Accept credit card payments on your iPhone? Then there were two

Filed under: Accessories, Hardware, iPhone

While Square, the new venture from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey that adds a credit card swipe reader to the headphone port of an unsuspecting iPhone or other smartphones, was busy demoing at Le Web, one of the heavyweights of the payment processing market was busy prepping an announcement of its own. Earlier this week, VeriFone announced PAYware Mobile, a combination iPhone/iPod touch app and swipe card reader that will enable merchants to accept and process credit cards on the move.

The widget is scheduled to ship in January and will be free with a 2-year contract with VeriFone (no word on the pricing plans yet). The reader is supposed to encrypt credit card data in hardware so that the iPhone never sees the raw card number, and the app will capture signatures using a stylus (at least that's how it's illustrated now). Check out the video above for a brief demo.

It should be very interesting to see how these two hybrid solutions make their moves into the payment ecosystem. Square seems to be aiming at more ad-hoc usage (artists, coffeehouses, etc.) for people who don't have merchant accounts, but VeriFone is all about big retail. Room for everyone! TechCrunch happened to catch a reaction interview with Dorsey today, it's worth a look.

[via Engadget]

Accept credit card payments on your iPhone? Then there were two originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Accept credit card payments on your iPhone? Then there were two originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple Poached Lala from Possible Google Acquisition?

The Wall Street Journal indicates that Apple and Google are becoming even more competitive than we had suspected. According to their sources, Google was also in serious negotiations with Lala Media for possible acquisition right before Apple won the...

VeriFone Payware Mobile iPhone peripheral looking ready to square off with, er, Square

Sure, it's not quite as elegant as a little cube jutting out of one corner of the iPhone à la Square, but it looks like the Payware Mobile could certainly double as a pretty sturdy case should it drop. More importantly, the backing of VeriFone means this mobile payment peripheral has some pretty important backing and should be able to hit the ground running. That magical date should be January 15th of next year, free on a 2-year Payware Connect contract, and pre-orders are now live on the website for those who want to join in on the phone. Just one word of advice: when you hand the iPhone over for someone to sign as proof of purchase, make sure you're able to outrun the chap. Just in case.

[Thanks, Jason]

VeriFone Payware Mobile iPhone peripheral looking ready to square off with, er, Square originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

iTunes Offers Free Holiday Sampler by Various Artists to iPhone/iPod Owners

If you been searching for some holiday music for your iPhone or iPod, iTunes has you covered with the iTunes Holiday Sampler by various artists. Oh, and not only is it free for one week, it’s an iTunes LP so you get all the goods including lyrics, images and artwork, and so on.

The good news is you will get a total of twenty tracks from artists like Weezer, David Archuleta, Toby Keith, Sarah McLachlan, etc… Now for the bad news, sadly if you are like Rene and outside of the U.S., this is not available to you. Don’t shoot us, we’re just the messenger.

To those of you who can download this, enjoy your free holiday music!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iTunes Offers Free Holiday Sampler by Various Artists to iPhone/iPod Owners

Review: A Masterpiece Collection for iPhone

With 36 novels, plays, and short story collections, A Masterpiece Collection boasts a formidable assortment of literature. More important, you can adjust type size for a luxurious reading experience at a bargain price.

Metered Data Plans - Why Existing iPhone Users Don’t Have To Worry

GAO: FCC needs to better monitor mobile carriers

The FCC needs to provide more oversight of mobile carriers, a GAO report says.

Where To? updated with Navigon integration

Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone, App Review

In what appears to be a happy marriage, Where To? for the iPhone [iTunes link] now talks to the Navigon GPS app. You can select a category or search for a business and then transfer that information directly to the Navigon app for turn-by-turn directions. If you don't have Navigon, you get Google Maps directions instead.

This is a nice update because the Navigon POI (points of interest) database is contained on the app, while Where To? relies on Google information. This way you get the best of both worlds, with up to date POI info that can easily be picked up the the Navigon app for a pretty seamless experience.

While checking the app on a drive around town I found it quick and easy to find some specific places to shop. Restaurants are broken down into categories, including things like cuisine categories or other criteria like "all you can eat."

The Navigon link worked perfectly, and in real world use turned out to be handy.

The new version also adds contacts integration, and customization and deletion of categories. I liked Where To? when i first reviewed it earlier this year, and the Navigon integration is a welcome addition. Where To? is U.S. $2.99. If you don't want to spend the money, I'd suggest a look at Around Me [iTunes link] which uses the same Google data but doesn't link to any nav apps.

Where To? updated with Navigon integration originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Where To? updated with Navigon integration originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

WANT YOUR HOUSE TO TEXT YOU WHEN THERE MAY BE TROUBLE? THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

Protection One, Inc. (Nasdaq: PONE), one of the nation’s leading providers of security systems to homes and businesses, has developed an iPhone™ application that allows users to access their security panels and receive real-time security updates from their iPhone or iPod Touch®. With the eSecure application from Protection One, users can ...

