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Information about shops and landmarks will be available for Facebook users if the new service they are testing at the moment, that will be using localisation details that are called “beacons”.
iOS users are the lucky ones to be using them as soon as possible. “Place Tips” from Facebook offers location-based recommendations. As long as the users is there and tags himself in a particular place, details and specifics about that place will be given to him through this app. In addition, photos of friends and posts about the place will appear instantly. Engadged notes that
“You’ll know Place Tips is working if you see a “tip” notification for the place that you’re at when you launch Facebook. Tap it, and it’ll show a series of cards about the place. Not only will you see the aforementioned posts and photos from your friends, but you’ll also see basic info about the business. That info includes details like its operating hours, posts from its Facebook Page if it has one, popular menu items and upcoming events. Facebook was careful to note that tapping on these tips won’t post anything to your news feed or show anyone where you are.”
The feature is optional, so it can be disabled and enabled whenever the user wants to. Also, Facebook will require the user the permission to access his location and personal information, so the necessity of a Wi-Fi and GPS is mandatory.
“Beacons” will be used only in particular cases, but when the users are located in large areas such as the Times Square. Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, Wi-Fi and GPS will take charge of the localization.
The information given to users will appear in their news feed, on their smartphone Facebook app. At present, the service is free, but in the future, the company says that it might add some ads that are completely relevant. Facebook seeks for the perfect blending between content and marketing, so that the advertisements wouldn’t be so obvious in the eye of users. Chief Operation Office Sheryl Sandberg has talked on Wednesday about all these aspects with the investors of the project.
Apart from the Wi-Fi and GPS, the Beacons use Bluetooth signal that is being transmitted in a range of 500 feet and it makes rigorous specifications about the place and the movement of the user. For example, an application created by Apple, named iBeacons, identifies the aisle where someone is being located right at that moment.
Image Source: Pinter Activ
