Find out the week’s top mobile stories from around the world. Stories this week include… The Evolution and Impact of Mobile Payments in the US Market. The rise of mobile payments in the United States is a phenomenon that has been gaining momentum over the past few years and much more…
The Rise of Mobile Payments: A Look at the US Market
FagenWasanni
The rise of mobile payments in the United States is a phenomenon that has been gaining momentum over the past few years. This trend has been driven by a combination of technological advancements, changing consumer behaviors, and evolving business models. The evolution and impact of mobile payments in the US market are significant, reshaping the way consumers transact and businesses operate.
Read more…
How biometric security and mobiles are shaping the future of card payments
fintechglobal
As digital wallets and alternate payment systems steal the limelight, Tietoevry head of sales Hans Sjölund has delved into the potent partnership between mobile phones and payment cards. He stated that they promise greater speed, convenience, and security, transforming how we make payments.
An increasing focus is on biometric security, featuring unique user elements like fingerprints and iris scans. These provide robust defences against fraud and are now not only accessible on mobile devices but also on payment cards.
Read more…
Meta prepares AI-powered chatbots in attempt to retain users, Financial Times reports
Reuters
Aug 1 (Reuters) – Meta Platforms (META.O) is preparing to launch a range of artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbots that exhibit different personalities as soon as September, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
Meta has been designing prototypes for chatbots that can have humanlike discussions with its users, as the company attempts to boost its engagement with its social media platforms, according to the report, citing people with knowledge of the plans.
Read more…
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/UPR27W3MC5JIRAEZY5RLFSHHMI.jpg)
Kenyans Borrow $5bn a Year via Mobile Money Overdrafts | Commsrisk
commsrisk
Mobile money is big money, especially for Safaricom and their M-PESA customers in Kenya. But many will be surprised at the sheer scale of borrowing using the Fuliza overdraft facility which lets customers continue to make M-PESA payments without any money stored in their wallet.
Safaricom’s accounts for the year ending 31 March 2023 state that KES701.5bn (USD4.97bn) was spent using Fuliza during the year. This represents a 40 percent increase in borrowing via Fuliza compared to the year before, an extraordinary rate of growth for a credit facility that was only launched in 2019.
Read more…
Phone scams costing Irish people and businesses €300m annually
ComReg
Scam phone calls and texts are costing Irish businesses and individuals €300 million yearly, according to telecoms regulator ComReg. The prevalence of scam calls and messages has increased in recent years, with most mobile users reporting to have received scam calls or text messages. Research commissioned by ComReg found 365,000 cases of fraudulent scams were recorded last year, averaging 1,000 a day.
More than 5,000 businesses were the victim of fraud after receiving scam calls and texts, while there have been multiple reports of recent scams, including those posing as motorway toll operators, banks, An Post, or even a child in distress. The overall “total harms to society” are conservatively estimated at over €300 million yearly., ComReg said.
Read more…
BT Group announces the appointment of Allison Kirkby as Chief Executive
BT
BT Group plc (“BT Group”) today announces the appointment of Allison Kirkby as Chief Executive. She will take over from Philip Jansen as Chief Executive around the end of January 2024 at the latest.
Allison has been President & CEO of Telia Company since early 2020. Telia, headquartered in Sweden, is the market leading digital communications and telecommunications provider to 25 million customers across the Nordic and Baltic region. She moved into the TMT sector in 2010, initially joining Virgin Media, and was most recently President & CEO of TDC (2018-2020), the largest telecommunications company in Denmark, and President & CEO of Tele2 AB (2015-2018) the largest challenger telecommunications company in Sweden and the Baltics.
Read more…
T-Mobile launches 5G network slicing beta
Telecoms Tech News
T-Mobile has announced the launch of its 5G network slicing beta for developers. The beta will initially enable developers to supercharge video calling applications by providing optimised network conditions, consistent uplink and downlink speeds, lower latency, and increased reliability, all through T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G SA (Standalone) network.
The demand for video calling applications has skyrocketed over the past few years, driven by remote work and the need for staying connected with family and friends on the go. Recognising this trend, T-Mobile is inviting developers to build new or enhance existing applications through its network slicing beta program, ensuring their apps operate on an optimised slice with unparalleled network conditions.
Read more…
How Malicious Android Apps Slip Into Disguise
Security Boulevard
Researchers say mobile malware purveyors have been abusing a bug in the Google Android platform that lets them sneak malicious code into benign mobile apps and evade security scanning tools. Google says it has updated its app malware detection mechanisms in response to the new research.
At issue is a mobile malware obfuscation method identified by researchers at ThreatFabric, a security firm based in Amsterdam. Aleksandr Eremin, a senior malware analyst at the company, told KrebsOnSecurity they recently encountered a number of mobile banking trojans abusing a bug present in all Android OS versions that involves corrupting components of an app so that its new evil bits will be ignored as invalid by popular mobile security scanning tools, while the app as a whole gets accepted as valid by Android OS and successfully installed.
Read more…
Why Twitter’s rebrand to X feels ‘shocking’ to users
BBC
Many users logging onto Twitter on 23 July found a black X in the corner of their browser tab, in place of the little blue bird they were used to seeing. Elon Musk, tech entrepreneur and CTO of the social media platform, surprised nearly everyone by announcing plans to rebrand Twitter, which he’d purchased for a highly leveraged $44 billion in October 2022. The company is now called X.
After announcing that the communication platform will pivot to include a variety of upcoming services – payments, gaming and more – Musk also said eventually “all the birds” and the Twitter branding would be retired. A day after the announcement, the Twitter sign came down at the company’s headquarters in San Francisco (he has since installed a large X-shaped sign atop the building).
Read more…
