I B E A C O N SW H A T A R E T H E Y ? H O W A R E T H E Y U S E D ? A N D A R E T H E Y I N N O V A T I V E O R J U S T C R E E P Y ?

W H A T I S A N I B E A C O N ?

“iBeacon is a new technology that extends location services in iOS…”

“…Your iOS device can alert apps when you approach or leave a location with an

iBeacon…”

“…In addition to monitoring location, an app can estimate your proximity to an iBeacon…”

“…iBeacon uses a Bluetooth low energy signal, which iOS

devices detect.” - Apple Support

S O W H E R E A N D H O W A R E I B E A C O N S B E I N G U S E D ?

They are being used in sports stadiums to push seat upgrades for people in ‘nosebleed’

sections. Current examples include:

Oracle arena (Oakland, California)

MLB stadiums

The SuperBowl

As well, they are used in retail for such things as

Upgrade eligibility

Gift guides

Help and support

Special discounts

They can be put in

sunglasses to

notify you if you left

them behind

Finally, Virgin Atlantic may incorporate iBeacon technology in Heathrow airport to alert customers

of special offers and areas of interest

A R E I B E A C O N S F O R B E T T E R …

… O R F O R W O R S E ?

There is a major convenience factor. In fact, there is already an app in place that, with the purchase and installation of iBeacons, will automate your home

In the living room?Your Apple TV app

opens

In the kitchen?Your timer app opens on your smartphone

Standing next to your closet?

The weather app opens so you can pick your best

outfit

There is potential for organizations to use iBeacons to “provide enormous insight into time, motion,

logistics, and areas to improve efficiency” - CITEWorld

However, there are many third-party app privacy problems

Privacy policies often difficult to understand

Apps frequently take enough info to personally identify you

up by iBeacons - is going and what it is being used for

In essence, it is difficult to know where your data - picked

We have a “wariness about technologies that capture and share data” - Nicola Clark

This wariness comes from our trust in data

sharing being abused in the past.

Who is to say this trust will not be abused

again?

There is currently a lot of ambiguity surrounding the consumer’s attitude towards iBeacons.

One survey states that:

71%of mobile app users say they don’t like the idea of being

tracked into a store via smartphones

http://appdevelopermagazine.com/1458/2014/5/19/71%25-of-App-Users-Don%25E2%2580%2599t-Want-to-be-Tracked-by-iBeacon-or-Receive-In-Store-Push-Modifications--/

While another says:

77%of US consumers would be OK with sharing location data in

exchange for something of value

http://www.citeworld.com/article/2155742/big-data-analytics/ibeacons-enterprise-consumer.html

Both surveys are using leading questions in order to achieve stats that back up their view of either “creepy and Big Brother” or “revolutionary and

innovative”

In reality, the only conclusion that can be

drawn from iBeacons right now is that they are a

technological development that have amazing amounts

of potential

Whether that potential goes in a positive or negative direction for society is up to

the iBeacon providers

R E F E R E N C E SIn order of appearance

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6048 !http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/03/21/apples-ibeacon-used-to-push-seat-upgrades-in-nosebleeds-at-sporting-events !http://bgr.com/2014/04/30/ibeacon-sunglasses-tzukuri-use-bluetooth-low-energy/ http://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/01/virgin-atlantic-ibeacons-london-heathrow-airport/ !http://bgr.com/2014/03/21/ios-7-apps-for-ibeacons-use-at-home/ !http://www.citeworld.com/article/2155742/big-data-analytics/ibeacons-enterprise-consumer.html !http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/01/ibeacon_shopkick_privacy_policies_for_location_tracking_apps_aren_t_clear.html !http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/18/business/airlines-use-digital-technology-to-get-even-more-personal.html?_r=0 !http://appdevelopermagazine.com/1458/2014/5/19/71%25-of-App-Users-Don%25E2%2580%2599t-Want-to-be-Tracked-by-iBeacon-or-Receive-In-Store-Push-Modifications--/

