How do you turn the dang thing off? I work a block away from an Apple store and my iPhone thinks I'm in there to shop- keeps displaying my Apple gift card in passbook on my home screen , etc.
The short answer is No, iBeacons cannot track you!
Here's why:
iBeacons use Bluetooth 4.0 which is different from earlier Bluetooth -- no pairing, no need for 2-way communication or data exchange
you can listen only for iBeacons -- the iBeacon cannot detect that you are listening
you can turn off WiFi and Cell radios on your iDevice so the app detecting an iBeacon cannot "phone home"
an iOS app listening for iBeacons uses Apple Location Services
you have to opt-in to allow the app to use Location Services
you have to opt-in to receive push notifications (the app "phones home" and the app on the "home computer" sends you a push notification
you have to have installed the app on your device, launched it and opted-in
Sure, I understand that the iBeacon sending device itself does not receive your info but the sending device needs a matching app on your mobile device in order to work. With regard to #3, who turns off their wifi and cell services? BLE does not provide transmission for large data so any decent looking advertisement that would display pictures, barcodes, CSS styles, etc, would likely have to get that data from the Internet somehow. Doesn't that mean that the app is phoning home during normal usage? So I would say, the short answer is, yes, the iBeacon providers do have the ability to track you once you have opted in.
It is different than regular anonymous web browsing in that the iBeacon partner app likely knows your personal information because you probably had to register and the app automatically logs you in when launched. So in real world situations, the app probably won't work very well, if at all, with the network turned off. At least that is how I would design the app. When you combine that with location services you should probably expect to be tracked.
How do you turn the dang thing off? I work a block away from an Apple store and my iPhone thinks I'm in there to shop- keeps displaying my Apple gift card in passbook on my home screen , etc.
Terminate the App Store app from the Task Bar, or go to Settings--->Location Services--->Apple Store and toggle the setting to Off.
This is a new technology, so you may need to reboot your iPhone (st this stage of implementation).
In iOS 7 all iBeacon listening gets pushed down to the Bluetooth radio to conserve bandwidth and battery. An app using iBeacons is suppose to follow a protocol which includes "stop listening" -- but, hey, nobody's perfect!
The nearest Apple Store is 30 miles, so I can't verify if the Apple Store app works correctly.
However, with the iBeacon apps I am testing you can successfully turn it off by terminating the app.
The short answer is No, iBeacons cannot track you!
Here's why:
iBeacons use Bluetooth 4.0 which is different from earlier Bluetooth -- no pairing, no need for 2-way communication or data exchange
you can listen only for iBeacons -- the iBeacon cannot detect that you are listening
you can turn off WiFi and Cell radios on your iDevice so the app detecting an iBeacon cannot "phone home"
an iOS app listening for iBeacons uses Apple Location Services
you have to opt-in to allow the app to use Location Services
you have to opt-in to receive push notifications (the app "phones home" and the app on the "home computer" sends you a push notification
you have to have installed the app on your device, launched it and opted-in
Sure, I understand that the iBeacon sending device itself does not receive your info but the sending device needs a matching app on your mobile device in order to work. With regard to #3, who turns off their wifi and cell services? BLE does not provide transmission for large data so any decent looking advertisement that would display pictures, barcodes, CSS styles, etc, would likely have to get that data from the Internet somehow. Doesn't that mean that the app is phoning home during normal usage? So I would say, the short answer is, yes, the iBeacon providers do have the ability to track you once you have opted in.
Well... There is no guarantee that the app running on the iDevice always has access to WiFi or Cell services ("normal usage") -- you could be in a mall, hospital, etc. A more user-friendly app would get the data from the Internet when installed/updated on the iDevice... or when launched at home or the office, prior to going out and about -- where WiFi and Cell services are known to be available.
Then while shopping, the iDevice app could at a minimum display data from within the app when triggered by a nearby iBeacon.
For some uses, it would be advantageous to access the Internet during "normal usage". But you should be able to use most apps without "phoning home" or tracking.
For example, you can use Google Maps/Street View without opting-in to enable Location Services (assuming that Google is playing by the rules). Why shouldn't you be able to use an indoor shopping app without opting-in?
