Apple will be discussing its plans for its iBeacon technology at WWDC 2014

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.