The Next Version of the Bluetooth® Core Specification has been adopted!

Bluetooth_CM_ColorBlack2 years of work with contributions from 47 working group members representing 22 member companies. That’s what it took to create the latest version of the Bluetooth Core Specification—Bluetooth 5, which was officially adopted on 6 December 2016.

With up to 4x the range, 2x the speed and 8x the broadcasting message capacity, the enhancements of Bluetooth 5 focus on increasing functionality for the Internet of Things (IoT). The improvements to advertising extensions allow more efficient use of broadcasting channels on the increasingly crowded 2.4 Ghz band, enabling richer connectionless solutions. For mobile phone developers creating the next generation of devices, the update to slot availability masks can detect and prevent interference on neighboring bands to improve coexistence and interoperability in a global environment. On top of all this, building products with Bluetooth 5 will support even better interoperability, as the team has incorporated over 440 performance fixes and enhancements.

“Bluetooth is revolutionizing how people experience the IoT. Bluetooth 5 continues to drive this revolution by delivering reliable IoT connections and mobilizing the adoption of beacons, which in turn will decrease connection barriers and enable a seamless IoT experience. This means whole-home and building coverage, as well as new use cases for outdoor, industrial, and commercials applications will be a reality. With the launch of Bluetooth 5, we continue to evolve to meet the needs of IoT developers and consumers while staying true to what Bluetooth is at its core; the global wireless standard, secure, connectivity.” Mark Powell, executive director, Bluetooth SIG.

Bluetooth 5 will transform the way people experience the IoT, making it more relevant, beneficial, and effortless. We can’t wait to see what you’ll create for the future of the IoT.

Learn more about Bluetooth 5

Consumer Awareness and Preference of Bluetooth® Technology at All-Time High

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Bluetooth ready to deliver on consumer interest for IoT and beyond

A recent survey conducted by Lux Insights, Inc. puts consumer awareness of Bluetooth wireless technology at 92 percent globally, with 62 percent of respondents reporting a purchasing preference for Bluetooth enabled products, noting Bluetooth is reliable, easy to use, and makes life easier. The proliferation and success of Bluetooth captured the imagination of the consumer, leading to increased demand for unique wireless applications, most notably home automation, location-based services, personal monitoring and tracking, and remote access control. Industry analyst ABI Research projects that over three billion Bluetooth enabled products will ship this year alone.

“Bluetooth delivers a connection that just works for consumers globally, whether they are listening to music or tracking their steps. This has led to a shift in expectations of what connectivity can be,” said Errett Kroeter, vice president of marketing for the Bluetooth SIG. “Consumers are looking to experience that same convenience and connectivity in all aspects of their lives and we are consciously building the technology to deliver these effortless connections.”

Demand for IoT connectivity is focused in areas where consumers need additional control and insight. Respondents reported the highest interest in location awareness applications (solutions that aid first responders in emergency situations or aid navigation in public spaces and buildings), home automation (controlling lighting, locks, temperature from inside and outside of the home), and personal monitoring (securing monitoring and sending sensitive health and wellness data).

Kroeter added, “The Bluetooth technology roadmap specifically addresses consumer interest in new applications for wireless technology. Better still, many of the applications they are most interested in are available today. Bluetooth enabled beacons currently allow for city navigation in multiple locations; Bluetooth hubs can sync connected home devices and give users control through an internet gateway; Bluetooth moved the sports and fitness market from niche to mainstream in less than two years. All of these exemplify our vision of creating an unthinkably connected world that makes life simpler and establishing an IoT that is accessible to everyone.”

Additional key findings:

  • On average, consumers now own almost four Bluetooth enabled products (increased from 2.7 in 2012)
  • Bluetooth awareness has increased six percent since 2012 (92 percent in 2016, 87 percent in 2012)
  • Bluetooth usage has increased 32 percent since 2012 (78 percent in 2016, 59 percent in 2012)
  • Nearly two thirds of consumers prefer Bluetooth in their new technology purchases

Regional breakdown of survey findings will be covered athttp://blog.bluetooth.com. For additional information on Bluetooth technology, visit www.bluetooth.com.

