The limit per transaction for the so-called tap and pay cards, which do not require a PIN or a signature to authorise payment, was previously £20.
The move follows a huge rise in the number of people using contactless cards in the UK.
Transactions for the first half of this year totalled £2.5bn, already higher than the £2.32bn spent in 2014.
The UK Cards Association, the trade body for the card payments industry, said the increase meant that the average supermarket spend of £25 would now be covered.
"The growth in contactless payments shows people want to use contactless cards, and increasing the limit gives customers even more opportunities to pay in this way," said chief executive Graham
'The new normal' In July, consumer group Which? warned that data from contactless cards could be easily stolen by determined fraudsters.
But the trade body said fraud via the cards was "extremely low", at less than one penny for every £100 spent.
The increase also comes after technology giant Apple allowed users of its latest devices to make contactless payments.
Kevin Jenkins, managing director UK and Ireland at Visa Europe, said contactless payments were becoming the "new normal".
"We've seen unprecedented growth in this area, with the number of Visa contactless transactions more than trebling in the past year in the UK," he added.
The increase was first announced in February.

We’ve rounded up some of our favorite apps that work with the S Pen, including a few for artists, note-takers, and doodlers.

ArtFlow

Drawing with the S Pen is fun, and ArtFlow is one of the best apps for artists. The settings are varied and offer lots of choice in terms of brushes, color palettes, pencils, and more. The app supports layers, so you can add or delete layers as you go. It’s easy to hide the menus when you want a blank canvas to draw on, but a tap in the corner on the little circle brings them back up quickly. ArtFlow is perfect for Note 5 users who want to sketch on the go or even create small masterpieces.

 Autodesk Sketchbook

Another excellent choice for artists is Autodesk’s Sketchbook app. The interface is simple, there are layers, and you have lots of control over the tools you use to create your masterpieces. The free version offers enough drawing and painting tools to keep most people happy, but if you want more features and brushes, it’ll cost you $4.35. You can also sgn up for a membership to Autodesk for $25 a year, if you want to design your own.


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The process explained below does not require you to use any third party tool or expensive software to take the system image backup
Previous versions of Windows - 7 and 8 had this ability of creating a full system backup image. Windows 10 has improved on the process of backup and recovery. It also gives you more access to features that help you backup and recover the operating system.

Such recovery images can be very handy to recover the default state of your hard disk, which is similar to restoring to factory settings. These images help recover especially when you're unable to boot into windows. There are several ways with which you can create such backup images. If you don't mind paying for the software product, there are third party products that you can use to take image backups of Windows 10.


For example, Norton Ghost and True Image are some of such software's that are capable of creating desktop and server installation images. These software's not only help you get backup image but also help in recovering the factory installation state. However, for those who are using Windows 10 at home, buying such software is an overkill solution. So instead of using expensive software, let's see how to do it for free. You don't even need to use any third party tool to make this system backup image.



When to take System Image Backup

Whenever you install the operating system with clean install option, it is recommended to make system image and also repair disc. When you secure yourself with these two options, you'll be prepared for any boot issues that may arise in the future.

Follow the procedure below to create system image in Windows 10.

Step 1: Right click on start menu and click on Control Panel.
Step 2: Inside control panel, click Backup and Restore.
Step 3: Click on Create System image link.
Step 4: Windows will ask you to choose location to save your system image.
Step 5: Depending on your choice, choose either DVD, USB Drive or network location to store your system image.
Step 6: Let's assume you have connected external drive, verify your backup location.
Step 7: Start the backup.

Check your backup location. Assuming it is external drive, then find the folder named "WindowsImageBackup". This folder contains the backup image which you can use to restore the Windows in future.

Windows 10 takes backup of each of your system drives. Depending on the data available, it takes several minutes to backup your drives. At the end of the process, the installer will ask you to create repair disc for Windows. Depending on your needs, you can either follow along or just dismiss the dialog box. If you happen to create a system repair disc, you get plenty of new features that allows you to repair Windows. For example, new features allow you to make system image recovery, startup image repair option, Downgrade Windows (within 30 days of upgrade) and startup settings. These tools are very important to use when you are unable to boot into your Windows desktop.

When not to use System Image

There are times when you have to make clean install and also format the master boot record. For example, If you happen to find any malware on system, you may want to use Windows ISO and make clean install. In case of virus and security issues, it is better to make clean install.

If you're upgrading from Windows 7 or 8, then you should definitely backup your system before you upgrade. If you choose to go with clean install option, taking system image backup is even more beneficial. The practice of taking system image backup will help you rollback without any glitches when you get into trouble upgrading to Windows 10.

