Bristol ID Technologies Targets RFID Solutions for Growth

Bristol ID Technologies will be launching a new radio frequency identification (RFID) initiative at RFID Journal LIVE! 2013, held April 30 – May 2, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Leveraging its robust capabilities in card manufacturing, Bristol ID is working with resellers, systems integrators, original equipment manufacturers and others to deliver a portfolio of new and customizable identification solutions that address a wide variety of end user challenges.
Bristol ID Technologies is well known in the card industry for providing quality, customer-driven products and service, and reliable and innovative solutions to unique marketing and tracking problems. The company is now dedicating significant resources to expanding its product and service offerings in the RFID space, including the development of soon-to-be-introduced RFID-enabled smart cards and tags.
According to several analysts, the RFID market is poised for dramatic growth in both applications and usage due to technology advancements that will result in enhanced productivity and security across multiple industry sectors. The new initiative seeks to facilitate this growth, supporting businesses as varied as ski resorts and hospitals, by drawing on Bristol ID's 35-year heritage of developing unique card-based identification solutions.

World’s First Dual Memory RFID Chip

Tego Inc., the leading developer of high memory RFID chips, tags and software, released the TegoChipTM DMTM (Dual Memory) for both Single-Record and Dual-Record tags as defined by the latest Air Transport Association's (ATA) Spec 2000, Chapter 9-5, 2013 standard for the aviation industry. TegoChip DM offers two distinct memory sections for two record types required on assets in aerospace tagging programs. One memory section is reserved for permanent, archival information, perfect for storing an asset's locked Birth Record where data is needed throughout an asset's lifetime. The second memory section is reserved for rewritable information, allowing users to update a Lifecycle Record to show a tagged item's condition as it changes over time. TegoChip DM is the only chip available that fully supports the Dual-Record tag type.
TegoChip DM was designed in response to the new ATA standard, published today, which has significant changes and new capabilities that OEMs, airframe manufacturers and airlines plan to use immediately. While the new standard already includes mandatory and conditional data elements allowing for efficient e-business exchange, it also includes features that allow proprietary and user-defined data entries, something that RFID adopters have long wanted on tagged parts. Only TegoChip DM allows for all these data elements, enabling aviation users to fully describe their assets and ensure compliance over a long lifetime, likely decades.

Major RFID Player Serialio Debuts at April Orlando Trade Show

Serialio, a Serial Solution Provider of more than 20,000 solutions delivered on over 500 mobile device models providing RFID mobile data solutions across all industries, will unveil exciting new products, solutions and services at its trade show debut, the RFID Journal LIVE! conference and exposition at the Orlando Convention Center, Apr. 30 - May 2, 2013, booth 736.
Visitors can test Serialio’s latest generation wireless RFID Scanfob Ultra-BB2 solution, an RFID scanner which reduces mobile workforce injuries, boosts productivity and delivers fast accurate product data across multiple devices and operating systems. Serialio will also demonstrate and showcase their exclusive line of mobile solutions including idChamp, Grid-In-Hand® Mobile Grid, Order-In-Hand® Mobile Order for the ultimate in exceptional and easy-to-use mobile solutions.
Serialio is known for its client-by-client product customization of RFID products for its global customers at significantly better value than their competition.

Auto dealerships using QR codes

When shoppers pull into the dealership lot and immediately whip out their phones as they browse, Charlie Daniel takes that as a clear sign they don't want salespeople hanging over their shoulders. But Daniel and other auto retailers are finding that the new style of shopping need not be threatening. They say that dealers who embrace the accessibility of real-time information end up with satisfied, well-informed customers and lose fewer shoppers to competitors.

Cognex Upgrades Its Powerful Line of Handheld Barcode Readers

Cognex Corporation has upgraded its line of DataMan 8000 series industrial handheld barcode readers with a major performance boost to both reading robustness and speed. The already powerful handheld readers are now equipped with proprietary Cognex Hotbars image-analysis technology for the fastest 1-D barcode reading performance and Cognex 2DMax+™ algorithm for unmatched decoding of 2-D printed and DPM matrix codes. The new features also include a rapid dual-focus image acquisition routine which enables the readers to decode a wide range of barcode sizes even faster.
The DataMan 8000 series now utilizes the powerful 2DMax+ algorithm, which has the fastest decode times and is effective even on codes with perspective distortion, low contrast, or finder and clocking pattern damage. The DataMan 8000 series now allows the user to select the type of code to be read (from easy to extremely challenging). This is especially useful for increasing reading speeds when only printed or high-contrast codes are being read or when facing the most challenging DPM codes that cannot be read with standard settings.

