iBeacons

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on iBeacons:

Today in Apple history: iPods take to the skies

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The first iPod went from pitch to shipped product in 7 months
Goodbye, in-flight magazines!
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

November 14: Today in Apple history: Apple partnerships land iPods in airplanes for use with in-flight entertainment systems November 14, 2006: Apple teams up with a slew of airlines to offer the “first seamless integration” between iPods and in-flight entertainment systems.

A special dock will let iPod owners use the devices to play music and videos on planes’ seat-back displays. The plan promises to rid the world of old-fashioned in-flight movies and airline magazines.

iBeacon use slows to ‘a trickle’

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iBeacons were introduced as part of iOS 7.
Photo: Apple

iBeacons haven’t exactly caught on as Apple hoped, and neither have the similar smartphone-communicating beacons launched by other companies like Google.

But why has beacon adoption slowed to “a trickle?” A new report lays out several possible explanations.

Apple will use drones to make Maps better

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Drones could be key to improving Apple Maps.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple plans to use a combination of drones, indoor mapping and other smart tech to improve its Apple Maps service, claims a new report.

Employing drones could help Apple catch up with industry leader Google. The search giant has routinely outpaced Apple on mapping technology ever since Cupertino entered the space with its (initially disastrous) Apple Maps in 2012.

Coachella 2016 will rock Apple Pay and iBeacon support

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Apple will make Coachella a more enjoyable experience for attendees.
Photo: Square

Apple is all about music these days, which is why it makes perfect sense that the company would be keen to target the hip, young, presumably disposable-incomed revelers at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Thanks to Square, Coachella’s official point-of-sale provider, attendees will be able to use Apple Pay to buy food, drinks and other assorted merchandise, while the festival is also building iBeacon support into its official app.

iOS 8 privacy changes bring big layoffs to retail tracking startup

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iOS 8 is cruising through the final stages of development ahead of its fall release, and while most users can’t wait for its arrival, one NY-based startup already had to cut a third of its staff, after privacy changes in iOS 8 have threatened to already make its retail tracking technology obsolete.

Nomi, a startup that creates solutions for retail stores to track shoppers and their spending habits, has laid off 20 of its 60 or so employees, thanks in part to some small changes in iOS 8 that make make it impossible to identify repeat visits from shoppers with an iPhone.

iPhone 6 replaces your wallet and we’re charmed by William Shatner on The CultCast

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This week: Yosemite beta is not for the faint of heart; William Shatner is the coolest grandpa ever; to take on Apple, Microsoft doubles down on design; Apple inches closer to a digital wallet; why the Apple on your iPhone 6 could glow; iBeacons are a marketer’s best friend; and then… if you could ride any animal into battle, what would it be? We’ll answer that question and more on an all-new Get To Know Your Cultist.

Quietly chuckle your way through each week’s best Apple stories! Stream or download new and past episodes of The CultCast now on your Mac or iDevice by subscribing on iTunes, or hit play below and let the chuckles begin.

Our thanks to Lynda.com for sponsoring this episode! Learn virtually any application at your own pace from expert-taught video tutorials at Lynda.com.


Click on for the show notes.

Total iBeacon shipments will blow past 60 million units by 2019

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Apple’s iBeacon tech has been a boon for retail stores looking to advertise deals to customers on a per-location basis, but according to the a new report, retail is only smallest market iBeacons have tapped into.

In five years a swarm of 60 million iBeacons and other Bluetooth LE beacons will have invaded the US market, says a report from ABI Research, all thanks to new applications in everything from enterprise, hospital management, smart homes and personal device tracking:

MLB Shows How iBeacons Will Change The Ballgame Experience

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While the new colors, flatness, and gradients of iOS 7 have received most of the attention from consumers, businesses are excited about the potential of the new iBeacons feature, and how it will change the way consumers interact with businesses.

The MLB put the technology on full display yesterday at Citi Field – the place where the Mets play- for a full demonstration of a prototype iBeacon technology. Working closely with Apple since February, the MLB’s developers have re-engineering a beta version of At The Ballpark at that can push coupons, ticket information, promotional offers, stadium information and much more based on where an individual is located at the ballpark.