Stolen iPad Cash Register Leaves Ice Cream Shop in the Cold

For many merchants, the iPad offers a far more portable alternative to the traditional cash register.

However, for San Francisco ice cream shop Humphry Slocombe, the iPad proved to be a little too portable on Monday. A thief nabbed the store’s iPad, forcing the popular creamery to shutter its doors early.

“Sorry gang-We have to close early,” the shop said on its Twitter feed, adding that some not-nice person (they used a different word) “just stole our iPad register.”

That tweet prompted a response from Square co-founder Tristan O’Tierney, who offered to come back with some suggestions for a way to secure their iPad in the future.

Update: I had a brief chat this morning with co-owner Sean Vahey and they are back up and running thanks to a loaner iPad provided by O’Tierney and Square.

Humphrey Slocombe uses Square to process all of their cash and credit transactions. For credit cards, purchasers have to sign the iPad screen. It’s all very convenient, Vahey said, but apparently a little too convenient. In the future the iPad will be secured down in some way, Vahey said.