Quickorder app would keep iPod touch owners hooked on Starbucks
By Darren Murph 
posted Feb 16th 2008 5:34PM
posted Feb 16th 2008 5:34PM
[Via DVICE]
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Um ok .
Why the need .
so you can order WAY fast plus that way you can also be really anti social :)
The sad thing is that Job's didn't put MMS in the iPhone because he said it was a gimmick that no-one used...
Jamma: what is your point? This app (concept) does not use MMS, nor would it need to to send an order. It generates a semacode tag to be read by a barcode scanner.
Digital information is /so/ much more flexible than analog.
What, you think you'll have to quick order more than once for the same thing? *save order*
Hit one button and you've got your drink coming. You don't even have to speak english.
To make you look even more pretentious.
Uh, dude. I'm like a coffee addict - there is ALWAYS a need! Quick coffee is good coffee!!
Bloobie, you are thick aren't you? His point is that this app is WAY more of a gimmick than MMS. Steve Job didn't include MMS on the premise that MMS is a gimmick, but they decide to release this, which happens to be a bigger gimmick.
Abuzar: "Steve Job didn't include MMS on the premise that MMS is a gimmick, but they decide to release this, which happens to be a bigger gimmick."
Apple has nothing to do with this.
They didn't 'release this', as you so stupidly claimed, and the guy who made the mockups didn't release it either. (Mockups are made-up drawings of something, they're not real, they're made in Photoshop, etc.) - understand yet?
Learn to RTFA. That's short for *READ THE FUCKING ARTICLE*. Or at least the summary. Don't jump into knee-jerk reactions just because you have a hate-on for Apple.
I was just explaining what Jamma meant.
I don't hate Apple, I hate their over-priced mediocre products.
so that one day, the iPod Touch / iPhone will make coffee itself...
Perfect if you are really anti social and want to avoid as much human contact as possible lol
Who doesn't want to avoid fake social human behaviour?
I'm busy. I don't have time to cope with your spanish accent.
Spanish accent?
i don't know what starbucks you go to, but at mine they speak perfect American, and i live i canada
Sounds to me like priest doesn't have much trust in social interaction being a real thing. How can you say talking to someone isn't real? You'd have to be pretty stuck on yourself to think there aren't other conscious people out there, maybe taking your order for coffee.
Hehe, that's the direction technology goes. ;) But you have to admit that this program has some snazzy graphics.
michael ishigaki - technology doesnt like human communication!
YacozA, it's called English, thank you very much.
@Raheem:
There's no way anything which gets spoken in the Americas is connected to anything that came out of England.
i'm no starbucks pro, but two "pumps" of maple syrup sounds not so good in coffee.
It's a Caffe Latte... good stuff. Even someone like me, who mostly drinks black coffee, has to appreciate some of the foo-foo drinks they have.
You aren't the only one. That is why they discontinued the maple syrup about 6 months ago.
can free up staff for making stuff and serving others, seems cool. if they can make a system to know who ordered from where would be even better. I can see this kind of this becoming more common.
Because everyone has an iPhone, right?
It's not going to free up anything, this is just a dumb gimmick, but if you feel you must flaunt that shiny little phone even further, at least I won't see you in the store for too long.
Now if only Starbucks would come to Sweden...
Oh and iPhone too.
isn't there a single starbucks in sweden?
Not a single one...
And thats strange cause im sure at least 80% of the adult Swedish population would become insane if they didn't get their coffee every day.
Dude. You don't want it. Overpriced crappy coffee.
No, really. It is bad.
People just drink it because they are too lazy to brew their own good coffee. It started out as a hipster thing, where only the cool people did it up in Washington... But now it is just so god-awful. I know I am getting modded down for this, but I need to get this out there.
STARBUCKS IS BAD COFFEE.
It's not "overpriced crappy coffee".
Just because there isn't one here in Sweden doesnt mean that i havnt been to a Starbucks.
We have airplanes and things like that too you know.
What I am saying is, for as much as you would spend on a cup of coffee there, you can buy a pound of really good coffee and make gallons of it yourself.