Atom Bank taps video game technology to win mobile customers Atom Bank's mobile banking app is so commercially sensitive that its developers won't even allow it to be demonstrated. The bank, whose founder believes can transform consumer banking in Britain, is in the final stages of preparation before launching its first products later this year.

 Its investors, who include star fund manager Neil Woodford, venture capitalist Jon Moulton and Jim O'Neill, the former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, are betting that Atom's innovative banking app will appeal to younger customers. And the bank can save money by having no branches, potentially helping it to make a profit quickly.Speaking at Atom's headquarters in Durham in the north east of England, where 100 staff are preparing for the launch, founder Anthony Thomson said Atom's timing was ideal given the surge in demand for mobile banking apps. "We are in the right place at the right time.

 I think we saw that the future was going to be mobile but I certainly didn't see the uptake being as rapid as it's been," Thomson said, referring to industry data showing mobile banking growth in Britain.The app, created by software developers who usually design video games, is expected to have particular appeal for 18-34 year-olds who are already routine users of mobile apps, Thomson said.

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The government agency has announced plans to test wireless power-transfer tech that it hopes to build under the country's motorways and major A roads.It has already completed a feasibility study and is now asking companies to tender bids to host off-road trials.But one expert questioned whether such a scheme would be cost effective.

 

 

South Korean tests

Charge-as-you-drive technologies have already been pioneered elsewhere.In 2013, the South Korean town of Gumi switched on a 12km (7.5 miles) route that allows buses with compatible equipment to be charged as they drive over it. It works by a process called Shaped Magnetic Field In Resonance.
South Korea has fitted a stretch of road with equipment to wirelessly charge special buses
 Electric cables buried under the road are used to generate
electromagnetic fields, which are picked up by a coil inside the device and converted into electricity.Last year, Milton Keynes also began use of a more limited scheme, which involves buses being wirelessly recharged via plates installed into road. In this case, however, the vehicles have to stop for several minutes at a time to receive the power boost.

"What has been committed to is that by 2016 or 2017 we will hold off-road trials - in other words not on a public road," Stuart Thompson, a spokesman for Highways England, told the BBC."It's still very early days. Where exactly the trials will be has yet to be determined."Highway England says full details will be publicised once a contractor has been appointed.It aims to run the experiments for about 18 months before deciding whether to commit itself to an on-road trial.

"The potential to recharge low emission vehicles on the move offers exciting possibilities," commented Transport Minister Andrew Jones.The cost of buying and installing the charging equipment may ultimately scupper the scheme"As this study shows, we continue to explore options on how to improve journeys and make low-emission vehicles accessible to families and businesses."

However, the director of Cardiff Business School's Electric Vehicle Centre of Excellence remains sceptical."It makes sense to try it out, and the technology does obviously work," commented Dr Paul Nieuwenhuis."But it sounds very ambitious to me. Cost will be the biggest issue and I'm not totally convinced it's worth it."Battery technology is increasing -."Even if the plan ultimately comes to naught, Highways England is also committed to installing plug-in charging points every 20 miles (32.1km) on its motorway network over the "longer-term"

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Acer, after introducing its Cloudbook laptops earlier this week, on Thursday launched three new laptop devices - Acer Aspire E5-573, Aspire V Nitro, and Aspire R13 notebook running Windows 10.


The new Acer Aspire E5-573 powered by Redmond-based tech firm's latest operating system, would be available in two display size variants - 14-inch and 15.6-inch. The devices are said to sport a textile-pattern on the A-cover and D-cover made by a process using 3D scanning of fabric samples. The laptop runs on fifth generation Intel Core processor, clubbed with Nvidia GeForce 920M GPU, which comes with its own dedicated DDR3 VRAM. The device can support up to 16GB RAM and up to 1TB of hard disk storage.

The laptop is Skype certified and sports the company's home-made TrueHarmony audio tech, which has now been optimised for use with the Windows 10's virtual voice-based assistant, Cortana. Also included is BlueLightShield feature that reduces the amount of blue light thrown by the display, resulting in lessening of eye strain. Furthermore, the new Aspire E5-573 houses Acer's Precision Touchpad Technology, Accidental Contact Mitigation technology and more for better typing and finger input experience.


Acer also announced the new Aspire V Nitro-Black Edition (seen above) gaming laptop with Windows 10. The laptop, like its older Windows 8.1 version, comes with 15-inch 4K resolution IPS display and a slim design profile. The device also features patterned covers made by NIL (Nano Imprint Lithography) technology.

