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The<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/strong-iphone-and-ipad-demand-led-apple-to-double-its-market-share-in-india-this-year-tim-cook/articleshow/87355403.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink"> Apple iPad</a> helped save a man and his daughter from freezing to death after their plane crashed. Rescuers were able to locate the father-daughter duo and find them on time with the help of a signal from the <keyword id="101239" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ipad" source="Orion">iPad</keyword> the daughter had, according to a <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/16/us/ipad-saves-dad-daughter-plane-crash-trnd/index.html">report</a> by CNN. The incident took place in Pennsylvania on Sunday this week when the 58-year-old father who is a pilot and his 13-year-old daughter took off from the two-seater plane. But shortly after their departure, the plane went missing on the radar, the report added. Then a five-hour search was conducted with the United States Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. With the coordinates of the last known location of the plane, the rescue teams and around 30 volunteers conducted grid searches within that area but it was cut short. The rescue team after identifying the pilot contacted his wife and also got his phone number. Once they got his phone number, the rescue team pinged the cell phone and found that the daughter had an iPad with her. They then pinged signals to the iPad, got its coordinates and searched the area. For those unaware, pinging a phone or tablet is the process of finding out the device’s location using its GPS data. The plane along with the father and daughter were finally found in a heavily wooded area about 7 miles southeast of Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport from where the plane had taken off. The duo was found in a pre-hypothermic state and with minor injuries for which they were taken to a hospital, and the crash went under investigation. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/here-are-all-the-android-12-bugs-and-issues-being-faced-by-users/articleshow/87733326.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Android 12 users report app crashes, battery drain and other issues</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/how-to-configure-microsoft-team-activity-feed/articleshow/87731929.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Microsoft to offer more customisation on Teams’ Activity Feed: Here’s how to configure it</a>

A signal from Apple iPad saves a father and daughter after a plane crash

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11899431" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="britney-spears" source="Orion">Britney Spears</keyword>' legal team accused her father of paying a security firm from the singer's estate to monitor her.</li><li><keyword id="12004648" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jamie-spears" source="Orion">Jamie Spears</keyword> once asked the firm to mirror Britney's iCloud account to allow him to see her communications in real-time, per the documents.</li></ul>Jamie Spears paid a security firm $6 million from Britney Spears' estate to electronically monitor his daughter and his ex-wife, Britney Spears' attorney claimed in new court documents.Mathew Rosengart, Britney Spears' attorney, filed the new documents ahead of a hearing on Wednesday in the singer's ongoing legal battle in connection to <a href="https://www.insider.com/comic-how-britney-spears-escape-abusive-conservatorship-and-won-2022-1">her recently terminated conservatorship</a>. The current court battle is over payments from her estate, including Jamie Spears asking the court to have his daughter cover his legal fees before the conservatorship was terminated.Between 2008 and 2021, Spears was under <a href="https://www.insider.com/britney-spears-conservatorship-unraveling-timeline-testimony-2021-7">a legal arrangement</a> that granted control of her personal life and estate to a group of individuals including her father. On September 7, Jamie Spears <a href="https://www.insider.com/britney-spears-conservatorship-update-jamie-spears-files-to-end-it-2021-9">filed a petition</a> to <a href="https://www.insider.com/britney-spears-timeline-2021-how-she-got-free-from-jamie-conservatorship">end Britney Spears' conservatorship</a>, which the pop star's legal team labeled as a "massive" legal victory. The conservatorship was <a href="https://www.insider.com/britney-spears-officially-freed-from-conservatorship-2021-11">officially terminated</a> on November 12.On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/18/business/britney-spears-father-fees.html">The New York Times</a> first reported that Jamie Spears paid security firm Black Box to obtain private phone records and collect GPS "ping data" from Britney Spears and her mother Lynne.Attorneys for Jamie Spears did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the allegations made in the court documents.During the Wednesday hearing, Jamie Spears' lawyers responded to the filing by Rosengart, denying the claims made in the document. According to the court documents filed by Rosengart, Alex Vlasov, a former employee of Black Box, confirmed to ex-FBI Special Agent Sherine Ebadi that the security firm treated Britney Spears as its client and her father was the person giving direction.Black Box was already monitoring phones used by the singer when Vlasov began working at the company in 2012, and the firm "cycled through several different technologies, including various monitoring software, to accomplish the secret surveillance" of Britney Spears, according to court documents and a sworn declaration by Ebadi included in the filings by Rosengart.When Britney Spears changed her Blackberry to an iPhone in 2013, the swap caused a "temporary cessation of monitoring," according to court documents."Mr. Spears expressed great concern about not having visibility into his daughter's phone activity during this period," according to the court documents, which were filed on Friday but not made public until Tuesday night. Vlasov was tasked with finding surveillance software and installing it as a "hidden 'app'" on Britney Spears' phone, which she "could not see and to which she did not have the password," per the court documents.Vlasov sometimes shared the pop star's private communications directly to her father, according to the court documents.In 2015, Jamie Spears asked Black Box to mirror his daughter's iCloud account to a separate iPad, allowing him to see her text messages and contents in real-time, according to court documents."Black Box did as Mr. Spears instructed, purchasing an iPad and linking it to Britney Spears's iCloud account. The iPad was kept in a safe in Black Box's offices," according to the court documents."In directing these surveillance efforts, Mr. Spears had Black Box provide him access to private communications of his daughter, which his own counsel advised he had no right to see," the court filings said. "Mr. Spears expressed particular interest in monitoring his daughter's communications with her personal attorney Sam Ingham, and he wanted regular updates from Black Box on the substance of those attorney-client privileged messages."During the contentious Wednesday hearing, Jamie Spears' attorneys pushed back on these assertions, saying, "Virtually everything alleged was a lie. They are all nonsense."Black Box did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations made in Rosengart's filings.

