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Costa's iPhone app gains Passbook support, but doesn't use its best features
Costa might be the coffee shop king in the UK, but updates to its mobile apps have been slow going. After finally launching a digital version of its points card, the company today added some fresh iOS functionality in the form of Passbook support. Dial back your expectations though, because this is hardly a revolution in mobile payments or loyalty schemes. For one, there are no push notifications, so when you stroll into your nearest store you'll need to remember to pull out your smartphone, which negates Passbook's built-in location features. For another, there's still no option to actually pay for your order. Starbucks, on the other hand, can handle both requirements. That means you're still only able to collect points using Costa's app, which can then be exchanged for free drinks and grub. Still, this is Costa's first stab at Passbook, so it's possible these features will be patched in with a future update -- if the company actually wants you to buy a gingerbread latte with your phone.
A simple guide to setting up Apple pay
Monday October 20 is the first day Apple Pay will be available to use at select retailers across the U.S., but will you be ready to bust out your phone and make a purchase? Here's a handy walkthrough for making sure you're ready when you hit the register. Step 1: Own a new iOS device Sorry, but Apple Pay is only available on Apple's newest devices, meaning you'll need to have an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus to use the service in stores. The latest iPhone comes with a Near Field Communication (NFC) antenna, which allows them to communicate with the payment interface in stores. Users with an iPad Air 2 or iPad Mini 3 can use Apple Pay to make purchases online, but they'll be out of luck when they hit their local Walgreens. Hopefully the next generation of iPads will get the NFC upgrade. Of course Apple Pay is more than just NFC, otherwise every iOS user would be able to make payments online. These newer devices feature Apple's Secure Element chip which stores your private financial data and encrypts it for your protection. Older iPads lack this chip which is why you can't currently use the service with them. Step 2: Update iOS to version 8.1 Make sure you're device is updated. Go to Settings --> General --> Software Update to make sure you're using version 8.1. The update also brings back Camera Roll to your device so it's like getting two gifts at once. Step 3: Open up Passbook and set up the right card You'll need Passbook for Apple Pay. If you've never used Passbook, don't fret. The app is still on your phone. You may have previously moved it into a sub-folder marked "productivity" or something along those lines, but it is there. When you open the app it will ask you if you would like to use the card you already have on file for iTunes purchases or if you want to use a new card. Of course there's a hitch. Apple Pay only works with Visa and Mastercard from certain banks, plus American Express, so if the card you have on file isn't with one of those services you'll need to input another card. Currently Apple pay works with cards issued by Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, City, and Wells Fargo. Barclays, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC, USAA, and US Bank will be added in the near future. When you enter a new card into the system Apple Pay will ask you to take a picture of the card within the app. Apple cross references the card with your bank to make sure it really is your card, but don't worry. When the card is displayed on your device the card number won't show up. The reason Apple doesn't display your card number is simple; Apple doesn't actually store your credit card number. Apple Pay purchases are made using a device specific account number which is stored on your devices Secure Element chip. When you buy something with Apple Pay, Apple sends your bank an encrypted one-time use payment number and security code to make the purchases. Apple won't be able to track what you buy or where you buy it, and cashiers won't see your name or credit card number when you make purchases anymore. Step 4: Go buy something Once you've set up your card you're ready to go. Apple Pay isn't available across the board, but it's available at a number of leading retailers. At launch Bloomingdales, DuaneReade, Macy's, McDonalds, Staples, Subway, Walgreens, and Whole Foods are all accepting payments via the service. To make a payment simply wave your phone in front of the NFC terminal at checkout, swipe your finger over your iOS device's TouchID sensor, and bask in the joy of trying something new. If you're on an iPad shopping is a little more complicated. At the moment you'll need to download each company's Apple app to make purchases with Apple Pay. Given this is the service's launch day the process is remarkably easy. If you make any purchases today using Apple Pay let use know about your experience in the comments below.
Working next-gen iPhone reportedly spotted with payment support built-in (update: video)
We've seen way, way too many leaks of the next iPhone's design, but none of them have shown a truly functional device -- until today, apparently. With the help of cnBeta, Chinese leaker zzray has posted photos and video that reportedly show off a fully functional 4.7-inch iPhone. On the surface, it's exactly what you'd expect: it's the iPhone 5s on a grander scale, with more real estate for icons and other content.
iTunes Pass links your credit to iOS' Passbook app (update: now available in the US)
Scratch-cards are fun. Inputting lengthy serial codes, less so. We're not sure why Apple's testing this out in Japan first, but iTunes Pass marks another effort in the direction towards smoothing mobile payments -- something that country knows plenty about. Spotted on Apple's Japanese iTunes page by 9to5Mac, the company describes how users can now deposit money directly to their iTunes account inside bricks-and-mortar stores. Apple sales assistants will scan the Passbook card (seen above) and the payment will go through then and there, ready to be used instantly. The Passbook app can already be installed from the iOS iTunes Store app in Japan and as 9to5Mac notes, with only eight stores, the country could be the easiest way to gauge the service before deciding whether to take it global. Oh yeah, and it's completely different to Apple's 2009 iTunes Pass. Update: The new Passbook card has now appeared in the US.
