Early Experiences with Apple Retail Store iBeacon Technology Prove Mixed

[Rigby]

You can turn it off per-app (or just don't install the app to begin with.)

But as far as I can see I can only turn off location services altogether. For example, I would like to continue using the store locator feature in the Apple Store app, but disable iBeacons. And I don't want to disable Bluetooth altogether, because I need it for the car integration.

It tracks you inside the store only. It uses Bluetooth LE, which is short-range.

The question is whether some kind of unique identifier is broadcast by the phone that stores (or anybody else, for that matter) can use to track you. Some stores are already doing this by tracking your phone's Wifi MAC or SSID (see e.g. here). iBeacon sounds like it has the potential to take the stalking to the next level.

 

[KdParker]

The article made clear a few of his expectations. The expectation of deals and discounts was just stupid.

However, anyone would expect to not be bombarded by the same pop-up time after time. I work in R&D. I know that no system is perfect and that you cannot account for every situation, but this isn't just a little thing. It seems to be a rather obvious point of failure for the system that should have been torture tested. Repeat acceptance/interference in a broadcast system, real or virtual, is a well known issue.

I hate to say this, but this is just another example of Apple's seemingly failing quality control department. This should have been tested and tested and tested. Instead, like too many of their products and service now a days they don't seem to test at all and release half-done products that they then try to fix in the field.

I can remember a time with Apple and its buyers derided firms like Google and Microsoft for this very thing. Now, Apple is joining them. Not a good thing for Apple at all.

Not sure you really hate to say that since most of your comments in this forum seem to be anti Apple.

 

[timborama]

I'm curious exactly what "deals" he was expecting to pop up on his phone in an Apple store.

There has to be something "in it" for the consumer, otherwise what's the point! We know what's in it for the retailer.

 

[KUguardgrl13]

You can turn it off in location services, or keep Bluetooth off.

Good to know! I keep Bluetooth off anyway.

 

[Born Again]

Along with most of Google services come to mind, when they first came out.

Why are you bringing google into this?!

 

[TMay]

The article made clear a few of his expectations. The expectation of deals and discounts was just stupid.

However, anyone would expect to not be bombarded by the same pop-up time after time. I work in R&D. I know that no system is perfect and that you cannot account for every situation, but this isn't just a little thing. It seems to be a rather obvious point of failure for the system that should have been torture tested. Repeat acceptance/interference in a broadcast system, real or virtual, is a well known issue.

I hate to say this, but this is just another example of Apple's seemingly failing quality control department. This should have been tested and tested and tested. Instead, like too many of their products and service now a days they don't seem to test at all and release half-done products that they then try to fix in the field.

I can remember a time with Apple and its buyers derided firms like Google and Microsoft for this very thing. Now, Apple is joining them. Not a good thing for Apple at all.

Wrong.

You aren't building a failsafe ballistic missile launch system. It's a retail notification system, and its obviously not fully baked.

Ship, listen to your customers, iterate, innovate.

 

[Windlasher]

It isn't perfect on day 1! CLOSE IT DOWN!
(Oh yeah, that only applies to Obamacare site.)

Oh, dude.... you had to bring it up. lol -

 

[JonneyGee]

Where's the opt-out button? I can't press it quick enough. LOL

None needed, it's opt-in.

And should it ever get to the point of being automatic, just turn off Bluetooth. Read the article and quit freaking out, people.

 

[shenan1982]

None needed, it's opt-in.

And should it ever get to the point of being automatic, just turn off Bluetooth. Read the article and quit freaking out, people.

I think my response was sarcasm. Lighten up, person!

 

[flur]

You can turn it off per-app (or just don't install the app to begin with.) It tracks you inside the store only. It uses Bluetooth LE, which is short-range.

Still a bit fuzzy on this - if I never install the app, iBeacon will never track me even if I have BT on? Or will it track me because I'm there with BT on, but I just won't see the "deals" or whatever because I don't have the app?

I want to not see the deals AND not be tracked, and I leave BT on most of the time b/c I like it auto-connecting with my car.

 

[shenan1982]

So what you're telling me is that in the event this kind of technology catches on, you physically won't even be able to run away from pop-ups.

I'm still amazed people allow so many of their apps to market to them. I personally opt-out of everything. If they want marketing feedback, they can pay me for it, I'm not giving it to them free.

So many people sign up for credit cards and services not caring that their habits are being monitored and personal information being shared, unless they opt out.

 

[JonneyGee]

So what you're telling me is that in the event this kind of technology catches on, you physically won't even be able to run away from pop-ups.

Magical.

You have to have the store's app installed and Bluetooth turned on. Plenty of ways to "run away" if you so choose.

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I think my response was sarcasm. Lighten up, person!

Even if you were being sarcastic, plenty of people are freaking out over this. They're the ones who need to lighten up (and remove the tinfoil from their heads).

 

[Management]

The article made clear a few of his expectations. The expectation of deals and discounts was just stupid.

However, anyone would expect to not be bombarded by the same pop-up time after time. I work in R&D. I know that no system is perfect and that you cannot account for every situation, but this isn't just a little thing. It seems to be a rather obvious point of failure for the system that should have been torture tested. Repeat acceptance/interference in a broadcast system, real or virtual, is a well known issue.

I hate to say this, but this is just another example of Apple's seemingly failing quality control department. This should have been tested and tested and tested. Instead, like too many of their products and service now a days they don't seem to test at all and release half-done products that they then try to fix in the field.

I can remember a time with Apple and its buyers derided firms like Google and Microsoft for this very thing. Now, Apple is joining them. Not a good thing for Apple at all.

The reason why Apple can now do this is because we let them with the following line of thinking,

Nothing works perfectly on the first day of rolling it out especially so early in the day. This guys seems to want some attention. Over time iBeacons will work well.