It is different than regular anonymous web browsing in that the iBeacon partner app likely knows your personal information because you probably had to register and the app automatically logs you in when launched. So in real world situations, the app probably won't work very well, if at all, with the network turned off. At least that is how I would design the app. When you combine that with location services you should probably expect to be tracked.
I think I would design the app for both opt-in and opt-out. The opt-in scenario is as you say.
But for those concerned, let them download the data before shopping, listen for iBeacons, receive alerts/offers then checkout paying cash or CC Token -- never accessing the Internet, never disclosing personal data and never being tracked.
Terminate the App Store app from the Task Bar, or go to Settings--->Location Services--->Apple Store and toggle the setting to Off.
This is a new technology, so you may need to reboot your iPhone (st this stage of implementation).
In iOS 7 all iBeacon listening gets pushed down to the Bluetooth radio to conserve bandwidth and battery. An app using iBeacons is suppose to follow a protocol which includes "stop listening" -- but, hey, nobody's perfect!
The nearest Apple Store is 30 miles, so I can't verify if the Apple Store app works correctly.
However, with the iBeacon apps I am testing you can successfully turn it off by terminating the app.
Admittedly everything I know about iBeacons, I have learned in the past few hours, so I'm definitely not an authority on the subject. I followed the first link you posted http://estimote.com which clearly displays the personalization of the iBeacon advertisement. From that I assumed that this was common usage.
I've seen a few instances of iBeacons in use or in trials. The best use case I've seen is for micro-location information. Imagine a museum where you get a tour as you walk into each room, including specific text/media for individual pieces.
At CES, they had a geocaching like game where you went to specific places to collect points which then entered you into a contest.
At an Apple store an iBeacon was set up so that when you walked towards the Genius bar, the wait time was automatically sent. While this could've been just a display, it could also the allow you to put your name in and be notified when your reservation was ready.
There are other ways that iBeacons can function that aren't just passive either. For example, you could have an app for a mall, airport or whatever that allowed indoor navigation along with info for specific things... "Notify me if I'm near a bathroom, ATM, or where I could buy a bottle of water".
I'm not sure what Coke is planning. It might be games, it might be navigation, or something else, but I doubt that it's just an app that when installed, it spams you with "buy a Coke" messages.
Sure, I understand that the iBeacon sending device itself does not receive your info but the sending device needs a matching app on your mobile device in order to work. With regard to #3, who turns off their wifi and cell services? BLE does not provide transmission for large data so any decent looking advertisement that would display pictures, barcodes, CSS styles, etc, would likely have to get that data from the Internet somehow. Doesn't that mean that the app is phoning home during normal usage? So I would say, the short answer is, yes, the iBeacon providers do have the ability to track you once you have opted in.
It is different than regular anonymous web browsing in that the iBeacon partner app likely knows your personal information because you probably had to register and the app automatically logs you in when launched. So in real world situations, the app probably won't work very well, if at all, with the network turned off. At least that is how I would design the app. When you combine that with location services you should probably expect to be tracked.
1) As it's been stated before, the device, like an iPhone, can only listen. I suppose one could make a system that listens for various other BT (or WiFI or cellular) data from phones, notebooks, tablets, smart bands, headsets, or anything else that emits a single, and then could map out your movement but that has been true since wireless technologies existed.
2) From what I can tell there is no info being sent directly from the iBeacon transponder. It's only a unique ID. The app on your device has to read that unique ID and then get the data either from within the app or query a server for it. This is how iBeacons can be so inexpensive to deploy. You don't need to have a complex and fast internet connection to an iBeacon. You don't need to have storage on the iBeacon. You don't need to have a way to update the iBeacon periodically either remotely or in person. All you have to do is build a simple, low-power iBeacon, record it's unique ID, then deploy it somewhere.
This means that you can deploy an iBeacon at the entrance of a museum and have it say "Welcome to blah blah blah. Here is some info you may want as you enter" Then they can update the data the app responds to for that particular iBeacon sensor by updating the app itself so now it says "Welcome to blah blah blah. Click this link for a map or our facility bleach blah blah" and then later update the app again to be localized for any number of languages and on and on and on. The way you make it sounds it would take a Mac Pro with a Pegasus TV RAID attached for a busy iBeacon location to work. This is one-way, low-power, and simple.
