Forget the mall -- shopping by cell phone is so 2006

[mandy]

Calling all retailers: 2006 may finally be the year that consumers start buying goods with their cell phones.

With people already spending billions on ring tones, wallpaper and games for their phones, analysts and retail executives say they believe it will not be much of a leap to get them to use their phones to buy shoes, books and laptops.

Security has been a concern for both retailers and cell-phone companies...

EBay avoids that problem by not giving users the option of paying by phone. They can win auctions or even secure most "Buy It Now" purchases using their cell phones, but they must pay for the purchases through their PCs. Overstock allows users to tap in credit card or login information securely, using data-encryption methods...

full article: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/2...ail03.html