Google pilots Hands Free payment app that lets you pay using your face or by saying your initials

                              

Google is still in the process of bringing Android Pay to merchants around the U.S., but the Internet giant is now extending a new pilot project that will let you sidestep the need to “tap and pay” with any physical contraption.

Available now for Android and iOS, Hands Free was first teased last May, though no launch details were given for the service. Now, however, Google is inviting South Bay (near San Francisco) residents to take part in the early-stage program, though it will only be open to a “small number” of local eateries, including McDonald’s and Papa John’s.

Once you’ve installed the app and completed your profile, Hands Free uses a mixture of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and location-based services on your phone to establish whether you’re in close proximity to a participating outlet. When you go to pay, you tell the cashier that you’ll pay with Google, give them your initials, and the cashier then verifies that you are who you say you are by looking at the photo on your Hands Free profile.

In some stores, Google said that it’s doing away with the need to use your initials altogether — a carefully positioned camera will scan your face and match it against your profile to authenticate and process the transaction.

With companies such as Google, Apple, and Samsung all fighting for their share of the lucrative mobile payments pie, we’re already seeing significant steps toward a true friction-free shopping experience. Cash has been becoming obsolete for some time already, with contactless cards and more recently mobile phones stepping up to replace paper and coins.

But what Google is doing now is seeing how far it can push the boat out — why the need to swipe or tap at all? “Imagine if you could rush through a drive-thru without reaching for your wallet, or pick up a hot dog at the ballpark without fumbling to pass coins or your credit card to the cashier,” said Pali Bhat, senior director, product management at Google, in a blog post.

It’s still early days, but Hands Free gives a glimpse into the future of commerce. But it will also raise some privacy concerns, given that Google and retailers will be scanning customers’ faces in some locations, although Google is quick to point out that the images are deleted “immediately.”

Facebook staff crossed out 'Black Lives Matter' slogans at offices

                              

Mark Zuckerberg has told Facebook's staff to stop defacing "Black Lives Matter" messages at the office and replacing them with "All Lives Matter".

An internal memo to employees from the company’s chief executive said altering the slogans that are written inside Facebook’s California headquarters was “unacceptable”, “disrespectful” and “malicious”.

He said there have been “several recent incidents” in which staff had crossed out the “Black Lives Matter” messages that refer to the activist movement against violence towards black people.

Facebook’s offices have several walls on which employees and visitors can scrawl, an analogue version of the “walls” on Facebook profiles.

According to the memo, revealed by the tech news website Gizmodo, Facebook is investigating the current incidents, which Zuckerberg called “a deeply hurtful and tiresome experience for the black community and really the entire Facebook community”.

“There are specific issues affecting the black community in the United States, coming from a history of oppression and racism. Black lives matter doesn’t mean other lives don’t – it’s simply asking that the black community also achieves the justice they deserve,” he wrote.

“Regardless of the content or location, crossing out something means silencing speech, or that one person’s speech is more important than another’s. Facebook should be a service and a community where everyone is treated with respect.”

2 per cent of Facebook's US employees are black according to its most recent diversity report. Zuckerberg has said the company is committed to hiring more women and minority staff, although it remains overwhelmingly white and male.

MWC 2016: Samsung Galaxy S7 restores expandable storage

Samsung's latest flagship phones restore a couple of popular features dropped from the previous generation.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge both accept MicroSD cards, allowing their storage to be expanded, and can also be submerged underwater.

In addition, they feature new gaming tech and a rear camera that should cope better in low-light conditions.

Their overall design, however, is similar to the Galaxy S6 line-up.

Some experts suggested that could pose a challenge.

Samsung's latest flagship phones restore a couple of popular features dropped from the previous generation.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge both accept MicroSD cards, allowing their storage to be expanded, and can also be submerged underwater.

In addition, they feature new gaming tech and a rear camera that should cope better in low-light conditions.

Their overall design, however, is similar to the Galaxy S6 line-up.

Some experts suggested that could pose a challenge.

                    

"Although there are significant improvements under the bonnet with the camera, the chipset, the removable storage and the water resistance, Samsung will have to make sure that's visible to consumers," commented Ian Fogg from the IHS Technology consultancy.

"Because at a glance they look to be the same as last year's model."

Samsung does not disclose smartphone sales numbers. However its share of the market dropped by 2% in 2015, according to research firm IDC, at a time when Apple, Huawei and Xiaomi made gains.

Even so, IDC's data still indicates the South Korean firm remains the bestselling brand by a wide margin.

The new handsets were unveiled in Barcelona on the eve of the Mobile World Congress tech show. They are set to be released on 11 March.

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More from MWC:

Rory Cellan-Jones' analysis of the S7 launch

LG phone has bolt-on modules

Sony puts AI assistant in user's ear

Salt water charger powers up phones

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Optimised for games

While the Galaxy S7 retains the same sized screen as the S6, the S7 Edge's display has grown slightly from 5.1in (13cm) to 5.5in (14cm).

