Apple patent reveals plans for more iPhone wifi purchases

But how will payments be handled? I address some of these issues on Watching Apple at http://watchingapple.com/2007/12/wireless-transactions-and-apples-pos-patent/.

Imagine buying something at an electronics store with your iPhone, walking up to the counter, standing in line, reminding the clerk what you bought, waiting for them to bring it to the counter, waiting, waiting, then realizing oh man, I could have carried the item over here myself, from the self, and bought the damn thing already.

But I do think iPhone purchasing is a really cool idea. It's just not going to be any big deal *from inside the store you're already standing in.*

This would be better:
Pass any barcoded item in front of the iPhone camera and up pops a listing of every place that item is for sale within your neighborhood, with price comparisons, and internet stores too? That's going to be nice.

What I'd like to see is a 3G iPhone that connects wirelessly to your Mac/PC and is able to tap into your iTune content and stream the desired content to your iPhone. This would make your computer bascially a multi-media server capable of streaming your content to anyone you grant access to. This may also allow the iPhone to be a thin client and minimize the storage requirements; allowing for the 3G and maybe 4G implementation.

Well... Microsoft is kinda trying the same thing with their multi touch desk shishkabob. I guess it'll come down to who can drive down prices to implement the technology in the stores. As soon as the momma-poppa shops carry the tech of whom ever, BLAMO! you have a win!

Just stating the obvious, but my comment counts too!

This is something I blogged 3 months ago, there is a big big big possibility for apple to expand its mobile business outside computing...

read my post here: http://whataboutmac.com/index.php/2007/09/15/ipod-touch-in-steroid-ipod-doing-business/

Frank's comment is interesting to me simply because no one is doing this yet in the States. Yeah, this may seem like an "of COURSE" moment to us, but the fact remains that no one was doing this before Apple. In other words, the reasons this seems like an "of COURSE" moment is that it seems like a good idea that someone should have been doing already.

Of course, we're all a little behind Japan, where you can already buy things with your cell phone. So this will be a nice game of catch-up, if it works.

how long until Belkin starts selling a barcode reader accessory for the iPod Touch/iPhone? :)

not to take away from your prediction, but, uh, *of course* that's where they were headed. apple is not run by fools!

Now if only they'd let you select style and purchase condoms at the store without having to ask the dude behind to counter!!!