Jamie Spears paid a security firm nearly $6 million from Britney Spears' estate to electronically track his daughter and ex-wife's communications and locations, according to new court docs

The 50 Best iPhone And iPad Games Of 2013 

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image">LinkedIn/ScreenshotBrendon O'Connor, the researcher responsible for CreepyDOL. </div></div>A security researcher who's also in <keyword id="6355470" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Law">law</keyword> school recently wondered how easily a private citizen could spy on other people. He really only needed $570 and the <keyword id="6357247" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Internet">Internet</keyword>.
Brendon O'Connor, 27, created a "terrifyingly easy"system for monitoring people, he told<a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/02/a-cheap-spying-tool-with-a-high-creepy-factor/?_r=0"> The New York Times</a>. By putting <a href="raspberrypi.org">Raspberry Pi</a> models (cheap, programmable mini-computers) in small plastic boxes connected to a command center, he gave himself access to <keyword id="6355729" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="data">data</keyword> from anyone using a wireless device nearby.
A tip of the hat to the <keyword id="38879" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="NSA">NSA</keyword>'s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence-chief-heres-what-prism-is-2013-6">PRISM</a> operation, O' Connor's Creepy Distributed Object Locator, or CreepyDOL, harvests similar information. The system kicks in when someone connects to the same Wi-Fi network — like the free ones in coffee shops, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/07/26/hackers-tiny-spy-computers-aim-to-track-targets-around-entire-neighborhoods-and-cities/">Forbes</a> reported.
He made 10 boxes, each costing $57, the Times reported. Using them, O'Connor can uncover which websites people browsed, the unique connection identifier to their iPhones and iPads, and even their email addresses and pictures sometimes.
O'Connors DIY <keyword id="6354565" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="surveillance">surveillance</keyword> doesn't even need public or unsecured Wi-Fi. CreepyDOL traces information when iPhones "ping" the server every few seconds to check for new messages, too.
O'Connor can save and use all this information to give a more complete picture of people he would purportedly be <keyword id="6392096" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Spying">spying</keyword> on. “I take all this data, throw it together, and visualize it to show people with real faces and identities and histories moving around a map in 3D," he told Forbes.
As a law student at the University of Wisconsin, however, he knew he could only spy on himself.
One of his hacker friends, Andrew Auernheimer,<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/andrew-weev-auernheimer-sentenced-to-41-months-in-jail-2013-3"> got 41 months in prison</a> for violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act after he found the email addresses of more than 100,000 customers of AT&amp;T in an effort to expose the company's lax security.

