Apple Takes Possession of Mobeewave Domain Name, One Year After Acquiring Startup That Lets Smartphones Accept Payments Using NFC

[MacRumors]

Apple has taken possession of the domain name Mobeewave.com, according to a WHOIS record discovered by MacRumors. The domain name was previously owned by payments startup Mobeewave, which Apple acquired last year.

Mobeewave created a system that lets shoppers tap a credit card or smartphone on another phone to process a payment. The technology works with NFC, which is built into all modern iPhones.

Apple typically buys startups to turn their technology into features of its products, and the functionality could in future allow iPhones to be used as payment terminals with no additional hardware required. Apple hired the whole Mobeewave team, which includes dozens of employees, and the company is continuing to work from Montreal where it is based.

Prior to the acquisition, Mobeewave demonstrated the simplicity of its technology by showing users inputting a transaction amount into an app and tapping an NFC-enabled card on the back of a smartphone.

Full contact information on the domain transfer is redacted for privacy, but the record's domain information lists Apple's nameservers. The domain is no longer active, although at some point in the future Apple may choose to redirect it to either a related product page or support pages for an upcoming product.

Article Link: Apple Takes Possession of Mobeewave Domain Name, One Year After Acquiring Startup That Lets Smartphones Accept Payments Using NFC

 

[Mutepointer]

Looks like a transfer, not a new registration according to the screenshot.

 

[timmyh]

Looks like a transfer not a new registration according to the screenshot.

Thanks, I've reworded the title to make that more clear.

 

[Naraxus]

Apple - when you can't innovate, steal or buy out your competition.

 

[nims]

And when Apple eventually allows vendors to accept payments with lower fees Square is going to start crying like Spotify.

 

[MauiPa]

And now comes the Congress in its infinite lack of wisdom wanting to ban acquisitions like this. So right back to the big bad Microsoft days when they would offer to buy a company for a fraction of its value, and if you refused to sell they would put thousands of engineers on a project to Sherlock you. So much better than seeing your idea prosper and get monetized fairly

 

[MauiPa]

And when Apple eventually allows vendors to accept payments with lower fees Square is going to start crying like Spotify.

True story

 

[andrewxgx]

Apple - when you can't innovate, steal or buy out your competition.

thats how every big company operates.
apple actually sometimes does stuff on their own. but there are companies that lost any ability to innovate at all. dear IBM, i won't cry when you'll eventually go out of business.

 

[MauiPa]

Apple - when you can't innovate, steal or buy out your competition.

You need a history lesson or perhaps just read the Wall Street Urinal? The original concept of Sherlocking was pioneered by Microsoft where if they liked your idea they would offer you a pittance in value for it. If you refused, they would put as much staff as necessary to duplicate your concept and then run you out of business

here at least is a concept which, for both security and convenience, should be integrated in the phone and a company got cashed out at value and the employees continued employment in their hometown and have additional career opportunities

besides, if it’s a good idea, Samsung will just copy it anyway (worse outcome)

 

[NMBob]

Why do you have to tap for everything? Would your phone try to send $100 to the floor if you dropped it? Do both “parties“ see the tap, or just one? I guess with a card it would just be the reader. Can I put my card near a reader then set a glass bottle of something down on the checkout counter instead?

 

[PC_tech]

thats how every big company operates.
apple actually sometimes does stuff on their own. but there are companies that lost any ability to innovate at all. dear IBM, i won't cry when you'll eventually go out of business.

IBM isn’t going anywhere anytime soon 🙄

 

[LeadingHeat]

Why do you have to tap for everything? Would your phone try to send $100 to the floor if you dropped it? Do both “parties“ see the tap, or just one? I guess with a card it would just be the reader. Can I put my card near a reader then set a glass bottle of something down on the checkout counter instead?

No. Glass bottles do not include NFC chips inside of them. This works by having two NFC chips communicate with each other once the “tap” is done. The tapping together physically is what initiates the pairing, or in this case the payment.

 

[ddtmm]

Why is this news? I would fully expect if they bought a company it would come with it's possessions including its domain name. What's more strange is why it took a year. Seems like there's something missing from the story.

 

[jclardy]

And when Apple eventually allows vendors to accept payments with lower fees Square is going to start crying like Spotify.

I doubt Apple would go for cost here, more for convenience, Squares cut is already pretty low when you consider the cost from the card vendors. The real "issue" here would be that Apple can use NFC for card input, but third parties cannot.

 

[NMBob]

No. Glass bottles do not include NFC chips inside of them. This works by having two NFC chips communicate with each other once the “tap” is done. The tapping together physically is what initiates the pairing, or in this case the payment.

That's what I mean. The card has a sensor that senses movement? The reader has a sensor? Just shaking the reader by tapping on the counter (which the reader is usually mounted to) will do it? If it's "NFC" why not just have them communicate when they are close enough to each other and make it so you just have to 'wave the card by' the reader? I just got a replacement Amazon card that has a much smaller chip area and an antenna symbol. I'll have to experiment.

