Google wallet and PayPal are picking up more payment processing for online transactions. In order to cut down on bank charges and for convenience, more and more are using these payment systems. So, what will happen to age old ATMs at your bank?

Tendency is towards more and more banks to automate customer transactions as much as possible. This will help to cut down on staff and waiting time on lines, and create more efficiency. But the problem is ATMs are so old and doesn’t use technological advancements such as capabilities of smartphones and tablets.

Banks and ATM developers are trying out cutting edge ATMs lately. One of the main manufacturers of ATMs, NCR, indicates 90 percent of banking functions can be done on ATMs, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. The Bank of America is testing an ATM that find a teller at a remote location via video to complete a transaction with a customer at an ATM who left the debit card at home and allows the person to withdraw cash by showing the driver’s license. With younger generation hooked on gadgets, the old ATM badly needs a new update to keep those who are banking with them and to attract more 35 and younger crowed.

Ads touting about nationwide mobile phone coverage and speed are dominating the print media, the Internet and the airways. The nation’s No. 1 carrier Verizon Wireless with more than 93 million subscribers and the No. 2 carrier AT&T with 71 million subscribers are no exceptions. They both have spent billions of dollars for 4G LTE, the most current system which was introduced in 2010 by both carriers. The 4G LTE is capable of delivering high-definition video in 30 seconds without dropping frames.

When it comes to speed delivering applications, Web pages, and other data, AT&T edge Verizon Wireless according to PC Magazine and RootMetrics as reported by Bloomberg Businessweek. The AT&T average wireless download speed is over 18 mbps compared to just over 15 mbps for Verizon Wireless. Sprint and T-Mobile lineup behind the two giants in distant third place in terms of delivery speed. Congestion appears to be the key element that slows delivery for Verizon Wireless which cuts down the speed by about 25 percent. In order to win the speed war, Verizon Wireless is now looking in to using unused telecommunication spectrum in a new technology known as advanced wireless services (AWS).

For the first time, T-Mobile will offer Apple’s new iPhone 5 on April 12, 2013 at all its 3,000 plus stores in the U.S. T-Mobile expects to sell 3.4 million iPhones in 2013. T-Mobile will allow customers to trade in their old iPhone 4 and 4S, and trade in will get a new iPhone 5 without customary $99.99 charge that most others charge. Instead customers will get $120 credit towards future phone bills. T-Mobile will not subsidize the Apple iPhone 5, but will charge the cost in easy $50 a month installment. This is good news for T-Mobile, its customers and Apple.

T-Mobile is the U.S. unit of Deutsche Telecom AG and is the fourth largest carrier in the U.S. T-Mobile is trying to get market share in the U.S. for some time. Its merger with Metro PCS Communications Inc. is expected to be completed soon and it will create a combined total of 42 million customers and provide an opportunity to expand its LTE coverage which they were lagging. T-Mobile calls itself as “the uncarrier” referring to the minimum contracts required by three major carriers. Offering Apple iPhone will allow T-Mobile to stop the exodus of subscribers.

The Canadian BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIMM) recently announced much anticipated two new products.  A full touchscreen BlackBerry Z10 will hit the market in March 2013 and the BlackBerry Q10, a device equipped with a keyboard that will come in at the end of January.  The RIMM will also officially change its name to BlackBerry.  BlackBerry has been losing its market share to Apple’s iPhone 5 and Google’s Android operating system based Samsung’s Galaxy S lately.  BlackBerry Z10 may be its hope to stay alive.

BlackBerry Z10 has many innovations still be familiar to those who are using BlackBerry.  It introduces what it calls a Hub, a scrolling drop down menu of incoming and outgoing communications, texting, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, phone calls all in one place.  It can show you your entire history of those or if you choose history of one person.  If you prefer, it will bring up an on screen key board that anticipate your next word cutting down on your typing.  The keyboard appears to be bit larger than the one in Apple iPhone 5.  It is priced at $199 with two-year contract on Verizon and BlackBerry will announce other carriers soon.

The Waterloo, Canada based BlackBerry maker, Research In Motion (RIM) recently announced that it will be unveiling the new BlackBerry 10 on January 30, 2013 in New York City.  The new phone will carry an updated operating system and one or two new phones will also be introduced.  This is welcome news for the rapidly deteriorating smartphone company.  RIM’s market share for smartphones worldwide dropped from 9.5 percent in 2011 to about 4.3 percent lately.

One bright spot for the company is overseas sales.  Take Indonesia for an example.  On average, many Indonesians make around $160 a month.  A BlackBerry Torch cost around $440 and comes with free BlackBerry Messenger service and a low-cost Internet service for $4.69 a month.  There are other alternatives to BlackBerry available in the market.  Many around the world are dropping BlackBerry and opting for Google’s Android-powered or Apple’s iOS based iPhone.  But Indonesia remains a hot market for the BlackBerry.  In Indonesia it accounts for 37 percent of the market share down from 43 percent.  Android based smartphones leads the Indonesian market and Apple is in the third place behind BlackBerry.  Indonesia has the world’s third largest population at 242 million behind China and India.