Law Student/Security Researcher Devises 'Terrifyingly Easy' Way To Spy On People

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Brian Walshe was charged with murder in his wife Ana's disappearance on Wednesday. </li><li>Prosecutors said they believe Brian Walshe "dismembered and discarded" Ana Walshe's body. </li></ul>Prosecutors gave a detailed timeline of Brian Walshe's internet searches and shopping trips in the days after his wife's disappearance as they charged him with murder in Quincy, Massachusetts, district court on Wednesday. Brian Walshe, 47, pleaded not guilty. Ana Walshe, a 39-year-old mother of three, has not been seen since shortly after midnight on New Year's Day. While police have not recovered a body, they told the judge that they had gathered enough evidence to charge her husband with her murder on Wednesday. Combined with previous reporting and documents, we now have our most detailed look at the Walshes 15-year relationship and how it may have come to an end. 2008: Brian Walshe met Serbian-born Ana Walshe when she worked at the luxury Wheatleigh Hotel in Lenox, Massachusetts, according to <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/01/10/metro/brian-walshe-cohasset-ana-walshe-husband/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Boston Globe</a>. August 2, 2014: Ana Walshe reaches out to the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC to report that Brian Walshe threatened to kill her and a friend, according to <a href="https://www.wcvb.com/article/missing-cohasset-woman-ana-walshe-massachusetts-husband-brian-walshe-jan-12/42461631" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WCVB</a>. No charges were ever filed because Ana Walshe didn't cooperate with the investigation. December 21, 2015: The Walshes marry at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Boston. May 9, 2018: Brian Walshe is arrested on suspicion of selling fake Andy Warhol paintings. April 2021: Brian Walshe pleads guilty in the art fraud case and is allowed to remain out on bail while his sentence is determined, but must report his whereabouts if he leaves home. June 1, 2022: Ana Walshe <a href="https://www.insider.com/ana-walshe-praised-husband-brian-walshe-months-before-murder-charge-2023-1">writes a letter</a> to the judge in her husband's fraud trial, telling him what a great father and community member he is. December 27, 2022: Prosecutors say Brian Walshe made an internet search for "What's the best state to divorce for a man?"<h2>January 1, 2023</h2>4:55 a.m.: Brian Walshe <a href="https://www.insider.com/brian-walshe-googled-questions-about-dead-bodies-prosecutors-say-2023-1">searches on his son's iPad</a>, "How long before a body starts to smell?" He then proceeds to make several other internet searches about how to dispose of bodies over the next several hours. 6-6:10 a.m.: Brian Walshe told police that this is when his wife left home to catch an Uber or Lyft to the airport, to fly to Washington, DC for work. Prosecutors say no Ubers or Lyfts showed up at the home during this time frame. And though Ana Walshe did have a flight to DC, it was scheduled for January 3, and she never boarded. 1:21 p.m.: Brian Walshe searches "Is it better to throw crime scene clothes away or wash them?"3 p.m.: Brian Walshe told police he traveled to his mother's house in Swampscott this day, before visiting Whole Foods and CVS. Surveillance footage doesn't show him going to either store. <h2>January 2, 2023</h2>3:14 a.m.: Ana's cellphone issues its last ping before being shut off. Prosecutors say it had been stationary in the area of her home in Cohasset since New Year's Eve.12:45 p.m. - 1:14 p.m.: Brian Walshe searches whether a hacksaw is the "best tool to dismember" and whether someone can be charged with murder if there's no body. He also searches "Can you identify a body with broken teeth?" Following the Google searches, Brian Walshe was seen on surveillance at the Home Depot in Rockland, where he proceeded to buy $450 worth of cleaning supplies with cash. Items in his cart, which he pushed while wearing gloves and wearing a face mask, included mops, brushes, tape, a Tyvek suit with boot covers, buckets, goggles, baking soda, and a hatchet. 5:32 p.m. Brian Walshe is seen on Derby Street in Hingham removing the glove and face mask that he wore to Home Depot. Information on Brian Walshe's phone shows he also went to Home Goods in Norwell, where he purchased three rugs. <h2>January 3, 2023</h2>1:02 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.: Brian Walshe makes additional Google searches for "What happens to hair on a dead body?" "What is the rate of decomposition of a body in a plastic bag compared to on a surface in the woods?" and "Can baking soda make a body smell good?" 4:27 p.m.: Surveillance shows Brian Walshe at an apartment complex in Abington, where he disposed of a garbage bag in the complex's dumpster. Prosecutors said it appeared the bag was heavy because Brian Walshe was leaning as he carried it and he had to "heft it" into the dumpster. 4:48 p.m.: Brian Walshe visits another apartment complex in Abington. 5:10 p.m.: Cellphone data shows him at another apartment complex in Brockton, again discarding items in a dumpster, according to surveillance video. The discarded items at these three locations were incinerated by the time investigators got to them. <h2>January 4, 2023</h2>Ana Walshe's employer, Washington, DC-based real estate firm Tishman Speyer, reports her missing when she doesn't turn up for work. Law enforcement agents conduct a welfare check on her home in Cohasset. Brian Walshe tells them that he hasn't seen his wife since the early hours of New Year's Day, and reports her missing for the first time. Officers observed his Volvo with the seats down and a plastic liner in the back of the car. The next day, a view of the Volvo showed seats folded down floor mats with some dirt, and a carpet showed fresh vacuum sheets. When asked about the liner, he said he threw it in the trash. Investigators later found the presence of blood in the car, prosecutors said. Prosecutors say Brian Walshe also went to Home Goods, TJ Maxx, and Lowe's on January 4 where he bought towels, bath mats, men's clothing, squeegees, and a trash can.<h2>January 5, 2023 </h2>8 a.m.: Brian Walshe travels to daycare and then to Scampscott, where his mom lives.9:30 a.m.: Cellphone data shows Brian Walshe circling his mother's apartment complex and stopping at the southeast corner, where there's a dumpster. The <a href="https://www.insider.com/brian-walshe-covid-vaccine-card-trash-murder-ana-prosecutors-say-2023-1">dumpster was later searched</a> and investigators found 10 bags containing many bloodied items and some of the clothing items Ana Walshe was last seen wearing. Some of the items also had both Ana and Brian Walshe's DNA on them. <h2>January 8, 2023</h2>Brian Walshe is arrested and charged with misleading police and ordered held on $500,000 bail. Crime scene investigators searched the couple's home in Cohasset that day and found blood in the basement, a knife with blood on it, and a damaged second knife. They also found heavy-duty plastic liners. <h2>January 18, 2023 </h2>Brian Walshe appeared in Quincy District Court where he pleaded not guilty to a <a href="https://www.insider.com/brian-walshe-charged-murder-missing-massachusetts-wife-ana-2023-1">charge of murder</a> and improper transport of remains in the death of his wife. He was ordered held without bail.

Here's everything we know about what Brian Walshe did in the days, weeks, and years surrounding Ana Walshe's disappearance

