San Francisco Greets the iPad and Squares Up

Earlier today Apple released their hotly anticipated techno wonder, the iPad, to the eager public. I attended a caffeine-fueled kick-off party at Sightglass Coffee to celebrate the iPad’s release and the simultaneous launch of a new app and gadget called Square.

Square is a device that allows you to accept cash and card payments on any device with an audio input jack, including your phone (and your iPad, naturally!). Imagine, you’re out to dinner with a friend and when it comes time to split the bill she doesn’t have any cash. She can swipe her credit or debit card through a small reader you plug into your phone and transfer the money directly into your bank account. It’s money magic, and I’m dying to have my favorite indie craft vendors get one so I can start using my card when I shop outside of traditional stores.

Square’s the brainchild of Twitter co-creator Jack Dorsey and entrepreneur Jim McKelvey, and they’re out to change the way you take and spend money. Now I just need to get my hands on one…not to mention a matching iPad, of course…and start Squaring up!

And keep your eye on Sightglass, my friends. This Insider got a peek at their roastery/cafe now under construction and it’s bound to be stunning! The size of a barn, it’s going to be warm, industrial-chic, and smell divine—they’ll be roasting their coffee on-site while you sip!