Facebook Place Tips Beacons Rolling Out

[engine]

Originally a test in New York, Facebook is extending this beyond the original 100-business test.

Currently only available for Apple devices, Facebooks says that an Android OS version will be coming soon.

I can see applications for this, but I can also see it becoming an annoyance if overused.

Facebook has begun a roll-out of Place Tips - a system allowing businesses to send updates to a person's smartphone when they are nearby.

Keen to get retailers on board, Facebook is sending out free Bluetooth beacon devices to firms that request them. Facebook Place Tips Beacons Rolling out [bbc.co.uk]

Place Tips in News Feed [newsroom.fb.com]

[bill]

Japanese flip-phones had this functionality almost 10 years ago. Thankfully it was normally an option you could turn on or off from the settings menu. It could get annoying in some areas with everyone clamoring to offer you cheap food, booze, or goods.

[ergophobe]

Is anyone here using this? I'm looking into setting this up.

[Leosghost]

I'm sure I saw something like this in Bladerunner..

[tangor]

Whew! As I don't own a cell phone this won't make much difference to me! (But I do borrow friends' cells to test a page layout from time to time.)

In an urban area I can see how this might become either annoying or overwhelming. Could there be a beaconblocker app in the near future?

[ergophobe]

>> beaconblocker app

For the beacon to work, a lot of things have to come together:
- must be installed
- you must be in range
- you must have a cell phone (so you're safe)
- you must have bluetooth enabled
- you must have a recent version of the Facebook app installed
- you have to have the app running

So you're safe. I'm safe too - I was recently given a cell phone by my new employer, but I don't have the Facebook app... or the Twitter app... or the Instagram app. I have found, however, that Feedly + Pocket means that I always have interesting reading material available whenever I have my "phone" (in quotes because I use it aobut 2x per month to make or receive a call and most places I spend my time ahve no reception).

[ergophobe]

All that said, we do have a lot of people who "check in" on Facebook and who have informational questions that could perhaps get answered quickly and put less load on the frontline staff if this were available.