back to article Wi-Fi Alliance ushers in new era of intrusive apps

A lack of connectivity options in devices like smartphones is clearly what stops location-based advertising from being the saviour of physical retailing. That, or something like it, seems to be behind the Wi-Fi Alliance's “Wi-Fi Aware” project, announced at CES in January and now launching its product certification program. …

  1. P. Lee

    > location-based ads remain a disappointment

    ... to the IT industry.

    For the retailers, they put a sign up in the window saying, "Sale: upto 90% off*" which people in that location can see.

    *excludes everything we sell except one second-hand toilet brush which was lying around here somewhere.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: > location-based ads remain a disappointment

      Cynical about sale offers?

      Here in the NT, July 1st is Territory Day, the day we got self government. Despite being in the middle of the dry season when all vegetation is tinder dry, on this day (and only this day) we are allowed to set off fireworks. Vast amounts of very large fireworks.

      Retailers are only allowed to sell them on July 1st. One particular retailer near me had a sign up advertising Fireworks - 50% off!

      Since he is only allowed to sell them on the one day I am not entirely sure how he can offer 50% off when they have never been sold at any other price. 50% off what? I am assuming he simply doubled the price he sells them at to then offer the 50% discount.

      1. Cpt Blue Bear

        Re: > location-based ads remain a disappointment

        Live in SA, I presume he's offering 50% off the black market price he was charging yesterday.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Let them come!

    On my shiny mobile phone Wi-Fi is turned off except for once in a while on my home network while I search for Android updates which rarely show up (Samsung can no longer be arsed to provide them, they rather have me paying for a new phone).

    Oh, I almost forgot, same for NFC and Bluetooth. If they want to track me they should pay for cellular service, if they want to contact me they should just ask for my phone number.

    See, life life can be so simple!

    1. Down not across

      Re: Let them come!

      On my shiny mobile phone Wi-Fi is turned off except for once in a while on my home network while I search for Android updates which rarely show up (Samsung can no longer be arsed to provide them, they rather have me paying for a new phone).

      Oh, I almost forgot, same for NFC and Bluetooth. If they want to track me they should pay for cellular service, if they want to contact me they should just ask for my phone number.

      See, life life can be so simple!

      You're assuming "WiFi Aware" can be turned off.

      Wouldn't surprise me at all if the common heartbeat is baked into hw/fw and can't be switched off.

  3. James 51

    If you're close enough for this to work you can see a poster. Intrusive stuff like this just risks building resentment against the businesses that push messages.

    1. A Non e-mouse Silver badge
      FAIL

      You're assuming sheeple can tear their eyes away from the glowing screens of their latest fondleslab.

    2. Antonymous Coward
      Meh

      I'm imagining Christmas eve becoming a seething throng of defeated looking shoppers accompanied by what sounds like the aftermath of a power-surge in a synthesizer factory. Each completely deaf to the incessant cries of their miracle phone.

  4. A Non e-mouse Silver badge

    Ad-Hoc WiFi

    But hasn't Ad-Hoc WiFi existed for years? What's different about this latest standard?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Ad-Hoc WiFi

      The difference is that, if your device's WiFi radio is on, you'll get a (n Ad) message pushed at you without your permission or solicitation

      <paranoia>

      Also, expect that many data stored on your device will be used to match-up/profile you against the store's CCTV. Of course, if you're so minded to use your mobile as your payment wallet, they will have your name, card provider, your account (and especially if you've registered for a loyalty card scheme) be able to match all of those up, too, enabling continued targeting beyond your shopping experience.

      </paranoia>

    2. JohnPayette

      Re: Ad-Hoc WiFi

      Yes, Ad-Hoc exists since many years but was never provided by iOS or Android because it was too battery draining and buggy. This standard is a v2.0 of the discovery feature of WiFi-Direct, more battery efficient and presumably more scalable.

  5. Mage Silver badge
    Facepalm

    location-based ads remain a disappointment

    Because no-one wants them.

    Big adverts in our shopping Mall about Bluetooth. Why would I want to be spammed and distracted while actually shopping or window shopping. An advert on a phone screen is a poor experience even if you want the product compared to the physical shop!

    About as useful as an SMS about books automatically received when you browse a Library.

  6. fuzzie

    Wifing anyone?

    Is this the technology fresh of the Toothing days? Not-so-facetime?

    For those who missed the excitement:

    * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toothing

    1. Suburban Inmate

      Re: Wifing anyone?

      I missed the Toothing thing for want of a smartphone. How was it for you?

  7. This post has been deleted by its author

  8. Suburban Inmate

    Peak Ad?

    I already find adverts incredibly irritating and insulting, and the ads that appear in apps/chrome (only ones I regularly see) are targeted. Badly. Surely kids today are near to reaching herd immunity?

    IF I am forced to sit through your advert, it has failed before it has begun!

    4OD can at least be cleaned up by pausing AdBlock, then un-pausing it after the first advert. FB purity is an add-on that actually makes FaceBerk tolerable. I might even send a few more Satoshis the author's way.

  9. I am not spartacus

    "Also to file in the drawer marked “what could possibly go wrong?”

    Hmm, that seems to split in to the categories 'the usual stuff, that went wrong last time new IoT bugware came out' and 'unique, original stuff that didn't go wrong last time'. Honestly, I'd be a little happier if I got the impression that they were even giving some serious thought to the first of those, never mind the second.

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