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Apple Store App knows when you walk into an Apple Store

72 points by FrancescoRizzi 15y ago

Edit: thanks for the comments. I fixed the story title. I still think it's pretty 'sweet' (but not quite as 'magic' as the source title seemed to hint), but this is indeed app-specific, rather than iOS.

rvschuilenburg 15y ago
It's not iOS that knows, it's the App. That only happens when you have the app open.
- technoslut 15y ago
  If true, then that's a little disappointing. Eventually all mobile devices will do this regardless if the app is open or not.
  - daliusd 15y ago
    I might sound paranoid but some people might treat it illegal if something likes this happens if app is not open.
    - technoslut 15y ago
      It would have to be with the expressed permission of the user and not on by default. If it were on by default, the features would have to be extremely limited so as to protect user privacy. That said, there will be further issues down the road that will have to be figured out such as the gathering of location data.
      - throwaway64 15y ago
        location data is already freely gathered from pretty much every smartphone https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Skyhook_Wireless https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Skyhook_Wirel...
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
mrspeaker 15y ago
Very interesting, but I don't think it's cause for editorializing in the title. If we find it sweet, then we'll think "sweet" all by ourselves.
- mlapida 15y ago
  Don't be like that.
- raganwald 15y ago
  If the poster is gratuitously sensationalizing to get clicks, I’d also frown on it. But if the person is genuinely delighted... I’m ok with that. I’m also ok with you not being genuinely delighted. This is one of those things that is going to provoke a “wow” from some folks, a “meh” from others, and a “dystopia” from yet others again. The day my iPhone starts whispering in my ear about the daily specials when I walk by a store... That day I will not be saying “sweet!"
- MartinodF 15y ago
  Also, the title is misleading for another reason. iOS doesn't "know when you walk into an Apple Store", you have to manually open the app, which removes most of the "wow" factor IMHO.
  - smiler 15y ago
    Exactly. I can't believe the author expreses surprise that it knows which Apple Store you're in!
rauljara 15y ago
[Even though this app apparently doesn't open itself automatically] it's occurred to me before that there's a lot of potential for apps/web apps that do run automatically (after asking for permission, of course) when you get onto to a business's wifi. Menu's in restaurants, searchable maps in big department stores, bar code scanning apps for products (of course, with reviews), etc. etc. etc. -edited to add the stuff that's in brackets
- masklinn 15y ago
  This one doesn't run automatically though, from what I can read. It only works if you're using the "Apple Store" app already. The title is nonsense.
- vsl2 15y ago
  Finding a business's wifi automatically - which allows you and the business to know when you're actually in the store (or really close enough) is a really good concept. Eventually, more and more businesses will have wifi and this type of recognition (with user approval of course) could make for an accurate passive experience (i.e. don't have to take your phone out and perform actions to get benefits). Interesting possibilities...
- mikeash 15y ago
  I can see how this works in this particular case, with only Apple stores and while running a special app, but in the general case, how will they know that you're in their store and not the one next to them?
  - technoslut 15y ago
    I would assume over time that geo-location coordinates will get more accurate and that there will be an assumption of which place you frequent the most will be given priority over other apps.
  - adamjernst 15y ago
    A clever solution used by e.g. Shopkick is to play a very high-pitched sound of a certain frequency on the store sound system and pick that up with the device microphone. I don't know if Apple is using this here. I bet they're instead identifying it by store Wi-Fi, since Apple stores all have that already. But for stores without Wi-Fi, the sound system trick works well since all stores have sound systems already.
Delmania 15y ago
Well, I will get down voted for this, but it's hardly magic, nor is it something entirely new. Provided wifi is turned on, the Nook Color will automatically log into the network located within a Barnes and Nobles store, and the store app there will gain additional functionality, like the ability to access all of B&N ebooks for free. Still, this seems like a good idea for device manufacturers.
- mbesto 15y ago
  It's not entirely something new but its just one more thing that Apple is actively doing to increase customer awareness. A better user experience = success. Can you imagine walking into a Best Buy, or an IKEA and getting the same type of service. Think of the possibilities...
- ZeroGravitas 15y ago
  Ah! I'd read the other day that Nook owners could "read for free" for one hour in physical B&N locations and I couldn't figure out what kind of weird incentive that was. I pictured them being allowed to browse the physical books.
aforty 15y ago
Didn't they start doing this about 6 months ago?
tomlin 15y ago
I've been dying for something like this - but in stores like Walmart. Sometimes, it's not enough to know where "housewares" is, but where a specific product might be. I know this goes a bit beyond what Apple is doing here, but I think these types of apps are coming and hopefully sooner.
- mjbellantoni 15y ago
  I wonder if phones will ever have RFID readers in them? Then I could really see this sort of thing (and more) happening.
  - bhousel 15y ago
    That's kinda what NFC is.. Some phones are starting to have this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_field_communication http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_field_communication
  - audeyisaacs 15y ago
    I believe some phones with NFC hardware are already able to read 13.45Mhz ISO 14443 and MiFare cards. EDIT: beat by 2 minutes... http://www.nfc.cc/technology/nfc-tag-types http://www.nfc.cc/technology/nfc-tag-types
- r00fus 15y ago
  The only problem is that retail stores are designed to prevent you from getting the one thing you originally went in to get; For most retailers, the customers' convenience necessarily lowers their bottom line.
raheemm 15y ago
You know what this is going to mean right? All stores are going to launch apps like this.
middus 15y ago
At first glance, the difference "get help" vs "get support" is very confusing.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
FrancescoRizzi 15y ago
Edit: thanks for the comments. I fixed the story title. I still think it's pretty 'sweet' (but not quite as 'magic' as the source title seemed to hint), but this is indeed app-specific, rather than iOS.
phughes 15y ago
This is apparently a huge surprise to the people who've never seen the apps' page in the App Store. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apple-store/id375380948?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apple-store/id375380948?mt=8
dalore 15y ago
I bet apple knows when you walk into an app store from your mac on your wifi. I would reason they are tracking that like any other analytical data.
eddieplan9 15y ago
It would be really interesting to have similar features in find-me-a-restaurant kind of apps: help me find a restaurant, guide me to the place, then show me a customized panel to greet me, display the menu, and even allow me to order from my iPhone directly.

