Passbook

45 'Passbook' stories June 2012 - June 2013

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American Airlines iOS app adds departures, gate & seat changes on lock screen for Passbook boarding passes, more

Jordan Kahn Jun 7 2013 - 7:11 am PT

American Airlines updated its app for iPhone and iPad today bringing an enhanced Passbook experience for digital boarding passes, improvements for AAdvantage account holders, and the ability to chat with the airline’s Twitter team.

Perhaps the most notable update, and something British Airways announced it will be adding soon to its recently announced Passbook support, is the ability to view updates about departure times, gate and seat changes directly from your iOS device’s lock screen. The updates will appear after you’ve added your boarding pass to Passbook.

Also included in today’s update is the ability to “Send a direct message to the AA Twitter Team for assistance with flights, highlight exceptional service or general inquiries.”

More enhancements in version 2.4.0 of the American Airlines app below:

What’s New in Version 2.4.0

• You can now login with the e-mail address associated with your AAdvantage account.
• The TSA precheck logo will now appear on your boarding pass in passbook, if applicable
• Now Executive Platinum AAdvantage members can Give Feedback via Twitter
• Send a direct message to the AA Twitter Team for assistance with flights, highlight exceptional service or general inquiries
• You will now receive updates about departure times, gate and seat changes on your lock screen after you’ve added your mobile boarding pass to passbook

Apple adds Passbook support to its iTunes Festival London 2013 iPhone app

Mark Gurman Jun 5 2013 - 11:02 am PT

Apple has added Passbook functionality to its app for the iTunes Festival London 2013 app. Additionally, today’s update brings support for image viewing in an iOS device’s landscape orientation. The app was updated late last month to list the line-up of artists for the September Apple-run music festival. Apple announced this year’s festival last week, noting that artists such as Jack Johnson, Justin Timberlake, and Thirty Seconds to Mars would highlight the events. The app is currently not available in the United States iTunes Store.

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British Airways adds Passbook support for digital boarding passes to iPhone app

Jordan Kahn Jun 5 2013 - 6:01 am PT

We knew from a previous announcement last year that British Airways has been working on integrating Passbook integration for its digital boarding passes, much like American Airlines and a long list of other major airlines have done already. Today the airline has officially rolled out an update to its iPhone app that adds the ability to add digital boarding passes to Passbook.

It also confirmed that it will be enhancing the feature further my mid-June with direct links to the Passbook boarding passes on the iPhone’s lock screen:

By mid June we’ll be enhancing Passbook boarding passes by adding direct links to them from your iPhone’s lock screen as you’re ready to fly. This will make it even easier for you to access your boarding pass on the move. We’ll send you a message via the app as soon as these are enabled.

On top of the convenience of having your BA boarding pass alongside your other Passbook passes and cards, Passbook also allows users to sync boarding passes across devices via iCloud and receive time and location-based reminders that display the boarding pass at the time of your flight or upon arriving at the terminal.

BA notes that, “From now on, all new boarding passes will be presented in Passbook.”

The updated British Airways app with Passbook support is available from the App Store now.

Second Gear teases upcoming app release with Passbook teaser

Zac Hall May 29 2013 - 1:46 pm PT

The folks over at Second Gear released a fun new teaser for their upcoming app using Passbook and a service they created called Pit Pass.

If you are as interested as we are about what Second Gear has up its sleeve, you can make use of Passbook on your iPhone with a unique pass that will update with more teaser details leading up to the anticipated app launch.

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Samsung steals Apple’s wallet

Jordan Kahn Feb 27 2013 - 5:53 am PT

.
From 9to5Google:

Samsung is today officially unveiling its “Samsung Wallet” mobile app solution, and it is quickly gaining attention for similarities to Apple’s iOS 6 ticket, card, and coupon solution known as Passbook. For those familiar with Apple’s app, Samsung Wallet appears to work much the same way. The app will allow users to store event tickets, membership cards, coupons, and boarding passes in one central app. From there, users will be able to present the digital passes. Companies supporting the standard can also scan a barcode included for each digital ticket.

