Passbook
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MLB expands Passbook to 13 ballparks this season
Major League Baseball announced in New York City on Tuesday night that nine more ballparks will support Apple's Passbook ticketing system this season, according to GigaOm. The ballparks include the homes of the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland A's, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs. They join the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals, all which began accepting Passbook tickets last fall. MLB says that three additional parks will announce Passbook support this season, but they're not ready to do so just yet. MLB noted that Apple's Passbook app was the delivery method of choice for 12 percent of e-tickets purchased last season.
Samsung Wallet looks a lot like Apple Passbook
Over at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Samsung just unveiled its "Samsung Wallet," which looks to be an exact ripoff of Apple's Passbook. Like Passbook, Wallet lets users store virtual passes such as movie tickets, boarding passes, coupons, concert tickets and more. Wallet also sends users location-based push notifications when they enter an area where a pass can be used, just like Passbook. Further, Wallet doesn't offer NFC support, just like Passbook. Instead, it relies on the user scanning a barcode on the virtual passes -- just like Passbook. Right now Samsung Wallet is only available to developers, but Samsung says the app will go live for all users in the "near future." Samsung says companies like Walgreens, Expedia, Major League Baseball Advanced Media, Belly, Booking.com, Hotels.com and Lufthansa have already signed on, according to The Verge. Sigh. [Image credit: The Verge]
Samsung announces Android Wallet app for tickets and coupons, opens API to developers
If your heart bleeds Android, but your eyes occasionally wander in the direction of Apple's Passbook, good news. Samsung has announced "Wallet," a ticketing and coupon app of its own. Unveiled at the firm's Developer Day at Mobile World Congress, Wallet comes ready with an open API to encourage adoption, with some big names already onboard including Hotels.com, Booking.com, Expedia, MLB and Lufthansa. Though this isn't the only Android solution we've heard about, in keeping with the norm, the app will be connected, and location aware. As such, the app will let you know when Wallet-friendly stores and so on are nearby, as well as continually send updates to items already stored in the app, should those booking details change. The app API is still in beta at this time, but word is that Samsung is accepting early sign-ups on its approval.
Passbook ticketing available in 13 MLB stadiums this season
Major League Baseball and Apple's quest to banish paper ticketing received a boost last night after the former revealed that 13 stadiums would offer the latter's Passbook integration this season. Seven teams, including the Oakland A's, Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins are signed up, with a further three to be announced separately. How long will it take before the duo hit it out of the park and get a grand slam of all 30 MLB teams? Hopefully long enough for us to learn some more baseball slang.
Making your own Passbook store loyalty cards with PassKit
I'll admit it. I really, really hate store loyalty cards, but I use them. That means that I suffer from George Costanza's wallet more often than I care to say, since I'm always jamming those stupid plastic cards into slots in my wallet. So when I visited my local IKEA store last month and was asked to sign up for an "IKEA Family" loyalty card, I did it -- but I decided to create my own Passbook card to use instead of carrying that hunk of plastic around. To do that, I used the PassKit.com website. Let's get a few caveats out in the open right away -- this isn't an "official" card, and the bar code on it won't work, forcing the poor IKEA checker to have to type in the number by hand. But I just wanted to see how PassKit's service worked and this happened to be the card I had handy, so it was my test subject. First, I jumped over to the PassKit website. You can sign up for a free account that lets you have up to 10 passes in circulation at a time, do up to 100 updates per month, and keep those passes up to 14 days. Next, I used PassKit's online pass designer. They have five different pass types available: transit, coupon, store card, membership and event ticket. This being a store loyalty card, I chose the store card type. Clicking on the store card pass type, my next task was to create a name for the template, determine if I wanted to use a public certificate or upload a private certificate, type in an organization name and pass description, and then determine if I wanted to use an auto-generated serial number or enter my own number. For the last item, I selected "Entered at pass creation" since I just wanted to create a card with my unique number on it. PassKit's online Pass Designer takes you step by step through the process of creating the card. The next step has you choose colors and images -- I chose to use the same orange that IKEA used for their plastic card, and grabbed a copy of their logo to emblazon on the front. There's a spot for a picture -- or as they call it, a strip image -- so I nabbed a picture from IKEA's website of some living room furniture to adorn