Disclosed are techniques for notifying a user of a wireless mobile device of the contents of a signboard. In an aspect, the wireless mobile device receives a notification in a broadcast message transmitted on a broadcast channel of a short-range wireless network, the notification representing the contents of the signboard, decodes the notification without connecting to the short-range wireless network, and provides data representing the notification to the user of the wireless mobile device. In an aspect, a wireless access point coupled to the signboard encodes the notification in the broadcast message transmitted on the broadcast channel of the short-range wireless network supported by the wireless access point and broadcasts the notification in the broadcast message transmitted on the broadcast channel of the short-range wireless network.