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Apple, Google, PayPal & others form coalition to ensure lawmakers understand financial tech

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With Apple Pay, Google Wallet and other services transforming the way people carry out transactions, Apple has joined forces with four other companies to ensure that lawmakers don’t end up ‘inadvertently’ stifling innovation in the financial services field.

Technology industry leaders Amazon, Apple, Google, Intuit and PayPal today announced the formation of Financial Innovation Now, a coalition that will promote policies to help foster greater innovation in financial services.

While the new organization uses relatively diplomatic language, it’s pretty clear that the aim is to ensure that politicians don’t screw things up by introducing poorly thought-out legislation, like the infamous example proposed by Democratic Rep. Joshua Peters … 
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As it struggles to keep up with demand, Apple offering discount on Mac Pro lease program to big buyers

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While shipping times for the new Mac Pro through Apple’s online stores continue to slip and scalpers are doubling prices on Ebay, we’ve learned that Apple is offering a special discount on large orders of the Mac Pro for business customers.

Apple is reaching out to select companies with an offer of up to 20% off leases for the new Mac Pro through Apple Financial Services. The deal is only available to business customers in the U.S. on orders of $25,000 or more on a 24 month lease and it appears Apple is only sending out the notice (above) to certain partners. Depending on configurations that would of course require a handful of new Mac Pros or more, but the discount represents big savings for businesses and hosting services like MacProColo.net that require that many Mac Pros.

What’s not clear is if orders would ship before the estimated April delivery quoted for regular customers on Apple’s site…


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Amex updates iPad app with Mayday-like live video chat to customer care team

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American Express has updated its free Amex for iPad app to provide live video chat with a customer care rep somewhat similar to the latest Kindles and their Mayday functionality. The facility is available only when using wifi rather than mobile data.

The app description says that the video chat facility is limited to “eligible card members” – the definition of which Amex has not shared. I guess there’s one way to find out whether you’re eligible …

The app also allows customers to search for transactions, generate filtered statements, create expenditure charts, pay bills and manage rewards and offers.

Reminder: Dropping glass screen tablets on cement will break them

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Everyone’s favorite iPad insurance provider Square Trade decided to waste a few perfectly good tablets (well one is) to drive home the message: Dropping glass screens on cement will break them.

Conveniently, Square Trade just happens to be in the business of insuring iPads and other tablets (Shocking, we know).
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