Starbucks is taking mobile payments nationwide with the rollout of payments by smartphone at more than 7,500 locations. The payment system builds off a limited trial from last year and has the potential to push mobile payments into the mainstream for the first time. Read More »
Tech
Starbucks designed its new Yahoo-powered Starbucks Digital Network as a mobile experience, saying it was logical considering more than half of its free Wi-Fi users use smartphones. Too bad the the portal seems designed first for tablets and laptops and less so for smartphones. Read More »
Geo-fencing is getting a major showcase with a roll-out by UK mobile operator O2 of an offer program that will target a million subscribers with Starbucks and L’Oreal coupons. O2 subscribers who opt in will get discounts on Starbucks and L’Oreal products as they pass by. Read More »
Starbucks is taking a tip from its users and designing its upcoming web landing portal Starbucks Digital Network to be optimized for mobile devices. The site will be built in HTML5, use touch and swipes and will be optimized for iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices Read More »
Starbucks Wi-Fi is going free on July 1 in all U.S. company-operated stores. But free Wi-Fi isn’t going to be enough if it becomes available everywhere. Clever use of premium and pay content combined with a wireless connection is the future. Read More »
Today AT&T said it would buy Wayport, an operator of Wi-Fi hotspots around the country, for $275 million in cash. The deal brings AT&T 80,000 Wi-Fi hotspots all over the country, which will help offload bandwidth-clogging traffic, driven by Wi-Fi enabled phones, from its 3G network. Read More »
Last month we offered bootstrapping founders a short index of cost-optimization sites to help cut expenses for things like health insurance, web hosting, wireless plans and electric bills. Many of you wrote in to offer your own recommendations, so this week we’re expanding the… Read More »
Now that was fast! T-Mobile which had sued Starbucks last week over the coffee chain partnering with AT&T and offering free WiFi has settled with the Seattle-based coffee giant. The terms of the settled were not revealed, though I think the iPhone 3G launch… Read More »
What do they say – one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Looks like that was for T-Mobile USA that has filed a lawsuit against Starbucks, which had recently switched over from T-Mobile to AT&T. AT&T offering free WiFi at Starbucks locations is… Read More »
For those of you jonesing for AT&T Wi-Fi and a highly caffeinated cup of Starbucks java, your wait is finally over — unless you live outside of San Antonio. A little more than a month after AT&T announced it was replacing T-Mobile as the branded… Read More »
The launch of KidZui could be viewed as just another social network for kids hitting the market, or it could be seen as a victory of real-live people over the mighty algorithm. Time and the company’s success will eventually tell. Over the last two and… Read More »
Update: for another lesson on the imperative of customer support, spend a few minutes studying Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz’s decision this week to close hundreds of stores nationwide for 3 hours in order to retrain Baristas in good customer service. The Wall… Read More »
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