Toshiba Helps Eradicate Faulty Barcodes

Specialist in industrial barcode printers, TOSHIBA TEC is pleased to announce that it is now able to offer the world’s first integrated barcode verification system as an add-on to its product range, in a bid to ensure that only barcodes meeting the highest ISO standards find their way in to the supply chain. 
Verify from Norprint, one of Europe’s largest labelling solutions providers, is the only integrated in-line barcode verification system that removes errant barcodes automatically from the production process immediately they are printed.
To date, manufacturers and suppliers have had to rely on verification systems that scan barcodes after they have been printed, relying on human intervention to remove manually any that are sub-standard.
However, the new solution checks every barcode label for print quality and missing text, verifying any combination of linear, matrix and stacked codes in any orientation with any number and mix of codes, to ensure that they comply with ISO Print Quality Standards.
When an error is detected, Verify stops the printer, feeds the labels back into the machine and prints an obliteration pattern over the faulty label, stopping any inferior barcodes from progressing into the supply chain.  Results are shown on screen and an image of the faulty barcode is stored.  Verify also preserves the integrity of the serial numbers.
Incorporating the latest vision technology, Verify uses a high resolution camera system housed in a compact purpose-built unit that can be attached neatly in-line to the front of the Toshiba TEC B-SX range of thermal barcode printers.
Complete integration with Norprint’s GS1 accredited software allows the user to accurately ISO grade any 1D and 2D barcode, perform Optical Character Verification on variable text data and pattern match for blemishes or print defects.

DeviceFidelity Adds Multiple NFC Patents to its Portfolio

DeviceFidelity, Inc., the world’s leading NFC and security platform provider, today announced the company has now obtained a total of 40 patents covering the innovative and streamlined product portfolio that empowers apps utilizing NFC (Near Field Communication) and security technologies. The latest edition to DeviceFidelity’s patent portfolio is Patent #ZL200880107195.2 which is now newly issued in China. The patent enables an NFC based mobile wallet implementation that uses a microSD Secure Element with credentials issued from multiple different enterprises. The growing portfolio is a testament to the company's growing success in obtaining design wins with large providers in the payment, security, mobile identity and access management space.
DeviceFidelity’s extensive portfolio of patents covers the implementation and management of NFC technology, security and unique miniaturization and amplification solutions on a removable module that can be attached to most smartphones. Patents such as “Interfacing transaction cards with host devices” cover the smart technology that allows for smooth integration of NFC microSD products into phones that already have NFC technology built-in. In this case, the NFC microSD provides an additional Secure Element for NFC phones that is not dependent or controlled by one particular party, thereby enabling all types of institutions to deploy their own apps directly to their consumers.
Other worldwide patents like “Selectively switching antennas of transaction cards” cover the smart software powering NFC wallets where mobile payments could be automatically disabled when certain fraud protection mechanisms are not fulfilled.
Also unique to the DeviceFidelity patent portfolio is the Intellectual property surrounding the design and functionality for an external “dongle” or accessory that can be attached to a smartphone, tablet or laptop computer that enables NFC or contactless reader functionality for apps running on such devices. This is in addition to the popular mobile wallet accessory patents that enable iOS devices like the iPhone for NFC functionality. The iPhone NFC patents were granted in the U.S., Germany, Spain, France, U.K., Hong Kong, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, Turkey and is pending in additional countries.
DeviceFidelity has also patented a groundbreaking multi-chip module that packs signal amplification and miniature antenna in the industry’s smallest footprint fully functional NFC device with certifiable performance equivalent to devices with much larger antennas. This revolutionary patent enables mobile devices to achieve unmatched read range performance. This key technology is implemented in the new CredenSE NFC microSD solution that is now being promoted and deployed worldwide by DeviceFidelity and its partners.
DeviceFidelity continues to dedicate their resources to develop innovative, streamlined and supportive technologies that further speeds up the adoption of NFC on the mobile platform. While today marks the 40Th patent granted for the company, DeviceFidelity currently has 50 additional patents filed at US and International Patent Offices to further the advancement, availability and deployment of NFC and secure technologies on a mobile platform.

iKaaz launches NFC mPOS reader add-on

Mobile payment provider iKaaz, founded by former Nokia Money employees, has launched an NFC reader that converts a mobile phone into a mobile POS device. The reader, priced at less than US$20, plugs into any mobile phone and enables it to accept cashless payments from customers using iKaaz NFC stickers attached to their phones.

