Beacon startup Estimote has released Bluetooth-powered ‘super tiny’ beacons that can be stuck to almost any physical object.
The ‘Stickers’, which are smaller than Estimote’s wireless Beacons, can be used to alert nearby smartphone of special offers when users enter a shop, for example.
The Estimote Stickers, also called ‘Nearables’, are integrated with an accelerometer, temperature sensors, flash memory and an ARM processor, which the firm hopes will lead to advances in the beacon space.
The company said in a blog post: "For example if you build an electronic leash app for attaching an Estimote Sticker to your dog, you assign the nearable as a moving object which you own. Is it hot outside? Maybe your dog needs more water as she’s moved more today than yesterday."
Companies, such as Cisco, IDEO and The Guggenheim Museum, are currently beta testing the new technology.
Pritam Shah, engineering director at Cisco Systems, Wireless Netowrking Group, said: "We’ve enjoyed working with Estimote Beacons to help unify middleware services like network management and application services like indoor positioning. We’re super excited about Estimote Nearables, as they represent an opportunity to bring truly mobile context to location based services."
New York-based Estimote is accepting pre-orders for Sticker Development Kits now at $99 from today, which contain ten stickers, with plans to start shipments in late October this year.
