for W3c validation

I feel there’s a missed opportunity by local businesses to harness social media. It seems more and more I’m starting to see “Like Us on Facebook” and “Follow us on Facebook” at places like Quizznos. They are paying for print materials to encourage customers to engage with them via social media. But what if they went one step farther — and made it drop dead simple for customers to check in on FourSquare/Yelp/Gowalla while at the establishment? What if you could just “bump” your phone against a device that sat in local establishments right when you walked in? Or what if, when you paid for a burger at McDonald’s or a 6 inch sub at Quizznos, that your credit card was automatically synched to your FourSquare account and automatically checked you in?

Is there an app for this already I don’t know about? If not, WHY?

I’m guessing this will be included in Square at some point.

[photo via http://www.neurosoftware.ro]