New DENSO QB30 Stationary 2-D Barcode Scanner

DENSO ADC announced a new QB30 stationary 2-D barcode scanner that combines high-speed scanning and small size with rugged, element-resistant construction. The QB30 not only scans twice as fast as the previous QB20 model, it can scan moving objects, such as products or containers on a conveyor belt. A batch-scanning capability reduces inspection times in applications with multiple barcodes.
The QB30’s compact body is only 2.4 inches high, 2.4 inches wide and 1.0 inches thick, making it easy to use in applications where space is limited. A wide-angle focusing lens enables placement of the unit as close as 1.6 inches away from the barcodes to be scanned.
In addition, the QB30 features an IP54 dust- and splashproof protection level and an extended operating temperature range of minus 4 to plus 122 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing it to function in a wide variety of environments, from indoor industrial operations to semi-outdoor entrance gates and kiosks.
DENSO ADC offers a wide range of 1-D and 2-D barcode and scanners featuring lightweight, ergonomic designs; rugged, durable construction that can stand up to rough handling and harsh environments; superior resistance to water and dust exposure; power-saving advantages that enable longer operating time; high-speed communication via Bluetooth, USB, 802.11a/b/g/n, serial or keyboard interfaces; and lower cost of ownership.
The company also offers the industry’s only QR Code-generating software that ensures ISO-compliant, optimally readable codes.

Billing scheme may provide consumers with QR code payment model

US-based electronic payments body NACHA is currently investigating the December-released proposal of QR Encoding for Consumer Bill Payment Guidelines (the Guidelines). The goal is to identify an open standard for using QR codes in various billing and payment models, thus establishing a single format to reach consumers wherever they view and pay bills, such as banks and so on, to provide customers with consistency.

Lincoln students create QR codes for books they read

Smartphones abound in today’s society, a fact that Lincoln County High School librarian Sandra Upchurch decided to use to her advantage when looking into projects for students to do. The project pairs students with the smartphones that many already have to create Quick Response codes, known commonly as QR codes, relating to the newest library books.

Impinj to Showcase GrandPrix

Leading UHF Gen 2 radio frequency identification (RFID) technology provider Impinj, Inc. today announced plans to showcase the GrandPrix platform along with several new products at the 11th Annual RFID Journal Live Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, FL April 30 through May 2. Based on the company's market-leading Monza tag chips, Speedway readers, and Indy reader chips, Impinj's GrandPrix platform enhances performance of systems based on the Gen 2 protocol, allowing businesses to fully leverage their investments in RFID technology.
At the heart of the GrandPrix platform, Impinj's Monza 5 tag chip powers over half of all UHF Gen 2 tags produced today and can be found in over 50 tag designs from every major global inlay manufacturer. Designed from the ground up for item-level tagging, Monza 5 enables low total applied tag cost and exceptional in-store performance for retail applications. Users of the Impinj GrandPrix platform will be able to seamlessly intermix tags based on Monza 5 with tags built from Impinj's future tag chip models, the first of which will be available in 2014.
For brand owners and service bureaus using the GrandPrix platform, Impinj is announcing the second generation of its Source Tagging Platform, STP 2.0, which enables and simplifies high-throughput, high-reliability source tagging deployments. With STP 2.0, brand owners enjoy the flexibility to decide when, where and how to serialize tags to achieve the lowest total applied tag cost, and service bureaus can deliver RFID-enabled retail trim with the same turn-around times and quality their customers expected before RFID. When used with Monza tag chips, Impinj STP 2.0 uses pipelining, advanced error correction, extraordinary write sensitivity and other proprietary techniques to sustain printer-encoder speeds of up to 100,000 units per hour and throughput of up to 300,000 units per hour for encode-only systems. The speed and flexibility of the Impinj GrandPrix platform enable brand owners and service bureaus to economically scale source tagging with the growing number of item-level RFID initiatives.
As the foundation of enterprise-class RFID solutions, the Impinj GrandPrix platform leverages all the performance and functionality advantages of Speedway fixed readers and Indy-based RFID mobile or stationary readers. With over 50,000 units in service today, Speedway accounts for the world's largest installed base because no other UHF fixed reader can match its proven performance and reliability. For mobile solutions, Impinj's Indy reader chip family is the de facto standard with more than 80% of all handheld RFID readers today incorporating an Indy reader chip.
To enable the growing variety of RFID-enabled products and devices, Impinj is introducing the new Indy RS500 System-in-Package (SiP) reader chip. Compatible with the GrandPrix platform and housed in a small, surface mount package, Impinj's Indy RS500 is a complete UHF Gen 2 reader that simplifies development of products with embedded RFID capability and reduces time-to-market in a wide range of applications.