Full story and video of the app in action is available on 9to5Google.

New quick app switching & other concepts show options on the table for iOS 7 [Videos]

Jordan Kahn Feb 18 2013 - 10:42 am PT

With the recent departure of longtime iOS chief Scott Forstall, many expect some big changes in iOS 7. Not only is Jony Ive taking over design responsibilities related to iOS, but also Apple is increasingly coming under criticism for its aging core iOS apps and highly requested features already available on other platforms that it has yet to implement. We discussed some of the big software features iOS 7 might have in store, but today we present a roundup of the best iOS 7 concepts we could find starting with a new one from the creator of jailbreak tweak Auxo.

Sentry, the original designer behind the popular Auxo jailbreak tweak, yesterday posted the new Quick App Switching concept above (via iFun). While Auxo provided a screenshot of running apps integrated into the iOS multitasking tray, the concept above takes a different approach and aims to add speed to the app switching process.

This next concept comes from YouTube user imjeanmarc and shows a tray accessible from the lock screen, providing quick toggles for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.:

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Can Apple get away with another “S” iPhone?

Jordan Kahn Feb 1 2013 - 11:37 am PT

There have been many rumors this year about what upgrades Apple will include in its anticipated annual iPhone refresh. Most agree Apple will move to release two iPhones, but there is some debate about what those phones will be.

Rumor has it that Apple is working on a low-cost iPhone that will do away with the current iPhone design and instead use a new plastic case with a curved back similar to previous iPods. Despite being a less expensive device, that could make things even trickier for Apple to impress with an iPhone 5S upgrade that is largely expected to retain the “old” design of the currently shipping iPhone 5. The devices from competitors are making things even more difficult for Apple’s expected “S” upgrade. Rumors of a 4.8-inch iPhone prototype that recently surfaced don’t seem likely for the next iPhone, but that hasn’t stopped mainstream media and analysts from reporting that Apple is losing out on iPhone sales as consumers opt for larger screen devices. However, that might now be the case, at least not in the United States, with Strategy Analytics and NPD estimating Apple beat Samsung to become the No.1 phone vendor in Q4 2012. Will consumers want or expect a larger screen on the next iPhone, or will Apple’s usual minor refresh suffice?

What did past S upgrades have?
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Tweetbot for Mac, Turnplay, Batman: Arkham City, Kayak Passbook support, 25% off ANY Aspyr title, more

Jordan Kahn Dec 13 2012 - 9:01 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HR6Ss9dFew]

Turnplay: Based on the classic Technics SL1200 turntable, which sold more than three million units worldwide, Turnplay is a new app aiming to bring a realistic turnable experienced to iPad. The app features pitch control, full realistic record control, and 33/45 buttons. The app is on sale for 50% off (99 cents) to celebrate its introduction.

The world’s most popular vinyl turntable which sold over 3.000.000 copies worldwide is now available on iPad!

Tweetbot for Twitter 1.1 (for Mac): The Tweetbot for Twitter Mac App Store app gets a big update today that brings new global hot keys for new tweets and “show/hide”, an “All Tweets” option for notifications on 10.8, keyboard shortcuts for Email, Tweet, and Read Later, and much more. Tapbots are also listing a ton of fixes in version 1.1 on the app’s iTunes page.

– New global hot keys for show/hide and new tweets available in preferences
– New “All Tweets” notification preference available (10.8 only)
– If you pin timeline to top in preferences it will now also pin other non-streaming columns to the top (searches, lists, etc)
– Added support for visual sync marker
– Keyboard shortcuts for Read Later and Email Tweet
– Trends now autorefresh if used in a column
– Clicking menu bar item rows will now open main window if needed. Will also go to correct space if main window is on a different space/desktop
– Moom and Tweetbot are now better friends

Kayak version 24.0.0: Following an update to the pro version last night, Kayak’s free iOS app now games the same features including Passbook and Reminders support, a new itinerary management tool, the ability to book car rentals, as well as updated sharing options and hotel booking screens:

Edit events in Trips, our itinerary management tool.
View trips that have been shared with you.
Simpler, prettier, faster, better hotel booking screens.
Passbook support for trip events (iOS 6 required).
New ways to share travel info: Twitter, Facebook
Save searches in iOS Reminders (iOS 6 required).
Book rental cars directly with KAYAK.
Performance improvements and bug fixes.

