pales in comparison in terms of primary specs.

Meta M1

Big names in tech aren’t the only ones jumping on the smartwatch wagon: Meta Watch, a company born from former Fossil engineers, has jreleased the Meta M1, a smartwatch that features a cool, retro analog chronograph design. Made with premium materials, the M1 only offers limited functions (monochromic screen; no tracking or apps) but prides itself on its deluxe quality. And last week, Swatch announced that it has started to work on its own smartwatch, set to launch in early 2015.

Of course, all these new smartwatches could be completely overshadowed by Apple’s “iWatch”, widely speculated to be revealed next Tuesday. Rumored to feature a flexible display covered by sapphire glass, the iWatch might just be the latecomer that upends the whole game. So get your popcorn ready—the fight over the nascent smartwatch market is only just starting.

Four Tech Trends Spotted At Samsung’s IFA Event

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Richard Yao

Earlier today at the IFA trade show in Berlin, Samsung announced four new products coming this fall. Besides Galaxy Note 4, the expected update of its popular “phablet” series, the South Korean tech giant also unveiled Galaxy Note Edge, the new Gear S smartwatch, and the Gear VR, a virtual reality headset. Throughout the event, four major industry trends stood out with each of Samsung’s new offerings:

The screens are getting bigger

With Apple rumored to introduce iPhones with bigger screens next week, it came as no surprise that Samsung doubled down its “phablet” offering with Note 4 and Note Edge, along with a smartwatch that features a 2-inch screen. But the screens aren’t just getting bigger; they are also getting curvy. The futuristic Galaxy Note Edge features a display that curves around one side of the phone and a special OS that makes good use of the warped screen. Plus, the new Gear S also has a curved screen that fits on your wrist naturally

The smartwatch is coming into its own

Having released five smartwatches since the initial introduction of its Samsung Gear last year, Samsung stepped up its wearable game by introducing a vastly improved Gear S. Thanks to its nano-SIM card support, the Gear S can make calls, receive emails and texts, and generally operate semi-independently. It does not completely operate as a standalone, but it does point to a future where smartwatches might become less of an accessory and more of an independently functional device.

Tech continues to collaborate with fashion brands

The trend of consumer tech teaming up with fashion brands continues as Samsung collaborates with Swarovski to offer crystal-studded phone cases for Note 4 and similarly bedazzled straps for Gear S. The collaboration follows a successful partnership between the two brands at the recent NY Fashion Week. This trend will most certainly continue, as such integration helps normalizing the otherwise “geeky” new tech products in a way that is mutually beneficial for both industries.

Virtual reality is on the rise

Samsung is pushing in on the virtual reality trend with a headset. Built in partnership with Oculus, the Samsung Gear VR allows users to wirelessly mount the new Galaxy Note 4 in front of their eyes and use the device for gaming and watching movies. Samsung is also teaming up with major media companies to produce entertainment content specifically made for immersive virtual reality experiences.

TechWreck: Ten Credit Card Breaches of 2014 (So Far)

Posted on August 15, 2014 by Richard Yao

Given the well-publicized Target security breach last December, you’d think businesses would have been warned to take extra care when it comes to protecting consumers’ payment info. But alas, news about credit card breaches just keeps on coming. And here is a quick review of ten major breaches in the U.S. this year so far:

On Jan 10, upscale retailer Neiman Marcus announced that it started an investigation on a hacker break-in that had compromised an undisclosed large number of customer cards.

On Feb. 7, White Lodging, a company that maintain national hotel brands including Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton and Westin, issued a statement acknowledging a payment data breach at 14 hotels that exposed credit and debit card information on thousands of its guests.

On Mar. 2, National beauty products chain Sally Beauty became the latest victim of a breach targeting their payment systems in stores, with 15 stolen credit cards sharing a similarity of being used recently at various Sally Beauty locations.

On Mar. 28, Liquor store chain Spec’s announced that more than half a million customers at 34 stores owned by the company may have had critical financial information stolen in a sophisticated computer scam.

On Apr. 17, Michaels Stores, the largest arts and crafts chain in the States, acknowledged that a security breach, first reported back in January, had affected up to 3 million customer credit and debit card accounts.

On July 9, More than 10,000 customers of The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa in Texas was notified that their payment cards had been compromised in a “malicious software attack”.

On July 18, financial institutions across the country reported that multiple locations of Goodwill Industries stores have been identified as a likely point of compromise for an unknown number of credit and debit cards.

On July 23, local restaurant group claims in Delaware claimed that an undisclosed number of Delaware restaurants have been affected by a credit card breach that compromised its point-of-sale software.

On July 31, Sandwich Chain Jimmy John’s reported that it started working authorities to investigate a security breach involving its customers’ credit card data. The scope of this breach has yet to be confirmed.

On Aug. 6, Chinese bistro chain P.F. Chang’s confirmed that 33 of its restaurants across the country revealed were affected by the credit card breach, after two months of investigation since the discovery back in June.

