Yesterday, we reported that the latest iOS 8.2 beta reveals that an Apple Watch application for the iPhone is in the works. Now, we have some more details. Within Apple, the application is currently called the Apple Watch “Companion” app for iPhone. This application manages settings for Apple Watch applications, as well as settings for iPhone/Watch interactivity. The Companion app’s settings reveal some novel new functions that are coming to the Apple Watch. Below, we highlight some of the most interesting new features and settings. Like on the iPhone, you will be able to set up a dedicated four number passcode for your Apple Watch. The passcode system is …

Transparency Market Research has released a new report concerning the mobile commerce market. The report highlights the fact that the mobile commerce space has experienced strong, continuous growth over the past several years. More consumers are beginning to shop for products online with their smartphones and tablets, and this practice is becoming a very powerful force in the retail industry. In the coming years, mobile shopping and payments will become more commonplace. The report notes that the increasing use of smartphones among consumers will add momentum to the growth of mobile commerce. People are beginning to rely on these mobile devices in …

A TGI Friday’s executive at the NRF 104th Annual Convention & Expo said that the restaurant chain prides itself in taking a different approach toward tablet integration in its locations in contrast to its competitors, such as Applebee’s, by placing tablets in the hands of servers rather than on tables. At the “Transforming Retail with Mobility and Cloud” session during the NRF 104th Annual Convention & Expo, the TGI Friday’s executive discussed its recent innovation of equipping its servers with Microsoft tablets to revamp the customer experience, which the restaurant claims to be a more interactive and personal experience compared to tablets placed …

According to a new report out this morning from appFigures, the Google Play mobile application market surpassed Apple for the number of new apps for the first time in 2014, and its developer community growth also exceeded Apple’s for the third year in a row, now distributing apps from 388,000 different developers. Much of that growth took place in the latter half of the year, the report notes, citing data released earlier this past summer for comparison’s sake. More developers joined Google in 2014 than Apple and Google combined, allowing it to top Apple’s total of 282,000 developers and Amazon’s 48,000. Overall, app development …

Reports that Alibaba may ink a deal to link two of the world's fastest-growing e-commerce markets, India and China, is a shot in the arm for the firm's global expansion plans, analysts say. Media outlets reported this week that Alibaba is in discussions with Indian internet firm One97 Communications to invest $575 million in its e-payment service Paytm, which has 25 million registered users and boasts high-profile clients including Uber, Expedia and Airbnb. The deal would allow Indian customers to use Paytm to pay for goods on Alibaba sites, while Chinese users could use Alipay on Paytm's marketplace. Merchants on both platforms …

As the infrastructure for widespread use of in-store mobile payments locks into place across the U.S., the industries involved can accelerate adoption by better educating consumers on the performance and ease of use of mobile pay services, a recent survey by Verifone suggests. Conducted online by Wakefield Research to focus on consumer attitudes among 1,000 US adults aged 18+, the survey took place during the busy holiday shopping season, between December 16 and December 23, 2014, timed to coincide with maximum consumer interest in retail payment options. More than half of the respondents – 53 percent – said it was …

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is tapping vendor GlobeSherpa's mobile ticketing platform for the pilot, which will take place in the summer. Users will be able to store a debit or credit card or use PayPal to purchase tickets anytime and anywhere for single or multiple fares, and one-day, three-day, and seven-day passes. GlobeSherpa is also providing an enforcement application to verify mobile fares using a separate hand-held device. SFMTA says that although the app will initially only be for Muni journeys, it is part of a "broader effort to evaluate smartphone mobile payment options for adjoining Bay …

Gap Inc. is equipping more of its stores with mobile devices to leverage employee training videos, highlight additional inventory for shoppers and emulate the experience of a flagship store in the hopes of driving sales, suggesting that mobile is cementing its status as a virtual shopping assistant for many brands. During the “Exhibitor BIG !deas – The New Retail: Real-time, Intuitive and Engaging Mobile Experiences” session at the NRF 104th Annual Convention & Expo, a Gap executive discussed how the brand is incorporating iOS devices into its bricks-and-mortar stores nationwide, providing associates with a quick way of accessing additional product …

Gartner has recently released a report that has been entitled “Weak Mobile Customer Service Is Harming Customer Engagement” and which has provided some considerable insight into the issues that are facing the m-commerceindustry. The report pointed out that because mobile customer service is not up to snuff, it is not having a very positive result on the customer engagement that they are experiencing. As high quality customer engagement is one of the most important principles in successful m-commerce, this discovery by Gartner may be the motivator that IT leaders require in order to innovate in the area of engaging consumers on …

Messaging is no longer just about messaging. Last year saw the West wake up to the potential of messaging apps — largely thanks to Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp — and 2015 is the year that U.S. apps will become platforms. Few places is that trend illustrated best than Japan, where top chat app Line has just launched its own taxi service. Line Taxi is built into the existing Line app, just like its recently introduced payments service, and its launch pits the company against dominant player Uber and British rival Hailo. The Line service is starting off slowly.