There are other ways that iBeacons can function that aren't just passive either. For example, you could have an app for a mall, airport or whatever that allowed indoor navigation along with info for specific things... "Notify me if I'm near a bathroom, ATM, or where I could buy a bottle of water".
I'm not sure what Coke is planning. It might be games, it might be navigation, or something else, but I doubt that it's just an app that when installed, it spams you with "buy a Coke" messages.
I like that. It would be great to be somewhere unfamiliar and have it list a bunch of different services you can set for iBeacons to respond to. Like we use(d) TomTom for when you need food, gas or lodging, but at a comparatively micro-level.
The way you make it sounds it would take a Mac Pro with a Pegasus TV RAID attached for a busy iBeacon location to work. This is one-way, low-power, and simple.
Understood about the low power and one-way communication but not at all my point. In order for the iBeacon to be of any value to the advertiser, it needs enticing personalized ads which I am presuming live on a server somewhere on the Internet which your phone downloads after receiving the iBeacon ID using either cell or wifi on the mobile device not the iBeacon itself.
Understood about the low power and one-way communication but not at all my point. In order for the iBeacon to be a any value to the advertiser, it needs enticing personalized ads which I am presuming live on a server somewhere on the Internet.
Why presume that? Why does a museum, fair, etc. need to only have ads? Why does all this need to be on a server instead already built into an app?
Imagine being at Coachella and being able to pinpoint anything listed in their app (band, stage, food, beverage, bathroom, specific beer vendor) down to the direction and distance instantly without having any barring of where you currently are. You need a bathroom quickly, you can find the closest one without having to remember where you are, how far it was from the last one, what you remember on the map, etc. Of course, the whole place in a bathroom and the lines at their portable toilets are long so any emergency will have soiled your trousers long before you can get through the queue, but you see my point.
Admittedly everything I know about iBeacons, I have learned in the past few hours, so I'm definitely not an authority on the subject. I followed the first link you posted <a href="http://estimote.com/" style="border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-top-width:0px;color:rgb(204,102,0);text-decoration:underline;" target="_blank">http://estimote.com</a>;
which clearly displays the personalization of the iBeacon advertisement. From that I assumed that this was common usage.
Yeah...
You can do "personalization" and tracking which is great for some use cases.
Not every is comfortable with that, however!
Another way to look it is iBeacons can provide [trigger] information in "context" -- when you are near to something that you are interested in it can alert an guide you.
Say you are shopping for mens' shoes at Nordstroms (and have indicated that to the shopping App). The App could:
alert you when you approach the store
guide to the mens' department when you enter the store
guide you to the mens' shoes aisles
display the specifics about various shoe SKUs as you approach them
It can do this without knowing anything about you personally -- rather, you have told the app the "context" of what interests you for this particular shopping trip.
Here is an interesting video by the founder of Estimote:
at about 10 minutes in, he discusses "context".
[VIDEO]
However, "personalization", tracking and analytics could be highly beneficial to both the customer and the store -- customer willing!
The key is for the store to make it worthwhile for the customer.
We are so early in the game, right now, that no one knows how it will manifest itself...
Why presume that? Why does a museum, fair, etc. need to only have ads? Why does all this need to be on a server instead already built into an app?
Sure there are different usage case scenarios such as a unique event that all the assets could be stored in the mobile device and need no personalization but another probably more common usage might be entering a retail establishment where today's sale items are presented. I wouldn't expect users to have to install an update to the entire app just to see today's sales. They would be downloading a new app everyday. The logical solution in my mind is to have the app access new data from the internet based on user profile.
Sure, I understand that the iBeacon sending device itself does not receive your info but the sending device needs a matching app on your mobile device in order to work. With regard to #3, who turns off their wifi and cell services? BLE does not provide transmission for large data so any decent looking advertisement that would display pictures, barcodes, CSS styles, etc, would likely have to get that data from the Internet somehow. Doesn't that mean that the app is phoning home during normal usage? So I would say, the short answer is, yes, the iBeacon providers do have the ability to track you once you have opted in.