Create QR Codes for Free

TEC-IT Datenverarbeitung GmbH, leading vendor of AUTO-ID and bar code software launches a completely free software for creating QR codes. Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X are supported. QR codes are bi-dimensional codes that can be scanned with most camera equipped smartphones. Besides industrial applications, QR codes are in widespread use in everyday situations: QR codes can be found on advertisements and in marketing campaigns for linking products to web-sites, in sweepstakes, on electronic business cards (meCard/vCard) to encode contact details, on tickets and vouchers, on the new SEPA money transfer slips or on web-sites to provide faster access to smartphone apps. Using TEC-IT’s freeware QR-Code Studio anyone is able to create QR codes fast and easily. High quality QR code symbols are generated without any special know-how. QR-Code Studio can be downloaded from www.tec-it.com. The software and the generated QR codes are free for private and non-commercial use.

Frick SmartMark RFID Tags Help Delta Air Lines Fly Through Safety Checks

William Frick & Company, a leading supplier of customized identification products including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, announced that Delta Air Lines has selected their custom RFID tags to address Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) needs for their flyable safety equipment. By using SmartMark RFID tags from Frick to streamline the audit process for safety equipment, Delta improved inspection time from approximately 10 man hours to less than 3 minutes. Delta maintains safety and compliance, while realizing significant time and cost savings, while capturing more data.
Frick’s SmartMark RFID Oxygen Generator tags provide Delta with valuable electronic data enabling just-in-time inventory management that was not previously available. According to Rick Lewis, business analyst for Delta, RFID technology drastically reduces the time and effort needed for safety and maintenance checks, which has lead to profound cost savings, as featured in the February/March 2013 issue of Aircraft IT MRO Journal.
Previously, Delta personnel spent countless hours conducting tedious inspection processes to ensure that no safety items remained in service beyond their expiration date. Multiplying this by Delta’s entire fleet of more than 700 aircraft, that equates to a visual inspection of approximately 140,000 life vests and more than 40,000 oxygen generators a year. Using RFID, flight attendants can check an entire plane in less than sixty seconds.
Frick SmartMark RFID tags for aviation are AS5678 certified, as required by the FAA. The Delta solution incorporates RFIDAeroCheck software to track and monitor the parts, reducing maintenance turnaround time by up to 99 percent, increasing the accuracy of safety checks, as well as enabling improved on-time performance for Delta flights.
Frick SmartMark RFID Oxygen Generator tags designed for Delta provide 15-foot read ranges and quick read times using a portable RFID reader. SmartMark tags are also available for application to life vest boxes/pouches, passenger oxygen masks, medical kits, and many other emergency equipment items.

Designer QR Codes? The Jury Is Still Out….

Anyone who has run successful QR Code campaigns will tell you that the most important non-technical factor for success is the perceived value to the target audience of the reward. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that “scan for free beer” will outperform “scan for terms and conditions”. In fact this factor is such an important contributor to success that some will even argue that you can forget everything else.

India's first RFID based e-toll collection system

India's first inter-operable, electronic toll collection system based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology was launched Friday. The launch function was held at village Tawa, near Dahanu in Thane district. The system was inaugurated by union Minister for Road Transport and Highways C.P. Joshi. The facility has been made available on certain toll plazas on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway No.8 and will soon be extended to Vadodara-Ahmedabad and Mumbai-Pune sections of the highway as well.

