e-tickets
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Easyjet now lets you check in using a photo of your passport
Despite being known for low-cost flights, Easyjet often leads the pack when it comes to taking the hassle out of travel. While you can already book a flight using its apps, the airline today announced a new upgrade that will let you check-in by simply taking a photo of your passport. Where before you'd need to manually enter your passport number into the Easyjet website, the new iOS and Android apps (with backing from validation specialist Jumio) now let you automate the process up to 2 hours before you take off from one of 110 Easyjet airports. That means you can now book, check-in and board your flight all via your phone -- helpful if you're itching to get some sun now that autumn is well and truly here.
Apple files patent application for NFC e-tickets with 'extra benefits'
Apple appears to be casting an eye out to new shores, judging by the latest of its patent applications to go public. Filed in September 2008, this primarily relates to adding bonus digital content to event tickets, whereby swiping your entry pass to, say, a concert or a sports event into an electronic device would result in you gaining access to related goodies from "an online digital content service." Additional claims describe the use of an electronic device (read: iPhone or iPod touch) as the carrier of the (digitized) ticket, allowing the user access to the event itself as well as "at least one other event-related benefit." The whole thing is focused on the use of near-field communications as the data transfer method of choice, something that Apple's hardware is not yet equipped to handle. Then again, NFC interaction is also referenced in a separate patent application (from August 2009, see WIPO link below) for peer-to-peer payments, suggesting that Cupertino might have more than a passing interest in the contactless transfer tech. What do you think, will you be buying your Steelers tickets with a side order of iTunes?
