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Will sports help Apple win the indoor location market?

November 25, 2013 by 2 Comments

ibeacon

A few months ago Apple, Major League Baseball and the New York Mets showed off iBeacon, a technology that is embedded in Apple’s iOS 7 operating system and how it can be used for indoor location services.

If you are not too familiar with iBeacon that is not surprising, Apple really has not publicized the technology that much since it was rolled out as part of the iOS7 release last September. It is an indoor positioning system that is designed to enable a facility to push notifications, coupons and other material to enabled iOS mobile devices. It is built around a low powered version of Bluetooth technology and has the advantage of being very precise and essentially serves as an indoor GPS, but with a much greater degree of accuracy.

The advantages for a sporting facility are obvious. It can track where a user is and send them discount coupons when they are in front of a souvenir shop or a two for one hot dog offer when they are at the food stands. Facilities can see where fans visit and where they do not and customize both their offers to the fans, and the layout of the retail outlets to better meet fans usage models.

It is no surprise that MLB’s Advanced Media group, which has been very aggressive in delivering apps that both engage fans when they are in attendance and when they are not, would be interested in this technology. It has the potential to help increase sales while also enabling fans to take an unescorted but informative tour of ballparks such as Fenway and hear all of the history of the park.

After that announcement it seemed the technology fell off the radar but last week Macy’s said that it will use the technology to send alerts to shoppers when they enter stress over the holiday season at select stores via an app called Shopkick.

Apple delivered its own version of maps a while ago and emerged with egg on its face as the maps were in some cases very inaccurate and rival Google and others made fun of Apple’s efforts. A shakeup later Apple seems to have the map app working well and according to this piece from Mobile Marketer Apple has taken 23 million users from Google in the maps space, but still trails Google’s impressive lead in that space.

However indoor is a different area and Apple could be heading to a lead there, in part because of the effort by sports leagues to add enhanced networking capabilities to their facilities. In addition they have a great deal of familiarity developing for Apple’s platform as apps for Apple’s iOS are often the first to appear for sports leagues and fans can already use them to locate hot dog stands and swap seats, among other uses. An app that does significantly more would simply fit in with the fans already established mindset of using a mobile device to assist them in a facility.

Fans can get upset with the lack of access at a stadium when using a mobile device and all major US sports leagues are expanding and enhancing their Wi-Fi networks. Since teams want a return on investment aside from fan satisfaction this presents them with a solid opportunity.

I suspect that come next year we will be seeing an influx of apps not just from Apple developers but also Android and Windows 8 seeking to take advantage of the new networking and connectivity capabilities of stadiums and it will be interesting to track which ones are using indoor positioning as a feature since it certainly appears to present a solid advantage to its users.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, Baseball, Boston Red Sox, DAS, iOS 7, iPhone, Live sports via mobile, Major League Baseball, NBA, NFL, Smartphone, Social Media, Sports Social Media, Windows 8 Tagged With: , , , , ,

TigerLogic seeks to drive fan engagement via social media

November 1, 2013 by 1 Comment

tiger

TigerLogic is charging into the collegiate sport scene with its social media platform Postano (meaning, ‘to post’ in Italian) a set of tools that will enable the school’s athletic departments to use fans’ social media posts to help promote the sports and school.

The company has already landed its platform at a number of schools, and at least one pro basketball team as well. Its customers see Postano as a way to engage fans not only at the events but in-between games as well. Among the early adopters are the University of Oregon and Arizona State University.

Postano is a flexible tool that can be adjusted to meet a school’s needs, according to the company. The goal is to enable schools to be able to present their teams in exactly the way they want them presented, down to the correct colors if somebody wants to paint their face school colors, said Tom O’Keefe, TigerLogic’s senior vice president of Social and Mobile.

The idea is pretty simple on the face of it: The company can provide a package of technology that allows the school to collect, curate and rebroadcast social media including posts from Instagram, Facebook, Vive and Twitter. They can be text, photos or video or combinations of these types of content.

Under Postano, the schools can create a media command center and then after the collection of the data they can display it in a variety of ways including on stadium scoreboards, or on displays set up for the purpose. Fans can see their own social conversations being broadcast while at the events. At the same time the schools can get a feel for the mood of the fan base by reviewing what is going on in the social media world.

Postano has created set packages specifically for college sports that include access to the following options: The Postano Social Hub, Postano Command Center, Postano Mobile and Postano Events and Social wall. It also will create customized features for its customers. The mobile platform supports both Apple’s iOS and the Android operating system.

One of the challenges that its technology faces is the inability of some stadiums to support large volumes of social media. Users can flood the grid bringing it to a halt. It does no good to try and engage fans if they cannot get a connection to post data.

While most major athletic conferences have signed away broadcasting and some digital media rights, the use of social media was not covered in these deals, and TigerLogic believes that this will be a major growth market for the company as schools use the media to further engage fans, O’Keefe said.

