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Apperang pays users for app installs
The App Store is a busy place -- there are lots and lots of apps out there, and almost all of them need attention. Some developers are apparently willing to pay for that attention, so enter Apperang, a new service that purports to pay users to install certain apps on their iPhones. MobileCrunch has the breakdown -- Apperang has a verification system running that will check if you've installed apps in their system (including Booyah's MyTown and Flixter's Movies -- I saw nine apps on the service, but that may be limited by location), and then will pay out a few cents, both for installing the app yourself, as well as referring it to other Apperang users. Is it kosher? Pretty much -- lots of app developers already pay for advertising that's targeted towards app installation, and this deal isn't any different. Rather than pocketing all the profit, Apperang is just passing it on. A video on the site shows that Apperang is promising US$.25 per app install (if the app isn't free, they'll reimburse you the purchase price), and their FAQ says that the minimum payout is $1. Payout appears to work through Paypal -- that's the only option I can see so far. For some companies, it's just easier to pay a quarter for a new user rather than gamble on advertising or word-of-mouth. I do question how scalable it is from Apperang's perspective, and of course, as a user, there are much better ways to make some pocket change
Square working on 'a credit processing and risk issue' before shipping more card readers
If you've tried to get in on Square's mobile payment system, you know that a critical part of the whole setup is the tiny credit card reader that plugs into your phone's headphone jack -- and in all likelihood, you don't have it. The company just sent out a message to those who've signed up for their service today, saying that a prior hardware shortage is resolved but that it's only half of the problem; the other half, and arguably a more serious one, is that the company needs to find a way to "handle the huge demand for readers and still manage the risk of chargebacks and fraud." So far, those risks have been mitigated by setting limits very low, but customers have apparently complained that they're too low, which is requiring a "rethinking and expanding" of the company's underwriting. Everyone's being assured that they'll be good to go once this whole process is over and clients go through a credit check -- but in the meantime, Square readers might be a little scarce, so it's back to IOUs and pocket change for a while. See the full letter after the break.
Rumor: Apple paying Foxconn workers directly
After all of the trouble last week at Foxconn, the Chinese factory suffering from worker suicides, rumor has it that Apple is stepping up to increase wages at the plant by paying workers directly. A Chinese website claims that Apple may eventually pay workers as a percentage of product sales, though the numbers aren't quite clear -- the website says the payout would be around 1 to 2 percent of product sales, which sounds high. The report also says that the iPad will be the first product under this plan, which is good news for the workers considering how it's selling. This is still just a rumor at this point -- Foxconn makes products for all kinds of companies, and while it would be excellent for Apple to contribute to the low wages these workers are paid, it seems unlikely that it would step in with more money. Most likely, Apple would simply pressure Foxconn to make more changes, which is what Apple and other clients have done so far. But obviously the suicides are a major issue, and if Apple can alleviate the problem by providing higher wages on its own, that may help. We'll have to wait and see if any officially announced plans come to light.
Apple relents, allows cash for iPads
Good news, everyone! In response to the public outcry over Apple's no-cash-for-iPad policy, Apple has relented. You will now be able to purchase iPads in-store using cash and gift cards. Yes, you'll also have to set up a traceable Apple account at the same time, but the lack of credit or debit card will no longer bar the sale of iPads to consumers. Apple's controversial (although not illegal in most states) no-cash policy for the iPad was introduced to limit gray-market iPad redistribution. The demand for iPads remains high world-wide, and as the eBay iPad site shows, there's money to be made for anyone willing to part with their new electronic friend. It's kind of like Terry Pratchett's notion of "negotiable affection." Sure, you love the iPad -- but there's no question that it's profitable to share that love with others. Under Apple's new rules, you will still be limited to two-device-purchases per user. You'll be able to pay for those two devices using an expanded payment vocabulary, but Apple intends to firmly enforce its existing allocation control measures. So Apple will ban any customer it finds purchasing too many iPads -- even if you are picking that extra one up for a colleague or a gift. Thanks, Sara Bueno
Boxee for iPhone, iPad and Android all but confirmed in Vindicia payment processing deal
Oh sure, having Boxee nailed down to the desktop of your PC is fine and dandy, and that Boxee Box will ensure that the same experience is enjoyed by all who plant their fundament in front of your HDTV. But we all know what you're after -- lemon drops. And a mobile version of Boxee. In a post today by the company, it expressed outright joy in inking a deal with Vindicia in order to bring a payment processing solution to the platform; slated for implementation "by the end of the summer," this CashBox add-in would enable users to purchase "premium content" from Boxee's programming partners via credit card, gift card or PayPal. It's a vital step in Boxee finally finding a revenue stream (something it confessed to needing on a previous episode of The Engadget Show), and better still, "Vindicia's flexibility makes it possible for [Boxee] to enable payments on its website and across mobile platforms like the iPhone, Android and iPad." Yeah, those are the company's own words right there, and in case you still aren't believing your eyes, chew on one final quote: "Boxee's eventual expansion to these platforms will pave the way for universally accessible content no matter where a user is (we love this idea!)." Huzzah!
