Facebook Eyes Mobile Payment Feature
Facebook, the world’s largest social networking company, is planning to come up with a new mobile payment feature. It will use payment details added by users to their Facebook account to automatically fill in forms when they make purchases on mobile applications. Various companies have been looking to tap into mobile payments markets. However, Facebook said the feature would not involve moving the payment processing away from an app’s current service provider.
Smartphones Out-sell Basic Handsets
Smartphone sales exceeded feature phone sales for the first time in the April-to-June period, according to research firm Gartner. Worldwide mobile phone sales touched the figure of 435 million units. Smartphone sales alone accounted for 225 million units, up 46.5 per cent from the previous year. Feature phones end up with 210 million units, down 21 per cent. The highest smartphone growth rates recorded in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe, the firm said. However, a competing firm, IDC, said this milestone had already been reached in the first three months of 2013.
NASA Sending World’s First 3-D Printer into Space
NASA is set to launch world’s first zero-G-ready 3D printer into space next year, during its resupply mission to the International Space Station, so that parts can be built on-demand in space. Space manufacturing company Made in Space’s customised 3D printer will be the first device to manufacture parts away from planet Earth, researchers said. The 3D printing in Zero-G Experiment will validate the capability of additive manufacturing in zero-gravity. “Imagine an astronaut needing to make a life-or-death repair on the International Space Station,” said Aaron Kemmer, CEO of Made in Space on the company’s website.
Icahn Buys Stake in ‘Undervalued’ Apple
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn says he has built up a “large” stake in Apple. Mr Icahn says Apple shares are “extremely undervalued” and wants Apple to carry out a bigger share buyback. In April, Apple said it would return $100bn (£65bn) to shareholders by the end of 2015, by raising its dividend and buying back shares. Mr Icahn said he had a “nice” conversation with Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook and plans to speak to him again shortly. In response, Apple said in a statement: “We appreciate the interest and investment of all our shareholders.
Microsoft Releases Office 365 for Android
Microsoft has released a version of its office programme Office 365 designed to be used on smartphones with the Google operating system Android. The app was initially available only for US users through the Google Play Store but is being gradually activated in more countries. The app allows documents from Excel, Word and PowerPoint to be viewed on mobile devices, edited in limited fashion and shared in the cloud service SkyDrive. Those who subscribe to Office 365 can download the software for free.
