Extend API to allow Bluetooth LE beacons

[hannosch]

In addition to cell and wifi data, we could also take in Bluetooth LE beacons or general devices like speakers, printers or anything else being available via Bluetooth.

[ghost]

Bad idea due to privacy reasons.

[hannosch]

@freekzy can you elaborate? What privacy concerns do you see which don't also apply to WiFi access points?

[ghost]

@hannosch very short range of wireless signal.

[hannosch]

Sure, the point is to use those for indoor location scenarios, where you want to get to 10m or less of accuracy. It's not something for the near term, but the other companies are doing this and we'll have to do it to stay competitive in the long run.

[Djfe]

Apple made such a solution using Bluetooth beacons for indoor location.

A different approach for indoor location are led lights by Phillips using different frequencys and wave lengths to determine the users position.

As future mobile data transfers might be established through street lights (to put less stress on mobile networks) this could be another way for detecting the users location even outdoors.

But these ideas are more for the future as nothing is really established, yet.

[Djfe]

we could use this library to implement it:
https://github.com/RadiusNetworks/android-ibeacon-service

[Djfe]

a public example of such a map: http://www.wikibeacon.org/
@freekzy I see no privacy reasons since these beacons are only placed in stores or museums (public buildings in general) to give the user detailed information about what he or she is looking at at the moment

[pyrog]

@hannosch

In addition to cell and wifi data, we could also take in Bluetooth LE beacons

👍
See iBeacon

@freekzy
Could be useful in museums, (underground ?) car parks, metro… or for blind peoples 😉

[hannosch]

I've implemented this via e7f140b. Nobody actually sends us any BLE data, so practically this won't be used, but the code is there.