Google Wallet was announced in May—an app that makes your phone your wallet—with Citi, MasterCard, Sprint and First Data. With Google Wallet, you can tap, pay and save using your phone and near field communication (NFC). Following testing, today today Google released the first version of the app to Sprint, with the app available on all Sprint Nexus S 4G phones. Google also announced that Visa, Discover and American Express are joining Citi and Mastercard in signing up for o future versions of Google Wallet.Continue reading...

Well, at least General Mills thinks that Aaron Rodgers is worthy of an endorsement contract: The cereal maker is featuring the Green Bay Packers Super Bowl MVP quarterback on boxes of Wheaties for a month, along with the team's defensive star, linebacker Clay Matthews. But only in Wisconsin.

The Wheaties deal illustrates one of the most interesting marketing twists of the new, almost-delayed season of NFL football.

Rodgers did the Walt Disney World parade thing on the day after his team's Super Bowl victory in February, appeared on the David Letterman show and did some of the other PR duties usually attendant to a good-looking, articulate, "elite" quarterback after leading such a march to the championship.

But for some reason, Rodgers has been slow to catch on as a spokesman for national brands in the way that the league's other top field generals, past and present, have done.Continue reading...

U.S. House is expected to pass debt ceiling bill tonight, with the Senate set to vote Tuesday.

Amazon launches AmazonLocal daily deals in Groupon's hometown of Chicago; launches MyHabit app to compete with Gilt Groupe; beefs up streaming offering to compete with Hulu by adding Universal titles; and looks to expand Kindle library.

Apple iPhone 5 now rumored for October; Apple TV lets users buy TV shows with streaming update; and Apple blocks Samsung tablet release in Australia.

Twitter confirms "significant" ($800M?) funding round led by Russia's DST Global; adds Dutch and Indonesian local sites; and opens NYC office.

Adobe bows to Apple and builds Flash alternative.

Airbnb looks to defuse user security concerns by offering $50,000 guarantee to homeowners.

Allstate to shut banking unit, posts $620M in losses on tornado claims.Continue reading...

As part of MasterCard Worldwide’s iconic "Priceless" campaign, the brand has created a New York-based promotional event for its Priceless Cities in-market branding campaign.

Given that it's summer in the Big Apple, Priceless New York centers around — what else? — the New York Yankees, creating a game for baseball fans to play by hiding Yankee’s seats throughout the city in partnership with Facebook Places.

Find the chairs and check-in via Facebook Places to be eligible to win special prizes, including meet-and-greets with Yankee greats, a “safari sleepover” at the Bronx Zoo, “V.I.P. treatment” at Marcus Samuelsson's red-hot Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem, and access to a new section of Yankee Stadium known as Batter’s Eye View – which includes a MasterCard Batter’s Eye Cafe.Continue reading...

News of the World closure and fall-out (including editor's possible arrest, impact on BSkyB deal and The Sun staff protest) tests News Corp.'s and Rupert Murdoch's political skills.

ABC cancelled soaps find new life online.

AMC sale price rises thanks to Mad Men.

Apple loses bid for Amazon injunction in "Appstore" tussle, reportedly discounts iAd pricing.

CBS lawsuit over Tony awards broadcast by Bret Michaels moves to New York.

Deutsche Bank is in talks to sell BHF Bank.

Japan hit by another earthquake.Continue reading...

Last week, Google launched a new service, Google Advisor, to help consumers make money decisions and compare financial products: credit cards, CDs, checking, and savings accounts.

Today, the search giant unveiled its own financial product, Google Wallet, at a press conference in New York, with partners Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint, sharing the stage.

Can Google Banking be far behind?Continue reading...

AOL struggles in first quarter, while display advertising business grew.

Chipotle hiring probe expands.

ConAgra (maker of Chef Boyardee, Slim Jim) increases bid for Post cereal owner Ralcorp.

American Airlines offers in-flight streaming to personal devices.

Apple's iPhone 5 faces delay as app revenue projected to hit $3 billion.

Applied Materials to buy Varian Semiconductor.

AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile scrap "Isis" payment platform for mobile wallet.Continue reading...

That Dora-esque complaint could be the battle cry from merchants fed up with paying a substantial fee to the credit card companies in return for carrying their card-swiping and transactional business.

The mobile payments market could reach $618 billion by 2016, according to consulting firm Edgar, Dunn & Co., and the battle is heating up. 

Google has partnered with MasterCard and Citigroup to have the Nexus S Android smartphone, developed with Samsung, embedded with near-field communication (NFC) technology to enable purchases with a wave of the device across readers at the point-of-sale or check-out.

It’s the next territorial imperative for m-commerce as the financial-services, technology and telecom industries craft strategies and devices to get more of consumer spending via smartphones which are virtually transforming into electronic wallets.Continue reading...