Xbox Live Rewards revamped with loyalty ‘punchcards’ and local currency payouts

Xbox Live Rewards revamped with loyalty 'punchcards' and local currency payouts

As part of its march toward the Xbox One's arrival, Microsoft has relaunched the Xbox Live Rewards service -- and it looked to your coffee shop for inspiration. Just as your local barista punches a tab toward that next free coffee, completing Redmond's MyPunchcards will net you Rewards Credits. Complete the current cards by Halloween and you'll get 5,000 credits ($5) for buying five map packs and 3,000 credits ($3) for renting five movies or TV episodes. As before, you're rewarded for re-upping your Xbox Live Gold subscription and referring friends, and each time you amass 5,000 Credits, they're converted to your local currency and deposited to your wallet. What's more, if you're impatient and have at least 1,000 credits in the bank, you can request an early payout. So much for saving for a rainy day.

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Xbox Live Rewards

Isis Mobile Wallet app for Android surfaces in Google Play, you probably can’t run it

Isis Mobile Wallet app for Android surfaces in Google Play, you probably can't run it

Unofficial rumblings have pointed to Isis Mobile Wallet's trial getting close. If you've remained skeptical all the same, we're pretty sure that seeing Isis' Android app in Google Play will change your mind. The currently T-Mobile-only software confirms that pilot program members will tie their American Express, Capital One or Chase card (as well as a unique card) to Isis for paying through NFC at stores with a SmartTap terminal. We're also promised streamlined loyalty cards and coupons. Before anyone rushes to try the app at the local shop, remember that it's just one piece of the puzzle on top of the special SIM card, one of three NFC-equipped phones and that small matter of living in Austin or Salt Lake City when the service goes live. Having the official app at least lets those who qualify get a head start on what could soon be the only major alternative to Google Wallet in the US.

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Isis Mobile Wallet app for Android surfaces in Google Play, you probably can't run it originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IBM Labs pitches the future of augmented reality shopping with mobile app prototype

IBM Labs pitches the future of augmented reality shopping with mobile app prototype

From the same company that brought you the ThinkPad and the tank of a keyboard known as the Model M, today IBM is demonstrating its latest consumer development: a mobile shopping app. As odd as that sounds, it's no secret that Big Blue employs some rather brilliant folk, and now the company is looking to combine augmented reality with your everyday shopping habits. While still merely a prototype, the app will allow consumers to pan product aisles with their smartphone camera and view additional details on the screen. As IBM puts it, shoppers may input their own needs and preferences into the app, which can accommodate a wealth of information such as allergens, sugar content and bio-degradable packaging. Through partnerships with retailers, IBM also hopes to integrate promotions and loyalty schemes into the app, which it states will help stores better understand the buying habits of individual consumers. So there you have it, the future of shopping, as brought to you by IBM. As for the full PR, you'll find it after the break.

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IBM Labs pitches the future of augmented reality shopping with mobile app prototype originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video)

EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video)

A joint venture of Canadian carriers Rogers, Bell and Telus called EnStream is in final talks with the country's leading banks (likely CIBC, TD, RBC, Scotiabank and BMO) to bring a mobile wallet solution to the Great White North within six months. The system, which was demoed at the CWTA Wireless Showcase last September, enables mobile payments by storing a user's financial credentials on the SIM located inside their NFC-capable phone. It aims to replace credit and debit cards at first -- perhaps even driver's licenses and loyalty programs down the road. Carriers plan to charge banks a flat rate instead of a per-transaction fee.

According to Almis Ledas, EnStream's COO, "banking machines will become the payphones of the future". While we command this attempt to standardize mobile payments in Canada, the time frame seems rather optimistic in light of the slow progress AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have made with Isis in the US so far. Different countries, different rules of course -- still, we think it's going to take quite a while to make loonies obsolete. Maybe this is the perfect window of opportunity for Google Wallet and Square to jump across the border, eh? Time will tell. Check out EnStream's mobile wallet in action on video after the break.

Continue reading EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video)

EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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