The campaign to elect Barry Hinckley a Senator for Rhode Island is using mobile payments to collect contributions at events and has raised several thousand dollars so far.

Today’s news briefs – Google Latitude encourages users to check in at retail locations; Wi-Fi grows to more than 50pc of mobile Web connections: Bango; Sage lets merchants accept payments via 400-plus mobile phones, tablets.

Sage North America’s Sage Payment Solutions and Roam Data have partnered to bring to market an integrated mobile payments offering for small and midsized businesses.

Roam Data has debuted its encrypted card reader for Apple’s iPhone 4, letting merchants accept credit cards via the new handset.

Roam Data has introduced an encrypted audio-coupled card reader that turns handsets into point-of-sale devices for accepting payments.