A lot has been written lately about mobile banking (also known as M-mobile), whether or not it will become as popular as online banking currently is. Surely it will, but not until smartphones are available to a wider demographic.

The biggest thing preventing online banking customers from mobile banking is lack of Internet access on their phones: according to a survey, 72% do not access the internet from their phones, and an additional 8% check it less than once a month. Only 8% checked the internet more than twenty times a month via Mobile.

Continue Reading »

The McCain/Palin campaign requested this week that YouTube evaluate presidential candidates’ clips before removing them for alleged copyright infringement. They also requested that YouTube give preferential treatment to clips uploaded by candidates. Both requests were turned down. The site removes clips once it receives removal notices to avoid liability for infringement of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Senator McCain was a supporter of the DMCA when it passed in 1998.

Continue Reading »

Gartner has released its list of the top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2009. The results were presented at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in Orlando, FL.

“A strategic technology is one with the potential for significant impact on the enterprise in the next three years,” says Gartner. “Factors that denote significant impact include a high potential for disruption to IT or the business, the need for a major dollar investment, or the risk of being late to adopt.”

The technologies that Gartner expects to have the most strategic impact in the next three years are:

Continue Reading »

The computer laptop market is changing, but for better or for worse? While Apple is making moves into the cheaper laptop market, Samsung is moving into Apple’s territory by releasing its own premium line—price at $1599 and up. The NP-X360 and NP-X460 (picture right), designed to compete with Apple’s Air, symbolizes Samsung’s reentrance into the laptop market. But perhaps Samsung should have listened to its marketing department before designing its new line.

Continue Reading »

Two of the more popular personal finance sites made major announcements Tuesday.

Mint.com (see our coverage), the free investment tool, opened to the public Tuesday after a successful private-beta. To go along with the release, a host of new features were added, including comprehensive views of all investment accounts, portfolio-level asset allocation information, and a IRA Advice Center.

Continue Reading »

There’s not a lot to be written that hasn’t already been said last week. The Dow had its worst week in history, Silicon Valley’s vulnerabilities were revealed, and the Blue Angels have been practicing over San Francisco since Thursday, their constant flyovers making the city seem like war zone.

The major epiphenomena of tech’s market crash were layoffs at prominent Valley companies, proclamations of 2.0 failure by prominent Valley voices, and viral symbol-making. As much as anything, this was the week The Proclamations Were Made:

Continue Reading »

As mud continues to sling during the closing weeks of election season, there should not be any slung at the bipartisan National Association of Secretaries of States, which has launched a starting platform that is very useful to possible new and uninformed American voters. Come November 4th, don’t be among the forlorn disenfranchised.

Concerned that you are not registered to vote? Want to get involved with polling centers on Election Day? What if you wanted to vote right now? CanIVote.org has these answers and other good information to prevent voter problems on Election Day.

Continue Reading »

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a warning that phishers are preying on bank customers confused by their change in banks forced by the numerous recent acquisitions.

“Online scammers are taking advantage of tough economic times. While e-mails phishing for sensitive data are nothing new, scammers are taking advantage of upheavals in the financial marketplace to confuse consumers into parting with valuable personal information,” says the warning.

Phishing attacks on customers of Citi, Chase, Wachovia, and Wamu have increased since the bank shakeups began.

Continue Reading »

Technology stocks have been shaky due to the credit crisis and other financial woes that Wall Street has been facing. Many have been asking just how vulnerable the tech industry is to what will become a global economical development. Even the largest technology stocks have been hit, with the Nasdaq dipping nearly fourteen percent in the last thirty days. The CNET Technology Index , which tracks 66 publicly traded tech companies, saw huge stock selling from the bigger companies, including Google.

Technology projects are “normally more resistant to credit problems,” says Iain Cockburn, a professor of finance and economics at Boston University. “Tech tends to be less reliant on short-term credit.” Different types of companies will suffer different effects, according to ABC News. In the short term, smaller companies will be able to weather this economic downturn. But projects involving new technology, heavy capital and equipment will all be in trouble.

Continue Reading »

The British government is considering a £12 billion ($20 billion) database to monitor and store Internet records, e-mails, and phone records, according to an article in Britain’s Sunday Times.

This would be the biggest surveillance system ever created in Britain – possibly the West – reports the Times. The measure, headed by the GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters – Britain’s eavesdropping agency) would put a “live tap” on every electronic communication device in Britain. The network is envisioned as a way to monitor terrorist activity, but will also be used to monitor other criminal behavior as well.

Continue Reading »