This is huge: Vodafone will let mobile and internet application developers use the company's global billing system, which reaches almost 300 million mobile customers around the world.
Start saying farewell to a massive, massive bottleneck for digital commerce.
This means anyone, worldwide, with a Vodafone postpaid or prepaid
account will be able to use it as a payments system for buying things
online and over their mobiles.
This is especially good news for media and games companies that want to
charge for content, because people are far more comfortable with having
a two dollar charge on their mobile account than they are with getting
out the credit card - and the majority of the world's population do not
even have credit cards. But they all have mobiles.
As mentioned on this blog a while back, a huge opportunity for mobile
networks is to turn their systems into "smart pipes" that can deliver
and charge for content in ways that the old dumb pipes of the internet
cannot do. Today is the biggest example yet of an operator jumping on
that train and riding it.
Companies like Apple, RIM and Nokia are already doing this in a way
with their app stores, letting third-party companies bill customers
through their app store accounts. But Vodafone's system is big on a
whole different level, and customers can charge up accounts with
scratch cards available on every street corner. Watch for other big
global networks to jump on this ASAP, and cross your fingers that the
whole system ends up being interoperable.
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Company%20Profile
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SUCCESSION%20SEASON%204%20EPISODE%201
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Background: Chemical Weapons
Our House, Louise Candlish,
Simon & Schuster
Non-oil%20trade
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A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Honeymoonish
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SPECS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MORE ON CORONAVIRUS & THE ECONOMY
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Two-litre%20four-cylinder%20turbo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E235hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nine-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh167%2C500%20(%2445%2C000)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
If%20you%20go
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MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.