iBeacon Technology Begins Moving Into the Home and NBA Arenas

Apple's iBeacon technology is poised to influence the retail sector by offering a personalized shopping experience to customers, but it may also have personal benefits by interacting with apps when a user is at home.

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As spotted by TechCrunch, new iOS app Placed gives us a glimpse into personal iBeacon usage, linking an incoming iBeacon signal to apps associated with common household activities. With appropriately placed iBeacons, you could enable the remote when you sit on the couch or start a timer when you step up to the oven to cook.

It's an early implementation of iBeacon technology as the app integration is only partially automated, sending a notification to your phone that requires you to manually launch an app before anything happens. It an interesting use of iBeacon technology, though, and a small step towards a wider use of iBeacons the automated home.

Besides personal and retail use, iBeacon technology also is being used in sports to assist fans and add to the overall game experience. The Golden State Warriors became the first NBA team to adopt Apple's iBeacon technology, installing the Bluetooth transmitters in the team's home arena, reports Business Week.

The iBeacon technology is being used to boost ticket sales by prompting fans to upgrade their tickets as they make their way to their nosebleed seats inside Oracle Arena. The Warriors, as well as other sports teams, already offer seat upgrades through their mobile apps, but this is the first time iBeacons have been used to boost ticket sales in this way.
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Apple's iBeacon Gains 'Made For iPhone' Specification

Apple has implemented a new iBeacon specification and has begun certifying Bluetooth LE devices that utilize its iBeacon API under its Made For iPhone (MFi) program, according to a new report from Beekn.

iBeacons are physical Bluetooth low-energy transmitters that use Apple’s iBeacon API to provide micro-location information to nearby apps and devices, with an accuracy range of a few feet. iBeacons are compatible with Apple’s iPhones and iPads, as well as other devices that use Bluetooth LE, and have thus far been used primarily by retailers and other venues to provide location-specific information.

In order to use the iBeacon name, manufacturers now need to have their devices approved by Apple as part of the MFi program, similar to accessories and hardware for iOS devices. Using the term iBeacon requires manufacturers to meet specific criteria, which are only available after a non-disclosure agreement has been signed. 

The new specification gives Apple more control over the iBeacon trademark, which has previously been used by several different manufacturers for various Bluetooth LE devices since iBeacons were introduced in June of 2013. It is no longer possible to use the iBeacon brand without consent from Apple.

As we've noted elsewhere, beacons that carry the iBeacon name are conforming to two things: 

- They broadcast Bluetooth LE 'signals' in a way that conforms to the Apple standard for what those signals should contain 

- They have use of the iBeacon trademark

Since being introduced last year, iBeacons have been used by multiple retailers and venues in order to enhance visitor experiences in retail outlets, sports arenas, and other locations. Apple has rolled out iBeacons to its own stores as well, providing location-based product information to customers.

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