Summary: Sure, GPS was a game-changer. But as stars were to ancient mariners, “beacons” are the true wayfinders of the Internet of Things. They’re the enabling tech behind “micro-location”, and they’re about to revolutionize location services all over again.<br> <a href="http://www.farstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/beacon-on-clothes-rack.jpg"></a><br> Topics<br> <br> * What are “beacons”?<br> * Beacons vs. iBeacons<br> <br> * Generic names vs. Apple branding<br> * Compatibility<br> <br> <br> * Cost<br> * Design<br> * Hardware and service providers<br> * GPS vs BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), and why you need both<br> * Micro-location applications (see “Use cases” section below for more)<br> * A way for retail to compete with Amazon?<br> * Geofencing<br> * Ultra-microlocation (!)<br> * Light (vs. RF) becaons<br> <br> Links<br> <br> * <a href="http://www.mobiquityinc.com/">Mobiquity</a><br> * <a title="Estimote" href="http://estimote.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Estimote</a> — Stylish beacons priced at 3 for $99<br> * <a href="https://www.gimbal.com/">Qualcomm’s Gimbal beacons</a><br> <br> Use cases<br> While the use cases for this technology is pretty endless, here are just a few we touch on:<br> <br> * Airports<br> * Shopping malls<br> * Retail<br> <br> * Personalized shopping<br> * In-store contextual advertising<br> * Radically different checkout experience (“real-life one-click”)<br> <br> <br> * Augmented reality<br> * Casinos<br> * Museums and libraries<br> * Medicine (<a title="Proteus" href="http://www.proteus.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Proteus</a> are pills that notify a patch that you’ve digested the pill)<br> * Sports and games<br> * Theme parks<br> * Within a car (!)<br> <br> <br>