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for March 19, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some 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 player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Macworld/iWorld 2014 using Passbook, iBeacons to ease registration process
Those of you who are headed -- like us -- to Macworld/iWorld 2014 in San Francisco next week probably got an interesting email today. If you happen to read that email on your iPhone, you'll find a big button that lets you add a pass to Passbook. The email from IDG World Expo says: Macworld/iWorld 2014 is just around the corner! This year you have the opportunity to make your onsite badge experience even easier by adding a pass to Passbook on your iPhone. To do this, simply click on the image below from your mobile device (iOS phone only) and add the pass. When you arrive at the registration area in the Moscone center, an iBeacon will locate your pass and prompt you to scan your phone at one of the express registration scanners. There will also be an iBeacon Scavenger Hunt at this year's show. According to a press release issued today: The theme for the interactive scavenger hunt is "30 Years of the Mac," and through a series of clues found on posters throughout the Expo Hall, participants must find and scan four specific 2d barcodes. When an attendee downloads a beacon-enabled pass and is in range of a Bleu Station iBeacon, a hint will be presented to find the next beacon-enabled pass. Participants who collect all four beacon-enabled passes will receive a three-month free subscription to Macworld Magazine and will be entered into a drawing for a MacMania cruise to the British Isles. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Be sure to get your Passbook pass loaded today, and we'll see you at Macworld/iWorld 2014 next week.
Marks and Spencer adds Passbook support
One of the UK's biggest retailers has updated its iOS app, adding support for Apple's still-fledgling Passbook system. The latest M&S app from Marks and Spencer adds several new features, including one-click purchasing, filter search, product recommendations and a voice reader for customers who are visually impaired. But the biggest change is that M&S now supports Passbook, which was first introduced in iOS 6 and has since been slow to catch on outside of the US. With version 2.3 of the M&S app, shoppers can access a "My Offers" feature, which offers personalized, in-store and online deals that can be added to Passbook. This is good news for both Apple and users. While users have an easier way to collect and organize deals from M&S, Apple benefits by having another real-world use case for its Passbook service. There are over 700 M&S stores in the UK selling everything from clothing, to food, to home furnishings. Now with Passbook support, M&S is the latest major UK retailer to support the feature, following in the footsteps of Subway and easyJet earlier this year.
What iOS 7 means for enterprise developers
Apple's latest mobile operating system, iOS 7, is nearing release, and over at VentureBeat, Solstice Mobile CEO J Schwan offered up a guest post positing that iOS 7 is "the most noteworthy iOS upgrade since the iPhone first hit the market in 2007." Schwan is taking the view that "organizations that do not take advantage of iOS 7's new enterprise features will end up serving an outdated app experience to a market of future-hungry end users." Schwan points out that there are significant benefits to quick adoption of iOS 7 for enterprise developers. Enterprise Single Sign-on will both increase security in the enterprise, as well as make it much easier for users to access corporate data assets. AirDrop Sharing for Apps is seen as a way to use real-time document and content sharing for more efficient use of sales, presentation and collaboration tools. Apple's take on Low Energy Bluetooth, known as iBeacon, will enable things like indoor navigation (helping to navigate large buildings or campuses), device presence awareness (what devices / people are in the area right now) and the ability to have location trigger workflow tracking. Schwan sees the "scan to acquire Passbook passes" capability of iOS 7 as a huge potential boon to the company and mobile marketing as well. Apple has over 575 million iTunes customers on file, most of whom link credit cards to those accounts. Should the company be able to integrate mobile payment into Passbook and connect to those credit cards, the sky is the limit for iOS-based mobile commerce. In his post, Schwan also notes that the UI changes in iOS 7 really put content over aesthetics. That gives developers an opportunity, especially in the enterprise, to really make it possible for users to focus on critical tasks instead of navigation. As Schwan concludes, "Enterprises that put the work in now to prepare for the September release of iOS 7 will be ahead of the game."
easyJet expands Passbook support to 75 airports
In May, popular European discount airline easyJet announced that it was testing Passbook ticketing support at six airports in Europe, with support to come from more airports if the trial was found successful. And judging by today's easyJet app update, it looks like that's the case. Now the company is offering Passbook ticketing support at a whopping 75 airports in Europe. This is significant because easyJet is one of the most popular discount airlines. Passbook-supported apps have been slow to catch on outside of the US (and even inside the US). But Passbook support isn't the only thing new in the latest easyJet update. Check out the other goodies and the release notes below: What's New in Version 2.3.0 - More airports enabled for mobile boarding passes. Now live at over 75 airports across Europe - New options to book a hotel or car - via our partners at Europcar and Booking.com - Add travel insurance to your completed booking in one click - Improvements to the look and readability of mobile boarding passes - Enhancements to Passbook integration to address a timezone issue reported by some users - Updated mobile FAQs easyJet is a free download.
