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I wish the media would stop calling BLE "iBeacon". It's like the media started calling WiFi "Airport". First of all, it gives the mistaken impression that Apple

I wish the media would stop calling BLE "iBeacon". It's like the media started calling WiFi "Airport". First of all, it gives the mistaken impression that Apple invented or controls BLE which is am industry spec. Secondly, one would have to fear that sooner or later, some proprietary extension makes iBeacons incompatible with BLE to lock them in to Apple devices. This seems more likely if consumers are trained to look for "iBeacon compatible" rather than "BLE compatible"

blumkvist 13y ago
Just watch, take notes and learn how to do brand positioning.
- goldenkey 13y ago
  I think you mean posturing.
matthewmacleod 13y ago
I would suggest than that other industry participants need to come up with better popular names for technologies. Bluetooth is a total clusterfuck from that perspective. FWIW I've never heard anybody use the term "Airport" when they meant "Wifi".
- cromwellian 13y ago
  I didn't say people refer to Wifi as "Airport", I said calling BLE "iBeacon" is like calling Wifi "Airport". That is, calling an IEEE spec by a proprietary trademark. Yes, BLE needs a better name. Still doesn't change the fact that the media almost completely ignore what iBeacon is. I see lots of articles that fail to even mention that it is BLE.
  - mpclark 13y ago
    ...but a better name for BLE isn't "Bluetooth Smart"
  - mrpippy 13y ago
    No one calls BLE "iBeacon". I challenge you to find a reference to an "iBeacon heart rate monitor" or "iBeacon smart watch" iBeacon is just an application/profile/use for BLE, one of many. As for AirPort vs. Wi-Fi, remember that Apple was the first to release consumer products with 802.11b (in July 1999), and there was no consumer-friendly brand name at the time (like what Wi-Fi became). 802.11b is not a consumer friendly name, so they used AirPort.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
msoad 13y ago
iBeacon is a standard on top of Bluetooth. It's like saying Airplay is pretty much WiFi but Apple is trying to market it as Airplay. Same as Google Cast protocol on top of WiFi or Spotify Connect on top of WiFi.
jonhohle 13y ago
FireWire™ vs. i.LINK™ vs. IEEE-1394
miahi 13y ago
It's like everybody calling any application "app" because Apple did so.
gress 13y ago
The media is not calling BLE iBeacon. iBeacon is an application of BLE, which is designed by Apple and is controlled by Apple because it it a feature of iOS.

blumkvist 13y ago

Just watch, take notes and learn how to do brand positioning.

goldenkey 13y ago
I think you mean posturing.

matthewmacleod 13y ago

I would suggest than that other industry participants need to come up with better popular names for technologies. Bluetooth is a total clusterfuck from that perspective. FWIW I've never heard anybody use the term "Airport" when they meant "Wifi".

cromwellian 13y ago
I didn't say people refer to Wifi as "Airport", I said calling BLE "iBeacon" is like calling Wifi "Airport". That is, calling an IEEE spec by a proprietary trademark. Yes, BLE needs a better name. Still doesn't change the fact that the media almost completely ignore what iBeacon is. I see lots of articles that fail to even mention that it is BLE.
- mpclark 13y ago
  ...but a better name for BLE isn't "Bluetooth Smart"
- mrpippy 13y ago
  No one calls BLE "iBeacon". I challenge you to find a reference to an "iBeacon heart rate monitor" or "iBeacon smart watch" iBeacon is just an application/profile/use for BLE, one of many. As for AirPort vs. Wi-Fi, remember that Apple was the first to release consumer products with 802.11b (in July 1999), and there was no consumer-friendly brand name at the time (like what Wi-Fi became). 802.11b is not a consumer friendly name, so they used AirPort.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

msoad 13y ago

iBeacon is a standard on top of Bluetooth. It's like saying Airplay is pretty much WiFi but Apple is trying to market it as Airplay. Same as Google Cast protocol on top of WiFi or Spotify Connect on top of WiFi.

jonhohle 13y ago

FireWire™ vs. i.LINK™ vs. IEEE-1394

miahi 13y ago

It's like everybody calling any application "app" because Apple did so.

gress 13y ago

The media is not calling BLE iBeacon. iBeacon is an application of BLE, which is designed by Apple and is controlled by Apple because it it a feature of iOS.