From: "Dave Ings" 

Maybe one of our European friends can explain what the big deal is about
paying by phone, from the consumer's point of view. So I swipe my phone
over a reader instead of swiping a piece of plastic. So what? I'm really
not getting what's interesting and useful here.

Given how often people lose their phones (almost as often as umbrellas it
seems!) I'm not at all convinced converging your credit or debit card and
your phone is a good idea.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/technology/21cell.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

ATLANTA, March 16 - Roy Peek had about $40, three credit cards and a debit
card in his wallet. But to pay for a Coke and a slice of pizza here at a
Philips Arena concession stand, he whipped out his cellphone. "With
this, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to stop at an A.T.M.," said
Mr. Peek, shortly after tapping the device against a coaster-size terminal
that flashed lights and beeped as it billed his credit card account.

He is one of about 150 consumers who can use specially equipped mobile
phones inside the arena as part of a study by a group of payment and
wireless companies. "Once I'm hungry, I am going to use my phone for
food," Mr. Peek said.

The promise of phones that double as digital wallets is not new. Consumers
in many Asian and European countries have bought everything from
convenience store trinkets to subway tickets using their mobile handsets
for years. But the idea has largely been a gadget geek's fantasy here in
the United States.

Only recently have American banks and wireless companies begun developing
mobile payment products. Now, the next wave of technology could wash ashore
within two years.
--
Regards,
Dave Ings,
Toronto, Canada

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5