QR Codes: 5 Surprising Uses That Benefit Customers

When QR codes first arrived on the scene a few years back, they took the marketing world by storm. Suddenly, everything had to have a QR code on it, whether the small black and white square played a beneficial role for the consumer or not. Now that the hype has died down, however, so have some of the more extraneous and less creative uses of the technology, giving more interesting and helpful uses a chance to shine.

Stand-alone QR codes in magazines fall to 70% share

Mobile responses to content in magazines continues to evolve, with 20 percent of these activations coming from image-based activations (e.g. invisible watermarks) rather than code-based activations (e.g. QR codes), according Nellymoser. The mobile marketing firm examined over 170,000 pages of the top 100 magazines and found that QR codes alone had dropped from an 80 percent share to just under 70 percent as image-based activations gain in popularity. "We expect this year-over-year growth to continue, fueled by the unique opportunity for editors to connect their print and digital content and engage readers via mobile," said John Puterbaugh, executive vice president and chief digital officer Nellymoser.

Hong Kong Rail Company Tracks Components Via RFID

A railway company that operates passenger and freight trains throughout Hong Kong has boosted the accuracy and efficiency of data capture related to the maintenance of its passenger cars and locomotives, thanks to the use of active RFID tags and readers provided by Hong Kong RFID Ltd. The technology automatically captures components' locations, as well as the servicing each part has received. By knowing this information, the company can better manage its fleet of passenger cars and locomotives, and be sure that all parts are in working order.
 

RR Donnelley Introduces Custom-Printed NFC RFID Tags

After 15 years of manufacturing and selling RFID labels that it made by converting radio frequency identification tags produced by other companies, RR Donnelley & Sons Co. is now also providing a line of passive RFID tags—both high-frequency (HF) and ultrahigh-frequency (UHF)—that it designs and manufactures with conventional passive RFID chips and a custom-printed antenna. The company not only will use the printed RFID technology to make custom RFID labels that can be affixed to items, but it can also embed the tags directly into a wide range of products, including catalogs, product packaging and retail displays.

Love's Finalizes RFID Fueling System

Love’s Travel Stops is completing the addition of an RFID-enabled payment system at its travel stop locations, saying it's the first travel stop company to give customers the ability to process payment at the diesel bay through radio frequency technology. The radio frequency system operates through a secure, low-cost RFID tag placed on a truck’s windshield. The tag is detected by an antenna installed in diesel lanes at Love’s locations. The electronic signal turns the fuel pump on and off and completes a payment transaction with little driver interaction.

AT&T partners with Scanbuy for mobile bar code services

AT&T is making it easier for businesses to launch new mobile marketing campaigns using QR code technology. The telecom giant is partnering with Scanbuy to allow businesses to create campaigns that can trigger actions such as linking to a video or generating an e-mail, as well as help expand brand awareness using designer QR codes. AT&T Mobile Barcode Services also will enable businesses to give consumers access to product information, promotions, coupons, and other items after the consumers scan a bar code.

IDSecurityOnline.com Now Offers RFID solutions

Radio Frequency Identification – most commonly known as RFID – has been widely adopted by the supply chain industry for asset tracking and inventory control. Today, RFID is quickly becoming a go-to technology in the security, surveillance, and evidence fields.
IDSecurityOnline.com has partnered with SimplyRFID to offer a full line of RFID solutions now available at http://www.idsecurityonline.com/rfid. This offer includes the unique and innovative Nox Sting Kit. An all-in-one, fully integrated system, the Nox Sting Kit is a unique Plug-and-Play RFID and video surveillance solution that reveals on a facility map the movements of people and assets in real time. The Nox Sting Kit includes an RFID reader, a set of RFID tags, a monitoring video camera, and a dedicated PC with software to provide theft monitoring. By applying the tags to important assets, companies can set off alerts and reports when the assets are taken through a doorway.
The Nox-2 label-style RFID tags can be covertly mounted on items to track and the HD camera can be mounted overtly or covertly to record video of any event. The starter kit is preconfigured and optimized to run on an included Notebook PC for fast out-of-box deployment.