that place on the card. Next, you are moved to a page where you enter in content for several different areas. Here, the only thing I really wanted was the card number and a bar code. As I mentioned earlier, the bar code won't work. It looks like our buddies at IKEA use a standard Code 39 bar code (I may be wrong...) but the app generates only PDF417, Aztec and QR codes. No matter -- at least I got the card number on the front of my virtual pass. You can also add back content -- here, I set the pass up for automatic updates and told it to show up on the lock screen when I am near my local IKEA. I also added a warning on the back to not let the cashier scan the bar code. Under a locations tab in the interactive Pass Designer, you can also choose to have a notification show up when you're near a location, so I have it say "Welcome back to IKEA Centennial" when I'm there. Finally, I chose English only since I'm the only user of this pass, and to also issue only one copy of the pass. To get rid of the 14-day pass lifetime, I paid a token fee of US$0.99 to PassKit via PayPal. With a click on a pass URL, I was able to install the pass to Passbook where it now resides, awaiting my next visit to IKEA for Swedish meatballs and Dryck Blåbär. Oh, and buying $140 worth of things I didn't know I needed until I showed up at the store. Hopefully, IKEA and those other stores I still have physical cards for will get on the Passbook bandwagon soon and let me sign up for a virtual pass. In the meantime, PassKit is a fun and easy way to make your own passes and put your wallet on a diet.
Delta releases iPad app, adds Passbook ticketing to iPhone app
Delta Airlines has released an updated iPhone app and an all-new iPad app. The big news for frequent fliers comes from the iPhone app. Version 2.0 of Fly Delta adds the ability to view and access your eBoarding Pass in Passbook in iOS 6 The updated iPhone app also sees the ability to purchase in-flight extras right from the app, including Economy Comfort and other seating upgrades, priority boarding, and in-flight Wi-Fi. On the iPad side of things, Delta has released Fly Delta for iPad. The all-new app is part travel guide, part booking service. Users can explore the different destinations Delta flies to with guides featuring shopping, dining, and other tourist information. The app also offers most of what the iPhone app offers (sans Passbook support): users can find, compare and book flights, view seat maps for their plane, and purchase trip extras. The really cool thing about the iPad app is a feature called "Glass Bottom Jet." This allows fliers to use their iPads as virtual windows to look at what is right below their feet as they fly across the country. The tool provides an interactive map featuring photos, articles, landmark points and social integration. Both Delta apps are free to download from the App Store.
Delta introduces Fly Delta app for iPad, iOS 6 Passbook integration
Not only has Delta been eagerly embracing WiFi onboard its flights, the company's also been rolling out a digital makeover. Joining upgrades to its website, the airline has introduced a new iPad app, simply called Fly Delta. The free app lets you do the usual stuff like checking-in and booking flights, but it also goes a few miles further. Aside from serving as a light travel guide, offering up info on your destination, the app will also serve inflight needs, like purchasing WiFi and other onboard amenities. What's more, "Glass Bottom Jet" offers an interactive live-map view of the world below you with social networking integration. Best of all, Delta's iOS 6 iPhone App Passbook integration is now live, so you can leave that paper boarding pass at home. Full press release and video demos just past the break.
Daily Update for December 20, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Apple's Passbook a boon for developers
Apple's Passbook has a surprising set of fans; app developers. A Wired post this morning describes how a variety of companies have seen uptake of their apps skyrocket once Passbook compatibility was added. As an example, beauty retailer Sephora saw 38,000 more downloads of its app than usual on the day Passbook launched, and on that day 10,000 of its "Beauty Insider" loyalty cards were added to Passbook. That number is now at 375,000, and Sephora is also using Passbook for gift cards. American Airlines also saw a huge bump in downloads of its app, with an additional 1 million downloads. At this time, close to 20,000 boarding passes are generated for Passbook every day, and the airline counts about 1.5 million active users of its app. Passbook is apparently working better for many companies than Android's wallet technology, which utilizes Near Field Communication (NFC). More retailers have bar code readers available than RF reader systems, although Passbook doesn't offer the payment options that NFC has. Life with Passbook isn't all rosy, however. Some users have complained about the need to have an interim app to create a pass. For example, United Airlines boarding passes and Fandango movie tickets both require that the user have the particular company's app installed to create a pass. Phil Easter, American Airlines' director of mobile apps, notes that "Apple did a really good job of defining the spec and putting out all the required technical documents. It was one of the more straightforward implementations for our tech team."
