News

Artificial Intelligence
Pandora Debuts Voice Assistant
January 16, 2019

Streaming music provider Pandora has announced the launch of Voice Mode, a smart assistant that allows listeners to control its mobile app through simple voice commands. Voice Mode is being rolled out to select listeners on iOS and Android, starting Tuesday (Jan. 15), and will...

IPO
Eyeing IPO, Airbnb Asserts Back-To-Back Profitability
January 15, 2019

Airbnb, one of several tech giant companies potentially getting ready for an initial public offering (IPO) this year, said on Tuesday (Jan. 15) that it’s been profitable for two straight years, according to CNBC. Airbnb measures profits through earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA)....

International
Brexit A Bust – And A Blow To UK’s FinTech Role?
January 15, 2019

Down for the count, where the tally is 432 to 202. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required. yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today. By completing...

Payment Methods
Fiserv, Stack Sports Pair On Youth Athletics Digital Payments
January 15, 2019

Fiserv, a global financial technology company, and Stack Sports, a sports tech leader, have teamed up to assist in youth sports payments and make them easier and more efficient, according to a release. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and...

eCommerce
Fresh Holiday eCommerce Data: Another Nail In Physical Retail’s Coffin?
January 15, 2019

Online retail and mobile commerce had their shining moments over the 2018 holiday shopping season — the latest evidence of that comes from Adobe Analytics, which said that U.S. consumers spent a record $126 billion online during that period, above the company’s earlier projection. The new...

Partnerships / Acquisitions
Amex Buys Japanese Restaurant Platform
January 15, 2019

American Express has acquired Pocket Concierge, a restaurant reservation platform that provides customers with access to high-end restaurants in Japan, the company announced on Tuesday (Jan 15). Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all...

Bitcoin
Many Bitcoin Investors Don’t Plan To Deduct Losses On Tax Returns
January 15, 2019

Bitcoin investors took a massive hit in 2018 – and, according to personal finance company Credit Karma, most of them don’t realize they can write off the losses on their tax returns. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy...

Security & Fraud
Ukraine Hacker, Others Charged In Hacking SEC’s EDGAR Database
January 15, 2019

U.S. authorities charged a hacker residing in Ukraine and several others on Tuesday (Jan. 15) with trading on non-public corporate earnings information they got by hacking the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s EDGAR database. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article...

Payment Methods
TD Ameritrade Enables Instant Brokerage Account Funding Via Apple Pay
January 15, 2019

TD Ameritrade, the Omaha, Nebraska online brokerage, announced Tuesday (Jan. 15) that it now enables customers to instantly fund a brokerage account with Apple Pay via an Apple Business Chat in the Messages app on iPhone and iPad. In a press release, TD Ameritrade said...