Electronic Pickpocketing Victims, Law Enforcement Report Losses

Credit card companies are breathlessly denying the 1 billion microchip-enabled credit and debit cards they’ll issue by 2016 expose consumers to electronic pickpocketing, even as experts prove otherwise, victims come forward and law enforcement officials issue consumer warnings, Identity Stronghold announced.

Hundreds of millions of contactless credit cards containing radio-frequency identification chips have already been issued worldwide, allowing consumers to simply pass their card near a reader instead of swiping the magnetic strip.

Conversely, this allows identity thieves to steal your credit card information by simply passing an easily purchased reader near your pocket or purse.

Louisville, Ky., resident Sandra Barker, said she fell victim to Electronic Pickpocketing during a trip to Las Vegas around the time Nevada State Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto issued a statewide consumer warning about the crime. “Thankfully, only two unauthorized charges went unnoticed,” but it was clear the thieves had her RFID-enabled credit card’s number, Barker said. “It happened quickly, ruined my trip, took three hours to resolve, and since, I’ve decided to protect myself.”

KFC Partners With AIRTAG to Launch First Ever Mobile Ordering & Payment App in the U.K

AIRTAG, the leading provider of Mobile Shopping Solutions, today announces a partnership with KFC UK & Ireland to launch the chain’s first ever mobile and web app for ordering and payments called “KFC Fast Track.” KFC is using AIRTAG’s Airshop Solution, which is an all in one package platform that enables proximity retailers to launch self-branded interactive mobile and web apps for advanced ordering and payments. Starting immediately, KFC will be piloting Airshop in ten restaurants across the UK which is a center for international trial and rollout of technology based solutions. The app is available for iPhone users and the web app is soon to be available for all connected devices.
The KFC Fast Track app comes equipped with advanced features for a seamless ordering experience: geolocation to easily locate the nearest KFC, mobile & web ordering and payment capabilities, a mobile check-in feature for in-store order recall and a customer account so users can store ordering history, favorite products and payment details for one click payments

NCR Brings Contactless ATMs to Poland with ING

NCR Corporation has introduced one of the world’s first contactless ATM environments, working with MasterCard and ING Bank Śląski to bring the new technology to customers in Poland. This pilot program was launched in November in Katowice and Warsaw, allowing ING customers in Poland to quickly and easily withdraw cash from an ATM without needing to insert their card.
Financial institutions and retailers are looking for a variety of methods to deliver flexible payment options for their customers. Beyond NFC-enabled devices, NCR has implemented or introduced proof of concepts using contactless cards, 2D barcode transactions, and one-time PINs for ATM transactions alone.
The contactless-card enabled machines permit ING customers with VISA and MasterCard debit contactless cards to initiate fast cash withdrawals by holding their card near the ATM reader. Upon a confirmation of their PIN code, customers will have the choice of a cash dispense in common “fast cash” values.
Today in Poland 70 percent of all cards are equipped with contactless technology, and more than 50 percent of EFTPOS accept contactless transactions. With the number of contactless transactions in the country growing very rapidly the demand for more contactless options has increased.

Smart Card Alliance Continues Webinar Series on Mobile and NFC Security

Continuing its webinar series on mobile and NFC security, the Smart Card Alliance Mobile and NFC Council announced the third webinar, “NFC Forum Tags and Security Considerations,” for April 18, 2013. The series of four webinars, held in partnership with GlobalPlatform and the NFC Forum, aims to provide mobile application developers and the mobile community with the education they need to choose the best level of security for their NFC applications.
“NFC Forum Tags and Security Considerations” will be held on April 18, 2013 at 1:00 P.M. ET (10:00 A.M. PT). To register, please visit https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/343614305.
Integral components of the NFC ecosystem, NFC-enabled tags are integrated circuits that store data that can be read by an active NFC-enabled device such as a mobile phone. The market for NFC tags is expected to grow to $298 million by 2016¹ as organizations become increasingly interested in tags for smart posters, mobile marketing and information pick-up. To promote interoperability and a consistent user experience with tags, the NFC Forum has published four NFC tag type technical specifications.
This webinar, held in partnership with the NFC Forum, will review the different NFC Forum tag types, the applications that use each tag type, provisioning for tags, and security considerations when implementing tags. The speakers for this webinar are:

RFID Event to Feature Record Number of New Products

RFID Journal announced today that a record number of new products will be exhibited at RFID Journal LIVE! 2013. LIVE! 2013 will be held from Apr. 30 to May 2, 2013, at the Orange County Convention Center, located in Orlando, Fla.
RFID technology is evolving quickly, and solution providers are introducing a new wave of highly innovative products for new applications, designed to make deployments easier and less complex. Some of the products that attendees will be able to view at LIVE! include:

•HID Global's Trusted Tag Service: This platform eliminates the inherent risks of authenticating original documents, processes, data-logging and high-value assets via traditional sign-off procedures, by using smartphone applications, cloud-based security services and secured data on Near Field Communication (NFC) tags to authenticate products and documents.

