SATO secures share of RFID business

SATO, a provider of barcode printing, labelling and EPC/RFID solutions, has completed a strategic investment in Nexgen Packaging, a supplier of apparel brand identification and packaging products. According to SATO Holdings Corporation's chief executive, Kaz Matsuyama, the investment — which equates to less than a 20 per cent minority share in Nexgen Packaging — is part of the company's mission to grow internationally. Founded in 2006, Nexgen Packaging, a privately held company, focuses its efforts on the design, marketing, manufacturing and distribution of woven and printed labels, heat transfers, graphic tags, price tickets and item level RFID labels and tags.

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom Install PDC Smart Band RFID Wristband

PDC, the global leader of innovative identification solutions, announced today the installation of the PDC Smart Band RFID Wristband and Kiosk System at Cedar Fair's Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, PA. The new program, titled FastPay, enables guests to load funds onto PDC Smart Band wristbands to make instant cashless purchases at any of the 210 point-of-sale terminals throughout both parks.
The newly installed PDC Smart Kiosks are accessed via a touchscreen interface, provided by EuroTouch, the leader in contemporary and high-quality kiosk solutions. Guests can walk up to any kiosk and load money onto a wristband or check their FastPay account balance. Serving as a convenient 'wrist wallet,' FastPay wristbands provide guests with the freedom of secure cashless purchasing at gift shops, restaurants, and food carts – enhancing the guest experience. In addition to wristbands, guests can purchase FastPay gift cards at any of the parks' gift shops.
Smart Band's customized printing options enable Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom to promote its company on the wristband to boost brand awareness. Smart Band's unique design and memorabilia value inspire many guests to keep their FastPay wristbands as souvenirs long after their stay, providing free advertising for the company. The parks offer three types of wristbands – featuring custom FastPay branding – including silicone, thermal, and plastic for both seasonal and single-day passes.
The PDC Smart RFID Wristband Dispensing Kiosk, with custom software developed by KioWare, a legacy player in kiosk software design concepts, can be programmed to perform a wide variety of functions, such as self-service ticketing; fast-pay upgrades; cashless POS; locker and tube rentals; keyless hotel room entry; social media integration; electronic access control; photo management systems; and customer loyalty programs.

Scan a barcode and learn everything about the company that made it

One of the great things about mobile tech is the amount of information that it puts in the palm of your hand. It’s time you put that power to good use. There’s no denying that large corporations have a wide-reaching and seemingly unavoidable impact on many parts of our lives, and even if your personal agenda doesn’t match up with that of a company, you still push forward their causes when you purchase their products. Being more socially responsible and spending your money on companies that aim to forward the causes you believe in, no matter what they are, is one of the best ways to be more influential without actually casting a vote or supporting a political candidate. Buycott aims to make it easier for you to be aware of where your money goes. In essence, it lets you vote with your wallet. Or it aims to, at least.

RFID Key to Omnichannel Commerce

The department-store giant will complete a new radio frequency identification (RFID) program at all of its Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores by the end of the summer, delivering on a promise the company made back in 2011. “Ultimately, RFID will be as transformative technology for our business as bar codes,” said Bill Connell, the senior vice president of logistics and operations for Macy’s. Jeff Gennette, Macy’s chief merchandising officer, speaking to a group of apparel executives at the American Apparel & Footwear Association’s Executive Summit in March, was equally enthusiastic about the technology’s potential. “RFID is going to be a huge win for us,” he said, explaining RFID’s potential for “maximizing store inventory” across Macy’s e-commerce and mobile site, as well as in its 850 stores.

Egypt to issue smart cards

Egypt will begin using smart cards in the next few weeks to distribute gasoline and diesel, Oil Minister Sherif Haddara said on Thursday, in a step towards meeting IMF terms for a loan. The first smart cards will go to fuel stations and then the program will widen to include all car owners. The government is turning to smart cards to reduce the amount of money it spends on subsidized energy products, which eat up a fifth of all state spending.