Avengers Initiative version 1.05:
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Square adds gifts cards/passbook support, Instagram, BBC News, British Airways, Snapheal, VLC Streamer, more

Jordan Kahn Dec 10 2012 - 8:03 am PT

Square Register version 2.5: Square is rolling out Passbook compatible gift cards for local businesses that users of the Square Wallet iPhone app can purchase and share with friends. To welcome the new feature, Square’s Register app also gets an update with the ability to accept the new gift cards via Square Wallet, Passbook, or QR code, as well as iPhone 5 support:

– Accept gift cards for your business from Square Wallet, Passbook and printed QR codes.
– iPhone 5 support and various improvements.

Instagram: Instagram has released a pretty big update to its app this afternoon, adding a revamped camera and camera roll access. Additionally, there are new grids for easy photo taking, new filter access page, and the addition of Foursquare data.

Instagram-themed shutter & shutter release button.
A preview of the most recent photo on your camera roll.
Improved Camera Roll image selector (iPhone 5 only) for quick access to your last photograph.
Optional grid guide for live photos and a permanent grid guide for the scale & crop screen.
Speed and reliability improvements.

BBC News version 1.7.7: Official iPhone 5 support for the BBC News iOS app:

– iPhone 5 support
– bug fixes

British Airways version 4.0: A big update to the BA iPhone app brings a completely redesigned UI that provides easy access to upcoming flights from the My Flights screen, as well as improvements for retrieving bookings and alternative boarding pass options. The updated app is also now fully iPhone 5 and iOS 6 compatible.

We’ve completely redesigned the app to make it easier to access all your upcoming flights and to address a number of issues

Snapheal version 2.1: Snapheal for Mac received an update today that includes a new and improved UI, a new crop tool, a “new algorithm for image retouch and adjust,” and much more:

– Brand new look and improved user experience, including 1 click to erase objects, faster selection, better way to save and share images, etc.
– New crop tool
– New algorithm for image retouch and adjust: faster performance, better color processing
– Enhanced lasso tool
– Improved algorithms for erasing multiple objects
– New clone&stamp tool, with better customization of brush opacity and softness

Instamac version 1.1: The recently launched Instamac Instagram client for Mac receives a ton of UI refinements, full Retina display support for Retina MacBook Pros, improved slideshow features, and more.

-We’ve spent a lot of time going through each and every user interface element to make Instamac the most elegant Instagram Client for the Mac.

Dungeon Hunter 3 version 1.4.0:
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Discover Mobile adds Passbook, Draw Something Pro, BBC iPlayer, Showtime, deals, more

Jordan Kahn Dec 7 2012 - 8:02 am PT

Discover Mobile version 4.10: The Discover for iPhone app officially gains Passbook support for saving redeemed Cashback Bonuses.

-Your Discover app now includes Apple Passbook integration for partner eCertificates! Redeem your Cashback Bonus for a partner eCertificate and save it to Passbook! (Available for users on iOS 6 or greater)

Draw Something Pro: OMGPOP is out with a new, paid, ad-free version of its popular Draw Something app. While you could get a universal, ad-free $2.99 version of the app previously, this new pro version includes a UI designed specifically for iPad (no iPhone/iPod support), and a few new features including:

✐ INFINITE BOMBS
• Never run out of BOMBS. Ever.
• Gain access to ALL SPECIAL WORDS at no extra cost
• Unlimited GUESS help – keep your streaks alive
✐ FREE COLOR PACK
• 10 brilliant new colors available only in PRO
✐ STUNNING NEW DESIGN
• A larger drawing screen optimized just for iPad

Vintagio version 4.1: MacPhun’s retro video editor app is currently 60% off for the holidays in our deal section below and today received new features including full iPhone 5/iOS 6 support, Cinegram exports, a faster algorithm, and other improvements.

