How to use Passbook

I've just come across this contest that gives anyone the opportunity to win an iPhone 5 simply by sharing the Passbook Pass they have designed using the Passbook Pass Designer. Not only that but PassKit is also giving away hundreds of thousands of free Passes.   Seems very worthwhile sharing one of my prizes and hoping for the best and if not I still get some good publicity for my Pass design.

Hope this is useful for others.

A sneak preview of Pass Designer

I am very impressed with what I see in this video.  An online Passbook Pass Designer that allows you to actually see what the Pass will look like on someone's iPhone.

A sneak preview of Pass Designer

PassKit do a nice job of converting a traditional coupon into a Passbook coupon.  I'm looking forward to playing with the tool some more.

Apple and Google Rivalry

It looks as if Apple and Google are going to continue their rivalry as both continue to fight for dominance in the mobile wallet space.  According to 9to5mac, leaked images emerged of the next iPhone, and many are speculating that a chip which appears at the top of the leaked image is in fact a near field communication chip (NFC).  NFC technology provides the capability for phones to connect within a certain range using communications through radio.  The most prominent example of how NFC technology is used is in mobile payments, like scanning your phone over a point of sale.  Google Wallet has already implemented this into its devices last year.

Some say that the leaked pictures of the iPhone chip show that Apple is getting ready to launch its own mobile payment system.  This is mere speculation at this point, but if Apple does in fact carry through with it, competition between Apple and Google would be fierce.  Apple has released a beta version of Passbook, and in September it will become a native app for all iOS6 devices.  Passbook will store all a person's coupons, tickets, cards, and passes in one organized app.

Google Wallet, on the other hand, would mirror Passbook's functions.  When Google Wallet was first launched last year, it only held one credit card and was very limited in terms of use.  But now, the head of product management has mentioned that they plan on making Google Wallet a storage hub for everything that is inside a person's wallet, including ID cards, loyalty cards, gift cards, and transportation passes.  Some of these are already a part of Google Wallet, but there is always room to add more.  

Google Wallet and Passbook are very similar in terms of functionality and there is no doubt that competition between the two firms in the mobile payments arena is going to be cut throat.  Google Wallet's one year head start doesn't seem to make much of a difference.  Passbook has generated much more buzz than Google Wallet, so I'm betting on Passbook's victory.

Check out PassK.it so you can try out Passbook today.  You can download sample passes and even use their pass creator (when it is launched) to design your own Passbook passes.

Passbook Rivalry: Lemon and Belly

The days are numbered. Passbook will soon be released to the public, and as a native app for iOS6, many are wondering whether Passbook will be the go to mobile commerce solution.  Apple is introducing something entirely new with Passbook, primarily being a digitalized wallet that stores tickets, loyalty cards, coupons and other passes.  It doesn't store credit card information, so it's not a fully fledged mobile payment system yet.

Already, there are many apps in the market that appear very similar to Passbook.  The apps worth mentioning, or the ones that most resemble Passbook are Lemon and Belly.  Both host a multitude of features that are very Passbook-esche.

The Lemon App

The Lemon app appears to contains more components compared to that of Passbook.  On top of Lemon's storage capabilities of membership cards, tickets, and loyalty cards, it even allows users to store copies of credit and debit cards, ID cards, and various forms of receipts.  Individuals only need to take a picture of their cards or whatever item is in their wallet, and immediately the images are converted into digitalized copies inside Lemon.  Each copy is then stacked neatly in that app, with a very similar user interface as Passbook's.

When it comes to variation, Lemon has the advantage as it can store more than what Passbook can.  It basically stores everything in your wallet, including credit and debit cards.  The cool function of storing receipts allows users to engage Lemon as a financial tool to track spending behavior and managing finances.  From this, reports or statements can be generated and exported into other 3rd party applications, like Excel or Numbers.

However, the largest downside to Lemon is that all the cards within the app cannot actually be used for transactions.  The app is basically a backup wallet, providing only copies of cards, but not the actual card itself.  It stores everything digitally so that users who forget to bring their wallet can have something to refer to, but the cards canot actually be used to pay for items.

The Belly App

If we look at the strategies used by Google Offers and Groupon, it's highly dependent on large volumes of short term, discounted prices.  This business model is merely for a quick business boost, and certainly not sustainable in the long run.  This is where Belly comes in.

