‘Batman v Superman’: Amy Adams Only Has One Scene with Batman

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice may still be over a year away from its big-screen debut, but that hasn’t stopped (or even slowed) fan speculation over every detail of the Zack Snyder-directed film and how it could potentially set the stage for the 2017 release of Justice League. After all, each passing week brings a barrage of rumors regarding the film’s cast and plot details (here’s the latest one, in case you’ve been out of the loop).

Yet, much of the focus of Batman v Superman – which thus far appears to be a blatant bridge film between Man of Steel and Justice League -  has centered on the introduction of Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The casting, of course, was met with much skepticism (putting it mildly) when the news broke last year, but now one of his costars is voicing her thoughts on his portrayal of Gotham City’s protector.

Amy Adams – who will return as Lois Lane in Batman v Superman - recently chatted with the Press Association (via Tewkesbury AdMag) about what fans can expect from Affleck. Here’s what she had to say:

“[Ben Affleck] is going to be his own unique thing. He’s got a wonderful quality and a great body of work. I was only in one scene with him, I think I’m allowed to say that. So I didn’t get to see much, but what I saw was fantastic.”

Adams is naturally careful not to reveal too much about the film, but her assertion that Affleck’s performance is taking the character in a new direction is certainly welcome news, especially considering that Batman v Superman will hit theaters just a few short years after Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises closed the book on that interpretation of the DC superhero. However, the fact that she shared just one scene with Affleck is a bit more surprising.

There’s always the chance that Adams is referring more specifically to only appearing in one scene with Affleck in costume as Batman, but if her statement means that she only has one with the actor altogether, it does call into question exactly how much Lois Lane we’ll see in Batman v Superman. By all accounts, the bulk of the film – as the title suggests – will focus on the conflict and eventual team-up between the two title heroes. So if Adams’ screen time is limited to a single scene with Affleck, it could mean that her character will receive less attention this time around.

This wouldn’t exactly be shocking to anyone who’s been following the film’s development, seeing as Batman v Superman is already set to include the debut of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman as well as a growing list of other DC heroes. It does sound like Adams will work with most of the other actors in the cast, though it’s unknown to what extent.

Source:- screenrant

Apple Pay grabs 50% of McDonald’s tap-to-pay transactions, gives retailers hope for future of mobile payments

Apple Pay grabs 50% of McDonald’s tap-to-pay transactions, gives retailers hope for future of mobile payments

Apple Pay has been available in quite a few retail stores since its release more than three weeks ago on October 20, but thus far there's been little concrete indication of its popularity with customers. A new report from The New York Times, however, sheds some light on Apple Pay's early success.

McDonald's, an early Apple Pay partner that accepts the payment system in all of its 14,000 restaurants in the United States, saw Apple Pay accounting for 50 percent of all of its tap-to-pay transactions. At Walgreens, a drugstore chain of more than 8,000 stores, Apple Pay doubled the number of mobile wallet payments being made.

As shared earlier this month, Whole Foods processed 150,000 Apple Pay transactions between October 20 and November 6, which equated to an estimated one percent of all Whole Foods transactions.

Some stores, however, haven't seen as much success with Apple Pay. According to Toys R Us, which has 870 stores in the United States, while there was an increase in mobile payments, it was minor "because customers were still learning about the new technology."

As noted by The New York Times, the interest consumers are expressing in Apple Pay hints at a growing acceptance for mobile payment solutions. Denée Carrington, a Forrester Research analyst attributed Apple Pay's early success to the "strength of the Apple Brand" and the ease of the experience. "I'm not saying it's changing the landscape overnight," she said. "But this has never happened with other mobile wallets."

Along with bolstering mobile wallet usage in retail stores, Apple Pay has also been responsible for increasing consumer interest in the mobile payment arena in general. Google Wallet, for example, saw a surge in usage after the launch of Apple Pay, and Softcard, another mobile payment solution backed by AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile has also seen a growing number of users.

