It’s about time someone attended to the irresponsible texting behavior of drivers we see every day.

USAA has introduced an upgrade to their popular iPhone app that allows users to check their balances, transfer funds, and find ATMs utilizing their banking software.  Starting today, customers are able to deposit checks from the convenience of their iPhones using Deposit@Mobile—we can only hope similar software for other smartphones is on its way.  As 3G networks have made headway in recent months, it should be no surprise that mobile banking is quickly picking up.

Manga, a popular form of Japanese comics, have recently boosted in sales thanks to the mobile market.  According to an article in yesterday's New York Times (which you can read here), a form of art that seemed to be dwindling in popularity has found a popular new means of reaching the consumer--via cell phone.  You could spend hours debating why.  But the facts remain, people are spending less and less time and money on print media, and the publishers are looking for a safe haven to maintain revenue.

Whatever happened to keeping a clock radio next to the bed. Whether it has been a result of trying to cut back on electricity or declutter the bedroom, less and less people seem to keep that simple device that has for the past several decades encouraged millions of people to get to work on time. Is it surprising? Not really. Cell phones--smartphones especially--really are becoming capable of replacing more and more gadgets by the day. Everyday, people are canceling their landline phones because ultimately their cell phones are a suitable substitute. So it makes sense then that using the cell phone alarm clock has become the social norm.

The competition to provide in-flight WiFi service is on.  Aircell, the market leading company that provides in-flight WiFi service using ground-based stations, now has competition with the new company Row44 whose technology will use satellite connections.  Aircell’s system known as Gogo is already installed on 460 airplanes, and the company is planning to have it on around 1,000 airplanes by the end of the year.  AirTran and Virginia America are two airlines that already have Gogo on their flights, and Delta, American, and United Airlines are installing the system as well.

The chief executive of Row44 estimates their Wifi system will be installed on 500 to 1,000 airplanes worldwide by the end of next year.  Southwest and Alaskan Airlines are both testing Row44’s systems on a few of their planes but are not expected to makes decisions about installations until after the summer.

One factor that may be important in who will take the lead with in-flight Wifi service is pricing.  In today’s economy, having Internet on your air travel will be a luxury for most people.  How much will people be willing to spend to play a few games, check facebook, respond to emails etc.?  Aircell recently began offering a 24-hour pass for Wifi service charging $12.95 (which could cover multiple flights).  Row44 is planning on charging around $10 for long-haul flights and $5 for short-haul flights.

As exciting as having Internet in the sky sounds, people will have to decide if their web surfing is worth the few extra bucks.

Will in-flight phone calls be next?

You can read more about this here .