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Apple to Announce More Plans for iBeacon Technology at WWDC 2014

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Apple will unveil more plans for its iBeacon technology at the start of this week's WWDC 2014, reports The Wall Street Journal. In addition to new details about the technology, the company will promote iBeacon by placing transmitters throughout the Moscone Center while offering sessions for developers on how to better implement the technology into their apps and services.

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It is not known what exactly Apple has in store for the technology, but it is possible that the company could announce a more prominent role for iBeacons in iOS 8, new partnerships with companies, and more. iBeacons could also see integration in Apple's highly rumored mobile payment service.

First introduced during last year's WWDC, iBeacons enable iOS devices to wirelessly communicate with physical beacons through Bluetooth, as the transmitters are able to deliver relevant information to apps and services when a user is physically nearby. Apple implemented a new iBeacon "Made for iPhone" specification in February, signaling a more significant role for the technology in its devices.

iBeacon technology has also been used by a number of companies in a variety of ways since the end of last year. Shopping app Shopkick and Macy's partnered to integrate the technology into stores to assist consumers, while Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association have used the technology to provide enhanced live experiences.

Apple has also implemented iBeacons into its own retail locations to deliver messages about picking up online orders and store events, although early experiences with the technology were mixed. The technology has also been featured in the UK, where a cafe and London's Heathrow Airport have integration iBeacons to notify users of promotional deals.

In addition to new details about iBeacon at WWDC 2014, Apple is also expect to unveil iOS 8, OS X 10.10, a new home automation platform, and perhaps some new hardware.

Apple will be live streaming the event both on its website and on the Apple TV. MacRumors will also be providing a live blog, live tweets via the MacRumorsLive Twitter account, and a spoiler free page for those who want to watch the full keynote at a later time.

Article Link: Apple to Announce More Plans for iBeacon Technology at WWDC 2014
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/01/new-plans-ibeacon-wwdc-2014/
chriscrk

chriscrk

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This is one of those technologies that few people talk or know about, but that'll likely change things in a big way.

It's exciting :)
 
J

jaijaibinx

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Jun 10, 2013
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It's Going Down!

I'd really love to see some new hardware tomorrow, or some hints towards some of the "best product lineup" that's coming this fall.

Either way on the hour i'm locking my door and watching that screen...
 
Last edited:
newyorksole

newyorksole

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Apr 2, 2008
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Hmmm I still don't see the benefit of iBeacon...

Things just pop up on your screen about products and services inside of stores?
 
P

pmau

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newyorksole said:
Hmmm I still don't see the benefit of iBeacon...

Things just pop up on your screen about products and services inside of stores?
Click to expand...

Think home automation. You enter your home, the lights go on. You go in your living room, Apple TV wakes up and your iTunes Server wakes up.

You leave your house, everything goes to sleep after 5 minutes.

etc.
 
MH01

MH01

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Feb 11, 2008
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boshii said:
The article just told you Apple will announce more plans for it tomorrow. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

OMG is WWDC tomorrow!!!!' They could announce anything...:rolleyes:

You missed the point he was making. The fundamental premise will remain!
 
NT1440

NT1440

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newyorksole said:
Hmmm I still don't see the benefit of iBeacon...

Things just pop up on your screen about products and services inside of stores?
Click to expand...

Location awareness indoors. Interactive museum tours. Curated walking tours through cities. Ballparks are already using them to offer up better seats to those sitting in the nosebleeds when the stadium is undersold.

The possibilities are literally endless, you just need to have a bit of imagination.

I've got a neat little concept for indoor rock climbing that I've been mulling over, but I'm waiting for the watch to tie it all together.... ;)
 
69Mustang

69Mustang

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pmau said:
Think home automation. You enter your home, the lights go on. You go in your living room, Apple TV wakes up and your iTunes Server wakes up.

You leave your house, everything goes to sleep after 5 minutes.

etc.
Click to expand...

iBeacon may have some practical applications but what you describe above is not it. Which lights come on? Every light in proximity or just the one you need? Going into the living room, do you actually want your Apple TV to wake up or are you just walking through? Even if it does, what are you going to watch it on? The TV that's still off? The powered down home theater? Something practical may come down the pike soon, but for every advertised use so far you have to go out of your way to use it. iBeacon thus far is meh.
 
Piplodocus

Piplodocus

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pmau said:
Think home automation. You enter your home, the lights go on. You go in your living room, Apple TV wakes up and your iTunes Server wakes up.

You leave your house, everything goes to sleep after 5 minutes...
Click to expand...

...and my lodger gets pissed off as the house has stopped working every time I go out and she has an Android phone and an iPad too old to run iOS7. :rolleyes:
 
N

NMBob

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If you leave the bathroom with your iPad will the toilet flush itself?

