I am no technophobe. I love new gadgets and am happy to try out new stuff. However, I’m not likley to go for this one.
Google is set to join forces with MasterCard and Citigroup to let users of its Android mobile phones pay for purchases using ‘near-field communications’ (NFC) technology, reports say.
I can see why the idea appeals and I expect that there will be a take-up, but not by me. I have a couple of contactless cards in my wallet, but have never used their capability, preferring to stick with entering the PIN for purchases. Yes, I am well aware that there are limits that restrict the amount of fraudulent activity, but I prefer to keep it to zero if at all possible.
The other snippet that really disturbs me is this:
A number of companies, such as discount site Groupon as well as Google, are known to be working on ways of making mobile phones received highly targeted offers or adverts. Google’s Chief Executive Eric Schmidt has repeatedly said that Google wants to take advantage of how much mobile phones know about their owners. Location data, combined with time and shopping history could be used to tailor ads, for instance.
No! No! No! Never! The last thing I want is for advertisers to contact me on my mobile. I have it for making calls, not for some shark to try and sell me their tat. Piss off, already. My mobile is my personal property, it is not a sales platform and any attempt to make it so will be taken as trespass. If that happens, I hope (expect) the developers of Adblock Plus to do the right thing and make a mobile appTM to block them out.
TM – the control freaks at Apple.
Quite apart from the security risks of ANY radio based system, targeted adds is reason enough to tell them to get stuffed. Did you see this disturbing experience?
http://www.waspsnest.com/2011/03/25/can-i-see-your-papers-please
I did.
I got spam on my works mobile from Screwfix. Told em to piss off. They didn’t so we changed phone providers.
Last year I spent over £4K at Screwfix. This year I shall spend nowt.
Was that text spam? I haven’t had any of that for ages. I’m not too sure what Google’s proposal will look like in the flesh – some form of app or something inherent in the operating system that allows advertisers in. If it’s the latter, all the more reason not to have an Android phone.
No! No! No! Never! The last thing I want is for advertisers to contact me on my mobile.
Longrider Canute – I fear you cannot hold it back.
Oh, I’ll find a way. Whether it’s something like AdBlock or downgrading to a non-smartphone. As we are dealing with Google here, I’ll just make damned sure I don’t have phone with their operating system.