New York City residents and visitors could be in for a major tech upgrade soon — the televisions in the back of taxi cabs might soon be replaced with embedded tablets.
The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission is considering a proposal from San Francisco-based mobile payment company Square to replace the televisions in 50 taxicabs with iPads or other similar tablet devices, according to a report in The New York Times. If implemented, the devices would allow riders to browse the Internet, play computer games, and swipe their credit card at any point during the trip.
Square, which was created by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, is expected to present its proposal to the commission at its next meeting on March 1. The full cost of the program would be paid for by Square, according to reports.
"Taxi drivers are among our most active and loyal users, with thousands of drivers around the country choosing Square as a more simple, cost-effective way to get paid for their work," a company spokesman told PCMag in an email Tuesday. "By partnering with the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission on this pilot, we've built a system that meets the specific needs of NYC taxi drivers and makes the payment experience even better for their passengers."
Square, launched in 2010, offers a small plastic credit card reader that plugs into the audio jack of iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, allowing individuals businesses to accept credit card payments on their smartphone or tablet. The card reader is free, but Square charges a fee for every transaction. The device is currently used to process more than $2 billion in payments annually.
Recently, the Romney and Obama campaigns embraced Square for mobile donations, while The Salvation Army did the same over the holidays.
For more, see PCMag's full review of Square.