Apple Inc conspired with publishers to raise the price of e-books in a scheme costing consumers "hundreds of millions of dollars," a U.S. government lawyer said on Monday.   A three-week trial got under way before a federal judge in New York in a case pitting the Justice Department against the popular iPad and iPhone maker that could shine a light on the secretive Silicon Valley giant's business practices. " Apple told publishers that Apple - and only Apple - could get...

The path to clearing up enough airwaves to satisfy the insatiable demand for mobile downloads is a confusing, complicated mess. Mobile data traffic is expected to increase by a factor of 13 in five years, according to Cisco. That's why the Federal Communications Commission and carriers are working diligently to free up big swaths of wireless spectrum for mobile devices. By doing so, they're attempting to stave off what most agree would be a miserable outcome if they fail.  "I e-mailed my...

Online commerce is no longer in its infancy, and as more and more consumers shop online every day, the demands they place on eRetailers increase as well. According to an eCommerce and digital marketing report issued by EPiServer , more than half of UK consumers are using their mobile phones or tablets to make online purchases every week. Moreover, 36 percent reported they have been purchasing more items online in the last year. Consumer satisfaction is a huge part of the eCommerce world, as...

In early 2010, Nish Bhalla sat down at his computer with one objective: steal a huge amount of money from a bank. It wasn't a typical heist. Bhalla is the chief executive of Security Compass , a company that tests security systems at banks, retailers, energy companies and other organizations with sensitive data. His clients -- including the bank branch in the United States that he targeted in his 2010 attack -- pay him to break into their systems.  It can be easier than most people...

Europeans make 19 million contactless transactions in March 2013 Visa Europe confirmed that contactless usage has reached a critical point of adoption across Europe. Monthly transaction numbers across Europe reached more than 19 million in March 2013. Over €1billion has now been spent on contactless cards and smartphones equipped with a Visa payWave app. 2013 has seen contactless momentum in the UK grow significantly with 1.5 million Visa contactless transactions being made on London...

If we weren't all using 1960s technology to conduct financial transactions, maybe we wouldn't get heisted. On May 9, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn revealed that an international team of thieves had stolen close to $45 million in the biggest ATM fraud case in history. The heist required some hacking and a lot of orchestration, so news organizations and police forces have been calling it high-tech and " sophisticated ." Which it isn't, really! It's possible because the US--yes, specifically the...

The road to bringing the next 500 million consumers into the financial services mainstream is indeed paved with good intentions. It’s a path that many are discussing at the “Extreme Inclusion: Development, Dignity and Financial Services” event, taking place May 2 and 3 at the Fletcher School at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. Supported by MasterCard and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Extreme Inclusion purports to ask a tough question: is the supposed progress...

Despite the company's announcement of a dividend increase and stock buyback, the truth is Apple didn't have much to say. And that may be problematic. Here's what Apple told investors about its business Tuesday: Margins, revenues, and profits in the next quarter all will be worse than investors had expected. Here's what Apple didn't address Wednesday: Specific plans for any new product categories or personnel moves, either among its long-serving management team or to fill at least one...