Technological Breakthroughs: Bluetooth-Enabled Shopping at LA Malls

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Five local malls will soon begin beaming "coupons and special offers"—what some people might call "ads"—to shoppers' Bluetooth devices as they browse. It sounds kind of dystopian until you realize that you have to opt in to get the messages (e.g. you won't just get bombarded every time you enter the mall). The L.A. Times's tech blog is positively brimming with enthusiasm for the idea:

The malls get some cash from Intera Group, which leases the space to install the transmitter. Intera gets cash from advertisers that want to reach consumers on the one device they always have with them. And consumers get to watch movie trailers on their phones. Everybody wins, right?

It's the wave of the future! The participating malls: Westside Pavilion, the Oaks in Thousand Oaks, Los Cerritos Center, the Lakewood Center and the Stonewood Center.
· Wear Bluetooth, attract advertisers in LA malls [LAT]