•Zebra Technologies' Seamless Chip-based Serialization for RFID Printer-Encoders: This enhancement for Zebra's RXi4 and RZ series RFID printers reduces the complexity of managing and creating item-level serial numbers for UHF RFID, thereby making printing and encoding a serialized Electronic Product Code (EPC) tag no more complicated than printing a standard Universal Product Code (UPC) ticket.

•Omni-ID's UltraThin IQ 400 and IQ 600 On-metal/On-liquid Labels: These are the first RFID labels that can be printed and commissioned onsite using ordinary RFID label printers, and still work on metal objects or objects with a high water content.

•InfoChip's App for iPhone and Android: This free application, available for the Apple iPhone and Android platforms, enables users to read an asset's NFC tag and immediately retrieve that item's most recent vital safety and inspection information.

•Xerafy's Titanium Metal Skin: This passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID label for both metallic and non-metallic assets has a small profile  of 1.77 inches by 0.22 inch by 0.03 inch (45 millimeters by 5.6 millimeters by 0.76 millimeter), weighs just 0.11 ounce (3.1 grams) and has a read range of up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) on and off metal, under both United States and European Union frequency regulations.

CARTES America Addresses EMV Standard

The EMV standard is paving the way for the evolution in the United States from magnetic stripe cards to more intelligent payment devices. Key stakeholders in the financial services and retail industries will gather at CARTES America in Las Vegas, Nev. on April 23-25, 2013 to discuss the roadmap to EMV adoption in a series of daily keynote conference sessions.
On Tuesday, April 23, Catherine Johnston, president and CEO, ACT Canada, will host a retail panel on Why Are Merchants and their Acquirers so Outspoken about EMV, consisting of representatives from the Merchant Advisory Group, the National Restaurant Association and NACS, the National Association for Convenience and Fuel Retailing.
MasterCard’s Mario Shiliashki, senior vice president & group head, Global eCommerce Product Development, will address how convergence is the foundation for future payment in his keynote address on Wednesday, April 24. In the closing keynote session on Thursday, April 25 ABnote’s CEO Steven Singer will present the topic, EMV by Itself is not the Holy Grail.
All keynote sessions will take place from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. in the Bermuda room at The Mirage Hotel and are open to all participants attending the conference and the exhibition.

Learn About the Growing NFC Ecosystem

NFC technology is having a breakout year, with newly available NFC-enabled smart phone handsets enabling quick transactions, ticketing, digital content exchange, secure identification, social networking and communication between electronic devices. To discuss the state of this promising technology, a broad base of industry players will gather at the NFC Solutions Summit 2013 this May 15-16, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, Calif. Presented by the Smart Card Alliance in partnership with the NFC Forum, the Summit is the leading annual NFC conference, featuring leaders from the entire NFC ecosystem.
“With all of the recent product and joint venture announcements from industry-leading handset manufacturers, financial service providers, and mobile network operators, there is no doubt that 2013 will be a significant year for NFC,” said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance. “However, we are still not yet at a point where the immense potential of NFC technology has been fully realized. Working along with the NFC Forum, we are able provide a comprehensive, educational agenda that explores the numerous opportunities the technology provides, suited to all NFC industry stakeholders regardless of education level or business focus.”
The two-day NFC Solutions Summit will features leaders from financial services, payments processing, retail services, technology providers, applications development, and industry analysts in an interactive, instructive forum on the business issues, implementation milestones, and technology advancements happening in NFC markets. The Summit will include comprehensive topics covering the state of the technology, developments in new NFC devices and applications, the status of the growing NFC ecosystem, the promise of NFC-enabled payments, marketing, access control and other popular use cases applications, NFC implementation guidance, and North American and international experiences with NFC pilots and implementations.
The conference begins on May 15 with a full day of plenary keynote speakers and roundtable panel sessions. On the second day, attendees will be invited to choose from multi-speaker panel sessions in separate NFC Technology and NFC Business Solutions tracks.
Pre-conference, attendees are invited to attend the “NFC Base Camp” workshop. The full-day workshop on May 14 will cover all of the fundamentals of NFC mobile technology and business applications. Separate registration and fees apply to attend this course.