Sensors Increase Live Births & Farm Profitability

home-left-right-image-2It’s refreshing to see how beacons and sensors are evolving in market sectors that are mostly invisible to the general public, but have far-reaching impact on specialized industries. And one such application that we love here at Beacon Blog is the creation of Moocall.

Moocall noninvasively hooks onto the tail of a pregnant cow (unlike more invasive cow birthing monitors) and sends a text message to the farmer when the cow’s about an hour away from giving birth. It was designed to free farmers from keeping vigil over pregnant cows and to help increase live births and farm profitability. The device, which the company says can be shared among 50 to 60 cows, uses 3-D motion sensors, algorithms, and an embedded roaming M2M SIM card that claims it can pick up even weak network signals.

After losing a heifer and her calf back in 2010, Niall Austin, one of the founders of Moocall, came up with the idea of using sensors to monitor births and alert farmers when cows are in labor.

“The heifer was calving outdoors, unfortunately the calf died, and the heifer was paralysed and ended up being put down. There was no system available that would work outdoors as well as indoors. It was a very big loss to us.”

Having realised this was a common problem, Niall researched to see if a solution could be worked out. And thus, Moocall was born. Getting the product to market has taken 3 years and a significant capital investment.

Moocall was launched commercially in January 2015 and since then thousands of units have been sold and the general reaction from customers has been phenomenal. We reckon this fantastic gadget will have far-reaching impact on farmers of the world.

For further information visit : Moocall

Bluetooth Buses in Bucharest Will Guide the Blind

iBeacon BusFive hundred buses in Romania’s capital, Bucharest, will soon receive Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons. The beacons will serve to guide blind passengers on and off buses, without the need for any assistance. So far, forty of the BLE beacons have been installed already, with the rest expected to be in place by the end of August.

How does the system work?

A visually impaired user would set up the app on his or her phone before leaving home. The phone application would then allow the user to follow whichever bus lines he or she needs to complete the trip. Each bus in this system has a unique ID in the form of an iBeacon, which alerts the phone of the visually impaired person as to the fact that the bus is arriving. The alert is sent when the iBeacon-equipped bus is 50-60 meters away from the station. Once the bus actually arrives, it will also be informed by iBeacon of the fact that there’s a blind passenger in the station. The bus will begin to beep repeatedly so as to inform the app user of its location even if there’s multiple buses in the station at the time. The beeping stops once the passenger has boarded.

BLE system will simplify travel for tens of thousands of blind in Romania.

Now, thanks to the system, tens of thousands of blind people will be able to easily access any area of Bucharest. They will be able to board, leave, and also transfer buses with ease, since the mobile app will help users find connecting buses easily. By the start of September, the whole Bluetooth system will be up and running, and available for free to anyone in Bucharest.

Who came up with and funded this program?

The program is the result of a project known as Smart Public Transport (SPT). It was organized by Onyx Beacon, provider of the bluetooth beacon technology, RATB (Bucharest’s public transportation agency), and visually impaired project coordinator Tandem Association. The SPT is one of eight projects that received funding by aVodafone Romania Foundation called “Mobile for Good.” The Mobile for Good program is meant to promote the use of mobile technology for social causes.

Read more at Clapway: http://clapway.com/2015/06/08/bluetooth-buses-in-bucharest-will-guide-the-blind-890/#ixzz3cbDTeLV1

Onset’s Bluetooth Smart Data Logger Protects the Magna Carta

Onset’s Bluetooth Smart Data Logger Protects the Magna Carta

Onset, a world leader in data loggers for building performance monitoring, today announced that the HOBO MX1101, the company’s first data logger that measures and transmits temperature and relative humidity data wirelessly to mobile devices via Bluetooth Smart technology, is helping to protect a copy of the Magna Carta.

