Tencent and Alibaba are beginning to compete more aggressively for the favor of mobile consumers throughout China

China has become a battlefield when it comes to mobile commerce competition. Two of the country’s largest companies, Tencent and Alibaba, have a longstanding rivalry with one another when it comes to engaging consumers. Both companies are beginning to focus on the mobile space more heavily as well. While Tencent has held a strong presence in the mobile space for some time, Alibaba is beginning to threaten that position by promoting and supporting mobile commerce throughout China.

Firm predicts the future of the mobile payments market in China

Internet consultancy firm iResearch has released a forecast concerning the mobile commerce market in China. According to the forecast, the market is expected to reach nearly $300 billion by 2017, with more than half of online payments being made from a smartphone or other mobile device. Mobile payments will likely continue growing in popularity as more people gain access to the mobile Internet. The popularity of mobile payments has encouraged companies like Tencent and Alibaba to embrace the mobile commerce sector more aggressively.

Tencent powers ahead with its WeChat application and new services

Tencent recently launched a new service for merchants through its WeChat application. The service allows merchants to accept mobile payments through the application, thereby enabling them to become more engaging for mobile consumers. Alibaba has its own mobile payments platform called Alipay, which has managed to accommodate more online transactions than both eBay and Amazon combined. These applications are poised to compete aggressively with one another, but Chinese consumers have yet to show their favor for one over the other.

Tencent may have what it takes to attract the support of China’s merchants

Tencent is expected to have an edge with merchants that are looking to get involved in the mobile space. WeChat is one of the most popular applications in the world and is quite well known in China. The popularity of this application among consumers may be enough to convince merchants that it is the best platform for their mobile commerce interests.

These augmented reality glasses are being tested for use with medical conditions.

Starting at the end of last week, the emergency department at Rhode Island Hospital became the first one in the country to start to use Google Glass and its associated wearable technology for streaming live images of the medical conditions of the patients who were being seen there, in order to be able to consult with a specialist who was located somewhere other than in the hospital.

This is the start of a feasibility study that is meant to test the augmented reality glasses for six months.

Should the use of the Google Glass prove to be successful, Dr. Paul Porter, the project coordinator, believes that the use of these mobile devices will only expand in the medical arena. Potential users could include first responders in ambulances, surgeons, and others who could benefit from the recommendations of specialists while they are on the field or when there is no local specialist available.

Porter is highly enthusiastic about the possibilities for Google Glass in the health care environment.

He stated that it would be “like the Holy Grail” but added that “we’re just at the beginning; you have to start somewhere.” At the moment, the hospital will continue to test this wearable technology exclusively with emergency room patients who are suffering from various forms of dermatological struggles, such as skin rashes. These patients must volunteer to be a part of the study as opposed to being automatically entered into it.

The reason is that Porter feels that the standard of health care at the moment makes it so that handling these types of problems within an emergency room typically involves a basic visual inspection while asking the patient certain types of questions such as whether or not it is itchy, painful, etc.

The reason that these specific types of cases have been chosen for testing Google Glass in the emergency room is that if any glitches should occur within this wearable technology – such as a loss of the connection for audio or video – then the life and health of the patient will not be placed at risk.