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Gmail now supports multiple signatures
Gmail's support for just one email signature can be a pain if you don't always want to end your messages the same way -- you may not want to respond to a work request the same way you do an invitation to dinner. You won't have to fret about it much longer, though. Google is introducing support for multiple signatures on the web, with the option to make one of them the default. You just have to go into Settings > Settings > General to create a new signature, and a button in the compose window will let you choose and manage signatures while you're writing.
Square sellers no longer need signatures for card payments
Square Cash is continuing its crusade to make the business of parting with your hard-earned money a little less painful. It's just announced that it's cut down EMV transaction time on Square Reader for contactless and chip even further, to just two seconds, compared to the average eight to 13 seconds. The process uses a new "dip transaction flow" that prioritizes the parts of a transaction that are critical to security, which means less time standing in line, waiting for your card info to churn through to the issuer.
You won't have to sign for credit card purchases much longer
For all of the progress the US has made in payment technology, it still clings to the past when it comes to credit card payments. You still have to sign for many in-person purchases, which is downright backwards in an era of chip-based cards and digital tokens. And the financial industry is finally ready to kiss them goodbye. As of later in April, four of the biggest credit card networks (AmEx, Discover, Mastercard and Visa) will no longer require signatures for these credit card transactions. It's up to retailers to decide whether or not to ditch handwritten approvals. As the New York Times noted, though, it's doubtful many retailers will keep up the tradition.
American Express will stop requiring signatures for purchases
Mastercard and Discover both announced in recent months that, starting next year, they would no longer require signatures for credit card transactions. Now, the Verge reports, American Express has announced it's also moving away from signatures. As of April 2018, American Express signature requirements will be no more and the company says it's because technology advances have made them obsolete. "Our fraud capabilities have advanced so that signatures are no longer necessary to fight fraud," American Express Executive VP Jaromir Divilek said in a statement.
Phishing campaign alerts DocuSign to customer data breach
A bizarre email address or an obvious misspelling are good indicators that the recent email telling you to reset your Apple ID password isn't what it seems. But there are more sophisticated (and believable) phishing attacks you have to watch out for, like the recent Google Docs scam that linked out to a legit-looking web app. Last week, DocuSign spotted an uptick in phishing emails imitating the company's branding. Being in the business of secure document management, it's not uncommon for DocuSign's name to be on the face of a phishing email; but upon further investigation the firm discovered why this particular campaign was so targeted: It'd been hacked.
Vermont power company finds malware linked to Russian hackers (updated)
Just a few days ago, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security released a report detailing their assessment that Russian hackers were behind a series of attacks on US agencies and citizens. While the Obama administration issued sanctions, code linked to those hackers has been shared with other agencies, and on Friday, the Burlington Electric Department found malware with a matching signature on one of its laptops. The discovery raises more questions than it answers, but with recent reports of Russian hackers attacking the power grid in Ukraine, it obviously has raised alerts all over.
Vertu's latest 'basic' luxury phone goes well with your Bentley
So you just bought a fresh Bentley, but you're worried that it clashes with the look of your basic cellphone? Never fear, as Vertu is coming to your (totally unnecessary) rescue. The luxury phone maker has unveiled its second Bentley-inspired handset, and this one is all about matching the look of your car without having to join the smartphone era. Buy the Signature for Bentley and you'll get the same carbon fiber weave and calf leather as the automaker's Mulsanne Speed sedan, but none of the technological sophistication -- you can call and text, but you won't be getting Google Maps directions to your beach home. The focus is instead on loads of creature comforts, such as buttons that sit on ruby (because they offer a nicer click, naturally) and concierge services. While this simple-yet-upscale phone will cost a steep £14,500 (about $22,800) when it arrives on September 18th, we suspect that you won't mind the astronomical price tag if you can afford a Bentley in the first place.
Microsoft makes it easier to sign your Office 365 documents
It should now be much easier to sign your Office 365 documents without taking them offline or printing them out. Microsoft has reached a deal to offer DocuSign's digital signature apps through both the Office Store and corporate deployments, letting you affix your virtual handwriting while staying in Office 365's cloud. The two companies also promise to team up on future projects. The improved signature support isn't likely to fulfill those dreams of a paperless workplace, but it's certainly a step in the right direction. [Image credit: Sebastien Wiertz, Flickr]
Visualized: Inside the Vertu workshop, where phones are made by hand (video)
While not everyone's comfortable with splashing out on a fancy Vertu phone, there's no stopping us from appreciating the company's craftsmanship and engineering expertise since its Nokia days. We're talking about dealing with various luxurious materials -- pearl, ruby, sapphire, titanium, gold, alutex, alligator skin and more -- while making sure that each device is mechanically built to last. As such, it's perhaps a slight surprise that Vertu phones are actually "handmade in England." Courtesy of our buddy and CEO Max Pogliani, we got to see the process up close and personal at his 60-strong workshop in Church Crookham. (And in case your butler isn't around to read this article to you, we've also got a video tour after the break.)