Showtime version 3.0.2:

– iPhone 5 compatibility
– iOS 6 compatibility
– Now provides support for closed captioning on free full episodes
– Bug fixes and improvements

BBC iPlayer: This free app now supports iPhone 5. The change log for version 2.0.2. also includes:

Watching programmes on the iPad has had a facelift. Check out what’s behind the “More” and “Live Channels” buttons.
It’s already available on the iPad, and now you can plug your phone into your telly.
Feedback on the BBC iPlayer downloads feature has been great. We’ve fixed a number of bugs to hopefully make it even better!

The Oregon Trail: American Settler: The classic PC titled was recently revived for iOS devices by developer Gameloft, and today gets a few new features including a snow-covered landscape, and an appearance by 7-time Grammy award winning country group Lady Antebellum:

★ Interact with the members of the popular country pop band, Lady Antebellum, as they visit Oregon for the winter – starting at Level 15. Watch their performance in the new Concert Hall!
★ All-new town photo sharing – share postcards of your frontier town with all your friends!
★ New snow-covered landscape!
★ Festive quests, decorations and buildings.
★ Dress Ma & Pa in holiday-themed outfits!

WhatsApp Messenger version 2.8.7: Some necessary fixes for the popular WhatsApp Messenger app:
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RE/MAX rolling out Passbook business cards for 4,500 real estate agents in the US

Jordan Kahn Dec 4 2012 - 8:14 am PT

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Fte_IENjcyQ]

Taking advantage of a new digital business card platform from Vizibility that integrates Apple’s Passbook, RE/MAX will be the first company to have its employees carry iPhone-based Passbook business cards on a large scale. The business cards, demoed in the video above, will be first carried by 4,500 RE/MAX Regional Services real estate agents in Georgia, Southeastern Michigan, Kentucky, Southern Ohio, and Tennessee.

Vizibility also announced three new features that enhance its business card platform, one of which uses geofencing to provide agents with lockscreen access to the business cards when in a specific location like the office or at an open house:

CardSense™ enables Passbook users to select locations where their Mobile Business Card Pass can be instantly accessed from their iPhone lock screen with a finger swipe. This capability makes it a snap to share contact information at the office, tradeshows, networking events, open houses, or anywhere else frequent, fast access to a Mobile Business Card is needed. Locations are set right on the back of the Pass.

CardFollow™ enables people to receive updates when the vCard they previously downloaded from a Mobile Business Card changes. This patent-pending feature makes it possible for the first time to stay in sync with specific people without having to sync every personal contact with cumbersome, third-party systems. Vizibility users can easily see and manage their vCard followers.

The Mobile Directory displays a searchable directory of mobile business cards for everyone in an organization. This feature makes it possible to link a company’s business cards together to facilitate discovery and reinforce the depth of an organization’s expertise. Vizibility corporate administrators can easily control who appears in their organization’s Mobile Directory.

RE/MAX Regional Services Taps Apple’s Passbook for Business CardsVizibility Slides Out Passbook, vCard Following and

Mobile Business Card Directories

NEW YORK, December 4, 2012 – Vizibility announced today that RE/MAX Regional Services, one of the largest RE/MAX franchisors in the United States, is offering digital business cards to its 4,500 real estate brokers and agents across Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Southern Ohio and Southeastern Michigan. Vizibility’s popular Mobile Business Card is a personalized mobile microsite which is used to package and share a professional’s contact information and web presence. Agents can easily share their new Mobile Business Cards using Passbook on their iPhones as well as with QR codes printed on business cards, listings and other sales materials. Agents can also share their Mobile Business Cards wirelessly with Near Field Communication (NFC) using Vizibility’s plastic Mobile Wallet Card.

“In today’s competitive real estate climate, we have to push the envelope of technology to give our agents a competitive edge. We also must provide home buyers with the best tools to make what may be the most important decision of their lives,” said Dane Ellison, CEO of RE/MAX Regional Services. “Technologies like Vizibility’s Mobile Business Card can help our agents get more opportunities to share their listings, provide mobile virtual tours and engage effortlessly with prospective home buyers. By making it a little easier to close sales, we’re making it a lot easier for our RE/MAX agents to be more successful.”

