The next Bluetooth release will be made available in “late 2016 to early 2017”, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has confirmed, following the unveiling of the Bluetooth 5 specification earlier this month... More
Beacons
Android Pay comes out on top in US survey
Android Pay tops the list of the most popular mobile payment services used by US consumers with 19% saying they have made an in-store payment via the service, research from Walker Sands reveals. More
BLE beacons to deliver 1.6bn coupons a year by 2020
Almost 1.6bn coupons will be delivered annually to consumers via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon technology by 2020, Juniper Research forecasts... More
BLE beacon market to double in 2016
The Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon market will more than double in 2016, remaining on track to break 400m shipments by 2021, ABI Research forecasts... More
Citibank customers in New York get ATM access via BLE beacons
Customers at Citibank’s smart banking branches in Manhattan, New York have been gaining cardless after-hours entry to ATM lobbies using their iPhone or Apple watch and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons installed by Gimbal... More
Proxama and Mapway launch BLE beacon service on London buses
PARTNER NEWS: Commuters on some 500 Transport for London (TfL) buses can now receive real-time travel updates and relevant location-based advertising using transport app developer Mapway’s Bus Times London app. More
US brewery installs BLE beacons on beer taps
Drinkers of Schlafly Beer in St Louis, Missouri can now receive information about drink specials, tasting notes, new beer releases and customised campaigns on their smartphone via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons attached to the craft brewery’s beer taps. More
Adobe prototype store uses RFID shopping bags
Shoppers at Adobe’s prototype “store of the future” in Las Vegas are being given RFID chip-enabled shopping bags that allow them to purchase items simply by putting the bags on a checkout counter... More
Lufthansa uses Bluetooth beacons to promote upgrades to passengers
German airline Lufthansa is using Bluetooth beacons installed across Munich Airport to push special offers to passengers and enable them to use their mobile phone to book and buy access to its business lounge as well as purchase upgrades from economy class to business class. More
Waitrose trials ‘scan as you shop’ mobile app
Customers at upmarket UK supermarket chain Waitrose are trialling a ‘scan as you shop’ mobile app in three branches that lets them scan product barcodes on their phones as they place goods in their basket... More
Proxama and Google bring the physical web to London buses
PARTNER NEWS: Commuters across London can now access real-time transport updates and contextually relevant advertising on their mobile phones through MyStop, a physical web service launched by mobile commerce provider Proxama with the support of Google and in partnership with out-of-home advertising provider Exterion Media. More
Swedish amusement park installs BLE beacons
Visitors to Liseberg amusement park in Sweden can now get information about its attractions on their smartphones via Bluetooth Low Energy beacons and a mobile app provided by CGI... More
Android users to get app-free beacon messages
Google has begun supporting the physical web in its Chrome browser for Android, enabling users to discover web content relevant to their surroundings via Eddystone Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons — without needing to download a specific app... More
Super Bowl fans explore Bay Area with BLE beacons
Attendees at Super Bowl 50 over the weekend were notified of related events, points of interest and prizes on their smartphones via a mobile app and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons installed in locations across the San Francisco Bay Area... More
Proxama joins the NFC World partner program
NFC World is pleased to welcome NFC and mobile payments pioneer Proxama as a member of its partner program... More
Bologna Airport to install Bluetooth beacons, NFC tags and QR codes
Travellers passing through Bologna Airport in Italy will soon be able to download the airport’s mobile app by tapping NFC tags or scanning QR codes with their mobile phone... More
Broadway theatres deploy BLE beacons
Theatregoers on New York’s Broadway can now get information about the show they are seeing and receive offers from local restaurants, bars and other venues via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons and the Playbill Passport app. The app has been developed by technology company Broadway Voice and Playbill magazine while the beacons have been supplied by Gimbal and are used in conjunction with Urban Airship’s mobile marketing platform... More
Rite Aid deploys 4,500 Bluetooth beacons
US pharmacy chain Rite Aid has deployed more than 4,500 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons across its US stores to send personalised messages to its customers... More
Estimote raises US$10.7m
Beacon manufacturer Estimote has raised US$10.7m in a Series A investment round led by Javelin Venture Partners... More
CES hosts BLE scavenger hunt
Attendees at this year’s CES show in Las Vegas had the chance to participate in a scavenger hunt that used Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons provided by Radius Networks... More