Friday Five: 11/9-11/13

Sherene Al-Turk

Happy Friday! Here’s a round-up of industry news for the week.

One bank is testing a futuristic ATM that scans your eye before giving you cash - Tech Insider

The ATM manufacturer, Diebold, is designing an ATM that relies on a scan of your iris to unlock access to your bank account. The terminal - goes by the name Irving - will verify your identity in just a couple of seconds. The customer would use their mobile banking app to enter the transaction they want to make, and then once they arrive Irving will scan his/her iris and complete the transaction. In this fast paced society, iris scanning may just be the key with its quick process and very low false negative rate.

6 takeaways from using the iPad Pro: review - USA Today

The iPad Pro is here and it comes with a lot of firsts. It is Apple’s first tablet with a specially designed stylus accessory, the Pencil, along with an optional cover with a physical keyboard. It’s also Apple’s first tablet with a comparatively huge screen. So besides the firsts, these are six takeaways after testing the Pro for a week:

1. When they say huge, they mean it. Compared to the iPad Air 2, the screen area is 78% bigger.
2. No extra weight. It weighs just less than 1.6 pounds, which is only a tad heavier than the original iPad (2010). It won’t weigh down your bag, and it is slim just like the iPhone 6 plus.
3. Ahead of the app curve. Not all apps work on the iPad Pro as of now. For example, Spotify is not yet optimized for the Pro model.
4. The keyboard. The foldaway “Smart Keyboard” magnetically attaches to the iPad Pro and also serves as a cover. It is wireless, no plus or switches, but when first connected, its physical keys were not immediately recognized. Also, you can’t adjust the angle of the screen inside the keyboard.
5. Putting Pencil to pad. The Pencil immediately makes contact with the screen and there is virtually no lag before your drawing or writing appears. Sadly, no place to store it.
6. An iPad is an iPad. A very good one! It has a speedy Apple-designed A9X processor, fast wireless and promises 10 hours or so of battery life.

IPhone owners just got a great new web browser - Tech Insider

iPhone owners rejoice! Well, that is if you love the Firefox web browser. On Thursday, Mozilla finally released a version of Firefox that will work on iPhones and iPads. The app is free, and after downloading you can sign into your Firefox account and access all your browsing information across all your iOS devices. If you don’t love Firefox, maybe you should. It is the second most popular web browser with worldwide desktop usage ranging from 11% to 17%, as of last month.

Three Reasons Apple’s iPhone Isn’t Doomed - Forbes

Don’t worry iPhone users, despite Credit Suisse’s lowered EPS estimate for Apple, the sky is not falling. Growth like Apples cannot last forever. At some point Apple must peak. Apple’s iPhone line, the bulk of their income, highlights three key indicators that the end's not near for Apple.

• Profit. Not only Apple’s raw profit, but their share of the profits across the smartphone ecosystem. Sorry Android, in terms of maximizing the return from the whole market, Apple is the leader.
• Installed base. Commanding a significant user base, with active users keeps a strong connection with Apple through the iCloud services and continued reliance on the App Store. Promoting new services directly to their customers is a huge advantage.
• Retention rate. The relationship with customers and their satisfaction scores proudly on display keeps customers on iOS when they upgrade. The Apple iPhone Upgrade Program will boost retention numbers starting in September 2016, as well.

Projections may say we are doomed, but don’t worry iPhone users. Apple has plenty of life and potential ahead.

Profiting From Pain: The Breakup Shop Will End Your Relationship for You - Forbes

Making bank on former relationship is nothing new in the music industry, but now the tech world wants to hop on the bandwagon. For a minimum of $10, you can avoid confrontation and hire someone to end your relationship. It’s called The Breakup Shop. The startup offers breakup services all the way from a personalized text to a gift pack to cushion the blow.

“What’s worse than getting dumped over the phone? A breakup text,” the site reads. “Show them you really don’t care.”

Since the site launched Nov. 8, it has encouraged people to ditch their significant other. You can chose from standardized messages, customize your own texts or letters, and there is even an option for rush orders. Sometimes you just can’t wait a whole day. It sounds harsh, but there are more charitable options, such as a gift box with a copy of The Notebook or Call of Duty, cookies or a Netflix gift card. So, how do you put a price on it? With a gift box it can be about $80, or there’s a standard one minute breakup call for $29.