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Mobile wallets more popular in Sub-Saharan Africa than anywhere else
In Sub-Saharan Africa, mobile wallets are a huge deal. While it's been that way for years, the World Bank's latest Global Financial Inclusion database gives us solid details on just how prevalent they are in the region. According to the report, 12 percent of adults (64 million) in the area have mobile wallets or what Africans call "mobile money accounts," which aren't connected to banks. Half of those people have traditional bank accounts, but the half rely solely on their phones for their financial needs. It seems to be especially popular in Kenya, where 58 percent of adults access their money through a mobile device.
IBM's planning to harness bitcoin for its own payments platform
Bitcoin may have a long march toward legitimacy, but that doesn't mean its technical design isn't about to go mainstream. Reuters is reporting that IBM is examining the cryptocurrency's inner workings in an attempt to build a new form of international payment system. The idea behind the scheme is to get people to swap cash without having to use a bank or wire service. Instead, users would use a bitcoin-style system to transmit money anywhere in the world without having to use a third party that charges service fees.
Barclays Pingit will soon let you send money over Twitter
Since the launch of Barclays' Pingit app, it's become almost impossible to dodge paying your share of Friday night's curry. The mobile payment service lets you transfer money to whichever mate picked up the bill, regardless of where you both bank, using just their mobile number. Come March 10th, however, you'll be able to skip entering that 11-digit number and simply use your friend's Twitter handle instead. For individuals and small business to start receiving Twitter payments through Pingit, they simply need to link their @name to their Pingit profile from within the app, and they're good to go. Now get off our back Andy -- you've been chasing us about that beer money for weeks.
Subtle malware lets hackers swipe over $300 million from banks
It's no secret that hackers see banks as prime targets, but one band of digital thieves is conducting heists on a truly grand scale. Security researchers at Kaspersky have published details of malware attacks that have stolen at least $300 million from financial institutions in 30 countries. The crooks not only trick bank employees into installing a virus (Carbanak) through spoofed email, but spy on staff in order to mimic their behavior and prevent any telltale signs that money is falling into the wrong hands. Many of the attacks focus on shuffling money to outside accounts, although some will send paper cash to ATMs monitored by criminals.
FBI wants to know if US banks launched revenge hacks against Iran
Your parents might have told you that revenge solves nothing, but it's not clear that American banks have learned the same lesson. Bloomberg sources understand that the FBI is investigating whether or not US financial institutions hired hackers to conduct retaliatory hacks against Iran, crippling the servers that had been used to attack the companies starting in 2012. There isn't any hard evidence banks acted on their anger, although they at least came close. JPMorgan Chase acknowledged that one of its officials proposed an offshore strike that would have knocked the Iranian servers out of commission. The staffer didn't offer a full-fledged plan, however, and nothing appears to have come out of the idea.
Barclays is testing iBeacon tech to improve in-branch accessibility
Compared to other banks, Barclays is often way out ahead when it comes to embracing new technology. After becoming the first financial institution to let customers transfer money using only their mobile number, the company also let some business users swap PINs, passwords and authentication codes for fingerprint scanners. For its latest tech trial, Barclays wants to make things easier for customers coming into its branches, so it today announced that it's become the latest UK company to trial Beacon technology.
Returning to a paladin's vault
Back in January of 2013 -- nearly two years ago now -- my rogue alt became my main. Part of the transition process involved sifting through the dusty depths of that character's bank, discovering treasures (and trash) long forgotten. I documented the process back then and, while my main isn't changing, I've decided to document the process once more while I go through banks in preparation for Warlords of Draenor. Today, my paladin is up to bat. My history with my paladin is complicated. Though my priest was my main for most of my raiding career, the paladin was my favored alt -- if not my favored character altogether. There simply wasn't a need for more paladins in my raid, so I avoided pulling the trigger and changing mains until mid-Wrath of the Lich King, where the raid was willing and able to accommodate a paladin. I continued investing significant time into my paladin throughout those years, however, and accrued a whole bunch of stuff. Back in the day, I loved the lore and flavor of the paladin and its numerous class quests -- while playing that class, it felt like I was playing someone truly special in the world of Azeroth. As such, I attached a great deal of sentimental value to the many class quest rewards. Verigan's Fist still holds a place in my collection, now moved into void storage. I also discovered I still possess a Holy Mightstone, a secondary reward for the old level 50 class quest, which I meant to use on the Lich King when I first met him in battle. Given my paladin has Shadowmourne, it's safe to say I forgot to use it. At this point, I never will, but I'm keeping that Mightstone anyway.