It is different than regular anonymous web browsing in that the iBeacon partner app likely knows your personal information because you probably had to register and the app automatically logs you in when launched. So in real world situations, the app probably won't work very well, if at all, with the network turned off. At least that is how I would design the app. When you combine that with location services you should probably expect to be tracked.
1) As it's been stated before, the device, like an iPhone, can only listen. I suppose one could make a system that listens for various other BT (or WiFI or cellular) data from phones, notebooks, tablets, smart bands, headsets, or anything else that emits a single, and then could map out your movement but that has been true since wireless technologies existed.
2) From what I can tell there is no info being sent directly from the iBeacon transponder. It's only a unique ID. The app on your device has to read that unique ID and then get the data either from within the app or query a server for it. This is how iBeacons can be so inexpensive to deploy. You don't need to have a complex and fast internet connection to an iBeacon. You don't need to have storage on the iBeacon. You don't need to have a way to update the iBeacon periodically either remotely or in person. All you have to do is build a simple, low-power iBeacon, record it's unique ID, then deploy it somewhere.
This means that you can deploy an iBeacon at the entrance of a museum and have it say "Welcome to blah blah blah. Here is some info you may want as you enter" Then they can update the data the app responds to for that particular iBeacon sensor by updating the app itself so now it says "Welcome to blah blah blah. Click this link for a map or our facility bleach blah blah" and then later update the app again to be localized for any number of languages and on and on and on. The way you make it sounds it would take a Mac Pro with a Pegasus TV RAID attached for a busy iBeacon location to work. This is one-way, low-power, and simple.
Sure there are different usage case scenarios such as a unique event that all the assets could be stored in the mobile device and need no personalization but another probably more common usage might be entering a retail establishment where today's sale items are presented. I wouldn't expect users to have to install an update to the entire app just to see today's sales. They would be downloading a new app everyday. The logical solution in my mind is to have the app access new data from the internet based on user profile.
Sure, but that's just one way to go. For instance, I shop at CVS and they send me great deals via email. I click once on the email to open it up in a web view and then again to send it to my card. It's then there on their PoS systems when I go to pay. It's a very easy way to get 20-25% off. The problem is I usually forget about them. If I had been reminded when I walked into the store that I have a valid discount for 25% off as noted by their CVS app I may spend more than I would otherwise. It would certainly get me out of the very focused reason I was in the store in the first place.
Now they could also give me a link to a current flyer with couponless and couponed deals which I may very well click if I am already looking at their iBeacon which then takes me to the app. At that point I would expect that to download to my phone in a few seconds. I would then probably give it a quick look for anything that sticks out.
Only major changes would require an app update, not ones that happen on a daily to weekly basis. Even something that is revolving, like different deals at restaurants for different days, could be local to the app but simply check the day of the week on your system so it knows which ad(s) to provide you.
- - - - -
Perhaps the biggest risk is someone mapping out the iBeacons paid for by others and then piggybacking on them. For instance, what if Walgreens maps out the IDs of all of CVS's iBeacons so when you are in a CVS your Walgreens apps pops up and says "Hey, we've got a better deal at Walgreens" or "Come to Walgreens blah blah blah." That could get annoying. The reason I don't see that as being an issue is as soon as it's abused you can delete the Walgreens app (or just turn off iBeacons for it), and if you turn off all iBeacons or BT Walgreens doesn't win anything. All they've done is spent a lot of money mapping out a competitor when they could have used it for their own stores. On top of that you're already in CVS and you're probably now annoyed with Walgreens so it's not a good move. Let's remember that these are proximal sensors that also require an app so you're already a customer in some fashion.
Sure, but that's just one way to go. For instance, I shop at CVS and they send me great deals via email. I click once on the email to open it up in a web view and then again to send it to my card. It's then there on their PoS systems when I go to pay. It's a very easy way to get 20-25% off. The problem is I usually forget about them. If I had been reminded when I walked into the store that I have a valid discount for 25% off as noted by their CVS app I may spend more than I would otherwise. It would certainly get me out of the very focused reason I was in the store in the first place.
