This document discusses iBeacons and Estimote beacons. It begins with an overview of what iBeacons are and their characteristics, such as using Bluetooth to detect proximity to transmit location-based notifications. It then covers Estimote beacons specifically, which are small Bluetooth devices that can be detected by smartphones to provide location-based services. Potential uses of beacons are discussed, along with alternatives to Estimote beacons and how to begin developing beacon applications using Estimote's software development kit.

1. Estimote
Beacons
World most popular
iBeacon implementation
Mateusz Klimczak

2. Agenda
› iBeacons
› Bluetooth Low Energy
› Estimote Beacons
› Potential uses
› Potential problems
› Alternatives to Estimote
› Development – get started

3. What is iBeacon?
› Apple Trademark for an indoor
positioning system
› Extends Location Services in iOS
› Your device alert apps when you approach
or leave a location with an iBeacon
› Designed for building location/context-
aware applications

4. What iBeacon is not?
› iBeacon is not a device nor is it a software
application
› iBeacon is nothing more than a set of
services (APIs) that operate between
operating system (OS) and apps

5. iBeacons characteristics
› Almost all of the logic for iBeacon is done
by the supporting application on the
device
› The only role of the iBeacon is to advertise
to the phones of its own existence at the
physical location
› iBeacon do not actively push out
notifications nor track nearby users - the
application on the phone must handle
that logic

6. iBeacon compability
› Compatible with Bluetooth Low Energy
(BLE) devices:
› iOS7: iPhone 4S+, iPad 3+, iPad Mini 1+,
iPod Touch 5+
› Android 4.3+
› Mac computers with OS X Mavericks (10.9)

7. iOS 7.1 boost
› The biggest improvement is the ability of
the operating system to detect iBeacons
even when an iBeacon-compatible app is
shut down
› Earlier it was possible only when
application was working in background
› The functionality persist even when the
device is rebooted

8. Bluethooth low energy
› Bluetooth 4.0 – nothing like his older brother
› Compared to „Classic” Bluetooth, BLE is
intended to provide considerably reduced
power consumption while maintaining a
similar communication range
› Originally introduced under the name
Wibree by Nokia in 2006. It was merge into
the main Bluetooth standard in 2010
› AKA Bluetooth Smart

9. iBeacon (BLE) vs NFC
iBeacon (BLE) NFC
Range Up to 100 m (Estimote
handles up to 70 m)
Up to 20 cm (optimal
range is < 4cm)
Price $5 - $35 per beacon $0.10 - $0.60 per tag
Passive mode No Yes
Apple support Yes No

10. iBeacon (BLE) vs NFC

11. iBeacon (BLE) vs NFC
› While BLE and NFC are both wireless
communication technologies, each is
designed to serve different need and
functions
› But since Apple is not supporting NFC
(and probably will never do) iBeacons
may be the only way to implement
mobile payments…

12. Estimote Beacon
› Small, wireless device which broadcast
tiny radio signals to smart devices
› Smartphones that are in range are able to
'hear' these signals and estimate their
location, as well as to communicate with
the beacon
› Developed by Polish startup from Cracow
› More than 20k developers worldwide

13. Estimote construction
› Built-in:
› 2.4 GHz Bluetooth Low Energy radio
› Thermometer
› Accelerometer
› Sticky back side (Gecko)
› Silicon cover
› Lithium battery

14. Potential uses
› Micromarketing
› Payments
› Sport
› Transport
› Loyalty programs
› Virtual guides
› And many others – it is limited only by our
imagination

15. Potential uses by Estimote

16. Another potential use

17. Everytap
› Loyalty program invented by PituPitu
› Earn points for buying products in
restaurants, clubs, pubs, etc.
› Spend these points to get free ones!
› All you need to do after transaction ist o put
your phone next to barman's Estimote
Beacon (NFC like)

18. Potential problems
› Risk of spamming users
› Security threads (more about it later)
› Bluetooth must be turned on
› Mobile app required
› Distance estimation is poor
› From iOS7.1 occurs a problem - sometimes
iBeacons just stop being visible until we
restart the device – so we are very
platform dependent

19. Security problems
› Unprotected read/write!
› Everything that our Beacon broadcast
can be read by anyone and anyone can
write to our Beacon!
› This makes it barely usable in production
› Estimote announced that they will
implement security measures in the
beginning of January… few weeks ago
they released SDK 2.0 and there is still
nothing

20. Alternatives
› Kontakt.io
› Also from Cracow
› Boni
› Roximity iBeacon
› And many more
› Various development states

21. Why is Estimote most popular?
› Contacts
› One of first companies to produce
beacons
› Attractive appearance, marketing, etc.

22. Developer kit
› 99$ for 3 beacons

23. Development – configuration
1. Get SDK – using CocoaPods!
› Dependency manager for objective-c
› How to use:
https://github.com/CocoaPods/CocoaPods
› Searching for Pods:
http://cocoapods.org/

24. Development – configuration
2. Add required frameworks to your project
› CoreBluetooth.framework
› CoreLocation.framework
› SystemConfiguration.framework

25. Development – configuration
3. Add Background Modes in your project
Capabilities:
› Uses Bluetooth LE accessories
› Acts as a Bluetooth LE accessory
› Background fetch
› Remote notifications

26. Development – lets code!
› Implement ESTBeaconManagerDelegate
› Add ESTBeaconManager
› Add ESTBeaconRegion

27. Development – lets code!
› Initialize beacon manager
› Initialize beacon region
› Start ranging beacons in region

28. Development – lets code!
› Implement beaconManager
didRangeBeacons inRegion method
› Handle your beacons!

29. Development – lets code!
› Do not forget to stop looking for beacons
when you no longer need them

30. The end
› Thank you for your attention!
› Any questions?