Category: Technology News

University accepts mobile wallets payments with Bitcoin

The school in British Columbia, Canada, is now letting students shop at campus bookstores with the digital currency.

A university in British Columbia, Canada, has now announced that it has started to accept the cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, within all of its bookstores, which allows students to be able to use their mobile wallets for a purpose that represents a first for post-secondary institutions within the country.

The announcement also stated that the university will accept Bitcoin payments at its vending machines.

Simon Fraser University (SFU) has said that Bitcoin mobile wallets based payments will be accepted at the Vancouver, Burnaby, and Surrey campuses. According to the SFU Bitcoin Club founder, Michael Yeung, “It is still a very new, techie kind of subject and it takes — I think, for the average person — a lot of time to be able to understand it and be comfortable using it.” That club was behind the spearheading of the use of this digital currency for mobile payments at the university.

The university has established a new system that allows for quick and convenient Bitcoin purchasing and spending.

Mobile Wallets Payments - Bitcoin Yeung explained that “The way we’ve integrated it at the bookstore, allowing you to quickly buy bitcoins under 10 seconds and spend it under 10 seconds, makes it a lot easier.” The virtual currency can be exchanged and transacted online without the assistance or regulation of any type of central bank. At the university, students are able to fill their wallet apps through the exchange of Canadian dollars at the enabled vending machines, or they can spend the Bitcoins they have already purchased.

At the university bookstores, Bitcoins will be accepted for the purchase of any products, including textbooks, as well as merchandise such as mugs and t-shirts. This is the first time that this type of transaction has been accepted at a university store in Canada, but it is not the first time that the school has used the currency.

This growing sector is proving it’s place within businesses and now schools. Many are predicting that Bitcoin will be accepted in every place of business within the next few years. There’s been a surge of special interest in Bitcoin training and learning more about how it works, mined and how it’s being used/invested.

Bitcoin donations through student mobile wallets were already used for a fundraising effort. That was the first time a post-secondary education institution accepted donations through that type of currency.

 

Konami clarifies its interest in mobile games

Mobile gaming will become a significant focus for Konami

Acclaimed Japanese game developer Konami recently announced that it will be focusing more heavily on mobile games. This announcement had sent ripples through the game industry, with long-time fans of Konami criticizing the company for its shifting focus. Recently, the developer apologized for its seemingly exclusive devotion to mobile games, clarifying that it will not be giving up on producing games for consoles and PC. Konami has also revealed some of its plans concerning mobile gaming in order to provide consumers with more information on the subject.

Developer believes that mobile games can be a powerful revenue stream

The developer has been racing to catch up with others that have begun to focus on mobile games. According to Konami president Hideki Hayakawa, the developer shifted toward mobile gaming several years ago. The company sees great promise in this sector, as consumers have shown that they are eager to spend money in games for exclusive content, power-ups, and other bonuses. Konami has yet to settle on a monetization model for its future mobile games, but intends to make these games a constant revenue stream rather than a product that can only be sold once.

Game industry is becoming more mobile

Konami - Mobile GamesMobile games have become a very powerful aspect of the game industry. Consumers have shown aggressive interest in these games, largely due to how convenient they are. These games can be played anywhere and at any time, and most do not require an Internet connection to play. Games with purchasable content have become a significant revenue stream for some developers. While some gamers disapprove of what they call microtransactions — in-game purchases — many consumers have shown that they are willing to pay for additional content, whatever it may be.

Konami will not abandon consoles and PC

Konami’s growing focus on mobile games will not eclipse its devotion to more traditional games, such as those developed for consoles and PCs. The company will continue to develop the games it has become famous for, but the mobile sector is becoming too important to ignore. As such, mobile games have become a significant part of the company’s future.