Originally issued by England’s King John in June 1215 to prevent civil war between the king and his barons, the Magna Carta is a world-famous symbol of justice, fairness, and human rights. Having inspired and encouraged movements for freedom and constitutional government for hundreds of years, the four remaining copies have been awarded ‘Memory of the World’ status by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The best-surviving copy of the Magna Carta, currently on exhibition in Britain’s Salisbury Cathedral to commemorate the document’s 800-year anniversary, is stored in a glass display case along with an Onset HOBO MX1101 Bluetooth Temperature/Relative Humidity data logger.

“Preserving the text is of paramount importance,” said Emily Naish, Archivist at Salisbury Cathedral. “Excessive humidity can cause parchment to buckle as it tries to revert to its natural shape. The parchment can expand while the ink remains static, causing ink to lift from the text. As the room in which the Magna Carta is displayed has large glass windows, it is prone to these kinds of damaging fluctuations in humidity.”

Because the display case is sealed and protected by alarm systems, there was no way to constantly monitor temperature and humidity without going through the time-consuming and complicated process of switching off the alarms and accessing the case.

To address this issue, the Cathedral’s exhibition team installed the HOBO MX1101 data logger, purchased through Onset’s UK distributor, Tempcon Instrumentation Limited. The self-contained wireless data logger, which works with Onset’s free HOBOmobile™ app for logger setup and data management, enables staff to use a smart phone or tablet to access the environmental data at any time from a distance up to 100 feet, without having to open the display case – making the HOBO MX1101 the perfect choice for use in the restricted-access conditions of the Cathedral.

“The HOBO MX1101 is an ideal solution for us to protect such an important historical artifact as the Magna Carta,” said Naish. “It’s great that I can check the current conditions at a glance, and have the ability to access historical data without interfering with the exhibit.”

To learn more about the HOBO MX1101 Temperature/ Relative Humidity data logger, visithttp://www.onsetcomp.com/mx.

Indoor Positioning System (IPS)

Motorola RadioLocate Your Staff Indoors or Underground using existing Two-Way Radios

GPS technology has made outdoor positioning highly successful, but due to the signal attenuation caused by the construction materials of buildings and the lack of mobile signals underground, indoor positioning systems cannot rely on GPS technology.

Iknaia has developed an Indoor Positioning System (IPS) that will help you locate your staff using Bluetooth technology embedded into two-way radios and other Bluetooth enabled devices. These devices can be tracked using their Bluetooth ID, to give real-time location information on the whereabouts of your staff, anytime, anywhere.

Julia McNally, Founder of Iknaia explains, “Using Iknaia Beacons we can track and monitor workers and assets as they move around a construction site, tunnel or mine, but we can now add registered devices to our platform using their ‘always discoverable’ Bluetooth option. Clients who have already invested in two-way radios and other devices to communicate to their workers, need not invest in further tracking Beacons.”

Iknaia uses Bluetooth Smart or (Bluetooth 4.0) technology to continuously scan for any Bluetooth enabled device that repeatedly broadcasts its presence to nearby Bluetooth Detectors. The server then calculates the position and reports its whereabouts in real-time onto a web management console.

McNally continues, “This is a flexible and standardised technology allowing the ability to add any Bluetooth enabled device to be ‘discovered’.  So Smartphones, Tablets, Laptops, Two-Way Radios and DECT phones can be configured to work with our platform. Using Bluetooth wireless connectivity also won’t affect or interfere with any radio or mobile network performance”.

The benefits and opportunities provided by using Iknaia IPS are extensive, inexpensive and ever expanding.

You can contact the team at Iknaia for a free demonstration by emailing them at info@iknaia.co.uk

UriBeacon: More Disruptive than iBeacon?

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In October 2014 Google created UriBeacon, an open specification to connect Bluetooth Low power beacons to the web, an experiment they called the Physical Web.

UriBeacon could well be bigger than iBeacon in its disruptive role, providing a bridge between the physical and digital worlds.

