Invisible payments are convenient until they’re not. According to Rusty Carter, Arxan vice president of product management, the problem with payments one can’t see is that one also can’t see when they’re getting hacked — not until the impacted bank or business has already registered losses. And, he added, even the best mobile apps by the best developers are vulnerable if they aren’t protected properly. Here’s how the startup aims to keep invisible hackers at bay.  Read More...

Everything old is new again this week — except for those things that were just getting old. Long written off as a has-been that is really more of a "never was," the QR code is back and changing the face of loyalty and rewards. Looking less shiny this week were smart parts, which fizzled as Amazon nosed into their territory. And, in a week in which AI assistants were sizzling, Facebook’s assistant “M” said goodbye with plans to pull the plug on Jan. 19. It turns out consumers like talking to their AI assistants, but were less excited about texting with them.  Read More...

Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa has evolved exponentially since she first appeared on the scene in 2014. So, too, must developers’ visions if they want to use her to recreate new commerce experiences. Kris Zanuldin, head of connected commerce at Amazon, said voice is a new frontier and developers should view themselves as pioneers. What does that mean in practice? Zanuldin shared his tips and insights with PYMNTS in a must-read for developers — and anyone participating in the Voice Challenge with Amazon’s Alexa.  Read More...