Ditch Your Wallet - Mobile Wallets Demystified

Cash (if you’re lucky), credit cards, loyalty cards, ID’s, discount cards and all manner of other plastic populate our purses and wallets.  For men, a wallet can be an annoying bulge; for women an impossible item to stuff in a clutch.

The promise of mobile wallets seek to remedy these issues.  But, is ditching your wallet practical?  Let’s dispel some myths about
mobile wallets.




Myth 1:  Mobile wallets are only for the first world.

While it is true that some options like Apple Pay and Google Wallet don’t work in Jamaica, there are a plethora of other options that are, or will be, available soon.

Myth 2:  You need a smartphone for a mobile wallet.

Again, there are options that rely on a smartphone running Android or iOS, but there are text, carrier and feature phone based options which don’t require a smart phone.

Myth 3:  You still need a credit card or bank account for a mobile wallet.

Nope, some mobile wallet options are for those without any kind of bank account at all.

Myth 4:  There are a limited number of access points for your mobile wallet.

That depends on what you consider ‘limited’ as the network of access points is growing daily.

Myth 5: If you loose your phone, you’ve lost your money.

Now this one is categorically untrue.  Mobile wallets don’t keep your money “in” the handset, so a lost phone doesn’t mean you’ve lost your money, or access to it.  Different providers have varied protocols, but all mobile wallet providers protect your hard earned cash if you device is lost or stolen, as mandated by the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ).

RJR's Tech4Life airs on RJR94FM every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am

Christmas Tech Shopping Tips - Entertainment

The perfect Christmas gift is something the recipient will love and treasure everyday while still being affordable for the giver.  Tech gifts are perfect for Christmas, if chosen wisely.

There are countless gift options in a wide range of categories for the novice to the savvy including:

• Entertainment
• Mobile Computing
• Gaming
• Home, Car and Personal
• Connectivity

Entertainment
Jamaicans live to entertain and be entertained.  We like movies, TV and especially music and we like it all loud enough to entertain the neighbors not just next door, but down the block as well.  Thanks to Courts and Flow, it may well be a merry Christmas.

From the affordable to the luxurious, headphones, component sets (stereo systems) and flat screen TV’s are all great gifts.

Courts offers a range of iSound headphones to suit every taste.  Trendsetters like Beats by Dre.  Another option is House of Marley headphones; they are environmentally friendly, have great sound quality and are inspired by the life and legend of Bob Marley.


Just about everyone can use a good set of headphones so that they can enjoy their music, podcasts, audio books or really just about any sound, privately.   But when being really loud is actually the preference, a component set can deliver clear sound across a room, or across a neighborhood, if desired.

Clearly, sound quality is the first and most important determining factor, but also consider enhanced features like iOS docs for seamless iPhone, iPod or iPad integration, USB playback of music on flash drives and wireless connectivity via Bluetooth or WiFi for cord free streaming to remote speakers.

A flat screen TV is a sizable gift - from 16” to 60” - but a well received one.  To compliment the wide range of component sets at Courts, the retailer also has on display a wide range of TV’s.  Samsung is the hot brand, with Sony and LG also offering excellent options.

Forego the expensive and unnecessary 3D options and look for smart TV’s with internet connectivity, popular apps pre-installed and USB playback to transform the TV into a large photo album.

For bonus points, get USB drives as stocking stuffers.  And like batteries for toys on Christmas morning, consider giving the gift of connectivity and HD cable.  After all, what is the point of having an HD TV without HD content or having a smart TV that doesn’t have internet access.  Thankfully, both issues can be solved with gift certificates from Flow.

Tech 4 Life airs every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am on RJR 94 FM.