Rebellion accused of not paying dismissed employees
Something's apparently rotten at Rebellion. Not only was the dev forced to shutter its Derby office doors back in March, but those ex-employees seemingly aren't getting their deserved cash. Develop reports that numerous sources have come forward, claiming they've never received their promised salaries or redundancy pay. Sources tell Develop that a few of the employees had been working there "for nearly 20 years" and are due large compensation packages. An even worse reality, one source posits, could result in Rebellion filing for bankruptcy -- which would mean that anybody due compensation could very well never receive payment. Grim stuff, for sure. Rebellion's Derby office effectively closed its doors back in March. Founding brothers Jason and Chris Kingsley could not be reached for comment as they're currently traveling.
Visa and DeviceFidelity working to bring mobile payment functionality to iPhone
This ain't the first rodeo for Visa and DeviceFidelity, and if we had to guess, we suspect it won't be the last. Just a few short months after teaming up to bring contactless payments to any mobile with a microSD slot, the two are at it again -- this time aiming for the oh-so-tantalizing iPhone market. Reportedly, the tandem is toiling away in an effort to concoct a protective iPhone shell with a secure memory card that hosts Vista's contactless payment app, payWave. As it stands, the product would only function on the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, leaving upcoming iPhone 4G / HD / Barhopper buyers out in the cold. As with any other payWave-enabled handset, this would allow users to simply tap and go when checking out, a process that our pals over in Japan have had down for centuries now. If all goes well, market trials of the payment-enabled iPhone are set to begin this summer, or approximately six months too late for anyone to seriously care.
Coming soon: Paying for stuff on Visa by waving your iPhone
You've probably seen contactless payment terminals before. They're used in many stores, restaurants, and other locations, with either a smart credit card containing a secure memory card or some sort of fob being used to make the payment. You just wave it at the terminal, and you've paid your bill. Visa and DeviceFidelity are working on a way to let iPhone users make payments by waving their iPhones in front of contactless payment terminals. They'll be offering an iPhone case with an embedded secure memory card that hosts Visa's payment application, Visa payWave. Any place you find a Visa contactless payment terminal, there will also be a potential spot for iPhone users to pay for goods or services using their Visa credit card account. Security is still important: Visa notes that the mobile payment application can be protected with a password, and that users will have to treat the case as if it were a credit card, calling the bank if it gets lost or stolen. Market trials of this service are expected to start this summer. It's an interesting proposal, but we'll have to see what the case looks like. And of course it's only for Visa customers so far -- customers of other card companies will have to figure out their own solutions.
