Back in 2013, Apple launched iBeacon, Bluetooth-powered beacons that transmitted location-based information to iOS devices. The technology has largely been forgotten but Google Eddystone aims to change all that.
Far from just competing with iBeacon, Eddystone distinguishes itself for being a "new open format" Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons that work with both Android and iOS devices.
"Eddystone's other big differentiator is that it supports multiple 'frame types' - basically data payloads - that can perform a variety of functions," Ars Technica said.
Developers can set up apps which look out for beacons and "perform certain functions for." In the absence of one, URLs allow the function to be completed. Finally, two location APIs are available that can either find a nearby beacon or send information when you are in a specific location.
Google Eddystone addresses privacy and security concerns via Ephemeral Identifiers (EIDs).
"The EIDs can only be decoded by 'authorized clients,' so activities like tracking luggage can be done securely," Engadget said.
But how would this technology affect the average consumer?
Just like its lighthouse namesake, Eddystone "can be used to provide precise location and contextual cues within apps to help you navigate the world," according to the Google Developer Blog.
As Gizmodo noted, smartphones currently rely on QR codes, Wi-Fi networks or an active GPS location for contextual awareness. BLE beacons can change the way mobile devices "alert you to something of interest."
"Embed a [BLE beacon] in a bus stop, and it can offer you a timetable when you stop there for ten seconds. Stick a beacon inside a restaurant, and it could offer you the menu on your phone when you walk in."
By being an open source project, the website said that Google Eddystone could "catch on where Apple's beacons fell flat."
Checkout the Google Developer video below:
