First of all, what are iBeacons?

In a technical summary: iBeacons are tiny battery powered Bluetooth LE emitters that traditionally are attached to points of interest to serve as a location reference for another device. Now, for our left-brained designer kids: iBeacons are small rock-like doodads you can stick to other things around the world to trigger events to happen, say, on your smartphone.

Here in 2015, we carry around insanely sophisticated devices that connect us to the entire world in a few taps. As smart as these devices are, they can’t see and don’t know where they are. Yes, we have GPS so the phone knows where in the general area it’s located, but that functionality is almost nonexistent once you go indoors, where we spend the majority of our lives.

Remember playing Marco Polo in the pool with your friends as a kid? You’d close your eyes and wander around with your arms out, desperately exclaiming “Marco” and hoping everyone would respond “Polo.” You’d hear your friend’s voice nearby become louder and louder the closer you inched—until finally you’d lunge out and grab them. Turns out, this is exactly what is happening between your smartphone and iBeacons. Your mobile device has no idea where it is, but is listening carefully for pings coming from iBeacons around it. Once it hears a connection it’s familiar with, it knows where it is, what is nearby, and what it should do at that location.

You’ve probably seen the videos…some marketing company utilizing this special technology called “iBeacons.” There’s a guy in a wrinkly button-up shirt who looks to be sweating more than he should be. They go on and on about how this new technology will allow marketers to directly target customers in stores, and offer them “relevant” coupons that right as they walk into the store. They show a customer looking at a pair of shoes, and then—bing—the customer checks their phone. “OMG 40% off these totes cute pumps!” (Those are a type of shoe right?) She smiles, checks out, and walks out carrying a huge bag on her shoulder.

So why hasn’t this taken off? I believe the problem lies with current implementation of iBeacon technology: forcing information upon us; getting in the way of a user’s experience as opposed to becoming invisible and putting smiles on our faces.

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

Take, for example, our local World of Beer bar. I’m a member of their loyalty program and go there about every two weeks or so (and sometimes on “Work Remote Wednesdays,” but that’s between us). Every time I visit, I hand my phone to the bartender and she scans it, which connects my account to my bar tab. I’ve been a member there for about a year now, so they have a bunch of data on my habits and interests. If they look at that data, they can see what kind of beer I prefer, how much I usually drink, and when I usually stop by. Why, then, do I receive the same experience as everyone else? You wouldn’t expect Netflix to recommend horror films when you clearly love your rom-coms. Why does the physical world work differently?

Let’s look at what could have happened. I could have sat down at the table, and my phone would have picked up the bluetooth signal coming from one of the iBeacons around the room—or from the iPad menu that is already on the table. It, in turn, would send all my preferences to the waitress’s iPad or computer station, allowing her to tailor her recommendations for me. Upon leaving the iBeacon’s range, I’d be charged for my drinks, and the app could send me a receipt and “rate your experience” notification, Uber style.

Real-World Applications

One of my favorite aspects of iBeacon technology is my phone simply knowing where I am, what’s around me, and how I might interact with it. We have these amazing computers in our pockets, with hundreds of apps in them that all do different things. iBeacons have such incredible potential to solve first world problems and fill everday voids for automation.

A couple more examples:

Every morning I ride my bike into the office listening to my latest podcasts. What if my bike had an iBeacon attached to it? That podcast could be there waiting for me to push play right when I look at my phone.
How about assisting those who take medications throughout the day or week? Upon approaching one’s iBeacon-enabled medicine cabinet, a list can be displayed with the proper prescription. Forgot if you already took your medication? Your phone would remember.

This is where I see wearables like the smartwatch really taking hold, and the Internet of Things become even more of a reality. The key to the iBeacon’s success is having technology get out of our way, not having it scream for our attention like so many marketing companies are trying to do. Let the devices do all the talking to each other; I just want to enjoy my stout and cat videos and waste less time on the steps taken to do so.

More iBeacons, Please!

Spotlight: Katie Bartlett