Now they could also give me a link to a current flyer with couponless and couponed deals which I may very well click if I am already looking at their iBeacon which then takes me to the app. At that point I would expect that to download to my phone in a few seconds. I would then probably give it a quick look for anything that sticks out.
Only major changes would require an app update, not ones that happen on a daily to weekly basis. Even something that is revolving, like different deals at restaurants for different days, could be local to the app but simply check the day of the week on your system so it knows which ad(s) to provide you.
Well we will just have to leave it at that. I am convinced that Internet delivery of assets and personalization needs to be an integral part of the iBeacon experience in most retail implementations where the data changes regularly. Say for example you are driving by your CVS and you remember that you need toothpaste. You walk into the store and your iBeacon app is out of date, hence in order to see today's specials you have to update the entire app over the cell network. Sounds really awkward to me. Instead your CVS app should just query the sever for the minimal additional assets that you need based on your user profile.
[CONTENTEMBED=/t/161628/coca-cola-mulls-deployment-of-apples-ibeacon-at-world-cup-and-beyond/40#post_2459530 layout=inline] [/CONTENTEMBED]
Why presume that? Why does a museum, fair, etc. need to only have ads? Why does all this need to be on a server instead already built into an app?
Sure there are different usage case scenarios such as a unique event that all the assets could be stored in the mobile device and need no personalization but another probably more common usage might be entering a retail establishment where today's sale items are presented. I wouldn't expect users to have to install an update to the entire app just to see today's sales. They would be downloading a new app everyday. The logical solution in my mind is to have the app access new data from the internet based on user profile.
Yep!
Apps get installed/updated automatically from the App store.
I could see the app asking the user if he want's to see "today's specials" if a Internet connection is available (and logging the request if not available).
I can see some "user profile" information stored in the app -- size, color/style/brand preferences...
But, when I go to Macy's, I don't always go there to shop for ties -- I may be shopping for women's watches on this trip -- so a "profile" of interests may not be of use for an efficient shopping trip -- more of an irritant, actually.
On the other hand, there are times that I just want to browse and see what's new -- a profile of my interests would be quite useful.
...Some are some, and some are not!
On the other other hand, if I were taking the Metro in Paris, it would be nice to be alerted as we approach various stations -- in English, in my case!
You walk into the store […] in order to see today's specials […] your CVS app should just query the sever
You know that's what I wrote, right?
You seem to be coming at this as an all-or-nothing solution when it's just a way for specific apps to generate a message to you at a particular location. It's a pretty slick and very, very scalable solution that not only will work for iOS but for any OS and apps that wants to use the iBeacons already setup (the only problem is there are relatively so few non-iPhones that have BT4.0).
Sure, but that's just one way to go. For instance, I shop at CVS and they send me great deals via email. I click once on the email to open it up in a web view and then again to send it to my card. It's then there on their PoS systems when I go to pay. It's a very easy way to get 20-25% off. The problem is I usually forget about them. If I had been reminded when I walked into the store that I have a valid discount for 25% off as noted by their CVS app I may spend more than I would otherwise. It would certainly get me out of the very focused reason I was in the store in the first place.
Now they could also give me a link to a current flyer with couponless and couponed deals which I may very well click if I am already looking at their iBeacon which then takes me to the app. At that point I would expect that to download to my phone in a few seconds. I would then probably give it a quick look for anything that sticks out.
Only major changes would require an app update, not ones that happen on a daily to weekly basis. Even something that is revolving, like different deals at restaurants for different days, could be local to the app but simply check the day of the week on your system so it knows which ad(s) to provide you.
Well we will just have to leave it at that. I am convinced that Internet delivery of assets and personalization needs to be an integral part of the iBeacon experience in most retail implementations where the data changes regularly. Say for example you are driving by your CVS and you remember that you need toothpaste. You walk into the store and your iBeacon app is out of date, hence in order to see today's specials you have to update the entire app over the cell network. Sounds really awkward to me. Instead your CVS app should just query the sever for the minimal additional assets that you need based on your user profile.
You are likely correct for many use cases. In fact, iBeacons are likely to be an integral part of the Internet-of-Things!
However, there are places where the Internet is not available -- say a tour of Machu Picchu or the subway... or, sometimes in the store where you are shopping... Or if the server is down...
