“Apple this week put out a call for a test engineer for iPhone hardware,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider. “The company seeks an extremely well qualified candidate, preferably with a Ph.D., who has expertise on a range of subjects. Among the required areas of knowledge is RFID, a type of near-field communications that can be used to wirelessly transmit secure data in close proximity. An NFC chip can be used for a variety of potential activities, including the ability to turn a mobile device, like an iPhone, into an ‘e-wallet’ for retail transactions.”
“The job listing comes as a new rumor this week claimed that Apple is finalizing an e-wallet strategy for this year’s anticipated iPhone 5, as well as the second-generation iPad. Richard Doherty, director of the consulting firm Envisioneering Group, claimed that Apple plans to start its own mobile payment service for use at retail stores as early as mid-2011,” Hughes reports. “The rumored service could rely on a revamped iTunes that would directly handle transactions. It was said that Apple has already built a prototype payment terminal intended for small businesses, and the company may ‘heavily’ subsidize or give away the hardware to retailers to encourage rapid adoption of NFC technology.”
Hughes reports, “For Apple to transform customers’ iTunes accounts into a payment processing service would be a major overhaul, but two more job listings from Apple could hint at those plans. The company is looking to hire at least two people for the position[s] of ‘Manager Global Payment Platforms.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The plot thickens…
People are absolutely clueless about what Apple is about. Apple innovates. Apple pushes limits. In short, Apple leads, the rest follow.
Although the app store has thousands of killer apps, the capability to pay with your iPhone will be the killer app.
If Apple can go where only PayPal has gone before, they can make even more money. Wow. Just think of every single purchase putting a few pennies into the Apple coffers. Hmmmm. Time to buy more stock.
I literally feel a tingle of excitement whenever I read stories like these abt Apple. Is that normal?
Does Apple even have any interest of going up against Visa and MasterCharge? Going from buying groceries in a deli by waving an iPhone or an iPad to becoming some sort of MasterCharge credit processing rival is a huge leap. I think some of you people are getting a bit carried away. Apple is in the hardware business not the lending business. If it was that easy, I’m sure MasterCharge could have replaced all their mag-strip credit cards with NFC chip cards.
The credit card companies are not just going to hand over a trillion dollar business to a company like Apple. Apple may need to acquire a company such as Visa which could be affordable enough. It doubt Apple can manage changing the credit industry on its own. They can’t even build enough iDevices as it is.
@iphonerulez:
“The credit card companies are not just going to hand over a trillion dollar business to a company like Apple.” Gee, that sounds an awful lot like a quote about the original iPhone from Palm’s chair a couple years back…….
I do not think people realize the “succession plan” includes a 5 year strategic and technical goals Jobs has already outline for his company to achieve. The word “roadmap” is all but a joke now to all other affairs in the world except inside Apple. Jobs’ vision is already guiding the company for at least the next 5 years no matter what.
I, for one, would be grateful to dispose of the many pieces of plastic that fill my wallet. This has already begun. But Apple is the company best poised to take it mainstream. It is USB all over again.
The RFID as such is not new. Were I work, our access card have RFID chips used for accessing different areas, but also to pay for the lunch at canteens. We load (with money) at normal payment terminals, just like ATM’s.
However what’s interesting is how to link the RFID with our banks, VISA etc, verify the transaction securely. To use the iPhone like a mobile ATM. Banks, VISA etc must then make the apps. That is what I think Apple is working on.
My expensive oversized iPad credit card….
Greetings;
Why is it that some of us are finding it rather ironic that when a corporately controlled democracy receives a wink and a nod from the corporately controlled UN to evade a free society in order to incorporate a countries resources it’s called a Liberator, yet, when the peoples of the evaded country sets out to form a resistance in order to protect its countries resources it is deemed a terrorist organization by the corporately owned medias?
“9-11 was a Ritual Human Sacrifice. That, and the obvious catalyst for the so called “War on Terror”. Behind the scenes, there is only One Party. Our Party. ‘Democracy’ is an illusion which is created to uphold your slavery. Whichever side ‘wins’; the Family wins.” – Hidden_Hand
“Q: (L) What are the blasphemous titles on the heads of the beast in The Book of Revelation?
A: In God we trust.
Q: (L) “And the beast that I saw resembled a leopard?”
A: New World Order. U.S. Is in sinister plot (opened STS conduit, made a “deal” with the so called “Devil” is playing both “sides” against the other).
The invasion will begin when programming is complete. (via media, aka religion, aka politics, aka HAARP, aka microwave transmissions, aka strobe lights such as TV, emergency vehicles, air craft, medicine, food and water contamination etc….) Don’t trust! Don’t ignore! Knowledge protects, ignorance endangers” – 6D STO
The very best to you on your journey of discovery,
Travis @ http://www.focusonrecovery.net