Target launches Bluetooth beacon pilot program in 50 stores
Bluetooth beacons are already helping London’s visually-impaired subway riders navigate the Tubes, now they’re going to help shoppers find great deals at their local Target stores. The retailer recently announced that it is implementing a pilot beacon program in 50 of its stores. These beacons will send push notifications to shoppers phones whenever they browse within range of the device, similar to the Tips system that Facebook is working on.
In order to keep this system from spamming customers, Target is requiring that shoppers first download and install the Target iOS app (an Android version is in development), then actively opt-in to receive the notifications. What’s more, the system is designed to push a maximum of just two notifications per shopping trip with the rest of the deals appearing in the app itself. That way customers can get the maximum number of deals without becoming overwhelmed. Future iterations will reportedly feature the ability to resort your shopping list as you browse so that you won’t have to retrace your steps to finish your shopping.
Stores in Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, New York City, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle have all been selected to participate. Target will reportedly use data gathered from this pilot to fine tune the program ahead of a nationwide rollout around the Holidays. Target did admit to TechCrunch that it plans to harvest user data to “understand shopping trends and preferences.” Given that Target was recently hacked, it will be interesting to see how many shoppers will be willing to not only share their data with the company but also tool around its stores with their Bluetooth radios on.
[Image Credit: Getty Images]
Filed under:
Internet, Apple, Google, Facebook
Via:
TechCrunch
Source:
Target
Tags: Android, apple, beacon, Bluetooth, commerce, facebook, google, ios, pilot, retail, shopping, Target
12-Inch MacBook Now Available in Apple Retail Stores via Personal Pickup
Nearly four months after release, the new 12-inch MacBook is starting to become available for personal pickup in Apple Stores in the United States. Previously, some stores have had sporadic stock for walk-in customers, but it now appears that stock is substantial enough for Apple to offer personal pickup.
The personal pickup option isn’t universal yet however, with only select configurations at select stores being available. For example, the 256 GB Silver MacBook is not available for personal pickup in New York, NY while the 256 GB Space Gray is widely available.
While some Apple Stores and Best Buys have had sporadic stock for walk-ins, most Apple Stores around the world have only had the unit on display. In the MacRumors’ forums, users have been reporting which stores around the world have had the new MacBook on display, whether they were available to purchase or not and how many units they had left in stock.
The MacBook is currently showing shipping estimates of at least 1 – 2 weeks when ordered online. Comparatively, both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are showing shipping estimates of at least 1 business day.
Pricing for the 12-inch MacBook starts at $1,299 for the entry-level model with 256 GB of storage while the higher-end model starts at $1,599 with 512 GB of storage and a slightly faster dual-core Intel Core M processor.
Apple job listing hints that “exciting new mobile products” are coming to Android
The days in which Apple completely neglects Android’s existence are coming to an end. This fall, Apple Music will be streaming on Android devices. Still shocked by that, right? And it doesn’t seem like Apple is stopping there. A job listing posted earlier this week shows that the company is seeking software engineers to develop Android apps.
More specifically, Apple is looking for people that will help bring “new mobile products” to Google’s platform.
The job listing is rather vague, but Apple is demanding a lot of experience and “broad experience” in Android development in particular.
What do you think is coming to Android — iMessage, Safari, iTunes? Be sure to drop a comment below with your prediction.
Come comment on this article: Apple job listing hints that “exciting new mobile products” are coming to Android
Custom $3,100 Apple Watch celebrates famed Russian leaders
If Lenin weren’t so pickled, he’d be rolling over in his display case at the sight of Caviar’s limited-edition luxury Apple Watch Epoca. The company has unveiled three unique designs for the new Epoca line. Each costs about $3,100 and celebrates one of three famed Russian leaders: Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Lenin and Peter the Great. The watches come replete with either leather or Milanese link bracelets, as well as engravings of Lenin’s mausoleum or Putin’s signature. Heck, you can even get the old Soviet logo on the crown — because if anything represents the failures of Russian Communism, it’s a custom-designed Apple Watch sporting the Hammer and Sickle that costs ten times more than its base model.
