M-Commerce

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.

Will a Different Yahoo Be Good Enough?
April 11, 2012

When he announced plans to lay off 2,000 employees, Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson said it was a necessary step in the company's strategic plan to move forward. Critics noted, however, that he had not explained exactly what that plan was. Now, via an internal memo made public, Thompson has obliged. Beginning May 1, the company will be divided into three core divisions: Consumer, Regions and Technology.

Facebook Has Big Plans for Its Billion-Dollar Baby
April 10, 2012

Facebook has snagged the highly popular photo-sharing application Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock. It is among the biggest acquisitions in the social media space, second only to Google's $1.65 billion stock-for-stock purchase of YouTube in 2006. The deal, both in size and intent, is very much a departure for Facebook.

Catching the Mobile Commerce Wave
April 07, 2012

Riding the wave of technology change these days is a bit like surfing. The ocean and waves often change much faster than our ability to stay out in front of the transformation. Now another current is approaching the wireless world as mobile commerce curls to challenge conventional e-commerce.

Amazon Ratchets Up Its M-Commerce Cred
April 04, 2012

Amazon is testing a service that will let tablet users purchase items through mobile applications. It is expected to enhance the Kindle Fire tablet's de facto role as a shopping conduit for its users. It already is second nature for users to download books and movies from Amazon's content library. With an in-app purchase mechanism, items can be bought via downloadable software.

Small Screen Gets a Lot of Video Action
April 03, 2012

It finally has happened -- the number of U.S. mobile subscribers who own smartphones is just about equal to the number who own feature phones, according to new data. As of Feb. 2012, 49.7 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers carried a smartphone -- an increase of 38 percent from Feb. 2011, when only 36 percent of mobile subscribers owned smartphones. The driver behind this trend was the lopsided adoption of smartphones by mobile phone buyers in recent months.

PayPal Hits the Pavement With Mobile Payment System
March 16, 2012

PayPal has introduced PayPal Here, a mobile payment product that is meant to continue its push into retailing's brick-and-mortar world, no matter the size of the retailer. The global mobile payment system will allow small businesses to accept almost any form of payment, PayPal said. Businesses can accept payments by swiping cards with a fully encrypted thumb-sized card reader.