Apple Pay - Leading fans up the garden path

Apple Pay - Apple’s digital wallet solution - waving the phone or scratching the watch - is little different from other NFC applications. Apple Pay uses an embedded chip to provide secure NFC. I have a fear that this is a step towards drawing Apple Pay users into a perpetual contract. Unlike a SIM card, an embedded chip cannot be moved to another device. The user will have to continue with Apple products. It will make it harder for an Apple user to switch out. This seems a sure, insidious way of enforcing loyalty. It is not obvious to the user in the beginning. Looks like Apple is leading its fans up the garden path through Apple Pay.

Note on digital wallets, NFC, etc:

Currently there are several digital wallet platforms. The radio-frequency identification (RFID) payment technology is now widely used in credit cards as a direct interface to the chip. It has also been integrated into smartphone retail payment solutions such as Google Wallet, several prepaid payment cards (e.g., German Geld Karte system, the Octopus card in Hong Kong, Oyster card in London). Barclaycard's PayTag - a miniature credit card stuck to the back of a cellphone - turns it into a contactless payment option (currently with a low spend limit). It uses Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology. (Five of the best mobile payment systems are mentioned here:http://www.businessbee.com/resources/profitability/point-of-sale/the-5-best-mobile-credit-card-reader-apps-for-your-small-business/)

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Indian Space Program and Recent Reporting – Hype vs Facts: A Quick Look

Was planning to write a long note on the inflated hue and cry over India’s space program. This is a summary of my views without going into the details. Of late, every successful event of the Indian space programme is celebrated as if it is a ‘historic’ one. An impression is given as if the whole program is merely a few years old and all that it has achieved has been in a short period of a few years. To be more specific, unlike in the case of the missions of countries like the USA, when Indian media reports on the Indian missions readers do not get any idea as to when the mission was planned and what kind of effort has gone into it. Just like the Mars Mission launched towards the end of 2013 , the various satellite launches are the result of many years of planning to ensure that India has a series of satellites of different capabilities and there are replacements as old satellites are retired. India’s Mars Orbiter Mission that was placed into an orbit around Mars in September 2014

Is there a Spartacus out there? Among the IPL gladiators?

The irony is that film stars 'own' the team – i.e., the players! Our sports icons are now like gladiators. May be, not so brave. In awe and with fluttering hearts they mix with the glamorous stars of the show business and real business. Occasionally they remember: Hey boy! This one really owns me, my God! What have I got into? The gladiator partying with his owner! They do it, not because they always like to party after a bad defeat, but so be it, it is part of the deal, you know. It is the new Compulsive Relaxation Therapy, prescribed by the IPL. Partying in prescribed doses is a lot more than mere fun. Also, it is good to party if the defeat was, perhaps, well and truly expected. May be, even anticipated. You know why! No rewards for guessing! If still in doubt, ask your bookie. It just happens that the celebrations get a bit wilder when the results go against the odds! In this format of the game, both losers and winners can rejoice! It is a great game, come o

A Pestilence - The Karatified-Left

These days there is a certain brand of unwelcome Leftists who pop up when some of us discuss either the dangers of sanghi fascism or start conversations about building wider unity to defeat these fascists. They appear mainly to question the discussions on unity against the sanghi-fascism and to discredit vehemently the Congress, avoiding the question of countering the sanghi fascists. When we look up their worldviews or the overall demeanour, they appear to be left-leaning. Strangely, they never discuss anything about fighting the sanghi-fascists. When it comes to discussing trends like this, we need some labels or short descriptions for those exhibiting similar traits, expressing converging views, singing consonant tunes, or dancing to the same beats. They fall into the trend of cleverly equating BJP and Congress with all sorts of whatabouteries used by the sanghis , avoiding discussions on countering the sanghi threat, deliberately underplaying the sanghi -fascist threat and

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