For enterprises that can afford a web site but can’t afford a mobile app, UriBeacon brings the benefit of digital to physical convergence.

We should expect tools like WordPress and Adobe Creative Suite to extend the web publishing system to cater for UriBeacon. These offerings are in a position to tie Physical Web into the digital web publishing tools with which millions of content producers are already familiar.

GPS Business News’ Steve Statler explores why that is, how UriBeacons work and what to expect when you start browsing the Physical Web. via Google’s UriBeacon: More Disruptive than iBeacon?.

Use Bluetooth 4.0 to keep track of your Devices and Your Business Assets

bluetooth trackersOne of the challenges that business owners face is tracking inventory or assets. But with the advent of Bluetooth 4.0 you can track inventory or assets with ease and at a reasonably low cost.

These Bluetooth tracking devices can attach to almost anything such as Smartphones, tablets, laptops, briefcases and even storage keys.

Once you’ve paired the tracker with your iPhone or Android phone, these devices work by sounding an alarm when the tracker and your Laptop get separated from each other. This can be helpful if someone tries to walk off with your briefcase. But you can also set up ‘safe’ zones, such as your home or office, so your phone doesn’t start beeping every time you wandered away from your wallet. However if you did lose your wallet in the office you can open the app and press a button to make the tracker start beeping so you can then locate it.

There are several companies that provide inexpensive options to help you find your smartphone or laptop just by using a smartphone app. The cloud is more than just digital assets storage or the moving or corporate data – it can be a tool for protecting, securing and monitoring physical assets too. The Internet of  Things (IoT) is connecting people to the cloud in unique and powerful ways. Enterprise versions of some of these devices will empower businesses and help them to keep track of all their assets.

Hipkey (www.hippih.com/hipkey) For those with no inventory, but a few assets to monitor, HipKey is a good Bluetooth tracking device – keeping your tracked item connected to your iPhone. The device is aimed at consumers, but if you have a small number of devices or people and are also iPhone users, this one is fast and easy and will locate assets up to 50m. At $89.99 it is a little expensive if you have multiple items to secure. It’s currently only available with IOS app.

Sticknfind (http://www.stick-n-find.co.uk) If your business needs to go beyond tracking a couple of items, you will probably want to invest in the StickNFind sticker. These are quarter-sized stickers that come in several colours, which you can attach to anything you want to track. StickNFind also has inventory managing “Enterprise Beacons” that will help you track larger numbers of items. These keep track of inventory in real-time, increasing security and decreasing inventory time. Turn your iOS or Android devices into radar so that you can find up to 20 StickNFind marked devices in a 30-meter radius. A pack of 2 costs £49.99.

Tileapp (www.thetileapp.com) The power in the Tile app, is that you can grant access to different phones, so it would allow you to have a team of people locating a lost item. This distributed network is key for Tile: other people can’t see your tiles without permission, but if they have the app running in the background and your tile is nearby, you’ll be able to see where it is. Tiles are cool looking devices, but don’t offer as many features as some of the newer trackers. You can’t set up safe zones and there is no two-way buzzer. Worst of all, you can’t change the battery, when it dies in a year you have to throw away the entire tracker and buy another one. Compatible with both IOS and Android 4.4 Kitkat or higher. Tiles will set you back at around £22.50 each.

Protag (www.theprotag.com), have three products in this market, the G1, Elite and the Duet. Both the G1 and Elite are credit card size cards that have the unique feature of a USB charging port, which prolongs its useage, whereas the Duet runs off a small coin battery. The Duet is more aimed at consumers and comes in multiple colours. Another handy and unique function that all of the Protag products have is two way buzzers, so if you end up losing your phone, you just press the button on the locator to sound an alert on your phone. The Protag G1 is priced at £20.97, the Duet £24.90, and the Elite £66.34.

