Street Fight Daily: Square’s New Reader, Layoffs At Clinkle
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology.
New Square Reader Offers Better Performance, Thinner Design (PCMag)
Mobile payment company Square on Monday released a new version of its mobile credit card reader that’s tinier and more powerful than ever. The all-new Square Reader is built with custom-designed parts for “better performance, easier use and an elegant, thinner design,” Square said. The device is 45 percent thinner than the previous-generation reader, and the thinnest mobile card reader on the market.
Could Healthcare Be Local Tech’s Next Big Opportunity? (Street Fight)
In the private sector, startups like ZocDoc and iCouch.me are quietly reinventing the ways patients are discovering and buying healthcare services locally, building a familar feature set that navigates the complex network of insurance companies, doctors and healthcare providers. Street Fight recently caught up with Sam Zebarjadi, Medicast’s co-founder and CEO, to find out more about how digital healthcare tools are being shaped for local markets.
Layoffs At Stealth Payment Startup Clinkle (Fortune)
Clinkle, a stealthy mobile payment startup that recently raised the largest seed financing round in history, today has completed an internal reorganization. Or, in other words, layoffs. Fortune has learned that the San Francisco-based company has issued pink slips to 16 employees, or just around 25% of its staff.
6 Mobile Payment Solutions for Restaurants and Bars (Street Fight)
Mobile platforms that are designed for a wide cross-section of businesses don’t always have the features that restaurants need, like menu integrations and add-on tipping tools. As restaurant owners look for ways to streamline the payment process and improve table turnover rates, an increasing number are utilizing mobile payment solutions built specifically for their industry.
Uber’s CEO Hints That It Could Branch Out Into Other On-Demand Transport And Delivery Services (TheNextWeb)
Uber’s CEO Travis Kalanick today hinted that his company would soon be offering more than just luxury vehicles on-demand. At the LeWeb conference in Paris, he described Uber as an “urban logistics fabric” that was about physically delivering products and services.
Anthony Duignan-Cabrera Resigns as Patch Editorial Director (Romenesko)
Jim Romenesko: Duignan-Cabrera was promoted to vice president president, editorial in May. He joined the company in 2010, according to his resume. Two former Patch people told Romenesko that ADC – as he’s called – warned employees that “heads would roll” if they were caught leaking to him.
In Suburban D.C., A Network Of Hyperlocal News Sites Expands And Bets On Local Advertising (Nieman Journalism Lab)
Scott Brodbeck is a local news publisher in suburban Virginia. At a recent conference on hyperlocal marketing, Brodbeck discussed how he had turned hyperlocal news site ARLnow into a profitable business, allowing him to launch Reston Now, his third local news site, in October.
When Yelp Is Good Enough, Can Anything Else Beat It? (Pando)
Yelp is like that relationship you’ve stayed in for three years simply because you’re too lazy to get out of it. Yeah, Yelp isn’t your dream mate. Sure, it’s got a lot of flaws that get on your nerves and make you wonder what the hell you’re doing still using it. But at the end of the day inertia wins out.
Step Aside iBeacon, Qualcomm Has Low-Cost Gimbal Proximity Beacons (GigaOm)
Apple’s iBeacon isn’t the only game in town when it comes to Bluetooth Smart proximity devices for retailers. Qualcomm’s Gimbal Proximity Sensor is now available, supporting iOS today and Android in the future. Get ready for a hyper-personal in-store shopping experience.
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