Tag: BLE

The Movie Unlocker

Paying for movies via credit cards are a thing of the past. Grolsch Beer from Netherlands has developed a first of its kind ‘Movie Unlocker’ technology that their consumers can use to pay for watching movies online.

Their beer bottles now come fitted with special custom made Bluetooth beacons that transmit a unique code to the movie partner website when the bottle is brought close to a laptop or smartphone that has BLE (low-energy Bluetooth) enabled. The unique code helps verify the user and gives them access to the chosen movie. 😎

Hello Fuffr

Touchscreens have revolutionized our everyday lives. But there is still a continual conflict among device designers about what customers really want. Some believe in small screen sizes like that of the iPhone, while others prefer larger screened devices like that of the Samsung Galaxy S5. So a bunch of engineers from Stockholm decided to get together and bridge the gap between all the different screen sizes.

Fuffr is an iPhone case that greatly expands the users phone workspace and helps interact with it in new ways. The case has its own motion sensors which help it interact with the phones Bluetooth LE. Here is a short demonstration video highlighting the usefulness of the case… 😎

Macy’s first to use iBeacon

Apple is currently working to bring their iBeacon technology to retail stores around the world. But on November 20th, Shopkick deployed the first iBeacon system at Macy’s to beat Apple to the punch.

The technology, which is new to iOS 7, uses Bluetooth Low Energy signaling to enable micro-location services and is expected to be a huge hit with retailers. The technology allows stores to deliver targeted information (location-specific deals, discounts, recommendations, rewards etc) to further enhance the retail shopping experience of their customers. 😎

At Macy’s the technology is being called shopBeacon and is currently live in a closed beta trial at Macy’s Herald Square in New York and Union Square in San Francisco.

The Adaptive Storefront

Shop windows, billboards, bus stops, car showrooms…don’t have to be passive experiences. In the below video, a prototype interactive digital display is seen adapting to whoever stands in front of it. 😎

The display is able to identify shoppers using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and instantly reacts to a set of personal data stored on the shoppers mobile device, such as shopping habits and preferences. Shoppers can also swipe through the personalised content, place items in a virtual shopping cart, and purchase straight from the display.