Circle's Bitcoin bank is now open to everyone in the world
When Circle's Bitcoin bank launched in May, the only way that you could sign up was if you had an invitation. From today, however, the nascent financial institution has opened its doors to everyone in the world. Circle is pitching itself as a legitimate Bitcoin repository, adhering to US anti-money laundering rules, requiring depositors give their real names and insuring all accounts against theft. The outfit is also boasting that it can instantly send cash to friends, family or blackmailers anywhere in the world without transaction fees. In addition to English, the site has launched in six additional languages including Chinese and Portuguese, and the company promises that iOS and Android apps are coming in the near future.
Barclays wants you to give it the finger instead of a PIN
PINs, passwords and authentication codes: they're a troublesome security solution that we'd love to see the back of. The bankers at Barclays know this, so they've looked to biometrics in a bid to banish them forever. Today, the company announced that it's teaming up with Hitachi to launch a new reader capable of scanning and recognising the unique vein patterns a customer's hand. It'll let you scan your finger to quickly access your online bank accounts and authorise payments, reducing fraud in the process. Hitachi's Finger Vein Authentication Technology does the hard work and is said to be significantly harder to spoof because it'll only work if the scanned finger is "attached to a live human body" (no finger-lopping movie plotlines happening here). Barclays' Biometric Reader will roll out first to business account holders from next year, but staff at UK branches may ask you to put your best finger forward in the very near future.
JPMorgan and other US banks reportedly hit by cyberattack
A Bloomberg report claims that JPMorgan Chase and "at least" four more banks in the US have been victims of a virtual attack from hackers. The data gathered from the breach could reportedly "be used to drain accounts," according to two Bloomberg sources who have been briefed on the situation by the US government. At the moment, it is unknown which other banks were affected by this, but the FBI has already opened an investigation and is currently working to find out more details. "[We are] working with the United States Secret Service to determine the scope of recently reported cyberattacks against several American financial institutions," said the FBI in a statement. Meanwhile, a different report from CNN Money notes that seven of the "top" 15 banks were on the wrong end of these attacks, per people familiar with the matter -- though such information has not been corroborated by US officials.
Simple rebuilds backend from scratch, releases new apps
Over the past several months my favorite online bank, Simple, has been working feverishly to update their back end. Today it released an updated app that compliments the under-the-hood changes made to its systems. Simple, if you don't know, is a banking services company that was founded with mobile in mind. Unlike many banking services that throw an app together for a large bank, knowing customers have few choices otherwise, Simple took the approach that good design and excellent features are important to many customers. After using the service for well over a year, I must agree. Users will immediately notice a design refresh, making Simple more in tune with iOS 7 and beyond. There's been a significant upgrade to Goals, where you can set financial goals. Simple makes it astonishingly easy to manage and track goals, and I'd say it is one of the best tools for this if your needs and goals are relatively straightforward. Other changes as per Simple's release notes: • We've totally redesigned and rebuilt Simple from the ground up, adding new features and improving functionality based on your feedback. • Send money to other Simple customers instantly and for free with Simple Instant. • Goals is all new. It's now easier to see your savings progress. Add memos to Goals to better organize your savings. Shortcuts make moving money between Goals even faster! • Get quick access to your most common contacts with Favorites. • Personalize your Simple experience by uploading your own avatar Simple isn't a bank, but it was acquired by BBVA earlier this year. I've been assured this will only make the company stronger, and it continues to operate essentially as it did before, but now with a multinational bank backing it. I've always been impressed with Simple's customer service, and even in light of a lot of bugs that popped up for users in the previous weeks (the CEO has apologized for these), I'd say Simple is a safe bet for handling your money and making your life, well, more simple. The app is free, but you'll need to ask for an account as they ramp up their customer base.
