Looks like banking giant Chase is finally getting itself into the 21st century with the latest version of its iPhone app. It allows you to deposit paper checks into your Chase account using an iPhone. All you have to do is take a picture of the front and back of the check, hit a few icons, and you’re done.

This is a major time-saver for people and it’s super useful. You don’t have to make a special trip to the bank anymore just for a deposit. We love that.

The American Transportation Security Administration has informed travelers via it’s blog, that when traveling to, from, and within the USA, portable computers smaller than “the standard sized laptop” don’t have to be removed from their bags.

So what is the standard sized laptop? Well, they don’t really say. However, Kindles, iPads, Sony Readers, Nooks, and “Net Books” are named as being exempt from the requirement to unbag your computer for the X-ray scanners. Of course, there’s the disclaimer that staff might want to take a second look at odd-looking devices, but for the most part you can leave that e-reader in your bag.

If you are an iPhone owner and have a bank account with USAA you’ll soon be able to use your iPhone to deposit a check thanks to a new iPhone app, which lets you take a picture of the front and back of the check to deposit it. No more out of the way trips to the bank.

Once you take the pictures, they are then sent to the bank who processes the digital version of the check. The paper check can then be torn up and thrown away if you like. The USAA iPhone App is available now and when the service starts a new update will be made available to those who already have it installed, which allows you to capture the images.

This new 3M Mobile ID Reader could soon be used at events or in situations that require tight security. The idea is that it would scan your identification quickly to prove that you are who you say you are. Then you can be on your way in no time. It works like a credit card scanner and it would be used to scan things like your Visa card or passport, cross checking that info with watch lists of those who are threats.

It runs on Windows Mobile 6 and features WiFi, GSM/GPRS EDGE and a fingerprint sensor. It also has 8GB of storage for keeping track of those that have been scanned. That way they can leave all of that data sitting around somewhere and screw us all. Let’s hope not.