Apple's iBeacon Technology Featured in CES Scavenger Hunt

MacRumors · Jan 2, 2014

Next week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will feature a promotional iBeacon-based scavenger hunt, according to a press release issued today by the Consumer Electronics Association.

Attendees to the conference will be able to use the CES Mobile apps for iOS and Android to explore various areas of the show, collecting badges for each iBeacon that is encountered. The first three players to collect all of the iBeacon badges will be rewarded with prizes that include tablets, fitness bands, and more.

For the CES scavenger hunt, the Consumer Electronics Association is teaming up with several companies, including Radius Networks, which provides an iBeacon platform for mobile apps.

"This is one of the coolest proximity-aware apps we have worked on," said Marc Wallace, CEO and cofounder of Radius Networks. "This is also one of the first, tangible applications that leverages iBeacon technology. And it is a great example of how iBeacon technology is not just about advertising as it is about bringing new and innovative solutions to the marketplace. We are very excited to be a part of it."

First introduced in mid-2013 at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, iBeacons are low-energy transmitters designed to interact with iOS devices that support Bluetooth LE. Physical beacons are able to send notifications to iPhones and iPads when within 100 feet of a device, offering up an array of location-based information like product details, maps, and more.

Thus far, iBeacon technology has been implemented in Apple retail locations to provide additional product information to visiting customers with the Apple Store app installed. It's also been used in a collaboration between Macy's and Shopkick, installed in a cafe to provide on-site Newsstand publications, and Major League Baseball has plans to integrate the technology into various stadiums in the future.

Article Link: Apple's iBeacon Technology Featured in CES Scavenger Hunt

jasonefmonk · Jan 2, 2014

It'll be a good test for any capacity limits iBeacon/Bluetooth LE might run in to. I hope it works smoothly because this could be fun.

advancewarsbest · Jan 2, 2014

I had come up with this idea to use at an upcoming hackathon...guess its back to the drawing board xD
-The Scavenger hunt part.

AngerDanger · Jan 2, 2014

Marc Wallace said:
This is one of the coolest proximity-aware apps we have worked on," said Marc Wallace, CEO and cofounder of Radius Networks. "This is also one of the first, tangible applications that leverages iBeacon technology. And it is a great example of how iBeacon technology is not just about advertising as it is about bringing new and innovative solutions to the marketplace. We are very excited to be a part of it.

So this isn't just iBeacon technology advertising iBeacon technology?

Nevaborn · Jan 2, 2014

Hope it's a good prize and not just a Nexus lol

airamerica · Jan 2, 2014

I can honestly say that I have seen a significant increase in dramatic app development and the guys at journification have demonstrated some truly amazing things to our company today. I'm told that they will be making a significant announcement by the end of January and at this point in time, I haven't seen anything on any blog, which is approaching what they are proposing... this includes Apple.

I know that journification have been testing 6 different iBeacon hardware solutions and they told us today that they've picked 2 to work with, allowing for broadcast range, battery considerations and differing hardware capability - likewise, they have secured some astonishing advertising and distribution deals. They are going to blow everyone away!!!

springsup · Jan 2, 2014

This is pretty funny considering Apple don't even demonstrate at CES, but plenty of Android OEMs do (and Microsoft used to keynote it).

seamer · Jan 2, 2014

It's just an advertising tool trying to masquerade as something cool. Regular users will want to turn bluetooth off in the end because of iBeacon. I can see Congress adding new laws in the same category of the audio volume limits on TV ads.

derbladerunner · Jan 2, 2014

seamer said:
It's just an advertising tool trying to masquerade as something cool. Regular users will want to turn bluetooth off in the end because of iBeacon. I can see Congress adding new laws in the same category of the audio volume limits on TV ads.

I don't see this problem. Users in the iBeacon range have to have the specific app installed as well, otherwise they will not get any messages.

Not everyone with Bluetooth enabled will get coupons or other messages when walking into a GAP store or McD restaurant.

If companies get too agressive or send too many messages, people will delete the specific app or change the settings so it's in the developer's best interest to add real value.

I see a lot of added value in hotels, airports, museums, sports venues, stores and for transactions of all kind over time.

iBeacons could also be used for payments in the future, especially for recurring payments like beverages at Starbucks, instead of NFC.

luigiBoschin · Jan 2, 2014

Nivpat

This is a much better technology for spotting people and products:
http://www.nivpat.com

John.B · Jan 2, 2014

derbladerunner said:
iBeacons could also be used for payments in the future, especially for recurring payments like beverages at Starbucks, instead of NFC.

LOL! I think you meant to say "Passbook"?

Parasprite · Jan 2, 2014

John.B said:
LOL! I think you meant to say "Passbook"?

Passbook was never really used as method of payment, except perhaps indirectly (i.e., plane tickets already purchased). They certainly were referring to NFC.

griv · Jan 2, 2014

Physical beacons are able to send notifications to iPhones and iPads when within 100 feet of a device, offering up an array of location-based information like product details, maps, and more.