Wall Street wants more government help to combat cyber attacks
Wall Street is worried. Not about government regulation or investigations by law enforcement agencies. No, the countries financial institutions are concerned about cyber attacks. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, or SIFMA, has proposed that it and the government join forces in an effort to combat the 21st century threat. As Wall Street's biggest trade group, the organization already wields plenty of influence, but to help convince the American government it has hired former NSA director Keith Alexander.
Barclays brings Pingit phone number payments to Windows Phone
Windows Phone users often have to resign themselves to getting apps months, if not years after their iOS- and Android-toting counterparts. That's especially the case for Barclays' Pingit app, which after more than two years has finally made its way to Microsoft's mobile platform. If you're not familiar, Pingit allows users to send money using only a recipient's phone number regardless of who either bank with. Banking customers have been able to check their balance and pay bills using Barclays' mobile banking app, but with new initiatives like Paym aiming to streamline mobile payments, Pingit could enjoy great momentum as a result. Despite being late to the party, Barclays' new app is still likely to enjoy some early-mover advantage, as only a handful of other banks have dedicated Windows Phone apps.
Warlords of Draenor inventory UI updates
In addition to the toy box, Warlords of Draenor introduces a number of other updates to World of Warcraft's inventory UI, some of which can be seen in the image above. Each bag, minus your backpack, can now be assigned to a specific type of item. If you want all of your looted equipment to go in your last bag, for example, you can assign that bag to equipment. The above image also displays the ignore option for the new Cleanup system. On your primary backpack, there's a new Cleanup icon that will automatically organize your bags, quickly sorting all similar items together. Ignoring a bag ensures that if there's a particular mess you particularly enjoy, it will not be automatically sorted. The Cleanup option is also available in your bank. Junk items -- items with no purpose but to be sold to a vendor for gold -- are now marked with a small gold piece. When it's time to shed your vendor trash, you can now see at-a-glance what you should be selling. In addition, everyone's bank now has a dedicated 98-slot reagents tab for crafting materials and other miscellany. Certainly, that's a better solution than using numerous profession-specific bags such as herbalism's Hyjal Expedition Bag. The reagent tab comes with a Deposit All Reagents button, allowing you to deposit your array of herbs, ores, or whatever else you may have with a single button press. The button is also useful if you're not sure what does or does not qualify as a reagent. If the button takes it, you're golden. If it doesn't, it isn't a reagent. A screenshot of the reagent tab is included below if you want to see it for yourself, but let's be honest -- it's a grid of empty inventory squares. I think we can all visualize that pretty well.
Bitcoin bank entices mom and pop with insurance, fraud checks and no fees
If Bitcoin is meant to be an anonymous, decentralized currency that is free of intermediaries and national restrictions, then today's launch of a new Bitcoin bank, called Circle, might seem deeply antithetical. Circle's website does its utmost to look like that of an ordinary financial service, using words like "withdrawing," "depositing" and "digital money," instead of the usual terms about buying and selling Bitcoins. It follows US anti-money laundering rules, requiring users to identify themselves, and it expects you to connect your Bitcoin account to your normal credit card or bank accounts. Crypto-currency purists just aren't going to dig it, but then again Circle claims to offer some serious advantages that are missing from other, more direct approaches to Bitcoin banking.
