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Google is working on an API level payments service called Android Pay, but it won’t compete with Wallet

Mar02
by on March 2, 2015 at 2:58 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Insider, MWC2015

Google is working on its own OS-level payments service called Android Pay, according to comments made by Chrome and Android’s SVP Sundar Pichai. While Pichai confirmed the initiative, he was quick to point out that it won’t be another consumer-facing service like Google Wallet, for example. “We’re working on something called Android Pay. It’s an API layer in Android, so that all the mechanics of payments can be done in a standardized and consistent way,” Pichai said. He added that because Google is attempting to integrate a payments system at the OS level, it won’t actually compete with things like…

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February in Latin America: All the tech news you shouldn’t miss from the past month

Mar02
by on March 2, 2015 at 2:45 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider, Latin America, Roundups

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There’s a saying that new year in Brazil starts after Carnival, but this doesn’t hold true in the startup world. As we noted in January, activity in Latin America’s tech scene barely slowed down during the Southern hemisphere’s summer holidays. Here’s the news you don’t want to miss: M&A Spanish entrepreneurs Evaristo Babé and Diego Ballesteros sold their latest startup SinDelantal Mexico to food delivery heavyweight Just Eat… which had already bought their original company SinDelantal back in 2012. At the time, its founders had moved to Mexico to take over SinDelantal’s operations in the country, which were born from…

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YouTube Music Awards 2015 will premiere exclusive new videos from artists including Ed Sheeran and Charli XCX

Mar02
by on March 2, 2015 at 2:39 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, original content, youtube, YouTube music awards

YouTube has announced the winners of its 2015 Music Awards. You can see the full list of artists, who have collectively pulled in more than 47 billion views in the past 6 months, below. The big news is that it’s going to premiere a tranche of exclusive new videos during the event. On March 23, at 10am PT (6pm GMT), the video sharing site is dropping brand new videos from Ed Sheeran, Charli XCX, Megan Nicole, Max Schneider, Cahoots, Martin Garrix, Nicky Jam, Shamir and Migos. YouTube’s collaborating with VICE to produce the program and promises subscribers to the YouTube Music Awards channel will get the chance to take part in some of the…

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Google confirms it will trial its own mobile operator services in coming months

Mar02
by on March 2, 2015 at 2:26 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Insider

Google’s SVP of Chrome and Android Sundar Pichai confirmed today that the company would start trialing its own mobile network operator services before the end of the year. Pichai made the comments at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but insisted that traditional mobile operators weren’t viewing its own MVNO trials as a threat to their core businesses. He also added that the company is actually working with a number of operators to bring the trial to market. The confirmation follows earlier rumors that Google could be considering running its own wireless service. Exactly which network company is partnering with for…

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February in Africa: All the tech news you shouldn’t miss from the past month

Mar02
by on March 2, 2015 at 2:21 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

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Is there such a thing as “Funding February?” Has somebody coined that already? No? Good. We’re doing it here. So many African startups raised money last month that it amply deserves the moniker, and raises expectations that this year will be the best yet for African entrepreneurs looking for venture capital. Funding February The funding wasn’t localized, but spread across the continent. In Kenya, pay-as-you-go energy provider M-KOPA Solar closed its fourth round of investment through a US$12.45 million equity and debt deal led by LGT Venture Philanthropy. The company will use the money to extend its product range, grow…

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