Developer applications for the MasterCard N>XT hackathon now open

Applications are now open for MasterCard's N>XT hackathon! MasterCard is challenging developers to Lead the Retail Revolution by competing to create a 'next-generation application to enhance the customer retail experience in-store and online."

Garry Lyons, MasterCard’s Chief Innovation Officer, will officially open the event at 9 a.m. on October 4^th. The event will run until Sunday, October 5^th, giving developers less than 48 hours to build their idea. 

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Android gets Afterlight photo-editing app

If you dabble in smartphone photography, Android devices just got another extensive photo editing application. Afterlight offers a wide array of tools for you to play with. It lets you adjust everything from brightness, exposure compensation, shadows, temperature, highlights, contrast, etc. You can control these with a slider that appears at the bottom of the screen. The US$0.99 app also offers you a total of 59 filters, including 27 original filters, 14 created by Instagram users, and 19 special “seasons” filters. If that isn’t enough, you also get 66 textures that add artificial light and dust to your photos.

Source: The Next Web

CEA: Majority of US online users own tablets

A report coming from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) says that more than half (54 percent) of online U.S. consumers indicate they own tablets, a four percentage point increase since January, according to research released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®. Consumer Outlook on Tablets (August2014 Edition), a semi-annual report examining trend information on consumer behavior and sentiment regarding tablets, also shows tablet owners' purchase intent for all consumer electronics devices increased to 62 percent since January – a nine percentage point jump.

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PayPal adds in-store payments and other features to Windows Phone app

PayPal is updating its Windows Phone app to be up to par with its Android and iOS counterparts. The new version of the app now offers support for in-store payments, check-in to pay, searching and redeeming offers, and ordering ahead for local businesses that accept PayPal. The company also said participating restaurants will let you pay while you’re at the table by viewing the bill on your smartphone, meaning you don’t have to wait for the end of the meal to pay.