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Estimote introduces iBeacon power management tools for extending battery life

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Estimote iBeacon beacon screen grab

Estimote, the company behind the iBeacons I tested in my Launch Center Pro 2.3 coverage and used by easyJet in select European airports, is introducing a round of improvements to its beacon product line and corresponding software today. The primary focus of the improvements deals with power management and how Estimote’s iBeacons consume battery. In short, Estimote’s iBeacons are getting smarter about how they connect and stay powered by adding two beacon power modes including Basic and Smart…


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European airline easyJet rolling out iBeacon support to select airports

Since Apple introduced iBeacon functionality alongside iOS 7, several different use cases have popped up allowing various retailers, sporting venues, and others to interact with visitors’ devices using the technology. Deploying iBeacon support enables iPhone users to receive relevant information through apps based on very specific location without taking a major hit to the device battery.
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GE integrates iBeacons in new LED lighting fixtures rolling out in Walmart & other retailers

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GE-iBeacon-LED-Lighting-Fixture

Up until now most retailers have been deploying Apple’s iBeacon technology by purchasing small standalone Bluetooth beacons or using iPad terminals that act as beacons. Now, GE is introducing its next-generation LED light fixture that packs in a combo Bluetooth LE/Visual Light Communication chip for iBeacon functionality allowing retailers to cut costs and avoid purchasing standalone beacons from a company like Estimote. It’s already got one massive customer about to roll out the iBeacon lighting fixtures: Walmart announced back in April (before iBeacon support was announced) that it plans to roll out these same new GE lighting fixtures to stores worldwide as part of its switch to LED.
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Bubble app lets you discover real world items linked to the web w/ iBeacons

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtQSJx2nI9I]

Bubble, a new app launching this week, is about to make it super easy for anyone to link real world items to websites using Apple’s new iBeacon Bluetooth LE technology. Up until now retailers, event planners, and more have been using iBeacons in order to send relevant notifications to users in proximity, but that required users to actually have that specific retailer’s app installed. Bubble, on the other hand, acts as an iBeacon browser of sorts allowing users to discover web content as they come in contact with real world items. 
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Virgin Atlantic reportedly planning to implement Passbook-powered iBeacons in London Heathrow Airport

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUIqfjpInxY]

A promotional video created by Estimote

Re/code reports that Virgin Atlantic is planning to implement iBeacons throughout Heathrow airport to help travelers quickly find different points of interest inside the airport. Users would be able to easily navigate the facility using a combination of Apple’s native Passbook application and Bluetooth beacons supplied by a company called Estimote.

According to the report, users will be able to find services like currency exchanges using the technology, which was announced as part of the iOS 7 update released for the iPhone last year. Apple currently uses iBeacon technology in many of its own retail stores to provide a customized shopping experience.

Virgin Atlantic has not yet confirmed this report, but the company does have a record of looking for ways to implement new technology into its services, such as a previous test run of Google Glass.