Author: JT

Softcard NFC based mobile payments to be used at Subway

| September 18, 2014

This deal between the sandwich chain and the service formerly known as Isis will rule out Apple Pay for the moment.

Subway, the sandwich chain, is now teaming up with Softcard in order to provide customers with the opportunity to use mobile payments to pay for their meals instead of a traditional credit or debit card.

The announcement stated that the NFC technology based mobile wallet will be usable at Subway next month.

As of October 1, Softcard mobile payments will be an accepted form of transaction at Subway. This joint venture among Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile USA, and AT&T Mobility was originally called Isis Wallet, but recently rebranded itself in order to place some distance between its name and the militant group that is currently terrorizing parts of the Middle East. This app is now supported by over 80 different mobile devices and is preloaded on over 30 of them.

The Softcard wallet will let customers choose their smartphone as a payment method.

Softcard - SubwayAll that customers need to do to use this mobile payments service through their NFC enabled smartphone is to tap the terminal at the Subway restaurant. This is now being rolled out after having completed a pilot program last year. Now, it will be available in over 26,000 locations of the restaurant found throughout the United States.

That said, despite the fact that the iPhone 6 now finally has NFC technology built into it, its users will still need to continue to use traditional transaction methods, at least for the next little while. The reason is that the Apple Pay service has been launched by that device maker and the iPhone 6 will be restricted exclusively to that service, at least for the first year after its release. Therefore, despite the fact that the technology is compatible, the wallet formerly known as Isis will not be available for Apple smartphone users.

That said, Michael Abbot, the CEO of Softcard, has stated in a recent blog post that the company is “actively working with Apple” to make that mobile wallet compatible with the iPhone 6 at some point next year.

Wearable technology is as hot among dogs as it is among humans

| September 16, 2014

Smartwatches and augmented reality glasses may be great for people but they are also buying pet fitness trackers.

Among the largest tech trends at the moment – and one which may soon be entirely reshaped by the recent unveiling of the Apple Watch – is wearable technology, and these gadgets are not only being worn by people, but they are also finding their way to the collars of our furry friends.

These fitness and wellness trackers are appealing to owners who want to be sure that their dogs will be healthy.

There are growing number of devices making their way into this wearable technology category for dogs, which have been designed to collect data with regards to the activity level of the animal, so that it can be transmitted through the internet and viewed by the owner. This can help owners to decide whether or not a dog is receiving enough exercise throughout the day to justify the amount of food that he or she is eating, and to make sure that the pooch will have the best opportunity for being happy and healthy.

Some of this wearable technology also helps to monitor other patterns such as sleeping and scratching.

Wearable Technology - DogsThrough this information, an owner may be able to make better choices and bring his or her pet to the veterinarian if there might be a problem, present. It could encourage earlier detection of health issues so that they can be managed while they are still minor and before they become something more serious.

As dogs cannot actually tell their owners when something is wrong, it is up to the human to spot when there has been a change in behavior. Not all of the signs of behavioral changes are all that obvious. Through careful regular observation and the added feedback provided by these wearables, many pet owners feel that they are better equipped to provide their animals with the best possible care.

According to an expert in the pet industry, Kristen Levine, “Pet owners really want to do right by their pets in terms of their health; they want the best diet; they want the best care. And the wearable technology kind of layers into that mindset.” This opens up a considerable market for this type of mobile device and companies are responding.