rvschuilenburg 15y ago

It's not iOS that knows, it's the App. That only happens when you have the app open.

technoslut 15y ago
If true, then that's a little disappointing. Eventually all mobile devices will do this regardless if the app is open or not.
- daliusd 15y ago
  I might sound paranoid but some people might treat it illegal if something likes this happens if app is not open.
  - technoslut 15y ago
    It would have to be with the expressed permission of the user and not on by default. If it were on by default, the features would have to be extremely limited so as to protect user privacy. That said, there will be further issues down the road that will have to be figured out such as the gathering of location data.
    - throwaway64 15y ago
      location data is already freely gathered from pretty much every smartphone https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Skyhook_Wireless https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Skyhook_Wirel...
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]

mrspeaker 15y ago

Very interesting, but I don't think it's cause for editorializing in the title. If we find it sweet, then we'll think "sweet" all by ourselves.

mlapida 15y ago
Don't be like that.
raganwald 15y ago
If the poster is gratuitously sensationalizing to get clicks, I’d also frown on it. But if the person is genuinely delighted... I’m ok with that. I’m also ok with you not being genuinely delighted. This is one of those things that is going to provoke a “wow” from some folks, a “meh” from others, and a “dystopia” from yet others again. The day my iPhone starts whispering in my ear about the daily specials when I walk by a store... That day I will not be saying “sweet!"
MartinodF 15y ago
Also, the title is misleading for another reason. iOS doesn't "know when you walk into an Apple Store", you have to manually open the app, which removes most of the "wow" factor IMHO.
- smiler 15y ago
  Exactly. I can't believe the author expreses surprise that it knows which Apple Store you're in!

