France switches on 5G, but mobile white zones remain

Connexion

The 5G network was officially activated in France on November 18 – but hundreds of communes remain in mobile network deserts.

A total 500 5G antennas are now operating – including 116 branches in Paris, 95 in Marseille, 89 in Lille, 55 in Nantes, 54 in Montpellier, 24 in Lyon, 22 in Toulouse, 19 in Bordeaux and five in Rouen, though eager users will have to wait before they can access it. Operators are awaiting the green light from the National Radio Frequency Agency, according to Europe 1.

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Google Relaunches Pay With Money-Sending Features, Cashback Offers, And ‘Mobile-First Bank Account’

Independent

Google Pay, the search giant’s contactless payment app and competitor to Apple’s Wallet function, will soon be redesigned for both iPhone and Android devices.

Among the new updates includes the ability to apply for a new digital bank account, pay other users in a way similar to Venmo in the US or startup banks like Starling and Monzo in the UK, and a panel to receive deals and discounts from Google.

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Apple’s mobile identifiers targeted in European privacy complaints

Mobile Marketer

Apple was accused of violating European law in two complaints about its use of a tracking technology that advertisers use to measure the effectiveness of digital ads and to improve targeting. Nonprofit group Noyb filed the complaints in Germany and Spain, claiming that Apple’s Identifier for Advertising (IDFA) is stored on Apple devices without user consent, CNBC reported.

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WFH leads to surge in mobile phishing and malware attacks targeting pharmaceuticals companies

ZDNet

Cyber criminals are increasingly going after the pharmaceuticals industry by targeting employees with phishing and malware campaigns tailored to take advantage of potential security vulnerabilities in smartphones and tablets.

Pharmaceuticals is an extremely high-profile target right now, as drug companies attempt to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 and there have already been several recorded instances of nation-state-backed hacking campaigns attempting to steal intellectual property from medical research institutions.

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UK mobile operators launch new product for businesses to help protect customers from fraud and cyber crime

Mobile UK

The UK’s four mobile network operators – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone – have come together to strengthen consumer safety online, developing a new product for businesses that authenticates user identity for online transactions.

The new product, called Number Verify, will help in the fight against fraud by verifying customers through matching phone numbers used in a web or app session to ensure the details being provided are the same registered on the customer’s account. This will help businesses be confident that the customer’s identity is genuine and reduce fraud whilst still preserving their privacy.

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PhonePe On What’s Driving The Rise Of Mobile Payments In India

PYMNTS

The cash on delivery model in India is starting to change as more Indian consumers embrace digital alternatives amid the pandemic, says Karthik Raghupathy, head of strategy for digital wallet provider PhonePe. In this month’s Smarter Payments Tracker, Raghupathy discusses how offering streamlined mobile payment experiences can convert cash-loving shoppers and ease merchants’ headaches.

Firms eyeing India will find that the pandemic has somewhat loosened cash’s long-established dominance in the country. Mobile apps are proving more important than ever in facilitating domestic sales between businesses and consumers in the nation, according to Karthik Raghupathy, head of business development and strategy at eCommerce payment system and digital wallet provider PhonePe. Raghupathy spoke with PYMNTS about the factors that are prompting businesses and consumers to adopt these services.

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Conversational AI — 3 ways it’s changing customer service

Tech HQ

As future-forward as it might sound, conversational artificial intelligence (AI) has been semi-present in our lives for years now.

We’ve even been carrying it around in our pockets. Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, or Amazon’s Alexa are now commonplace virtual assistants within our mobile devices that also happen to be powerful conversational AI tools capable of capturing voice input, processing the data, and providing navigation re-routing to help us find what we’re asking for.

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Google adds a new health hub and sleep tracking metrics to its Fit mobile apps

The Verge

Google has announced an update to its Fit mobile apps that will introduce a new centralized home screen of health-related information and more sleep tracking data. The updates, for both the Android and iOS versions of Google Fit, will start rolling out this week. Google is also adding new tiles to its Wear OS smartwatch app for workouts, weather, and breathing exercises.

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Amazon launches mobile games capture app for Android

Pocket Gamer

Amazon has launched a new app to allow players to capture and share mobile gameplay.

The new application, GameOn, allows users to not only share clips with friends, but they can also join in on challenges and connect with other mobile players.

Currently, the app is available on Android devices and allows consumers to record clips between 30 seconds and five minutes. It is compatible with more than 1,000 mobile games. Moreover, GameOn will enable users to share their gameplay via social media.

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