The Evolution of Technology

Posts Tagged ‘Future’

Google is full of neat, futuristic ideas, but none has appealed to me to the same degree that Google Wallet has. It’s a practical, easy solution that will, in time, allow me to carry one less bulky item. You can watch the above video for a quick introduction to Google Wallet, and then read on for some perspective.

For those who didn’t watch the video: Google Wallet is basically a credit and debit card (plus more), right on your Android phone. Right now it works with the Citi MasterCard, but at launch Google announced partnerships with Visa, American Express, and Discover. Wallet will eventually work with all those platforms, which gives everyone more payment options. More importantly, it will likely hasten the retail adoption of NFC readers. That’s the key, really. The idea of NFC payments is nice, but if stores and restaurants don’t have the proper equipment to read them it’s worthless.

What’s the No. 1 reason people don’t lock their smartphones? Survey says: it’s a pain in the ass. That’s not from any actual survey, scientific or otherwise, but it’s the answer I’m willing to bet that most people give for leaving their devices unsecured. Clicking a button and swiping an icon across the screen? Sure, that’s fine. But entering a certain pattern on the touchscreen, or using a password? That’s an extra step that many, if not most, people are unwilling to make. Thankfully, Android developers have been great about making the platform more user friendly. One area where we could see developers make headway is in device security. There is already a fingerprint recognition engine on the Motorola Atrix, and now, from Visidon, comes a face recognition application lock program. More than just an app, it’s a glimpse into the future of our mobile security.

Microsoft had a great opportunity with Windows Phone 7 to show how a company with tight control over its operating system can coordinate update releases amongst multiple smartphones without falling into a fractured, fragmented mess, as Android is often described. That expectation has fallen short of reality, with the release of NoDo subject to … Read More

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