rauljara 15y ago

[Even though this app apparently doesn't open itself automatically] it's occurred to me before that there's a lot of potential for apps/web apps that do run automatically (after asking for permission, of course) when you get onto to a business's wifi. Menu's in restaurants, searchable maps in big department stores, bar code scanning apps for products (of course, with reviews), etc. etc. etc. -edited to add the stuff that's in brackets

masklinn 15y ago
This one doesn't run automatically though, from what I can read. It only works if you're using the "Apple Store" app already. The title is nonsense.
vsl2 15y ago
Finding a business's wifi automatically - which allows you and the business to know when you're actually in the store (or really close enough) is a really good concept. Eventually, more and more businesses will have wifi and this type of recognition (with user approval of course) could make for an accurate passive experience (i.e. don't have to take your phone out and perform actions to get benefits). Interesting possibilities...
mikeash 15y ago
I can see how this works in this particular case, with only Apple stores and while running a special app, but in the general case, how will they know that you're in their store and not the one next to them?
- technoslut 15y ago
  I would assume over time that geo-location coordinates will get more accurate and that there will be an assumption of which place you frequent the most will be given priority over other apps.
- adamjernst 15y ago
  A clever solution used by e.g. Shopkick is to play a very high-pitched sound of a certain frequency on the store sound system and pick that up with the device microphone. I don't know if Apple is using this here. I bet they're instead identifying it by store Wi-Fi, since Apple stores all have that already. But for stores without Wi-Fi, the sound system trick works well since all stores have sound systems already.

Delmania 15y ago

Well, I will get down voted for this, but it's hardly magic, nor is it something entirely new. Provided wifi is turned on, the Nook Color will automatically log into the network located within a Barnes and Nobles store, and the store app there will gain additional functionality, like the ability to access all of B&N ebooks for free. Still, this seems like a good idea for device manufacturers.

mbesto 15y ago
It's not entirely something new but its just one more thing that Apple is actively doing to increase customer awareness. A better user experience = success. Can you imagine walking into a Best Buy, or an IKEA and getting the same type of service. Think of the possibilities...
ZeroGravitas 15y ago
Ah! I'd read the other day that Nook owners could "read for free" for one hour in physical B&N locations and I couldn't figure out what kind of weird incentive that was. I pictured them being allowed to browse the physical books.

aforty 15y ago

Didn't they start doing this about 6 months ago?

tomlin 15y ago

I've been dying for something like this - but in stores like Walmart. Sometimes, it's not enough to know where "housewares" is, but where a specific product might be. I know this goes a bit beyond what Apple is doing here, but I think these types of apps are coming and hopefully sooner.

mjbellantoni 15y ago
I wonder if phones will ever have RFID readers in them? Then I could really see this sort of thing (and more) happening.
- bhousel 15y ago
  That's kinda what NFC is.. Some phones are starting to have this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_field_communication http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_field_communication
- audeyisaacs 15y ago
  I believe some phones with NFC hardware are already able to read 13.45Mhz ISO 14443 and MiFare cards. EDIT: beat by 2 minutes... http://www.nfc.cc/technology/nfc-tag-types http://www.nfc.cc/technology/nfc-tag-types
r00fus 15y ago
The only problem is that retail stores are designed to prevent you from getting the one thing you originally went in to get; For most retailers, the customers' convenience necessarily lowers their bottom line.

raheemm 15y ago

You know what this is going to mean right? All stores are going to launch apps like this.

middus 15y ago

At first glance, the difference "get help" vs "get support" is very confusing.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

FrancescoRizzi 15y ago

phughes 15y ago

This is apparently a huge surprise to the people who've never seen the apps' page in the App Store. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apple-store/id375380948?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apple-store/id375380948?mt=8

dalore 15y ago

I bet apple knows when you walk into an app store from your mac on your wifi. I would reason they are tracking that like any other analytical data.

eddieplan9 15y ago

It would be really interesting to have similar features in find-me-a-restaurant kind of apps: help me find a restaurant, guide me to the place, then show me a customized panel to greet me, display the menu, and even allow me to order from my iPhone directly.