Retailers' growing relationship with Passbook
Apple's Passbook has had a rocky road. When it was first introduced in iOS 6, it seemed like an excellent idea. You could store all of your loyalty cards, tickets, and other mobile payment items all in one place. But in practice, Passbook hasn't been all that helpful. Not many retailers' loyalty programs are included in the app, and getting information in there is harder than it has to be most of the time. But Apple isn't giving up, and neither are retailers. GigaOm has a few good examples of how certain retailers are using the app. Gift cards are now a big deal within the app, and CashStar (which sells digital gift cards for big brands) says one third of its cards are opened on a smartphone, usually an iPhone. The app is also easier to use, as more companies build an actual workflow into it. And customers are not only learning how Passbook can help them, but they're growing accustomed to the idea of digital gift cards and currency. Passbook is still around in the upcoming iOS 7, though it's only gotten a new icon and a barcode scanner (which itself might help with ease of use). The dream of keeping all of those loyalty cards, gift cards, and ticket stubs on your phone instead of in that drawer at home is still alive, and hopefully someday Apple will make it happen with Passbook.
Apple: iOS fragmentation? What iOS fragmentation?
One thing that Apple is very proud of -- and has good reason to be proud of -- is that the world of iOS isn't very fragmented. That means that most iOS users have upgraded to the latest version of the operating system and are taking advantage of the many integrated services built into it -- things like Maps, Passbook and more. Apple has published the chart seen at right in the official iOS Dev Center to tout the fact that 93 percent of iOS users are running on iOS 6, with only 1 percent running a version earlier than iOS 5. The numbers are based on App Store visits during the 14 days ending June 3, 2013, and really demonstrate vividly how cohesive the iOS environment is -- just about every iOS device on the planet is running iOS 6. That also demonstrates how easy Apple has made it for users to upgrade to the newest OS version. It's likely that Apple chose to create this graphic for one very snarky reason: every two weeks, a pie chart is published by Google so that Android developers can see what percentage of users are on any particular version of that highly fragmented OS (below).
Some other cool (and relatively unmentioned) iOS 7 features
Craig Federighi simply didn't have the time to go through all of the features in iOS 7, so I decided to scrape some of those features from a slide. View PDF annotation -- in iOS, it's been impossible to view annotations that someone has added to a PDF. It appears that feature is finally coming to iOS 7, and that will bring even more PDF power to our apps. Enterprise single sign-on -- Not sure how this is going to be implemented, but providing a way for enterprise users to use one sign on for all of the sites that they need to work with on a daily basis is huge. This resolves the issue of needing to log into multiple apps on an enterprise network. Turn-by-turn walking directions -- Finally, what we have in Google Maps, available for iOS Maps. Do Not Track option in Safari -- I believe this is similar to Chrome's "incognito windows. A feature brought over from the desktop version of Safari that blocks websites, ad companies, analytic services and social networks from tracking you online. A version of it was present in iOS 6 as Private Browsing, but was not officially announced. Improved Mail search -- I currently find searching iOS mail to be frustrating, and when I really need to look up an old email, I resort to OS X. I can only hope that iOS Mail search is improved to that level. Night mode for Maps -- No more glaring screen when using Maps at night. WiFi HotSpot 2.0 -- Not sure what the improvements are going to be, but it's interesting to see that "Personal Hotspot" is getting an update. Hotspot 2.0 is a public access WiFi standard that allows devices to connect automatically to a compatible WiFi service when a user enters a coverage area. It'll let users walk around their city and connect to WiFi hotspots on the fly without any interaction with their phone. FaceTime Audio -- the ability to do FaceTime using only audio -- this could be helpful for doing podcasts. App Store Volume Purchase -- This may be a way for developers or Apple to offer volume purchase rates to schools, perhaps with "promo codes" that work for a large number of users. Scan to acquire Passbook passes -- At a store? Want to get a Passbook pass for a discount coupon? Just scan a code to have it automatically loaded into Passbook. Inclinometer == built-in level. We'll continue Zaprudering the slides as time goes by here today. There's a lot of information to digest!
Subway UK restaurant app adds Passbook support
Things have been on a roll lately for Passbook-supported apps outside of North America. First it was easyJet, then British Airways and then iTunes Festival London. Now the Subway UK app has finally gained Passbook support. The new Subway UK app, Subcard, lets customers scan their iPhones at checkout to earn points towards free sandwiches. Additionally, users can browse their Subcard ID number and the total of number of points they've earned right in Passbook. Currently Subway does not offer Passbook support in the US, nor does it have a countrywide Subway app. Subcard is a free download from the UK App Store.
