Apps
Samsung Pay could become paid service to take on Apple Pay in Korea
Earlier we have come to know that Apple to planning to release Apple Pay in South Korea. This will become a competitor to Samsung Pay, which doesn’t have any rival in the home country for years. Now to take on Apple Pay, it seems like Samsung could turn Samsung Pay into a paid service.
According to a recent information from Business Korea, the financial authorities say that Apple Pay fees of 0.1 percent to 0.15 percent can not only be charged to consumers and stores but also credit card companies.
Follow our socials → Google News, Telegram, Twitter, Facebook
The report suggets that both Samsung and Apple are looking to impose payment fees on them. On the other side, many other payment services in the country, such as Naver Pay and Kakao Pay will also follow the suit as a new profit model.
It is worth mentioning that Samsung has not said any word on the matter, so we can not clearly say if the company will actually make Samsung Pay a paid service on not. However, if this is true, the company should soon declare it.
Moreover, Samsung’s payment service is currently the largest digital card payment service in South Korea. It was originally introduced in August 2015 and is now a family of over 16 million customers. Whereas, its cumulative payment is 182 trillion won or more.
Samsung Pay supports both magnetic secure transmission and NFC for safe payment. It is offering a free service to customers since its launch. The only fee it charges is the service initiation.
Revealing the information, an industry source said, “Samsung Electronics has run the free service in order to increase and retain Galaxy smartphone users, but Apple Pay is changing the market and Samsung Electronics may consider charging.”
Apps
Google Vids app makes video creation easy with AI
Google has officially rolled out its AI-powered video creation tool, Google Vids. Initially available only to Gemini customers, the app is now rolling out to a wider range of Google Workspace users, including Business, Enterprise, and Education plans.
Google Vids uses AI to simplify the video creation process. The “Help me create” feature allows users to generate an initial storyboard from a prompt and a Google Drive document.
The AI analyzes the content and suggests scenes, stock media, text, scripts, and background music to put together a draft video. Users can then customize the video further with animations, transitions, photo effects, and royalty-free stock content.
In addition, the app lets you add AI-powered voiceovers. Users can choose from preset voices or use a teleprompter with a read-along feature to record their own voiceover.
Currently, the tool’s AI features, like the “Help me create” and teleprompter, are only available in English, but Google plans to add support for more languages in the future.
Notably, AI features in Google Vids will be available until December 31, 2025. After that, there may be usage limits, and Google will notify users in advance. The full rollout of Google Vids will continue over the next few weeks.
Apps
Android Switch: Google’s new name for the Data Restore Tool
Google has renamed its Data Restore Tool to Android Switch to make it easier for users to move data when setting up a new Android device. The tool helps users transfer apps, photos, videos, messages, contacts, and settings when they switch to a new Android phone.
However, once the transfer is done, most users don’t need to interact with the tool again, so Google decided to make the app more impressive with its new name.
Along with a new name, Android Switch comes with a fresh new logo featuring three arrows made of five dots each, in blue, yellow, and green. This color scheme is similar to the one Google used for its Switch to Android app, which helps iPhone users move to Android.
Currently, the Android Switch app is listed in the Google Play Store with a description focused on compatibility with the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. These new devices allow users to transfer data even after the initial setup. Google hopes to expand this ability to all Android devices soon
With over 10 billion downloads, Android Switch is a key tool for anyone switching to a new Android phone. We can expect even more helpful features to make the process smoother.
Apps
Google App unveils ‘Activity’ tab for quick access to your search history
Google is introducing a new feature in the Google App called the “Activity” tab, which makes it easier for users to view and manage their search history and saved items. The tab is currently under testing and will replace the old “Saved” tab.
The new “Activity” tab is now at the bottom of the Google app. It gives users a simple, more organized way to access their search history and saved content.
Now, instead of going to different sections, users can manage everything in one spot. You can view, delete, or even share items from your search history directly from the tab.
Moreover, this new feature gives users a smoother and more integrated experience compared to the old web-based layout. It allows for quicker actions, like saving or deleting specific items, without leaving the app.
This feature has been under development for a couple of months, and some users are already seeing it on their devices. However, not all users have access yet.
Even though the latest version 15.44.27.29 of the Google app is available on other devices, the “Activity” tab hasn’t appeared on all phones yet. If you don’t see the new tab just yet, don’t worry, it should be rolling out to more users in the coming days or weeks.