Technology Ticks

"Sugoi!"

Paying and buying stuff by mobile phones is not a new trend. At least it isn't in Korea and Japan. These countries have been doing it for sometime and they've got the infrastructure and business model all set up and running.

While we languish in wallet hell...

Western countries are trying to replicate these ideas but there are naturally a whole bunch of "issues" -- mostly money and rights related -- that keep the mobile phone as unintegrated as possible.

That is quite strange because we use our mobile phones for everything.

Apart from the traditional calling and sms-ing (and now ubiquitous phone cameras), we grab info off the web, mix tracks like a DJ (RjDj), check for the cheapest stuff by scanning bar codes (ShopSavvy), and get up-to-date tourist info via Google Earth.

Perhaps they should learn to work together -- just like the Japanese.

Source: Cell phone shopping makes wallets redundant in Japan | Technology | Reuters