Welcome to Gahtan’s Technology and Internet Law Blog

In case you missed it, last month a class action lawsuit against Rogers, Telus and Bell was certified. The suit claims that Canadian cellphone subscribers were misled about the $6.95 to $8.95 monthly so called “system access fees” or “license fees”. See CTV.

While not being a customer of Bank of America (BofA), I am pleased to see that they will be introducing a security feature to protect its online customers from unauthorized transactions - hopefully other American and Canadian financial institutions will also follow their lead and beef up their online banking access to include two-factor authentication. BoA’s service, which will be available at no charge, will be called SafePass. It works by delivering a one-time-use, six-digit code as a text message to customers’ mobile devices that they can use to authorize online transactions.

BoA’s SiteKey security feature, which includes an image, a brief phrase and questions that allow customers to confirm they are at the legitimate bank Web site will continue to be available.

I was eagerly awaiting the release of the new Palm Foleo. While only hoping it would be mid June, I never imagined it would be delayed until the end of the summer. I dropped by Palm’s store at Century City Shopping Centre just over a week ago and every window display was empty. What a waste. Some of the most expensive window display space in Los Angeles and its just sitting there empty.

A Canadian startup, bOK, is offering free call-back based long distance for cellular phones. No downloads are required. Subscribers can simply send a text message containing the phone number they wish to connect to in order to initiate a call back. The service would also be useful for local calling by cellphone users who have subscribed to plans with unlimited incoming minutes.

Apple’s iPhone is set to launch in the US within the next few days. While some commentators are complaining over the supposedly expensive phone plans that need to be activate from AT&T, personally I think its a great deal. The low end plan (which includes unlimited data) will cost about US$60 per month for 450 rollover minutes (or about $20 more than AT&T charges for the minutes alone). That’s only $20 per month for unlimited data. Since no plans are being offered with anything less than unlimited data, my thinking is that Apple probably feels that the bandwidth fees would otherwise be unmanageable. Which makes me wonder how it will ever be sold in places like Canada where today one cannot get unlimited wireless data at any price. Even a $100 per month data plan from Telus, Bell or Rogers has a cap. Well, maybe the iPhone will pave the way to re-introducing unlimited wireless data plans in Canada.

According to Report on Business, Bank of Montreal is launching a Prepaid Travel Mosaik MasterCard. It can be pre-loaded with funds and then used while traveling to pay for purchases or to withdraw funds in local currencies from participating ATM networks. According to the bank, the card is safer than cash, because if it’s lost or stolen, it can be cancelled and the funds replaced. All true but if someone has an existing credit card then they can obtain the same benefits by simply making a deposit before a trip. I guess the real benefit will be for those with poor credit ratings who do not otherwise qualify for a credit card.

Need an extra PC for the kids or for surfing at your local coffee shop? Then the Asus’ Eee PC 701 may be just the thing for you. The Eee joins what is becoming a crowded field as it joins the recently announced Palm Foleo Mobile Companion and VIA NanoBook Ultra Mobile Device.

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No long after Palm announced its new Foleo device, VIA has come out with its competitive offering, the NanoBook Ultra Mobile Device. However, unlike the Foleo, this device is not an actual product but rather is a “reference device” (i.e., concept) to demonstrate what an OEM could order from VIA.

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