The Edge version is also slightly curvier than before and its camera protrudes less far out.

In addition, the "edged" parts of the screen now provide shortcuts to email, different photo modes and third-party apps.

                       

Both phones:

• now accept MicroSD cards with up to 200 gigabytes of storage, which fit onto the same tray as their SIM cards
• have higher capacity batteries - the S7 Edge can reportedly play up to 15 hours of high definition video on a charge
• have IP68 water resistance ratings, meaning they can be safely immersed to depths of 1.5m (4.9ft) for up to 30 minutes
• have an "always on display" function that shows notifications and the time without needing to wake the screen up
• retain the wireless charging capabilities of the S6 models

They also feature processors that are faster than before and capable of supporting the Vulkan API (application program interface).

Firstly, it has a bigger aperture of f/1.7 rather than f/1.9. This means the lens lets in about 25% more light than before. The pixels are also slightly bigger, which should mean the phones are more capable at taking low-light photos without the need for flash.

Secondly, its sensor is the first on a smartphone to feature "dual pixel autofocus".

This means each pixel can be used to both record the image and determine focus rather than just one or the other. This enables the phone to lock focus to an object more quickly for stills, and deliver smoother focus tracking in video mode.

The technology was first developed by Canon, and until now was limited to the Japanese firm's DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) and Cinema cameras.

                         

"It's not easy to explain or even show off at the point of sale, and that's something Samsung will struggle with," commented IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo.

"But I believe those users who start using it will quickly realise it does make a difference and will help them get better pictures."

One consequence of adding the new technologies is that the camera's resolution has had to decrease from 16 megapixels to 12MP.

Virtual reality camera

                            

The South Korean firm also introduced a 360-degree camera. It can film footage for playback on its virtual reality headset, which Samsung makes in partnership with Facebook's Oculus division.

The Gear 360's interactive pictures and videos can also be uploaded to Facebook and YouTube.

The device is only compatible with the firm's own handsets. That contrasts with a similar camera unveiled by LG that works with both Android and iOS phones.

One analyst suggested such kit could "add a new dimension" to weddings and other big occasions.

MWC 2016: Mastercard rolls out selfie ID checks

            

Credit card firm Mastercard has confirmed it will accept selfie photos and fingerprints as an alternative to passwords when verifying IDs for online payments.

It follows a trial of the software carried out in the US and Netherlands last year.

The company told the BBC that 92% of its test subjects preferred the new system to passwords.

One expert said that such biometric checks had the potential to cut fraud.

However, some security researchers have questioned how easy it might be to spoof the system.

                         

Blink test

Mastercard announced the move at the Mobile World Congress tech show in Barcelona.

It said the rollout this summer would involve the UK, US, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

It explained that members of the public would have to download an application to their PC, tablet or smartphone to use the system.

                           

When they make an online purchase, they will still need to provide their credit card details as normal.

But if a further authentication check is required, they will be asked to look at their phone's camera or use its fingerprint sensor rather than be told to type in selected letters from their password, as is the case at the moment.

If the user opts for a selfie, they will have to blink into the camera to prove they are not just holding up a photo.

"Consumers hate passwords," declared Ajay Bhalla, chief of the firm's safety and security division.

"We know the most commonly used password is 123456, so they are not secure, and people also use the same passwords for multiple sites. If one site gets hacked all the places that you use the same password get compromised - they are a big pain.

"In the modern world everyone has a mobile phone and there is internet connectivity everywhere. So, we should be able to use biometrics [instead] to authenticate ourselves."

Compromised checks

Mastercard is far from the only firm experimenting with facial scans as authentication tools.

China's e-commerce giant Alibaba recently demoed a pay-with-your-face system of its own.

And both Microsoft's Windows 10 and Google's Android operating systems already allow users to unlock devices by looking at their cameras.

Security researchers have pointed out that both facial scans and fingerprint sensors can be compromised.

Even so, Mastercard insists its other security mechanisms should be able to prevent or at least detect suspicious behaviour.

In addition, it says the facial scans and fingerprint data will not be transmitted in a form that could be intercepted, stolen or used by scammers.

Battling fraud

Smart wallet systems including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Android Pay have already introduced consumers to the concept of using their fingerprints to authorise payments.

Many Japanese bank ATMs also have a reader that scans the vein patterns beneath customers' fingers to let them withdraw cash.

One expert said other biometric tests could soon become the norm.

"Having one or more required authentication factors tied to who you are rather than what you know is going to become critical," said Windsor Holden from the tech consultancy Juniper Research.

"The problem with online payments has always been that the card doesn't need to be present, hence the credit card companies have charged more for the transactions to cover the costs of fraud.

"If they can introduce a mechanism that makes the system more secure than merely asking for a password, then the hope would be that fraud levels decrease and the savings can be passed back onto merchants, and perhaps consumers too."

