Re:Hijack - iPhone Sensors Thru Audio Jack
by colinloretz on Saturday February 11, 2012 @03:31PM
(#3580080)
Agreed.
Using the dock connector with a legitimate product requires you to join Apple's "Made for iPhone" program.
For a device like Square that works on multiple platforms, the audio jack is a common interface and the Square reader has the benefit of requiring little (to zero) power to function as it consists of a magnetic head that works when a card slides across it.
As far as it being a hack for a closed platform, I'm not sure why that matters if your goal is to interface with the primary mobile phone platforms. This solution works, and if you need something more professional, working with the dock connector itself isn't an burden any more insurmountable than dealing with injection molding or other product design and manufacturing concerns.