A bunch of new apps test the limits of the sharing economy

From The Economist

“Parking can stir intense passions, especially in San Francisco, where demand for public spaces often exceeds supply. Hence the outcry over apps that let occupants of slots on streets make money by alerting other drivers that they are about to drive away. As we went to press, one of the apps, MonkeyParking, was seeking an understanding with San Francisco’s city attorney, Dennis Herrera, who had given it until July 11th to cease operating on the city’s streets or face a lawsuit. Another app, ParkModo, which also attracted Mr Herrera’s attention, is not currently operating in San Francisco, though it says it intends to roll out nationwide in future.”

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Breaking the Mobile Banking Mold

From Bank Director

Dave DeFazio of StrategyCorps shares how some community banks are moving their mobile banking applications beyond the standard transactions.

Bitcoin ATM in your pocket

From RT.com

“Anyone in China with a smartphone can now act as a bitcoin ATM with BTC China’s new mobile app that lets users buy and sell bitcoins in different major world currencies. The mobile app has been launched along with a physical ATM.

The launch of the Picasso ATM coincides with the Chinese crackdown on financial institutions using bitcoin, and could boost BTC’s international customer base.

The web-based application will be in place of a physical ATM, and can be used to transfer the cryptocurrency into hard currency worldwide.

The physical ATM is located at the IC Coffee Shop in Shanghai’s Pudong Zhangjiang tech park. Here people can insert yuan into the machine in exchange for bitcoins, but cannot withdraw any cash.

Although there is no current ban on cryptocurrencies in China, the People’s Bank of China has warned financial institutions that they shouldn’t trade digital tender, like bitcoin.”

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Point Your iPhone at Something You Like, and Amazon’s New App Buys It

From Wired

“Amazon just keeps making it easier for you to buy everything on the web. If the company continues to have its way, you’ll never need to go to the store again.

Today, Amazon is announcing a new feature inside its mobile shopping app that lets you scan items in your home using your smartphone’s camera and quickly order all of your packaged goods online. The new feature, called Flow, will be available inside Amazon’s shopping app for iOS. It’s iPhone-only for now, and the company isn’t saying when it will arrive on other smartphone platforms, or on the Kindle Fire.”

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Lloyds Bank cuts app development costs with service virtualisation

From ComputerworkdUK

“Lloyds Bank has revealed how using service virtualisation has helped it cut app development costs by reducing testing times and highlighting defects earlier so that they can be fixed more cheaply.

The bank, which uses CA Technologies’ LISA service virtualisation, told the CA Expo 13 conference in London how its DevOps team used the tool to help deliver major business changes - expanding its internet channel, developing its mobile proposition and optimising business processes - more cost effectively.”

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Open API for Bank Apps: Can Credit Agricole's Model Work in the US?

From American Banker

“When a bank wants some out-of-the box thinking, it might help to look outside the industry not only for ideas but also for the finished product.

That's what French bank Credit Agricole did when it launched the CAStore, an online marketplace that essentially crowdsources ideas for new banking applications from customers and gives developers the technological tools they would need to create apps that either fulfill the wish list or are based on ideas they've dreamed up themselves.”

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3 Fixes for Common Mobile Banking Performance Problems

From American Banker

“In their relatively new role as mobile app and mobile web developers, banks are hitting many speed bumps — glitches, 404 errors, slow response times, and crashes that drive customers to frustration and sometimes to the apps of competitors. Resolving these is important as mobile banking usage continues to rise.”

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Banks Struggle with the Decision to Offer Small Business Apps

From American Banker

“Since Apple released the iPhone in 2007, mobile banking apps for retail banking customers have become the financial equivalent of the little black dress — a must have. Yet, one customer type has been neglected in the app stores: small business owners.”

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Citi sets sights on international markets to cement mobile banking focus

“Financial institution Citi is rolling out its iPad application internationally to reach new groups of consumers and show them how mobile banking works.

Citi has rolled out the iPad app to Russia and Hong Kong as part of a bigger marketing strategy to expand its global footprint this year. Mobile has played a key role for Citi over the past few years to help clients manage their accounts from their handsets.”

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6 Mobile Banking Features on B of A's Drawing Board

“Bank of America isn't generally first to market with new mobile banking features, but when it does offer something new, it draws high adoption numbers and it strikes fear in the hearts of competing bankers, who know their customers will soon start asking why their bank doesn't offer it.”

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First Look: How Wells Fargo Envisions a Smaller Branch

“I'm in the basement. Of a bank. Nicknamed "The Playground."

Looking at the place where Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) tests out design ideas for a new branch concept meant for smaller spaces.

That playground turned into a physical reality for Wells Fargo customers in Washington, D.C. on Monday. Instead of teller windows, five bank employees equipped with Microsoft Surface tablets stroll around to help customers accomplish their financial tasks in Wells' new "neighborhood store."