Moto Maker 'signature' engraving to arrive after Moto X launch
If engraving a personalized Moto X with Moto Maker's "signature" feature was at the top of your to-do list, you'll have to put your plans on ice. Motorola's just told us that the custom inscribing will be available at some point in the future, though it's not sure when that might be. At any rate, fashionistas will still be able to give their hardware custom paint jobs right on time.
Linux Foundation vet explains setbacks in getting a Secure Boot key for Windows 8 PCs
Linux fans wondering why they still don't have a friendly UEFI Secure Boot option for Windows 8 PCs won't get a solution in hand this week, but they'll at least get an explanation. The Linux Foundation's primary backer for the alternative OS efforts, Parallels' server CTO James Bottomley, has revealed that Microsoft's requirements for signed, Secure Boot-ready code are tough if developers aren't entirely onboard its train of thought. The Redmond crew demands a paper contract signature (remember those?), agreements on work beyond the relevant software and a packaging process that complicates attempts to use open-source tools. Bottomley has already overcome most of these challenges, although he's still waiting for a Linux Foundation-specific key that should theoretically clear a major hurdle. Whether or not that leads to a remedy in days or weeks is up to Microsoft; in the meantime, we'll take comfort in knowing that a signature is so far a convenience for booting into Linux, rather than a necessity.
California Governor Brown signs bill clearing use of driverless cars on public roads (video)
Google just chalked up one of the more important victories for driverless cars. California Governor Jerry Brown has signed bill SB1298 into law, formalizing the legal permissions and safety standards needed to let automated vehicles cruise on state-owned roads. While the bill lets anyone move forward with their plans, it's clear from the ceremony that local technology darling Google is the primary impetus for the measure: Brown visited Google's Mountain View headquarters to put ink to paper, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin oversaw the signing with his Google Glass eyewear on full display. If you're dying to see driverless vehicles become mainstays of the Golden State, the official act making that possible is already available to watch after the break.
Microsoft resumes publishing Windows Phone apps, all is right with the world
Everybody, you can stop panicking. Microsoft has solved the digital signing problem that prevented app installations on older Windows Phones, as promised, and the flow of new apps is back to a steady stream. It may take a day or two before new titles show up in earnest; developers whose work was in caught in submission stage limbo won't have to restart the process from scratch, however. The quick turnaround is no doubt good news for developers. We'd argue that it's equally good news for Microsoft, too -- there's no doubt that the crew in Redmond would rather not have to explain any lengthy publishing outages while it's onstage with Nokia next month.
Microsoft halts posting new Windows Phone apps after some refuse to install on older devices
Microsoft may face a few uncomfortable questions at Build this fall. A bug in digital signatures resulting from the Windows Phone Dev Center rollout is preventing a "small percentage" of apps in the Windows Phone Store, including not-so-insignificant titles like WhatsApp and Microsoft's own Translator, from installing on older phones that had to upgrade to Windows Phone 7.5 after the fact. While the company already has a fix in the works, it's performing some painful triage to keep the damage from spreading: it's putting the brakes on publishing any new apps until certificate signing is back under control. Microsoft doesn't yet know when it can open the taps once more, either. The momentary freeze won't stop downloads of already-published apps, but it's likely to leave a few customers jittery about resetting their phones -- and developers twiddling their thumbs.
Vizio Thin + Light review (14-inch, 2012): how do the company's first laptops measure up?
