Category: Featured News

Samsung Pay is set to come to the United States in the coming months

Samsung Pay, Samsung’s new mobile payments service, is expected to launch in the United States in the coming months. The service was first launched in South Korea in 2015, where Samsung has been testing the service and fine tuning its features. Samsung Pay is set to compete with other mobile payments services in the U.S., particularly those coming from Google and Apple. The company is confident, however, that the service will appeal to U.S. consumers, especially as new features are being introduced.

New mobile payments service will be available on a variety of mobile devices

Recently, Samsung announced that its mobile payments service will be available on non-flagship devices, which are not equipped with NFC technology. NFC has become the backbone of mobile commerce, allowing digital information to be transmitted over short distances. In the past, the lack of NFC-enabled mobile devices made it difficult for consumers to make mobile payments, but device makers have brought numerous devices equipped with NFC technology to the global market, expanding the reach of mobile payments.

Samsung Pay will support Magnetic Secure Transmission technology

Samsung Pay is, of course, not a copy of other payment services. The service features support of Magnetic Secure Transmission, which is why consumers do not need NFC-enabled devices to make use of it. This technology allows Samsung Pay to work in a way similar to existing debit and credit cards. Samsung believes that this feature can be expanded to make mobile payments more convenient for consumers throughout the United States.

Security will continue to be a challenge for those involved in mobile payments

One of the challenges Samsung will have to overcome to find success in the U.S. is security. Many consumers have shown caution regarding mobile payments because of security risks, as they fear that their financial information may be exploited by malicious parties. Samsung, and other companies, have been working to address security issues, particularly through the use of biometric technology, which leverages biological information, such as a fingerprint, to secure consumer information.

In Sterling Heights, Michigan, a teacher and her students have worked together to enhance education.

Sterling Heights, Michigan teacher, Christine Kincaid-Dewey, has worked with her students from the Macomb Mathematics, Science and Technology Center (MMSTC) in order to use QR codes to help to enhance the experience visitors receive when they head to the Nature Center in the city.

As a result of their efforts, the teacher and students have been recognized by the city as “Nice Neighbors”.

The “Nice Neighbor” award was presented to the group by Recreation Supervisor for the city, Mark DiSanto. Following the presentation, DiSanto explained that “Mrs. Kincaid-Dewey and her students undertook a project to bring Quick Response Code technology to the Nature Center’s many exhibits.” The aim of the project was to allow visitors to scan QR codes while at the Nature Center so they can learn more about the exhibits than would be possible to add to display signage.

The QR codes were used to automatically direct smartphone users to the information specific to each exhibit.

Mobile device users can scan the QRcodes with any free reader app. These scanner applications are available at virtually every app store for devices on nearly every platform. Upon scanning the barcodes, the device automatically directs the user to a URL containing the relevant information.

DiSanto said that “Mrs. Kincaid-Dewey and her MMSTC students developed unique QR codes that provide unique and interesting facts about the exhibits being viewed,” and went on to add that “This information makes the exhibits come alive in a way that is simply not possible through traditional means.”

Another advantage to using quick response codes is that it is very easy to digitally update the information without having to change the barcode. This process is much more challenging when it comes to having to alter printed signage at an exhibit.

Kincaid-Dewey explained that her inspiration for the project she completed with her students was from previous visits she had made to the Nature Center with the MMSTC Ecology Club and their interest in giving back to it in a helpful and meaningful way.