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Microsoft 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.
Windows Phone 8.1 supports Apple's Passbook natively. I've been using it for flights. Works perfectly pic.twitter.com/MFScqvEVU7
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) April 14, 2014
Top Rated Comments
Really sad Apple changed their minds about that. FaceTime would be so much more useful if everyone had it.
Next up: MS Cloud services replaces iCloud ...
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.