Credit Card Processing Leader, BluePay, Announces Launch of New Website

BluePay, a Leader in the Credit Card Processing Industry, Has Recently Launched a New Website to Help Merchants Acquire Quick, Easy Payment Solutions and Process Their Transactions Securely and Efficiently
Launching their new website in early April 2009, BluePay's goal is to stay connected with merchants in search of a fast, reliable payment processing company. BluePay.com allows merchants to accept all major credit cards with two simple options, BluePay Go! and BluePay HQ.

"BluePay.com makes it easy for merchants to accept credit cards, including Visa, Discover Network, MasterCard, and American Express, and can incorporate less commonly used payment methods to make the purchase process even more convenient for both the merchant and the customers," says Kristen Gramigna, Director of BluePay.

BluePay Go! is designed for merchants who need service now. The site allows merchants to browse through products and services all while getting them started fast. BluePay Go! provides a complete lineup of credit card processing solutions to meet the complex and changing needs of a growing business. They make accepting payment for services or products easy, fast and secure. They also offer their service while maintaining incredibly low credit card processing rates. BluePay Go! helps businesses get started accepting credit cards, debit cards, and ACH payments. Additionally, BluePay Go! assists companies in streamlining their payment process for easier transactions.

Intuit unveils mobile phone credit card processing

Chances are you’ve seen wireless payment terminals, those handheld devices being used by the clerk at the Apple Store or the flight attendant who pours a cocktail at 35,000 feet. The devices allow for instant payments to be processed simply by swiping a credit card into it.

Intuit, the maker of QuickBooks software for small businesses, is announcing a new service today, called Intuit GoPayment, that will put credit-card processing technology into most cell phones, paving the way for electricians, tow-truck drivers or any other mobile workers who normally depend on sending a bill, collecting a check or sticking to a cash-only model to collect immediate payment.

But the system does more than just allow mobile workers to collect payment. It also allows users to tap back into their Quickbooks accounts to input different types of information, such as invoicing or estimate information and synchronize it with the Quickbooks data back at the home office.

In some cases, that involves a mobile Web connection. But the company said that it’s also enabling other features with familiar tools such as SMS text messaging to quickly look up a quick price or maybe estimated delivery day, information that might be found in Quickbooks.

The new service is part of Intuit’s mobile strategy for small businesses. A survey by the company found that overdue payments in the Account Receivables file is a growing concern. In addition, nearly 40 percent of the respondents said they saw an increase in sales after giving customers the option to pay by credit card.

The company is also offering optional Bluetooth equipment that will connect to cell phones wirelessly, allowing users to swipe a credit card, instead of just inputting in the information, and even print a receipt.

Cell phone record subpoenas cost

For at least a short while, those facing prosecution in Lee County may find it less likely to have information about their cellular phones submitted as evidence in court.

Cell phone service provider U.S. Cellular recently informed County Attorney Mike Short the company has begun charging for information about its subscribers.

It has become increasingly common for the county attorney's office to request cell phone records for crimes such as harassment, Short said.

"We give out subpoenas to cell phone companies by the hundreds. ... Every crime, we're checking cell phone records," Short said Tuesday during a Lee County department head meeting following the regular Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday.

U.S. Cellular began charging May 4, Short said.

For the short term, the attorney's office doesn't have the funds budgeted to pay for as many subpoenas as it has requested in the past.

"Considering the volume we have done, it could run into some real money. Obviously for the short term, it's not in budget," Short said. "Which means I'm probably not going to do as much or I'm going to come back later and say (to supervisors) I'm going to need a little more money."

When Short protested the charges, U.S. Cellular cited a 2005 court case, Ameritech Corp. V. McCann, in which a U.S. District Court judge in Wisconsin ruled cell phone companies can reasonably bill for information, Short said.

U.S. Cellular charges for a variety of information ranging from $5 for each monthly bill to $40 for specific call information, Short said.

A handful of other companies, including Virgin Mobile and Verizon, also charge for such information. Short expects AT&T and Sprint soon will be sending him bills, too.

Short noted that I-wireless, an affiliate of T-Mobile, does not charge.

Sprint Releases Eco-friendly Accessories

Sprint’s new cell phone charger has an integrated solar cell to allow for “mobile charging,” as the photovoltaic solar cell is capable of charging a lithium ion battery using just the sun’s rays.

The SOLIO Mono Hybrid Charger takes about 10 hours to charge directly through sunlight, with peak charging times between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The charger is compatible with many phone models, as well as digital cameras and other portable electronics.

Sprint is also offering cell phone carrying cases made out of 100 percent recycled PET, which are manufactured by Nite Ize. The new accessories are part of Sprint’s environmental priority to “promote an environmentally-sound supply chain.”

Another of Sprint’s priorities is to encourage cell phone recycling, as the company has set a 90 percent recovery rate goal by 2017. The company currently recycles about 34 percent of its phones.

“Sprint customers will continue to see more eco-friendly options, whether through our products and services or our business practices,” said Ralph Reid, vice president of corporate social responsibility for Sprint. “Sprint’s eco-friendly products will help consumers conserve natural resources and reduce their carbon footprint.”

If not so pricey, Nokia phone could hurt Palm Pre

Palm is fortunate that the Nokia doesn't yet have any U.S. carrier partners for its N97 smart phone. The phone, which was unveiled on stage at D: All Things Digital conference has some very impressive features. But, because the phone isn't subsidized by a carrier, anyone who wants one will have to pay $699. The soon-to-be-released Palm Pre will cost $199 with a two-year cell phone contract. The 8 GB iPhone also sells for $199.

At the moment, Palm is getting a lot of attention ahead of its June 6 release of the Pre, which impressed me and a lot of other people when it was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. If the N97 was competitively priced, it might have put a damper on early Palm sales but at three and a half times the price, the new N97 is a nonstarter.