Paypal app goes 2.0, adds Bump integration
Never before in human history have there been so many ways to part with your hard-earned cash. The spotlight might be on credit card acceptance tools from Square & Verisign, or the beta Venmo service's SMS-based trust network -- still, don't forget about the cagey veteran. Paypal is 12 years old now (and in Internet years, that's... uh... "wicked old") but the eBay-owned payment site is innovating as fast as ever; case in point, the 2.0 version of the free Paypal iPhone app. The new app features a revamped interface and history display, along with options for payment reminders, funds withdrawals and a new "Request Money" tool. You can create and send a fund request within the app at the moment you need it (just spotted your pal $20 for the movies? Bingo!), which makes it that much more likely that you'll get reimbursed. In like fashion, you can collect money for a shared gift or charitable donation, or split a restaurant check and send off requests for everyone's share of the bill. If that's not futuristic enough for you, the Paypal app now integrates with contact sharer Bump, which added Facebook friending and more granular profile-based sharing in a new release at the end of February (most requested new feature: a 'fake' profile, allowing you to give that overeager Bump-er at the bar a bogus number if you're just not that into them). Using the Bump API, Paypal's app now allows you to send money to another Bump user just by tapping phones. I anticipate strong enthusiasm for this feature at sporting events and casinos. Paypal's apps for the Blackberry and Android are scheduled to get some of the new features soon, but in the meantime these are iPhone-only goodies. Enjoy! %Gallery-88352% [h/t TechCrunch]
Adafruit shows off the Square dongle for credit card payments on the iPhone
Adafruit is one of a few companies that has been chosen to test the Square dongle that automagically takes credit card payments on any iPhone. Even though we got to see it in action at Macworld, I think every look we can get at this thing is worth it, considering just how darn revolutionary it seems. The video on Flickr shows just how quick and easy it is -- just swipe the card, and sign with your finger on the iPhone's screen. I haven't bothered carrying cash for a few years now, and something like this only makes it easier to not only take payments for vendors, but for me to pay. Hot dog guy needs a few bucks but doesn't have a landline connection to run a credit card on? No worries, just swipe and done. Want to give to the Salvation Army guy over the holidays but don't have any money left in the wallet? Just swipe and done. Word has it that the transaction cut will be 2.9% (though the video above shows 3.5% -- maybe you can change the percentage depending on circumstances), but odds are that in most cases, the convenience will be well worth it. The whole program's still in beta, but it probably won't be long before you'll see (and maybe even use) one of these out in the wild. [Via Engadget]
Adafruit is in the Square payment pilot, awesomeness will likely ensue
Our good friends at Adafruit Industries are now taking mobile payments with the best of 'em thanks to a prerelease Square dongle they've managed to score, ostensibly as a part of the public trial announced earlier this month. They've posted a quick video showing the process of taking someone's cash via plastic, and it looks every bit as painless as Square makes it out to be -- just swipe, sign with your fingertip, and your Square-equipped payee is a few dollars richer. The particular dongle Adafruit's been provided looks rough to say the least -- these aren't the units you'll be getting off the shelf -- but that's part of the fun of being involved with a beta, isn't it? Head over to Adafruit to peep the video, and needless to say, we're curious to see how they plan to make use of this little bugger.
Square opens public trial for iPhone payment system
Eager to get in on the whole "using your iPhone to pay for stuff" revolution? Too bad your wallet is vehemently disagreeing right now. At any rate, the folks behind the Square iPhone payment system have finally seen fit to open up their solution to the public, but only in the form of a pilot. If you're interested to be one of the few scratching the impulse-buy-itch with a cellphone dongle, hit that source link to sign up. For the rest of ya, there's an explanatory video after the break.
Kevin Rose demos Square payment system for iPhone
Digg's Kevin Rose is the newest investor in this Square iPhone payment system that we've been seeing lately, and as you can see above, he's demo'ed the unit for everyone over on YouTube. It works as we've heard: there's just an addon that you plug into the iPhone's headphone jack, and then an app takes information from the swiper, and transmits it out for an actual credit card payment, with a finger doing the signature. The app, as Kevin says, will even upload GPS information, so you can make sure that payments are happening in the right place. Unfortunately, what he doesn't mention is the actual price to get payments up and running. Square's website says that there's "no contracts, monthly fees, or hidden costs," but they've got to pay for the system somehow, so you'd expect there to be a fee for setup, for the accessory, and then a fee per charge through the system, but we haven't heard what any of those will end up being yet. Depending on how steep they are, this could be a gamechanger -- accepting payments anywhere, any time, with an online record and receipt for each one, no cash involved. Would be incredible for small business owners, and probably a lot of other sales folks, too.
