The problem with all of this is I usually have Bluetooth off -- overall, I have never found anything with Bluetooth to be all that useful from its inception. I would rather everything was all WiFi -- unrealistic for various use cases, however%u2026
Maybe this would give a reason to turn BT on. I have privacy concerns w/BT from devices spoofing car type interfaces that can read your Address Book contacts, for instance. It is well known that law enforcement uses these tools, and a malicious hacker could easily do the same. Food for thought!
Maybe this would give a reason to turn BT on. I have privacy concerns w/BT from devices spoofing car type interfaces that can read your Address Book contacts, for instance. It is well known that law enforcement uses these tools, and a malicious hacker could easily do the same. Food for thought!
Ads aren't always bad. Yes they can be annoying but I think in store ads based on where you are in a store or what store you are in could be helpful.
Also Apple already allows users to turn these ads off.
Is there a way to turn iBeacons off short of disabling bluetooth altogehter? Honest question. If not you'd still be transmitting where you walked, where you stopped, how long you were there, the time of day you visited, etc. You just wouldn't receive ads or offers.
Is there a way to turn iBeacons off short of disabling bluetooth altogehter? Honest question. If not you'd still be transmitting where you walked, where you stopped, how long you were there, the time of day you visited, etc. You just wouldn't receive ads or offers.
So there is not a way to disable iBeacons without turning off bluetooth then?
Is there a way to turn iBeacons off short of disabling bluetooth altogehter? Honest question. If not you'd still be transmitting where you walked, where you stopped, how long you were there, the time of day you visited, etc. You just wouldn't receive ads or offers.
So there is not a way to disable iBeacons without turning off bluetooth then?
Why are you asking Gatorguy? He clearly doesn't know as he just asked the same question and usually just wants to find faults with Apple and promote Google.
Why are you asking Gatorguy? He clearly doesn't know as he just asked the same question and usually just wants to find faults with Apple and promote Google.
Marvin, it was an open question to anyone. You're welcome to supply the answer as you seem to imply you might know. I'm truly curious and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one unclear about just what Apple has enabled.
Why are you asking Gatorguy? He clearly doesn't know as he just asked the same question and usually just wants to find faults with Apple and promote Google.
Hahaha! I was worried he'd went schizo...or found his better half
I'm truly curious and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one unclear about just what Apple has enabled.
Don't you have an Android phone? If so, what Apple has done shouldn't affect your usage in any way besides making the little robot greener. Or are you thinking of buying an Apple product but your main concern moving from Android is privacy? That would be funny.
The problem seems to be that it's not NFC that Android fans have longed for Apple to 'catchup' on:
Instead, Apple decided to ignore NFC and use something better:
"BLE allows for interactions as far away as 160 feet, but doesn’t require the surface contact of Google‘s preferred NFC standard. Google’s Wallet and Android Beam implementations require contact proximity to work and so far have not taken off. Apple‘s Craig Federighi introduced WiFi-based wireless AirDrop sharing in iOS 7 at WWDC, and teased the Android Beamers that AirDrop would not require you “to wander around the room bumping your phone with one another.” In a similar vein, iBeacons enable much more seamless, casual transactions based on close—but not intimate—ranges."
Payments without even queuing. There may be privacy concerns about advertisers using tracking but since Google fans have brushed off similar concerns before, it shouldn't be anything to worry about. It's a location service so disabling location services should allow using Bluetooth without tracking. Ah but 'does it?' I hear you feverishly ask as you anticipate the slightest problem with an Apple feature so you can relish in it. Well, we'll see in due time, it seems some details are not public yet:
"Under NDA agreement with Apple, we cannot and will not answer any of your questions related to iBeacons on our website/blog/forum/support until Apple has made the iBeacons details public."
Don't you have an Android phone? If so, what Apple has done shouldn't affect your usage in any way besides making the little robot greener. Or are you thinking of buying an Apple product but your main concern moving from Android is privacy? That would be funny..
iBeacons track Android users too.
I figure you probably note all my posts and already knew we're planning to buy a 5c.
Personally I'm not one of those overly concerned with privacy. Nothing can be done about what's already lost. I don't think you, me or most anyone else saw it coming early on and privacy ain't coming back now. We were offered carrots and we all ate them. Google made an entire business out of carrot-dangling. The difference with this particular feature is there hasn't been an easy way for your personally identifiable travels and product interests to be micro-tracked up until now. GPS is only so reliable as is wifi triangulation. Web searches don't really reveal specific detailed interests on a highly identifiable level. Apple's iBeacons endeavor may quickly change that.
Looks to me like Apple is only supplying the guns for now. Using those guns is in the hands of developers, retailers, advertisers and business owners. There's a lot of excitement about the possibilities this opens up in the retail community and for good reasons. It may completely change the way they promote their products and it may not be very expensive to find out how effective it is. So IMHO it's Apple offering the carrot this time.
Give companies an exceptionally valuable product. Don't limit how they can use it. Let' em do all the tracking and harvesting of shoppers and visitors they want. Make sure every new iDevice uses it. Once iBeacons become widespread and the value is clear beyond doubt that's when Apple drops the hammer: Enabling payments with iDevices, taking advantage of the millions of credit cards Apple users already have on file. . . for a percentage of the sale the vendor makes of course. That's big money and where I think it's headed, Apple replacing the current CC processors for some big retailers and perhaps rolling in some ad placement money if it can be done without alienating their user-base. The question is are we gonna eat the carrots again, giving up more finely detailed information on who we are and what we do in return for "other valuable considerations"? I'm betting we will.
It probably doesn't want to though, they just happen to be in the way. That's quite helpful as it can warn about unsavoury people nearby using the non-Apple devices here:
I figure you probably note all my posts and already knew we're planning to buy a 5c.
When you say 'we', do you mean you and your alter ego or a significant other who you've tried but failed to persuade to get something else? It's the lag isn't it? Some people can put up with the UI lag for a while but sooner or later they just snap. Get your kid an iPad mini while you're in the store too so he has a better gaming experience.
The difference with this particular feature is there hasn't been an easy way for your personally identifiable travels and product interests to be micro-tracked up until now. GPS is only so reliable as is wifi triangulation.
GPS is more accurate than triangulation or you wouldn't get turn by turn directions:
Web searches don't really reveal specific detailed interests on a highly identifiable level. Apple's iBeacons endeavor may quickly change that. Looks to me like Apple is only supplying the guns for now. Using those guns is in the hands of developers, retailers, advertisers and business owners. There's a lot of excitement about the possibilities this opens up in the retail community and for good reasons. It may completely change the way retailers promote their products and it may not be very expensive to find out. So IMHO it's Apple offering the carrot this time.
Give companies an exceptionally valuable product. Don't limit how they can use it. Let' em do all the tracking and harvesting of shoppers and visitors they want. Once iBeacons become widespread and the value is clear beyond doubt that's when Apple drops the hammer: Enabling payments with iDevices, taking advantage of the millions of credit cards Apple users already have on file. . . for a percentage of the payment the vendor gets of course. That's big money and where I think it's headed, Apple replacing the current CC processors for some big retailers and perhaps rolling in some ad placement money if it can be done without alienating their user-base. The question is are we gonna eat the carrots again, giving up more finely detailed information on who we are and what we do in return for "other valuable considerations"? I'm betting we will.
It'll use a unique identifier for each device so I could see certain implementations being abused. If one app is left open and it is set to track beacons, it could use that info to profile people but like I say, apps can do that with GPS. Any mapping app can track data to at least the size of a building. For people who are in a store with BLE, their UUID can be tracked but it would only be worthwhile for data in the store and they probably have you on CCTV anyway.
We do give up far too much info casually as the social networks show but it's up to how they implement it whether it will do more harm than good. People are willing to volunteer info if it comes with benefits. If you get store discounts or more info you are interested in then it's a plus. If you get bombarded with ad notifications walking down the street, it's not. You might be about to walk out a store and they start pleading with you as you go "5% off, 10%, ok 15%, please don't go". That would be annoying.
The biggest concern non-Apple customers will have is that they won't be able to use the term iBeacons and it will become like every Apple-branded thing before it. There will have to be knock-offs like sBeacons. Maybe one day Apple will release iHits, iLut, iNatch, iPic and then Samsung will run into trouble.
