iBeacon, Eddystone, Bluetooth, IoT sensor beacons, apps, platforms
GroupMe is Microsoft’s free messaging application that works across HoloLens, PC and mobile devices. GroupMe is published by the Skype part of Microsoft.
We recently learnt that it’s possible to use iBeacon to add members.
This is another example of an application adding iBeacon support as a side feature as opposed to using iBeacon to drive the main purpose of the application. Applications can gain ease of use by using iBeacons for locating.
We sometimes get asked if we have a replacement for Estimote beacons. There’s no exact replacement because Estimote manufacture their own custom product and only allow their own beacons on their platform.
However, if your app doesn’t use the Estimote SDK and just detects iBeacon advertising using the standard iOS and Android Bluetooth libraries then you can use any iBeacon. Also see our post regarding compatibility.
We recently came across a library ‘iBeacon scanner android’ for Android that allows you to scan for iBeacon and receive notifications when one or more specific beacons enter or exist range. The source code is on GitHub.
S Sindhumol of Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, India presents recent research into Implementation and Analysis of a Smart Team Management System using iOS Devices as iBeacon (pdf).
The key thing about this research is that it uses iOS rather than a beacon to advertise iBeacon. The system allows the entire team to determine the location of other members, perform location based tasks, receive announcements and communicate via instant chat.
The paper contains some useful analysis of accuracy of distance measurement on distance, interference, measured power and obstructions:
On iOS it’s only possible to advertise iBeacon if the app is in foreground:
The major limitation of the proposed app is battery drainage while keeping the app active all the time in the foreground
A more practical system would have been implemented by having the users carry a separate wearable beacon. This would have allowed presence to be detected when the app isn’t in foreground and there wouldn’t have been a problem with excessive iOS battery use.
WiFi access points are increasingly supporting the broadcast of Bluetooth beacon signals. The main usecase is to allow for smartphone apps to detect the Bluetooth advertising and provide for location based information and navigation.
We recently learnt that Mist access points support the advertising of iBeacon and Eddystone:
There are also some interesting uses in retail that automatically provision smartphone WiFi access settings based on the detected presence of a beacon.
Automators has a new podcast on using iBeacons. They also have a list of useful links including a post from our blog.
The recent Apple WWDC 19 announced SwiftUI, a new way to create user interfaces.
Paul Hudson of HackingWithSwift fame, has already created a new video showing Build an iBeacon detector with object binding and custom modifiers.
There’s new research on a An Intelligent Low-Power Displaying System with Integrated Emergency Alerting Capability. The authors have implemented a wireless ePaper system showing static and dynamic information together with indoor locating based on Bluetooth beacons .
Unfortunately, the locating system is based on an empty room and the technique would be liable to fluctuations in the physical environment.
Read about Using Beacons, iBeacons for Real-time Locating Systems (RTLS)
The UK Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) held a competition to find ideas to reduce the threat of terrorists in public spaces. KSharp created CriB, Crowd Resilience through iBeacons, a system using iBeacons to allow people to report terrorist threats and receive security alerts through an app. This allows venues such as city centres, shopping centres and sports stadiums to improve safety and security. A video has recently become available:
Jamf School is a device management solution for education. It allows you to track devices and see their status. It uses iBeacon to allow subject learning material to be unlocked when students enter specific areas.
The Jamf web site has some useful content on using iBeacons in education:
Invisible Candles: Exploring IT Applications of iBeacons with Your JSS
Paul Cowan—IT Manager at the University of Waikato explains iBeacons, how they have evolved, how museums are using iBeacons to share information with visitors and how the Casper Suite can be used trigger events and gather proximity data.
iBeacons in Education
Video webinar on proximity-based technology and how it can be used to distribute and manage technologies in education environments. Covers privacy considerations, casper suite and jamf.
See the Light (and benefits) of iBeacon
Video on how Apple’s iBeacon technology works and when you would want to use it.
The benefits of iBeacons for education
Article on using iBeacons for device management and unlocking learning materials.
Jamf also has many more blog posts on using iBeacons in Education.