Android Upgrade for Google TV

Google TV launched in October 2010. But for many users, the lack of Hulu — along with the awkwardness of the interface and lack of cooperation from TV networks and content providers — was a huge turnoff. Now Google aims to fix that with a massive overhaul, upgrading Google TV with its Android operating system.

Google announced on its Google TV blog Friday that the platform will be upgraded to Android 3.1

New update are focused on four areas:

1. Keep it simple
The interface is now much simpler. The new customizable home screen gets you to your favorite content quickly.

2. Make it easy to find something worth watching.

3. Make YouTube better on TV.

4. Bringing more apps to TV.

Raise in Mobile banking app usage in US: Study

Nearly 13 million mobile users used a mobile banking app in June – up 45 percent from the fourth quarter of 2010, per a new study by comScore.

The comScore study found that mobile credit card services saw an increase with 18.4 million mobile users accessing credit card information – up 23 percent from December.

The study found that 12.7 million mobile users reported having used a banking app in June. This is up 45 percent from the fourth quarter of 2010.

Approximately 14 percent of United States mobile subscribers accessed banking services via their handsets.

Mobile credit card services saw an increase with 18.4 million mobile users accessing credit card information – up 23 percent from December.

Peet's Coffee & Tea uses Google Wallet and Mastercard Paypass

Coffee chain Peet’s Coffee & Tea is allowing consumers to pay thru Google Wallet and MasterCard Pay pass.

The company claims that all locations will be equipped for mobile payments by the end of October.

Eighteen stores in San Francisco and San Jose, CA already have the mobile payment readers.

With the new technology, consumers can pay for items by tapping their mobile devices via the Google Wallet app or on Paypass-enabled registers.

It also signals a direct competition with coffee giant Starbucks. Recently, Starbucks rolled out a commerce-enabled application that lets consumers buy items on their mobile devices

NJ Transit Partners With Google Wallet

New Jersey Transit, the third-largest U.S. transit system with more than 895,000 weekday trips on bus and rail in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia has began letting some commuters pay for fares using smartphone sensors set up by Google Inc. at locations including New York’s Penn Station.

The public-transit system is the first to partner with the company on its Google Wallet “tap-and-pay” system, which gives businesses access to credit-card information when a customer waves their phone over a sensor to make a purchase.

This Service is now available only on Sprint Nexus 4G and soon will expand to other Andriod phones.