The Amazon.com, an online retail behemoth introduced its first Kindle (code named Fiona at the time) on November 19, 2007 something completely unexpected from a retailer.  It allowed readers to download books quickly without a PC for the first time.  The innovation gave access to more than 90,000 strong books available from Amazon.com.  This helped Amazon.com to establish its name as a technology innovator and transformed the industry.  Amazon.com total revenue in 2007 climbed to over $14.8 billion.  A vast number of technology companies including Sony quickly jumped on the band wagon and the market was flooded with e-readers.

Amazon.com success in e-readers later brought Apple in to the book selling market with its iBookstore.  This resulted in Amazon fighting for its dominance in the digital book selling market.  Today it produces a Wi-Fi version of the Kindle, Kindle Fire HD, with an 8.9inch iPad like screen.  Its 16GB model sells for $299 and competes with similar tablets from Google and Apple.  Amazon.com has made several organizational changes within the company to further push its digital agenda.  All these changes and technology advancements are helping its bottom line and the company expects to earn more than $62 billion in 2012.

Microsoft has dominated the technology market in the month of October 2012 with lots of news.  During the month its new Windows 8 for personal computers, tablets, and smartphones is scheduled to be released; it will introduce its newest weapon in the tablet market with its Surface tablet; it will introduce a music and movie service; new slick software for its Xbox; and it will upgrade the Skype.

Its new Windows 8 operating system is the key element of all new products and applications.  It operates on touchscreens and uses tiles to navigate applications.  It gets rid of the rigid form of old Microsoft and creates user friendly navigation giving user a feel for cutting edge technology.  It shares your information among all your devices including your desktop PC, tablet, laptop and smartphone.  If you buy a song online, it will be available on all your devices and let you use the same sign in for all devices.

The introduction of the Surface pit Microsoft against Apple and others.  It also no longer depends on its allies like HP, Dell, Intel, Nokia, and Acer to come up with devices to run its programs.  This puts Microsoft in an awkward position with its long time partners.

Facebook has nearly a billion followers worldwide. It has no boundaries. Salamworld thinks that it can create a world with certain boundaries. Headquartered in Istanbul, Salamworld want to find the next Facebook based on Muslim core values. Salamworld has been created by a group of Turkish, Russian, and Central Asian media professionals and businessmen.

Currently there are 250 million Muslim Facebook users worldwide. According to Salamworld, they are with the Facebook because there is no other alternative. Recently they released a beta version of the site and expect to launch in 17 countries by the year’s end. In addition to sharing photos and posts, they intend to provide counseling by respected imams, Islamic e-books, city guides with Islamic centers and halal restaurants, and a Muslim news network. It plans to attract 50 million users in five years after the launch. Compare this to nearly 350 million Facebook users within the first five years of launch.

The history is not on Salamworld side. The Finland based Muxlim.com launched in 2006 shut down earlier this year due to losses. So far the London based AlWahy.com has not gained any traction. The Muslim Brotherhood’s site launched in 2010 has been shut down.

The Apple’s largest supplier, Foxconn Technology Group made headlines due to more than fifty labor violations in its factories in China.  However, a recent report prepared by the Fair Labor Association commissioned by Apple indicates that it is making changes and improving labor conditions in its factories.  It operates 13 factories in nine Chinese cities which include its largest factory located in Longhua, Shenzhen with estimated 230,000 to 450,000 employees.  Foxconn other factories are located in Asia, South America and Europe.

The world’s largest maker of electronics components, Hon Hai Precision Industry Company Limited, trading under Foxconn in the U.S. is headquartered in Tucheng, New Taipei, Taiwan.  It manufactures products for American, European, and Japanese companies.  Most notable products include iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Play Station 3, and Xbox 360.  In China, it is the largest single private sector employer.

Changes made by Foxconn includes redesign of dangerous equipment, making unemployment insurance benefits available to migrant workers, and reduce overtime to an average of 20 hours per week and trim it down to maximum of nine hours per week by 2013.  One area that is still outstanding is the requirement to complete the same amount of units even with the reduced number of hours.

Tim Cook took over the helm at Apple following the untimely death of Steve Jobs. Since that time Apple came out with a new iPhone version but seems stagnant at best. Most recently its shares are gradually heading down from its peak. So, what is going on with Apple?

Many say Apple and Steve Jobs are identified with each other even after his untimely death. So, it may be difficult for Tim Cook to get under his predecessor’s shadow. People will have get used to Apple and the way it is doing business recently.

Apple has been widely rumored to come out with a new but smaller, cheaper, and lighter iPad to compete with more popular Amazon.com’s Kindle Fire that cost $249 and Google’s Nexus 7 tablet that start at $199. These days it is hard to find a Nexus 7 in the market.

Apple iPhone sales are down lately. One reason for the sluggish stock value of Apple lately is that there are many rumors and speculation of a new iPhone version coming in this fall and people may be delaying purchase of the existing iPhones. But there are no indications from Apple about an upcoming iPhone version.