If you have ever shopped at an retail Apple Store you have surely noticed their transaction system.  If you are paying for an item with a credit card you simply approach an Apple employee and they can scan your item(s), swipe your credit card, and print out (and/or email) your receipt from a bulky, Windows CE-powered (oh, the irony) device called EasyPay.  In the near future Apple will transition from the old (circa 2005) EasyPay system to a brand new system that will smartly be implemented into custom-designed iPod touches.  With the help of the OS 3.0 hardware accessory support, Apple will dress the iPod touch in a large plastic case-like enclosure, complete with a barcode scanner at the top, a card reader on the side, and an extra battery.  It’s all powered by a mini USB port that’s located on the bottom of the case.  The iPod touch will run an Apple “EasyPay” application that will get the transaction process done.  And just like it’s Windows CE predecessor, customers will be asked to sign the device with–wait for it–a stylus.  Who knew such an archaic instrument would ever come in contact with an iPod touch, a modern tech beast with a multitouch screen to-boot.  But hey, it does “allows finer entry and control.”  And if you have cash, no worries; an iPod touch-equipped employee can take care of you on the spot and transfer the almost completed transaction to a nearby cash register.  It’s all about streamlining the transaction process and making things easier for the employees and customers.  And customer satisfaction is what matter most.  Those guys at Apple are forward thinkers, and I like it.

[Via Gizmodo; AppleInsider]