Google today revealed Eddystone, a new, open language for Bluetooth beacon technology. Google hopes Eddystone will be used by app developers, hardware makers, and service providers to unify how beacons are used.
Beacons use Bluetooth Low Energy to locate devices like smartphones as they move within range. For example, Apple uses them in its retail stores to send location-based information (promotions, etc.) to the iPhones of shoppers who wander in. Google claims Eddystone is robust and scalable and perfect for the Android ecosystem and beyond.
Eddystone ties in with Google’s Nearby and Places APIs, which means app developers have plenty of tools to enrich their apps with location-based data and features. Eddystone is available on GitHub under the open-source Apache v2.0 license, for everyone to use and help improve.