There are places I remember
All my life
Though some have changed
Some forever
Not for better
Some have gone
And some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends
I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life
I've loved them all
Comments
How do you turn the dang thing off? I work a block away from an Apple store and my iPhone thinks I'm in there to shop- keeps displaying my Apple gift card in passbook on my home screen , etc.
The short answer is No, iBeacons cannot track you!
Here's why:
Sure, I understand that the iBeacon sending device itself does not receive your info but the sending device needs a matching app on your mobile device in order to work. With regard to #3, who turns off their wifi and cell services? BLE does not provide transmission for large data so any decent looking advertisement that would display pictures, barcodes, CSS styles, etc, would likely have to get that data from the Internet somehow. Doesn't that mean that the app is phoning home during normal usage? So I would say, the short answer is, yes, the iBeacon providers do have the ability to track you once you have opted in.
It is different than regular anonymous web browsing in that the iBeacon partner app likely knows your personal information because you probably had to register and the app automatically logs you in when launched. So in real world situations, the app probably won't work very well, if at all, with the network turned off. At least that is how I would design the app. When you combine that with location services you should probably expect to be tracked.
Terminate the App Store app from the Task Bar, or go to Settings--->Location Services--->Apple Store and toggle the setting to Off.
This is a new technology, so you may need to reboot your iPhone (st this stage of implementation).
In iOS 7 all iBeacon listening gets pushed down to the Bluetooth radio to conserve bandwidth and battery. An app using iBeacons is suppose to follow a protocol which includes "stop listening" -- but, hey, nobody's perfect!
The nearest Apple Store is 30 miles, so I can't verify if the Apple Store app works correctly.
However, with the iBeacon apps I am testing you can successfully turn it off by terminating the app.
Well... There is no guarantee that the app running on the iDevice always has access to WiFi or Cell services ("normal usage") -- you could be in a mall, hospital, etc. A more user-friendly app would get the data from the Internet when installed/updated on the iDevice... or when launched at home or the office, prior to going out and about -- where WiFi and Cell services are known to be available.
Then while shopping, the iDevice app could at a minimum display data from within the app when triggered by a nearby iBeacon.
For some uses, it would be advantageous to access the Internet during "normal usage". But you should be able to use most apps without "phoning home" or tracking.
For example, you can use Google Maps/Street View without opting-in to enable Location Services (assuming that Google is playing by the rules). Why shouldn't you be able to use an indoor shopping app without opting-in?
I think I would design the app for both opt-in and opt-out. The opt-in scenario is as you say.
But for those concerned, let them download the data before shopping, listen for iBeacons, receive alerts/offers then checkout paying cash or CC Token -- never accessing the Internet, never disclosing personal data and never being tracked.
One of the "demo apps" I've seen allows you to:
without ever identifying yourself.
He's making that up. He's a concern troll.
Admittedly everything I know about iBeacons, I have learned in the past few hours, so I'm definitely not an authority on the subject. I followed the first link you posted http://estimote.com which clearly displays the personalization of the iBeacon advertisement. From that I assumed that this was common usage.
I've seen a few instances of iBeacons in use or in trials. The best use case I've seen is for micro-location information. Imagine a museum where you get a tour as you walk into each room, including specific text/media for individual pieces.
At CES, they had a geocaching like game where you went to specific places to collect points which then entered you into a contest.
At an Apple store an iBeacon was set up so that when you walked towards the Genius bar, the wait time was automatically sent. While this could've been just a display, it could also the allow you to put your name in and be notified when your reservation was ready.
There are other ways that iBeacons can function that aren't just passive either. For example, you could have an app for a mall, airport or whatever that allowed indoor navigation along with info for specific things... "Notify me if I'm near a bathroom, ATM, or where I could buy a bottle of water".
I'm not sure what Coke is planning. It might be games, it might be navigation, or something else, but I doubt that it's just an app that when installed, it spams you with "buy a Coke" messages.
1) As it's been stated before, the device, like an iPhone, can only listen. I suppose one could make a system that listens for various other BT (or WiFI or cellular) data from phones, notebooks, tablets, smart bands, headsets, or anything else that emits a single, and then could map out your movement but that has been true since wireless technologies existed.
