Estimote Launches Mirror Beacon Device

Estimote MirrorEstimote, which develops beacon-related technology and applications, has announced the launch of the Estimote Mirror, which it claims is the world’s first video-enabled beacon.

It takes the form of a small dongle with an HDMI jack on one end, USB on the other. The dongle bends to enable both of these to be plugged into a HDMI and USB port on a TV. The HDMI connection enables the content to be displayed on the screen; the USB connection acts as a power source for the device. This then enables the TV to interact with any beacon-triggered content which comes close to it.

So in a store, for example, someone could bring a pair of shoes fitted with a beacon close to a Mirror-enabled TV to see information, images and videos relating to the shoes. Similarly, a Mirror-equipped TV could display relevant information to a consumer using an app which has beacon-triggered content.

In an example given in an Estimote blog post, the company explains how someone with a connecting flight has just landed at their first destination. If they have the airline’s app installed on their phone and are logged in, to it, the phone knows the flight time, departure gate and other relevant details, like whether the connecting flight is delayed. So when the user approaches a Mirror-equipped screen, it will react to their presence and display relevant information, such as the time and directions to the gate to catch the flight for example.

Estimote will ship the first batches of the device this winter.