Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's Squirrel project revealed... as the Square iPhone Payment System
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Oct 17th 2009 12:54PM
posted Oct 17th 2009 12:54PM
Jack Dorsey, the man who all but built Twitter in a matter of two weeks, has been working on a half-secret start-up project since around May. His new venture -- dubbed, funnily enough, Squirrel -- is based around the concept of using the iPhone as... yep, a portable, personal cash register; essentially the exact device which Square has created. And that's no accident. In the images we ran of the Square system, you can see a domain name on a receipt: squareup.com. Squareup.com is the domain of the Square System (obviously), and a casual investigation into the site's WHOIS profile reveals registrant info that points to an office in San Francisco, and a contact email address which reads... billing@paybysquirrel.com. Square, squirrel, square... are you getting it? So the cat, er, squirrel appears to be out of the bag. Now the question is whether or not Dorsey and co. can turn this fairly obscure piece of tech into the kind of firestorm which Twitter has become -- and who knows, maybe there'll even be a business model this time.
[Thanks, Little Birdie]
way to go Self edge!
Sounds like the Telstra T-Pad which is a device for making mobile transactions that then link to your phone VIA Bluetooth and goes through a secure server setup by Telstra. why not just make it for every device like Telstra did and link VIA Bluetooth?
Twitter, Squirel, coming soon: Petting Zoo OS
This obviously won't be as big as twitter (unless they could make it so you can pay for products using your own iPhone, like the self-checkout machines they have in the UK).
However, POS software is pretty lame at the moment. It definitely has potential.
he means POS = POINT OF SALE hehe I confess I thought of piece of crap first as well.
Well, Piece Of Shit is what I think whenever our terminals used to freeze at work. They even had the gall to name them "Freedom-POS" terminals. Do these people say these names out loud before they finalize them?
Case in point: CANPASS Air. Google it. It's for real.
Hmm.. very cool, very cool. I wonder though, if this is going to top out in countries that already have e-wallet systems in place. What's the benefit for consumers in those countries to use Squirrel based POS instead of what is already there and working well?
This device appears to have a mag stripe reader and the only country that is NOT mandated to move to chip+PIN (i.e. smartcard) is the US. So, this device is worthless in most countries. It will still need to be certified for PCI DSS.
RFID built into my phone is the way to go.
Hopefully the major manufacturers can form partnerships with cc companies in 2010 to make it happen.
apple store should be using these, they use ipod touches/iphones for everything else anyway
The Apple stores use WinMo powered devices from Motorola
Future slogan: Revolutionizing guns shows since [year]
Apple litsen to me I am going to Japan in a few months and i really want one of their phones just so I can use the pay and go service they have
PLEASE IMPLEMENT THIS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
Simply do a simple search on your iphone app store or on itunes "credit card terminal" and you will see a long list of available credit card terminals apps. Some of the top sellers are on sale for 99¢ and work with popular gateways like authorize.net.
Not sure if they use PayPass in Japan but there's always Blaze Mobile Wallet
http://www.blazewallet.com/
I'm going to feel awkward trying to explain that the bulge in my pants is the result of a dongle.
Twitter founder...?
How does he sleep at night, knowing that he single handedly raised the ego and stupidity of the internet and decreased the productivity the world in general by several orders of magnitude?
+1
Yeah I read Twitter founder and no way will I ever use one of these or allow someone to use one to run my credit card simply for that fact.
Do you think the same of Tim Berners-Lee, for much the same reasons? All twitter is is an infrastructure; that's like blaming soccer for hooligans.
Twitter's how-to is to answer the question "what are you doing?". How could he not know what that would lead to?
And seriously, you're comparing twitter to the internet? Seriously?
Oh look it's that "TWITTER IS ONLY USED FOR TELLING PEOPLE WHEN YOU'RE PISSING OR MAKING A SANDWICH, NO ONE CARES" argument again.
