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Coin flips don’t appear to have 50/50 odds after all
A large team of researchers concluded that, when caught in the air, coin flips are 50.8% likely to land on the same side that started facing upwards.
Coin shuts down its payment services on February 28th
You knew Coin's payment tech wasn't long for this world when Fitbit bought the company in 2016, and now the end is at hand: the Coin team is shutting down its payment services on February 28th. ITs signature universal credit card devices will keep working as long as they still have battery power, or about 2 years after activation. However, the mobile app will stop working after that date -- you can't change cards on the device if they're due to expire. Nearly all support is going away (outside of deleting accounts), and you're already out of luck if you need a warranty exchange.
I'm excited for Fitbit's mythical smartwatch
It hasn't been a great year for wearables, with sluggish sales and underwhelming products dominating the space. If the category had an Oscars-style 'In Memoriam' reel, it would feature several smartwatches that I loved deeply. For me, at least, devices from Apple, Samsung and Google that try to recreate the smartphone experience on the wrist just aren't compelling. But those companies want to be the only games in town after the demise of low-power companies like Pebble, Vector and Basis. That is why I'm hoping that Fitbit can swoop in and produce a smartwatch that people actually want to use.
Will LG's payment card succeed where others have failed?
A new report out of the Korea Herald revives the rumor that LG's going to try something different with its own foray into mobile payments. As we reported earlier this year, the company has been working on a system that uses a standalone digital credit card rather than an NFC chip inside your smartphone. Apparently the Korean conglomerate had planned to launch the product at the start of the year, but held off to foster better relations with banks. But given how other attempts at reinventing the credit card have gone, is LG really going to crack a winning formula?
Fitbit buys Coin to help with mobile payments
Fitbit is purchasing (almost all of) Coin, the payments startup that developed a universal credit card replacement. The world's biggest maker of wearable technology can now leverage Coin's know-how and integrate NFC-based commerce to its hardware. Fitbit has already said that there are "no plans" to integrate Coin's setup into the products it'll launch in 2016, so you can be damn sure it'll be there for 2017. It's not going to be a big leap for either party, as Coin was working on some form of payments watch earlier this year. At the time, it had signed up Atlas Wearables, Omate and Moov, as well as MasterCard to handle the processing.
LG will reportedly unveil a universal payment card next month
When LG announced it was readying its own payments service last year, it appeared that the company would follow the path travelled by Apple, Google and Samsung and launch a mobile-first solution. However, if this leak from Korea's Electronic Times is anything to go by, LG Pay won't require a smartphone at all, but instead try to replace all of your credit and debit cards with a universal solution called the "White Card."
MasterCard and Coin bring payments to your fitness band
Right now, you don't have many choices for paying for things from your wrist: there's the Apple Watch, the Microsoft Band (at Starbucks) and not much else. MasterCard and Coin don't think you should have to suffer from this lack of choice, though. They're teaming up to bring credit card payments to all kinds of wearable devices, including fitness trackers and a wider variety of smartwatches. Coin will supply the necessary hardware and software, while MasterCard will unsurprisingly handle the service side of things.
The Coin universal card is ready for 2012
If your wallet is bursting at the seams with credit, gift and loyalty plastic, the Coin universal card is supposed to lighten the load. Just add all your information to the app, sync it with Coin and get ready to buy all the things with a swipe or an NFC tap. Except when you can't. While the premise and feature set are intriguing, and in some cases helpful, in practice, it feels like too little too late. With Apple Pay, Android Pay. Samsung Pay and others already working on the future of transactions, Coin might have missed the boat.
Coin's newest credit card replacement adds built-in NFC
After delays plagued the initial launch of Coin's Bluetooth single-card solution to slimming down your wallet, the company is back with version 2.0. The new option still stores credit card info for taking care of the bill after lunch, but there's a big addition in tow: NFC. With the addition of NFC tap to pay, you can make contactless payments with the cards stored on Coin. While the new version is starting to ship today, the company is still working on "additional partnerships" with banks and financial institutions, though, so it'll arrive with an Early-Access-Mode. Basically, your options for tapping to pay will be limited at first, but as more banks opt in, you'll be able to enable EMV compatibility through a software update. Speaking of EMV, those Chip and Pin cards will work with the new Coin, too.
Plastc wants to be the only credit card you'll ever need
Your fat wallet wants to meet Plastc -- a device which its manufacturers claim can replace most of the credit/gift/loyalty cards you currently mule about. It works by pairing with an app on your phone (via Bluetooth), which provides near unlimited storage for all your cards (Plastc itself can only store up to 20). The app also logs your transaction history. Does this all sound a little familiar? That's because you're probably recalling a similar device called Coin launched back in 2013. Just like Plastc, it, too, can store various card details that you can call up, depending on which one you want to use. The bad news is that Coin, which promised to ship the first units this year, moved its ETA to spring 2015 (though there's a beta test going on) -- something pre-order customers obviously weren't happy with. So, one has to wonder if an unknown company will be able to do what Coin couldn't and release such an ambitious product on time?
Coin makes up for its delayed smart card launch with an expanded beta test
Not happy that Coin said it was only shipping a beta version of its Bluetooth credit card this fall, rather than the finished product it originally promised for the summer? You're not alone -- and the company is aware that it needs to make amends for angering early adopters. The fledgling payment firm has apologized for both the delay and lack of transparency by significantly expanding the reach of its beta program. It's planning to run a nationwide test for beta backers at "no cost," and it will expand the initial number of slots in that dry run from 10,000 to 15,000 -- not a perfect solution, but definitely more accommodating. It's also hoping to increase the number of slots over time, so you may not have to wait for the finished product if you miss out on the first wave.