The base model runs on fifth generation Intel Core i5 processor along with either a 2GB or 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX960M GPU. The laptop will be available in 8GB and 12GB RAM versions, and feature a 1TB HDD. Also equipped are Acer DustDefender tech and Dolby Digital Plus Home Theatre with four speakers. While the complete list of specification are not yet clear, the laptop innards are likely to match with its Windows 8.1 version listed on the company website.
Lastly, the firm launched its Acer Aspire R 13 laptop with Windows 10, the screen of which can be turned up to 180 degrees, so that it can be used in six different modes - Notebook Mode, Ezel Mode, Stand Mode, Pad Mode, Tent Mode, and Display Mode. The laptop features a 13.3-inch display, is less than 1-inch thin, and weighs around 1.5 kgs. The Aspire R 13 with Windows 10 will be available  with a fifth generation Intel Core i5 SoC, 8GB of RAM, and up to a 512GB SSD
visit any of the stores in computer village  or visit http://www.dreamworkslimited.net/,  http://www.largemichaels.com/

It's a USB drive with a charging cable. 


That in and of itself is pretty impressive, so when you add in the fact that the MemoriesCable can also be used to charge your iPad or iPhone from any USB outlet and act as a sync cable between your mobile devices and your computer, it becomes even more appealing

Footage released by the firm showed skateboarders testing the hoverboard with varying degrees of success.

The film was recorded on specially constructed skate park near Barcelona in Spain.
The hoverboard contains powerful magnets which are cooled to -197 degrees celsius with liquid nitrogen, allowing the board to ride along a track hidden in the surface of the skate park.

The firm said that the hoverboard was a prototype and would not be available for sale. The skate park has now been dismantled again

BMW's new Chief Executive Harald Krueger plans to overhaul the carmaker's strategy to make it fit for the digital future of driving, he said on Tuesday.BMW teamed up with Germany's other two premium carmakers to buy Nokia's high-definition mapping business for 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) this week to protect its access to key technology for connected and self-driving cars.
Krueger, who took over in May, said the strategy the company adopted in 2007 that was designed to guide it until 2020 needed to be updated. He was speaking to analysts on a call to discuss second-quarter results.
"Many trends have intensified or accelerated dramatically. Above all, digitization and the associated technical possibilities are set to change the automobile and its fundamental role in our society," he said.
"Based on this, we are currently conducting a comprehensive update of our strategy. At this stage it is still too early to go into further detail."
BMW has been exploring cooperation with U.S. consumer technology giant Apple. Last year, BMW's top brass took part in closed-door meetings with senior Apple managers to discuss vehicle manufacturing.

5. Connect your Xbox One to your Win 10 device

6. Troubleshoot it

But I’ve yet to need it. I’ve been streaming Xbox One games to my Windows 10 laptop for over a week now, and by and large, it runs pretty smoothly. Of course, playing games directly from the console itself is far more reliable, but if you’re arguing with your family over the living room TV, it’s a handy — and surprisingly functional — option

 The  Microsoft’s highly anticipated Windows 10 operating system. For the most part things went fairly smoothly as it was rolled out over Windows Update, but a few problems have raised their heads with people unable to update or activate their new OS. Here’s a complete guide on how to how to avoid problems if you haven’t already updated, how download it, install it and activate it to make sure you register your free copy

Update first to activate

Whether you want to install a fresh or just install the update and leave it at that (this can install Windows 10 but keep all your files and programs intact), it’s a very good idea to install the update first by allowing Windows Update to do its thing or by forcing the download. This takes information about your system and allows Microsoft to register it, activating your copy of Windows 10 forever – you won’t be obtaining your free copy till you’ve activated. After this, you’ll be able to reinstall to your hearts content but if you create your own install media and install a fresh straight away,  you risk not being able to activate your operating system – more information on this in a minute.

Force the installation

Apple Inc will launch the next generation of its Apple TV set-top box in September, with a new remote and support for Siri voice control, online publisher BuzzFeed reported on Thursday.The new Apple TV will have a slimmer chassis, a "drastically improved" remote with touch-pad input, increased on-board storage and an operating system that will support Siri, BuzzFeed said, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The device will be launched with its own App Store and a software development kit for app developers, the website said.
Apple said it declined to comment on rumors and speculation.
The Apple TV has not been refreshed since 2013.
The iPhone maker was expected to unveil a new version in June at its annual Word Wide Developers Conference, but it launched the Apple Music streaming service

Dell knows early adopters can hardly wait to get their hands on new things, and that is valid with Windows 10. The most up to date rendition of Windows dispatches on July 29, when frameworks will go at a bargain with the new OS.