Square payment dongle demoed for iPhone toting hippies and you (video)
Ever wonder what the offspring of an after-party Twitter and Digg copulation might look like? No, well aren't you pure and normal. Regardless, we fantasize about it all the time but never expected this iPhone payment dongle to be first from the litter. Square is Jack Dorsey's (Twitter co-founder) new startup that now has Kevin Rose (Digg founder) on board as an investor and YouTube pitch man for the prototype payment device that plugs directly into the iPhone's headphone jack. We've covered Square before but this is the first video that clearly demonstrates the full capability of the credit card swipe system on a live device. A compelling proposition for receiving cashless payments if you're a small business owner looking to exploit irresponsible credit card debt or just the average Joe hocking goods at a garage sale, farmers market, or Craigslist. Assuming of course, Square's cut of the transaction isn't too egregious. Demo after the break.
iPhone credit card reader to be demoed at CES
Coming this CES (which is actually next week): a complete credit card transaction accessory and service for your iPhone. If this thing works as expected, you might actually see it in more than a few places (think: street vendors that will take credit card payments). A company called Mophie is planning to show off an add-on that works with an app to deliver credit card payments through Square, a payment service recently started up by Jack Dorsey, a Twitter alumni. This is one of a couple such systems that will be vying to fulfill the function (and probably take a few cents from each transaction for their troubles), but so far all we've really got is demos, no actual releases planned. But maybe we'll hear more at CES. There's all kinds of applications here -- a solid, working implementation of a service like this could end up being extremely popular for anybody that regularly needs to conduct transactions out in the field.
Intel forks over the $1.25 billion settlement to AMD, apparently had it 'just laying around'
Remember that time you owed your buddy for the take out and then you found $20 in the couch? This is kind of like that. Except instead of "take out" we're talking "accusations of anticompetitive practices and stolen IP," and instead of "$20" we're referring to the $1.25 billion check that Intel just shot into the arm of AMD, as per agreement. Intel certainly isn't out of the woods yet with this anticompetitive stuff, but with the biggest CPU monkey off its back and some fancy patent cross-licensing between the companies, we should hopefully see the benefits of this in better and faster chips from both chip giants in the somewhat distant future.
Accept credit card payments on your iPhone? Then there were two
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 Los Angeles Times notes that users will pay an activation fee of $49, a monthly fee of $15 and a per-transaction charge of 17 cents). 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]
The catch point of the free-to-play model
With the successful transition of Dungeons and Dragons Online to the free-to-play model, there's a lot of talk about why other games don't move over to the same model, with Warhammer Online frequently being cited as a game that would enjoy a great benefit from the switch. It would bring in more players, certainly, but there's more to the business than just bringing in new blood. The Ancient Gaming Noob makes an excellent point in a recent entry regarding the inescapable paradox of any game offering a free-to-play model -- that razor-edge split between giving the game away for free and making it entirely unreasonable to play it for free. The obvious idea is that more people will try the game if they don't think they have to commit, and if they feel they can keep playing without having to pay money they're more likely to stick with it. However, every player that isn't paying money is essentially a cost - and as the entry points out, your paying playerbase will frequently be a small percentage of your overall subscribers. The entry uses Battlefield Heroes as an example of a game where the equillibrium needed to shift to make it profitable, which is causing serious rumbling in the gaming community, but the example can apply for any free-to-play game. As the model becomes more and more popular, it's important to remember that it's not a certain hit -- and can turn what could have been a moderately-successful subscription game into a failed game if done wrong.
Square iPhone payment system gets itself a website, showcased in public
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and the quiet startup formerly known as Squirrel are finally opening up a bit. The company now called Square, as we noted back in October, has launched a website for its iPhone payment dongle, although it's still in somewhat private beta testing. TechCrunch managed to catch up with Dorsey, who gave a brief overview of the product and then showed it off by charging $4 for a cup of coffee -- so it goes in San Francisco. See Square in action after the break.
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's Squirrel project revealed... as the Square iPhone Payment System
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/17/twitter-founder-jack-dorseys-squirrel-project-revealed-as-th/'; tweetmeme_source = 'engadget'; Remember the Square iPhone Payment System we told you about back in August? If you'll recall, the device -- which involves an iPhone app and associated dongle -- enables an iPhone or iPod touch to become a kind of mini credit card reader, allowing payments to be taken on the spot, no matter where you are or how big (or small) the transaction may be. When we'd first reported the device, word on the street was that it was only being alpha tested around New York City, and there wasn't much else to say. Now, we may have a little more insight on just where this device is headed, and who's behind the project. 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]
