Today in the Connected Economy: Apple Fires Back at Meta in Metaverse Headset War

Today in the connected economy, Apple plans to launch a mixed-reality headset that would rival Meta’s, plus Kroger and Albertsons merge.

Report: Apple Mixed Reality Headset May Include Iris Scanning

Apple could debut a mixed-reality headset with an iris scanner for payments and logging in as soon as next year, part of the company’s battle with Meta for metaverse dominance. This biometric feature would offer users fast access to their accounts and let multiple people wear the same headset for simple switching between accounts.

Kroger-Albertsons Merger Creates Pickup and Delivery Powerhouse

America’s two largest pure-play grocers — Kroger and Albertsons — are merging together, creating a nearly 5,000-store super grocer. Beyond boosting Kroger’s network of physical stores, the deal also adds Albertsons’ omnichannel capabilities — its fullfillment offerings and its 31-million member Just for U loyalty program — to Kroger’s competitive advantages.

Fed Governor: CBDC Not Crucial to Supremacy of Dollar

The advent of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the United States is likely not that critical to ensuring the supremacy of the dollar, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said. Waller made these remarks during a speech before the Harvard National Security Journal, arguing that a U.S.-backed digital dollar would not bring material benefits over making dollar-denominated payments. He added that this is especially true because launching a CBDC would create new risks, such as cybersecurity threats.

B2B eCommerce Firm papmall Debuts Cross-Border Freelance Payments

B2B eCommerce company papmall has updated its services to let businesses send cross-border payments to freelance workers. The upgraded platform will accept international payments from all major debit and credit cards, as well as crypto payments.

How 28 Payments Experts Weathered Q3’s Business Headwinds

This year’s third quarter found many businesses on edge as they dealt with continued inflation and the threat of recession, with major retailers like Amazon double-dipping on annual sales events as consumers cut back on spending. Seeking insights from some of the keenest minds throughout the payments, retailing and technology sector, PYMNTS asked 28 thought leaders about their focus ahead of what may be the most pivotal holiday selling season in 14 years — not counting the pandemic years — and found them prepared.