Following this morning's report about the deployment of Apple's iBeacon technology to its 254 US retail stores, I decided to go to my local Apple Store and give it a try for myself. After agreeing to enable in-store notifications within the Apple Store app, I then drove to the Carlsbad Apple Store.
I didn't expect to be blown away by this new app/store feature, but I did expect it to work and offer a certain level of relevancy. The results were very mixed, to say the least...
Apple has begun rolling out iBeacons in its retail stores, with first iBeacon transmitters being deployed in its 24-hour Fifth Avenue store in New York City. Apple has also rolled out a server-side update allowing its free Apple Store app for the iPhone and iPad to let shoppers elect to receive In-Store Notifications about products and orders, including information such as a customer's upgrade availability and trade-in options.
Approving In-Store Notifications within the Apple Store app requires enabling Bluetooth and the iOS Background App Refresh feature, which allows the system to locate your device and issue product-related information as you check out products inside the store...
As Apple continues work on implementing the iOS 7 iBeacon technology inside its own retail outlets, third-parties are taking notice.
Case in point: the shopping app Shopkick, which has recently teamed up with Macy’s to deliver the first major retail system based on Apple's new iBeacon trigger technology.
If you're not familiar with it, iBeacon is an indoor positioning system based on Low Energy Bluetooth (BLE), also known as Bluetooth 4.0 or Bluetooth Smart. It taps tiny, pervasive transmitters which can send push notifications to iOS or Android devices within close proximity.
These notifications can deliver marketing messages like discounts and some have speculated that iBeacon could even power a new kind of point of sale wireless payment solutions that won't require NFC.
And now, one company has taken iBeacon presence notification one step further by imaginatively using Apple's technology to give bar patrons free access to Newsstand magazines and help sell subscriptions...
Following reports that Apple is working to implement iBeacon tech in its retail stores comes word that Shopkick has beat it to the punch. The shopping app has teamed up with Macy's to deliver the first major retail iBeacon system.
The technology, which is new to iOS 7, uses Bluetooth LE signaling to enable micro-location services and is expected to be a huge hit with retailers. The tech will allow stores to deliver targeted sales and information to their customers...
Apple is working to implement its new iBeacon technology into its retail stores, according to a new report from 9to5Mac. The tech, which is new to iOS 7, can pinpoint a device's location within a few feet using low energy Bluetooth.
The iBeacon system will initially help Apple with sales, offering up pricing and information on products simply by a user walking up to them. And later it will be used to assist with services such as workshops and Genius appointments...
Apple has teamed up with Major League Baseball developers to enhance their 'MLB.com at the Park' app, according to a new report from Mashable. They're said to be working to create custom, interactive stadium experiences for fans.
The app, which has apparently been worked on by the pair since February, takes advantage of Apple's new iBeacon micro-location APIs in iOS 7 to provide users with info on their devices specific to where they're at in the ballpark...
Yesterday, I let you in on a trick to selectively show or hide unwanted app icons from your Apple TV's Home screen. Today, I want to talk about another great Apple TV enhancement, one just implemented as part of the newly-released Apple TV 6.0 software update: tap-to-setup. In a nutshell, you can now use an iOS device to quickly set up your $99 hockey puck.
Sure, the third-generation Apple TV does allow for greater flexibility by letting folks pair a Bluetooth keyboard in order to quickly type in any pertinent information during the setup procedure (or afterwards). Tap-to-setup, however, takes easy to the next level by automatically transferring common settings from your iOS device...