Android Pay is coming to the web via Chrome soon

Android Pay adoption continues to grow with haste and it looks like the service's next stop is going to be the web. Google has announced that it will be bringing Android Pay to the mobile web soon, starting with new API support in the latest version of the company's Chrome web browser.

Google hasn't stated exactly when the new payment option will go online and hasn't dished out too many details about how things with work through a web browser. From the looks of it, Android Pay will only be supported by a selection of retail partners. So we won't be buying all of our goodies online using Android Pay, at least not yet.

"We're moving beyond mobile apps and bringing the simplicity and security of Android Pay onto the mobile web. Users will soon be able to speed through mobile checkout on Chrome using Android Pay on sites like Groupon, 1-800-Flowers.com and many more to come."

Another interesting, possibly related development, is that fingerprint support has also recently been spotted in the works for Chromebooks. It's possible that this technology could also be incorporated into Google's Chrome and web payment system in the future, in order to verify Android Pay transactions from Google's laptop as well as mobile platforms.

See also: Chrome OS looks to be gaining fingerprint sensor support9

Support for Android Pay has been growing quickly lately. Google has announced that support for more banks in on the way in the UK and US, with Santander and TSB support arriving in the next few weeks. In the US, Chase has just added support for its cards this week. Customers can now also pay for Uber rides with Android Pay, and Google is offering a 50 percent discount until October 15th.

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Rumor: More information about the alleged Huawei-made Nexus tablet emerges

While the anticipation for Google's upcoming smartphones continues to grow, prolific leakster Evan Blass caught everyone by surprise by suggesting that we may also have a new Google tablet to look forward to.

The leak didn't offer a whole lot of information, except for the fact that the device would be made by Huawei, and come with 4 GB of RAM. Now, Huaweiblog.de has received more details about what we can expect from the next Google tablet.

According to their sources in China, Huaweiblog.de reports that the device will feature a 7-inch display with a Quad HD resolution, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal storage, and a 13 MP rear camera.

Huawei's latest Android tablet offering – the MediaPad M3

The device doesn't have a name yet, but Huawei has recently secured a trademark for the "Nexus 7P." However, with Google seemingly about to drop the Nexus moniker for good, we can only speculate as to what this tablet will be called.

It'll also be exciting to see what the price of the device will be. The Nexus 7 line was extremely popular because of how aggressively priced the tablets were, but with the top of the line specifications that the forthcoming tablet will supposedly feature, we may be seeing a price point more akin to the Pixel C.

Google is expected to launch a slew of devices on October 4, including the new smartphones, a 4K-capable Chromecast, and a Daydream compatible VR headset, and while the current info on the release date of the tablet is vaguely said to be at "the end of the year," Google and Huawei might have a surprise in store for us after all.

Are you excited for the upcoming Google tablet? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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Galaxy S7 fails to edge past the iPhone, but Samsung regains US top spot

Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 edge have been the hottest selling Android smartphones this year, in fact many expect these two to be the company's most popular smartphones ever released. However, according to new sales data from Kantar World Panel, the Galaxy S7 series was actually only the second best selling smartphone in the US during its release quarter. Instead, Apple's iPhone 6S is the best selling smartphone in the US.

According to the data, the iPhone 6S accounted for 11 percent of all smartphone sales in the US between April and June 2016. This was followed by combined Galaxy S7 sales on 9 percent, and the cheaper iPhone SE grabbed 5 percent of sales. However, in the bigger picture Samsung accounted for 35 percent of all smartphone sales in the US for the three months ending June 2016. Apple ended the quarter on 32 percent, followed by LG in third on 14 percent, and Lenovo (Motorola) in fourth at 5 percent.

This news is not entirely surprising, as Apple has been leading Samsung's Galaxy S series for flagship market share in the US for a little while now. Given the overwhelming positive reception and strong global sales of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, Samsung may have hoped to have overtaken Apple this year, at least temporarily during the phone's debut.

However, the sales boost from the new Galaxy S7 range has helped to put Samsung back on top in the country. Separate data from Strategy Analytics put Samsung on a 26 percent US market share in Q2 2015, behind Apple's unchanged 32 percent share. Overall, Samsung Galaxy sales are up quite substantially in the US year-on-year.

See also: Everything you need to know about the Galaxy Note 7 recall321

However, this success may not be sustained later in the year, after the company opted to recall all of its Galaxy Note 7 handsets following a series of rare battery explosions. It's now highly unlikely that Samsung will be able to capitalize on the head-start it gave to its latest smartphone, which may have a notable impact on Samsung's sales towards the end of the year. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have just launched to the usual fanfare, while many customers are still left wondering about when the Galaxy Note 7 will go back on sale and whether or not there will be any persistent problems with the device.

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Pay for Uber with Android Pay and get a 50% discount on your fare

And you thought Samsung was going crazy with its Samsung Pay promotions. Google is offering the best deal we've yet seen for pushing its contactless payment system: 50% off (up to 10) Uber rides when you pay with Android Pay until October 15.

See also: Android Pay vs Apple Pay vs Samsung Pay79

As with all these promotions, there's really nothing to it, simply download the Android Pay app via the button below and add a supported debit or credit card to activate it. Then select Android Pay as your payment preference in the Uber app and start hailing cars. When it's time to pay you'll only have to fork over half the fare (only in the U.S.).

The 50% discount is capped at $5 though, so don't go trying a cross-country Uber road trip or anything. For short trips around town this is a pretty sweet deal, but yeah, most Uber rides are upwards of a tenner. It's probably better to just think of it as a $5 discount on your next 10 rides, but that in itself is a pretty good reason to set up Android Pay.

