Apple CEO Tim Cook says Apple Pay a success

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By BRANDON BAILEY

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple's new mobile payment system had over 1 million activations in the first three days after it became available, and is now more widely used than any competing payment system.

"We're already No. 1. We're more than the total of the other guys," Cook boasted Monday during a tech industry conference, "and we've only been at it a week." He said Visa and MasterCard officials have told Apple that the Apple Pay system is already seeing more use than similar "contactless" methods of paying for purchases.

While Apple has partnered with major banks and large retail chains including Macy's Inc., Walgreen Co. and McDonald's Corp., critics have noted that it's not accepted by a number of other large chains. Among them are the drugstore chains CVS Caremark Corp. and Rite Aid Corp., which belong to a retail coalition working on a rival system.

Cook also said he plans to talk with Jack Ma, executive chairman of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, later this week about a possible partnership, although he offered no details. Ma told the same audience earlier Monday that he would be "very interested" in teaming with Apple to bring Apple Pay to China.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20141028/us-tec--apple_alibaba-4c497f2f29.html

[tridim]

1. Of course Apple will partner with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba

Which basically symbolizes the final nail for American manufacturing and retail.

Alibaba is an awful thing, but apparently Apple is going for it all, 100% big brother.

[Indydem]

2. Apple is a global company.

China is where all of the action is.

DO you expect them to draw a red line around China and say "sorry, we won't work with you." while China companies manufacture most of their products?

I am confused as to why anyone would be hostile with Apple over a paradigm that they have no control over.

[Kablooie]

3. But remember Alibaba IS the company run by forty thieves.

[brooklynite]

4. What does Alibaba have to with this?

I know that Apple bashing is a popular sport, but Alibaba has nothing to do with the Apple Pay system, which works with point of sale retail terminals and online purchases from any website that wants to accept credit cards.

[Indydem]

6. The article says Cook wants Alibaba on Apple Pay.

The complaining is on point, but I have no idea what the point is.

[brooklynite]

7. I suspect they also want Amazon and Walmart...

Unless you're going to throw out every credit card in your wallet on the grounds that they also want to accepted by Alibaba et al, I don't see how Apple stands out.

[tridim]

8. From the article: "Cook also said he plans to talk with Jack Ma, executive chairman..."

"...of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, later this week about a possible partnership, although he offered no details. Ma told the same audience earlier Monday that he would be "very interested" in teaming with Apple to bring Apple Pay to China."

Apple is all about China, and they don't give a rat's ass about the country that built them. I will continue to bash all companies that do that.

[brooklynite]

9. Care to tell us where the computer/smart phone you're writing this one came from?

[brooklynite]

5. Apple stock up to $106.37...

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

10. They need to make it compatible with the lower iPhone editions.

[Indydem]

11. They can't

The new phones have a totally different radio system as part of their design (called NFC). It's not an issue where they are keeping the lower phones out to make you buy a new phone; they don't contain the necessary parts.

Many droids have had NFC in their phones for a while, but Apple decided (rightly or wrongly) to wait until the NFC infrastructure was better established before they got in the pool.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

12. Got it. I have the 5S and love it. The 6 is too big for me. The 6-Plus is way big...

But my friend is getting one. I'm sure he'll love it.