Lassotag, (www.lassotag.com), is one of the least expensive, available to buy online at only $19.99. It comes in three colours and has a range of up to 50ft with a battery life of three to six months, the larger model called the LassoTag HD, has a rechargeable battery instead. There are some unique features, for example, the app shows you the tracker’s battery life and temperature. And you can personalise the sound your phone makes when you’re too far from the tracker – even record your own voice. But no geofence and no two way communication, plus there is an annual fee for some of the features.  You can connect up to 6 Lassotags to your device. Only available on IOS.

Tintag, (www.thetintag.com), boast of being the first item tracking device with an ever- lasting battery. Whilst all the above devices either use a small coin battery which will need to be replaced every 3 months or so, the Tintag comes with a rechargeable battery. You charge it using the home base charger and after 6 hours charging it’s good for 4 months. TinTag also has an online community, (similar to Tile) so if someone finds your lost item and enters your Tintag unique id, a notification will immediately be sent to you, with the location of your item. Compatible with IOS and Android the Tintag is currently only available to purchase on the Indiegogo crowdfunding website : www.indiegogo.com/projects/tintag-the-first-rechargeable-item-tracker

TrackR, (www.trackR.com), offers ‘Crowd GPS’. None of these Bluetooth trackers have GPS, so you can’t look up their location on a map. But Tile, LassoTag and TrackR, all offer a cloud based service so that anytime someone with one of these devices walks past your lost thin, that person’s phone silently notices it and lets you know. Your phone lights up and sows the passerby’s location on a map. The concept is brilliant, but in practice they’ll need to sell a lot of the devices to make the service work properly. The TrackR has a sharp design that can also be engraved, works up to 100ft, compatible with IOS and Android as is available to pre-order on their website for $29.

Bluetooth 4.0 helps keep Construction Sites on Track

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Tracking Workers using Bluetooth 4.0

Knowing exactly where valuable tools and equipment are in “real time” can be key to a successful construction project, as can protecting employees in an industry where accidents and injury are an ever present danger.

RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology has been widely used for tracking tools, equipment, materials and there are numerous GPS tracking systems available to track the location of vehicles coming in and out of the jobsite.

However, the advent of a new technology, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Bluetooth 4.0, has emerged and has much wider uses to improve the ability of construction businesses to keep track of a much wider variety of assets even down to individual tools and log and monitor activities on site and to improve health and safety.

GPS doesn’t work indoors or underground and RFID offers limited communication, whereas BLE is easily deployable in a wider range of locations, it’s very low power and is a lot more flexible when it comes to converging technology, making it a more ‘Future Proof’ investment.

BLE has the capability to track and monitor workers and assets more accurately, with the added functionality of being able to integrate into legacy back end systems to send audio and content to connected mobile devices (approx. 80% of all recent mobile devices).  Adopted by IOS, Android and Windows operating systems, its low power and cost, as well as its robust and reliable communication means BLE is quickly becoming the technology of choice.

One such company, Iknaia (www.iknaiatracking.com), London, UK, has built a completely robust end to end solution combing BLE and Wi-Fi. Iknaia’s beacons present their location to their detectors in ‘real-time’. In addition the detectors can connect to mobile devices and send content specific to that device based on its proximity.

Julia McNally, Founder explains: “One of the difficult issues facing organisations planning to deploy new technologies is how they can all integrate and become completely interoperable with any existing and future technology. Iknaia’s solution offers a ‘future-proof’ IT environment. Our installation covers a wide range of solutions including full Wi-Fi mesh connectivity, offering public/corporate channels; Beacon scanning and detecting; integration with back end systems to push relevant content to connecting mobile devices.”

McNally continues, “in addition to tracking valuable assets we can control access to site areas, track workers location, check their health, send alerts to them, send content to their mobile devices and enable them to communicate back. BLE also enables us to add on so many extra features, such as payment systems, check-in applications, CCTV cameras and much more.”

Iknaia’s data is pushed into the cloud and presented on an easy to use online management console, optimised for all devices; PC, tablets and Smartphones.

With Apple and Google adopting beacon technology and developing applications using BLE, we’ll see a lot more uses for this technology in years to come.