Price War Sees Uber Lose $2.7m A Day In China

                            

Uber has revealed it is burning through more than $2.7m (£1.8m) every day in China as it wages a fierce price war against its local rivals.

The Google-backed ride-hailing firm is losing more than a billion dollars a year in China but is still valued at $8bn in the country.
Intense competition means that it is important for the company to battle for market share, even if it means losing money.Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick said: "We're profitable in the USA, but we're losing over $1bn a year in China.
"We have a fierce competitor that's unprofitable in every city they exist in, but they're buying up market share. I wish the world wasn't that way."

Uber's main rival in China is a company called Didi Kuaidi, which is backed by Chinese technology giants Tencent and Alibaba.They have both spent heavily to subsidise fares and gain market share.A spokesman for Didi Kuaidi said that Uber's claims about its spending were false and that it is benefiting from its larger size.
He said: "Smaller competitors have to bleed subsidies to make up for their insufficient driver and rider network."

He added that the Chinese company now operates in 400 cities and had passed break-even point in half of those cities.
In January Mr Kalanick said that spending on such pricing strategies is "how you win" in China.

Bank Lets You Access Account Using Voice

More than 15 million HSBC and First Direct mobile banking customers can now access their account using the new technique.

                         

Banking passwords could soon be a thing of the past for millions after a bank rolled out a voice recognition system.

More than 15 million HSBC and First Direct mobile banking customers can now access their account using the new technique.

A company called Nuance Communications is supplying the voice biometric technology, which cross-checks voices against over 100 unique identifiers including speed and pronunciation.

It also looks for clues that could help it match physical features - including vocal tract and nasal passage characteristics.

Customers who enrol will have to record their "voice print" and then will no longer need to enter their security password or pin to access their account.

Fingerprint recognition is already widely available, with many smartphones using the tech to allow people to unlock their device to allow them to pay for things.Using a fingerprint to login will also be available to the bank's customers.
Moving away from passwords could bring security benefits - because many people use easily guessable passwords, or rarely update them.

First Direct chief executive Tracy Garrad said that physical and behavioural characteristics are "almost impossible to mimic".
She said: "While this is the largest roll out of voice ID in the UK banking, other industries will soon follow our lead."
However Barclays pointed out that it launched voice biometric technology to its wealth management customers in 2013.
It said it would make the service available to all of its customers in the near future.

iPhone sales fall for the first time

                               

Sales of Apple's high-end smartphones suffered their first ever year-on year decline of 4.4 per cent, according to market analyst Gartner.

South Korean rival Samsung market share also slipped throughout the year to 22.5 per cent, a decline of 2.2 per cent, but was enough to maintain its position as the world's most popular smartphone vendor.  In total, Samsung shipped around  320 million units throughout 2015 globally, compared to Apple's 225 million - some 15.9 per cent of the market.

 2015 market share (%): 22.5

Gartner

Consequently Apple's share of the smartphone operating system market also fell, from 20.4 per cent in the final months of 2014 to 17.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2015. Google's Android share rose 4.7 per cent from 76 per cent the previous year to 80.7 per cent in 2015.

 4Q14 Market Share (%): 76

GARTNER

Last month Apple announced it expected to report its first decline in iPhone sales since the device's introduction in 2007,  in the second quarter of 2016,following the company's lowest iPhone sales figure to date.

The statistics are indicative of the wider slowdown in smartphone sales, as consumers in developed markets own more smartphones and tablets than ever before, and are replacing them at a slower rate than in the past. Weak international currency and fears of economic slowdown - particularly in China - are also contributing factors.

In total, around 1.4 billion smartphones were shipped last year, which, while a 9.4 per cent rise over the same period in 2014, was the slowest rate of growth in the sector since its early days in 2008.

• Forget peak iPhone, China's vendors aren't untouchable either

Chinese vendor Huawei was the year's success story after increasing its sales by 53 per cent, making it the world's third-largest vendor. Huawei previously announced it sold more than 100 million smartphones during 2015, a figure Gartner places at around 104 million. 

Fellow China-based brand Xiaomi's sales were revealed to be worse than predicted, after the company claimed to have sold more than 70 million units during 2015, down from its previous estimate of 80 million, which had been revised from the original projection of 100 million. According to Gartner, the company sold closer to 65 million smartphones.

The 'others' band, which includes LG, HTC, Sony and BlackBerry, accounted for just under 45 per cent of the total market in 2015, selling some 635 million phones.

Mobile World Congress, the world's largest mobile phone symposium, is set to kick off in Barcelona at the end of this week. New smartphones from Samsung, LG and Xiaomi are expected to invigorate this year's mobile release cycle, while Apple is widely rumoured to be preparing to launch a new entry-level handset called the iPhone 5se at a separate event on March 15, before going on sale three days later. The iPhone 7 is expected to be released in September.