I can't wait to see how iHome will interface with my winter environmental control console and my summer environmental control console.
 

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springsup

springsup

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Feb 14, 2013
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My bet would be indoor location tracking.

Apple filed for a patent on WiFi-based indoor positioning back in 2010 (was granted a couple months ago, April 2014). They also bought a startup which does this, WiFiSLAM, for $20m just over a year ago (March 2013).

Indoor location tracking would really help propel Apple's connected retail experience to the next level. iBeacon is nice, but it doesn't really help you find where you are inside the zoo or museum, or inside Disneyland, or inside a big department store or airport or train station. iBeacon is for very proximate subjects, like something that's right in front of you.

iBeacon is good for HUD experiences (e.g. bringing up relevant information when you reach a specific place - like Virgin Airlines use to show your boarding card when you arrive at the departure gate), but in terms of digitally augmenting the retail experience it's incomplete without indoor location tracking.
 
NT1440

NT1440

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May 18, 2008
14,620
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NMBob said:
If you leave the bathroom with your iPad will the toilet flush itself?

I can't wait to see how iHome will interface with my winter environmental control console and my summer environmental control console.
Click to expand...

I know you're joking, but simply put, it won't.

----------
springsup said:
My bet would be indoor location tracking.

Apple filed for a patent on WiFi-based indoor positioning back in 2010 (was granted a couple months ago, April 2014). They also bought a startup which does this, WiFiSLAM, for $20m just over a year ago (March 2013).

Indoor location tracking would really help propel Apple's connected retail experience to the next level. iBeacon is nice, but it doesn't really help you find where you are inside the zoo or museum, or inside Disneyland, or inside a big department store or airport or train station. iBeacon is for very proximate subjects, like something that's right in front of you.

iBeacon is good for HUD experiences (e.g. bringing up relevant information when you reach a specific place - like Virgin Airlines use to show your boarding card when you arrive at the departure gate), but in terms of digitally augmenting the retail experience it's incomplete without indoor location tracking.
Click to expand...

I think iBeacon is going to greatly improve indoor mapping, a far less laborious process than what Google has been doing with their street view backpacks.
 
springsup

springsup

macrumors 65816
Feb 14, 2013
1,222
1,209
Piplodocus said:
...and my lodger gets pissed off as the house has stopped working every time I go out and she has an Android phone and an iPad too old to run iOS7. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

iBeacon is cross-platform. Any kind of home automation stuff built on top of it might not be, though.
 
P

pmau

macrumors 68000
Nov 9, 2010
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854
69Mustang said:
iBeacon may have some practical applications but what you describe above is not it. Which lights come on? Every light in proximity or just the one you need? Going into the living room, do you actually want your Apple TV to wake up or are you just walking through? Even if it does, what are you going to watch it on? The TV that's still off? The powered down home theater? Something practical may come down the pike soon, but for every advertised use so far you have to go out of your way to use it. iBeacon thus far is meh.
Click to expand...

You sound like I have invented it ;)

It'll be just fine, I promise.
 
charlituna

charlituna

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Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
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chriscrk said:
This is one of those technologies that few people talk or know about, but that'll likely change things in a big way.

It's exciting :)
Click to expand...

I would love to see it used in a more accessibility way. Imagine a system of iBeacons that could help the visually impaired get around a building, even say a subway or such. Something like that, if it could be pulled off, would be serious press for the tech

----------
jaijaibinx said:
I'd really love to see some new hardware tomorrow, or some hints towards some of the "best product lineup" that's coming this fall.
Click to expand...

I think we might get some hints of what's coming (by the by he said 'in 2014’ not Fall so they could come sooner than that)

I suspect that Apple has been holding off on product releases because of the stock split. The point of the split was to lower the cost to buy in a once that is done they will want to excite folks to use that lower rate, as well as raise the value up.
 
charlituna

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
NMBob said:
If you leave the bathroom with your iPad will the toilet flush itself?
Click to expand...

Thats what I need. Rig the toilet to flush and then put some kind of beacon in the bathroom and on my cats. Then when they leave the bathroom the toilet flushes. It's the one thing I haven't been able to train them to do since I got them toilet trained.

----------
springsup said:
iBeacon is good for HUD experiences (e.g. bringing up relevant information when you reach a specific place - like Virgin Airlines use to show your boarding card when you arrive at the departure gate), but in terms of digitally augmenting the retail experience it's incomplete without indoor location tracking.
Click to expand...

IBeacons at Disneyland with a wait time feed on your iGlasses (which can also film POV and act as sunglasses)

Brilliant
 
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