Credit Cards? Wallets?..That's soo old school. We use our phones to pay now.

That's right ladies and gentlemen the future of marketing and technology keeps evolving faster than we can keep up. Not too long ago Starbucks came up with a new app mobile payment system with NFC (Near Field Communication). Which involved just buying a Starbucks debit card and while using that debit card you transfer funds to it and may take it anywhere you go, and I don't mean in your wallet. Just by using your phone and waving your phone near a scanner at the register that's it! Your good to go with your cup of coffee in one hand and your phone in the other. Now you might be saying "Wow that's awesome!" But don't get too excited. There are ways for other hackers to capture this in just 90 seconds and then they pay with your mobile payment not theirs. Other thing is they can email it to as many people as they want!  But this only applies to this Starbucks app.

You think Starbucks was the only one to think about this? Think again. Google decided to step in the NFC world by trying to stomp on any competition or at least making it hard for others to compete. Google has started working with other credit card companies like Citibank and MasterCard in order to start trying this NFC technology on only the android phone (for now although Apple is not too far behind from starting this mobile payment system also).

Now one question that might come to mind is what ever happened to those mini credit cards that you could put on your key chain and just wave in front of the credit card machine at stores? Isn't it kind of the same concept? Yes, but it was not well marketed and these new mobile payments is currently only in about 2 states to test out the system but I'm sure this will be made public as soon as Google is ready.

Now as all of this is coming together my question is will it be easier for hackers to be able to invade into this new technology? Only time will tell..

Keeping you updated on the future of marketing!

Cristy

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_field_communication NFC

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703576204576226722412152678.html - Google and Mobile Payments

http://www.nearfieldcommunicationsworld.com/2011/02/09/35844/hacker-shows-how-to-crack-starbucks-mobile-payments-app/ - Hacking into Starbucks mobile payment system.

Hey, do you have a Myspace?..A what?..

Oh Myspace, how I have almost forgotten about you. Myspace used to be the hot spot (after AIM) where everyone used to get online and leave comments and put up pictures and decorate your background to get it to your liking and making sure your friends were happy with your "top friends" if not prepare to be last on their "top friends". Although learning how to do your background was a mission you had to learn from scratch how to do html codes in order to get a picture to certain side of your page, or center it etc. Which I appreciate it now but back then not so much.

Now Facebook on the other hand when I first started using it I hated it, I felt like I was stalking everyone, meaning I would see "Franchesca and Mike became friends" I was like ..who cares?? it was a bit different from Myspace I thought it was weird at first but then I started liking it more because I didnt have to make my page look "cute" because while being in college, studing, and working there is no time for that anymore, and it became easier to comment and upload pictures etc.
I believe Myspaces' mistake was not competing when it should have, or at least didn't do enough to make it an impact to keep their users. Now when you see Myspace it's like a copy cat of facebook you can update your status, tag your friends, etc. According to Michael Jones News Corp owned site says wrong they are just trying to focus mostly on social entertainment. I don't know how many people are going to agree with that but that would be a whole other topic.

As for the Future of social networking it is all up in the air only time will tell what will happen next. What do you think will happen next?


Links:
http://www.myspace.com/princess_cristy

http://www.switched.com/2010/10/27/myspace-new-redesign-not-compete-facebook/ - Myspace is not coping facebook.

http://memeburn.com/2011/02/conflicting-ideas-on-the-future-of-social-networking/ -The future of social networking.