Square now offers Passbook integration and gift cards
On Sunday, Square CEO Jack Dorsey announced via Twitter that Square now offers the ability to give and use gift cards via iOS's Passbook. The gift card announcement is a unique approach to the industry. Traditional gift cards (electronic or physical) require stores to actually offer a gift card. However, Square's implementation lets any Square Wallet user create a gift card for any retailer that uses Square Register to process payments. To create the gift card, the user simply selects a business that uses Square Register from the Square Wallet app, taps the "Gift Card" button, selects the amount of the gift card and sends it to anyone in their contact book. The recipient will get an email with a link to add it to iOS 6's Passbook. The advantage to consumers is the ability to buy and send gift cards right from their phone. However, the biggest advantage is for businesses. Traditionally it was costly and time consuming for small businesses to offer gift cards. Now any small business that uses Square Register will be able to do so, thus increasing its sales and potential customer base. The Square gift card system can be used on iOS or Android via Google Wallet. Square Wallet and Square Register are free downloads.
Square starts offering gift cards, ties them into Passbook for iOS 6 recipients (video)
Square payments have so far been self-centered affairs that won't let us share the wealth with others. In rather convenient timing for the season, updates to Square Register and Square Wallet for Android and iOS have made a little of that sought-after generosity possible through the introduction of gift cards. Americans can now give and receive credit for any location that uses Square Register to process payments: if friends would like nothing more than to treat themselves to triple-shot espressos at the local indie coffee shop, you can make their day. The update also brings a treat for the Apple-inclined who've kept up-to-date with iOS 6, letting them redeem their cards quickly through Passbook instead of diving into Square Wallet or QR codes printed on old-fashioned paper. We're still waiting on word of gift card availability for our Canadian friends, but most everyone in the US just hast to check for the relevant app updates to spread some affection.
RE/MAX Regional Services using Passbook for business cards
We've already seen Apple's Passbook app used for sports tickets, gift cards and boarding passes, but leave it to the real estate industry to embrace one of its more interesting uses: business cards. RE/MAX is partnering with digital business card provider Vizibility to offer virtual, Passbook-compatible cards for all 4,500 of its real estate agents. The digital IDs include details like basic contact information and links to public profiles on sites such as LinkedIn. There's even a feature that allows you to see which contacts you share with whoever's card you are viewing. As the official press release notes, Vizibility's joint venture with RE/MAX marks the biggest consolidated push for Passbook-enabled business cards yet. But whether the functionality will become a major trend in the business world remains to be seen.
Urban Airship to gain Tello's PassTools, look to Passbook
The in-app push messaging company with a fun name, Urban Airship, has acquired a company named Tello that will help Airship to gain a foothold in the creation of passes, loyalty cards, tickets and coupons that work with Apple's iOS 6 Passbook app. Tello developed a platform called PassTools that makes it simple for small businesses to create their own coupons or loyalty cards after realizing (acccording to Tello co-founder Joe Beninato) "that it was very difficult for people who weren't engineers to build these passes." The marriage of the two firms should make it possible for Urban Airship to sell Passbook passes to big brands like airlines and chain stores through push messaging services, and then provide local businesses with what they need, which is usually limited to loyalty cards or discount coupons. Tello's a small company -- it has five full-time employees -- and all of the staff will remain in their existing Palo Alto office.