 

[nicho]

That's what I mean. The card has a sensor that senses movement? The reader has a sensor? Just shaking the reader by tapping on the counter (which the reader is usually mounted to) will do it? If it's "NFC" why not just have them communicate when they are close enough to each other and make it so you just have to 'wave the card by' the reader? I just got a replacement Amazon card that has a much smaller chip area and an antenna symbol. I'll have to experiment.

This is why:

Some NYC subway riders are accidentally getting double-charged because of Apple Pay

The MTA is not explicitly pointing the finger at Apple.

www.theverge.com

 

[MauiPa]

Why do you have to tap for everything? Would your phone try to send $100 to the floor if you dropped it? Do both “parties“ see the tap, or just one? I guess with a card it would just be the reader. Can I put my card near a reader then set a glass bottle of something down on the checkout counter instead?

Is it just me, or does this make no sense? The “tap” is the credit card companies’ trademark for using secure transactions from Apple Pay, google pay, Samsung pay, etc where you have a secure unlocked phone or watch, as opposed to a credit card that any schmuck could pick up off the floor, or your pocket, and just “tap” to pay. Oh yah, so secure

 

[MauiPa]

I doubt Apple would go for cost here, more for convenience, Squares cut is already pretty low when you consider the cost from the card vendors. The real "issue" here would be that Apple can use NFC for card input, but third parties cannot.

Why is that an “issue”. Apple developed phone. Can visa get a cut as a third party app when you use a Mastercard? That whole “issue” thing is bogus

 

[DanTheMan827]

And when Apple eventually allows vendors to accept payments with lower fees Square is going to start crying like Spotify.

I doubt it because Apple takes nothing from Square to begin with.

If Apple comes out with a credit card processor that has a lower fee than Square they're doing nothing wrong.

Spotify has an issue with Apple because they're at a competitive disadvantage to Apple's own product due to the 30% fee and being unable to steer users to an alternate payment method.

 

[DanTheMan827]

I doubt Apple would go for cost here, more for convenience, Squares cut is already pretty low when you consider the cost from the card vendors. The real "issue" here would be that Apple can use NFC for card input, but third parties cannot.

This is the same issue with other apps that Apple has a competing product.

They enter a market, make use of their hardware in ways no competitor can, and then they get sued because of it.

 

[DanTheMan827]

Why is that an “issue”. Apple developed phone. Can visa get a cut as a third party app when you use a Mastercard? That whole “issue” thing is bogus

You're speaking nonsense.

The real issue is that Apple would be using APIs in a way that literally no other card processor can, this gives Apple a competitive advantage over other card processors, especially as contactless payment cards proliferate.

Apple would be able to accept basically any credit card right from the phone without any additional hardware, competitors would have to make use of external hardware to provide that same functionality.

If I was looking for a card processor I would definitely go with the one that doesn't require me to buy additional hardware.

 

[gene731]

Apple - when you can't innovate, steal or buy out your competition.

Quit being a crybaby. I’m so glad Google Facebook Samsung hasn’t bought anyone out and that Samsung never once has copied Apple and Facebook has never bought out their competition that zuckerberg is the worlds best innovator coming out with apps like I don’t know WhatsApp and Instagram.

 

[LeadingHeat]

That's what I mean. The card has a sensor that senses movement? The reader has a sensor? Just shaking the reader by tapping on the counter (which the reader is usually mounted to) will do it? If it's "NFC" why not just have them communicate when they are close enough to each other and make it so you just have to 'wave the card by' the reader? I just got a replacement Amazon card that has a much smaller chip area and an antenna symbol. I'll have to experiment.

No amount of shaking will initiate any NFC-type action. One NFC (near-field contact) chip needs to physically touch (or be very close) to another NFC chip to activate any actions (in this case, a payment).

You are correct though, that some newer credit/debit cards have that NFC chip built in. So when you wave the card next to (very close to - touching almost) an NFC payment terminal (square, toast, and now possibly down the road based on this article an iPhone - rumored, not definite…) it will allow the two to talk to each other.

 

[NMBob]

No amount of shaking will initiate any NFC-type action. One NFC (near-field contact) chip needs to physically touch (or be very close) to another NFC chip to activate any actions (in this case, a payment).

You are correct though, that some newer credit/debit cards have that NFC chip built in. So when you wave the card next to (very close to - touching almost) an NFC payment terminal (square, toast, and now possibly down the road based on this article an iPhone - rumored, not definite…) it will allow the two to talk to each other.

Thanks for the info. I'll check it out.

 

[NMBob]

This is why:

Some NYC subway riders are accidentally getting double-charged because of Apple Pay

The MTA is not explicitly pointing the finger at Apple.

www.theverge.com

Interesting. Other than operator error it looks like the 'don't have to actually tap' "bubble" (they call it) is/was too big in the NY case. So it doesn't look like an actual tap or movement is required. That was probably the easiest way to describe it to the masses. Tap and go. That's how I describe controlling my telescope with my iPad.