Crestron Introduces Bluetooth-Based Proximity Detection Beacon for iOS Devices

Crestron launched a proximity detection beacon called PinPoint that identifies a users’ location in a home and automatically displays controls for that space on their iOS devices, the company said Monday. The beacon solves what Crestron called the “room default problem” created by controlling smart home technology with mobile devices, which requires homeowners to navigate to different room menus on an app when they change rooms. The PinPoint beacon knows which room a user is in and automatically displays controls for the room on an iOS smartphone or tablet, Crestron said. Sean Goldstein, vice president-marketing, described in a news release a scenario where a user walks into a room with an iPad and control for lighting scenes, music and volume are available at the touch of a button. “Move to the kitchen, and as you do the lighting scenes for the kitchen appear,” he said. Using PinPoint, integrators can more precisely customize Crestron system features for family members based room location, it said. An Internet radio station can follow a person around the house, automatically turning on in each room the person walks into, for instance. Beacons can be configured in up to 100 rooms, and once devices are paired with the PinPoint app, they'll automatically communicate via Bluetooth with beacons throughout the home, Crestron said. The company also said Panasonic TH-98LQ70 and TH-84LQ70 4K UltraHD TVs are Crestron-certified, ensuring that the TVs will deliver true 10 Gbps data rates, interface with Crestron's DigitalMedia technology to handle cable lengths found in integrated AV systems and work with other 4K products in a DigitalMedia system.