iBeacon Update

 Updates

November 21, 2013: Macy's already adapting iBeacon, along with Apple stores, of course. Folks will visit Macy's just to see how it works. Meanwhile, state governments (Oregon) and the federal government cannot even get a simple website up and working.

Original Post

Back on September 17, 2013, I wrote:

This is huge: an Apple story over at SeekingAlpha.  I'll jump right into it. Near field communication has limited range: 20 cm but the practical range is an incredibly lousy 4 cm. Watch how close folks have to hold their Androids to a sensor next time for NFC to work. Apple is ignoring NFC. Why? They have incorporated iBeacon, which does the same thing, only better and more, and has a range of ... 50 meters. That's a bit farther than half the length of a football field. It was interesting that although Apple is already incorporating the technology, it did not mention this technology at their two most recent public presentations. But iBeacon sounds just like Steve Jobs. If someone came to Jobs and said NFC had an effective range of 4 cm he would jump up, yell, and say, "you've got to be kidding. I want an effective range of at least the length of a soccer field." This is a huge story. I don't invest in AAPL, never have, never will. I am just impressed with their technology. One company consistently beats all the rest, with very, very rare missteps.

Today, it is being reported that Apple retail will incorporate iBeacon into their stores. This will be fun to watch. Coincides with Apple's new senior vice-president in charge of retail stores. I was just over at our neighborhood Apple store this weekend; one had to have a walk-in reservation to buy "anything." They were that busy. Folks met you at the door and logged you into an appointment time on an iPad or iPad mini. The mini-retinas were still not available in the store; apparently on-line/in-store pick-up was working fine. I am currently padless, having sold my version 1 iPad back to Target for $200. With wi-fi everywhere, I don't miss the iPad. Yet.