O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: Australia

  • Rumor: Apple working with Sony to bring Apple Pay to Japan via FeliCa

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    Apple Pay may be en route to Japan with a little help from Sony.

    The current rumor has it that Apple has partnered with Sony to bring its Apple Pay service to Japan. As has been previously rumored, Apple will make future versions of the iPhone compatible with Sony’s FeliCa technology to allow Japanese citizens to use Apple Pay for contactless payments at FeliCa-compatible terminals.

    FeliCa is Sony’s tap-to-pay format, which has been widely adopted in Japan. It’s used to access the country’s railway and bus system, and it’s able to store e-money that can be used at vending machines, cafes, and other locations equipped with FeliCa systems. FeliCa is able to process transactions in a fraction of a second, making it suitable for use in a fast-paced transit environment.

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  • Fun: Domino’s given clearance to test drone-based pizza deliveries in New Zealand

    The Domicopter
    The Domicopter

    If you live in New Zealand, the Domino’s pizza drone may be coming your way.

    Domino’s pizza has partnered with aerial drone business Flirtey, the two having been given the green light to test New Zealand pizza delivery via drones. The tests are slated to begin later this year, complete with government consideration.

    Details around where the trial would be held have been kept under wraps – however Domino’s said it would use drone delivery alongside its usual delivery methods – and only where it would be faster than the use of a car or scooter.

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  • Apple releases Maps transit information for Prague

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    It’s not the most groundbreaking development in the world, but if you’re traveling to Prague, this could come in handy.

    Apple has expanded its Maps transit directions for the Czech capital of Prague, returning focus to the app’s European users after a stretch of concentrating on the U.S.

    Riders visiting Prague can use Maps to navigate the city’s various buses, railways, and tramways. Options include trips to a number of places well outside the city core, such as Kladno.

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  • Apple Maps feature to support Japanese transit data in iOS 10

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    This could be pretty nifty if you’re traveling to Japan this fall or next year.

    Apple in a recent update to its Japanese website confirmed local transit data will arrive in Maps when iOS 10 launches this fall, further expanding the feature’s reach into Asia.

    The feature was quietly announced in an update to the Japanese version of Apple’s iOS 10 preview webpage. When Maps debuts this fall on Apple’s next-generation operating systems, which also include macOS Sierra and watchOS 3, customers in Japan will be able to search for public transport options, compare fares, view subway station maps and more, the company says.

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  • Apple working to expand Apple Pay into Prime Asian, European markets

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    Following up on the launch of Apple Pay in Singapore this week, Apple executive Jennifer Bailey has gone on the record stating that the company is planning a rapid expansion into every significant market it can with a focus on Europe and Asia. Apple Pay is currently available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Singapore and Australia. Apple has already said the mobile payments service will reach Hong Kong soon …

    Bailey stated that Apple decides the next item on its Apple Pay expansion given a number of factors, although market size for Apple products tends to be a primary factor. She also stated that existing market penetration of contactless payment terminals and existing financial infrastructures also plays a factor.

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