While introducing the company’s new smartwatch Tuesday, Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook said,  “This product will redefine what people expect of its category, and it’s the next chapter in Apple’s story.” The Apple Watch, which goes on sale in early 2015, is one of a kind. It essentially offers all of the features and functions of all of the wrist wearables available today (from smartwatches to fitness bands) in one device, and then adds more on top of that, most notably a near field communication, or NFC, chip that will enable users to pay for goods in stores using their watch and Apple …

Taxi app Hailo has launched Pay with Hailo, a feature that will let users pay for their street-hailed Hailo taxi using their account without the need to book a cab in advance. Known as Pay with Hailo, the service works across both Android and iOS but is geared more towards the latter with the implementation of Apple’s iBeacon technology.

Target Corp. is extending its mobile strategy with two new options. The retailer has adopted Like2Buy, a platform that enables the chain’s Instagram followers to easily buy products featured in photos from participating brands. Target also is integrating the software for Apple’s new mobile payments service, Apple Pay, into its mobile app. With more than 300,000 followers each, Target’s two Instagram feeds (Target and Target Style), have been known to garner thousands of likes on a single Instagram, according to the retailer. The Like2Buy feature gives Target the chance to turn all those ‘likes’ into actual purchases. (Target is partnering …

One of the logos that wasn’t splashed across the screen during the launch of Apple Pay was PayPal.Bill Ready, CEO of PayPal’s Braintree unit, sat down with MPD CEO Karen Webster to answer some tough questions about whether or not PayPal sees Apple as a major game changer or disruptor, what he believes their next move will be and PayPal’s future course. KW: We’ve all seen and now know a bit about Apple’s plans for mobile payments – Apple Pay. During the launch, we saw lots of logos flashing on the screen, but PayPal wasn’t one of them. Why not? BR: We work with …

Canadian Tire money, known for its fictional Scottish character Sandy McTire, is going digital. Canadian Tire says it’s expanding its rewards program next month by offering a digital option to customers who want to collect and redeem Canadian Tire money on a card or smartphone. But the retailer wants its customers to know that the addition of the new digital option does not mean it’s getting rid of its much-loved Canadian Tire paper currency.

BEAUMARIS has become one of the world’s first places to trial a new smartphone app which gives users an unique interactive walkthrough of the town. Beaumaris Beacons is a new iPhone and iPad app that uses the latest iBeacon technology from Apple to give visitors an immersive experience of the historical town.  Along with London’s Regents Street, Beaumaris is among of the first towns in the world to deploy an iBeacon technology project. 

Australian micro-donation fundraising platform Shout for Good is one of many brands aiming to place itself in the center of the action at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, betting on success on American soil following achievements in its homeland.  Through its sponsored show Salute the Runway, Shout asked for donations to United States charity Fatigues to Fabulous, a women veterans organization that supports military servicewomen as they reintegrate back to their civilian lives. 

The National Football League has teamed up with Ticketmaster to offer football fans a slew of digital and mobile ticket-buying features designed for easier purchasing. Both the NFL and Ticketmaster offer the extensive buying options through their applications for Android or iPhone. The companies claim this is to make the purchasing process more convenient for fans.

Visa announced the launch of Visa Token Service, a technology that provides an environment to help drive innovation in online and mobile commerce. Visa Token Service replaces sensitive payment account information found on plastic cards with a digital account number or 'token'. Because 'tokens' do not carry a consumer’s payment account details, such as the 16-digit account number, they can be safely stored by online merchants or on mobile devices to facilitate e-commerce and mobile payments.

Tiny Prints, a leading online stationery boutique, has introduced a free application that enables users to browse, create, and purchase customized stationery, cards and gifts straight from their iPad. The interactive app is meant to mimic the in-store experience that a customer purchasing custom products would receive. The app also offers a similar shopping experience to that of its desktop site.