Nokia didn't allow D attendees to try out the phone so all I know is what I saw during the demo. My impression could change once I actually get my hands on one but--based on what I saw--it looked quite good. The GSM phone is likely to work on the AT&T and T-Mobile networks in the U.S. as well as most networks in Europe and other parts of the world.

Like the Palm Pre, there is both a touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard. The iPhone only has a touchscreen. The N97 comes with a whopping 32 gigabytes of internal memory plus a microSD slot for those who want even more memory. The Palm Pre has only 8 GB while the current iPhone maxes out at 16 GB.

The N97 has a 5 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeis lens. Most important, the lens has a cover to protect it from being scratched or soiled by coins, keys and pocket lint.

Nokia, which acquired Navteq in 2007, incorporates Navteq's mapping technology which includes turn-by-turn directions and a point of interest data base that's dynamically updated with such things as gas prices.

One possibly useful feature is a text to speech engine that can read your e-mail out loud. Like most text-to-speech software, it speaks in a robotic voice that many people find annoying but it does make it possible to listen to your e-mail while driving. Of course, you still have to configure it, which could require you to take your eyes off the road, but once you press the play button it can read all of your recent messages.

It also has a built-in FM transmitter to stream audio to a car radio.

Sprint Surpasses Recycling Goal, Sharp Adds Solar Cell Phone

As one major cell phone carrier labors to recycle obsolete units, a manufacturer is bringing into play a phone that charges itself by the sun.

Earlier this year, Sprint set a goal to recycle 250,000 cell phones during April, coinciding with the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Cell Phone Recycling Week. The company collected 279,524 phones for recycling in April, according to a press release.

Sprint says it leads the wireless industry in recycling efforts, with more than 16 million units diverted from landfills for reuse or recycling since 2001.

Cell phone manufacturer Sharp, meanwhile, has introduced a solar cell phone.

The Solar Phone SH002 requires a 10-minute exposure to direct sunlight to deliver one minute of talktime or two hours of standby, according to CNET.

If left outdoors long enough, the cell phone should be able to charge up to 80 percent of capacity, according to the article. The cell phone also is waterproof.

Like most nifty electronics, the cell phone is only available in Japan for now.

Sprint offers a separate solar charging unit for cell phones.

How to Buy a Cell Phone

With hundreds of handsets to choose from, it can be tough to find the right one. Here's what you need to know to dial up the perfect phone.

These days, smartphones get all the buzz, but the vast majority of handsets sold in the U.S. are actually feature phones: camera phones, music phones, rugged phones, messaging phones, or just plain voice phones.

Unlike smartphones, feature phones are a matter of "what you see is what you get." They don't receive magical software upgrades or run thousands of additional apps, as does the iPhone, for example. That doesn't mean they only make calls, though you can find phones that only make calls, if a basic phone is what you want. But most feature phones include some combination of a camera, a basic Web browser, e-mailing and text messaging apps, and music and video players.

Feature phones are typically less expensive than smartphones. They're available in a much wider range of shapes and sizes, and on a broader range of plans, including prepaid options. Monthly service fees for feature phones are generally cheaper too, which can make a multipurpose feature phone a good bet.

Ready to find your phone? Here's what you should consider before you start shopping:

First, Choose Your Carrier

Because all the national carriers sell a wide variety of phones, choosing your service provider should be your first move. Here's a quick rundown of what each of the primary U.S. carriers offers:

AT&T boasts nationwide coverage and a terrific selection of phones, particularly for texting. But some folks, especially in the Northeast, complain that AT&T's coverage isn't all it's cracked up to be when it comes to reliability and quality.

Cricket and MetroPCS are new "unlimited" carriers that offer much lower rates than their competitors and don't require contracts. But they aren't available everywhere, and they have a somewhat limited selection of phones.

Sprint is relatively inexpensive, and offers some neat media services and a solid high-speed network. It also has the most open approach to third-party apps, running the best e-mail software and letting its subscribers add a wide range of Java applications to their feature phones.

T-Mobile offers cutting-edge phones at relatively low monthly rates and enjoys a reputation for good customer service. But its nationwide coverage isn't as complete as AT&T's or Verizon's.

Verizon Wireless is famed for its excellent network quality and good customer service. Its prices, however, can be higher than the competition's, and the carrier is typically slow to offer new handset features, like 5-megapixel cameras. But when it comes to voice quality, many Verizon phones excel.

Virgin Mobile is a nationwide prepaid carrier that uses Sprint's network but can undercut Sprint's rates. Virgin has relatively few phones on its roster, and those it does offer are mostly low-end.

You may also see unlocked phones on the market that work with GSM networks such as AT&T and T-Mobile but aren't sold by the carriers. These handsets are often imports. Because they're generally more expensive than carrier-approved-and-subsidized phones, few are sold in the U.S.

Next, What Are Your Feature Priorities?

Because feature phones do almost everything, you should decide what capabilities you need or want most. Start narrowing down your choices by first ranking the five major categories of features in order of importance: voice, messaging, camera, media playback, and Web/GPS/games/miscellaneous. Once that's done, you'll be able to concentrate on a filtered-down selection of feature phones.

If you're big on text messaging, you want to focus on messaging functionality. If you've got a small child, a camera is probably important. If you want to ditch your iPod, keep an eye out for good media features.

Since it's a given that you want your calls to sound good, you may feel you should focus mainly on voice rather than other features. You don't need to worry too much about that. The vast majority of phones sold today have solid voice capabilities. Paying attention to the other features you like, and then double-checking to make sure the phone you choose delivers on voice quality, makes it easier to sift through a long list of handsets.