Apple is set to unveil its iBeacon technology Friday to help holiday shoppers navigate what should be packed retail stores this month.

The iBeacon will guide shoppers around the inside of any of Apple's 254 U.S. stores, as well as help them locate it. Once inside, the technology will direct them to certain products and accessories, as well as provide information.

The app, which requires user permission to use GPS tracking, will also act as a notification center for orders ready for pickup or upgrades to certain devices a customer already owns.

The Associated Press was shown a demonstration of the technology ahead of its release, slated just in time for holiday shopping. The demonstration also took place in one of Apple's busiest locations: New York City's Fifth Avenue store.

Equipped with September's iOS 7 software update, iBeacon technology actually uses Bluetooth to pinpoint a user's exact location. This would not be possible with just GPS, as the technology is meant for a broader scale and not for indoor use.

The beacons, or notifications, will also change depending on where a user is in the store. For example, if someone is standing next to the table of iPhones, iBeacon might suggest a cell phone upgrade.

The iBeacon technology is currently just for Apple stores, but its possibilities are boundless. Retailers of all kinds could use the technology to determine where shoppers gravitate and what items are selling best in real time. Museums could give virtual tours or use the technology as an enhancement for the guides. Public transportation could also benefit by giving app users notifications while they wait on the platform.

Major League Baseball has already taken advantage of the iBeacon technology and will incorporate it as soon as next season. The At the Ballpark App will be able to sense when the user is close to the ticket booth and automatically pull up his/her ticket, if it is registered with Passbook that is. The app will also give ballpark trivia facts, direct users to vendors, store coupons, play videos, keep a log of games attended and more.

The technology has worried some privacy advocates, but any app that uses iBeacon must get permission from the user to track their device.