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Adnan Abidi/ReutersYou can customize iPhone's Do Not Disturb feature to optimize your life.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Do Not Disturb silences your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/iphone">iPhone</a> so you can have dinner, go to a movie, or sleep or work in peace. </li><li>When in Do Not Disturb mode, all calls, texts, and notifications to your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/iphone">iPhone</a> are stored silently. Your phone doesn't make noise and the screen won't light up as notifications arrive, though you can still check on notifications by turning the screen on manually. </li><li>Here's how you can turn on your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/iphone">iPhone</a>'s Do Not Disturb mode manually or set it up with various features for scheduling purposes.</li></ul> Thanks to our <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/iphone">iPhones</a>, we're now hyper-aware of who is trying to communicate with us throughout the day. We see notifications for phone calls, text messages, social media mentions, and an exhausting list of pings from all sorts of apps and services. Even if you mute your phone, you still see your screen light up with incoming notifications, making it hard to truly "check out" from the online world. That's why Apple offers Do Not Disturb, a mode that silences your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/iphone">iPhone</a> completely (with some exceptions - read on). When enabled, Do Not Disturb quiets all audible notifications and keeps the screen dark as well. Yes, the notifications are still coming in, and if you manually turn the screen on, you can see them. But left alone, the phone will give you a break from the online world.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Dave Johnson/Business InsiderWhen Do Not Disturb is turned on, the lock screen displays a message letting you know it's keeping your phone quiet (and dark).</div></div></div>There are two ways to use Do Not Disturb. You can switch it on at a moment's notice, such as when you're walking into a movie theater, or have it automatically turn on every day, such as at bedtime. See the two methods below. <h2>Manually enable Do Not Disturb</h2><ol><li style="font-weight: 400;">Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to pull up the Control Center. If you have an iPhone X or later, or have an iPad with iOS 12 or later, you should instead swipe down from the upper right corner of the screen to pull down the Control Center. </li><li style="font-weight: 400;">Tap the Do Not Disturb icon. Do Not Disturb is now turned on - and no notifications will bother you - until you return to the Control Center and tap the icon to turn it off. </li><li style="font-weight: 400;">If you want to further customize Do Not Disturb, deep press the icon when you turn it on. You'll have three choices: To enable it for an hour, until the evening, or until you leave your current location. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Dave Johnson/Business InsiderTurn on Do Not Disturb manually with this crescent moon icon.</div></div></div> </li><li style="font-weight: 400;">Tap the Do Not Disturb button to instantly turn the feature on - or deep press the button to get more scheduling options. </li></ol>That's all you need to do - Do Not Disturb is now turned on. But there are a lot of ways to tweak what can sneak through the Do Not Disturb barrier, letting you see exactly how much you want. For details on how to do that, see Customizing Do Not Disturb below. <h2>Automatically enable Do Not Disturb at a certain time every day</h2><ol><li style="font-weight: 400;">Tap the Settings icon and then tap "Do Not Disturb." </li><li style="font-weight: 400;">Tap "Scheduled" to turn on the scheduling mode.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">Tap the From - To option and set the time you want Do Not Disturb to begin and end every day. For example, you might want it to begin every evening at 10 PM and end in the morning at 7 AM. Tap Back to keep those changes. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Dave Johnson/Business InsiderSet the time you want Do Not Disturb to turn on and off each day under "Scheduled."</div></div></div> </li><li style="font-weight: 400;">Make any other changes to your Do Not Disturb Settings (see Customizing Do Not Disturb below) and then tap Settings to go back to the main Settings screen. It's now scheduled to run daily. </li></ol><h2>Customizing Do Not Disturb</h2>Your iPhone lets you tweak the Do Not Disturb feature in a lot of ways from the above scheduling page:<ul><li style="font-weight: 400;">Bedtime mode is Do Not Disturb on steroids. Turn it on and it'll keep notifications off the lock screen all night, so if you turn on your phone, you still won't see any notifications. (They'll still be in the Notification Center if you absolutely must check them at 2AM.)</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">The Silence section is where you can also choose how silent your phone should be. Choose between "Always" (the phone will always be silent when in Do Not Disturb mode) and "While iPhone is locked" (it will still make sound if the phone is turned on and in use). </li><li style="font-weight: 400;">The Phone section lets you decide who the phone will ring through. You can choose to allow calls from "Everyone" (which, if we may editorialize for a moment, kind of defeats the purpose of Do Not Disturb), "No One," or only people in your "Favorites." </li><li style="font-weight: 400;">Do Not Disturb While Driving lets you set Do Not Disturb to automatically activate, as you might guess, when driving. For that to work, you need a car with Bluetooth capabilities. </li></ul>Finally, there is one other Do Not Disturb option. It's called Emergency Bypass, and it resides in the Contacts app. If you enable Emergency Bypass for a specific contact, calls from that person will ring and vibrate even during Do Not Disturb times. To do that, open the desired contact in the Contacts app and tap "Ringtone." On the Ringtone screen, turn on "Emergency Bypass."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Dave Johnson/Business InsiderThe Emergency Bypass option is at the top of the Ringtone screen for each of your contacts.</div></div></div><ul class="read-more-links"><li><h3>Read more on iPhone:</h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-cancel-subscriptions-on-iphone" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">How to cancel subscriptions on your iPhone</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-unlock-iphone-from-carrier" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">How to unlock an iPhone for use on a new carrier</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-clear-cache-iphone-run-faster-apps-browser" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">How to clear the cache on your iPhone and make it run faster</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-reset-iphone-to-factory-settings-2019-2" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">How to reset your iPhone to its factory settings</a></h3></li></ul> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-siri-shortcuts-save-time-hacks-2019-1">Here's how to use Apple's time-saving app that will make your life easier</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

How to use Do Not Disturb on iPhone to optimize your time

A beginner's guide to Instagram, the wildly popular photo-sharing app with over a billion users