RE/MAX real estate agents to carry Passbook business cards on their iPhones
We've seen some creative use cases for Passbook in iOS 6. Modernizing the dreaded business card exchange is still fresh, though, and that's where the real estate agents at RE/MAX come into play. Using a platform from Vizibility, the realtor is reportedly the first company rolling out a large-scale, Passbook-based method that lets 4,500 of its staff share their basic details, contact files and social networks from their iPhones. Profiles won't just be inert listings, either. Geofencing can limit the lock screen shortcut to an open house or the office, while cards can include company directories and update contacts over time. NFC transfers and QR codes are available for those who can rely on short-range wireless or still have to dish out traditional paper stock. Vizibility's Passbook approach won't guarantee a sale for a cramped house -- but it might keep a good bargain from being lost in the business card shuffle.
Chrome gets Passbook support on iOS, bug fixes on Android
Google's unleashed new versions of Chrome for iOS and Android (both x86 and ARM-specific flavors) that each pack miscellaneous stability updates, but the iDevice-bound release has been graced with a few new features. With the newly-minted build, users will be able to save boarding passes and tickets with Passbook, open PDFs in other apps and have the option to automatically detect text encoding. To get your mitts on the fresh downloads, hit the neighboring source links.
Daily Update for November 28, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Come fly with me: More airlines supporting Apple's Passbook
It was just a few months ago that Apple added Passbook to iOS 6, providing an easy way to tuck away virtual ticket stubs and your affinity cards in an iPhone or iPad. Mobile airline boarding passes were introduced quickly by United Airlines, American Airlines, and Lufthansa, and now a total of 10 airlines support the ability to store your boarding pass in Passbook. In addition to the three pioneers, Air Canada, ANA (domestic flights only), Malaysian Airlines, Porter Airlines, Qantas, Turkish Airlines and Virgin Australia are now Passbook-friendly. British Airways and Delta are supposed to be adding support soon. I had a chance to use Passbook in October on United Airlines and found it to be simple and convenient to use. Passbook works very well in concert with the free United Airlines app, converting an online check-in into a Passbook boarding pass with a tap. Judging from the number of iPhones I saw being scanned at the gate, Passbook is extremely popular with the flying public.
Apple starts offering Passbook-enabled gift cards, may save our hides in holiday shopping
Gift cards often get a bad rap as the last resort in holiday shopping, what we supposedly get only when all hope of a carefully considered present has gone out the window. Apple isn't quite so cyncial, and it may have injected new life into gift giving now that it has switched on buying gift cards through the recently updated Apple Store iOS app as of this weekend. Pick a color and a card value -- up to $2,000, if someone's been good enough to earn a MacBook Pro -- and the resulting email lets iOS 6-touting recipients load the card into Passbook. Besides saving some plastic, the Passbook entry adds some worth through geofencing that reminds recipients to splurge if they're near one of Apple's steel-and-glass stores. All told, the card may be more than welcome by iPhone fans and save the ignominy of a last-minute rush to the store. Just make sure the recipient doesn't mind going without a physical gift on the big day -- it wouldn't be right to drain all the romanticism out of a special occasion.
British Airways to support Apple Passbook
An AppleInsider reader reached out to British Airways to ask about Passbook support and a helpful representative said they're already looking into it. In particular: "Please be assured that we will get our Passbook-compatible functionality live on ba.com as soon as we can." Another airline hopping on board the Passbook wagon is music to my ears. So far I'm really enjoying the (admittedly limited so far) functionality of Passbook.
Passbook-enabled gift cards now available via Apple Store app
We knew it was coming and yesterday's Apple Store app update made it a reality: You can now use Passbook-enabled virtual gift cards to pay for items at Apple retail outlets. The refreshed app has added the ability for customers to purchase gift card codes which are sent via email. The codes can then be added to your Passbook wallet and used to complete purchases in-store. So, say, for example, you forgot your wallet and/or purse on your way out the door to the Apple Store. Don't worry, because you can use your Apple device to bring up the virtual Apple Store, and purchase a virtual Apple gift card. Then, you can use your virtual Passbook on your physical Apple device to pay for another physical Apple product inside the physical Apple Store. Isn't the future great?