Engadget Daily: 'Halo 2: Anniversary,' problems with Secret's secrecy and more!
Today, we anticipate the visual glory of Halo 2: Anniversary, learn that a monkey can't own photo rights, sit down without a chair, investigate problems with Secret's anonymity and more! Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Coin's Bluetooth credit card stand-in will reach 10,000 beta testers this fall
If you're one of the adventurous early adopters who pre-ordered Coin, you now finally have the chance to try it out. To recap: This Bluetooth-enabled piece of plastic acts as a stand-in for up to eight different cards, so that you only have to carry one when you're out and about. Until now, Coin has been available to beta testers, but only 1,000 of them -- a far cry from the multitudes who already placed pre-orders. (The startup sold 20,000 units alone in the first five hours its fundraising campaign was open.) Now, in an effort to fully QA the product before it hits stores, the company will expand its beta program to 10,000 people over the coming months. That means you could finally get your hands on one -- if you're willing to settle for non-final hardware.
Coin eight-in-one Bluetooth credit card adds security features, boosted pre-order availability
Judging by the millions of YouTube views since it launched just last week, there's quite a bit of interest in Coin. The Bluetooth-enabled swipeable lets you add in identifying info from up to eight individual credit, debit, membership, loyalty and gift cards, and comes along with companion Android and iOS apps that boost functionality. While the applications enable you to save detailed card info for online purchases, push additional payment methods to Coin and access the Bluetooth-powered leash that will send an alert if you walk away without your card, the device works independently as well. The company is announcing some additional security features today that should serve to ease at least some fraud concerns. Coin will include an "alarm" that tracks the number of times the card is swiped and sends an app alert if it suspects unauthorized use. It can also be locked to just one card before you hand it over at a store or restaurant, so a clerk can't accidentally (or deliberately) swap cards before swiping. Reps also responded to 50 questions on a new Q&A page, addressing additional security-related and function queries, including ATM compatibility (yes, it will work), photo ID storage (uh, no) and chip and pin support (not yet, but it's in the works). The firm is also releasing additional cards for pre-order, so if you want to get in before the price jumps to $100, there's still time to hand over 50 bucks (plus $5 shipping) at the source link below.
Weekly Roundup: PlayStation 4 and Retina iPad mini reviews, Coin startup and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Daily Roundup: PlayStation 4 review, all-in-one credit card, 2014 ASUS lineup and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Coin stores info for multiple credit cards, aims to slim your wallet down (video)
What you see in the picture above promises to be the one credit card to rule them all. It's called Coin, and while it looks like any other traditional plastic, it's actually an electronic device that stores all your CC info in one package. Since Coin relies on data stored on its companion app, you'll need to scan your cards using the accompanying phone/tablet dongle and then take their pictures. When we asked its creators what prevents people from scanning someone else's plastics, a spokesperson told us the system only accepts those with the user's personal information. Now here's what's nifty: unlike NFC tech that requires special hardware, Coin will work with any credit card swiper. Also, it sends an alert to your phone if you stroll away with your frappuccino having left it on the counter. The bad news is that the device is not yet ready for center stage -- the startup, fresh out of YCombinator, seeks to raise $50,000 via crowdfunding for mass production. A Coin will retail for $100 when it becomes available -- the firm hopes to make its first shipment by summer 2014 -- but anyone willing to take a chance on the project can preorder one now for $50. As for those it's failed to charm, you can always wait for other advanced payment systems, like ones that use fingerprints and custom phone cases.
UK's New Super Mario Bros. 2 pre-order bonus is a rad Mario coin case
New Super Mario Bros. 2 has more gold coins in it than the United States Bullion Depository and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York combined, but the only way to extract real, honest, actually completely fake gold from the game is to pre-order it from either GAME or Gamestation in the UK.The "gold" coin seen above is actually a small case for storing a single 3DS cartridge and is only available as a pre-order bonus from the aforementioned English retailers. By being so pretty and yet so impractical, the coin case satisfies the two most important bling requirements: Flashiness, and superfluousness.
Dutch coins feature QR codes, promise 'surprises'
Governments cram all manner of bizarre imagery onto the back of currency, so really, what's a few little QR codes between treasury departments? And heck, who are we to suggest that these new coins from the Royal Dutch Mint aren't the beginning of a larger barcoded money trend? The mint is celebrating its centennial with two new QR-packing collectable coins. The codes bring their owners to the mint's website, which promises a "surprise," once the coins are officially available later this month. Some sort of cloud-based vending machine, perhaps?
EverQuest patch highlights: Station Voice and weightless coin
EverQuest players rejoice! You now have the ability to use Station Voice for your in-game communications, thereby saving you typing -- or your own Vent or TS server costs. Eventually, this will also include the ability to get in-game voice mail, allow players to receive external voice connections (like phone calls) and even offer voice synthesizing. This should help players change their voice for role-playing their characters. Best of all, Station Voice is completely free to current EverQuest players with accounts in good standing. Aside from that, all EQ players will be glad to know that SOE has removed the weights on EverQuest's coinage. No longer will you have to stop and run to the bank to change out all those pesky coins that like to pile up. This particular change may not seem like it would be all that large a thing to other MMO players. However, EQ players who have ever had their run speed decreased because they spent a little too long out playing and landed bags heavy with coin weight will understand why we're cheering for this particular (no pun intended) change. If you're curious what else changed in today's update, join us past the break for the full update notes!