Neverwinter will make players choose between mercenaries
When Icewind Dale arrives with Neverwinter's Module 3, players will have a difficult decision to make: whether to join up with the Ten-Towners or the Arcane Brotherhood. In a new post, Cryptic explains that these two groups are at conflict with each other in the effort to collect the precious Black Ice. Ten-Towners want the Ice for profit and for those who have lived in the north, while the Arcane Brotherhood desires the substance to increase its members' knowledge. Once a group is chosen, that faction will deliver daily contracts that the player can take up. By repeating the dailies, players can earn enough Black Ice to create a new armor set. Players shouldn't fret too much about their choice, as their allegiance can change on a daily basis with no penalty. Cryptic will also be introducing account shared banks with the module to help pass items between characters with ease. Module 3 arrives on May 13th.
"A more elegant collection game" - Watcher on transmog
Today we posted a rundown on PAX East information. and one of the pieces of information was that Diablo III's transmog system is not coming to World of Warcraft. This made me sad, of course. Today, Ion "Watcher" Hazzikostas tweeted the following update on that. @perculia Not in 6.0. We do have major plans to make transmog more elegant as a collection game in the future, though. - Watcher (@WatcherDev) April 14, 2014 Now, this doesn't tell us how they plan to make transmog more elegant. It doesn't even tell us for sure that there won't be a Diablo III style approach to it - it just tells us that it won't be in Patch 6.0, whatever it ends up being. Still, it's nice to know that it's still being worked on. The extra void storage tab is a nice feature. Until we know what it is going to be I'll just be over here staring wistfully at my complete lack of bag space.
Final Fantasy XIV offers more retainers for a price
A new patch for Final Fantasy XIV is out and playable today. It's full of stuff to do, things to craft, and of course, items to acquire. This might not be a welcome bit of news to players already struggling to fit items into their burgeoning banks. But help is here, after a fashion. If you truly can't reduce your items any other way, you can now buy more retainers to take care of the many things you've still got kicking around in your inventory. The downside? It'll cost you real money. Players are allowed to purchase up to two additional retainers for their characters at the price of $2 per month for each. The extra retainers are available to all characters on your account and will not be deleted if you discontinue the extra monthly fee but won't be accessible until you pay again. For more details on signing up and interacting with your normal retainers, check out the full update.
Russian authorities only accept real money
Now that the good people of Russia have been robbed of untold billions to fund corruption at the Sochi Olympics, their government would like to warn them of a much more serious danger: Bitcoin. The crypto-currency could easily lose its value, according to a statement from the country's central bank, and could draw citizens into unintentionally supporting illegal activity and "financing terrorism." In keeping with the tough stance adopted by China and India, but in contrast to the more laid back attitude taken in some other parts of the world, Russia's General Prosecutor's Office has also chimed in to describe Bitcoin as a prohibited "money substitute." It has reiterated that the country's only officially accepted currency is the rouble, preferably in a plain brown envelope.
EVE Evolved: Designing EVE Onland, part 2
When it comes to living sandbox MMOs, there really isn't a bigger name than EVE Online. Throughout its decade-long history, EVE has produced some huge gaming headlines, delivered record-breaking in-game thefts and heists, and played host to the complex political machinations of dozens of warring alliances. EVE's sandbox design has even made it remarkably resistant to changes in the market, with subscription numbers remaining relatively stable in the face of new releases and the free to play phenomenon. It comes as no surprise then that the sandbox genre is seeing a triple-A revival, with games like Star Citizen, EverQuest Next Landmark, and Camelot Unchained on the way. With the sandbox genre due to explode back onto the fantasy scene, I've been left wondering how much of the core gameplay that makes EVE tick could be easily adapted for an avatar-based game on land. Even features such as EVE Online's trademark territorial warfare and player-run economy have roots in classic fantasy MMOs like Ultima Online, so they should be easy to convert to modern fantasy equivalents. Last week I started this game design thought experiment with a territorial warfare system and free-for-all PvP with harsh consequences for attackers, but there's a lot more to a good sandbox than smashing people's heads in. In this week's EVE Evolved, I delve into the hypothetical world of EVE Onland again and tackle issues of realistic world scale, exploration, economics, and the evils of global banking.
