While Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is ramping up in California right now, a small bit of news slipped out on Friday that could make product announcements down the line far more interesting. While the slip of iOS 7 being revealed early grabbed some headlines, reports of a patent request could be bigger news.
An article from Business Insider covered a new patent application from Apple that would see a new payment option coming to consumers. It would allow users to simply wave their iPhone or iPad over a special receiver to make a payment.
"All you need to know is this: Apple would like to patent the technology that lets you pay for stuff by tapping your phone to a special pad," the article reads. "It also explains that offers and discounts can be tied into the product and automatically redeemed when you purchase something."
Every year there seems to be a new rumor of Apple adding some kind of innovation that could change user payments, but they always wind up as just talk. The closest the company has come so far was last year when it added the application Passbook, but it did not allow customers to make payments at the register.
Now, this patent could sit for years before we see it in actual hardware or Apple could reveal that it has been incorporated into iOS 7—there is no way to know. However, by partnering with an IT consulting firm that specializes in Mac integration and training, any company can incorporate the innovation into daily operations when it becomes a reality.