NFC Mobile Payment Trials Underway at Canadian McDonald’s

According to published reports Tuesday, NFC mobile payment solutions are being tested at a McDonald’s in Canada. The Interac Association payments and debit card services network says its Interac Flash contactless solution has been added to selected Interac Debit cards to offer users tap-to-pay functionality. Thanks to the company’s partnership with RBC Royal Bank, they’ve integrated the aforementioned technology into BlackBerry smartphones via an app. As a result, an NFC payments trial taking place as we speak at a McDonald’s restaurant in Canada

C&A Expands RFID Usage to Track Inventory

German clothing company C&A is expanding its radio frequency identification system from what was initially a trial involving five of its stores in Germany, to cover 25 locations. C&A, which manufactures its own apparel and footwear for men, women and children, is testing whether the technology can improve its supply chain visibility and in-store inventory, to ensure that at all times, certain goods are on the shelves for purchase at each of its stores.

Antenna-free RFID tags in works at NDSU

A team of researchers at North Dakota State University uses microchips to enable pieces of paper to be tracked. Val Marinov calls it “smart paper.” Imagine pieces of paper that could broadcast their whereabouts. A team of researchers at NDSU’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering has applied for a patent for a laser process they’ve developed to apply tiny silicon chips to paper. The process is not unlike a sophisticated version of screen printing techniques used for making T-shirts.

Soldiers’ ‘Smart Cards’ to Save IDF Money

New recruits to the IDF will get new “smart card” IDs that can be swiped to pay for rides on buses and trains, Yisrael Hayom reports. Soldiers currently ride trains and buses for free when boarding in uniform with their military ID. The IDF hopes that the change to swiping cards will save a significant sum of money, as the military will be able to pay for rides taken rather than making a global payment to transportation companies.

Microscan Provides Expertise on Barcode Standards as GS1 Solution Partner

Microscan, a global technology leader in barcode, machine vision and lighting solutions, announces their recent certification as a U.S. GS1 Solutions Provider. The designation reinforces Microscan’s commitment to providing manufacturers with expert solutions and services that address barcode verification applications and compliance with GS1 standards.
GS1 is an international association dedicated to the development and promotion of global standards and solutions in a broad range of industries, including barcode and identification tools. With 30 years of Auto ID experience, Microscan can offer guidance and support to companies implementing GS1 Standards, and employs certified GS1 Barcode Professionals on its staff with the knowledge and experience to successfully implement barcode verification solutions in industries ranging from electronics assembly to pharmaceuticals to food and beverage packaging.

RFID Sensors Help Macau Museums Protect Art and Artifacts

Several museums are employing a new RFID-based environmental-monitoring system that tracks the conditions around its artifacts. The solution was created by Hong Kong RFID Ltd., a hardware manufacturer, distributor and consultancy firm that provides radio frequency identification solutions. Although the museums asked to remain unnamed, they are owned and operated by the Instituto Para Os Assuntos Civicos E Municipais (IACM), Macau's Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau.
 

Viscount Systems Secures Midwestern Bank Facilities

Viscount Systems Inc. announced that the Company's Freedom access control technology is being installed at facilities owned by a regional bank with operations in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The systems include Freedom IP bridges, Freedom servers and software, and will be deployed as a retrofit, replacing the bank’s existing access control systems.
Freedom Encryption Bridge is the first and only access control system that allows entry devices (ID cards, RFID readers, biometrics etc.) to be connected to standard building IT networks without requiring expensive control panels that are programmed from a PC. Freedom changes the paradigm of IT friendly access control. It eliminates up to 80% of the cost of traditional systems that require the installation of control panels. And, it utilizes existing logical IT security software (LDAP) to replace both the control panel component and the software component of traditional systems. Freedom drastically reduces system costs while providing a much more secure software solution.