For more and more people, tapping their phone to pay for those nacho fries is becoming just as normal as reaching for their wallet, and Google just made it even easier to e-pay. Google has rolled out Google Pay, their consolidation of the Android Pay and Google Wallet apps. It’s just for Android users for the moment – sorry Apple folks – and we’re sure in time Google will call it “G-Pay” just like everyone else.
G-Pay, er, Google Pay, can be used inside apps and on websites, and perhaps best of all, can be used to send money to individuals, like all those friends you lost that super bowl bet to, even if they don’t have Google Pay. You can also integrate rewards programs so you keep racking up those airline miles and gas pump points. Pretty much every major bank has signed on, but if you’re not sure if yours is included, check here for the whole list and tips for using G-Pay.
That’s a lot of cat photos
Remember when you heard those stories about “3D computer memory” and all those other seemingly science-fiction data storage advances? Yeah, not so science fiction-y after all: Samsung just announced their latest solid state hard drive and it’s ringing in at just a tick over 30 terabytes. In one drive. With no moving parts. The high-capacity drive is destined for internet server farms for the moment and has the romantic model number of PM1643.
The drive will also be available in the typical by-half sizes as well, like 15 terabytes, 7 terabytes and so on. Samsung says the memory device uses V-NAND technology with 64-layer, 3-bit 512-gigabit chips. No prices yet but probably not cheap, and we’re sure it won’t be long until it’ll be a Micro-SD card you just slip into your Galaxy S15.
Please please please don’t make a shower speaker
A job posting at Spotify is raising a few eyebrows. The market leader in music streaming is looking for an “Operations Manager” for a future hardware product. “Spotify is on its way to creating its first physical products,” the post reads, and goes on to say that they are hoping to create “innovative Spotify experiences via connected hardware.” As you can imagine, speculation is running wild. Are they going to make a smart speaker? Seems a bit late for that.
An iPod-like device? Maybe a Spotify smart watch? At this point, no one really knows, and that may include Spotify itself. But with an IPO in the works, the $20 billion company will be under pressure to expand and innovate outside of their core streaming business, so a whole line of Spotify smart light bulbs with built-in speakers could be on the way. If you think it’s the job for you, polish up that resume and get more information here.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