Filed Under: 4G LTE, Android, Apple, Apps, DAS, Facebook, Instagram, iOS 7, Sports Social Media, Sports Social Media Data, Twitter Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Microsoft beats Apple to market with latest generation tablets

October 23, 2013 by 1 Comment

winpro

Microsoft has unveiled its newest lineup of Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets at the same time as Apple but unlike Apple, which will not ship for several weeks, Microsoft will have its tablets ready for market now.

The Surface 2 (the renamed Surface RT) and the Surface Pro 2 both underwent some major adjustments as second generation products, with many of the alterations shared by both platforms. They both have longer battery life, enhanced display resolution and more processing power.

The Surface 2 features an Nvidia Tegra 4 processor, which has helped it double its battery life to 10 hours. The tablet has an upgraded display that has a 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD display now renders 1080p video.

The USB 2.0 port has been upgraded to USB 3.0, its camera resolution has also increased, with a 3.5-megapixel front camera and 5-megapixel rear camera. The Surface 2 is available in 32GB and 64GB configurations and starts at $449.

It should be noted that the Surface 2 is designed to run a version of Windows 8.1 RT so that older Windows apps will most likely not work on the platform and a user would need to purchase all new apps from the Microsoft Windows Store.

The Surface Pro 2, which runs the standard Windows 8.1 operating system and is generally backwardly compatible with older Windows apps is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, which along with other changes will provide a longer battery life than the first generation. It has a 10.6-inch 1920 x 1080- display.

The Surface Pro 2 comes in 64GB and 128GB versions with 2GB f RAM starting at $899 and with 4GB of RAM and in 256GB and 512GB configurations with 8GB of RAM for power users.

Microsoft has continued to aim the Surface family at the business professional with the Surface Pro 2 and at the home consumer with the Surface 2, positioning both as more than simply tablets but as full desktop replacements and has expanded the accessories that are available for the tablets so that the needs of both markets are met.

There are keyboard covers for both tablets, as in the past but the neat change is that they are now backlit so that a sure could type in the dark if they wanted. The Touch Cover starts at $120 and the Type Cover at $130. They are sold separately from the tablets. Next year a $200 Power Cover, that includes a built-in battery will also be added to the lineup.

The two tablets also come with some limited time offers as well. Customers who purchase either device will receive one year of free Skype calling to landlines, unlimited Skype Wi-Fi on their Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2 for one year, and 200 GB of free SkyDrive storage for two years.

In the last year Microsoft has made some headway in the tablet space and it seems as the market continues to fracture into additional segments its position as a desktop replacement, with its high capacity storage capabilities, will help create a distinct personality for its products. One question it will face is will its OEMs stay on board if they are competing with Microsoft?

Filed Under: Amazon, Android, Apple, Apps, iOS, iOS 7, iPad, Microsoft, Surface, Tablets, Windows 8 Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Apple delivers a range of new tablets, OS and computers

October 22, 2013 by 2 Comments
Photo via Gizmode

Photo via Gizmodo

As expected Apple delivered new iPad tablets, a new version of its personal computer operating system and updated its desktop and portable computer line while taking a new road on software updates for its PC lineup.

The latest generation iPad now has a new name, iPad Air, and it comes in thinner, by 20% over older versions, and lighter, at 1 lb vs. the 1.4 the old version tipped the scales at. It is powered by the recently introduced A7 chip, that also powers its latest iPhone 5S as well as featuring the M7 chip for motion sensing. Among its new features are dual microphones for better audio capture and MIMO for better wireless connectivity.

They will be available in either Silver/White or Space Gray/Black with the starting price for a Wi-Fi only 16GB model at $499 and with cellular at $629 and they will be available Nov. 1. The iPad 2 will continue being sold for $399.

The iPad mini also come in for a rebuild, and will also now be powered by the A7 processor and have MIMO antennas for better connectivity. The big new feature for the mini is an upgrade to the higher definition retina display, giving its 7.9-inch display 2048 x 1536 resolution. The price of the original iPad mini will drop $30 to $299 while the new models will start at $399 and will be available sometime next month.

It has been three and a half years since Apple delivered the iPad to very mixed reviews, where people made fun of the name and questioned if tablets would have staying power considering their poor performance in the past.

It has become cliché to say the tablet market is heating up. It is now hot when local grocery stores and book stores now offer some form of tablet. The market has grown rapidly from one where eReaders were considered pioneering to one where people ponder if they need a third tablet for home. Apple said that it has sold over 170 million and there are 470,000 apps for the platform.

The market research firm Pew Internet has recently reported that 34% of U.S. adults own a tablet, and that number grows to 43% when you count in the ones that own an eReader. This represents a 10% jump in ownership in 1 year.

On the operating system side Apple showed Mavericks, the latest updated desktop and portable computer OS, replacing OSX. It comes with 20 improved or new apps including iBooks and Maps. One interesting app is iCloud Keychain that saves and synchs passwords with credit cards.

The OS supports more memory for graphics means better game support and performance and extended support for integrated graphics. Computers sold from 2007 and forward can support the operating system.

There are plenty of enhancements in the new OS but the one that might grab the most notice is its price: it’s free. This will be an interesting move. Microsoft traditionally made a good deal of money selling upgrades. Then Google came along and subsidized its Android OS via ads.

