Category: International

The QR code began in Japan and was invented by Toyota to track automobile production. It spread across Japan, Europe and now here in the United States. These mobile trends are setting fire to industries all over the world.

US regulators challenge Google’s internet search dominance

Jorge Gonzalez
Internet Search - Google Search on Laptop

The American government is looking at the power Google’s core service has online. The US government has launched a legal battle against Google’s internet search dominance and the control it has over the experience the vast majority of users have online. This legal battle is expected to begin at full strength tomorrow in federal court in Washington D.C. The internet search case is expected to be the largest antitrust trial in the United States since Microsoft faced regulators over that company’s dominance over personal computer software. That case occurred about…

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QR code on water jugs help to ensure the contents are safe to drink

Sam Lambert
QR Code - India- Water Jug

Two brothers from Chennai, India have developed a system to ensure the bottles contain clean water. A new QR code system developed by two brothers from Chennai, India can help people to know whether the jugs of water they purchase contain clean water, helping to avoid arriving home to discover that their water is dirty or cloudy. Many people in the area must fill large water jugs every day to provide their drinking supply. The tap water in the area is not clean enough to drink. Therefore, they purchase the…

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UK government seeks to use more facial recognition tech

L. Green
Facial recognition - UK Government

The Ministry of Defence has called on tech companies to submit ideas for the expansion of its use. The UK government is working on expanding the way it is using facial recognition technology in security agencies and police forces. It is currently actively seeking input from companies for ideas to broaden the use of the tech. The Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is currently seeking to identify and fund facial recognition technology for the country’s security services, armed forces and police. As a major component of…

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WeChat Pay and Alipay mobile wallet companies add international credit card support

Stephanie Beck
Mobile wallet - Image of credit cards

The giants from China are now allowing overseas visitors to add foreign credit cards to their digital wallets. Overseas visitors to China are now able to link their international credit cards to a WeChat Pay or Alipay mobile wallet and use them to make purchases wherever those digital payment transactions are accepted. This means that Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and JCB cardholders can all use their cards in their phones. The Alipay and WeChat Pay mobile wallet permissions have now been updated, making it possible for international credit card users to…

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Rakuten Group to combine its mobile payments and credit card business units

L. Green
Mobile payments Japan - person paying via mobile

The struggling Japanese company intends to fold together several of its units, according to recent announcements. Rakuten Group, headquartered in Japan, has announced its intentions to fold its mobile payments and points businesses into its credit card unit. This move could align the company to eventually list its card business as it has done with others. Even though Rakuten earns solid earnings from its e-commerce business, it has continually lost money over 12 straight quarters as a result of the expensive expansion of its mobile payments business, which didn’t gain…

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