Soon you’ll be able to stick iBeacons on anything

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Estimote makes iBeacons in little polygon shapes with cool colors and custom designs. Designed to communicate over low-energy Bluetooth, Estimote Beacons can be used to alert nearby smartphones of a specific deal when they enter a shop, for example.

But what if different items for sale in that shop had their own iBeacons? That’s the vision behind what Estimote is calling Stickers, small adhesive sensors that can be put just about anywhere. As more and more companies adopt iBeacon technology, expect to start seeing these kinds of little beacons everywhere you go.

Equipped with an accelerometer, temperature sensor, ARM processor, and Bluetooth Smart controller, Estimote’s new sticker is designed to be placed on everything from a shoe to dog leash. While traditional iBeacons stay in one place to monitor devices that come and go around them, these stickers provide context to everyday objects as they’re used.

For instance, pick up the latest bestseller in your local bookstore and your phone will automatically display reviews. Try on a jacket in-store and watch the shelf display update with available style options and which purse matches best. Or even tag a sticker to a bottle of chardonnay in your fridge to be notified when it’s cooled to exactly the right temperature.

Watch the video for a good explanation of how Stickers work practically:

Estimote is selling packs of 10 stickers to developers for $99 on its website. Companies like Cisco and museums are testing them out.

Once developers get a chance to play around with the new technology and start incorporating it into mobile apps, consumers should be able to get their hands on Estimote’s new beacons later this fall.

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