Vizibility is the first company to use Passbook for sharing Mobile Business Cards and RE/MAX Regional Services is the first to implement it on a large scale. Passbook, recently introduced with Apple’s iOS6, allows users to keep boarding passes, movie tickets, coupons, loyalty cards and more in one place. Major companies are supporting Passbook including Target, Starbucks, United Airlines, American Airlines, Google and Ticketmaster.

Vizibility is also introducing three game-changing Mobile Business Card features:

CardSense™ enables Passbook users to select locations where their Mobile Business Card Pass can be instantly accessed from their iPhone lock screen with a finger swipe. This capability makes it a snap to share contact information at the office, tradeshows, networking events, open houses, or anywhere else frequent, fast access to a Mobile Business Card is needed. Locations are set right on the back of the Pass.

CardFollow™ enables people to receive updates when the vCard they previously downloaded from a Mobile Business Card changes. This patent-pending feature makes it possible for the first time to stay in sync with specific people without having to sync every personal contact with cumbersome, third-party systems. Vizibility users can easily see and manage their vCard followers.

The Mobile Directory displays a searchable directory of mobile business cards for everyone in an organization. This feature makes it possible to link a company’s business cards together to facilitate discovery and reinforce the depth of an organization’s expertise. Vizibility corporate administrators can easily control who appears in their organization’s Mobile Directory.

“Smartphones have fundamentally changed the way we buy products and select service providers. Google recently reported that 96% of U.S. smartphone owners have researched a service or product on their mobile devices,” said Greg Harris, Product Manager at Vizibility (find Greg in Google at http://viz.me/greg). “The Mobile Business Card is like a personal storefront for professionals. We’re excited to be helping enterprises and their people drive revenue using the latest mobile marketing technologies such as Passbook, QR codes and NFC.”

About Vizibility Inc.

Vizibility Inc. delivers the first enterprise class identity management and engagement platform. Vizibility’s highly acclaimed digital business card addresses today’s reality that the first impression a company or individual makes is often online, and in many cases on a mobile device. Vizibility enables people to package and share their online presence to make powerful, accurate and lasting impressions. The company’s solutions are available from authorized resellers and atwww.vizibility.com. U.S. Patents 7,831,609, 7,987,173, 8,095,534, 8,271,650, 8,275,837, 8,280,879 and 8,290,941. Other patents pending.

About RE/MAX Regional Services

RE/MAX Regional Services was founded in 1978 by Howard McPherson. The company provides outstanding support to the more than 300 offices and over 4,000 agents in its five regions. RRS ensures its real-estate professionals have the leading technology, the most advanced training, and the highest level of expertise to best serve the homebuyers and sellers in their communities. Visit http://www.franchise-remax.com.

Coupons.com adds Passbook integration for dozens of top retailers

Jordan Kahn Oct 24 2012 - 6:48 am PT

Coupons.com announced today that it is adding Passbook integration to its mobile site, allowing users to save dozens of coupons from leading retailers directly to the iOS 6 Passbook app. While the company is not making its entire selection of coupons available to iOS users initially, it does have a long list of notable retailers included in its Passbook-Ready gallery accessible on iOS devices. The company’s mobile app has not yet been updated with the Passbook functionality, but visiting coupons.com will prompt you to visit and add Passbook coupons.

Users of iPhone 5 or iOS 6 simply visit www.coupons.com on their mobile phone, select the Passbook button, and tap Add to Passbook for the coupons they want. Then, just show the offers in Passbook at the cash register for instant discounts.

Some of the retailer partners the website is currently offering Passbook coupons for include Barnes & Noble, Macy’s, Old Navy, OshKosh B’gosh, PETCO, PetSmart, Sears, Michaels, and Avenue. The coupons display the expiration date, a scannable barcode, and instructions to show cashiers how to process the offer:

Each Passbook “coupon” includes a description of the offer (such as “Save up to 20% on Your Entire Order”), the expiration date, and a scannable barcode. An “information” button at the bottom right corner of the offer provides instructions for cashiers on how to process the coupon (including a numeric code that can be manually typed into the cash register if the barcode is not scanning automatically) and additional information (such as purchase requirements).

