Google Wallet is a nifty new feature that may be showing up on your next new phone. To use it, just tap your phone on the payment station at your local merchant; it charges your credit card and saves a receipt on your phone for later examination.
(Google Wallet makes spending a breeze)
It will take quite a bit of time for Google to build out its relationships with merchants to make this available; however, I was surprised to find that a lot of stores in my vicinity were ready to accept Google Wallet. Use this link to where Google Wallet works to find merchants in your area. (I can buy pizza at one of my favorite places!)
Fans of Technovelgy and Frederik Pohl already know where I'm going with this. Yes, the amazing Joymaker from his 1965 novel The Age of the Pussyfoot could be used like a cellphone credit card!
To use your joymaker as a credit card: You must know the institutional designation and account spectrum ...
Via Google Wallet; in the interests of full disclosure, I did receive a free tchotchke for listening to a spiel on this at Google I/O.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 7/1/2012)
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