Rumor: Foxconn receives new iPhone build order

Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, iPhone

Once the December holidays are over, customers will be thinking about new products from Apple. Now that Macworld Expo is off of Apple's calendar, updates can come whenever they're deemed ready.

The iPhone 3G was released on July 11th, 2008 and the 3GS began shipping a year later on June 19th, 2009. Additionally, many customers have contracts that expire in July. In a few weeks, we'll be six months away, so it's time to begin lining up production.

Today's rumor is based on a 6-word tweet from Mobile Review's editor-in-chief, Eldar Murtazin: "Foxconn received order for next generation iphone." Before you blow it off, consider that Engadget calls him "...the ultimate insider when it come to all things mobile." Foxconn is a Taiwan-based manufacturer that has worked with Apple on a number of projects.

Rumors have placed the next-gen iPhone release in either June or July, 2010. According to iPhone developer Pandav, field-testing of the next model has begun.

Rumor: Foxconn receives new iPhone build order originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rumor: Foxconn receives new iPhone build order originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple Patent Applications: Tamper-Resistant Labels for Hardware, Accelerometer-Based Menu Navigation

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today published over 20 newly-released patent applications from Apple, and AppleInsider highlights two of the more interesting ones covering tamper-resistant labels for detecting unauthorized opening of devices an...

TiPb Presents… iPhone Live! #79 — Lala JooJoo!

• Our podcast feed
• Download Directly
• Subscribe via iTunes

Join Chad, Rene, and Georgia for Apple buys Lulu, CrunchPad becomes JooJoo, more AT&T/Verizon ad silliness, iTablet, iPhone developer RSS, and your questions answered! Listen in!

Credits

Thanks to the the iPhone Blog Store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb Presents… iPhone Live! #79 — Lala JooJoo!

China Unicom: we’ve sold 100,000 iPhones

Filed under: Apple Corporate, iPhone

Amid claims of poor iPhone sales, Dow Jones reports that China Unicom (CU) has sold 100,000 iPhones since the official launch in October of this year. While this represents a pickup in sales numbers -- CU reported selling just 5,000 units in the first 4 days -- it isn't incredibly impressive. China is the world's largest wireless market by subscriber accounts, and CU is the country's 2nd-largest carrier (China Mobile is first), representing some 144 million users as of October of 2009, according to Paul Wuh, an analyst covering China Unicom for Samsung Securities.

"iPhone sales have been disappointing," Wuh said. "For China Unicom, with 144 million subscribers, 100,000 iPhone users aren't going to do anything for their revenue."

What's behind all of it? As we've said before, the lack of Wi-Fi, strong black market and high prices are hindrances. Back in August of this year, China Unicom and Apple announced a 3-year deal. CU buys the handsets from Apple on a wholesale basis and does not participate in revenue sharing. China Unicom hopes that this deal will give them a leg-up on industry leader China Mobile.

[Via Macsimum News]

China Unicom: we've sold 100,000 iPhones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

China Unicom: we've sold 100,000 iPhones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Review: Dropbox for iPhone

This mobile component to the online syncing and storage service is missing a few features. But overall, it packs enough functionality to be a worthwhile app for Dropbox users.

China Unicom iPhone Sales Slowly Getting Better

While sales of the iPhone in China have been less than stellar since launch, things are seemingly getting a little better as China Unicom has announced 100,000 iPhones have been sold since it’s launch back on October 30th.

If you stop and think about it, China Unicom has about 144 million customers so that 100,000 mark really does not seem like much. Again, we are blaming slow sales on the abundance of unlocked iPhones that actually have WiFi and can be used with Pre-Paid SIM cards.

Rumor has it that, since the local laws have changed, Apple will be making a WiFi iPhone for China, but will it be enough? Or is the Chinese market just too different and is Apple too slow to catch on to that fact?

[Thanks to the Reptile for the tip]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

China Unicom iPhone Sales Slowly Getting Better

IMDB releases free movie info app

The Internet Movie Database has rolled out a free iPhone app that provides many of the features of its popular Website.

New York And San Francisco Network Performing At Levels Below Our Standards: AT&T CEO Concedes

China Unicom’s iPhone sales hit 100,000

China Unicom said it has sold more than 100,000 iPhones, marking a slight pickup in sales since it launched the phone in late October.

Fallout From LCD Price Fixing Scandal Continues as Chi Mei Agrees to $220 Million Fine

The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) that Taiwanese LCD manufacturer Chi Mei Optoelectronics has agreed to pay a $220 million fine to address criminal charges stemming from extensive price fixing in the LCD industry from 2001 throu...

TIME Top 10 Gadgets Of The Year Lists Droid On Top, iPhone 3GS At Number Four