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• Major banks ready their own mobile payment apps

  Several major national and international banks are planning to launch their own mobile payments apps next year.

• MCX says CurrentC is less about tech, more about relationships

  The company behind CurrentC, an in-store mobile payment system backed by some of the biggest retailers in the U.S., attempted on Wednesday to play down a growing controversy over whether its backers could accept Apple Pay.

• Commercial pilots group concerned over Amazon drone safety

  An organization representing thousands of commercial pilots in the U.S. and Canada says it's concerned about the safety implications of Amazon flying drones at a site near Seattle.

• CEO Tim Cook calls merchants' refusal to accept Apple Pay a 'skirmish'

  Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday called the battle with retailers like Walmart, Rite Aid, CVS and others over mobile payments only a "skirmish" while speaking at the Wall Street Journal's technology conference.

• Apple Pay saw 1 million activations in first three days

  Apple's new contactless payment system on the iPhone 6 saw 1 million activations in its first three days of use, pointing to an initially enthusiastic response from Apple users.

• CVS joins Rite Aid in refusing NFC payments

  It's been around only a week, but Apple Pay is already making waves in the mobile payments field. On Monday, major drugstore chain CVS joined rival Rite Aid in disabling the NFC (near-field communication) payment function on in-store terminals.

• Apple Pay's next move could be phone-to-phone payments

  The launch this week of Apple Pay is giving many people their first taste of NFC payment technology, which allows them to buy things in a store by bringing an iPhone 6 close to a compatible terminal.

• Apple Pay could be a big deal for Android users

  The launch of Apple Pay on Monday has brought considerable publicity to a technology that's already embedded in millions of Android smartphones yet has so far failed to take off.

• Intel preps new technology to secure credit card transactions

  Swiping credit cards or using payment systems like Apple Pay at stores could become much safer thanks to a new Intel system, which could also make it easier for retailers to secure data after transactions are completed.

• Subway to accept NFC payments starting in October

  Subway will soon allow customers to pay for their sandwiches with the tap of a smartphone.

• In Pictures: The many looks of the Apple Watch

  Apple's new smartwatch is highly customisable. Here's a look at the possible adaptations available to customers.

• M2M market to top $530m

  The Australian market for machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies is expected to be worth more than $530 million by 2019, with a compound annual growth rate of 20 per cent, said researcher Ovum.
  

• Apple enters the mobile payments business

  Apple is getting into the mobile payments business with the launch of Apple Pay in the U.S. next month.

• Baidu, Tencent help Chinese shopping malls take on Alibaba

  Baidu and Tencent are teaming up with a Chinese shopping mall operator in a joint venture that could steal business away from local e-commerce giant Alibaba Group.

• Woolies books $1.2B in online sales

  Woolworths completed $1.2 billion in online sales this financial year, a 50 per cent increase on FY2013, making the company Australia’s largest internet retailer.