Google has announced that the much anticipated support for Bluetooth beacons will arrive on version 49 of Chrome’s iteration for Android. With support for Bluetooth beacons, the device can broadcast info based on your location.
This technology could specifically be employed to benefit commuters who can get specific updates of public transportation based on their location. With the version 49 scheduled to arrive on Android smartphones, users can make use of this interactive IoT based technology that has been in the talk for quite some time.
Google had already launched a miniature version of this technology on Chrome for iOS last year, but for it to work, the technology relied on a small widget placed on an iPhone’s home screen. With Chrome’s Android version though, the technology will be fully integrated into the Android OS.
To implement this technology, various low-energy Bluetooth beacons are being installed around the world and with this upcoming version of Chrome, Android smartphones can scan and connect with these beacons seamlessly.
The technology has been named as Eddystone by Google. Once the beta testing stage of the latest version of Chrome culminates, the version 49 will identify nearby beacons around an Android device. When a beacon is identified, the user is notified through a pop-up. Now, the user has to enable what is being called as Physical Web on the device. With the feature enabled, a list of beacons will be listed on the smartphone.
The Physical Web helps users discover URLs relevant to their surroundings via Eddystone bluetooth low-energy beacons. Last year, Chrome for iOS took an initial step in supporting the Physical Web, and the community has already begun exploring promising applications. Starting in version 49, Chrome for Android will also surface Physical Web content, making these experiences available to an even larger audience,
stated Google on its blog.
Apple has a similar feature, which it calls as iBeacons, but apart from this the technology has not really taken off full stream. Various Bluetooth beacons have already been installed in various public places including shopping malls and showrooms, where users can use the technology to navigate around.
One such Bluetooth beacons manufacturing firm called Radius Networks, recently deployed 1,500 beacons at the Consumer Electronics Show 2016 to help visitors navigate showrooms.
