Google competes with Apple with Bluetooth beacon "Eddystone"

The "Eddystone" beacon system, named after the famous British lighthouse off the coast of Cornwall, was presented on the Google blog for software developers. The Bluetooth transmitters ("beacons") spread radio signals that are picked up by smartphones and processed in apps. Apple introduced its "iBeacons" standard two years ago, which is used in large baseball stadiums in the USA, for example, to navigate visitors to their seats or to the fan store. Retailers such as Macy's or restaurant chains such as McDonald's and Starbucks use the beacons to alert customers to special offers or other promotions. In contrast to Apple, Google publishes its beacon software under an open source license, thus enabling it to be used on various platforms. While the Apple solution essentially consists of transmitting a specific serial number (UUID), the Google solution can also transmit web addresses (URLs). This allows advertisements or information to be displayed in the web browser without users having to install an app to utilize the beacon signals. (SDA)