When you say 'we', do you mean you and your alter ego or a significant other who you've tried but failed to persuade to get something else?
Always fun to read your replies Marvin. I's sure you you don't mean anything by them except good natured kidding, especially since you don't seem to disagree with my take on iBeacons. 8-)
By "we" I mean my wife for certain and perhaps me too. She knows nothing about the differences in smartphones and OS's so she's relying on my purchase advice when all is said and done. She just knows what color she likes. It doesn't go any deeper than that.
The biggest concern non-Apple customers will have is that they won't be able to use the term iBeacons and it will become like every Apple-branded thing before it. There will have to be knock-offs like sBeacons. Maybe one day Apple will release iHits, iLut, iNatch, iPic and then Samsung will run into trouble.
iBeacon is being used for promotion of non-Apple products already. You linked one of them. Additionally a guy in SanFran filed for a trademark on it back in 2011, but it currently lists as abandoned. You might even be able to buy the trademark rights yourself. http://www.trademarkia.com/ibeacon-85435051.html
It probably doesn't want to though, they just happen to be in the way. That's quite helpful as it can warn about unsavoury people nearby using the non-Apple devices here:
Just looked at your list. It's a bit behind and omits millions of compatible Android smartphones. Even the typically slow Samsung is supposedly enabling it in the new S4's and even their old S3's sometime next month. Of course they're doing that for selfish reasons. Their smartwatch needs a Blutooth LE enabled smartphone to interface with.
Comments
I was expecting to be below $30.
Maybe this would give a reason to turn BT on. I have privacy concerns w/BT from devices spoofing car type interfaces that can read your Address Book contacts, for instance. It is well known that law enforcement uses these tools, and a malicious hacker could easily do the same. Food for thought!
I agree; the options aren't wanted:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proximity_marketing#Bluetooth-based_systems
Is there a way to turn iBeacons off short of disabling bluetooth altogehter? Honest question. If not you'd still be transmitting where you walked, where you stopped, how long you were there, the time of day you visited, etc. You just wouldn't receive ads or offers.
Why are you asking Gatorguy? He clearly doesn't know as he just asked the same question and usually just wants to find faults with Apple and promote Google.
Marvin, it was an open question to anyone. You're welcome to supply the answer as you seem to imply you might know. I'm truly curious and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one unclear about just what Apple has enabled.
Hahaha! I was worried he'd went schizo...or found his better half
I don't think Marvin noticed I was bumping my own question and assumed it was another poster asking the same.
Don't you have an Android phone? If so, what Apple has done shouldn't affect your usage in any way besides making the little robot greener. Or are you thinking of buying an Apple product but your main concern moving from Android is privacy? That would be funny.
The problem seems to be that it's not NFC that Android fans have longed for Apple to 'catchup' on:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2013/08/29/why-micro-location-ibeacons-may-be-apples-biggest-new-feature-for-ios-7/
Instead, Apple decided to ignore NFC and use something better:
"BLE allows for interactions as far away as 160 feet, but doesn’t require the surface contact of Google‘s preferred NFC standard. Google’s Wallet and Android Beam implementations require contact proximity to work and so far have not taken off. Apple‘s Craig Federighi introduced WiFi-based wireless AirDrop sharing in iOS 7 at WWDC, and teased the Android Beamers that AirDrop would not require you “to wander around the room bumping your phone with one another.” In a similar vein, iBeacons enable much more seamless, casual transactions based on close—but not intimate—ranges."
Payments without even queuing. There may be privacy concerns about advertisers using tracking but since Google fans have brushed off similar concerns before, it shouldn't be anything to worry about. It's a location service so disabling location services should allow using Bluetooth without tracking. Ah but 'does it?' I hear you feverishly ask as you anticipate the slightest problem with an Apple feature so you can relish in it. Well, we'll see in due time, it seems some details are not public yet:
http://redbearlab.com/ibeacon/
"Under NDA agreement with Apple, we cannot and will not answer any of your questions related to iBeacons on our website/blog/forum/support until Apple has made the iBeacons details public."
Yeah I thought it was Googleguy.
iBeacons track Android users too.