This new, mini-branch is how the fourth-largest bank by assets thinks about adding a physical presence in an urban area during a time when people are increasingly using digital channels to do their banking. In short: the San Francisco bank is finding ways to maximize a smaller space.

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“Buggy” apps hurt customer experience in mobile banking

“Banks aren't using on-line banking properly, Australian mobile marketing firm, BanterMob, has claimed. The group studied 42,000 ratings and about 2000 reviews of Australian banking applications available in the four major app stores.

BanterMob director, Kelly Slessor, says the results show high levels of negativity and sub-optimal customer experience”

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3 Banking Apps Shooting Up the Rankings

“Mobile money management is no longer the next big thing — it’s the big thing right now. From banking apps for depositing funds and paying bills to payment apps to use at the point of sale to person-to-person payment apps, there’s a lot of ways for customers to take their money mobile.

Here are three iOS apps that showed big gains in number of downloads.”

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Capital One 360 Offers Remote Check Deposit via Simple File Upload (no smartphone required)

“Since last April, Capital One 360 (formerly ING Direct), has allowed customers to make deposit via the mobile phone app, and (drum roll), via file upload.”

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What we are reading … 19th March 2013

The On/Off Debit Card Switch Comes to Centier Bank's Mobile App http://dld.bz/cqKUW

For Students, Banking 2.0 Involves Social Media (and the Ads That Go With It) http://abcn.ws/WispBC

Royal Bank of Scotland rolls out 'Ideas Bank' http://www.finextra.com/News/FullStory.aspx?newsitemid=24637

The Hunt for India Bank Licenses - India Real Time http://dld.bz/cqKUP

More Banks Hit by Cyberattacks than Initially Thought http://dld.bz/cqvD4

Doctor 'used silicone fingers' to sign in for colleagues http://bbc.in/XorS2U

One Per Cent: Bitcoin add-on makes your virtual purchases private http://shar.es/e7lI4

What we are reading … 18th March 2013

Mobile Privacy: The Regulatory Trends - BankInfoSecurity http://dld.bz/cqwfn

Lost ATM card? Turn it off with this mobile app http://dld.bz/cqwcP

NAB installs new IT overhaul boss in search of A$800m savings http://dld.bz/cqwby

Bitcoin Tipper lets users tweet virtual currency http://dld.bz/cqKUK

UK bank fraud up in 2012, but how much do customers lose? http://dld.bz/cqwaZ

Mobile Payments: Managing Vendors http://dld.bz/cqvZe

Telcos losing mind-share in mobile wallet race http://www.finextra.com/News/FullStory.aspx?newsitemid=24629

Mitigating SEPA Compliance Risk http://www.finextra.com/Community/FullBlog.aspx?blogid=7452

2013 Tech Trends Mobile Only and Beyond

The lightning-fast pace of the mobile era offers opportunities which go well beyond using mobile apps to do what you've always done differently. It's about doing fundamentally different things. Businesses' "mobile-first" philosophy may soon need to be replaced by a "mobile-only" strategy.

What we are reading … 11th March 2013

New Research Reveals China's Potential for a Mobile Banking Revolution http://dld.bz/cpkWP

Tips & Tools for Breach Investigations - BankInfoSecurity http://dld.bz/cpkWN

Tracking Sensors Invade the Workplace http://on.wsj.com/14vlmEQ

Simplify and Secure Your Passwords http://www.finextra.com/Community/FullBlog.aspx?blogid=7436

New Wave of DDoS Attacks Launched http://dld.bz/cnMmm

Apps Are Creating New Jobs http://on.wsj.com/Z8LxBD

Smells like innovation http://www.mobilepaymentstoday.com/blog/9963/Smells-like-innovation#.UTbYNVn4vZk.twitter

Chart of the Day

What we are reading … 1st March 2013

Top 50 Safest Global Banks http://on.wsj.com/Onwnjf

Top 10 Mobile Banking Apps http://www.americanbanker.com/gallery/top-ten-mobile-apps-in-pictures-1057018-1.html

The myth of the always-on cloud http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/datacenter/the-myth-of-the-always-on-cloud/6047

New Banking Tech of the Future http://www.mybanktracker.com/news/2013/02/22/weekly-wrap-banking-tech-future/

Israeli Credit Card Issuer Uses Data to Deflect Call Center Calls http://dld.bz/ckxkD

Bank Muscat hit by $39m pre-paid card fraud http://www.finextra.com/News/FullStory.aspx?newsitemid=24586

Are Mobile Banking Apps Safe? http://enterprisemobilitytoday.com/are-mobile-banking-apps-safe/

Tanzania to Standardise Mobile Money http://dld.bz/ckwQH

Operational Risk Management...: Cyber Allies: A Whole Community Strategy... http://shar.es/jW3jO

Credit Suisse Faces DOJ Probe Into Mortgage Products http://huff.to/13b7jIl