ecommerce
Latest
Provisioning for prepaid Google Wallet cards on hold while PIN-related security hole gets fixed
Remember that Google Wallet exploit from a few days ago? The one that would allow 'brute-force' PIN attacks, but only on rooted Android devices? Well, another PIN-related security hole was discovered soon after, putting even non-rooted Androids at risk. As Android Central points out, should your phone make its way into the wrong hands, your Google Wallet PIN number could be reassigned, allowing access to the prepaid account attached to the phone itself -- yikes. As such, the folks at Mountain View have taken action, shuttering provisions to prepaid cards until it finds a permanent fix for the problem. Despite the troubles, Google is sticking by its original tune, stating that Google Wallet offers multiples levels of protection (when used on official builds of Android) that go beyond traditional plastic cards, including your phone's lock screen. There's no estimate on when things will be back to normal, but you'll find Google's assessments and assurances about this situation at the source link below.
Online shopping gets iPad surge on Christmas Day, iOS dominates in December
There's no rest for the weary in retail this year, but at least on Christmas Day most of the shopping frenzy was online and not in line. IBM's Smarter Commerce unit, which tracks 500 online stores (but not Amazon, the largest, and probably not Apple's store either) told the AP that Christmas Day online shopping increased by 16.4 percent year over year. It's not clear if that number represents the number of individual transactions or of unique purchasers, but IBM did say that the dollar amount of online purchases made via mobile devices was up a whopping 172.9 percent over last year. Moreover, IBM exec John Squire reported that almost seven percent of all online purchases on 12/25 originated on a single device: the iPad. Seven percent of all transactions isn't bad for a platform that hasn't yet celebrated its second birthday, but the iOS slice of mobile e-commerce is a lot wider than that. According to a report released last week by retail insights firm RichRelevance, the overall dollar share of online purchases made from mobile devices has doubled over the past eight months and now stands at 3.74% of sales spending online. Of that chunk of cash, 92% of the December purchase transactions originated on an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad (up from 88% in April 2011). Think about that for a moment. Nine out of every 10 mobile transactions recorded by RichRelevance in December came from an iOS device; since RichRelevance, like IBM, can't see into Amazon or (probably) Apple's sales data, the true ratio could be somewhat lower or higher, but still. Even the average dollar value per order is higher for iOS than for Android ($123 vs. $101 in December), and both mobile platforms walloped the $87 AOV for desktop browser orders. As GigaOm noted, the volume of mobile transactions seems to spike on holidays and weekends, when shoppers are less likely to be sitting at their PCs. RichRelevance says it analyzed more than 3.4 billion transactions to arrive at its results, including data from 10 out of the 25 largest web retailers. Both Apple and Amazon hold their sales data very close to the chest, but you can bet that both companies are also mining through their records and coming up with similar conclusions -- shopping on mobile devices is growing fast, and iOS is leading the way and/or lapping the field. [via Business Insider & GigaOm] Photo by Ramberg Media Images (CC)
Google Catalogs iPad app digitizes catalogs, no more coasters
We all know what catalogs are good for: starting fires in the fireplace, light reading in waiting rooms and makeshift placemats. Oddly, Google has decided to take these perfectly useful glossy dead trees away from us with the introduction of Google Catalogs, a free iPad app. Like most shopping apps, users can zoom in, learn more and purchase products through a company's website, but this one adds a slick little twist: collages. Put together a particularly sweet L.L. Bean ensemble and want to share it with Mom? No glue stick or scissors required. Check out the video after the break.
Caffeinated apps: Starbucks intros myStarbucks, Starbucks Card Mobile App
The Microsoft of the coffee biz, Starbucks, announced this morning that they've introduced two new iPhone / iPod touch apps to help customers make the most of their coffee addiction. myStarbucks and the Starbucks Card Mobile App [iTunes links] are free apps available in the iTunes App Store today.These apps were the subject of much speculation, particularly in the Mac Rumors forums, after Phil Schiller showed the myStarbucks app on the screen at the September 9th, 2009 "It's Only Rock and Roll" music event. While the company could have combined the two apps into one monster app, it's apparent that they're for two very different purposes. myStarbucks is primarily targeted at finding stores (as if there isn't one on every street corner in America...) and educating consumers about the drinks and food items available in those stores. The Starbucks Card Mobile App, on the other hand, is pointed towards the professional coffee slurper who already has a Starbucks Card in his or her quivering hand. Let's look at the two apps in a bit more detail.myStarbucks starts with a geolocation feature to find the nearest dozen or so Starbucks stores within a few miles of your present location, shown on a map or in a list. If you haven't had your morning coffee fix and need directions, the app will fire up Google Maps and provide you with driving, transit, or walking instructions. For each "official" Starbucks franchise, there are icons indicating whether or not the store is open, as well as whether or not they have Wi-Fi or oven-warmed food.
Palm launches e-commerce beta for the App Catalog
Love the Pre? Love code? Love money? Well it's your lucky day. Palm has just announced that it will begin accepting applications for developers interested in producing for-pay apps for the webOS App Catalog. The company says that requests taken now will make devs eligible for inclusion in the mid-September launch of its e-commerce program. Just like Apple and Google, Palm will be splitting profits of paid apps with developers 70 / 30 (the devs get 70 percent, don't worry), and go figure -- credit cards will be accepted. Of course we're pumped about paying $.99 for a to-do app someday soon, but we're hoping this will also herald in a new age of steady releases for the Catalog, which is still looking frighteningly bare to us. Hey, that's what homebrew is for, right? Full PR after the break.
