Author: Julie Campbell

Location based tech could entirely change the shape of the way that consumers function.

According to the results of the recent Emerging Tech Forum, and the discussions that were held with the executives from three hyper-local mapping startups, the range of applications for geolocation technology are considerable enough that they could entirely change the shape and nature of shopping and security in the not too distant future.

Consumers will be increasingly guided through their shopping experience by their smartphones based on location.

According to TRX Systems vice president, Ben Funk, it may not be too long before a shopper could find him or herself wandering down the aisles of a grocery store and receiving a mobile coupon over a smartphone based on a specific product that was being considered while browsing. The specific position of the shopper within the store could activate a geolocation technology based marketing promotion that is relevant to the products within that consumer’s sight.

The focus of the discussion was on hyper-local geolocation technology and its potential uses.

Also present were Todd Marks, the CEO and president of Mindgrub, as moderator, as well as the marketing director of Funk, AirPatrol, Lauren Edwards, and the CEO of viaPlace, Scott Schelle. Each of the companies that participated in this forum focused on different elements of location based tech, including schedules and wayfinding, three dimensional location and mapping within indoor spaces, and finally mobile security based on position, which can offer smartphone disabling functions, among others.

The tech can provide consumers with a range of different potential options based on where they are and how that is detected by their cell phones. It can include everything from being able to find where something is located – such as a store in a mall or a product on a shop’s shelf – to receiving position specific marketing, or even detecting and acting on the unauthorized use of a mobile device or its apps.

Geolocation technology is rapidly growing in its use, particularly as its potential is more greatly understood. At the moment, it remains in its infancy, but its possibilities and cost effectiveness are proving highly appealing to retailers, marketers, and other businesses and industries.

Among them are that it will ship only with the purchase of its Liquid Jade Android smartphone.

The Liquid Leap will be the first wearable tech put out by Acer, and it will be made up primarily of a fitness tracker with some additional smartphone-friendly features and that will be set onto a rubberized band.

This device will be sold only as a package deal, along with the Liquid Jade Android high end smartphone.

After having remained relatively silent about its wearable tech, Acer has now revealed a number of details about this device, which is expected to become available in smartphone packages in the third quarter of this year. Though it will mainly be a fitness tracker, it will also provide some basic notifications and controls for the Liquid Jade smartphone. This means that while it will help the wearer to track how far he or she has walked and how many calories have been burned in the process, it will also allow users to control music being played on the smartphone and will notify the wearer about incoming text messages and calls.

This wearable tech has a tiny 1 inch touchscreen that can be used to control all of its features.

It has been called one of the wearables that is most similar to jewelry among the releases in that category, so far. The features, however, have been labeled as being quite similar to the Gear Fit, from Samsung, which is currently being sold as an independent item that can be connected to work with Galaxy phablets and smartphones.

The announcement of the Liquid Leap was made a few days ahead of the Taiwan Computex trade show, though the first reveal of the prototype had been in New York back in April. At the time that this article was written, the prices of both the smartphone and the fitness tracker had not yet been revealed. At the same time, it was announced that Liquid Leap would not become immediately available in the United States market. Instead, this wearable tech would first make its way into the developing nation marketplace.