cards

Remember the ChargeCard? It debuted at this year's CES and made my list of the three things I saw at CES I'd actually buy.

As I noted then, it's a mostly rubber card that's thin enough to fit in your wallet, but able to charge and sync your smartphone, e-reader, digital camera, Bluetooth headset, and the like.

The ChargeCard comes in three versions: iPhone 4/4S (meaning Apple 30-pin connector), iPhone 5 (Apple Lightning connector), and Micro-USB. All three have the same rubber arm that folds out to plug into a USB port, but a different … Read more

Late next year, as we're glued to our screens watching Netflix's newest original TV series, will the online-movie powerhouse somehow be tapping our bodies' electrical energy and selling it to evil machines?

If the credentials of the show's creators are any indication, that's a distinct possibility.

"Sense8," a sci-fi show Netflix describes as a "global tale of minds linked and souls hunted," is the brainchild of the Wachowskis -- aka sibling duo Andy and Lana Wachowski, the masterminds behind "The Matrix" movies. The 10-episode first season of "Sense8" will be available for streaming in late 2014, Netflix announced today.… Read more

Google today introduced a new feature to the Google Play Movies and TV app for Android. Dubbed "info cards," they offer up contextually based "cards" with related information and links.

If you've ever watched a TV show or movie and wondered where you might have seen the actor before, or if you're curious what that song is playing in the end credits, these info cards save the day.

It may be a matter of pure coincidence, but Amazon today announced that X-Ray for TV is available for Kindle Fire and Wii U devices. Somewhat … Read more

Digital wallet operators, like Google, PayPal, and others, should be charged a fee for offering such a service, according to Visa CEO Charlie Scharf.

Speaking at the Barclays Emerging Payments Forum yesterday, Scharf said "it is totally appropriate" for credit card companies to charge digital wallet operators a fee on all transactions, according to Reuters, which was in attendance.

Scharf's comments come after eBay revealed in a February regulatory filing that MasterCard was planning to charge it a fee for its digital wallet service starting in June. The actual amount PayPal pays isn't expected to be … Read more

No matter what technology we develop, business cards are still a standard in networking circles. They are the first thing you see when you meet someone. But increasingly our lives are managed by the electronic devices we carry, and business cards get lost so easily. So an app like ScanBizCards Lite is perfect to quickly take a photo, scan the contents of the business card and store it for later on your iPad or iPhone.

To start, the app asks if you'd like to register to share your scans with a universal account between devices and your desktop. This … Read more

Best Buy has kicked off another one of its iTunes gift card promotions.

The retailer is selling the $100 iTunes gift card for $80. As always, you can buy the card directly at one of Best Buy's outlets. Or you can order it online to pick it up at your local store or have it delivered directly to your home.

The sale applies only to the $100 gift card. All other iTunes gift cards from Best Buy remain at their usual price.

How long will the offer last? That seems to be a bit of a mystery.

The offer … Read more

Silicon Valley firms are presenting a rare united front in an effort to end a political logjam that has blocked high-tech immigration reform.

In an unusual show of support that underscores how important the topic has become, executives from Facebook, Google, eBay and other major tech companies sent a letter today to President Obama and congressional leaders asking them to fix immigration law by the end of 2013. The current system is broken, they say, blaming visa shortages, long waits for green cards, and difficulties bringing spouses and children to the United States.

"Because our current immigration system is … Read more

Google Play gift cards have officially launched in the U.K.

The search giant today announced that the cards have gone on sale in the U.K. in denominations of 10 pounds ($15), 25 pounds, and 50 pounds. The cards are being rolled out across Tesco and Morrisons locations around the country and should be available at all of their branches in the coming weeks.

Google launched its gift cards in the U.S. last year. Those cards, which are available at a wide array of retail locations, including Target and GameStop, come in denominations of $10, $25, and $50. … Read more

When I think about the features that I need in a smartphone, I tend to be pretty practical. Sure, apps, a media player, and a good-quality Web browser are great, but what I really want is a good dual-SIM card phone. And fortunately for me, the 2013 Mobile World Congress didn't disappoint.

Now I know that dual-SIM phones have been around for years, but the biggest OEMs in wireless haven't put a lot of resources behind them. Smaller manufacturers, particularly from China, have made up the slack, but those devices can be hard to find outside of Asia. … Read more