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Uber introduces API for integrating the transportation service into other apps

Zac Hall Aug 20 2014 - 9:06 am PT

The popular transportation service Uber has quickly been growing this year with new features like adding your destination right on the smartphone app when requesting a ride and poaching long time Apple engineering manager Chris Blumenberg who managed the Maps team. The service is even integrated into the Google Maps app on iPhone and Android, and check out the Uber care package the company sends new employees.

Today Uber is taking a major step toward integrating its service into even more apps and services as it introduces an API for developers to use in their own apps and a list of partners already planning to take advantage of it.

As of today, we officially open—to all developers—access to many of the primitives that power Uber’s magical experience. Apps can pass a destination address to the Uber app, display pickup times, provide fare estimates, access trip history and more.

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United Airlines adds passport scanning for international flights to mobile app

Ben Lovejoy Aug 7 2014 - 4:58 am PT

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The immigration authorities of most countries require airlines to check the passports of their passengers before they are allowed to fly, so if you are making your first international flight with an airline, you have to queue up at check-in instead of downloading your own boarding pass at home. United Airlines is aiming to end this by adding the ability to scan and verify your passport using its mobile app, then head straight to Departures at the airport.

Once you’ve scanned your passport with your Android phone’s camera, the app sends the details to credentials management company Jumio Inc, who verify that your passport is valid which then allows you to download your boarding pass.

If your passport is already registered with United from a previous international flight, you don’t need to scan it again, it is verified automatically.

The bad news is that the system can’t yet verify visas, so if you need a visa for the country you’re visiting, you’ll still need to check-in the old-fashioned way.

You can download the free United Airlines app from the Google play store.

Galaxy Tab 10.1 hitting American Airlines premium cabins

9to5 Staff Jun 13 2011 - 1:05 pm PT

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Following Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines pilots testing in-flight use of iPads, Samsung today announced that American Airlines will feature the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in their premium cabins. American Airlines will deploy six thousand Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 units onboard select flights beginning later this year which will

replace the airline’s current personal entertainment device in American’s premium cabins on transcontinental flights between New York’s JFK and Los Angeles, JFK and San Francisco, and Miami and Los Angeles served with 767-200 and 767-300 aircraft; international flights to and from Europe and South America served with 767-300 aircraft; and transcontinental flights departing from Boston to Los Angeles served with 757 aircraft.

Although American Airlines has a flight-checking app on the App Store and offers an in-flight video streaming service to its iPad-using customers, they have not rolled out Apple’s device on commercial flights yet.

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