Learning iBeacon

About This Book

• Build apps for iPhone and iPad that understand indoor location using iBeacon
• Explore commercial opportunities and gain insights into the Bluetooth iBeacon products that are currently available in the marketplace
• This is a step-by-step tutorial that will enhance your skillset required to develop iBeacon applications

Who This Book Is For

This book is intended for iOS developers who are curious to learn about iBeacon and want to start building applications for iOS. You will gain everything you need to know to master indoor location functionality using Bluetooth beacon technology. No knowledge of iBeacon is assumed.

What You Will Learn

• Detect beacons in range and read the values they broadcast
• Understand beacon regions and use Core Location framework to determine when you enter or exit a beacon region
• Use beacon broadcast values to identify the beacon and determine the purpose of it
• Utilize the CoreBluetooth library to turn your iOS device into an iBeacon
• Build a functionality that understands the world around it within a few inches by determining beacon distance
• Notify users that they've entered a region while the app's running in the background and use beacons to show Apple Passbook passes when in range
• Build a comprehensive museum app that informs the visitor about the exhibits that they're closest to as they walk around the museum
• Understand Bluetooth low energy and the technology behind iBeacon

In Detail

Starting with an introduction to iBeacon, you will learn all about simple beacon detection. You will learn how to use Apple's CoreBluetooth, CoreLocation, and PassKit libraries, and how to broadcast different values through the power of transmission power.

You will learn how to allow your apps to detect beacons, determine their distance, and even turn your iPhone or iPad into a Bluetooth iBeacon by building a simple treasure-hunting app. We will also be discussing two of the most popular beacons (Estimote and ROXIMITY). Don't worry if you haven't got any beacons; this book includes a companion app that lets your Mac or MacBook act as a beacon to allow you to jump straight into learning this incredible technology.

By the end of this book, you will have learned how to build apps that interact with the world around them using Bluetooth beacons.