Microsoft looking to offer its own SIM Cards, data service to Windows 10 users

Just like Apple has recently made their Apple SIM available to travelling LTE-enabled iPad customers, it looks like Microsoft may be looking to sell its own SIM cards and data service subscription to Windows 10 users with tablets and PCs that can accommodate SIM cards.

A new Cellular Data app will work in concert with the Microsoft SIM to access prepaid data services with no contracts or commitments and will use the same account that customers use to pay for apps on the Windows Store. It also appears that the service will only access data in the country where it was bought, no roaming will be allowed. It looks like Microsoft will limit the service to France, the UK and the US at first.

Source: Thurrott.com

Apple Pay comes to the UK

Apple Pay has come to the UK and is available to a number of banks and services. Included financial institutions are NatWest, Nationwide, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank and Santander. HSBC, which was expected to be part of the initial launch said it was planning to launch the service by the end of July. An HSBC spokesperson told the BBC: "We are working hard to bring this to our customers by the end of July."

Apple Pay uses secure touchless payments via NFC and can be enabled by the iPhone 6 an the iPhone 6 Plus as well as the Apple Watch paired to an iPhone 5, iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c. In the UK, Apple Pay will be limited to users that are 13 years old or older, and tap-and-go card transactions with retailers are limited to £20 - rising to £30 in September.

Google's going retail with a new online store as well as a physical pop-up store

Google has taken the wraps off a new online store to sell its various wares as well as a store-within-a-store in the UK. The new online store seems to have replaced the Google Play Devices section and now features various Nexus products and accessories as well as some Nest connected home sensors and whatever recent Android Wear smartwatches are available. Google supposedly outed the store when it announced the new Chromebook Pixel 2 but as I went to the Buy Now link on the Pixel's page I got a 404 Error page.

As for the store within a store, it will be housed within London's Currys PC World and will allow guests to sample Android and Chrome products as well as various technologies. This is an interesting move by Google, perhaps one that will grow into more pop-up locations and eventually full-fledged retail destinations like what Apple and Microsoft now have, who knows. 

Google Glass now available to buyers in the UK

Looks like Google is starting its global rollout of Glass. Previously available only to denizens of the USA, they are extending availability of Google Glass to buyers in the U.K. Talk about creating pent-up demand. Targeted towards developers rather than consumers, the £1000 smartglasses will be sold to anyone 18 years or older and they can buy it online or direct from a Google distribution point. With Google I/O around the corner, will Google actually begin to offer a lower priced consumer version of Glass to more users? We'll have to wait and see.