Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon manufacturer Estimote has added programmable NFC into its new range of Proximity Beacons to make it easier to identify and configure the devices and to enable a range of consumer experiences such as confirming payment, collecting loyalty points and clocking in. More
Bluetooth low energy (BLE)
Heineken uses BLE beacons to reward Kiwi consumers
New Zealanders are being rewarded with experiences such as flights, helicopter rides and VIP event access whenever they are close to Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons installed in 120 Heineken locations across the country via the beer maker’s Heineken Live mobile app. More
Bluetooth 5 set for release in late 2016
The next Bluetooth release will be made available in “late 2016 to early 2017”, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has confirmed, following the unveiling of the Bluetooth 5 specification earlier this month... More
More than 200 products are now Fido certified
More than 200 products from global technology leaders are now Fido certified, the Fido Alliance has revealed... More
Bluetooth 5 to increase capacity for advertising
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is working to finalise the next Bluetooth release which will add “significantly more capacity” for advertising transmissions, meaning that longer messages can be communicated through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, the organisation says... More
BLE beacons to deliver 1.6bn coupons a year by 2020
Almost 1.6bn coupons will be delivered annually to consumers via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon technology by 2020, Juniper Research forecasts... More
BLE beacon market to double in 2016
The Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon market will more than double in 2016, remaining on track to break 400m shipments by 2021, ABI Research forecasts... More
Citibank customers in New York get ATM access via BLE beacons
Customers at Citibank’s smart banking branches in Manhattan, New York have been gaining cardless after-hours entry to ATM lobbies using their iPhone or Apple watch and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons installed by Gimbal... More
Proxama and Mapway launch BLE beacon service on London buses
PARTNER NEWS: Commuters on some 500 Transport for London (TfL) buses can now receive real-time travel updates and relevant location-based advertising using transport app developer Mapway’s Bus Times London app. More
Corporate drivers to get mobile payments at the pump
Drivers of corporate fleet vehicles will soon be able to pay for fuel using a mobile payment service that identifies the site and pump using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons and authenticates the vehicle using NFC. More
Google Authenticator to get NFC and BLE?
The Google Authenticator app, which generates two-step verification codes as an additional layer of security when signing in, will soon add support for NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), an APK teardown reported by Android Police reveals... More
UK restaurants and bars roll out Z-Beacon technology
More than 1,000 restaurants, bars and pubs across the UK are deploying Z-Beacon, a new platform developed by QR code-based mobile payments provider Zapper... More
US brewery installs BLE beacons on beer taps
Drinkers of Schlafly Beer in St Louis, Missouri can now receive information about drink specials, tasting notes, new beer releases and customised campaigns on their smartphone via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons attached to the craft brewery’s beer taps. More
SK Telecom launches hands free mobile payments and rewards
More than 100,000 customers of SK Telecom in Korea have subscribed to T Pay, a hands free mobile payment and rewards service based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology that launched earlier this month. More
US students get mobile order and pay
Students at Missouri Valley College and Hannibal-LaGrange University can now order and pay for food and drink using their mobile devices... More
Waitrose trials ‘scan as you shop’ mobile app
Customers at upmarket UK supermarket chain Waitrose are trialling a ‘scan as you shop’ mobile app in three branches that lets them scan product barcodes on their phones as they place goods in their basket... More
Proxama and Google bring the physical web to London buses
PARTNER NEWS: Commuters across London can now access real-time transport updates and contextually relevant advertising on their mobile phones through MyStop, a physical web service launched by mobile commerce provider Proxama with the support of Google and in partnership with out-of-home advertising provider Exterion Media. More
Google pilots hands-free payments in San Francisco
Shoppers in San Francisco’s South Bay area are being invited to take part in a pilot test of Hands Free, a payment service developed by Google that uses a combination of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi and location services to let consumers make in-store payments without taking their mobile phone out of their pocket. More
Swiss P2P payments service moves in-store with QR codes
Shoppers in Switzerland can now make in-store mobile payments using Paymit, the P2P transfer service established by the country’s financial infrastructure operator SIX and telecommunications provider Swisscom... More
Swedish amusement park installs BLE beacons
Visitors to Liseberg amusement park in Sweden can now get information about its attractions on their smartphones via Bluetooth Low Energy beacons and a mobile app provided by CGI... More