I M A G E R E F E R E N C E SIn order of appearancecommons.wikimedia.org !https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattbuchanan/4098238845/in/photolist-7f9xCr-acJFi3-GEMtY-55YHrF-eeFuW-XT8Ls-27YN1-zWEzK-563VfA-8H7UG3-82jLCk-563Trw-55YE9r-4cN2m1-gZzEUR-suLcJ-7fdp3o-acJFmw-acJFPN-563LRA-mR5dLe-8MsD8e-7f9wb6-8qdTv9-g57exi-8M1wqN-6r9bJ-9LQzpd-4kcRvg-cibAkw-51oxVn-MzwhF-2MwGep-aadZgM-asxWkL-b5i7Q-ehzfJ-5Tk9eo-d2EZTJ-rzUgD-8xuwUD-fKYGGN-22NfW8-g27h6o-MzoqN-8T6T3k-acFR8P-2XC6BA-etzFgo-8CUvT3 !https://www.flickr.com/photos/jnxyz/13570722875/in/photolist-jh4VqC-i8sNUr-kZBpkM-mFdfkZ-mFeuAG-mFf7vN-nvbSKG-nwYSE9-nfKb2c-mFeQRS-mFcWH6-mFdd6R-mFd3H2-mFdjxB-mFeVab-mFd226-mFeTXb-mFdgDa-mFeS65-mFcRo6-mFcybT-mFerd9-mFep6J-mFcv7B-mFcMbD-mFenfQ-mFf9vj-mFf8ZQ-mFf8vJ-mFdeb6-mFdtU2-mFdt3c-mFd7Pt-mFd5ji-mFd4QH-mFcZFF-mFeNdW-mFdbBr-mFcSNk-mFet7j-mFcPSk-mFcwMv-mFepFS-mFdtv6-mFdoKz-mFeWWh-mFcQmD-mFd43t-mFeDbN-mFcKic !https://www.flickr.com/photos/jnxyz/13570868303/in/photolist-mFdfkZ-mFeuAG-kZBpkM-nwYA6N-mFeQRS-nvbSKG-mFd3H2-mFdjxB-mFeVab-mFd226-mFdgDa-mFeS65-mFcRo6-mFerd9-mFep6J-mFcv7B-mFdtU2-mFdt3c-mFd7Pt-mFd5ji-mFd4QH-mFcZFF-mFcSNk-mFet7j-mFcPSk-mFcwMv-mFepFS-mFdtv6-mFdoKz-mFeWWh-mFcQmD-mFd43t-mFeDbN-mFcKic-mFeCaQ-mFeyU1-mFeyq5-mFcChi-mFcBDp-mFcTjF-mFcVyH-mFcTct-mFexr1-mFcDrx-mFcVCt-mFf3Uu-mFeGXW-mFcPbn-mFd68k-mFeFjf !https://www.flickr.com/photos/guilherme-pg/8695043156/in/photolist-efmnpb-e8zF9j-6MMwve-58EL3N-4EWMTA-6aAN1a-dDd8ZN-8UsgWF-7vEqFs-ayRZei-dDd9FA-dD7LGH-dD7Lv6-6aF5SE-6aF4Tf-dDdac3-dDd9Vw-6aAU5Z-6aEJJm-6aF2Ky-6aARjt-6aEJb9-6aACtK-6aAELV-6aAD6M-6aF3Kd-6aF2gE-6aACMe-6aALur-6aAH5B-6aF3sA-6aADsK-gx8KeE-6aERsu-6aETBW-4nmBsH-6aAGfF-6aAzV8-6aF3gf-6aAS4r-6aEZzu-6aAEui-6VcTsJ-6VcT27-6VcTef-6VcS4q-6VcSTq-6aAKbR-5jss4m-6aEX3E/ !https://www.flickr.com/photos/smcgee/261054090/in/photolist-p4YhA-9xx1GM-hWr4ga-cuRPAW-49km7A-9xA6iL-u1hpY-26NtzP-bwBHF-49hfR7-6SbDj-CAWd4-nehSwj-49dd58-f3eeMW-2wUKa-5np7Go-fSSESR-49gi14-4cAhh2-49hMLb-dvvR4F-inSrpv-5HB2x1-49hNiu-Pr7tw-iwSKoy-49hN5A-5nK9kJ-7fzMeK-dD82mF-4aVnQt-29bSpD-fiKdK1-hy1usf-7XDBm8-5LuHnB-fSMkyD-f3efUf-4tFiJ2-fn9ddM-5nK9BS-fSSuTe-7ZrD9G-7iNeNn-7j1HRp-7Z5j3x-i3FpLs-i3FYCX-i3Fpfh

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