That is why it is really bad coffee. It tastes good. And they sometimes use high quality ingredients. But they just mark everything up 1500% and I for one don't want coffee that much.
Yeah it would probably be cheaper to make all the coffee for myself, but when im outside my house i dont allways carry a coffee machine on my back (^_^).
French press FTW
iPhone with Pressbyrån-support, hah.
(I don't expect anyone to get this)
I second the Starbucks rap. It's amazing how coffee tastes when it's not cremated.
Starbucks = good coffee is like McDonalds = good hamburgers. Once you have the real stuff, it's hard to go back.
In Scandinavia we don't even have one single cofee shop, we only drink water (and the Swedish people drink beer)
Starbucks isn't about coffee. It is a confectionery shop using coffee as a base. Cream, maple syrup, flavor 'shots' and oversized servings are slowly killing their customers. It's as bad for you as a regular big mac diet and it is certainly overpriced. Other cafes make good coffee and some even provide convivial surroundings. Starbucks strips variety from neighborhoods and - together with other franchised and branded shops - makes for a dull landscape.
Where's the fun in this? You can't annoy the barista by ordering a "large"!
And you can't annoy the barista by talking on your cell phone while trying to order. Effing cell phone A holes.
I like to point at the cups and say "that size".
Haha yep, I love saying small, medium, large (if and when I do go to a Starbucks, which is pretty much never).
Everytime I go to Starbucks and order their fancy named sizes it makes me cringe.
Actually, if you use their sizing system, technically you can order a short, which is actually smaller than the smallest one on display. :)
@TT,
yeah, I used to refuse to use their nomenclature (thinking it was rediculous). Then I discovered there are actually two cup sizes smaller than a tall (a short and "a little shot cup").
Nice way to cut in line.
Waiting in line? Whatever.
Wow, I understand sites being a few days behind with news, but this was all over the net a month ago. http://gizmodo.com/343686/iphone-starbucks-ordering-screens-look-like-the-real-thing-precede-apple-patent
I would use the Notes part to pick up hot baristas. :P
I could see it now: "Hey, that's a hot little iPhone app you've got there... now here's something even hotter to wrap your hand around, cuz if you think you're in my league, you're delusional. I'm not afraid to talk to people."
(as you're walking away, under her breath)
"Creep."
Might be cool if I owned an iPoo Touch and went to Starbucks.
But because I don't, I'll continue drinking my own coffee that doesn't taste like shit, and isn't made by assholes.
From what I already know about you, that last part surely isn't true. :P
Zing!
What a worthless idea.
I saw this posted on MacRumors forums ages ago...
Slow day?
That said, it's a nice looking app but it's only a mock-up so who cares? Unless it's actually being developed (Which it obviously can't be - no SDK yet) then what's the point in getting our hopes up?
I don’t see why it can’t be a web app. In fact, this is the perfect use for a web app.
it can't be a web app because starbucks wouldn't know who sent it and were it came from.
Better yet, make this a locally served webpage so that any phone with wifi can use it! ...iPhone elitists.
You wouldn't use it anyway! All those non-iPhoners that want all these features they never use. First try to find a non-iPhone where you actually would use the browser, then come back and ask more advanced features.
uhhhh....I have an HTC Touch with unlimited EVDO data and I use Opera Mobile all the time, and other than screen size/resolution, the web experience is just as good as the iPhone, which I have used on many occasions.
oh the irony, I'm replying this from my n95's browser
And I would be reading Engadget from my SCH-i730's browser if this site didn't freeze IE on my phone...
I usually browse the internet on my phone, so I don't know what you're trying to say by that...
Really? I have a Treo 700wx and I browse Engadget all day cause I don't pay for the data charges.
Umm, is it just me or does engadget say "iPod Touch" owners could get hooked on...
The picture is of an iPhone screen.
That was stupid on my part.
but, still it sais nothing about an iPhone.
(Why the hell would someone carry around their iPod Touch all over the place? I carry my iPhone, but leave my iPod Touch at the house.
@USGOVMT.
Why WOULDN'T you carry your iPod touch all over the place with you? The whole point of iPods and MP3 Players in general is like that of a walkman; you use it when you can't use a full size CD player or stereo system (eg; not at home). I don't know about you, but I personally always carry my iPod in my pocket for times when I'm not doing anything important and want to listen to some tunes. I'm sure plenty of people would use this feature.