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div></div>Beacons are a new type of device that could change the way people shop in stores and revolutionize how retailers collect consumer data and interact with shoppers. Retailers can use beacons to trigger location-based features on customers' smartphone apps, including targeted coupons, store maps, and hands-free payments. 
There has been a lot of confusion about how beacons actually work, so as part of <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">new research</a> on beacons from <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">BI Intelligence</a>, we've put together an in-depth "<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Beacons Explainer,</a>" with frequently asked questions on beacons. The explainer is paired with <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">our exclusive market forecast</a>, which shows the trajectory for beacon adoption. Beacons are becoming the most rapidly adopted in-store technology since mobile card readers. 
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Access The New BI Intelligence Beacons Explainer And Market Forecast Reports By Signing Up For A Free Trial Today &gt; &gt; </a>
Our <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Beacons FAQ</a> includes answers to some of the following questions:
1. What is a beacon? 
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">A beacon is a small wireless device that constantly broadcasts radio signals to nearby smartphones and tablets.</a> Think of it as a lighthouse emitting light in regular intervals. Mobile apps can listen for that signal and, when they receive it, trigger a location-based action.
2. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Why is Bluetooth low energy (BLE) important?</a>
BLE is the signal emitted by beacons, and it's important for two reasons. First, it transmits radio waves, which can penetrate physical barriers like walls, unlike Wi-Fi or cell signals, which are often disrupted. Second, BLE consumes only a fraction of the battery power that classic Bluetooth does. 
3. Do beacons work with iPhones and Android phones?
Yes, but they work differently. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Only iOS 7 devices constantly scan for BLE and wake up relevant apps - even if they are closed - when they come within range of a beacon.</a> iPhones and iPads can do this thanks to Apple's iBeacon protocol (more on that below). Android devices, on the other hand, do not have a beacon system of this type at the operating-system level. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Android apps must therefore scan for BLE, meaning that for Android users to interact with beacons, they have to have the app running on their phone, at least in the background.</a> Beacon scanning at the app level means there is more of a battery drain for Android users. 
4. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">What is an iBeacon?</a> Is it just an Apple beacon?
Sort of. iBeacon is not an off-the-shelf beacon that retailers can buy and install in their stores (at least not yet). Apple has filed documents with the Federal Communications Commission, which suggest that the company wants to manufacture iBeacon hardware. Currently, iBeacon is a system built into the latest version of Apple's iOS 7 mobile operating system that lets iPhones and iPads constantly scan for nearby Bluetooth devices. When iBeacon identifies a beacon, it can wake up relevant apps on someone's phone, even when an app is closed and not running in the background. Additionally, iPads and iPhones can act as beacons; they can emit beacon signals to wake up apps on other iOS devices. 
5. What does Apple's iBeacon technology do?
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">iBeacon lets iPhones and iPads constantly scan for nearby Bluetooth devices.</a> When it identifies a Bluetooth device, like a beacon, it can wake up an app on someone's phone - even if the app is not running. Developers can make their apps responsive to iBeacon by using Apple's Core Location APIs (application programming interfaces) in iOS.
6. Do beacons beam data to phones?
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Beacons do send small bits of data, typically a unique identifier. This allows mobile apps to differentiate between beacons and perform an action when necessary</a> (that is, a location-triggered notification). Think of it as the combination of a hyperaccurate GPS coordinate or an IP address. The identifier consists of three components: a UUID, which is specific to a beacon vendor; a "major," which is specific to a region, like a store location; and a "minor," which is specific to a subregion, like a department within a store.
7. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">If, as a retailer, I purchase beacons from a vendor, how do I know they'll work with my app?</a>
Developers have to include the unique identifier of a beacon in the code so their app will be able to recognize it. If an app doesn't know the identifier for a beacon, then it can't be on the lookout for its BLE signal. Most beacon vendors provide developer support to help users configure their apps. 
Other Questions We Answer In The Beacons Explainer:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Will other apps - besides mine - be able to talk to beacons?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">What if there's bad cell reception in the store or no in-store Wi-Fi? Will a beacon-powered notification still work?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">If beacons are all about pinging phones to tell them a location and to wake up a specific app, why do people talk about using them to send in-store coupons based on shopper locations?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">How many permissions do users need to give for my beacon to detect their phones?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">I heard that beacons might be used for payments. How would that work?</a></li>
</ul>
For full access to all BI Intelligence's reports, daily briefs and downloadable charts on the e-commerce and payments industries, <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">sign up for a free trial.</a>

THE BEACONS FAQ: Everything You Need To Know About Beacons And Apple's iBeacon System

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="Estimote" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/52af3f8ceab8ea9a7643dd6d-960/estimotebeacon.png"></a><a href="http://estimote.com/">Estimote</a></div></div>During the upcoming holidays, retailers will be trying out a new technology that allows them to wake up apps and send offers and information to customer phones. 
There has been a lot of confusion about how beacons actually work, so as part of <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">new research</a> on beacons from <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">BI Intelligence</a>, we've put together a package of in-depth reports to help executives cut through the noise: 
<ul>
<li>Our "<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Beacons Explainer,</a>" covers all the frequently asked questions on beacons.</li>
<li>The explainer is paired with <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">our exclusive market forecast</a>, which shows the trajectory for beacon adoption. Beacons are becoming the most rapidly adopted in-store technology since mobile card readers. </li>
<li>Our ongoing downloadable charts and datasets and industry newsletters keep tabs on how retailers and other businesses are deploying beacons. </li>
</ul>
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Access The New BI Intelligence Beacons Explainer And Market Forecast Reports By Signing Up For A Trial Today &gt; &gt; </a>
Our <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Beacons FAQ</a> includes answers to some of the following questions:
1. What is a beacon? 
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">A beacon is a small wireless device that constantly broadcasts radio signals to nearby smartphones and tablets.</a> Think of it as a lighthouse emitting light in regular intervals. Mobile apps can listen for that signal and, when they receive it, trigger a location-based action.
2. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Why is Bluetooth low energy (BLE) important?</a>
BLE is the signal emitted by beacons, and it's important for two reasons. First, it transmits radio waves, which can penetrate physical barriers like walls. Second, BLE consumes only a fraction of the battery power that classic Bluetooth does. 
3. Do beacons work with iPhones and Android phones?
Yes, but they work differently. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Only iOS 7 devices constantly scan for BLE and wake up relevant apps - even if they are closed - when they come within range of a beacon.</a> iPhones and iPads can do this thanks to Apple's iBeacon protocol (more on that below). Android devices, on the other hand, do not have a beacon system of this type at the operating-system level. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Android apps must therefore scan for BLE, meaning that for Android users to interact with beacons, they have to have the app running on their phone, at least in the background.</a> Beacon scanning at the app level means there is more of a battery drain for Android users. 
4. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">What is an iBeacon?</a> Is it just an Apple beacon?
Sort of. iBeacon is not an off-the-shelf beacon that retailers can buy and install in their stores (at least not yet). Apple has filed documents with the Federal Communications Commission, which suggest that the company wants to manufacture iBeacon hardware. Currently, iBeacon is a system built into the latest version of Apple's iOS 7 mobile operating system that lets iPhones and iPads constantly scan for nearby Bluetooth devices. When iBeacon identifies a beacon, it can wake up relevant apps on someone's phone, even when an app is closed and not running in the background. Additionally, iPads and iPhones can act as beacons; they can emit beacon signals to wake up apps on other iOS devices. 
5. What does Apple's iBeacon technology do?
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">iBeacon lets iPhones and iPads constantly scan for nearby Bluetooth devices.</a> When it identifies a Bluetooth device, like a beacon, it can wake up an app on someone's phone - even if the app is not running. Developers can make their apps responsive to iBeacon by using Apple's Core Location APIs (application programming interfaces) in iOS.
6. Do beacons beam data to phones?
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Beacons do send small bits of data, typically a unique identifier. This allows mobile apps to differentiate between beacons and perform an action when necessary</a> (that is, a location-triggered notification). Think of it as the combination of a hyperaccurate GPS coordinate or an IP address. The identifier consists of three components: a UUID, which is specific to a beacon vendor; a "major," which is specific to a region, like a store location; and a "minor," which is specific to a subregion, like a department within a store.
7. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">If, as a retailer, I purchase beacons from a vendor, how do I know they'll work with my app?</a>
Developers have to include the unique identifier of a beacon in the code so their app will be able to recognize it. If an app doesn't know the identifier for a beacon, then it can't be on the lookout for its BLE signal. Most beacon vendors provide developer support to help users configure their apps. 
Other Questions We Answer In The Beacons Explainer:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Will other apps - besides mine - be able to talk to beacons?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">What if there's bad cell reception in the store or no in-store Wi-Fi? Will a beacon-powered notification still work?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">If beacons are all about pinging phones to tell them a location and to wake up a specific app, why do people talk about using them to send in-store coupons based on shopper locations?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">How many permissions do users need to give for my beacon to detect their phones?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">I heard that beacons might be used for payments. How would that work?</a></li>
</ul>
For full access to all BI Intelligence's reports, daily briefs and downloadable charts on the e-commerce and payments industries, <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsAGAIN-10-31-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">sign up for a free trial.</a>