That is the way it should work, however Dell is opening the offer of gadgets with Windows 10 a day early (July 28). Those obtaining a framework the day preceding dispatch will get free overnight sending to get the buy on dispatch day.

The frameworks meeting all requirements for the early buy and free dispatching are portable PCs, desktops, and 2-in-1s. The Inspiron frameworks range from the financial backing agreeable to the more lavish.

In the event that you can hardly wait to get another framework with Windows 10 locally available, go to the Dell site the day preceding jump start and select the one you need. At that point kick back and sit tight for the conveyance individual to bring you're new portable PC or desktop on Windows 10 dispatch day

Two-year cell phone contracts are the worst thing about present day presence. To get a better than average cost on a telephone, you need to tie yourself to a bearer for 24 months. Of course, you can purchase a telephone off-contract—however that expenses tons of money.

As far as components and manufacture quality, the handset—which I as of late got my hands on for a brisk first-look—matches up pleasantly with Apple's iPhone 6 Plus and Samsung's Galaxy Note 4. Be that as it may, dissimilar to the 6 Plus (which begins at $750 without an agreement) or the Note 4 (which begins at $700), the Moto X Style begins at a generally modest

As with previous iterations of Motorola’s Moto X, the Moto X Style can be customized using the Moto Maker online design tool. That means you can do things like select a back panel made of wood, leather, or rubber. You can also choose the color of the phone’s front and rear panels, as well as its accents.
But while the previous generation of the Moto X came with a 5.2-inch, 1080p display, the Moto X Style comes with a larger, higher-resolution 5.7-inch QHD screen. In my quick perusal, I found that display to be both colorful and sharp. I’ll have to wait until I get a proper review unit, though, before I can really judge how the Moto X’s screen compares to the iPhone 6 Plus’s 5.5-inch display or the Note 4’s 5.7-inch panel.

One of the biggest downsides to last year’s Moto X was its camera: It just wasn’t as good as the competition’s. To that end, Motorola has done some serious work on the Moto X Style’s shooter, upping its megapixel count from 13 to 21 and giving it a larger 2.0 aperture lens. Motorola promises that photos from the Moto X Style will not only be sharper, but more colorful as well.
I fired off a few shots with the Moto X and was immediately impressed with how responsive the camera was compared to last year’s model. Images of a Diet Coke can using both the Moto X Style and Samsung’s Galaxy S6 looked comparable. That’s especially impressive, given that the S6’s camera is one of the best smartphone cameras on the market.

Motorola has also equipped the Moto X Style with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, with flash—great for taking selfies in a dark club and for making people with fair skin look incredibly pale.
Despite its low price, the Moto X Style doesn’t skimp on the performance. The handset rocks a powerful quad-core processor and 3GB of RAM, meaning you should be able to run all of the apps and games you can play on other leading smartphones.
Motorola will offer the Moto X Style with 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB of built-in storage; if that’s not enough, you can always expand that by up to 128GB of storage via the phone’s microSD card slot.

The problem with most Android smartphones—such as Samsung’s Galaxy S6, HTC’s One M9, an LG’s G4—is that they run modified versions of Google’s operating system. That can mean lots of unwanted apps and themes on your handset.
Motorola, though, sells its Moto X Style (and all of its Motorola phones) with an unaltered version of Android. So it’s Android the way Google originally intended it to be, plain and simple.
In addition to the Moto X Style, Motorola also unveiled its new super low-cost Moto G. The phone costs just $180 without a contract.

Like the Moto X Style, you can also customize the Moto G using Motorola’s online Moto Maker tool. Because it’s so much cheaper than the Moto X Style, the Moto G doesn’t have nearly as many flashy features, but that’s not the point of this handset. This is supposed to be a phone that’s responsive and attractive without forcing you to spend a ton of scratch.
The Moto G comes with a 5-inch, 720p screen that will be plenty clear for watching movies and using apps. The G also gets a 13-megapixel camera, which is a step up from last year’s model and its 8-megapixel sensor.

It will be interesting to see how the Moto X Style compares to the recently announced OnePlus 2, which offers equally impressive features for a similarly low off-contract price.
We’ll have more information on both the Moto X Style and Moto G, including full reviews of them, in the coming days. Stay tuned.