Apple continues to make our lives easier with the products that they make. The iPod brought us digital music that was easy to attain and manage with iTunes, The iPhone revolutionized the way we use smartphones, and Apple’s new patent for an app called iTravel is no different. Apple plans to make the headache of traveling easier. They are not stopping with just air travel. Need to book a hotel or rent a car, it just all got easier.
Leander Kahney of Cult of Mac fame, writes that Apple plans to also include some new technology in their next iPhone to assist with iTravel:
“The iTravel app uses Near Field Communications, a short-range wireless technology that is starting to become widely used in cell phones for mobile ticketing, payment and electronic keys, especially in countries like Japan.”
Apple does it yet again by melding hardware and software to bring us a great experience. With this new app you will be able zoom through check-in, security, and boarding. Your iPhone will be like a digital wallet of information, with your ID and flight information. It’s technology like this that will make air travel less of a headache, and more enjoyable. The iTravel app will also let you make hotel reservations from your iPhone. Need to rent a car, no problem iTravel can do that as well.
Patently Apple also has some background on this patent:
“Transportation ticketing has traditionally involved a pre-printed ticket which is scanned at a departure station. For example, transportation tickets may be printed at home with a barcode or a QR code (i.e., a 3-dimensional barcode) encoded with information about the traveler and/or the travel (e.g., name, destination, departure time, schedule number, etc.). In addition, this information may be included in plain language on the printed ticket. A traveler may be required to present this pre-printed ticket to gain admission to the transportation depot (e.g., airport, train station, but station, etc.), to pass through a security check-point, and/or to board the vehicle for transportation.
Apple’s patent addresses these issues. The patent generally relates to transportation check-in and, more particularly, to employing near field communication for identification and ticketing by transportation providers.”
I think it’s great if this app comes to fruition. It definitely has a lot of potential to make a travelers experience that much easier. If anything it should speed up the lines at the airport. What do you think? Can you see yourself using an app like this. If you do, or don’t let us know by leaving a comment in the comments section below.
Photo Credit: Apple Introduces a Future iPhone App Called iTravel
Article Via 9to5Mac & Patently Apple
