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Passbook: Apple's Answer to the Mobile Payment Question September 14, 2012 Apple has turned its back on a mobile payment technology used by its rivals in favor of an app-centric scheme called Passbook. The technology, Near Field Communications, was missing in the new iPhone 5 unwrapped Wednesday at a press event by Apple. Instead, Apple will be putting its support behind Passbook, which will be part of the next version of its mobile operating system, iOS 6, expected to be released later this month.

Lack of NFC Tech Slightly Deflates iPhone 5's Balloon September 13, 2012 The iPhone 5 is a lean, mean consumer-oriented shopping machine. It has improved camera functions, audio and processing power -- perfect for showrooming in a brick-and-mortar environment, not to mention for m-commerce. Then there is the larger screen and improved video quality.

Mobile Payments: A Question of 'What' and 'When' September 01, 2012 There has been a lot of hype about mobile payments, especially last year, with executives proclaiming adoption to be a rapidly growing trend. While we know that consumers are using their mobile devices to access information on the Internet, are they actually using them to shop?

Retailers Cram Another Payment System Into Bulging Mobile Wallet August 15, 2012 A group of major retailers in the United States on Wednesday announced a new mobile commerce platform, Merchant Customer Exchange. Members include 7-Eleven, Best Buy, Lowe's, Sears Holdings, Target, Walmart, Shell Oil and Sunoco. The group will announce more members over time. MCX is still searching for a CEO, and it's not yet clear how much money each member will contribute.

Mobile Payments Chicken-Egg Problem Goes to Committee August 10, 2012 The ETA has announced the formation of the Mobile Payments Committee, a task force to develop a cohesive business strategy for the mobile payments industry, and to help legislators and regulators determine a mobile payments policy, while educating consumers and merchants about the benefits of mobile payments.

Starbucks Squares Up August 08, 2012 Starbucks has selected Square to process mobile payments at its approximately 7,000 stores nationwide in the United States, in a move that could shake up the nascent mobile payments market in the country. The coffee company had introduced the first mobile payment via iPhone app in 2009.

Court Docs Reveal Details of Kim Dotcom's Rough-and-Tumble Arrest August 07, 2012 Today in international tech news: Details emerge from the Megaupload case. Also: A British supermarket chain is launching a virtual store in a London airport that will allow customers to purchase items via smartphone and have them delivered on the day they return; Chinese banks are a little behind when it comes to supporting new Web browsers; BBC's ambitious Olympics coverage is proving a hit.

Can the Cloud Shield Google Wallet From Pickpockets? August 06, 2012 Some folks' answer to wallet security is chaining it to their belts. Google's is to chain it to the cloud. The Search Giant added some security features to its Google Wallet product last week intended to make it safer for consumers to use. For example, credit card information no longer resides in the Google Wallet mobile app.

Google Wallet Starts Carrying More Plastic August 02, 2012 The mobile payment system Google Wallet now works with all major credit cards and will begin transitioning to a cloud-based model. The service allows users to tap their smartphones to pay at a retail checkout location, rather than having to swipe a credit card or shell out cash.

Hotels.com Steers Toward Savings - if You Can Find the Hotel July 13, 2012 Here's a likely familiar summer scenario for many Americans: You've been driving all day, and it's getting late. You're tired. You're ready for a hotel bed in an unknown town coming up ahead. My modus operandi has always been to watch for billboards advertising upcoming motels with rates. Or, I might exit the freeway at an obvious motel cluster and drive around looking for the best rate.

Wikipedia Says 'Nyet' to Russian Web Restrictions July 11, 2012 Today in international tech news: Wikipedia is among those to protest a proposed Russian censorship law; Starbucks launches its Android payment app abroad; Kim Dotcom reaches out to U.S. officials via Twitter; and Apple announces the July 20 release of the new iPad in China, a move that has people speculating about potential profits and, if history repeats itself, potential fights at Apple stores.

Amazon's Smartphone Ambitions Taking Shape July 06, 2012 Both Amazon and Google have seen their respective businesses grow by adapting and expanding into areas far removed from their original bookstore and Internet search focuses. Thus it didn't seem far-fetched when rumors intensified Friday that Amazon plans tso enter the smartphone arena -- in part to fend off competition from Apple and Google in the digital content space.

Amazon May Be Closing Its Map Gap July 06, 2012 Amazon has acquired 3D-mapping startup UpNext, according to a report earlier this week. Mapping functionality has become a must-have feature for mobile device makers, but that alone may not explain what Amazon is planning for UpNext. Amazon's tablet, the Kindle Fire, does not sport a GPS radio.

Americans Are Phoning the Web June 27, 2012 Cellphones have become a primary way for people in the U.S. to access the Web, according to a recent survey released by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. Seventeen percent of of cellphone owners surveyed said they surfed the Web primarily with their phones rather than computers.

Multitude of Mobile Wallets Could Give Consumers Crowded Pockets June 12, 2012 Sprint, a carrier that offers at least five smartphones preloaded with Google Wallet, is reportedly working on its own digital wallet system, separate from Google's offering. Slides from a presentation on the so-called Touch wallet were recently posted by Android Central. Like Google Wallet, the Sprint digital wallet will apparently be based on the near-field communications standard.

Israel: We Didn't Start the Fire May 31, 2012 Today in international tech news: Israel says it is not responsible for the Flame malware that has spread throughout the Middle East. Also: Germany is in trouble with the EU for its failure to implement data collection laws, and PayPal continues its experiments as the company introduces a barcode payment system for mobile devices in the UK.

Connectivity: The New Currency May 29, 2012 The trend toward an "always on, always connected" lifestyle driven by the use of social networks and mobile technology has, if nothing else, groomed consumers to become demanding in their expectations of the online experience. Unfortunately, the e-commerce experience has changed little since early days and, until recently, continued to be a process more to be endured than enjoyed.

CTIA Wireless 2012: A Show of a Different Color April 26, 2012 Would it surprise you if I said the upcoming CTIA Wireless 2012 show will be very different from those in the past? I've been going to these wireless shows for more years than I can remember. Every few years, the show -- and in fact the entire industry -- changes. This is a great showplace for what is new and what is coming next in the wireless industry -- and next month's show should be no exception.

Tech Leaders See Smartphones Replacing Credit Cards, Cash April 18, 2012 By 2020, the majority of U.S. consumers will use smartphones to pay for goods and services, concluded a new study from Pew and Elon University. The survey is unusual in that it queried tech stakeholders and leaders about the subject, as opposed to a random sample of the general population. Executives from such companies as Microsoft and Google were included in the mix, as well as professors and other thought leaders.

Sage Launches Mobile Payments Portal April 13, 2012 Sage is getting ready to enhance its mobile payments offerings. Next month, the company will roll out Sage Exchange.com, an interface for Sage Exchange, which it introduced two years ago. The rollout of Sage Exchange.com will considerably enhance what Sage Exchange offers customers, said Greg Hammermaster, president of Sage Payment Solutions.