Source:
Business Insider
Tags: accessories, apple, AppleWatch, band, lenin, peterthegreat, putin, russia, watches
Apple Seeds Third OS X 10.10.5 Yosemite Beta to Developers
Apple today seeded the third beta of OS X 10.10.5 to developers, nearly one week after seeding the second 10.10.5 beta and more than a month after releasing OS X 10.10.4 to the public.
Today’s beta, build 14F25a, can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store or through the Apple Developer Center.
The first OS X 10.10.5 beta did not appear to include any consumer-facing changes, so it’s likely that this update focuses on behind-the-scenes bug fixes and performance enhancements.
Because we’re just a couple of months away from the public release of OS X 10.11 El Capitan, OS X 10.10.5 will likely be one of the last updates to Yosemite, designed to prepare the operating system for its imminent retirement. It will, of course, continue to get bug fixes and minor repairs even after El Capitan’s release to patch security flaws and fix other issues.
Over the course of its lifespan, OS X Yosemite has received four updates. The first two brought bug fixes and security improvements, while OS X 10.10.3, the most significant update to Yosemite, introduced the new Photos app, Force Touch APIs, new emoji features, and more.
OS X 10.10.4, the current version of OS X Yosemite, introduced multiple bug fixes and under-the-hood performance improvements, including the removal of the problematic Discoveryd process.
Apple Updates TestFlight App With Support for iOS 9, watchOS 2 Features
Apple today updated its TestFlight beta testing platform and app for iOS to add support for upcoming iOS 9 and watchOS 2 features, letting developers begin internal testing on beta features through Apple’s official app testing platform.
iOS 9 and watchOS 2 introduce a range of new features that will improve apps on both the Apple Watch and the iPhone. With iOS 9 support for TestFlight, developers can now begin experimenting with features like App Thinning, which optimizes apps for specific devices to cut down on install size.
With App Thinning enabled, apps will install faster, launch faster, and will take up less space on a device. An iPhone app, for example, won’t need to download unnecessary content designed for the iPad.
watchOS 2 support in TestFlight means developers can begin installing and working with the first native apps for the Apple Watch. Native apps are run entirely on the Apple Watch and should speed up app launch times and performance.
Today’s update does not include support for the external testing of iOS 9 and watchOS 2 apps, which means developers cannot yet provide apps with iOS 9 and watchOS 2 features to external beta test groups.
This update adds support for testing upcoming iOS 9 features — including watchOS 2 apps and App Thinning.
Testers can now choose how to receive update notifications for each app they are testing. Also, watchOS 2 beta apps will install automatically when the “Automatic Downloads” setting is turned on in the Apple Watch app.
For those unfamiliar with TestFlight, it’s Apple’s iOS beta testing platform, designed to let developers recruit beta testers for their apps to work out bugs ahead of releasing apps to the public. Apple acquired TestFlight from Burstly in February of 2014 and relaunched the service alongside iOS 8 as an iOS-integrated testing platform.
TestFlight can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Apple will patch the DYLD bug in its next OS X release
Apple will patch the dangerous DYLD “privilege escalation” bug in its next OS release, Mac OS X 10.10.5, The Guardian reports. The DYLD bug allows a program to run with administrator access but without requiring an admin-level password. And unlike the Thunderstrike 2 worm, which has already been partially patched, the DYLD bug has been both spotted in the wild and remains unaddressed at this time.
[Image Credit: the Associated Press]
Source:
The Guardian
Tags: apple, bugs, DYLD, infection, privilegeescalation, security, Thunderstrike2
Target Begins Testing Beacon-Based Deals and Recommendations in 50 Stores
Target this morning announced that it would begin testing beacon technology in 50 of its stores in Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, New York City, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle (via Buzzfeed and TechCrunch). The company plans to use the technology to send deals and customized recommendations to customers who opt-in to get the notifications within the Target iOS app [Direct Link].