2) From what I can tell there is no info being sent directly from the iBeacon transponder. It's only a unique ID. The app on your device has to read that unique ID and then get the data either from within the app or query a server for it. This is how iBeacons can be so inexpensive to deploy. You don't need to have a complex and fast internet connection to an iBeacon. You don't need to have storage on the iBeacon. You don't need to have a way to update the iBeacon periodically either remotely or in person. All you have to do is build a simple, low-power iBeacon, record it's unique ID, then deploy it somewhere.
This means that you can deploy an iBeacon at the entrance of a museum and have it say "Welcome to blah blah blah. Here is some info you may want as you enter" Then they can update the data the app responds to for that particular iBeacon sensor by updating the app itself so now it says "Welcome to blah blah blah. Click this link for a map or our facility bleach blah blah" and then later update the app again to be localized for any number of languages and on and on and on. The way you make it sounds it would take a Mac Pro with a Pegasus TV RAID attached for a busy iBeacon location to work. This is one-way, low-power, and simple.
I like that. It would be great to be somewhere unfamiliar and have it list a bunch of different services you can set for iBeacons to respond to. Like we use(d) TomTom for when you need food, gas or lodging, but at a comparatively micro-level.
Understood about the low power and one-way communication but not at all my point. In order for the iBeacon to be of any value to the advertiser, it needs enticing personalized ads which I am presuming live on a server somewhere on the Internet which your phone downloads after receiving the iBeacon ID using either cell or wifi on the mobile device not the iBeacon itself.
Why presume that? Why does a museum, fair, etc. need to only have ads? Why does all this need to be on a server instead already built into an app?
Imagine being at Coachella and being able to pinpoint anything listed in their app (band, stage, food, beverage, bathroom, specific beer vendor) down to the direction and distance instantly without having any barring of where you currently are. You need a bathroom quickly, you can find the closest one without having to remember where you are, how far it was from the last one, what you remember on the map, etc. Of course, the whole place in a bathroom and the lines at their portable toilets are long so any emergency will have soiled your trousers long before you can get through the queue, but you see my point.
Yeah...
You can do "personalization" and tracking which is great for some use cases.
Not every is comfortable with that, however!
Another way to look it is iBeacons can provide [trigger] information in "context" -- when you are near to something that you are interested in it can alert an guide you.
Say you are shopping for mens' shoes at Nordstroms (and have indicated that to the shopping App). The App could:
It can do this without knowing anything about you personally -- rather, you have told the app the "context" of what interests you for this particular shopping trip.
Here is an interesting video by the founder of Estimote:
at about 10 minutes in, he discusses "context".
[VIDEO]
However, "personalization", tracking and analytics could be highly beneficial to both the customer and the store -- customer willing!
The key is for the store to make it worthwhile for the customer.
We are so early in the game, right now, that no one knows how it will manifest itself...
PayPal has announced PayPal Beacons!
http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/09/paypal-debuts-its-newest-hardware-beacon-a-bluetooth-le-enabled-device-for-hands-free-check-ins-and-payments/
Apple has patented a method for Point Of Sale that could be used anonymous checkout:
http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/01/16/apple-details-secure-over-the-air-e-wallet-strategy-in-patent-filing
Why presume that? Why does a museum, fair, etc. need to only have ads? Why does all this need to be on a server instead already built into an app?
Sure there are different usage case scenarios such as a unique event that all the assets could be stored in the mobile device and need no personalization but another probably more common usage might be entering a retail establishment where today's sale items are presented. I wouldn't expect users to have to install an update to the entire app just to see today's sales. They would be downloading a new app everyday. The logical solution in my mind is to have the app access new data from the internet based on user profile.
Very well said!
Sure, but that's just one way to go. For instance, I shop at CVS and they send me great deals via email. I click once on the email to open it up in a web view and then again to send it to my card. It's then there on their PoS systems when I go to pay. It's a very easy way to get 20-25% off. The problem is I usually forget about them. If I had been reminded when I walked into the store that I have a valid discount for 25% off as noted by their CVS app I may spend more than I would otherwise. It would certainly get me out of the very focused reason I was in the store in the first place.
