Location-based recipes – Bluetooth LE and Beacons

In the past, you may have had the opportunity to use Bluetooth devices in your projects. However, in all probability, that would have been an earlier version of BT, now commonly referred to as "classic" Bluetooth. Before we jump into an actual recipe on how to use these small radio devices, we should take a look at some of the significant differences between the classic version of Bluetooth and the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) spec because they are very different animals. Although they are both available as part of the 4.0 spec, we will work only with the BLE piece for our recipe.

Classic Bluetooth

With the classic version of the stack, one device basically connects to another device, data is exchanged serially, and the data does not persist. For example, when you set up a BT headset, the audio comes piping into your ears, and the data goes on after the throughput. Furthermore, the connection does not reveal or show anything about what's happening...