On Wednesday, mobile ad network giant Millennial Media published a new report on mobile advertising in the finance industry.

This is the third volume of Millennial Media’s Mobile Intel Series and one of the most eye-opening reports the company has released to date.

The report, as you might expect, examines who the mobile finance audience is and what brands are currently doing in the space.

Based on the study’s findings, finance was the number one global vertical on the Millennial Media platform in 2011. From 2010 to 2011, Finance grew over 300%.

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Today, only half of all iPads sold are those with a corresponding radio that now only lends users a new connectivity option, but also requires more cash up front for the hardware.

But in a new interview with Macworld, Glenn Lurie – president of emerging devices at AT&T – says that cell radios should – and probably will – soon be standard features on a tablet that won’t require users to pay more up front.

All devices should have all capabilities built in from the beginning,” he says.

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According to the findings of a new report from global mobile messaging leader Acision, 91% of US Smartphone owners surveyed still actively use SMS, almost 2.5 times higher than the most popular social media app.

That’s also 8 times higher than the most popular Smartphone OTT app today.

Two thirds of US Smartphone owners (65%) state they need SMS, of which 45% would be lost without it.

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On Tuesday, venerable consumer credit giant MasterCard raised the curtain on PayPass Wallet Services.

Billed as a new global offering for banks, merchants and other partners, the service is said to make it faster and easier for customers to make purchases in stores or online.

In short, the platform allows users to securely pay with a simple click of the mouse, touch of the tablet screen or tap of the smartphone.

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comScore on Monday heralded the launch of Mobile Metrix 2.0 – its next generation mobile behavioral measurement service.

And the findings, as always, are of great interest to the mobile, web, and social media communities.

Among smartphone users age 18 and older accessing from iOS, Android and RIM smartphones, Google Sites ranked as the top property with nearly 94 million unique visitors, representing 96.9 percent of the mobile audience.

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Despite the millions of mobile users who inhabit an increasingly better connected world, the mobile era has created no shortage of obstacles and opportunities for public officials to confront.

To that end, Verizon is giving a much needed to boost to public safety with its latest effort.

The nation’s largest wireless carrier is taking steps toward offering its customers a new way to communicate with 911 call centers run by public safety officials.

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If you’re shopping for a new iPhone 4S and can make it down to Edmond, Oklahoma soon, you may want to swing by Walmart. Because that’s where you’re going to find the cheapest price for Apple’s new iPhone.

The Walmart in Edmond is presently offering a $74 discount on the 16-gigabyte AT&T iPhone 4S, which can be yours for just $114 and a new 2-year AT&T contract.

From Cult of Mac:

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