A computing device includes wireless sensor hardware that senses wireless signals from various wireless devices that are in close proximity to the computing device. The wireless signals are sensed by the wireless sensor hardware, which provides the data embedded in the sensed wireless signals to a host processor of the computing device or to a low power sensor core of the computing device. In a high power mode, the host processor is responsible for monitoring the data embedded in wireless signals sensed by the wireless sensor hardware. In the low power mode, the low power sensor core is responsible for monitoring the data embedded in wireless signals sensed by the wireless sensor hardware, thereby reducing power consumption by the computing device. The low power sensor core also optionally incorporate contextual awareness techniques to adjust the monitoring of wireless devices and reduce power consumption by the computing device.