M-Commerce

Square, a startup founded by Twitter alum Jack Dorsey, has rolled out revamped versions of its iPhone/iPad and Android apps. The company is positioning the offering as an alternative to NFC (near field communication) technology, the next-generation standard -- once it is finally settled -- for mobil...

A different type of deployment for near field communications will be rolled out in Salt Lake City in early to mid 2012 -- different that is, from the projects rumored to be under way at Apple, Google and Amazon. Officials of the city and Isis, a mobile commerce joint venture between AT&T Mobilit...

Mobile truly has created an "always on society," where people are online and accessible 24 hours per day. Mobile platforms have become more than simple communications devices; they are lifestyle assistants that enable people to connect, interact, inform and influence. Because of this, they are also...

Google may be working to let Android users make purchases using their mobile devices at retail points of sale. The company is rumored to be collaborating with MasterCard, Citigroup and VeriFone on a system based on near-field communications technology. The project would link Citigroup credit and de...

Net neutrality may be anything but after the Federal Communications Commission votes Tuesday on the proposal, rumored to contain a controversial "usage-based pricing provision" that could boost service provider bottom lines. A leaked PowerPoint presentation reveals two large wireless suppliers -- Al...

Google will enable contactless shopping with a smartphone in its Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" operating system, which is due to be released in a few weeks, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said Monday at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. In a discussion about new features Google is working on, Schmidt mentio...

The mobile commerce revolution promises an "anywhere experience" that boasts the ultimate in convenience. U.S. mobile commerce sales hit $1.20 billion in 2009 and will grow to $2.42 billion this year, according to Coda research consultancy. This is great news for online retailers that are prepared ...

Today's consumers are more connected than ever with mobile devices in hand. Mobile solves many problems, with its high reach and in-the-moment communication. A well-designed app can place flashy content in the hands of the consumer. SMS provides the consumer with valuable tidbits of information. SMS...

Several mobile carriers, including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, are working on a project that would allow consumers to use their smartphones to make purchases, thus displacing debt and credit cards. The project, reported by the Bloomberg news service, appears ready to roll out with a test schedul...

Three years after Apple launched the iPhone, mobile commerce has reached a tipping point, driving retailers to change the way they think about their businesses. Mobile commerce has evolved from its origins as a marketplace for "virtual" goods like ringtones and applications to one enabling the sale...

In May, TheFind reached a notable milestone: It overtook Yahoo Shopping to become the No. 2 search engine for retail queries, according to comScore. Google holds the No. 1 slot. A relative newcomer, TheFind has posted remarkable growth in a short period of time. In April, for example, it grew 175 ...

Until recently, a phone was just a phone. Sure, it got cooler when it lost the rotary dial, the cord, the wire and its voice-only restrictions. Still, it was just a phone. Businesses knew that the sound of its ring usually meant money (for what company with silent phones is profitable?) -- but few w...

In response to a recent revision to Apple's developer agreement for its iOS mobile operating system, a Google executive on Wednesday lashed out at the company, arguing that the new terms are "not in the best interests of users or developers." The change drawing Google's ire apparently prohibits some...

Google has completed its acquisition of mobile advertiser AdMob, after what was apparently a very close decision by the Federal Trade Commission, which had been vetting the buy for antitrust purposes. With the legalities finally over, the speculation shifts from "will it happen?" to "what happens ne...

The location-based service company Glympse has its headquarters in Redmond, Wash. You certainly don't need the company's iPhone app -- which lets people track their friends' locations on smartphones in real-time on maps or satellite imagery -- to know that. But it may seem lately as if Glympse has b...