Apps Factory Beacons Estimates Power Consumption

Knowing some technical information about the device can help developers optimize certain parameters in the design of the app. For example, if from the start, the power consumptions is known as a variable, developers can control the device so that it will not consume too much power to make the battery last longer.

This information will also help in determining the appropriate battery size that will be used for the deployment of the beacons. There are many instances when an app should monitor the battery charge level for easier beacon fleet management. Below is the expected power consumption per device state:

Google Nearby URL Troubleshooting Guide

Google nearby now allows more than 18 bytes for url but I dont know how many and it isn't that long, Maybe 30 to 40 bytes and I tried experimenting with shortened URL with google nearby and it seems it does not support all URL shortening service. One of the reasons why it did not worked is because the time to retrieve the actual url is very slow. It takes longer to convert than the google nearby allowed time period.

I tried to use goo.gl and bitly.com and it did not worked so I used tiny.cc and bit.do and it worked.

Another great advantage of tiny.cc and bit.do is that the URL can be changed which means you dont have to re-enconde the url in the beacon whenever you need to change the url if you are using the Physical Web or you dont need to relogin to google cloud platform which is a very tedious task to do if there are dozens of beacons, you just go to the tiny.cc or bit.do website, login in there to change the url. This feature is not supported by bit.ly or goo.gl

The Best Ways to Encourage Users to turn their Bluetooth On

Consumers first reaction when they are told to turn on the bluetooth on their device is that the battery will drain so fast and they will not get any benefits from doing so. This is true probably 5 years ago but with the introduction of Bluetooth 4.0 or Bluetooth Low Energy, that idea of getting the battery drain so fast is history. And with the proliferation of Beacon Deployments, people would get discounts and personalized offers which will save them money.

The challenge is how do you get people turn on their bluetooth? I suggest the following ways:

1. Apps can make people turn on their bluetooth. There should be a feature in the app to educate users why they should turn on their bluetooth, how it will enhance their shopping experience.

2. It is a fact that very few people turn on their bluetooth all the time but they would often need to turn on their location and wifi on. You can take advantage of this with geofencing. Once they enter within the radius you defined a notification will remind them to turn their bluetooth on to received personalized offers and get special discounts. 

3. The app should be easy to use and have impactful design so that they will be encouraged to open the app often. And while they are browsing the app, a reminder or a banner would appear from time to time telling them the benefits of turning the bluetooth on while they are inside the store.

4. Put up posters on your shop telling them the benefits of turning the bluetooth on. Include this in your receipts, invoices, brochures and flyers or anything that you distribute to your customers if that is possible. 

5. Use the power of social media to convince people.

The Checklist Needed to Deploy Beacon Technology

The deployment of Beacon Technology is not an easy task. If not properly and carefully planned, then the probability of failure is high. Every business owners must know exactly the proper way of implementing this technology. The primary reason why businesses implement beacon technology is because they want to enhance customer experience and improve sales.

Here are the checklist that every business owner must know:

1. Understand the technology and have clear objectives.
2. Form a qualified team to carry on the job and execute it properly.
3. Select the proper type of beacons that will suite the type of project that will implement.
4. Study the place where the beacons will be deployed.
5. Create the prototype and test all use cases defined. Analyze the data created from the testing to identify improvements.
6. If the result satisfactory and meets the objectives defined after identifying and implementing the improvements, then the deployment is ready and go live.

Apps Factory Beacons PCB Prototype has arrived!

My fully assembled Apps Factory Beacons have arrived and it seems that my target released date which is by mid-February is attainable.

Here are some of the pictures:

The front view:

And here is the back view:

What are BLE Beacons

Give your users better location and proximity experiences by providing a strong context signal for their devices in the form of Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons with Eddystone, the open beacon format from Google and or Apple's iBeacon.

The Google beacon platform enables you to manage your beacons remotely, integrate with Google services and help users' devices to discover content and functionality across Android, native apps and the web.

iBeacon is Apple's implementation of Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) wireless technology to create a different way of providing location-based information and services to iPhones and other iOS devices. iBeacon arrived in iOS7, which means it works with iPhone 4s or later, iPad (third generation and onwards) iPad mini and iPod touch (fifth generation or later). It's worth noting the same BLE technology is also compatible with Android 4.3. and above.

The location and context signals harness the sensors and signals of mobile devices to provide awareness of user actions and their environment, enabling delightful and engaging experiences that simplify user interactions, provide assistance, and help users to better understand themselves.