Apple adds Passbook support to iTunes Festival London app
It was just last week Apple announced this year's iTunes Festival London and introduced the 2013 version of the app. Now, the company has pushed out an update to the iTunes Festival London 2013 app that includes Passbook support. The move is a small but nice one, as Passbook apps outside of the US are a rarity and an app that promotes concerts is a natural fit for Passbook functionality. iTunes Festival London 2013 is a free download.
British Airways adds Passbook ticketing support
International UK airline British Airways has added Passbook support to its iOS app, as promised late last year. In the release notes, the airline says, "From now on, all new boarding passes will be presented in Passbook. You'll be able to download them from the app as usual and continue to use boarding passes on your iPhone in over 100 airports worldwide." The airline expects to enhance Passbook boarding passes by adding direct links to the iPhone's lock screen by mid-June. Passbook has seen modest success in the United States and support has been slow to catch on in Europe. But things seem to be improving on this side of the pond as the addition of Passbook support from British Airways comes just five weeks after easyJet, the number one European airline by passengers carried, added support for Passbook. British Airways is a free download.
Skycore uses MMS to send Passbook passes
Passbook users rejoice, as life is about to get a little easier. Skycore has announced support for cross-carrier delivery of Passbook passes via MMS. That means in the near future you will be able to send friends and family tickets, coupons and gift cards via a simple text message, and have them installed in Passbook on their phones. The MMS message arrives showing an image, which the receiver simply has to tap on to install the pass. Services for pass creators include the ability to monitor MMS delivery receipts and to confirm that passes have been installed. If the recipient of the MMS doesn't have an iPhone, the service automatically detects what phone they do use and offers an alternative for their operating system. Skycore CEO Rich Eicher explained the move to MarketWire. A number of clients expressed concerns about relying on just their apps to deliver passes, especially for tickets, coupons, gift cards and IDs. While mobile-optimized email is a good option, MMS is ideal because the recipient instantly knows when they've received it, and they don't need to open their email client to find the pass. Skycore MMS passes are be available for Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon subscribers.
Qantas lands Passbook-enabled iPhone app
Australia's Qantas airline has released a brand-new iPhone app (free) with many great features, including Passbook support. The Qantas Airways app lets customers find and book Qantas flights, book hotels worldwide, view flight bookings, access up-to-the-minute flight status and create personalized alerts for specific flights and prices. With Passbook support, fliers can check-in for most domestic flights and add their boarding pass to Passbook, meaning there's no need to carry a paper ticket when traveling. Furthermore, Qantas frequent flyers can use the app to view their points balance and what their next flight is. Handy! The Qantas Airways app is available now from the iOS App Store. [Via AppAdvice]
Popular European discount airline easyJet adds Passbook support
Outside the United States, Passbook-supported apps are a rarity. That's why it's especially exciting that uber-popular European discount airline easyJet has just added Passbook support to their iPhone app. The move comes days after easyJet announced that it is eliminating check-in desks at airports. Now all easyJet passengers will be required to print or download their boarding passes before they leave home. But that shouldn't be much of a hassle for iPhone owners. With version 2.0 of the free easyJet mobile app, fliers can download and store boarding passes in their Passbook. Currently easyJet is trialing mobile check-in and boarding passes at six airports: Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Manchester, Nice, Southend and Stansted. But the company says that if the trial is successful, it will work with other airport partners to roll out the digital boarding passes to other airports.
Dunkin' Donuts app now supports Passbook
Dunkin' Donuts has made it easier, and quicker, than ever for iOS users to pay for their fix of coffee, donuts and baked goods, by adding Passbook support (Dunkin' Pass) to the Dunkin' Donuts iOS app (version 2.5). John Costello, chief global marketing and innovation officer for Dunkin' Brands said, "With more than a million downloads in just over six months, the Dunkin' App continues to make it even easier for our busy, on-the-go guests to keep running on Dunkin' throughout the day." Since Passbook is location-aware, Dunkin' Pass will pop a notification in your lock screen when you're near your favorite US participating Dunkin' Donuts. To use Passbook with Dunkin' Donuts, purchase a Dunkin' Donuts card and register it with the Dunkin' App. From the app, add money to an existing card or choose to automatically recharge a card. The Dunkin' App supports payment using American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover. As well as Passbook integration, the Dunkin' App update also supports native resolution for iPhone 5 users, mobile offers / coupons, gifting of virtual gift cards and browsing of the Dunkin' Donuts menu. The Dunkin' App is available free from the iOS App Store.
Daily Update for February 27, 2013
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
