Author: BWild

This update is expected to be introduced into iOS 9 to help to improve navigation in urban centers.

The creator of the iPhone is making some new improvements to its Apple Maps that will be bringing public transportation information to users, including route details about buses, subways and trains.

This will represent the first time that that this type of data has been worked into Apple’s own mapping products.

The users of iOS based devices lost this type of mapping enhancement when the company chose to focus on its own Apple Maps feature and broke away from Google Maps, back in 2012. The track record for the iOS based mapping application has seen its rocky times, but the new iOS 9 enhancements could help to place a very positive light on the service. It is expected that this update will be announced by Apple on June 8 at the WWDC event that will be held on that day.

The transit information feature was actually planned for the iOS 8 version of Apple Maps.

That said, those intentions were scrapped at the last moment by what was rumored to be data inconsistency issues in conjunction with personnel challenges. It is also said that at the time, Apple had the data to cover only one segment of what the company considers to be its prime market regions. Therefore, it chose to wait until the next version of its operating system in order to introduce it in a much more complete and functional form. This stopped the service from being announced at the 2014 WWDC.

That said, unofficial reports are stating that the transit service component of the mapping app is going to be based on the same layout that had been designed for the version that was passed over in 2014. Therefore, this suggests that there will be large icons provided in the mobile app to make it easy to spot train and subway stations as well as airports.

Beyond the Apple Maps changes that involve transit service, it is also believed that indoor mapping is also in the works by the company. This could help users of iPhones to better navigate historical buildings, university campuses, museums, and large office buildings.

Report highlights the lacking awareness merchants have concerning mobile payments fraud

Mobile payments fraud may be growing quite problematic for merchants. A recent study from Kount, the Fraud Practice, and CardNotPresent.com shows that merchants may be unaware of the mobile fraud that could be targeting them. Fraud is not uncommon in the retail space, especially when it comes to digital shopping. Many retailers have had to deal with fraudulent payments in the past and have become somewhat proficient at doing so, but mobile represents a new channel that retailers are not yet comfortable with.

Many retailers are not certain if they are tracking fraud

The report shows that 39.4% of merchants said that they were actively tracking fraud across all of their channels. Another 34.2% claimed that they were uncertain if they were tracking fraud across channels, however, which may be cause for concern among those involved in the mobile payments space. The report also shows that the majority of merchants (61%) are uncertain about whether or not fraud is increasing in the mobile channel. This uncertainty could affect their ability to combat fraud both in the present and in the future.

Mobile payments may not be riskier than other channels

Mobile payments have become quite popular among consumers, but they have also become a target for malicious groups that want to exploit financial information. Approximately 34% of merchants that deal in digital goods believe that the mobile channel is somewhat riskier when compared to conventional channels. The majority of merchants, however, believe that mobile is as risky as any other channel, since all channels have had to deal with fraudulent transactions in the past.

More merchants are beginning to take mobile payments seriously

The number of merchants that are actively supporting mobile payments continues to grow. The report notes that 68% of all merchants now have some form of mobile payments plan in place. Another 20% of merchants are currently planning to put a mobile payments system in place at some point this year. Merchants are showing favor for mobile channels because of their convenience and believe that mobile devices are an effective way to engage consumers.