Google’s dream of creating a mobile payment facility is one step closer with Google close to finalizing a deal with MasterCard and Citigroup that will see Android powered devices embedded with technology that allows customers to make purchases directly through their phone at the check-out.

By using near field communication technology (NFC), Google hopes to make credit and debit cards a thing of the past. If the deal goes ahead then customers with a android powered phone will simply wave their phone in front of a small reader installed at the cash counter and the payment will be processed. The idea is to turn the phones into a kind of electronic wallet.

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Oh man, when will they get it? That’s what I find I’m asking myself once again. Here in the Pacific NorthWest (Victoria BC Canada) we’ve been hit with another snow storm. Once again that meant that the roads are a mess and in particular, public transit is in turmoil. What I find very interesting is that I’m getting the impression that many people, in particular the local social media junkies, seem to think that Twitter is THE solution for getting the word out about buses, including interruptions in service, delays, etc… I guess Twitter serves as a fine band-aid solution but come on… Twitter as the answer to BC Transit communicating with the public?

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Man, my email has been flowing ever since yesterday morning with lots of responses to my “Nokia Fans: you’re nuts!” post.

Most say that the newly-joined Microsoft/Nokia still has no shot getting them to write apps and that RIM is even worse off.

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The latest stats from Canalys reveal that the smart phone market exceeded 100 million units in 2010 and topping the sales chart are Android powered smartphones, slightly edging out Nokia and their Symbian platform devices. Android surged ahead by shipping some 32.9 million devices Globally while Symbian was close behind at 31 million units.

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I’ve never seen this before, but on the icon for Messages on my iPhone 4, there’s a small white exclamation mark in a red circle. Not a number indicating how many new text messages I have, but an exclamation mark. Apparently that shows up when something failed. Now what??

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Security organization McAfee has professed that 2011 will see increased attacks on Apple merchandise like the iPhone and iPad, largely due to their in the business sector. McAfee said that Macs had thus far not been often targeted by malicious attackers, because they are not widely deployed.

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R.K. Laxman’s ‘The Common Man’ has been around watching India grow since her post Independence days and his never wavering gaze at the state of the country’s economy and harsh realities juxtapose daily living in this smorgasbord of cultures called India. Any technology that is open and allows more myriad transformations into various forms is warmly embraced in this part of the world since that flexibility allows it to filter down to the lower stratas of society. And so it is with Android as it is now being embraced by various manufacturers to power their low-cost phones.

The Huawei IDEOS Android 2.2 smart phone, already available in Europe and the US, will be launched in India as an affordable smart phone before the end of this year. Equipped with the Android 2.2 platform, IDEOS aims to bring an interactive experience and with the ability to serve as a mobile hotspot.

IDEOS offers prolific use and sharing of the newly opened 3G bandwidth in India. Huawei recently announced the new X5 and X6. No, they are not state of the art BMWs, but smart phones that will bring the power of mobile computing to the masses of India. The IDEOS was initially showcased at India Telecom 2010 where the company confirmed it would introduce it at a cost of less than Rs. 8,000 ($178) which will not be the cheapest Android smart phone available to Indian customers, but definitely offer the common man a choice – the one thing that can be truly deemed as a luxury.

Even Google is now targeting developing countries like India, which has 670 million cellphone subscribers and has been adding about 18 million a month recently. Micromax has also released its first Android handset and wants to have at least four Android phones by March. Samsung’s Galaxy 5, Spice, Videocon Evolve, LG Optimus, HTC Wildfire, Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 and Mini and Motorola BackFlip are some of the other phones competing for the attention of the Common Man. Google has been helping Indian firms integrate Android into their handsets and develop applications that will appeal to Indians and therefore it has encouraged the inclusion of Bollywood film and local media content.

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Having dominated Smartphone sales for a long time now and in that achieving large revenue from the sale of Apple’s iPhones, AT&T could face some problems in the near future. These problems could be the result of alleged rumours indicating the closure of AT&T’s contract of bearing exclusive rights to sell iPhones. Another gossip that is doing rounds is that Verizon Wireless will take over the exclusive rights from the incumbent store AT&T to market and sell iPhones and this will happen from the first quarter of 2011. Keeping this in mind the AT&T store has gone ahead and readied itself by broadening its product portfolio and also struck a new deal that could delight Smartphone users.

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AT&T has partnered with BOKU to offer consumers a direct carrier billing solution for online goods including music using their existing wireless service account. From their wireless handset, customers can make online purchases by entering their mobile number and charging directly to their existing AT&T wireless account.
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Annual U.S. mobile music projections from BMI set the value of the 2010 retail ringback-tone market in the United States at $181 million, down 7% from its revised 2009 retail forecast of $195 million.  Ringtone sales peaked in 2008 at $210 million. Consumers may be abandoning short form mobile entertainment like ringbacks and ringtones in favor of full tracks and streaming. 

“The falloff in the ringback-tone market mimics the deceleration of ringtone revenues several years ago, which actually sparked the birth of ringback,” noted Richard Conlon, BMI’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy, Communications and New Media. “We are poised for another form factor and consumer behavior shift. This shift is driven by the increase in handheld data devices, enhanced content offerings and improved wireless infrastructure. The industry is coming into alignment to deliver new streaming-based services that we feel will equate to growth.”

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