The company highlighted a few of the offers currently available to Passbook users, and it noted the gallery would be updated frequently:
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Apple planning fixes for keyboard glitch, Wi-Fi, Passbook bug, & Exchange in iOS 6.0.1 update?

Jordan Kahn Oct 22 2012 - 8:07 am PT

According to a report from BGR, a reliable source informed it that Apple has begun testing iOS 6.0.1 with U.S. carriers in anticipation of a release in the coming weeks. Also mentioned in the report is a list of fixes apparently included in the update that address many of the issues users have complained about since the launch of iOS 6. Among them is a fix for the horizontal glitches that some have experienced in the iOS keyboard and folders and a number of other bug fixes for recently reported problems.

The report said the update would also bring a fix for issues with cellular data, improved Wi-Fi, as well as “a problem with the camera’s flash not going off.” Other fixes Apple will release with iOS 6.0.1 are related to iTunes Match, Passbook, and Exchange bugs:

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Hey guys, check out my sweet Klout Passbook Ticket

Élyse Betters Oct 17 2012 - 9:17 am PT

Klout for iPhone just pushed out version 1.8, and the update notably adds…wait for it…Passbook support!

The changelog mentioned users can show off a “Klout Card” equipped with their name, photo, and score to brag about their social influence. Yeah. Just what the world needed. Aside from Passbook support, the app is newly optimized for the iPhone 5. Users are also now notified of eligible Klout perks and can claim them right from their iPhone.

So, what are you waiting for? Start sharing your Klout Card now! Heck yes. And this.

[tweet http://twitter.com/MikeBeas/status/258597530592505856]

[tweet https://twitter.com/schwa/statuses/258601121302581248]

[tweet https://twitter.com/panzer/statuses/258604898449514496]

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Starbucks UK and Canadian apps gets Passbook support

9to5 Staff Oct 16 2012 - 3:59 am PT

Time to get your Passbook on if you are a Starbucks customer in the U.K. or Canada—just a few weeks after the U.S. release.

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CEO of MLB Advance Media floored by Passbook adoption, 12 percent of eTicket buyers already choosing the service

Jake Smith Oct 9 2012 - 2:46 pm PT

As the new Passbook feature available on iOS 6 starts to settle in the hands of more users, the sales of printed tickets may start to go down. MarketWatch reported this afternoon that Major League Baseball wants to phase out printed tickets all together and move to apps like Passbook to deliver tickets instead. The MLB tested this type of digital ticket sale with four teams during the last two weeks of the season. From the sound of it, results are better than expected.

Bob Bowman, CEO of MLB Advance Media, told MarketWatch that 1,500 e-ticket buyers, or 12 percent, bought their tickets using Passbook. He was shocked: “That adoption rate really floored us – there is no question our fans want digital tickets.” This has to be just what Apple wants.

Passbook offers benefits that paper tickets do not. Sure, there is nothing like having the paper ticket as a collectors item, but the benefits of a digital version may seem worth it to some. Bowman explained, “Fans can use the tickets, forward them to a friend, resell them, or even donate them to charity – and they never get lost or left at home.” Fans can also purchase a paper ticket, leave it at home, and use their ticket via Passbook instead.
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Target announces Passbook support for mobile coupons

Élyse Betters Sep 20 2012 - 10:09 am PT

Target just announced support for Apple’s new Passbook app in iOS 6. Folks can now use the Target app to send, store, and access Target Mobile Coupons in Passbook. Check out the press release and app changelog below for additional details.

Target for iOS version 5.5.1:

Big screen, big savings:
Now you can receive coupons directly in the app and scan them in the store. Check out My Target section to get started. Saving has never been this easy.
Add coupons to Passbook on iOS 6.
Filter search results by price, in-store or online availability, color and much more.
Supports the larger screen size for the iPhone 5 and new iPod Touch.
And the little things matter, too:
Change the color or size of a product right from your cart.
View ratings and reviews for Daily Deals.
Fixes an issue with adding items to your cart. (Older versions will be fixed soon.)

