Mobile, Digital Wallet | featured news

On Wednesday, Microsoft announced features of its upcoming Windows Phone 8 mobile OS, including built-in turn-by-turn navigation, a secure "wallet" system, a new, faster browser and live tiles that can be custom sized to better fit the Start screen. Perhaps most importantly, the company revealed that the next wave of Windows Phones will really be Windows Phones, because when Windows Phone 8 comes out, it will share a "common core" of software with Windows 8.

Verizon Wireless will use technology from American Express for mobile phone payments, allowing Verizon customers to use the financial company's Serve software to make online payments.

Google Inc. launched its bid to dominate a world where the smartphone has replaced the wallet as the container for credit cards, coupons and receipts.

Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile formed a joint venture to allow their customers to pay for goods and services with their cellphones. Google's CEO said the next version of Android would allow phones to work as digital wallets.