Everything You Need To Know About Beacons, The Tech Big Retail Is Counting On To Drive Holiday Sales 

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image">Estimote</div></div>Beacons are a new type of device that will change the way people shop in stores, and revolutionize how retailers collect consumer data and interact with shoppers. Retailers can use beacons to trigger location-based features on customers' smartphone apps, including targeted coupons, store maps, and hands-free payments. 
There has been a lot of confusion about how beacons actually work, so as part of <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">new research</a> on beacons from <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">BI Intelligence</a>, we've put together an in-depth "<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Beacons Explainer,</a>" with frequently asked questions on beacons. The explainer is paired with <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">our exclusive market forecast</a>, which shows the trajectory for beacon adoption. Beacons are becoming the most rapidly adopted in-store technology since mobile card readers. 
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Access The New BI Intelligence Beacons Explainer And Market Forecast Reports By Signing Up For A Free Trial Today &gt; &gt; </a>
Our <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Beacons FAQ</a> includes answers to some of the following questions:
1. What is a beacon? 
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">A beacon is a small wireless device that constantly broadcasts radio signals to nearby smartphones and tablets.</a> Think of it as a lighthouse emitting light in regular intervals. Mobile apps can listen for that signal and when they receive it, trigger a location-based action in the app.
2. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Why is Bluetooth low energy (BLE) important?</a>
BLE is the signal emitted by beacons, and it's important for two reasons. First, it transmits radio waves, which can penetrate physical barriers such as walls, unlike Wi-Fi or cell signals, which are often disrupted. Second, BLE consumes only a fraction of the battery power that classic Bluetooth does. 
3. Do beacons work with iPhones and Android phones?
Yes, but they work differently. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Only iOS 7 devices constantly scan for BLE and wake up relevant apps - even if they are closed - when they come within range of a beacon.</a> iPhones and iPads can do this thanks to Apple's iBeacon protocol (more on that below). Android devices, on the other hand, do not have a beacon system of this type at the operating-system level. So this means that A<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">ndroid apps must scan for BLE, and so in order for Android users to interact with beacons, they have to have the app running on their phone, at least in the background.</a> Beacon scanning at the app level means there is more of a battery drain for Android users. 
4. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">What is an iBeacon?</a> Is it just an Apple beacon?
Sort of. iBeacon is not an off-the-shelf beacon that retailers can buy and install in their stores (at least not yet). Apple has filed documents with the Federal Communications Commission, which suggest that the company wants to manufacture iBeacon hardware. Currently, iBeacon is a system built into the latest version of Apple's iOS 7 mobile operating system that lets iPhones and iPads constantly scan for nearby Bluetooth devices. When iBeacon identifies a beacon, it can wake up relevant apps on someone's phone, even when an app is closed and not running in the background. Additionally, iPads and iPhones can act as beacons themselves; they can emit beacon signals to wake up apps on other iOS devices. 
5. What does Apple's iBeacon technology do?
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">iBeacon lets iPhones and iPads constantly scan for nearby Bluetooth devices.</a> When it identifies a Bluetooth device, such as a beacon, it can wake up an app on someone's phone - even if the app is closed and not running. Developers can make their apps responsive to iBeacon by using Apple's Core Location APIs (application programming interfaces) in iOS.
6. Do beacons beam data to phones?
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-214&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Beacons do send small bits of data, typically a unique identifier. This allows mobile apps to differentiate between beacons and perform an action when necessary</a> (that is, a location-triggered notification). Think of it as the combination of a hyperaccurate GPS coordinate or an IP address. The identifier consists of three components: a UUID, which is specific to a beacon vendor; a "major," which is specific to a region, such as a store location; and a "minor," which is specific to a subregion, such as a department within a store.
7. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">If, as a retailer, I purchase beacons from a vendor, how do I know they'll work with my app?</a>
Developers have to know the unique identifier of a beacon in order to include that in the code so that their app will be able to recognize it. If an app doesn't know the identifier for a beacon, then it can't be on the lookout for its BLE signal. Most beacon vendors provide developer support so that whoever uses their beacon can get their apps to work with them. 
Other Questions We Answer In The Beacons Explainer:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Will other apps - besides mine - be able to talk to beacons?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">What if there's bad cell reception in the store or no in-store Wi-Fi? Will a beacon-powered notification still work?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">If beacons are all about pinging phones to tell them a location and to wake up a specific app, why do people talk about using them to send in-store coupons based on shopper locations?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">How many permissions do users need to give in order for my beacon to detect their phones?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">I heard that beacons might be used for payments. How would that work?</a></li>
</ul>
For full access to all BI Intelligence's reports, daily briefs and downloadable charts on the e-commerce and payments industries, <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-beacons-explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-beacons-and-apples-ibeacon-system-2014-7?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=E-BeaconsFAQ-7-28-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">sign up for a free trial.</a>