More Info Vizio officially introduces PC line Hands-on with Vizio's laptops, desktops and 10-inch tablet Vizio details its first laptops: two thin-and-lights and a mainstream 15-incher, on pre-order for $898 and up Nine months ago, Vizio didn't make laptops. Now, it's seemingly all our readers are writing in about. The company, best known for its value-priced TVs, is expanding into the PC market, with a collection of all-in-ones and thin-and-light notebooks. So why have we been getting so many emails asking when the heck we're going to publish a review? After all, it's not like shoppers have any shortage of choice when it comes to Windows computers. The answer: Vizio is taking the same approach with PCs that it does with televisions, which is to say it's offering impressive specs while undercutting its competitors. Case in point: all of Vizio's laptops have a full-metal design, solid-state drive, zero bloatware and a minimum screen resolution of 1,600 x 900. And yes, that even applies to the lowest-end notebook, which goes for $900. Can you see now where this would be a tempting deal for folks who'd like to avoid spending $1,100-plus on an Ultrabook? Well, for those of you who've been curious, we've been testing Vizio's 14-inch Thin + Light, and are now ready to unleash that review you've been waiting for. Meet us past the break to see if this rookie computer is as good as it looks on paper.%Gallery-161758%
NBA star uses iPad to sign $100M contract
NBA star Deron Williams is a pro basketball point guard who's just signed a five-year contract with the Brooklyn Nets worth nearly US$100 million. And he signed it in style: As you can see on his Twitter account, the actual signature was recorded on an iPad. With his finger! The app he's using is called SignNow -- it's a free download that lets you sign documents (Word documents and PDFs) right on your device. It's pretty wild to think that all of Williams' work with the Nets (though he's training for the Olympics in Vegas right now) will be sealed with a signature on Apple's tablet. [via Gizmodo]
Daily iPad App: Adobe Reader is an easy way to add annotations and signatures to your PDF documents
Adobe updated its Reader app for iOS, and what was a good PDF reader is now an excellent tool to annotate and sign documents. As luck would have it, I needed to add a note and sign a PDF file that was sent to me via email today. This rare occurrence gave me the opportunity to check out these new features using the iPad version of the Reader app. The latest version of Adobe Reader has several new tools for marking up a document including a freehand drawing tool, a highlighter, strikethrough, and underline. You can take a page in a PDF document and use these tools to point out spelling errors, highlight important text, mark sections for deletion and more. If you need to add a longer correction, you can even attach a sticky note to any position in the document. Besides annotation, there's a new form feature that lets you toggle radio buttons or select a text field and start typing in text. A new signature feature aso lets you add your signature and place it anywhere in a document. Your placement has to be good, because once you set the signature down on the page, you can't move it. Overall, Adobe Reader is an excellent tool for someone who doesn't need advanced features like Dropbox backup. If you only need to mark-up or add a quick signature to a PDF file, then you can't go wrong with Adobe's software. It's available for free from the iOS App Store.
Adobe Mobile Reader 10.2 adds signature, form support
For years, you've been eager to dump that aging landline-tethered fax machine, but those occasional signature requirements have forced you to delay the disposal, time and time again. Well it might just finally be time to kick that beige beast to the curb. The latest version of Adobe Mobile Reader for Android and iOS effectively negates that need for scanning signatures, delivering that functionality through an in-app Ink Signature tool instead. You'll also want to take Note of the free-hand drawing option, text markup feature, sticky notes, EchoSign integration, intra-document link and form support, search tool and thumbnail navigation -- all available in Mobile Reader 10.2. There's also an update to the desktop app, Adobe Reader X (10.1.3), which includes the same Ink Signature Tool and EchoSign integration available in the mobile version. Click through to our source link for all the juicy deets.
EasySignMobile enters the Facebook fray for iPhone and iPad
Need to sign a contract, like, now? There's an app for that. Several actually, but the folks who create EasySignMobile have gone and made their service a bit more accessible to the unwashed masses with an updated version that supports Facebook authentication. The new feature is currently available only for iOS, although we'd imagine Android users will find similar love in the near future, as the company released its first version for Google's platform last October. Also on deck for iPhone and iPad fans, the latest version of EasySignMobile offers integration with Dropbox and Box.net for easy file storage and retrieval. So next time you need to make your mark, perhaps you can reach into your pocket rather than rummage for a pen. Those interested will find the full PR after the break.
SunBrite announces Signature line of outdoor LCD TVs, let you get your real housewives fix rain or shine
While watching TV from the comfort of your living room has its appeal, sometimes its nice to veg out by the pool, too. It's been awhile since we've heard from SunBrite, but the company is rolling out its new line of outdoor LCD TVs this year at CES. The televisions are built to withstand whatever mother nature can throw at them thanks to a high-impact resin exterior and dual cooling fans robust enough for the TVs to handle temperatures as low as 10 below or as high as 122 degrees. Called the Signature line, there are 55-inch, 46-inch, and 32-inch models that do 1080p and come with the standard array of connections: HDMI, component A/V, S-Video, composite video, and VGA. And to ensure that cabling's not a weak link when the weather turns bad, SunBrite's included a proprietary watertight cable pass-through system. The 46-inch model is already available for $2,995, and while the other two have yet to be priced or released, we'll find out how much they cost when they start shipping in the Spring.
