This Week On The TC Gadgets Podcast: Smartwatches, Samsung LoopPay, And Bluetooth Toothbrushes

With the Apple Watch looming on the horizon, we simply can’t help ourselves from talking about smartwatches. This week, we focus on the Garmin Fenix 3, the LG Urbane, and of course, the upcoming Apple Watch. Meanwhile, Samsung is trying to compete in the payments space with the acquisition of LoopPay, and Oral B thinks you might want a Bluetooth-equipped toothbrush.

We discuss all this and more on this week’s episode of the TC Gadgets Podcast featuring Matt Burns, Greg Kumparak, Darrell Etherington and Jordan Crook.

Have a good Friday, everybody!

We invite you to enjoy our weekly podcasts every Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern and noon Pacific. And feel free to check out the TechCrunch Gadgets Flipboard magazine right here.

Click here to download an MP3 of this show.
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Intro Music by Mendhoan.

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By: Unknown On 02:52

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Samsung Acquires LoopPay, Maker Of An Apple Pay Competitor

Samsung has acquired LoopPay, the companies announced today. The acquisition confirms earlier rumors that suggested the two were working closely together on an upcoming project, and suggests Samsung could make use of LoopPay’s technology to offer is own Apple Pay competitor on future devices.
FacebookLinkedInLooppay On Stage CES 2015
LoopPay even advertises its solution as an alternative to Apple Pay for non-Apple device makers, and advocates its compatibility with systems already in place at retailers throughout the U.S. Its tech currently works using a standalone fob or a CardCase, which incorporates the payment tech into a protective case designed for use with some of the top smartphones currently available. A LoopPay app allows you to input and store payment card information, and the case communicates wirelessly with existing tap-to-pay terminals available at merchants and retailers. It works by mimicking mag stripe technology, meaning it shouldn’t even require updated hardware in most stores.
LoopPay founders Will Grayling and George Wallner will join Samsung’s Mobile Division as part of the acquisition arrangement, and both the company’s talent and the tech will help the smartphone maker further its mobile wallet ambitions, according to a statement by Mobile Division President and Head of IT JK Shin. Samsung is making very clear that the acquisition will help it produce its own mobile wallet solution, likely a direct competitor to Apple Pay.

By: Unknown On 04:10

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Samsung Wants To Build LoopPay Into Devices, And To Build A Holistic Mobile Wallet

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Samsung will acquire LoopPay, the companies announced today, and TechCrunch spoke with LoopPay CEO Will Graylin, Samsung Innovation Center EVP David Eun and Dr. Injong Rhee, EVP and  head of Samsung Mobile about the smartphone maker’s plans for its new asset, as well as LoopPay’s tech and approach to mobile payments.
Samsung said it would be working toward building LoopPay’s technology into future devices, and stressed that this isn’t just about mobile payments: It’s about building a mobile wallet that is more comprehensive in scope, without requiring either merchants or consumers to change their behavior at a faster pace than they’re necessarily willing to accept.

By: Unknown On 02:30

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