THE BEACONS FAQ: It's Time To Set The Story Straight About Beacons And Apple's iBeacon System

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image"><a title_source="Apple" title_caption="Apple CEO Tim Cook" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/538e30b36bb3f7fe3a7542cb-960/tim-cook-30.png"></a>AppleApple CEO Tim Cook</div></div></div>Apple didn't mention iBeacon, its location-detection device for shoppers who carry mobile phones, at the keynote of its WWDC software developers' conference yesterday. It's an omission that has <a href="http://www.dailydot.com/technology/android-camera-spy/">some people scratching their heads</a>, because retailers and e-commerce companies believe it's one of Apple's biggest new products.
iBeacons are tiny devices that can be installed anywhere - store shelves or shop windows, for instance - and use Bluetooth to detect when you walk by with an iPhone in your pocket. Once they sense you, iBeacons can send you offers or updates, assuming you have the system turned on. Arguably, iBeacon is Apple's mass surveillance system for shoppers. Apple itself isn't doing the surveillance. That will be done by the companies that install them.
We asked Apple for comment but didn't hear back. Apple says privacy isn't an issue because iPhone users' data is shielded from the iBeacons. <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/apples-latest-offering-explores-the-great-indoors-1401655436">Each iBeacon sends you data, it doesn't gather it, the Wall Street Journal says:</a>
Privacy remains a concern. Apple says tracking fears aren't well-grounded because the signals are one-way and the beacons don't know anything about the user. But apps that use iBeacon might have personal data, to which they can add location details. "There are some privacy holes in there - people might not notice that they are giving up some information if it's not handled correctly," said Michael Healander, general manager for GISi Indoors, a company that specializes in geolocation technologies.
So while Apple might not collect iBeacon data, iBeacons will generate some data for companies that utilize them or make apps that get pinged by them.
Prior to WWDC, everyone expected Apple to deliver some sort of update on how iBeacon was being used or integrated into iOS 8, Apple's mobile operating system for iPhone and iPad. iBeacon was briefly namechecked at last year's WWDC. People in the e-commerce business expect iBeacon to be huge, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/apples-latest-offering-explores-the-great-indoors-1401655436">the Wall Street Journal notes</a>, and already tens of thousands of companies are developing apps that use iBeacon:
Eventually, beacons will be "everywhere," said Steve Cheney, senior vice president for Estimote Inc., a startup based in Krakow, Poland, that creates hardware, services and software for iBeacon.
Nearly 20,000 developers are paying to use Estimote's software kits. The company worked with Virgin Atlantic on its Heathrow test. A passenger who downloads a boarding pass to Apple's Passbook can receive alerts such as offers to change currency with Virgin partner MoneyCorp or directions to the airline's Clubhouse.
Because you can put iBeacons anywhere, and use them for anything, <a href="http://www.techrepublic.com/article/10-ways-ibeacon-is-changing-the-future-of-shopping/">insiders believe the system will become almost ubiquitous, TechRepublic says</a>:
The iBeacon ecosystem also has the potential to change other industries. Special events -- concerts, sports games, and festivals, can use it to more seamlessly involve fans in those experiences. For instance, at SXSW this year, iBeacon was used to deliver badges and help fans communicate about the individual concerts. It could enable the smart home as well. Since it's already in industrial LED lights, you can bet it will be built into our home lighting, appliances, and electronics at some point, allowing people to more affordably achieve smart home functionality. In the classroom, iBeacon allows teachers to take attendance, monitor who is in the classroom, and communicate with students and parents.
You know how difficult it can be to navigate certain types of events or locations without a phone? Just try going to a large, multi-stage, multi-day music festival and keeping track of your friends without a phone, for instance. If iBeacon becomes widely accepted, you can assume that it will become more difficult to navigate similar situations unless you have iBeacon switched on. Stores and businesses will incentivize you to turn on the system, and in return they'll get valuable data - such as how many people are passing beacons in various areas of a store - as the system detects your signal.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/03/ios-8-apps-quick-access/">MacRumors</a></div></div></div>Here's a simple example from Macrumors of <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/03/ios-8-apps-quick-access/">how it might work at Starbucks</a>:
For example, MacRumors readers have seen relevant app icons pop up while at or near brick and mortar locations like Starbucks and the Apple Store. While at a Starbucks, for example, the Starbucks app icon is displayed in the lower left corner of the iPhone's lock screen, which allows the Starbucks app to be easily accessed.
Alerts for nearby stores may <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/quick-access-apps-2014-6">appear on your lock screen as a result</a>.
Right now, the technology is in its infancy and still relatively expensive to implement. Plus, most people keep the Bluetooth function on their phones switched off. That may change <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2014/06/01/heres-what-apples-ibeacon-really-is-why-its-going-to-change-everything/">once iBeacons become so cheap that everyone can have one</a>:
Rumors are flying that there will soon be a $1 beacon, allowing businesses of any size to use this technology and allowing companies to have multiple touch points with customers. This will change the entire product supply chain with deep analytics that can track inventory and customer needs.

