square

Square adds AT&T to list of card reader distributors

Square has added to its list of retail partnerships with the announcement today that AT&T will begin selling the Square Card Readers at its stores.

The mobile payments startup's credit card reader will be offered at 1,000 AT&T stores, making Square available at more than 20,000 retail locations in the U.S., including at Apple stores, Best Buy, FedEx Office, RadioShack, Target, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart.

"AT&T stores are a convenient retail destination for purchasing Square Card Readers, offering entrepreneurs the ability to purchase all of the devices they need to … Read more

Square outage squelches payments

Square was hit by an hour-long outage yesterday evening, stopping some payments being processed.

The outage caused problems for users of the startup's website, Squareup.com, as well as its mobile app, The Next Web reports.

Square spokesman Aaron Zamost told the publication:

"Some users experienced a connectivity issue late this evening, during which time our website was inaccessible and some payments could not be processed. The issue was quickly recognized by our engineering team and has been fixed. We're sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused and we're taking the appropriate steps to ensure … Read more

The 404 1112: Where we put a spell on you (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Instagram 3.0 adds infinite scrolling, lets you plot on a Photo map.

- How to control which Instagram pics show up on your Photo Map.

- Hipstamatic lays off all but six employees.

- Hipstamatic becomes the first third-party app to officially post photos to Instagram.

- Buzzfeed invites you to rub Ryan Gosling. Learn the Moonwalk from MJ too, while you're at it.

- From a visual perspective, RubGifs still don't compare to cinemagraphs.

- Google US map shows regional stereotypes by autocompleting "Why is ____ so..."… Read more

Square offers nice round number with flat-fee plan

Square launched a flat-rate monthly fee today for small-business owners, turning the credit card industry on its head again.

Merchants who process up to $250,000 in customer payments per year using the card reader can pay a monthly rate of $275, instead of 2.75 percent per swipe, according to a press release from Square. The monthly fee includes the usual Square perks -- no additional fees and no contract.

Square -- known for its small, square card reader that can be plugged into mobile devices to create an instant credit card machine -- said it is "leveling … Read more

It's dangerous to be an iPhone or iPad in Mississippi

If you're an iPad sitting in an Apple Store, you probably cringe each time the customer with 3-year-old triplets walks over to check you out.

Now we also know there are certain stores, and even entire states, you don't want to end up in either, thanks to new data from device warranty outfit SquareTrade that details which states seem to have the clumsiest iPad and iPhone users.

Looking at its own internal claim data for iPhone and iPad breakage and damage, SquareTrade found Mississippi and South Carolina seem to have particularly high rates of iOS device abuse -- both states made the top five when it comes to claims for both iPhones and iPads, with Mississippi racking up the most collective damage to iPhones and South Carolina taking title as the most dangerous state for iPads.… Read more

Apple calls Samsung a copycat in court

Apple is using Samsung's own words against it in their high-stakes patent-infringement trial.

Apple pointed to an internal Samsung document highlighting the weaknesses of the Galaxy S1 compared with the iPhone as further evidence that Samsung has copied its work. The document, a "relative evaluation report" on the Galaxy S1 and iPhone published in March 2010 and unearthed by Apple, highlights where Samsung's flagship phone fell short of the iPhone.

Apple will draw on this document as proof that Samsung actively compared its products against the iPhone, and made strides to better mimic the blockbuster device. … Read more

Did Starbucks just add $2.2B to Square's valuation?

Jack Dorsey, the 35-year-old tech star who runs mobile payment company Square, today announced what he called an "epic" deal with Starbucks that could bring the "Pay with Square" app into the mainstream.

How big? It's too soon to say for sure, of course. But a firm that researches private companies, PrivCo, calculates that Square's deal with Starbucks will add $120 million in annual revenue for Square next year and, even more impressive, boost its valuation by $2.2 billion by the end of 2013. That would give Square -- already one of the most highly valued private tech companies … Read more

The main perk of Starbucks-Square deal

Wednesday's top headlines are served with a low-fat triple shot of mobile news:

You may wonder why it matters that Square partnered with Starbucks. Customers could already pay for coffee by using the Starbucks app and show their phone screen to the barista. And how much time does that really save compared to taking out your wallet?

This deal is all about awareness. Seeing the Square logo in stores will help people get more comfortable with the idea of phones being a wallet replacement. Apple will also be pushing this concept in iOS 6 with the Passbook app that … Read more

As Square nears prime time, a look back at its evolution

With the announcement that Starbucks is going to use Square for all credit- and debit-card payments (see this CNET News post by Steven Musil, @StevenMusil), the mobile payments startup is finally ready for prime time.

Yes, Square has been in the news for a while now, and it's gotten a valuation estimated to be between $1 billion and $4 billion, and has millions of dollars in transactions per day. But it's this deal with Starbucks that is going to give Square truly wide exposure and make it more commonplace.

I thought this would be a good moment to … Read more