Headline May 03, 2016/ ''' *SMARTPHONES* by SMART-STUDENTS '''

''' *SMARTPHONES* by 

SMART-STUDENTS '''

SMARTPHONES   -SMART & SMART  -are becoming thoroughly and completely indispensable companions for the modern era.

And having said that, a complex difficulty raises its ugly head, and that is, that with the inherent rate of change of technology, that  renders just about everything redundant in no time-

Getting to the baseline and the benchmark, well, is very hard. So, after a very careful research and consideration, !WOW! has picked 2011. Yes, the year 2011. 

All-in-one integrated devices that have extended their reach far beyond making telephone calls, they now serve as maps with built-in GPS, cameras, information directories, e-mail readers, web browsers as well as any number of function developable into apps.

And they're slated to become even smarter. With mobile payment systems, rather than reaching into your wallet, paying for the morning latte with a simple wave or tap of your phone may soon become -even in the developing world, a part of your daily life.

Using mobile phones for making payments isn't exactly a new idea. examples include  SMS payments  involving passwords, direct billing by mobile operators, and mobile web payments  via WAP sites.

It is in contactless  {aka  ''touch and go''  or wave and pay''} payment systems that wireless technology comes into play.

This involves  tapping or waving a smart card or device within inches of a point-of-sale terminal to process a transaction for in-store purchases or public transport.

The technology enabling contactless  mobile payment system is NFC, or near-field communication  -a wireless protocol enabling very close range data transmission between two devices, such as that-

Between a smart card or mobile phone with an embedded chip and a point of sale reader.

In Japan, countless payment systems have been widely adopted since the early 2000s  -due in part to the dominance of a single mobile operator, NTT DoCoMo  -offering users the convenience of paying for public transport, convenience store items- And more with a swift wave of their mobiles.   

South Korea also jumped on the  mobile payment systems bandwagon, particularly when it came to user applications in popular online games and the purchasing of virtual goods.

However, in the other parts of the world  -and in other countries in Asia as well  -as the adoption of countless mobile payment systems has lagged behind these two countries.

One potential reason for this delay might be presence of highly competitive mobile network operators in these markets, which may make it much tougher for any one system to gain enough saturation to become the standard. 

One company looking to bring mobile payment into the mainstream is Google, which announced the launch of Google wallet.

Pipped as  ''a mobile app that will make your phone your wallet'', the service is initially available only in the US on one smartphone model  [Nexus S 4G} on a single carrier, Sprint, and only for customers of single bank, Citibank. All these limitations point to the difficulties of making the widespread adoption of mobile wallets a reality.

In addition, security concerns may also potentially hinder the widespread adoption of mobile payment systems. With the recent spate of web privacy and security issues, consumers are rightfully protective of their financial information.

They may be wary about theft and privacy issues from the handsets falling into the wrong hands, for example, and the dangers posed by wireless hacking to sensitive data.

Google has given some thought to allaying these fears with Google Wallet. Financial data is stored on dedicated chip separate from the phone's main processor and protected with additional layers of security.

And a PIN is also required to complete any purchasing transaction. The chip is only functional when the handset's screen is lit, preventing over-the-air hacking of phones in standby mode.

A second service, Google offers, has been launched concurrently with the Wallet. Similar to  Groupon  and other digital coupon services, this service will deliver regular deals based on your location and personal preferences.

When used jointly with  Google Wallet  deals and coupons can be saved on your smartphone, synced  and updated, and applied automatically at the time of purchase.

The need for specialised hardware may have further contributed to the slow acceptance of mobile payment systems. But Google is taking the bold step of listing  NFC  capability as a requirement-

For the new handsets developed with the latest version of the Android Operating System.

So, through all the  *booms and busts* but with a definite Care For Life, will ever emerge,  its current incarnation.

The Honour and Serving of the  Wireless "'Operational Technology Benchmarks''  research, so continues. Thank Ya all for reading and sharing forward.

With respectful dedication to the Students, Professors and Teachers  of the world. See Ya all on !WOW!  -the World Students Society and the Ecosystem 2011.

''' Tech Guy '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless