Our recent discussion of mobile banking sites for the iPhone highlighted the fact that many people can't access their banking applications on their mobile device, whatever flavour. However, the situation may be set to improve. A recent survey by Sybase 365 suggests that a third of global banks already offer some mobile banking features, and a similar number expect to do so over the next year. That's partly driven by consumer demand: almost a quarter of customers surveyed said they would switch banks to get access to a mobile net banking service. Are you able to access your bank on your mobile phone, and is that a useful feature? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Unsurprisingly, it's not only software prices that are rising in the wake of global economic hiccups. Mahesh Sharma and Mitchell Bingemann at AustralianIT report that prices are likely to go up on lots of consumer electronics as well. That applies even in the price-sensitive entry-level subnotebook market, as IDC analyst Felipe Rego explained to the paper:

If it is a macro-economic problem, not only the sub-$1000 products will face price pressure, but also the next price tier, and then everything.

I'd barely posted yesterday about Carbonite's Australian launch when I received an apologetic email from the company, noting that because of current US economic conditions, the price of an annual subscription had gone up from $64.95 to $71.95. That's not a huge difference over the course of a year -- and full-scale backup is probably never going to be viable as an entirely free service -- but it does demonstrate that the online software community isn't immune from the broader economic situation, and we can probably expect more of these in the future. If you've encountered any other recent examples of tech product and service price rises, share them in the comments.

Former financial planner Nora Dunn knows that lots of folks are itching to do something after seeing their latest investment statements—maybe to the point of axing their advisor. Not a great idea, she writes, unless he or she is unresponsive, pushy, or, even worse, trying to sell you a fortune-telling service:

If they call you wanting to make drastic changes based on what they think the market is going to do, run. What they should really be focused on is you, your goals, and a plan (and portfolio) that will weather the good times and the bad. Sure - small adjustments here and there may be prudent, but moving everything in and out of different asset classes is a losing game. They may get it right a few times, but all it takes is one bad calculation to lose everything you have gained.

Dunn's got eight other no-nos to watch for with any advisor. Any of them ring call up a familiar story? Warn your fellow readers (or praise the good advisors) in the comments.

Freelancing has become a common way of working in the last decade, and is likely to achieve even greater prominence as companies seek ways to cut staff costs during economic turmoil. One of the basic decisions a freelancer has to make is whether to work as a sole trader, or incorporate themselves as a company. The latter offers some tax advantages, and can help secure your assets if the business gets into difficulties, but involves a lot more paperwork and can seem like overkill. While you should always get individual advice from an accountant, we'd like to know which route Lifehacker readers have taken when they've gone the freelance route. Share your experiences in the comments.

Personal finance blogger Trent Hamm used to have one of those jobs that paid every two weeks, and he found himself treating the occasional "third check of the month" as a bonus. Looking back, he recommends anyone with similarly non-rigorous discipline to treat those paydays like a trigger:

I adopted a routine of paying the bills every other Monday like clockwork. I'd collect all the bills in a consistent spot as they came in, then I'd sit down on bill paying day and go through them, knocking all of them out. If I had more bills than cash, then I tapped my emergency fund a bit, but with the further tactics below, it wasn't long before that wasn't a problem.

To our paid-every-other readers: What tactics or routines did you adopt to avoid having your paychecks be spent upon arrival? Photo by RichieC.

Qantas is tweaking the way that frequent flyer points can be earned via credit cards. The changes vary hugely from provider to provider, so if you routinely make use of credit card points to top up your flyer totals, check out the link for details how you might be affected. (My provider is offering the opportunity of automatically transferring all points to the program, which is an improvement on what I used to get.) For more on getting value from Qantas' recently-changed program, check out our guide to using points for maximum effectiveness.

Prolific blogger Steve Rubel identifies a handful of web-based tools you can use to recession-proof your job in the face of a possible global economic downturn. The post describes how to use several previously mentioned tools—like PageAddict and Google Reader Trends—to personally ensure you're holding yourself accountable for your time and not getting too distracted at work. Already have methods in place for recession-proofing your job? Tell us about them in the comments.

One of the problems with many finance-centric webapps is that they don't necessarily offer much in the way of support for customers outside the US. One exception is social-network-oriented budget tracker Wesabe, which claims support for adding account information from at least some Australian banks. There's a small but useful Australian Wesabeans forum discussing the best ways to set up auto-import from online accounts and other features, which is worth checking out if you're looking to automate your budget management and pick up hints from others on the way. If you enjoy the Wesabe experience, there's also multiple access options, including a mobile client, Mac widget and even Twitter integration.

If you've been put off switching banks because you don't want to have to mess around working out which regular payments need to get re-established, life's about to get a little easier. Karen Dearne at Australian IT reports that from November 1, banks will automatically provide a printout of direct payments made over the previous 13 months, making it simpler to check you haven't missed setting something up at your new bank. In these eco-conscious times, I can't help wondering why the list couldn't be sent in electronic form, but it's certainly a step forward from leaving you to wade through your own records.