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Windows Phone 8.1 Adds Support for Apple's Passbook Passes

Monday April 14, 2014 11:09 am PDT by Kelly Hodgkins
passbook-heroMicrosoft has added support for Apple's Passbook passes in Windows Phone 8.1, which was released today as a developer preview. Microsoft announced this latest version of Windows Phone earlier this month and equipped the mobile OS with digital assistant and Siri competitor, Cortana.

As noticed by Tom Warren of The Verge and reported by iMore, Microsoft has created a method that takes the data from a Passbook file and converts it into a card that is imported into Microsoft Wallet.
Passbook passes are just collection of data that get rendered into a card and displayed in Apple's Passbook app. Think of the Passbook files like the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript data that makes up a webpage, and the Passbook app like the browser that renders the actual page. It looks like Windows Phone 8 is taking the same data and rendering a similar card out of it, and then pushing that card to Microsoft Wallet.
It is not known whether Microsoft's system is operating independently of Apple or if the Redmond company has an agreement to convert the data to its own wallet. The service may not support iOS-specific features like Passbook updates and notifications, but the importing of data is apparently accurate.

Passbook debuted in 2012 and was one of the major new apps bundled in iOS 6. The digital wallet permitted companies to store tickets, loyalty cards, coupons, gift cards and more in a centralized location on a user's iPhone and iPod touch. Apple has continued to update the service, allowing third-party apps to create Passbook passes and adding support for gift cards.
[ 96 comments ]


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Illusion986
56 months ago
That's good news with passbook support. More phones use it more locations will incorporate it.
Rating: 21 Votes
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Cougarcat
56 months ago

Didn't realize Passbook was open source just like FaceTiLOLOLOL


Really sad Apple changed their minds about that. FaceTime would be so much more useful if everyone had it.
Rating: 17 Votes
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D.T.
56 months ago
The MS and Apple love fest continues!

Next up: MS Cloud services replaces iCloud ...
Rating: 12 Votes
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TWSS37
56 months ago
Didn't realize Passbook was open source just like FaceTiLOLOLOL
Rating: 12 Votes
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dugbug
56 months ago
File this under "unexpected"
Rating: 9 Votes
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iolinux333
56 months ago

Case in point, Google Hangouts is available on iOS, Android and desktops. It just is a more complete text/video option that has the ability to have a larger audience.


This.

I've started using Hangouts on my iPhone 'cause everyone else is starting to use it. I've *never* used Facetime. (facepalm for you, Apple)

Apple needs to open up their stuff or they're going right back to the '90s where I abandoned them for almost 20 years. The only thing that brought me back to an Apple product was that my MBAir can dual boot to Windows. When Apple laptops and desktops could run Apple software only, there was zero reason for me to spend money their way.

I only went to iPhone after checking that various Apps I *needed* including several Google and Microsoft apps were there, and also that Android users would have no trouble from what was happening at my end. I now need Android users to be able to see my iCloud stuff, and apple isn't letting that happen. I'm going to have to shift back away from iOS and iCloud and to something that more people use unless Apple lets some Android/Windows access pronto.
Rating: 8 Votes
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afin
56 months ago
Interesting. Never realized it was a file type. Also surprised that apple doesn't rule over it with an iron fist.
Rating: 7 Votes
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advancewarsbest
56 months ago
Hopefully with wider spread use more places will embrace passbook and replace giftcards/tickets for christmas/birthdays into passbook equivalencies. saving me from constantly forgetting about the gift cards I left at home!
Rating: 5 Votes
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MikhailT
56 months ago

The MS and Apple love fest continues!

Next up: MS Cloud services replaces iCloud ...


Doesn't need to, iCloud is based on top of Azure and Amazon's S3. I'd suggest with Amazon now stepping up with their own hardware stuff, Apple is going to switch to only using Azure.

Interesting. Never realized it was a file type. Also surprised that apple doesn't rule over it with an iron fist.


They can't rule over an open format, it's just a HTML/JS/CSS format.

Isn't it already? Gruber's using it in his app, and even stars in a promotional video (http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Windows-Azure/Learn-how-Vesper-built-offline-sync-using-Azure-Mobile-Services-)for Microsoft about it.


Azure Mobile Services is relatively new, Gruber may be using for one of his apps but it doesn't mean everybody else is.

Really sad Apple changed their minds about that. FaceTime would be so much more useful if everyone had it.

Didn't realize Passbook was open source just like FaceTiLOLOLOL


Apple didn't change their mind, they were sued and lost the lawsuit for some of the technologies used in FaceTime.

You cannot open-source or standardized a technology without the full backing of all the companies involved in that technology.

There's a very good chance that by 2020, FaceTime becomes a standard because all the patents will have expired by then.
Rating: 5 Votes
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TWSS37
56 months ago

Really sad Apple changed their minds about that. FaceTime would be so much more useful if everyone had it.


Case in point, Google Hangouts is available on iOS, Android and desktops. It just is a more complete text/video option that has the ability to have a larger audience.
Rating: 4 Votes

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