No, it's the "TWITTER IS mostly USED FOR TELLING PEOPLE WHEN YOU'RE PISSING OR MAKING A SANDWICH, NO ONE CARES" argument.
No, No, No! Twitter has namy uses, such as lowering the IQ level of CNN's news reports to mindlessly inane drivel! Somebody punch this guy already...
Better check it for rabies!
Didnt Seigler cover this in May?
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/08/nuts-twitter-inventor-about-to-launch-his-next-project-code-named-squirrel/
I link that in the post. They do report on the project, but don't make the connection between Squirrel and the Square System, which is already being tested and we've already seen.
If you think this is cool checkout what is actually for sale currently for businesses looking to accept credit cards on the iphone: http://www.spartadata.com
Billing is a credit card terminal for the iphone which includes signature capture, tips and a paperless receipt which also combines the signature as a traditional receipt. This is the fist app of its kind to incorporate finger based signature capture. Others are attempting to copy.
Is there any word on how much they will be taking from a transaction. I assume that they like paypal will be taking a percent of the profits when using their device.
Yes, I'm glad I'm not the only tech nerd that's also a denim nerd!
If you read Engadget and you own a pair of SEXIH01, you definitely qualify
Chilling in my SExDBxSF as I type this......
Haha your not alone. Self Edge FTW
How to hype a concept that has been tested a thousand times already (NFC) and even in use already in developed markets (Felica)? Simple! Add an iPhone to the mix!
Sigh, what's wrong with using technologies that already exist?
No iPhone.
Because the patent-holders for Felica (probably) aren't American companies, which means the requisite licensing fees would be going overseas (mainly to companies that come up with this technology in the first place), instead of to domestic corporations that as of late seem to be more interested in pocketing your cash than developing more advanced technologies.
I mean, from the cynical point of view, it's more profitable to reinvent the wheel in a way that siphons money into your account, rather than to actually innovate anything, correct?
Which is partly why countries like Japan and Korea have been improving their mobile cashless payment systems for years (with deep integration into vending machines, convenience stores, gas stations, public transportation, etc), while America -- or even major cities in America -- can't agree on a single system to use, leaving you only with the option of having to carry a dozen different RFID credit cards, keychain tags, and dongles, or just stick with regular payment methods.
Now my hookers can ask: Cash or Credit. right there on the streetcorner .. :)
wayyyy to go man
How can a smart guy like that use a mouse so bad as the bluetooth Mighty Mouse?!
IphOnehaters say app store only fHas art apps.
Yeah right I wonder they didn't launch this on nokia n900 pre bb android etc.
Exactly iPhone has the biggest ecosystem. Not o mention nokia lost 35% smartphone share in record numbers. Haters the truth hurts.
hahaha truth said the truth hurts hahahaha he's so funny!!!
truth is the new clak
Magstripe? When the whole world has already turned to NFC & Smartcard for credit cards... dead end from the start, it's like creating a startup based on a great concept with telex terminals!
That little 1"X1" can become both the iPhone and Computer of the future. Who else can see this?
The Vision: A tiny circular magnet is on the bottom of that little device. A user attaches that to the hundreds of touch screens located throughout his city, workplace, and home. It has: voice recognition, knows exactly where you are at all times, can (through cloud computing) bring up your own personal desktop on any device and computer, and can make payments with a quick swipe.
Pay attention to this piece of hardware. Its creator knows mobile networking AND the value of creating products for the "Realtime Web" space.
Apple, you have a solution. PLEASE stop using Windows Mobile in the stores! Please?
What the hell are you talking about?
You can't blame them for using superior software.
Would you swipe ur card into the iphone of a salesman? How do u believe thats safe?
Hell no! But then i'm not a mindless Apple drone either... ;)
Checking out with celphones is already huge over in places like China, only a matter of time before it took off here. Funny it's being touted as some brand new idea though.
Oh, that's going to break quickly. Keep a small pair of pliers handy to get the remaining portion out of your phone.