Apple Is Mysteriously Silent About Its Mass Surveillance System For Shoppers 

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images" title_caption="Apple CEO Tim Cook." class="zoomin" href="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5307ca086da811e165403407-960/apple-ceo-tim-cook-15.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/mexican-president-enrique-pe%C3%B1a-nieto-arrives-to-deliver-a-news-photo/173311534">Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images</a>Apple CEO Tim Cook.</div></div>Spot quiz: What is Apple's fastest-growing product by total dollar sales?
If you thought iPhones or iPads, you'd be wrong. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tim-cook-apple-has-stopped-growing-in-north-america-2014-2">Growth of both those is in decline</a>.
It's actually e-commerce - via iTunes, iBooks and the app stores. Sales of extra, non-Apple "stuff" via Apple's products <a href="http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000119312514024487/d644622d10q.htm#tx644622_3">were up 19% to $4.4 billion in Q1 2014</a>.
This business is one of Apple's smaller lines, of course. But it's still impressive: If there was a standalone tech startup that was doing greater than $16 billion a year in digital e-commerce sales, and growing at nearly 20% a year, everyone would be talking about it.
It would be the hottest company on the planet. It certainly dwarfs Zappos, an e-commerce company who last reported annual revenues were just over $2 billion.
<h3>'A big opportunity on the platform.'</h3>
While the tech press is obsessed with Apple's plans for an iWatch and a new Apple TV device, it's instructive to pay closer attention to the business CEO Tim Cook is actually already building. Because it looks an awful lot like Apple's future growth might come from online and mobile retail, not from creating new product categories with new, yet-to-be-invented products.
On his <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/1971291-apples-ceo-discusses-f1q-2014-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single">last earnings call</a>, Cook talked about this specifically:
In general, we're seeing that people love being able to buy content, whether it's music or movies or books, from their iPhone, using Touch ID. It's incredibly simple and easy and elegant, and it's clear that there's a lot of opportunity there.
The mobile payments area in general is one that we've been intrigued with, and that was one of the thoughts behind Touch ID. But we're not limiting ourselves just to that. So I don't have anything specific to announce today, but you can tell by looking at the demographics of our customers and the amount of commerce that goes through iOS devices versus the competition that it's a big opportunity on the platform.
If Cook had made exactly the same statements about watches or TVs, everyone would have freaked out. Apple fanboys would be jumping for joy.
But because he's talking about the dull-but-lucrative business of retail, everyone is ignoring it.
<h3>Touch ID is not what you think it's for.</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="Steve Kovach/Business Insider" title_caption="The Touch ID scanner." class="zoomin" href="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/523c773b69bedd053ecb58c3-960/img_1289-3.jpg"></a>Steve Kovach/Business InsiderThe Touch ID scanner.</div></div>In fact, one of Apple's most important recent technological advances has been retail-oriented.
Most people think that Touch ID is about security - no one can use or steal your iPhone 5S because you cannot unlock it without the owner's fingerprint. But as Business Insider has noted before, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-touch-id-fingerprint-scanner-and-e-commerce-2013-9">Touch ID has a much more important application as a business</a>. Because it makes your phone almost completely secure, the iPhone suddenly become an almost perfect mobile payments device.
That's why <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303448204579341290395762338">Eddy Cue, Apple's e-commerce chief, is focused on building a mobile payments business</a> for Apple right now, according to the Wall Street Journal. He and vp/online stores Jennifer Bailey have met with PayPal, Google, Square, Stripe, Braintree and Venmo in their efforts to put this together.
By amazing coincidence - or perhaps not - Apple is simultaneously building a mobile retail marketing infrastructure across the U.S. It's called iBeacon.
<h3>Apple is building a national shopping infrastructure.</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="GigaOM" title_caption="An Apple iOS 7 slide mentioning iBeacon." class="zoomin" href="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5230e54aecad04f40f84f3e9-960/ibeacons.png"></a>GigaOMAn Apple iOS 7 slide mentioning iBeacon.</div></div>Stores are already installing these low-powered Bluetooth transmitters so that when you walk past a shelf they can ping your iPhone with an ad or an offer. Soon - if you keep your iBeacon functionality switched on - Apple and its iBeacon partners will know where you're shopping, all the time, down to a location of just a few feet.
And if it becomes possible to pay with your phone instead of your wallet, then Apple will have successfully "closed the loop" on mobile retailing.
For years, the El Dorado of mobile marketing has been to figure out a way to encourage a phone user to go to a store and buy something at the checkout, and then to be able to immediately attribute that specific sale to a specific phone or owner. This is what marketers mean by "closing the loop." Some companies have tried, but it is trickier than it sounds - you can check in on Foursquare or Facebook at The Gap all you want, but if the store clerk can't link your checkin to the sale, then the action is nearly useless.
Having an iPhone user accept an offer inside a store via iBeacon and then pay using their phone, in theory, solves that problem.
And if Cook really has got this figured out, it's likely to become a lot bigger business than wristwatches ever will be.

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