Tech Wreck: Do You Need A Hug?

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Richard Yao

Every now and then, some innovator in the tech scene will come up with an idea that makes everyone wonder if technology has gone too far. This week, it’s The Hug, the dumbest smart-thing we have seen this month.

Created by Finnish start-up Caktus Inc. and currently on Kickstarter, The Hug is a two-part connected device that helps users stay properly hydrated. It includes a sensor band that wraps around your water bottle to track your liquid consumption, and an accompanying iOS app that sends you notifications when your hydration levels are low.

Noble as their efforts are, the geniuses behind The Hug forgot two simple facts in their pursuit of the Water Bottle 2.0. First and foremost, water intake is such a basic physiological need that everyone can recognize thirst without constant external nudges. Even worse, The Hug is simply too impractical to use: normal people typically use different vessels as their locations change throughout the day. Even though The Hug claims to fit “most existing bottles”, it’d still be a major hassle to carry a sensor around every day, put it on every time you decide to drink, and wait for the app to sync up and recalibrate, all before you could just lift up that cup and hydrate your body.

The Hug is just one of the many well-intentioned ideas that got carried away in the tide of Internet of Things. The health-related “value” it supposedly offers is disproportional to the effort it requires, which ultimately renders this product useless. At the end of the day, we all need to calm down, and ask ourselves: do we really need The Hug, or do we just need a hug?

Update: Their Kickstart campaign has failed. Hope everyone there is getting a hug.

The Big Ambitions Of Little Rice (XIaomi)

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Richard Yao

By now, you have probably heard about Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi. Heralded as either “the Apple of China” or “Blatant Copycat”, depending on whom you ask, Xiaomi’s meteoric rise in recent years has caught the eyes of western media, even if its target market has been almost exclusively domestic so far. Popular as their products are in mainland China, even outperforming iPhone in a recent study on leading smartphones’ app usage in China, it is not until recently that a few new developments from the company indicate the big ambition of Little Rice (a literal translation of Xiaomi).

Earlier last week, Xiaomi launched Mi 4, its newest offering in smartphones. Boosting a steel frame, IR blaster, top-tier specs and an affordable $320 pricetag, it is a dazzling product that once again raises the bar on “made-in-China” budget phones. More importantly, the “one more thing” that Xiaomi revealed along with Mi 4 is a $13 sleep and fitness tracking wristband named Mi Band. It also promises a battery that lasts up to 30 days and a proximity-based function that unlocks linked Xiaomi phones without password. By introducing such an aggressively priced, multi-functional smart wearable, Xiaomi is not only gaining an unchallenged head-start in the wearable market in China, but also potentially upending the upscale positioning that most wearables seem to employ in the global consumer tech market.

Another indication of Xiaomi’s big ambition is its recent foray into the international market. By striking an exclusive partnership with India’s biggest e-commerce operator Flipkart, Xiaomi has launched its smartphones in the subcontinent, marking its first step in entering the Indian market where Samsung and native brands currently dominates. In addition, Xiaomi is starting sales in 10 new markets including Brazil and Russia, while also reaching out to local e-commerce operators for its expansion to the Philippines and Indonesia. Such an extensive roll-out has turned out fairly successful so far, with Xiaomi reportedly more than doubled its year-on-year sales since the international expansion began.

Formidable as Xiaomi’s rapid growth might seem, the big tech players in the western world don’t need to start worrying about Xiaomi just yet, as the company is still very much focused on markets in the developing countries. Whether its products are quality enough to conquer the global market also remains to be seen. And the company’s long-standing habit of unabashed appropriation of Apple could hinder it from entering the western market where the tech giants are litigious and have deep pockets. Nevertheless, one thing is clear to see: the little rice is aiming big, as the company starts shouting “Xiaomi the money” at the global market.

Off Target: Retailers’ Big Data Management Fails

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Richard Yao

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a modern consumer in possession of a retail membership card, must be tracked in collection of purchase data. Privacy and prejudice aside, however, people seems more than willing to offer up their personal information in exchange for some monetary rewards or membership benefits.

But what if your retailer figures out something personal through data tracking and starts doing something with that information without your consent? Starting with the Target pregnancy score scandal, in which a father found out about his teen daughter’s pregnancy through a baby product-heavy mailer, retailers as diverse as J.C. Penny and BestBuy and small tech start-ups like SceneTap have all been caught in the cross-fire of consumers’ indignation over privacy violation. Most recently, Target once again found itself in a comprising position with the media exposure on a widespread credit card breach affecting over 110 million Target shoppers. The incident alarmed a lot of previously unsuspecting customers and highlighted another landmine field of big data mismanagement—security concerns.

All these controversies have sparked several rounds of national debates on privacy and consumer rights. Still, the debates prove to be futile, as businesses continue to collect data from their customers without much protest. The conclusion here is that most people don’t really mind being tracked if they receive some value from it, and if their data remains secure. Retailers must behave responsibly with data and learn to manage it better if they want to remain in the good graces of consumers.

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