Find out the week’s top mobile stories from around the world. Headlines this week include… 40 million T-Mobile customers hit by US data breach, China continues app privacy crackdown, Verizon is adopting RCS and Google Messages and much more…
40 million T-Mobile customers hit by US data breach
BBC
More than 40 million T-Mobile customers have been hit by a US data breach, the company has admitted.
It blamed the breach on a “highly sophisticated cyberattack”.
It said it is “taking immediate steps to help protect all of the individuals who may be at risk from this cyberattack”.
The firm said that while criminals stole personal information, no financial details were leaked as a result.
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China continues app privacy crackdown
Mobile World Live
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) reportedly found a further 43 Chinese apps guilty of illegally handling user data including contact lists and location information, and ordered their parent companies to make amendments by next week.
In a statement viewed by Reuters, MIIT decreed the 43 apps had illegally transferred user data while also harassing the customers with pop-up windows. Among the list are Tencent’s WeChat, an e-reading service owned by Alibaba and video streaming platform iQiyi,
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Verizon is adopting RCS and Google Messages beginning 2022
Android Guys
Verizon has announced that it will make the switch to the Messages by Google app and embrace the Rich Communications Standard, which replaces SMS, beginning in 2022.
This is a big announcement from the last hold out of the big three carriers. Both AT&T and T-Mobile already agreed to adopt the RCS standard earlier this year, and that means customers on all three major carriers will get to enjoy the benefit of the modern texting standard.
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Digital payments soared during the pandemic and are here to stay
CNBC
The pandemic brought about a massive shift to digital payments — one that is unlikely to wane even when an increasing number of people feel comfortable doing more of their shopping in person.
The move to more robust digital payment methods was certainly happening well before the pandemic. But as stores shut down and consumers were forced to buy nearly everything online, contactless ways to pay increased dramatically.
First 5G mobile satellite network for IoT to be deployed in the US and North America
5G Radar
Ligado Networks has announced its plan to deploy the first 5G mobile satellite network for the Internet of Things (IoT). The mobile communications company will partner with Mavenir to develop base stations for advanced connectivity services that enable business-critical operations anywhere in the United States and North America.
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MobileCoin snags $66M for privacy-focused payments
Silicon Angle
MobileCoin Inc., a privacy-oriented cryptocurrency payments company focused on mobile devices, said today it has raised $66 million in funding to develop its payment system.
Numerous investors joined the Series B round including Coinbase Ventures, Alameda Research, Berggruen Holdings, BlockTower Capital, General Catalyst and others. This round brings the company’s total funding to $107 million.
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Mobile gaming firms eye e-sports arena
Mint
India has emerged as a go-to nation for mobile gaming, ranking at the top of most reports. This trend will lead Indian gamers towards professional gaming, said experts.
Mobile gaming firms in India are turning to professional gaming, or e-sports, to increase the country’s share in the space. India does not have much of a presence in the professional gaming industry though e-sports has existed in India for years. However, India has emerged as a go-to nation for mobile gaming, ranking at the top of most reports. This trend will lead Indian gamers towards professional gaming, according to experts.
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UK watchdog issues warning over pub apps
Mobile Marketing Magazine
App and web placed ordering became commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. With social distancing and restrictions in place, ordering food and drink without going to the bar or interacting with waiting staff was a welcome solution after months of lockdown.
Pubs and chains developed their own apps for customers, usually asking for a name, email address, phone number, and payment details. Chains such as Wetherspoons included a handy GPS tracker to make sure customers were ordering from the right pub.
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Is the Amazon Go cashierless-store concept the future of retail or just another fad?
The Drum
Amazon has paved the way for ’just walk out’ shopping and now all manner of retailers are experimenting with cashierless stores. As part of our Retail Deep Dive, we ask experts: is it the future of shopping, or just another retail fad?
Amazon opened its first cashierless store in the UK earlier this year (check out The Drum editor-in-chief Gordon Young’s experience here) and since then the likes of Tesco and Morrisons have committed to trials of the technology. Some experiments have already gone awry, however, Sainsbury’s having abandoned its cashierless stores after tests in early 2019 led it to admit “not all our customers are ready for totally till-free“.
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