In what appears to be yet another lawsuit lodged by a non-practicing entity, Apple on Tuesday was hit with a complaint claiming its iBeacon technology infringes on multiple patents owned by a Texas company.
Major sports leagues have to rely on technologies to make fans engage more with the games, as well as to offer more revenue-generating opportunities, the commissioners of the NBA and NFL have advised at the Sun Valley conference, with iPhones used by fans in stadiums a possible trove of data for managing sales and the overall visitor experience.
Asian-themed restaurant chain Pei Wei announced the launch of Apple Pay support on Wednesday, as big-box retailer Target simultaneously began testing Bluetooth beacons at 50 of its locations.
This year's SXSW festival in Austin, Tex., will feature more than a thousand iBeacon transmitters onsite, allowing attendees to receive timely, location-specific messages and the ability to connect with others.
Google's early-stage "Physical Web" project — an attempt to displace Apple's iBeacons with a similar, open-source framework — is beginning to take shape, as Turkish hardware firm Blesh is now offering the first Physical Web-compatible Bluetooth beacon hardware.
Promoting products to iPhone users using Apple's wireless location-based iBeacon technology is a fine line, as professional sports teams try to provide helpful information to fans to sell more goods without pestering and annoying them.
Businesses continue to embrace consumers wielding Apple's mobile devices, as department store chain Lord & Taylor and German restaurant group Mook have announced new iBeacon-based customer outreach plans, while hoteliers Hilton will allow guests to check in and unlock their rooms with their smartphones.
A new Apple device revealed earlier this week in certification documents filed with the FCC appears to be the first in a new line of iBeacon-specific hardware, but the mysterious product's model number suggests that it may instead be an extension of one of Apple's existing products.
An FCC filing discovered on Saturday reveals in-depth details on Apple's first dedicated iBeacon-compatible beacon hardware, suggesting the company may soon introduce the micro-location technology to consumer spaces like so-called "smart homes."
Consumers in the Big Apple will soon find their pharmacy visits more convenient as popular chain Duane Reade announced plans to bring iBeacon-powered microlocation functionality — such as coupons or product reviews — to 10 Manhattan outlets in a new pilot program.
Travelers on their way to and from Virgin Atlantic flights in London Heathrow airport are set to receive a new, more personalized experience, as the airline is piloting an iBeacon-powered program designed to ease passage and save time and money.
Companies continue to find new and interesting ways of implementing Apple's iBeacon technology, with one New York City event planning to direct participants on a Lower Manhattan "pub crawl" via location-based notifications sent to their iPhones.
Developers looking for a faster way to prototype iBeacon-enabled apps or everyday users who want to experiment with the microlocation technology can now look to Beacondo, a startup working to make iBeacon integration simpler with a new drag-and-drop system.
Silicon firm Texas Instruments on Wednesday announced plans to support Apple's iBeacon microlocation technology across a large swath of TI's Bluetooth product line, including chips for embedded and automotive applications.
According to an app update for the upcoming Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the gathering will have on-site iBeacons that push notifications and other information to users as they walk the grounds at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. this weekend next.
Museum visits may become far more immersive in the future thanks to Dutch microlocation startup LabWerk's new mApp platform, a deployment and management system that allows museums to quickly and easily roll out iBeacon-based interactive exhibits.
Visitors to New York's New Museum of Contemporary Art on Friday will be able to get some idea of what it is like to walk through a minefield thanks to a new iBeacon-powered installation sponsored by the United Nations Mine Action Service.
Some U.S. sports arenas have begun pushing ticket upgrades to fans in the cheap seats through Apple's iBeacon technology for iPhone, offering users the ability to upgrade their seats quickly and easily.
Along with the addition of headline features like CarPlay, Apple's latest iOS 7.1 update brought a welcome speed boost for the four-year-old iPhone 4, as well as new iBeacon handling that allows apps to search for signals even when closed.
In a push for wider iBeacon adoption, Apple on Tuesday released specification requirements under the "Made for iPhone" program for third-party manufacturers looking to build products incorporating the Bluetooth LE-based technology.
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Mikey Campbell
Malcolm Owen
Roger Fingas
Katie Marsal
AppleInsider Staff
Neil Hughes
Sam Oliver