The wording here is a bit misleading. All an iBeacon does is constantly broadcast it's unique ID. The user must have an app on their smartphone listening for that ID, and once it hears it (and perhaps once it's signal strength is above a threshold), it can perform an action. The app is the smart thing here, and the iBeacon is just a beacon.

Theclamshell · Jan 2, 2014

Who else read iBacon?

Michael Scrip · Jan 2, 2014

springsup said:
This is pretty funny considering Apple don't even demonstrate at CES, but plenty of Android OEMs do (and Microsoft used to keynote it).

Exactly!

Apple doesn't need a booth at CES to be the talk of the town.

McBeats · Jan 3, 2014

fun173 said:
Who else read iBacon?

Oh good, I'm not just crazy.

...... now I need bacon. NEED.

orbital~debris · Jan 3, 2014

Parasprite said:
Passbook was never really used as method of payment, except perhaps indirectly (i.e., plane tickets already purchased). They certainly were referring to NFC.

I use Passbook as a method of payment here in the UK. I allow Starbucks staff to scan my Starbucks card, (which is available via my lock screen - courtesy of Passbook's location awareness), when I walk past a Starbucks. This allows me to pay for a cup of tea or a muffin!
It works well.

hogo · Jan 3, 2014

Nice!

This will be cool. They did something like this at comicon, but we had to text a code every time. This is much better! I did win a bronze adventure time medal though!

John.B · Jan 3, 2014

Parasprite said:
Passbook was never really used as method of payment, except perhaps indirectly (i.e., plane tickets already purchased). They certainly were referring to NFC.

NFC has never been supported on any iPhone. Maybe the commenter lives in an alternate universe?

JHankwitz · Jan 3, 2014

Counterproductive

The first three players to collect all of the iBeacon badges will be rewarded with prizes that include tablets, fitness bands, and more.

This sounds rather counterproductive to me. You would think that they would want to encourage visitors to stop and investigate what is being presented instead of having them quickly run by only to collect points. This folly will also distract from the primary purpose of the function, in-depth personal show-&-tell communication.

macduke · Jan 3, 2014

derbladerunner said:
I don't see this problem. Users in the iBeacon range have to have the specific app installed as well, otherwise they will not get any messages.

Not everyone with Bluetooth enabled will get coupons or other messages when walking into a GAP store or McD restaurant.

If companies get too agressive or send too many messages, people will delete the specific app or change the settings so it's in the developer's best interest to add real value.

Actually, I believe some of Apple's patents showed this technology popping up on a user's phone even without an app, based purely on their location different messages could pop up on their device. Hopefully that doesn't happen, but surely that would be the eventual direction of this technology, reducing friction by not needing an app. Maybe in a future iOS version it will be on by default and have a toggle in the settings, perhaps in the privacy section that says "Disable iBeacons without app".

fredr500 · Jan 3, 2014

I visited an Apple store to check this out. It seemed a little unpolished.

As I entered the store it offered to check with my carrier to see if I was eligible for an upgrade. That was good.

Then nothing until I was standing in front of some accessories for several minutes. Finally it gave me the option to scan bar codes for more information on the products, or to buy on the spot. But as I moved nothing happened. You needed to be in one place for a while.

There were several of us, and it appeared pretty random when we would see the notifications.

Parasprite · Jan 3, 2014

orbital~debris said:
I use Passbook as a method of payment here in the UK. I allow Starbucks staff to scan my Starbucks card, (which is available via my lock screen - courtesy of Passbook's location awareness), when I walk past a Starbucks. This allows me to pay for a cup of tea or a muffin!
It works well.

Funny, Starbucks was the only example I could think of off the top of my head.

seamer · Jan 3, 2014

derbladerunner said:
I don't see this problem. Users in the iBeacon range have to have the specific app installed as well, otherwise they will not get any messages.

Not everyone with Bluetooth enabled will get coupons or other messages when walking into a GAP store or McD restaurant.

If companies get too agressive or send too many messages, people will delete the specific app or change the settings so it's in the developer's best interest to add real value.

I see a lot of added value in hotels, airports, museums, sports venues, stores and for transactions of all kind over time.

iBeacons could also be used for payments in the future, especially for recurring payments like beverages at Starbucks, instead of NFC.

I can install an app solely to be advertised to? Oh, joy!

BuffaloTF · Jan 4, 2014

John.B said:
NFC has never been supported on any iPhone. Maybe the commenter lives in an alternate universe?

Doubtful. It seems painfully clear that the commenter never stated that the iphone supported NFC, since all he offered was iBeacons as a speculative alternative to NFC. "iBeacons could also be used for payments in the future, especially for recurring payments like beverages at Starbucks, instead of NFC." Since, ya know, NFC is currently a common payment method not supported on the iphone, whereas iBeacons potentially could be.

Apple's iBeacon Technology Featured in CES Scavenger Hunt

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