iBeacon gaining ground with Hudson's Bay, Lord & Taylor, Monk, and Hilton rollouts

Apple's iBeacon proximity sensor and communication technology is picking up steam as various retails stores are starting to deploy the technology to reach out to users of iOS devices and push opt-in updates on sales, rebates and other store and product-related information. Lord & Taylor (sister company of Hudson's Bay) and German restaurant group Monk as well as the Hilton group of hotels are going to rollout the technology soon. 

The Hudson's Bay is working with iBeacon provider Swirl on a system that will deliver location-aware content to its outlets. The initial rollout will target a number of Lord & Taylor and Hudson's Bay locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, including the flagship Hudson's Bay store in Toronto.  

Click to read more ...

Apple's iBeacon hardware revealed in FCC application

Apple's iBeacon technology allows for low-powered transmitters to recognize nearby devices and push localized information. This is useful for retailers or business owners wanting to reach out to customers to push sales and product information. Various third party manufacturers have built iBeacon devices but it looks like Apple is stepping in and looking to create their own line of iBeacon optimized hardware. An FCC application revealed Apple might be considering its own iBeacon devices and while there's no indication this will be made available to to the consumer market, some analysts are seeing the potential of using iBeacons for the connected home via Apple's HomeKit which is their framework for controlling and communicating with connected devices. iBeacon has been kept generally under wraps even if the use of these devices is becoming widespread.

Retailers like Best Buy, Crate & Barrel, JCPenney, Old Navy, Sports Authority, Target and others are said to be testing the implementation of iBeacons, which are optimized for iPhones but will also work with other smartphones, albeit in a limited capacity.

Source: Appleinsider

Apple offers FREE Summer Camp Workshop for Kids

Apple has official started registration for free summer camp workshops for kids. Parents can registered their kids (ages 8 to 12) for three-days of workshop fun bringing their imaginations to life. Kids will learn to interact with technology by making movies or creating interactive books complete with their own illustrations and sound effects. Each workshop ends with the Apple Camp Showcase that features their finished projects.

Stories in Motion with iMovie: campers will learn to create their own movies using storyboard ideas, shoot videos, create an original soundrack in GarageBand and then edit it all together in iMovie.

Interactive Storytelling withiBooks: campers will create their own interactive books by using their own illustrations drawn on the iPad, then add their own sound effects using iBooks Author on a Mac.

The workshops take place at various Apple Stores and are completely free. Kids do not need to bring anything but themselves. This is one of the many youth programs that Apple offers. 

To register, parents should visit www.apple.ca/retail/camp 

Camps run across Canada between July 4th to August 1st, 2014. 

Tulip Retail to make shopping smarter using store associate tablet solutions

Retail is undergoing massive change, thanks in part to the portable connectivity and ease of use of tablets like the iPad. Retail software specialists Tulip Systems are broadening the options for retailers using Product, Customer, Knowledge Library, and Mobile POS modules give store associates informed and consistent omnichannel access from anywhere in the store. This means quick and efficient information on customer preferences, products that go well together and various resources for product information that can elevate the retail experience from both ends of the floor. All of this done in a well designed and easy to use touch interface. Check it out here.