Square to add encryption to mobile card reader, skimmers put on notice

It's only been a couple days since we first heard about Visa's involvement with Square, but the credit card giant is already making its mark on the mobile payment startup. At the Visa Global Security Summit on Wednesday, Square Security Lead Sam Quigley revealed that the company will distribute an encrypted card reader this summer, which will work exclusively with its mobile payment app. The current reader theoretically scans credit card data to any app, but the encrypted version will only work with Square, which should alleviate VeriFone's concern that the company was essentially distributing "card skimmers" to anyone with a social security number. Luckily, the new encrypted reader will remain free, giving Square a colossal advantage over VeriFone's Payware Mobile product, which carries a $49 activation fee, in addition to standard merchant fees. Not to mention, it isn't available in white.

Square to add encryption to mobile card reader, skimmers put on notice originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Torus is an impressive 3D Tetris game powered by HTML5

As far as Tetris goes, most variations look quite similar. You're usually looking at a "wall" of bricks directly from the front. Torus takes that notion and throws it away; as you might have guessed from the name (or screenshot), this Tetris clone is played on a ring-like 3D surface.

You rotate the ring itself with the arrow keys, while a Tetris-like piece slowly (excruciatingly slowly, in fact) descends from the top. As soon as you make a solid line, it disappears.

Not all pieces are Tetris-like; some of them wouldn't really work with a regular Tetris game but are a good fit for Torus' 3D format.

Torus is ideal for playing at the office, because it has absolutely no soundtrack. The game is dead-quiet. It's also very very slow (slow enough for me to mention it twice in one post) so you can safely look away for a moment and then keep playing. Also, as soon as the game loses focus, it automatically pauses.

Bottom line: It's an impressive demo of the power of HTML5; if it were a bit faster, it would have some serious addictive potential.

Torus is an impressive 3D Tetris game powered by HTML5 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC opens floor for public comment on AT&T / T-Mobile deal

Since the world's engineers haven't yet come up with a way to read minds over the internet (or at all, last we checked), we're not sure what you think about the proposed marriage of T-Mobile to AT&T. We're pretty sure you do have an opinion of some sort, though, and if you want it to be heard, now's the opportunity to let the Federal Communications Commission read your thoughtful, reasoned take on how a GSM monopoly in the United States might or might not work. (Speak now or forever hold your peace, in other words.) To comment, simply visit the source links below, where the FCC has some handy forms -- one for short comments, one for long comments (where you have to attach a PDF document) and one with the magic number of the related proceeding, which is 11-65. Let 'em know just how you'll be impacted if the deal goes through, for better or for worse.

[Thanks, Jeff]

FCC opens floor for public comment on AT&T / T-Mobile deal originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clippy is Back... But As a Game, Which is Still Bad [Bad Ideas]

I remember hating it when Clippy popped up for no good reason while working. Now, even after Microsoft officially put him to rest, he's doing it again. Only this time it's in game form. Which is marginally better, I suppose? More »

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eBay: Searches For Royal Wedding Products Up 1,815 Percent In 2011

The Royal Wedding is finally over, and William and Kate are hitched. The wedding goes beyond just a ceremony, the event is actually a huge business. Between replicas of Kate Middleton's engagement ring and Royal Wedding china, retailers are profiting off of the nuptials. And eBay and its merchants are part of this business. Here are a few stats related to the searches and purchases of wedding-related items on the marketplace.

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Daily Tip: How to move multiple apps at once [Jailbreak]

Trying to rearrange one of your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad home screens and curious how to move multiple apps around at once? Well, if you’re Jailbroken, you can! Multiiconmove allows you to move multiple icons so you can get your home screen exactly how you want it, as fast as possible. We’ll show you [...]

Daily Tip: How to move multiple apps at once [Jailbreak] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Shoot from the Hip with the Flipbac Angle Viewfinder

Do you ever get frustrated feeling like you miss the big picture because you always have your eye glued to a camera viewfinder?� If you have kids, does it seem all your photos show them at an angle, because using the viewfinder to frame the shot requires you to shoot downward (or lay on the [...]

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A Grandma Is Selling Suicide Kits Online [Wtf]

A 91-year old Grandma is selling $60 suicide kits over the Internet. The kit is rather basic actually, it's a large plastic bag with an elastic band opening and a slot for a plastic tube to be inserted. The tube is supposed to be connected to a helium tank and then pumped into the bag. Helium, when inhaled in its pure form, is deadly. More »

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Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements

The crew in Oslo keeps plugging away at Opera 11.10, and the latest snapshot build includes a number of improvements to Opera's built-in email client -- as well as HTML5-related additions.

On the IMAP front, Opera now supports special folders like sent items, spam, and trash. It also better handles duplicate items in Gmail -- such as those which appear in all mail and under your custom labels.

Opera 11.10 now partially supports the HTML5 File API as well, which means your favorite Web apps (like Gmail) may soon begin adding Opera to the list of supported browsers.

You can download the latest Opera 11.10 snapshot for Windows, Mac, or Linux from the official release post.

Update: The Opera 11.10 RC is now available, as pointed out by SlashZaku in the comments. Thanks!

Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Pitfall Of Twitter?s ?Promoted Trends? #RoyalWedding

Twitter recently upped its rates on Twitter Promoted Trends from $60K-$70K to between $100K-$120K which means the demand for the unique form of advertising is certainly there. But what are brands getting in return? As we've seen before with Skittles, Charlie Sheen, and even the #Dickbar, attempting to float a brand message over user generated Twitter content isn't always a success.

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Thicknessgate: White iPhone 0.2 mm Fatter than Black iPhone

We may have discovered the secret behind the new white iPhone, and why now, 10 months late, Apple finally thinks it will stay white instead of fading to a dirty, stained yellow. Extra paint, and lots of it.
The internet is abuzz today with comparison photos showing that the white iPhone is noticeably thicker than its [...]

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TripAdvisor app for Windows Phone 7 now available

TripAdvisor, the popular travel planning tool, has just launched an app for Windows Phone 7. Just like the mobile website, the app allows you to search for anything travel-related -- from hotels and flights to restaurants and points-of-interest to visit once you reach your destination.

Geolocation is supported, which allows TripAdvisor to quickly locate places nearby. But while that's a neat feature, it's also a bit of a downer -- because, really, it's about the only feature TripAdvisor for WP7 brings to the table that its mobile Web app doesn't already offer (its browser-based geolocation doesn't work with WP7 at the moment).

While it's nice to see Windows Phone 7 users getting some big-name apps, it'd be even nicer if we saw some packing a bit more swagger.

Still, TripAdvisor for WP7 might just be worth installing on your device if you're frequently on the go -- at least until a better browser arrives with the Mango update.

Gallery: TripAdvisor for Windows Phone 7

TripAdvisor app for Windows Phone 7 now available originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square's Going to Have a More Secure Card Reader For iPhone Payments This Summer [Apps]

I don't think news that Square is releasing a safer card reader this summer should put off users of their existing reader, but it's worth keeping an eye out for if you want to ensure all your credit card data is encrypted. This comes after Visa invested in the start-up, so it makes sense also that Square's going to take on some of Visa's best practices that will "help increase trust in innovative payment solutions," according to Square COO Keith Rabois. More »

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