Apple’s iBeacon technology was revealed in WWDC 2013 and according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, it seems that Apple has more details about the technology that they are planning on sharing at WWDC 2014. They also state that Apple will be placing iBeacon transmitters across the Moscone Center that will help teach developers on how to better implement the technology in their apps and services. Unfortunately apart from that, not much else is known about what Apple has planned for the technology. It is assumed that the upcoming announcement could be about Apple unveiling possible partnerships with companies that would use their technology.
Apple Inc’s latest product to carry the “i” prefix—following the iPhone and iPad—promises to do for indoor spaces what GPS did for the outdoors. Apple’s iBeacon allows apps to locate a user within a few inches, so that a phone can direct a driver to the nearest open spot in a parking garage or the shortest hot-dog line in a crowded stadium. It allows restaurant diners to pay the check and leave without a waiter’s assistance or museum-goers to learn about exhibits by walking past. Soon, it might make shopping-mall maps unnecessary. EBay Inc ‘s PayPal and others are experimenting with similar technology. But Apple’s support could propel the concept into the mainstream. Hundreds of millions of iPhones can detect iBeacon signals, and Apple is encouraging developers of more than one million apps in its App Store to use the technology. et the technology is still in its infancy and might not take hold broadly for many years, or it could be supplanted by other innovations. Further, privacy concerns might give retailers pause about adopting beacons.