Apple currently has 36 retail partners that accept Apple Pay in their stores, and new partners are signing up on a regular basis as the payments service catches on. Just this week office supply store Staples and grocery chains Winn-Dixie and BI-LO began accepting Apple Pay payments.

AT&T extends $50 credit for iPhone upgrades purchased through Apple Store

AT&T extends $50 credit for iPhone upgrades purchased through Apple Store

According to the terms of the deal, the $50 credit is applicable to current subscribers who buy any new iPhone model from online or brick-and-mortar Apple Stores, sign up for AT&T's Next financing program and keep the line active for at least 45 days. The promotion was first spotted by MacRumors and confirmed by AppleInsider.


The option is not advertised on Apple's website, but the following fine print does appear when selecting AT&T's Next plan to upgrade an existing line with an iPhone 5s, 5c, 6 or 6 Plus through the Online Apple Store:


Introduced last year, AT&T Next is a specialized payment plan that allows customers to take receipt of a new handset or tablet with zero down, spreading the regular retail price across 20, 24 or 30 monthly installments. Depending on the program, customers can trade in their handset for a new one after 12, 18 or 24 months.

As noted above, the promotion officially ends on Dec. 31, but AT&T reserves the right to discontinue the deal at any time.

Staples Begins Accepting Apple Pay in Retail Stores

Staples Begins Accepting Apple Pay in Retail Stores

Staples has been an eager Apple Pay partner, initially promising support for the service back in September. The Staples iOS app has included Apple Pay support since it first launched on October 20, and when Staples announced Apple Pay integration, it said that in-store availability would be rolling out "within a few weeks."

Apple first teamed up with Staples last year, with the two striking a deal that saw Staples selling Apple products in its U.S. stores for the first time beginning in September. Since then, Staples has gone on to heavily promote Apple products both online and in stores, offering frequent deals.

With the addition of Staples, Apple Pay now has 34 retail partners, including competing office supply store Office Depot and other major retailers like Macy's, Disney, Foot Locker, Petco, Walgreens, and Toys R Us. Apple Pay is also accepted in any store that supports NFC contactless payments.

Retailers have largely been silent on the popularity of Apple Pay during its first month of availability, but Whole Foods' chief information officer told The Wall Street Journal that the company had processed 150,000 Apple Pay transactions in the 17 days following its October 20 debut. That equates to an estimated one percent of all Whole Foods transactions.

12.9-Inch 'iPad Pro' Production Rumored for Q2 2015 Amid Manufacturing Difficulties

12.9-Inch 'iPad Pro' Production Rumored for Q2 2015 Amid Manufacturing Difficulties

Apple's 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" may not enter mass production until the second quarter of 2015, according to new predictions from often-reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He believes that the iPad Pro will use an oxide panel to achieve a "high resolution, quick response, and high color saturation," and that the time needed for component yield and assembly to improve will push back production until 2Q 2015.

Earlier this year, a report from Bloomberg suggested the iPad Pro might be released in early 2015, but an October report from The Wall Street Journal indicated Apple had delayed its planned December mass production of the tablet in order to focus its attention on producing more iPhone 6 Plus units, leaving a potential iPad Pro release date up in the air.

the iPad Pro aside from its 12.2 to 12.9-inch display size, which dwarfs the smaller 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 and the 7.9-inch iPad mini 3. Rumors have also suggested that it will offer the same A8X processor introduced with the iPad Air 2 along with an ultra high resolution display and a 7mm-thick form factor that's similar to existing iPads.

Kuo's report also focuses on forecasting iPad shipments, which he believes will fall 54.5 percent quarter over quarter to just 9.8 million units during the first calendar quarter of 2015. He points towards the lack of new applications and a saturation of the tablet market as the basis for his prediction

Kuo's estimate is rather low, considering Apple sold 16.35 million million iPads during the first calendar quarter of 2014, but iPad sales have been down for the past three quarters in a row. During the fourth fiscal quarter of 2014, Apple sold 12.3 million iPads, down from 14.1 million units in 2013.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the drop in iPad sales is just a "speed bump" that the company will overcome.