Mockup pics of rumored Starbucks iPhone QuickOrder system surface
(Credit: Phil Lu / Genoco.com)Hot on the heels of the mysterious ordering patent that surfaced late last month, multimedia designer Phil Lu has put together some gorgeous mockup shots of what an ordering system for retail stores would look like using Apple's iPhone. According to Gizmodo, the shots were created before the patent was filed.
The design shows a variety of screens that let you design and customize a drink to order off Starbucks' menu. The system uses a mix of a credit account and a Semacode scanning system similar to the barcodes recently used at several airports to verify passenger boarding passes with people's cellular phone displays. In this case, the code is to verify your payment before pickup.
Ideally, if a system like this were in place, you'd be able to order your coffee without having to wait in line or get to the cash register as long as you had your iPhone with you. Thus far Apple's partnership with Starbucks has been fairly limited to music, but adding a little e-commerce with a kickback to Apple doesn't seem like an idea that's too far out, and one that could be replicated in other mass market retail establishments that are no strangers to the queue.
Josh Lowensohn is an associate editor for Webware.com, CNET's blog about cool and otherwise useful Web applications and services. If you've found a site you'd like profiled, shoot him an e-mail. E-mail Josh.
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