After users download the app and turn on notifications and Bluetooth, the beacon technology will discover where customers are within each Target location and send out subsequent push notifications regarding items in their nearby vicinity. Target promises that it will keep beacon alerts to a maximum of two per shopping trip. The company says the current plan is to “adapt and enhance” the service following the 50-store roll out, then introduce it to other locations sometime later in the year.
During Target’s testing period, capabilities are limited to surfacing deals and recommendations based on what section of the store a customer is in: A two-for-one deal on Tylenol pops up when a shopper hits the pharmacy, or a recipe for banana bread appears while walking through the fresh fruit section. Target has plans to add features like reorganizing a shopping list based on the most efficient route through the store, and pushing a reminder if you forgot anything on that list once you hit the checkout line, but these will not be available at launch.
Target hopes that the Bluetooth-enabled technology will be welcomed by customers, thankful of its ability to keep them in the loop of weekly deals — courtesy of a bit of synergy with the company’s Cartwheel coupon app [Direct Link] — in addition to acting as a hub and guide in their shopping experience. The beacon technology will even gather data from third-party apps, letting users know what clothes and shoes near them in the store are currently trending on Pinterest, for example.
Apple has its own spin on the beacon technology, iBeacons, that it’s rolled out in all of its brick-and-mortar retail stores across the country. Like Target’s plan, the App Store app provides customers with nearby notifications of accessories to purchase and even local store events that may be occurring. Last year, the company tested the technology in small scale retail store locations like American Eagle and even at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Pei Wei Restaurants Begin Accepting Apple Pay
Asian-inspired fast-casual restaurant Pei Wei today announced that it has begun offering its customers access to Apple Pay at all of its nearly 200 locations across the United States. Pei Wei CEO Ralph Bower notes an ease-of-use and convenience in using Apple’s contactless payments system that ties in nicely with the restaurant’s fast-casual atmosphere.
“Accepting Apple Pay is a win for Pei Wei because it’s convenient and gives our guests the flexibility to use their preferred method of payment,” said Pei Wei CEO Ralph Bower. “It allows us to safely and quickly process transactions, increasing both customer service and restaurant efficiency. This is just one way we’re implementing the latest technology to improve the dining experience.”
The company began testing Apple Pay in sixteen of its locations around the Phoenix area in July, and proceeded to launch full Apple Pay support in all of its restaurants nationwide yesterday on August 4. Pei Wei prepared for the partnership with Apple by investing in a company-wide implementation of “new payment terminals, pin pad devices and point-to-point encryption.” Apple Pay continues to expand not only in the United States but in the United Kingdom as well, launching full support for a handful of UK-based banks and more than 250,000 merchant locations over the summer.
Google and AT&T join in Apple iMessage lawsuit
After users discovered Apple’s iMessage platform contained an alleged “bug” that prevented users from receiving some text messages after switching to an Android phone, some former Apple customers filed a lawsuit alleging Apple’s actions were illegal. Apple has been fighting off the claims, mostly in secret, even as they launched a tool to help customers make the transition from iPhones to Android smartphones. The stakes may have ratcheted up a bit recently as both Google and AT&T have filed motions with the federal courts to access materials being filed during the lawsuit’s discovery phase.
AT&T’s involvement is noteworthy as previous reports from Apple and AT&T employees have claimed Android phones were returned by customers so they could go back to an iPhone after trying to switch. Depending on how well this can be proved, Apple could be facing some additional claims related to interfering with the market and consumer protections. Thus far the claimants in the lawsuit are focused on showing Apple accessed text messages improperly or illegally and violated laws like the Stored Communications Act and the Federal Wiretap Act.
Court watchers have noted the tech giants have specifically requested an email sent to CEO Tim Cook on April 28, 2013, amongst a group of internal communications. The list of individuals who have provided affidavits, depositions or other information includes lots of engineers and software experts and these are the individuals Google and AT&T are focused on thus far, suggesting the companies are not only seeking to figure out who knew what and when, but technically how Apple was identifying and stopping messages intended for Android phone users.
source: Business Insider
Come comment on this article: Google and AT&T join in Apple iMessage lawsuit
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