Square iPhone Payment System

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://mashable.com/2009/12/01/squareup-iphone-payment/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Mashable+(Mashable)' target='_blank'>http://mashable.com/2009/12/01/squa...able+(Mashable)</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Several months ago, we learned that Twitter's Inventor and Chairman, Jack Dorsey, was working on a brand new project, his first after stepping down as Twitter's CEO. Soon his new project was revealed to be the Square iPhone Payment System, which intends to replace credit cards with payments via your phone."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1260367132.usr105634.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>Born out of frustration when one of the members of the Square team, Jim McKelvey, realized he couldn't sell some artwork because he didn't take credit cards, this system solves that problem very nicely. Basically the device plugs into the audio input jack on your iPhone and you can start taking payments. Currently in Beta, they hope to have it out in early 2010.&nbsp;</p><p>You can see how it all works via <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAJR0t-NlPk" target="_blank">this video</a> on YouTube, although the sound quality isn't the greatest.&nbsp;</p>

[ptyork]

Umm, yeah, so the idea of taking credit cards on the fly is a good one, but that device looks about as ergonomic as an elephant standing on a bamboo pole, and perhaps as sturdy. I suppose it is a tradeoff between having the ability to "pocket" a very cheap device and making something well. I'd much rather see something more akin to the Apple Store's "sleeve" for this. Perhaps a little less pocketable, but really I don't see much of a need for a just "having it on you" kind of experience. If you're gonna take cards for something, likely you'll be able to remember to wrap your phone/touch in the sleeve and go. Plus it'll still be pocketable as a whole.

Actually you might even be able to do it such that the sleeve is mostly made of cheap neoprene (at the top and on the sides) with only the bottom portion being of sturdier material (though still wrapped in neoprene for a cool, seamless look). Then it could still conceivably be pocketable while maintaining some sense of cheapness and sturdiness. Might cost a little more and be a little bigger and certainly less "universal," but it's gotta be better than this. At least in my mind's eye.