Apple has not attended CES for years, more than a decade even, but it seems that despite not being there physically, their presence will definitely be felt come CES 2014 as the event organizers have announced that they plan to hold a special scavenger hunt that will utilize Apple’s iBeacon technology which will introduce to both exhibitors and attendees to Apple’s new location-aware technology which the Cupertino company has recently introduced to its own retail stores to help guide customers through their stores, which on any given day tends to be bustling not just with staff, but with potential customers as well.
So why use iBeacon and promote Apple’s technology despite the fact that they aren’t actually there? Well the event organizers are hoping that come CES 2014, attendees will explore more and check out the different exhibitions available, as opposed to congregating mainly at big-name companies, which we guess will help smaller companies gain some exposure as well. After all some of the best gadgets of our lifetime came from small and humble beginnings. Powering the game will be technology from Radius Networks which will utilize low-energy Bluetooth technology from Texas Instruments.
Considering that iBeacon is Apple’s technology, this scavenger hunt will be the first time commercial implementation of iBeacon will include Android devices. According to CEA’s SVP of communications and strategic relationships, Jeff Joseph, “This promotion is a fun and novel way to introduce attendees to iBeacon technology and encourage participants to visit important exhibits across the show floor.” How well will it be implemented and received remains to be seen, but it does sound like a fun idea.