Microsoft reverse engineers Apple's Passbook, adds support in Windows Phone 8.1

When Apple showed off PassBook for the first time, I yawned. When I got a chance to try it for myself, I yawned even wider. You see, I haven't taken a single flight, or drank a single cup of Starbucks coffee since PassBook was released. I also have not used a loyalty card at a store. In other words, I don't do the sorts of things for which PassBook was designed. Despite my apathy towards the product, it has had quite an exciting life since its debut in iOS 6. Its biggest claim to fame is that it has been ripped off twice by competitors.

Naturally, the first was Samsung. I covered it at the time it happened. Samsung copied the heck out of PassBook and put in into its own product. Today, it was discovered that Microsoft has done something similar, only worse. Instead of just copying the idea and design of the app, they reverse engineered Apple's PassBook so that it's information can be read in Microsoft's wallet app. Since developers are only interested in writing for Apple's proprietary solution, Microsoft is trying to steel PassBook by making it less proprietary. Right now, PassBook is a feature that helps sell iPhones. If Microsoft has its way, PassBook will help sell Windows Phones as well. This, while Apple is in court with the other thief that stole PassBook. What a world. 

David Johnson