

Nearables Are Here: Introducing Estimote Stickers - ljdk
http://blog.estimote.com/post/95382199590/nearables-are-here-introducing-estimote-stickers

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mathewsanders
Doesn't the original beacon include temperature and motion sensors (I think I
remember reading that in a hardware teardown) - will there be a software
update to allow the original beacons also transmit this info?

I'm also interested in the resolution of the motion sensor. I'm assuming that
since it's just an accelerometer that it will be a simple "I'm stationary" vs.
"I'm moving" broadcast - can anyone from estimate clarify that?

But cool update whatever the answer :)

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tanujparikh
Hey Mathew, Tanuj from Estimote here. Yup, our original Beacons include
temperature and accelerometer sensors too. We actually unlocked those features
via an over-the-air firmware update a few months ago:
[http://blog.estimote.com/post/87918401035/firmware-update-
ac...](http://blog.estimote.com/post/87918401035/firmware-update-activating-
accelerometer-temperature). Use the Estimote app to update your beacons'
firmware and you're good to go.

As to your other question, currently the beacon or sticker just transmits
exactly as you said: moving or not. But we'd like to expand that in the future
to include direction, velocity, time in motion, etc. Are there particular
parameters you'd like to see?

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mathewsanders
Awesome! I'll update our beacons and try that out :)

I guess that direction, velocity etc would be cool, but since they need to be
communicating with an app on a smartphone anyway it might be overkill.

On the other hand, if beacons/stickers could somehow transmit that info
independently of a smartphone app (e.g. through a hub device with internet
connection) that could be pretty amazing!

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bravo22
From what I've read the difference between stickers and beacon is only battery
life. Is this correct?

Why would one choose beacon over the sticker?

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tanujparikh
Hey, Tanuj from Estimote here. Stickers and Beacons are meant to be
complementary products. Beacons are great to attaching to fixed points inside
venues - museums, stores, sports stadiums, etc. They add location context to a
physical space. Stickers, on the other hand, are small and discrete enough to
be attached to objects. Put it on any item to turn it into a nearable, a
smart, connected object that broadcasts data about its location, motion and
temperature. You can read more about our vision on our blog:
[http://blog.estimote.com/post/95382199590/nearables-are-
here...](http://blog.estimote.com/post/95382199590/nearables-are-here-
introducing-estimote-stickers)

~~~
bravo22
Ok, but the sticker will broadcast like an iBeacon correct?

While I see the philosophical distinction you are making here I don't see any
technical reason why a sticker couldn't be used as a beacon. So I guess my
question is, are stickers crippled by your SDK/firmware to not replace beacons
or can they be used as such if someone didn't care about the philosophical
difference?

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tanujparikh
Yup it'll broadcast like an iBeacon. So yes, if you wanted to use stickers
instead of beacons because the price / size / aesthetic / whatever suits your
needs better, that's possible and 100% up to you. Our goal is to be super
developer focused and make the platform (hardware + firmware + SDK's + API's
for management) flexible.

~~~
bravo22
Gotcha. Thank you.

The stickers sound like a great thing! Basically $10 iBeacons :)

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ankurpatel
Well this requires users to install an app on iPhone to work. Is there a way
to trigger a notification without it?

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stevedc3
Hey - Steve here from Estimote. If you use iBeacon as the method to talk to
the beacon, which would be typical, yes an app is required. But there are
innovations happening to allow you to use mobile web or "read" other packet
formats. A lot will happen in this space in the next year.

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bravo22
Hi Steve,

Is there a volume discount, or is it still $10/sticker (which is a pretty good
price in itself)

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stevedc3
There definitely will be volume discounts although until we begin shipping in
full production in October we won't worry too much about forward pricing. But
in the future these stickers will go way below $10 each. Glad you like the
product :)

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IgorPartola
I have no idea what I'd use this for but I am excited. Great job guys.

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danielharan
I'd love to use these to detect bike thefts.

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tanujparikh
Tanuj from Estimote here. Great idea, Daniel. You could build a simple app
that sends you a push if your bike is in motion - that way if you're inside,
you know if anyone is messing with it.

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_random_
What is the price?

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mathewsanders
$99 for 10 stickers [http://estimote.com/#jump-to-
products](http://estimote.com/#jump-to-products)

