With anticipation building for Apple's special event and what CEO Tim Cook will announce, it is a fun time to dig into the rumors and speculate about what could be coming to a pocket, wrist or desktop near you and, more importantly, what this may mean to the market ecosystems we all exist in today.

Building on technology it began developing three years ago, SmartMetric Inc. says it has developed a smaller and faster fingerprint reader that fits inside of a credit card.

The regional Federal Reserve banks are trying to maintain momentum in their efforts to improve the U.S. payment system. The Fed's financial services policy committee on Sept. 4 reiterated its commitment to the work, which focuses largely on the development of a faster nationwide payment system.

In addition to possibly revealing a mobile wallet next week, Apple is also expected to showcase its long-awaited smartwatch with Near Field Communication capabilities.

Merchant acquirers and processors are looking at a far different payments landscape in light of recent and anticipated developments from the Merchant Customer Exchange, Apple, Amazon.com and other companies.

PayPal has launched the PayPal Here software development kit (SDK), which enables merchants to sell in-store or remotely through iOS or Android devices.

PayPal is continuing to support Samsung's new phones and wearable products with features that make use of device-specific hardware such as the Note 4 smartphone's fingerprint reader.

Google Wallet users can now redeem and manage their gift cards through technology from the prepaid gift card provider Blackhawk Network.

When crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo emerged in 2008, many people dismissed them as a novelty.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a warning to credit card companies that use deceptive marketing to mask hidden charges within promotional interest rates.

Many businesses intentionally delay payments, slowing down the economy, according to MasterCard and Basware, which see an opportunity to clear out the congestion.

Apple is expected to launch a mobile wallet as part of its next iPhone, and the company has already trained its userbase to be active mobile purchasers.

An internal review at Goodwill Industries has concluded that hackers accessed customer payments data through a vendor-related weak spot.

The Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), a mobile wallet initiative led by merchants including Walmart and Target, is testing its technology under the brand CurrentC with plans for a full rollout next year.

FIS, a banking technology and consulting company, has agreed to buy Clear2Pay, a payment processor, for approximately $493 million.

The telco-driven Isis mobile wallet will now be called Softcard, a name chosen to avoid confusion and association with a militant group in the Middle East that is often referred to as "ISIS."

Basware Oyj and MasterCard Inc. will start selling a business-to-business invoicing system that allows suppliers to get paid early, while buyers enjoy extended payment terms.

Although unintentional, missteps in communications by regulators can create headwinds for companies developing payments innovation.

Roximity is working to differentiate itself from other beacon manufacturers by increasing the lifespan and security of its devices.

Home Depot is working with banks and law enforcement agencies to investigate a potential theft of its customers' credit and debit card information.