In a post titled "YouTube Goes Offline", Thai Tran writes on the YouTube blog that video content creators can now sell their work - "for a small fee paid through Google Checkout" - in a pilot program.

For the first time in history, comScore's Q4 2008 retail e-commerce sales estimates showed that online retail spending declined 3 percent versus year ago. For the full year 2008, comScore reported that retail e-commerce grew 6 percent to $130.1 billion, a substantially lower growth rate than in previous years. READ MORE

Voltage Security has announced major enhancements to Voltage SecureData, supporting more environments and platforms, including end-to-end encryption across distributed environments such as those used by retail and payment processors. "Voltage customers are finding it easier to protect their data end-to-end, comply with regulations and protect sensitive customer information from the moment it is collected." READ MORE

Gemalto and INSIDE Contactless have announced availability of a Near-Field Communications (NFC) solution fully complying with the latest ETSI standards. According to the companies,

"the solution also meets the new GSM Association "Pay-Buy-Mobile" mobile handset requirements based on the Single Wire Protocol (SWP). The new Inside MicroRead® NFC chip, combined with the Gemalto latest UpTeq 300 m-NFC SIM card embarking a Common Criteria EAL4+ security certified chip, gives handset makers and mobile operators the first fully compliant, interoperable, full-speed SWP solution - tested at 1.6 Mbps - to support proximity payments, transport and ticketing."

Fiserv has released results of a newly commissioned survey by Forrester finding that U.S. consumers are using the online banking channel more frequently to access their accounts during the current global financial crisis.

"Some 71 percent of consumers said they are keeping a closer eye on their finances than they did a year ago. Slightly more than three-quarters of the consumers surveyed said they use online banking, with non-users making up the remaining one-quarter. Online banking usage increased far more than any other banking channel, with 28 percent of consumers indicating they are using online banking more than they did a year ago, and 63 percent said managing all of their accounts online from one site would help them feel more in control of their finances."

CGAP has published a white paper titled "Going Cashless at the Point of Sale: Hits and Misses in Developed Countries" by Ignacio Mas and Sarah Rotman. The paper explores a number of payment systems that have been tried and failed vs. those that have achieved some level of success. Includes discussion of Mondex, Octopus, Mobipay (Spain), Moneta (Korea), Simpay (Europe), and Osaifu-Keitai (Japan).

CGAP, the global microfinance center, is releasing new research and data to encourage telecom operators, financial institutions and governments to see the business potential in expanding access to financial services for poor people in developing markets. According to CGAP, "the current economic climate makes the need for widespread availability of safe alternatives to cash even more pressing." READ MORE

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