Square launches Square Loyalty to help businesses attract and keep customers

Square is making it easier for Canadian businesses to set up digital rewards programs. Called Square Loyalty, this integrated tool is accessible through their Square Point of Sale app. Businesses don’t need any extra hardware or software to implement this. The payments and point-of-sale company considers this an easy way for businesses to thank customers as well as entice them to come back. “We are thrilled to make Square Loyalty available to our Canadian sellers as we know customers enrolled in Square Loyalty return and spend on average two times more than other customers,” said Alyssa Henry, seller lead at Square.

Businesses pay a monthly cost, which starts at $60, for Square Loyalty based on each location’s total Loyalty visits per month. There’s a 30-day free trial for those who want to test it out first. Quick-service businesses can keep it simple and run a more traditional loyalty program where customers receive points from purchases to earn rewards points. Meanwhile, specialty boutiques can opt for multiple reward levels, which allow customers to bank their points to earn tiers or higher-value loyalty rewards. The great thing is businesses can keep track of sales as well as how many new and returning customers are participating in the rewards program through the Square Dashboard.

Apple temporarily disables the Apple Watch's Walkie-Talkie feature due to a vulnerability that lets it listen in on other iPhones

Apple temporarily won’t allow conversations through the Apple Watch’s Walkie-Talkie feature. A vulnerability was found that lets people listen in on other iPhones without their knowledge. Apple says it isn’t aware of the feature being used and it didn’t detail how it works. But the company said there are “specific conditions and sequences of events are required to exploit it.” The app hasn’t been taken out of Apple Watch devices, but users will not have their calls go through.

This push-to-talk feature was introduced last year with the release of watchOS 5. And this isn’t the first time Apple has had to disable a feature. Back in January, the company had to disable the group calling function because it lets users listen in on devices before a call was picked up. The company was seen to respond slowly to that issue, so it looks like they’re trying to remedy that here. The timing for this is notable as well. Apple just took out Zoom’s web server software from Macs after the video conferencing app was discovered to have a major vulnerability bug.

Source: The Verge

New leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 show the lack of a headphone jack

It seems the time has come, or at least that’s what the leaked images from the Federal Communications Commission suggest. Samsung is reportedly getting rid of the headphone jack for the Note line. The leaked photos show the top and bottom of the phone and the only circular slot seen is the one belonging to the S Pen. The Galaxy Note 10 is set to launch on August 7^th at Samsung’s Unpacked event. It will be held at the Barclays Center in New York, which is the same venue where the company launched the Note 9 last year.

Other rumoured specs of the phone include having the front-facing camera positioned in the middle of the handset and three cameras are vertically aligned on the rear of the device. The volume and power buttons are on the left side but there’s no Bixby button in sight this time. It is rumored to have a bigger aspect ratio, a 6.66-inch display, a 4,300mAh battery, and another a camera on the S Pen. It’s been said that there will be more than one Note 10 model, including a 5G version.

Source: CNET

Report claims Facebook signed an exclusive deal to bring ‘Splinter Cell’ and ‘Assassin’s Creed’ to Oculus VR

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Gaming is an arena Facebook hasn’t fully explored yet. It could probably be seen as a less problematic area for the company to focus on. And according to a new report from The Information, we might be seeing them make moves now. Facebook has reportedly signed an exclusive deal with Ubisoft to bring Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed to its Oculus virtual reality headsets. If true, this won’t be the first time Ubisoft has made VR games. The company has even released Oculus Rift launch exclusive titles like Eagle Flight and Star Trek: Bridge Crew. The developer has also released Assassin’s Creed-based VR escape rooms, but it hasn’t done it for home VR headsets yet. Oculus is known for having exclusive games on its platform, so this isn’t a particularly surprising move if it’s true.

One way Facebook is reportedly making its move in the gaming space is by naming former Oculus Content Vice President Jason Rubin as head of “special gaming initiatives.” And the company has its sights on acquiring studios and backing more exclusive games. But the report didn’t specify if Facebook had any studios or games in mind.

Source: The Verge