You listen to your iPod at home. The whole point of an iPod is that is is PORTABLE.
As an ex-barista myself i know some people would rather get their coffee without having to even look at your face - let alone talk to you.
To be honest 6 out of 10 Starbucks customers are annoying enough, without having them be even more annoying by ordering their drink on a phone.
Example -
"Ohhh erm I'll have the one thats £2.45"
Yeah sure mate but your looking at the menu, I'm NOT. Oh yeah and the prices are smaller on the board than the sizes - if you can read the price you can read the ****ing size.
Starbucks sell overpriced water run through coffee beans, dressed with ridiculous names, and you are surprised the majority of your customers are annoying?
The customers reflect the company.
£2.45 for a coffee is ridiculous. And BTW - a Barista should know their menu!
"I'll have a large coffee please"
"Do you mean a grande?"
"No I mean a large one, unless somehow you have used your overinflated prices to teleport me to Italy"
I don't mind paying money to a company that I know is environmentally conscious and treats its employees EXTREMELY well. Remember that next time you doll out money to your local Wal-Mart.
Just because the company is annoying doesn't mean all the staff are and should be subject to overpaid idiots ordering stupidly specific drinks for-the-sake-of sounding cool.
Yes £2.45 is stupid for a coffee - I didn't buy it I just worked there. And BTW - I wasn't sad enough to memorise the drinks and their prices.
The staff can't help that the sizes are not 'Small, Medium, Large', all they can do is try and get one closest to the size you actually want. One mans Medium is another mans Large (HAR HAR). Just because you can't be arsed to read the menu. Plus no one is forcing you to go their - I never do.
It would need some way to identify the person ordering. I can see kids in their pre-teens standing outside starbucks placing loads of fake orders.
I would assume that there would be some sort of automatic payment option attached to this as well. So if a bunch of people want to stand outside and place a bunch of orders they don't want, I'm sure Starbucks won't mind the profit.
I wondered about how they would identify orders too but possibly I would assume they might have some kind of barcode machine at each table, and one would just hold their ipod touch in front of the scanner and it would take the order and would know which table to deliver to.
http://www.genoco.com/images/interactive_quickOrder_3.jpg
...seems like Starbucks is going to go all Japanese on us since that kind of barcode scanning thing has been something that has been used in Japan for quite some time, and I would love to see this implemented, as it might actually get me to walk into a Starbucks to try it out. And also, I think it would be possible for any phone to do it since all it does is produce a barcode image to scan.
i could see starbucks having a station that contains the scanner and the application would proly give you some sort of order number that the employee would call out when its ready.
@Dominic
this style has been used in the states for some time now too, for as long as i can remember UPS and FedEX have been using this types of codes.
Genius concept up to the last part with the barcode...a red-laser scanner can't read off an lcd screen!
Apple iPhone users gleefully go to the head of line, no waiting. Let the other brand cellphone losers wait in line wringing their hands. That seems fair enough.
Surely if you're going to write an application to speed up coffee purchasing, you'd actually make it for a brand that doesn't provide a product that is 90% froth?
What would make this ideal would be to place the order on your way to your favorite store so it's ready to go when you walk in. Granted, you would need to time it somewhat to avoid cold coffee, but seeing that there's one literally across the street from me, I'd be ok.
I think I will just mail in my order a few days ahead of time....
i know, instead, why not just pay the normal way?
The ONLY reason to go to Starbucks is for social interaction. Otherwise, just make your own damned coffee at home. Just buy a cheap $20 french press and go to town.
Why don't they just create a site to order drink ahead of time? Sometimes the line can be too long during morning hr.
Nowadays most sites started having a page specific to iPhone:
http://iphone.facebook.com
https://www.bankofamerica.com/mobile/iphone.do
Or use - http://tiltview.com - to find a mobile version of webpages
yes, the mania of iphone must peak at some point...
"Brimming with potential?"
Bravo, bravo. A true pun masterpiece.
