In the New York Times, Brian X. Chen reports on Amtrak’s plans to use Apple iPhones as an electronic ticket scanner on several routes, including Boston, MA to Portland, ME, and San Jose, CA, to Sacramento, CA. “By late summer, 1,700 conductors will be using the devices on Amtrak trains across the country,” and passengers can choose to print tickets or display a bar code on their smartphone screens for conductors to scan.