Do you use Android Pay yet? What's your favorite/least favorite thing about it?

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Moto takes a jab at Samsung’s Note 7 recall. Hypocritical, much?

It took them long enough, but the marketing heads at Motorola have finally realized that there's some self-promotion potential in Samsung's massive, and embarrassing, Note 7 recall.

The Lenovo-owned company is running a new promo where it gives a free Incipio offGRID Power Pack with every Moto Z Droid purchase. So far, nothing special, but Moto couldn't resist slipping in a passive-aggressive jab at Samsung:

"At Moto, our priority is safety first. Unlike some manufacturers, we adhere to the highest standards in quality and testing of all our batteries."

Ouch, what a, uhm, burn!

There's a problem though. Samsung is putting safety first.

While some criticized Samsung for the way it conducted the recall, it's important to realize that the Note 7 was recalled voluntarily. Assuming that the stats about the magnitude of the problem are correct (1 in 42,000 units), Samsung could have tried to sweep the problem under the rug, or at least wait for a better time to come clean.

See also: Galaxy Note 7 recall: What you need to know (updated)321

Instead, Samsung chose to recall millions of Note 7 units, at a cost that is estimated to reach more than a billion dollars. For reference, that's Motorola's entire revenue in the first quarter of 2016. Furthermore, the recall was announced during the hugely important fall season, just days before LG and Apple announced their Note 7 competitors – the V20 and the iPhone 7 Plus.

Even if you believe that Motorola is in its own rights to call out Samsung, this little stunt comes off as hypocritical. After all, a cursory Google search reveals headlines like:

• Man injured after Motorola Droid 2 'exploded in his ear during phone call'
• No "charred" feelings; Motorola Moto X catches on fire
• Cell phone [Droid Bionic] battery catches fire, burns hacker's tail at Defcon

Or how about one of the several battery recalls from Moto's parent, Lenovo:

• Lenovo Recalls Notebook Batteries After Burn Incident

The sad, unavoidable reality is phones and other electronics sometimes catch fire or explode, and there's little we can do about it. It happens regularly, with devices from Samsung, Apple, Sony, LG, and, yes, Lenovo and Motorola.

That's why Motorola's attack seems very misguided, at best.

It's not the first time Moto takes on Samsung on shaky grounds. Just a few weeks ago, Moto took to social media to call out Samsung for "stealing" the Always On Display feature. But Motorola forgot to mention that Nokia used the same feature (which is hardly innovative in any case) on its Lumia Windows phones, months before the Moto X came out with it.

Let us know your thoughts.

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LG says it will stick with its modular concept for the LG G6

With LG passing on a modular design for the LG V20 and worrying signs suggesting that the G5 hasn't been selling particularly well, many have been wondering whether LG's brief experiment with modular smartphones is over before it even really had chance to get started. Not so, according to LG spokesman Ken Hong, the next G series handset will also come sporting a modular design too.

Speaking with CNET, Hong stated that LG will be sticking with its modular concept in the subsequent generation of G handsets, although he didn't provide any exact details. Even so, plans appear to have already been made for a modular LG G6. He also clarified that the development of the LG V20 was already well underway by the time that the G5 hit the market, so the sales performance of the modular phone had no bearing on the V20's design. Despite the growing similarities between the two aesthetic designs, LG seems happy enough to develop its G and V series with different goals and features.

The fact that LG is sticking with a modular design might be good news for current G5 owners. It's possible that the company will look to retain some form of cross compatibility between its current and next generation G series handsets, as this would benefit consumers and module developers. However, strong competition from Lenovo's impressive modular design in its new Moto Z series may cause LG to alter its technology in order to keep up in terms of features and ease of use. Either way, the company's second generation approach to modular smartphones should be better than the first.

See also: Motorola Moto Z Force vs LG G5 – Modular or Mods?27

For others, another modular phone from LG might suggest that not enough development time will be spent on bringing the right type of flagship features needed to bring the fight to Samsung's Galaxy line-up, which has outperformed many analyst's sales expectations this year. Not to mention that the limited availability of modules in some regions essentially makes the whole design pointless for some, save for the removable battery.

Does another modular G series handset fill you with optimism or dread? Sound off in the comments below.

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Deal: React Native app development course going for $10 (usually $30)

React Native is a development platform designed by Facebook to make building apps faster and easier. React is used by a growing number of businesses to build in-house apps, and its popularity is making it one of the more lucrative app creation platforms. Now is your chance to get in on the action.

Udemy is currently having a sale on one of their React Native app creation courses. Even if you don't have any programming experience, this course will have you building professional feeling apps in as little time as a single day (provided you have absolutely nothing else to do).

See also: Create your first Android app even if you don't know how to code

The reason for this sale is because the course is still under development. Once it's fleshed out into its full form, we expect the price to rise to somewhere in the $100-$200 range we normally see these kinds of courses going for. However, since students get lifetime access to all course materials – even those that haven't been added yet – now might be the ideal time to sneak in your registration.

Right now, the course focuses on developing iOS apps. However, since React Native works with Android, the vast majority of this information is transferrable. Indeed, what makes React native so popular is that it allows developers to build apps across platforms – from Android, to iOS, and soon to Smart TV's and smartwatches – without loss of quality.

To start learning at this basement-tier price, click the button below to head over to Udemy. Use the code ANDROIDA15 when you check out to lock in the $10 promotional rate.

Start Building Apps Previously: Learn Nougat App Development: Gary Sims interviews Tim Buchalka6

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