Category: Featured News

The musician and performer has now announced the latest version of his smartwatch, which is voice-activated.

Will.i.am has now announced the latest edition of his wearable technology device, with a voice-activated smartwatch headed to the United Kingdom which, he claims, will rival top options such as the Apple Watch and the Samsung Gear line.

The musician is far from the only one who has stepped into wearables, a category that is struggling for acceptance.

Indeed, wearable technology is growing and there have been some huge names thrown behind it, but many companies and celebrities, including Will.i.am (whose real name is William Adams), have yet to reach the point in which they could genuinely call themselves successful in this area. That said, it looks as though Will.i.am still has a few tech tricks up his sleeve (and around his wrist) as he has now come out with a new voice-activated smartwatch that can send texts and emails, play music, track fitness and allow users to search for information. This particular device also has a front-facing 2 megapixel camera.

This wearable technology stands out from the smartwatches from Apple and Samsung as it doesn’t need a smartphone.

Unlike its top rivals in the wearables industry, Will.i.am’s smartwatch doesn’t need to be paired with a smartphone in order to be able to use all its functions. Most smartwatches need to be wirelessly paired to a smartphone in order to send and receive texts, access WiFi and notify the user that a call is coming in. That is not the case, here. This device is powered by 4G by way of a SIM card.

The singer explained that “It is not tethered to a device, it is the device.” He pointed out that “The reason we built the platform this way is that it is for areas you are truly mobile – in the gym, in a car, on a bike, on a hike, areas where the phone really isn’t meant for.” He underscored the fact that while a smartphone is fine in many circumstances, it simply doesn’t fit in others, such as at the gym or while riding a bike through the streets of New York City.

The musician has secured a mobile phone partner in Three, for his wearable technology. The smartwatch will be available in the U.K., starting in early April.

MasterCard announces partnership with Coin and WiseKey

MasterCard has become heavily involved in the mobile payments space and the company is looking to make this sector more secure than it has ever been. MasterCard has announced that it has partnered with Coin and WiseKey. The partnership with Coin may be unexpected, as the company has encountered trouble with financial institutions in the past in regards to its smart card, which emulated credit and debit cards. Despite this, however, MasterCard believes that its new partnerships will improve the security of mobile commerce.

Partnership aims to launch new system to ensure the security of mobile commerce

Through the partnership, a new developer program will be launched, providing access to an application program interface (API) to efficiently handle mobile transactions made through wearable devices as well as smartphones and tablets. MasterCard and Coin will work together to find ways to efficiently provide digitized card information that merchants can use to authenticate purchases. This is intended to track digital purchases for security purposes, allowing MasterCard and other companies to effectively crack down on fraud.

Wearable devices will have a role to play in the digital commerce space and MasterCard wants these devices to be safe

The partnership with WiseKey, a company that specializes in security, focuses specifically on wearable devices. These devices have yet to become mainstream, but the launch of products like Apple Watch have highlighted how they can be used to make mobile payments. MasterCard and WiseKey want to ensure that the transactions made through these devices is secure, which may improve their popularity among consumers that want to use these devices to pay for products in physical stores.

Security continues to be a main priority for those involved in mobile commerce

Security has long been a major issue in the mobile commerce space. Many consumers have avoided making mobile transactions because of security concerns, believing that their sensitive information would be put at risk. Several companies have begun improving the security of the mobile commerce space in order to increase confidence among consumers. MasterCard, as well as other financial organizations, have made significant progress in this regard over the past few years.