I figure you probably note all my posts and already knew we're planning to buy a 5c.
Personally I'm not one of those overly concerned with privacy. Nothing can be done about what's already lost. I don't think you, me or most anyone else saw it coming early on and privacy ain't coming back now. We were offered carrots and we all ate them. Google made an entire business out of carrot-dangling. The difference with this particular feature is there hasn't been an easy way for your personally identifiable travels and product interests to be micro-tracked up until now. GPS is only so reliable as is wifi triangulation. Web searches don't really reveal specific detailed interests on a highly identifiable level. Apple's iBeacons endeavor may quickly change that.
Looks to me like Apple is only supplying the guns for now. Using those guns is in the hands of developers, retailers, advertisers and business owners. There's a lot of excitement about the possibilities this opens up in the retail community and for good reasons. It may completely change the way they promote their products and it may not be very expensive to find out how effective it is. So IMHO it's Apple offering the carrot this time.
Give companies an exceptionally valuable product. Don't limit how they can use it. Let' em do all the tracking and harvesting of shoppers and visitors they want. Make sure every new iDevice uses it. Once iBeacons become widespread and the value is clear beyond doubt that's when Apple drops the hammer: Enabling payments with iDevices, taking advantage of the millions of credit cards Apple users already have on file. . . for a percentage of the sale the vendor makes of course. That's big money and where I think it's headed, Apple replacing the current CC processors for some big retailers and perhaps rolling in some ad placement money if it can be done without alienating their user-base. The question is are we gonna eat the carrots again, giving up more finely detailed information on who we are and what we do in return for "other valuable considerations"? I'm betting we will.
It probably doesn't want to though, they just happen to be in the way. That's quite helpful as it can warn about unsavoury people nearby using the non-Apple devices here:
http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/Bluetooth-Smart-Devices-List.aspx
"Caution: Android user to the East and closing!"
When you say 'we', do you mean you and your alter ego or a significant other who you've tried but failed to persuade to get something else? It's the lag isn't it? Some people can put up with the UI lag for a while but sooner or later they just snap. Get your kid an iPad mini while you're in the store too so he has a better gaming experience.
GPS is more accurate than triangulation or you wouldn't get turn by turn directions:
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/26/tech/mobile/mobile-gps-privacy-study/index.html
It'll use a unique identifier for each device so I could see certain implementations being abused. If one app is left open and it is set to track beacons, it could use that info to profile people but like I say, apps can do that with GPS. Any mapping app can track data to at least the size of a building. For people who are in a store with BLE, their UUID can be tracked but it would only be worthwhile for data in the store and they probably have you on CCTV anyway.
We do give up far too much info casually as the social networks show but it's up to how they implement it whether it will do more harm than good. People are willing to volunteer info if it comes with benefits. If you get store discounts or more info you are interested in then it's a plus. If you get bombarded with ad notifications walking down the street, it's not. You might be about to walk out a store and they start pleading with you as you go "5% off, 10%, ok 15%, please don't go". That would be annoying.
The biggest concern non-Apple customers will have is that they won't be able to use the term iBeacons and it will become like every Apple-branded thing before it. There will have to be knock-offs like sBeacons. Maybe one day Apple will release iHits, iLut, iNatch, iPic and then Samsung will run into trouble.
Always fun to read your replies Marvin. I's sure you you don't mean anything by them except good natured kidding, especially since you don't seem to disagree with my take on iBeacons. 8-)
By "we" I mean my wife for certain and perhaps me too. She knows nothing about the differences in smartphones and OS's so she's relying on my purchase advice when all is said and done. She just knows what color she likes. It doesn't go any deeper than that.
iBeacon is being used for promotion of non-Apple products already. You linked one of them. Additionally a guy in SanFran filed for a trademark on it back in 2011, but it currently lists as abandoned. You might even be able to buy the trademark rights yourself.
http://www.trademarkia.com/ibeacon-85435051.html
Just looked at your list. It's a bit behind and omits millions of compatible Android smartphones. Even the typically slow Samsung is supposedly enabling it in the new S4's and even their old S3's sometime next month. Of course they're doing that for selfish reasons. Their smartwatch needs a Blutooth LE enabled smartphone to interface with.