This isn't significant enough to post considering it's only a concept. I'd be excited if this was real, but it's not. All I care about right now is getting that SDK released so I can enjoy my applications without breaking out of prison.
Why can't this come to other phones as well?
I would love to have something like this on my WinMo phone. I don't get why you rarely see special things made for WinMo phones.
What a great APP!
I could see this app as great for many fast food restaurants where the customer service is horrible. But I find Starbucks employees pleasant to do business with, usually. Anyway, if it helps business and customers, hey!
Regarding all you people whining about Starbucks selling overpriced crummy coffee. Chill out!!! If you don't like their business, just ignore them and move on. Quit acting like they've shot your dog or something. Besides they add to the economy, provide a service that a lot of people appreciate and provide very good jobs to lots of people. In fact, by making people happy to pay a lot for a cup of coffee, they even helped to make the small-coffee-shop business model a feasible one for privately owned businesses. So stop complaining!
That must be why they have lost so many customers in the past year and are now experimenting with $1 coffee in Seattle.
other shops also sell coffee and provide the same benefits. Starbucks zaps the economy by overcharging; leaving less for people to spend with other retailers. Their rampant expansion has also driven many small-scale cafe owners out of business: get your facts straight.
@Bloobie,
if they stopped patronizing starbucks b/c of price/service then Great! Businesses have a right to determine their prices and consumers have the choice to pay or go somewhere else. If what you asserted is true, then it is simply an example of supply and demand.
My point is towards those that are acting like Starbucks is an evil business that has harmed them. Starbucks is not an evil organization and has not hurt any of them.
@ScooterDe,
since no one is FORCED to go to Starbucks, how is it even possible for them to zap the economy by overcharging? The economy does not care where consumers spend their money. That is like saying mobile phone co's zap the economy by overcharging for service so people have less money to spend elsewhere. Obviously, there are other coffee shops and businesses. Everyone has the right choose where to go or to not go at all.
Again, my point here is "stop acting like Starbucks is maliciously trying to harm you in some way. They are not an evil entity worthy of your scorn!" They're just another business trying to make a buck.
starbucks sucks.
I find it funny that so many people complain about Starbucks. It is a business, if you don't like it DON'T GO THERE.
Exactly!
When I'm in line at a Starbuck's, I'm the only person I can see you is actually ordering coffee (or the occasional shot of expresso). Everyone else is ordering what I assume is a coffee-based, but there's no way to tell. Between all the frappé, laite, non-fat, cinamon, chocolate, caramel, long, short, and whatever other options available, is it still recognisable as coffee beverage?
All to say that iTouch better include a lot of pull-down menus, a reference manual, and an ItalianEnglish dictionary.
Overpriced coffee and overpriced Apple gear. They make a nice pair.
I'm trying really, really hard, but I can't see the point of this.
Imagine the poor baristas. They're busy handling the people who are decent enough to approach the counter and speak to them, and then every few seconds they have to look over on the special "iPhone Order Queue" to see if some prick wants his coffee without talking to them.
I remember reading an article a while back - Engadget may have even posted it - about why the 21st century is making us miserable, and one of the top reasons was that technology is cutting out human interaction, rendering us all socially inept and ill equipped to cope with the challenges of the real world.
This could be the greatest thing that ever happened. Imagine this scenario: A starbucks regular and iphone enthusiast (already proven to be the most pretentious group on the planet) orders through this quick order app. He receives what he thinks is the wrong order, and goes to complain. As he grabs his iphone to prove his order, he realizes it was his mistake as he ordered the wrong drink. Instantly he realizes he is not superior, and his whole world collapses, and he dies of a brain aneurysm. This could happen to thousands of the mot annoying people on the planet, it's awesome. The only bad thing will be all of the prius' they leave behind, and as they are dropped into landfills it causes the greatest environmental crisis ever proving global warming.
This is old news Engadget. It's been proven it's fake and is just a mock up. Please do everyone a favor and stop being like every other site that posts misleading information.
I'm sure most Ipod Touch users are already hooked on Starbucks.
its very bad Ipod doesnt manfacture itunes for linux user.They work on a open source technology atleast make itunes for linux as well or some web application