The people behind the Belly app have one goal in mind: revolutionizing customer loyalty platforms.  It hosts functions that are more similar to Passbook's as it not only focuses on the retailer but also the user.  The app enables users to redeem loyalty points or rewards every time they visit an outlet or purchase an item.  Belly is the app that allows for the transition from paper to digital means, through substituting away from the traditional stamp cards.  In effect, membership plans for Belly even include supplying iPads at retailers to help make this customer loyalty scheme a success.

And Belly is not only for the benefit of smartphone users.  Merchants can provide paper versions of cards that contain QR codes on them so that they can be scanned at the point-of-sale.  This allows people without smartphones or devices to benefit from customer loyalty schemes too.  Belly caters to both smartphone and non-smartphone users in this regard, so as to not leave anyone out of this program.

The great thing about Belly is that customers only need to have their cards or digital cards scanned at the outlet, and are automatically given points or rewards to be accumulated.  This incentive is what could drive more customers into various stores.  And the best feature is that only one universal loyalty card is needed, and there doesn't have to be a different card for different stores.  Outlets signing up with Belly will essentially be adding their brand to the Belly app card.

The biggest downside for Belly is that outlets or merchants must be on board with what they provide.  They need to sign up for the membership plan, get the relevant equipment, and transition from old loyalty methods to new ones.  In order for Belly to be successful, merchants must see a need for this.

The Showdown

The Lemon and Belly apps are already widely being used throughout the United States.  Both have features that mirror Passbook's, with Lemon contributing as a backup digitalized wallet, and Belly focusing more on customer loyalty.  At this point in time, it's difficult to see just whether Passbook could entirely dominate the mobile commerce sector, but there is no doubt that it could eventually transform mobile payments indefinitely.

To learn more about Passbook features and even download sample Passbook passes, I encourage all of you to check out this website.  PassK.it will have a PassKit Pass Creator that allows everyone to create and design Passbook passes.  Check it out!

Understanding the Passbook API

With Apple making huge headlines in the news recently, and with its stock price reaching an all time high, many have started to talk about the new iPhone 5 and iOS6.  Passbook is one of the apps for iOS6 that will come out around September 12 along with the new iPhone.  Many people have already begun distributing sample Passbook passes, which all seems very cool.  But when Passbook actually is available for public use, businesses will be wondering how they could start creating and distributing their own passes through Passbook.  This is all possible with the Passbook API.

To begin with, an API represents Application Programming Interface.  In non-techy terms, this interface is a set of codes and languages that allows for other applications, websites, or devices to use another program's functions.  Essentially, the API for a program, app, or software allows another source to interface with it.

To illustrate, let's look at Tumblr.  Tumblr is a website that allows people to post blogs, pictures, videos, and just about anything to personalize their own blog page.  Initially, Tumblr began as a website and solely as a website, meaning users would have to log on to the domain and publish posts from there.  But with the adoption and growing popularity of mobile devices, many want to access these blogs on the go.  Tumblr now has various apps on smartphones and tablet devices so users don't have to go directly to the website to use its services.  This is all possible because Tumblr released its API for developers to create another platform to access all of Tumblr's functions.  This communication from app to domain and back to Tumblr's back end systems is from the API.  

APIs allows for the filtering of programs from one source to another, via apps, software, mobile devices, or web browsers.  The unique feature of APIs is that it is doesn't only allow product A to go through product B.  Developers can build and extend upon the API and create innovative ways to use the product.  They can choose to add additional features to the framework that the API originally sets.  This is why many APIs are unique as developers use it to add more functionality and enhancements.

Going back to Passbook, it's now easier to understand the importance of an API.  Passbook will store digitalized passes in one app.  The channel that allows for people to create Passbook passes, distribute them to users, and update them accordingly is the Passbook API. The proper languages allow for Passbook to communicate with other sources so that users can actually generate passes and have them open and be stored in Passbook.  

So having an understanding of what components are needed to use Passbook for business or personal use is the first step.  The second step is to equip yourself or your business with the right tools and resources so that you can efficiently create, distribute, and manage Passbook passes.  Passk.it is one of those companies that will provide all the aforementioned capabilities.  You can check out their website here and prepare yourself for one of Apple's greatest, game-changing mobile apps of the decade.