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Airlines begin integrating Passbook for mobile boarding passes ahead of iOS 6 launch

Jordan Kahn Sep 7 2012 - 5:26 am PT

While we expect a ton of businesses to soon start integrating iOS 6’s Passbook feature for storing boarding passes, loyalty cards, coupons, etc., it appears one airline has already done so. Australian Business Traveler reported that a reader was recently able to load a boarding pass into Passbook while checking in to a Virgin Australia flight by simply using his iPhone running iOS 6:

AusBT reader Shaun Lorrain checked in for a Virgin Australia flight using the airline’s mobile website on his iPhone, which is running a developer preview edition of iOS 6 – and this is what he saw…. Yes, iOS 6 detected the mobile checkin and offered to save the boarding pass into Shaun’s Passbook account…Passbook also offers live updates to these e-passes, such as flight delays and changes to the airport boarding gate…United Airlines has already committed to supporting Passbook with its own mobile boarding passes, and other airlines won’t be slow to jump onto that bandwagon.

Interestingly, this popup message is not actually coming from iOS itself, but rather from the airline’s website, which has detected iOS 6 as the phone’s operating system. This means, at any time over the next few days, other airlines and businesses could start adding Passbook support to their websites too. The web is not curated like the App Store, so these updates can roll out without approval from Apple.

If you spot other websites updating to support Passbook, be sure to tip us at tips@9to5mac.com.

USPTO publishes Apple iTravel patent with Passbook-like features and NFC tech

Élyse Betters Jul 10 2012 - 6:46 am PT

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a series of Apple-granted patents today related to iTravel that reek of Passbook and Near Field Communications.

According to Patently Apple, the “boarding pass and express check-in” feature spotlighted in iOS 6’s Passbook app, which Senior Vice President of iPhone Software Scott Forstall previously announced, is covered in today’s iTravel patent. Apple also received coverage for NFC tech, that we think has a pretty good shot of going into the next iPhone, within iTravel that concerns the check-in process and, more specifically, factors for transportation providers to perform identification and ticketing checks.

Patently Apple explained:

Apple’s iTravel check-in system will work with Macs, but more importantly, with iOS devices such as the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Ticketing and identification information will be stored on the iOS device and transmitted, such as via near field communication, to another electronic device. The handheld device may be used to check into flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, trains, buses, and so forth.

Additionally, traveler identification information may be transmitted electronically to enable faster security verification during check-in. The traveler identification information may enable automatic lookup of the traveler in a security database, thereby reducing the inconveniences of incorrect identification. Travelers may also provide specialized identification, such as fingerprints or retinal scans, in order to provide heightened security on high-risk modes of transportation.

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Start using Passbook on iOS 6 with a few simple steps

Jake Smith Jun 25 2012 - 10:22 pm PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAzZtaV2sk4&start=30]

During Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference opening keynote, which took place earlier this month, Vice President of iOS Software Scott Forstall unveiled a new app called “Passbook” that allows customers to track a number of various types of stubs, including boarding passes, loyalty cards, movie tickets, and coupons.

[tweet https://twitter.com/mikehelmick/status/217638173092749314]

The app is included in the iOS 6 preview currently available to developers a part of Apple’s developer program, but it is missing those virtual items to put inside. For now, it is just a sitting page with no functionality. However, Passbook will most likely swing into full gear as Apple makes more additions heading into this fall. For those of you itching to start using Passbook, you can get it going in iOS 6 with just a few simple steps:

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Phil Schiller: App Store is more democratic than traditional retail, Passbook is not a direct payment service

Jordan Kahn Jun 13 2012 - 9:39 am PT

In a recent story about growing concerns among app developers who want better ways to promote their apps in the App Store, The Wall Street Journal published quotes from an interview with Apple’s Vice President for Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller about the “tremendous amount” of work Apple does to help new apps get discovered. Schiller also talked about how things will improve with the redesigned App Store, Facebook integration, and new user tracking tools for developers in iOS 6:

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