Apple and Starbucks Want You to Cut in Line

In the news recently, Apple filed a patent petition that would eliminate the irritating necessity of standing in line. Once the technology is live, it is expected that Apple will begin testing it out in Starbucks stores, a good fit after the hugely successful iTunes "Song of the Day" campaign and iTunes WiFi channel in Starbucks from 2007I.

Basically, the technology would allow you to pre-order your cup of java or snack before heading into the store, pay for it, receive an order number and grab the item at the pick up window when you arrived - no waiting. It's like cutting in line at a concert, without the ensuing fisticuffs.

This revolutionary development for the impatient out there, like me, will work with technology like the iPhone. It is not, however, expected to be iPhone exclusive - it should also work with your MP3 player, PDA, laptop or regular cell phone, though I do expect Apple to give its loyal iPhone customers first dibs on the "beta" version. Apple's application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office describes a process for placing an order and then notifying customers when an order is ready to grab at a pick-up station. One goal, the patent application notes, is to avoid an "annoying wait in a long queue if the purchaser arrives before completion of the order."

Of course, all good ideas come with a price, and the cost of this innovation is information. Stores opting in to the program, like Starbucks, would be tracking your orders and learning your favorite things, tailoring your shopping experience to suit your needs. I'm sure marketing to consumer taste would logically follow that, unfortunately.

The patent puts Apple's partnership with Starbucks in a new light. The technology promises to morph Apple from the business of simply selling gadgets and music and movies that can be played on those devices into an intermediary in all kinds of exchanges.

Of course, if you belong to any of the grocery store card programs or a discount card program at other stores like The Gap or Barnes and Noble, you are already being tracked. Using those cards gives the stores permission to keep track of what you buy and how often, not to mention where (if you shop more at a Stop and Shop in one city than another, Stop and Shop knows that and gives the more popular store the better promotions, for example).

Heck, if you shop at WalMart, you've been taking home items with the RFID tracking device embedded in them for years. no every item has the technology, but WalMart was one of the first to imply the invasive, easily hacked little chip to retail applications. So the fact that Apple and Starbucks may join the group getting our information doesn't stand out to me, and it certainly doesn't make not having to stand in line any less appealing!