2D Barcodes: PDF417 and QR Codes

The standard printed barcodes we all see at supermarkets or local stores are no longer the latest trend.  Today, 2D barcodes, which have recently erupted in terms of popularity, are a different form of barcodes that are more updated compared to standard 1D ones.  The most common examples of 2D barcodes are QR codes and PDF417 codes.

Quick Response (QR codes) are most commonly seen today and consist of square arrays that look like large pixels in one large square.  It's a matrix type of barcode and can store anything from text, numbers, URLs, and even enable devices to execute certain commands.

Portable data file (PDF417 codes) are long and rectangular in shape, with rows of linear stacked codewords that make up the rectangular shape.  Probably the most notable feature for these barcodes is its error correction ability within its high resolution linear rows.  Because of this, if the barcode is defaced, it's not so much a problem.

Since PDF417 barcodes used linear stacked barcode symbols, displaying or printing these barcodes require high resolution.  This can pose as a challenge, because it would also require expensive, sophisticated equipment to scan these codes properly.  On the other hand, scanning QR codes is easier as resolution is not so important.  It uses image sensors and not linear scans, so simple smartphone applications or 2D point-of-sale scanners will suffice.

In terms of generating barcodes, it's easier creating QR codes than PDF417 barcodes.  There are a number of websites and resources that allow users to freely create QR codes.  A lot of the PDF417 scanners are private and require heavy investment or equipment, especially because these barcode types demand high resolution.  The popularity of QR codes is greater than PDF417 in this sense.

Another feature of QR codes is its reliability in storing a large volume of data.  If you look at the table below, you'll notice the differences in capacity for QR codes and PDF417 codes.

	QR Codes	PDF417
Numeric	7098	2710
Alphanumeric	4296	1850
Binary	2953	1018
Kanji	1817	554

Source: Digital Lab, QR Codes: a Point of View

Because of QR codes' large capacity, the one drawback is that the size of the barcode will be larger to store more information.  It will take up more room than the slender PDF417, and this is something that businesses may need to consider when printing or choosing it display it at various locations.  More space for the barcode means less space for other things.

Nowadays, QR codes are mostly used in mobile marketing and business and PDF417 codes are more used in ID cards and transport applications.  Both types of 2D barcodes are unique and host features that make it stand apart from other ones.  If you're business, it's up to you to decide the information you want encoded, how it will be displayed, and what type of barcode would be best suitable for your business goals.

Create Passbook Barcodes without iOS6

We hear about Passbook and all of its features, but many of us don't have Apple developer accounts so we can't download iOS6 beta and test out Passbook passes.  Fortunately, we've found that PassK.it has launched a Passbook Barcode Generator that allows everyone, even those without Passbook, to start creating barcodes that will appear on Passbook passes.

If you're a business who is already distributing cards or tickets with barcodes embedded on them, you're familiar with what they contain.  Essentially, barcodes can store just about any information, from numbers to links to text.  Every barcode can be created so that it is unique, like for a membership card or movie ticket.  It is up to the issuing agency, or business, to determine what information to store in the barcode and whether it is individually based or generic (coupon).

PassK.it’s barcode generator is an easy way to start generating barcodes and testing out scanning devices at your vendor or point-of-sale.   The first step is to decide what text to encode.  It could be a simple message or a website, like passk.it.  This is what will appear on the scanning device when the barcode is scanned.  The next step would be determining the 2D barcode type, because iPhone screens are capable of reading only those.  These include Aztec, PDF417, and QR codes.  Finally, to create the Passbook barcode, choose the resolution of your iPhone, whether it is a 3GS or Retina display for iPhone 4 and 4S.  Once everything is selected, save the image and use a scanner app or device to scan the barcode.  PassK.it has also released a video demo on how to create Passbook pass barcodes without iOS6 to supplement their tool.

The Passbook Barcode Generator is PassK.it's way of allowing for consumers and businesses to prepare for Passbook.  By creating barcodes today, merchants can test out current scanners and determine whether an upgrade is needed, or if it works perfectly now.  Staff members can be trained and familiarized with these barcodes that will appear on Passbook passes so that they can be experts when accepting future Passbook passes.

It's imperative to start preparing for Passbook before it comes out, and the barcode generator is just that tool that helps businesses start equipping themselves for the digital pass system of the century.