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Google Pay can now save you time and money at Safeway grocery stores
Public transit payments are coming to San Francisco and Chicago, too
If Google was a person, it would be really, really into Google Pay right now, in the way of recent religious converts or someone who just got a compliment from their crossfit instructor. In addition to multiple free money promotions for the revitalized version of the app, Google is adding more and more features to it regularly. The latest batch is more built-in coupon support, more compatibility with public transit payments, and better searching through your purchases.
Google makes more hardware than it did in the past, so it has naturally considered opening retail stores from time to time. The company has purchased shipping containers and renovated lofts, only to cancel its plans. The only initiatives that have come to fruition are a few pop-up stores. Last year, we heard Google was on the verge of opening its first permanent flagship retail store in Chicago. Now, it looks like the deal has fallen through.
According to a recent blog post by the Google Retail Team, two new pop-up retail shops will be opened in New York City and Chicago, starting October 18th. The shops will last through December 31st, giving you a bit over two months minimum to check out Google's hardware in a "fully Google-made experiential space."
Google's most frequent corporate comparison is Apple, but one significant difference between the two tech titans is their differing retail presence. Although Google has occasionally had pop-up stores and some limited existence inside other retailers like Best Buy and Curry's, it's never had its own dedicated retail stores—though it was previously rumored to be working on a set in India. But, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune, Google may be close to finalizing a lease alleged to be used for a new retail flagship in Chicago's Fulton Market district.
Motorola has confirmed that it is laying people in its Chicago office off, though it also says "our Moto Z family will continue." Prior to this announcement, multiple people close to the company have stated that a significant portion of Moto's engineering staff in Chicago has been laid off, with a Moto Mod owner going as far as saying the "Z team in Moto was irreversibly impacted." However, Motorola says that the Moto Z line will "continue."
As MWC begins to wind down, one of the key talking points has been 5G (much like CES). For us in the United States, the competition and race between the carriers will feel a little familiar. AT&T and T-Mobile have already announced their 5G plans, and Sprint is getting in on the action, too.
Google Fiber is slowly, s-l-o-w-l-y making its way into more US markets, and its latest move is intended to make that rollout faster. The Google subsidiary has agreed to purchase Webpass, a high-speed Internet service provider that services residential buildings and businesses in parts of Boston, Chicago, Miami, San Diego, and San Francisco. If you happen to live in one of these cities, you can check your building's access on the main Webpass site.
Motorola, the last American phone company that wasn't Apple (at least before they got bought by Google and then shuffled over to Lenovo), now has an American store front. Well, technically at least: it has exactly one retail store, which Motorola's PR team is calling an "experimental boutique." If you're in the Chicago area, where Motorola's US headquarters is located, you can check it out on Saturday. The store will open for full business a week later at 108 North State Street.
Do you have what it takes to be the king of 1930's Chicago? Probably not. This is a world filled to the brim with gambling, drive-by shootings, and political corruption. Okay, the pixelated visuals found in this old Amiga classic might be all that really separates this experience from the modern-day city, so if you know these streets or have the stones to step back in time and prove your mettle, a port of the King of Chicago is now available on Google Play.
Sprint has some presents for you, especially if you live in the midwest. For starters, several cities are getting their shiny new LTE networks lit up today including Wichita, KS, Waukegan-Lake County, IL and more (listed below). As an added bonus, the #3 carrier also announced that the Network Vision rollout is beginning in Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles. For those who are unaware, the Network Vision plan provides for significant improvements to the existing 3G infrastructure, in addition to eventual LTE upgrades.