Now they could also give me a link to a current flyer with couponless and couponed deals which I may very well click if I am already looking at their iBeacon which then takes me to the app. At that point I would expect that to download to my phone in a few seconds. I would then probably give it a quick look for anything that sticks out.
Only major changes would require an app update, not ones that happen on a daily to weekly basis. Even something that is revolving, like different deals at restaurants for different days, could be local to the app but simply check the day of the week on your system so it knows which ad(s) to provide you.
- - - - -
Perhaps the biggest risk is someone mapping out the iBeacons paid for by others and then piggybacking on them. For instance, what if Walgreens maps out the IDs of all of CVS's iBeacons so when you are in a CVS your Walgreens apps pops up and says "Hey, we've got a better deal at Walgreens" or "Come to Walgreens blah blah blah." That could get annoying. The reason I don't see that as being an issue is as soon as it's abused you can delete the Walgreens app (or just turn off iBeacons for it), and if you turn off all iBeacons or BT Walgreens doesn't win anything. All they've done is spent a lot of money mapping out a competitor when they could have used it for their own stores. On top of that you're already in CVS and you're probably now annoyed with Walgreens so it's not a good move. Let's remember that these are proximal sensors that also require an app so you're already a customer in some fashion.
Sure, but that's just one way to go. For instance, I shop at CVS and they send me great deals via email. I click once on the email to open it up in a web view and then again to send it to my card. It's then there on their PoS systems when I go to pay. It's a very easy way to get 20-25% off. The problem is I usually forget about them. If I had been reminded when I walked into the store that I have a valid discount for 25% off as noted by their CVS app I may spend more than I would otherwise. It would certainly get me out of the very focused reason I was in the store in the first place.
Now they could also give me a link to a current flyer with couponless and couponed deals which I may very well click if I am already looking at their iBeacon which then takes me to the app. At that point I would expect that to download to my phone in a few seconds. I would then probably give it a quick look for anything that sticks out.
Only major changes would require an app update, not ones that happen on a daily to weekly basis. Even something that is revolving, like different deals at restaurants for different days, could be local to the app but simply check the day of the week on your system so it knows which ad(s) to provide you.
Well we will just have to leave it at that. I am convinced that Internet delivery of assets and personalization needs to be an integral part of the iBeacon experience in most retail implementations where the data changes regularly. Say for example you are driving by your CVS and you remember that you need toothpaste. You walk into the store and your iBeacon app is out of date, hence in order to see today's specials you have to update the entire app over the cell network. Sounds really awkward to me. Instead your CVS app should just query the sever for the minimal additional assets that you need based on your user profile.
Yep!
Apps get installed/updated automatically from the App store.
I could see the app asking the user if he want's to see "today's specials" if a Internet connection is available (and logging the request if not available).
I can see some "user profile" information stored in the app -- size, color/style/brand preferences...
But, when I go to Macy's, I don't always go there to shop for ties -- I may be shopping for women's watches on this trip -- so a "profile" of interests may not be of use for an efficient shopping trip -- more of an irritant, actually.
On the other hand, there are times that I just want to browse and see what's new -- a profile of my interests would be quite useful.
...Some are some, and some are not!
On the other other hand, if I were taking the Metro in Paris, it would be nice to be alerted as we approach various stations -- in English, in my case!
You know that's what I wrote, right?
You seem to be coming at this as an all-or-nothing solution when it's just a way for specific apps to generate a message to you at a particular location. It's a pretty slick and very, very scalable solution that not only will work for iOS but for any OS and apps that wants to use the iBeacons already setup (the only problem is there are relatively so few non-iPhones that have BT4.0).
To each their own. I'm not judging. I'm sure they look lovely on you.
You are likely correct for many use cases. In fact, iBeacons are likely to be an integral part of the Internet-of-Things!
However, there are places where the Internet is not available -- say a tour of Machu Picchu or the subway... or, sometimes in the store where you are shopping... Or if the server is down...
There are places I remember
All my life
Though some have changed
Some forever
Not for better
Some have gone
And some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends
I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life
I've loved them all