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Tuesday, 24 March 2020

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 is $40 off at Amazon

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 | $60 | Amazon

U.S. State Department Seeks Help From Foreign Aid Recipients For Scarce Medical Supplies

The U.S. State Department is scrambling to procure medical supplies and equipment from recipients of U.S. aid in Eastern Europe and Asia, according to leaked memos seen by Foreign Policy magazine. The news comes as the entire world struggles with the covid-19 pandemic that has infected over 380,000 and killed over…

UK Contactless Spending Limit to Increase From £30 to £45 Beginning Next Month

The U.K. spending limit for contactless card payments is to increase from £30 to £45, meaning iPhone users will soon be able to pay for more expensive shopping bills using their smartphones in stores where Apple Pay isn't supported.

The increase in the upper limit on contactless payments is set to roll out nationally beginning from April 1, UK Finance today announced.

To understand what the change means, it's important to note the difference between making a contactless payment using your ‌iPhone‌ and using ‌Apple Pay‌ to pay for something with your ‌iPhone‌.

In the U.K., contactless payments are subject to a £30 threshold per transaction, but contactless terminals that support ‌Apple Pay‌ allow transactions over £30 (provided the available balance or credit limit exists). You also need to authorize every ‌Apple Pay‌ transaction by Face ID, Touch ID or passcode.

The decision to raise the standard debit card contactless limit to £45 is said to have been taken following consultation between the retail sector and the finance and payments industry, and follows similar increases in several other European countries over the past week.

The changes were reportedly already under consideration by the industry, but the process has been expedited as part of the industry’s response to the global viral pandemic to support consumers who choose to pay using contactless.

Stephen Jones, CEO of UK Finance, said:

"The payments industry has been working closely with retailers to be able to increase the contactless payment limit to help customers with their shopping at this critical time for the country.

“This will give more people the choice to opt for the speed and convenience of purchasing goods using their contactless card, helping to cut queues at the checkout."

UK Finance notes that the new limits could take some time to be introduced across all retailers, but eventually they'll offer people another way to pay shopping bills without handling money or touching payment terminals, which should help in the fight against the ongoing viral pandemic.

Of course, in the meantime U.K. consumers spending more than £45 can still use Chip & Pin, cash, and biometric-authenticated mobile payment systems like ‌Apple Pay‌, where accepted.

Tag: United Kingdom

This article, "UK Contactless Spending Limit to Increase From £30 to £45 Beginning Next Month" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/2wqGO94

Disney+ Officially Launches in the UK and More European Countries

Disney+ today officially launched in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and Austria.

The premium streaming service is accessible via web browser, on Amazon Fire devices, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV (4K or HD), iOS devices, Android, Google Chromecast, Xbox One, PS4, and smart TVs from LG, Sony, Samsung, and Vizio. You can download the iPhone and iPad apps here.

The subscription price in the U.K. and across Europe is £5.99/€6.99 per month, or £59.99/€69.99 for an annual subscription.

Over 500 feature films and over 7,500 shows are available on the service including new original content like the critically acclaimed "The Mandalorian" and "The World According To Jeff Goldblum," along with timeless classics like "Lady and the Tramp," "Star Wars," and the entire Pixar library.

Disney+ has been available in the U.S. for a while now, but subscribers should note that there will be some content differences in the European offering because of licensing issues.

Due to the anticipated high load on the continent's broadband infrastructure because of a surge in remote working, Disney+ is following other digital video services by streaming at an intentionally lowered bitrate, so picture quality won't be as good as some viewers will be expecting.

It's unclear how long Disney intends to limit video quality, but Netflix said last Thursday that it plans to implement similar measures for 30 days, following a request from the European Union.

The launch of Disney+ has been delayed in France by two weeks on request of the French government – Disney+ will now launch in the country the week of April 7.

Disney says the service will launch later this summer in additional Western Europe markets, including Belgium, the Nordics, and Portugal. Disney+ has been available in the Netherlands since September, when it launched there as a pilot trial.

Tags: Europe, United Kingdom, Disney Plus

This article, "Disney+ Officially Launches in the UK and More European Countries" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/2vLA5pR

Monday, 23 March 2020

Black Widow Is Delayed, So I Guess My Mind Decided I Should Dream the Movie Instead?

For some ridiculous reason (boredom), Twitter is talking about Iron Man 3 today. Instead of rehashing a so-so MCU installment, allow me to tell you about the Black Widow dream I had last night.