It also updated its MacBook Pro with faster graphics, longer battery life and faster flash storage and retina displays. They start at $1,299 while the 12-core professional level Mac Pro was also updated and it starts at $2,999.

Filed Under: Amazon, Android, Apple, Apps, Google, iOS 7, iPad, iPhone, OSX, Smartphone, Tablets Tagged With: , , , , ,

Nike delivers new FuelBand and a developers program

October 15, 2013 by 3 Comments

nikeret

With the original introduction of the Nike + FuelBand last year users were presented with a tool that enabled them to track their activities and monitor their exercise of a daily, hourly or even by the second basis.

However active and inactive users learned that the system could be gamed and you could increase your ratings by doing such activities as punching the air. It also fell down on some activities that while strenuous, simply did not register, such as yoga.

Now Nike has come out with a new generation of FuelBands, the Nike + FuelBand SE that not only address the flaws in the first generation but have enhanced features that help you monitor additional activities and even count calories when you are inactive, such as when sleeping.

At a press event in New York that sometimes resembled a calisthenics class the company showed off the latest technology and ran it through its paces, with an assist from some of the more energetic members of the audience.

The company took all of the data that it had accumulated over the past year to fine tune its algorithms that are the heart of the monitoring program and to improve its measurement and tracking capabilities. The band uses Bluetooth 4 technology to connect to the related Nike+ FuelBand app.

The band comes with features that are designed to help motivate you to be active including one called “Win the Hour” that tracks each hour’s total movement that features built-in reminders. Then there is “Fuel Rate” that helps you see how much fuel is being earned. The bands have color coded signals to let you know where you rate. There are others such as “Milestones”, “Nike + Move” app and more.

Nike is also looking to expand the ecosystem of the FuelBand by teaming with developers that will use the NikeFuel APIs in a program called the Nike + Fuel Lab, an enhanced version of what it had been doing with its Nike + Accelerator program.

A downside to the band is there is no apparent Android support as of yet. Android users will have to go to the company’s web site for tracking and information purposes. It does support Apple’s operating system. iOS 7.

The Nike+ FuelBand SE is available for preorder now and will be available beginning Nov. 6 in the current Nike+ FuelBand countries of U.S., Canada, and the UK and for the first time in France, Germany and Japan. The Nike+ FuelBand SE will launch in Black and the Sport Pack colors of Volt, Pink Foil or Total Crimson priced at $149.

Filed Under: Amazon, Android, Apple, Apps, iOS, iOS 7, Nike Tagged With: , , , , ,

Friday Grab Bag: MLB Looks at iBeacon

September 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

In the last few weeks Microsoft has been very good at starting rumors with its vague comments about potential new directions and the latest is that it might be looking at delivering a Phablet that runs the unpopular Windows RT operating system.

As reported by Slash Gear, Microsoft vice president Terry Myerson speaking at the company’s financial analyst meeting last week said that the distinction between a phone and a tablet is blurring and that has seen the growth of the Phablet space.

Google’s Balloon idea about to pop?
Much has been made about Google’s plan to launch a series of balloons to provide Wi-Fi-around the globe in an effort called Project Loon. Now Per Lindstrand has come out against the program calling it ‘a waste of time.’

If you are unfamiliar with Lindstrand he was Richard Branson’s partner as they sought to fly a balloon around the world. He said that he expects the balloons to eventually all gather at the North or South Pole.

MLB gives iBeacon a trial run
One of the features in Apple’s recently released iOS 7 operating system is something called iBeacon. It is a technology that is designed to address the shortcomings that GPS suffers from when used indoors.

Now MLB has demonstrated the potential of the technology for use at ballgames and has the potential to bring fans to within 10 feet of their destination, not within the ½ mile that is how much a GPS can be off. No word yet if it will incorporate it in its At the Ballpark app, but keep an eye out next season.

Wall Street misses on Apple iPhone sales
The day that Apple released its latest generation iPhones the naysayers were out in force. The company has lost its mojo, CEO Cook is not inventive enough, the new phones are a dud and on and on as the stock, which had soared prior to the rollout started to sink.

The market put sales of the new phones in the 6 to 7.5 million range and just a week later Apple is breaking the 10 million unit barrier and phones are on backorder. In addition the company told Wall Street to expect quarterly earnings to be at the high end of the range it had previously announced. Mojo rising I guess.

Intel invests in Google Glass rival
Recon Instruments, which has been making wearable technology for some time has announced that Intel has come on board as a significant investor, although the sum has not been revealed. Recon makes Heads-up Displays for sports.

Recon has a number of partners including Oakley and has been shipping, and selling the devices at a number of outlets worldwide, including Apple Stores. Recon said that so far it has shipped over 50,000 devices.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 ship date set from Sprint
Sprint has announced that it will be shipping the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on Oct. 4. So fans of the very popular phone can start getting in line soon. The real good news for many will be that it comes with an Unlimited Data Guarantee for life.

Filed Under: Amazon, Android, Apple, Apps, Baseball, Google, Intel, Intel Capital, iOS, iOS 7, iPhone, Major League Baseball, Microsoft, Surface, Windows 8 Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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