 

[thasan]

So he was upset he didn't get a notification for a nonexistent promotion?

maybe thats why he went there? and travel expenses on his ISI office account

 

[campingsk8er]

One thing I'm curious about is do you have to have the app already open for this to work or does it just work?

 

[twoehr]

And we thought it was bad when analysts predicted new products/features, now they are doing reviews too! Will ISI's auto analysts be going to the dealerships to perform test drives?

 

[mknopp]

Far point, but I too work in R&D and I can't shake the fact that this is ONE analysist in ONE apple store on day ONE. There isn't enough data for a report IMO. You can have a trillion dollars in R&D and there will still be launch hiccups, it's bound to happen.

What if the repeat notifications were limited to this store only? What if the analysit's phone was gliching? Again, it's one person from one store that bothers me about this article.

That is a very valid point. This is a single point of data, and it may end up simply being a bad installation or wanky phone.

However, if it isn't...

And given the problems that Apple has been having with their quality lately. Initial release of Maps, initial release of Final Cut X, defective iPhone 4s wifi chips that brick under iOS7, etc. It is starting to become a slightly disturbing trend that Apple is releasing products before they are ready.

Of course, I am not totally sure if these are actually an engineering/quality control failure or a customer service failure that is turning a typical number of failures into overblown issues due to poor Apple response.

Not sure you really hate to say that since most of your comments in this forum seem to be anti Apple.

Do you have any proof of that statement? I just scanned back through my past 23 post, and I am only finding a few that could be construed as anti-Apple. And that is only if one is of the opinion that voicing anything other then undying admiration of everything Apple is anti-Apple. (Of note it is a little funny to see how wrong I was about the iPad about three years ago.)

Wrong.

You aren't building a failsafe ballistic missile launch system. It's a retail notification system, and its obviously not fully baked.

Ship, listen to your customers, iterate, innovate.

What industry do you work in? I really want to know, because every industry that I have worked in our customers have never been happy serving as beta-testers. And given how much grief has been coming Apple's way lately based on their "not fully baked" products that treat customers as beta-testers I am not sure the consumer electronics market is filled with too many people happy about it either.

 

[airamerica]

I think it's fairly safe to say that Apple are just getting started... the guys at Journification have shown me some truly amazing demonstrations and they already have iBeacons deployed in office environments, which go way beyond what Apple are doing in their stores.

I was amazed, in the demos I've been having, how the beacons create urgency, call to action and introduce elements of gamification. The net effect translates to increased activity and I really think this technology and the applications for it are really amazing!

 

[unplugme71]

What's wrong with good old-fashioned signs on the shelf? I really fail to see the appeal of running around in a store looking at my phone.

There have to be better applications. In-store navigation would be useful in large stores, but apps like the one from Home Depot can already direct you to a shelf by number when using their Wifi-driven "in-store experience".

because sometimes the promotion may be for members only, or a silent one that only specific users (apple iphone owners) can know about.

or maybe because retail staff forget to take down a promotion sign that expired. now with ibeacon, they don't have to honor the sale prices because the number of errors would be reduced.

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How about the app opens up to the iPad you're looking at and adds a button in the UI for specs, availability, buy it, call a sales associate over to your location, etc. too.

that'd be cool too, but i'm also thinking outside of apple retail too

 

[djtech42]

Does the background updating run down the battery even when the app isn't running?

 

[Cougarcat]

I'm concerned that Joe Average won't know about these options. Not to mention Apple targets that kind of demographic.

Joe Average won't have the app installed. You have to have the app for the store in question (in this case, the Apple Store.)

 

[mdelvecchio]

I hate to say this, but this is just another example of Apple's seemingly failing quality control department. This should have been tested and tested and tested. Instead, like too many of their products and service now a days they don't seem to test at all and release half-done products that they then try to fix in the field.

I can remember a time with Apple and its buyers derided firms like Google and Microsoft for this very thing. Now, Apple is joining them. Not a good thing for Apple at all.

doomsday rubbish. you can find QA complaints for all apple lines dating back to long before Jobs' death, which is the subtext of your new-apple-is-doomed commentary.

 

[Rigby]

I was amazed, in the demos I've been having, how the beacons create urgency, call to action and introduce elements of gamification. The net effect translates to increased activity and I really think this technology and the applications for it are really amazing!

Can you describe some examples?

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because sometimes the promotion may be for members only, or a silent one that only specific users (apple iphone owners) can know about.

Hm, the only way I could imagine this to be useful is if the offers could be correlated to a wishlist that I have, i.e. I would only be notified of offers if I have previously indicated an interest in the product. But then, there is no reason to only notify me when I'm standing right in front of the shelf, so it could be easily done with the existing location-based notifications when I'm close to the store.

 

[tod]

I still don't understand why anyone would be excited about a technology that lets them be marketed to in novel and intrusive ways.

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I was amazed, in the demos I've been having, how the beacons create urgency, call to action and introduce elements of gamification. The net effect translates to increased activity and I really think this technology and the applications for it are really amazing!

But that's horrific. Creating an urgency in someone's mind to buy products they can live without is making the world a worse place, not a better one. It activates the reward centers in their brains making them feel good for awhile, gets them in debt, wastes nonrenewable resources, and is spiritually hollow.

 

[sanook997]

So what you're telling me is that in the event this kind of technology catches on, you physically won't even be able to run away from pop-ups.

Magical.

This is a great point, pop up's and redirects have become such a pain on IOS its beginning to ruin the experience, you can bet I will be turning yet another unwanted notification off immediately.

Apple really needs to provide meaningful control over ALL pop up notifications, in app etc. or they risk alienating users. I would much prefer finite controls in this area.