Fidelity NetBenefits Smartphone App Delivers Employees Convenient Access

Fidelity Investments announced the introduction of its NetBenefits Smartphone Application (app), which provides users a view of their workplace plan managed by Fidelity through a convenient, easy-to-access location – their mobile device. The app is available to Fidelity’s 15.8 million workplace participants as a part of the company’s overall participant experience, Plan for Life. “It’s easier now more than ever for employees to know at-a-glance how their accounts and savings are performing. This engagement is important as they plan for retirement and all that life entails.”
“Keeping employees engaged and on track with their retirement and financial goals is key to helping them achieve better outcomes,” said Charles Berman, senior vice president of digital platforms at Fidelity Investments. “As more Americans use mobile devices to manage their daily lives, plan sponsors can now more easily help individuals stay engaged and be informed – all at the tap of their smartphone.”
Available across various platforms – including iPhone and iPod touch devices, Android phones, and Safari and Google Chrome browsers – the app enables users to visualize and access their latest NetBenefits accounts and benefits information via their mobile phones. After a secure login process, the app then provides a summary view of all Fidelity-serviced accounts, including workplace savings, personal investment, and health and insurance. Upon tapping into their defined contribution account, participants can check their balances, see personal rate of return, and track investments.
In addition, participants can assess their personal investing accounts held with Fidelity, such as retirement and non-retirement brokerage accounts, health savings accounts (HSAs), and 529 College Saving Plans, among others. They can also view plan summaries and vesting balances of their stock plan services accounts, as well as get a thorough assessment of their medical, dental, and vision health and insurance plans.
For live assistance and help from wherever they may be, participants can call their plan’s toll free phone number through the app’s functionality.
“Whether checking up on their retirement balance or reviewing fund performance, mobile technology is benefiting individuals by granting them access to information they need, when they need it,” said Berman. “It’s easier now more than ever for employees to know at-a-glance how their accounts and savings are performing. This engagement is important as they plan for retirement and all that life entails.”

Mercedes Has Developed a QR Code System to Help Rescue Workers

Often times, rescue workers have to wait longer than they want to to get a person out of a car after a crash because they're busy looking up guidelines on how to cut the car apart without doing very bad things, like severing pressurized lines and such. Mercedes has now created a system by which first responders could find one of two QR codes on the car, scan it, and immediately have all the important information without having to page through physical manuals or run internet searches. This could stand to reduce response time and make it so the rescue workers could apply first aid to the wounded more quickly.

RFID Tagsource Agrees Not to Sell Xerafy Products; Omni-ID Moves Case Against Xerafy to New York

Omni-ID, the original innovator, patent holder and supplier of high-performance, on-metal passive UHF RFID tags, today announced that is has reached a settlement agreement with RFID Tagsource.
Earlier this year, Omni-ID filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey against Xerafy and New Jersey-based RFID Tagsource asserting that Xerafy's RFID products, which RFID Tagsource distributed, infringe Omni-ID's United States Patent Nos. 7,768,400 and 7,880,619.
Omni-ID has now settled with RFID Tagsource, based on an agreement by RFID Tagsource not to make, use, sell or offer to sell or distribute Xerafy RFID products accused of infringement until the issues in Omni-ID's lawsuit against Xerafy are resolved. RFID Tagsource also agreed to respect Omni-ID's patent rights. Now that Omni-ID has settled its patent infringement claims against New Jersey-based RFID Tagsource, Omni-ID has moved its patent infringement lawsuit against Xerafy to New York and intends to fully enforce its patent rights against Xerafy in that lawsuit.
"We are very pleased to have reached a settlement with RFID Tagsource," said George E. Daddis, Jr., PhD, CEO of Omni-ID. "This agreement represents a positive step forward in preserving the value of our IP. Omni-ID has made significant investments toward creating on-metal RFID technologies; we will continue to aggressively enforce these patents against infringing manufacturers and their distributors. We encourage companies interested in using these technologies to license them through Omni-ID's Global Technology Licensing Program (OGTL)."
Omni-ID's patents protect Omni-ID's innovations regarding on-metal/near liquid RFID technologies, which involve, among other things, the use of conductors and dielectrics to ensure that the RFID tag performs successfully on/near metal and liquids.
Omni-ID has retained national law firm LeClairRyan as legal counsel. The firm will continue to lead the lawsuit against Xerafy and will assist Omni-ID with future actions enforcing and protecting its intellectual property against infringing manufacturers and their distributors.

Edible QR Codes Make Sustainable Sushi Fun and Convenient

Guests at the upscale Harney Sushi in San Diego now get a little something extra with their fresh tuna and crab rolls: edible QR (quick response) codes. When scanned with a smart phone or tablet, the codes take users to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) FishWatch website, where they can learn about the sustainability of the seafood they are consuming. Harney Sushi’s owners, Dustin Summerville and Kirk Harrison, and Executive Chef Robert Ruiz have been working with a number of fishery stakeholders and NOAA scientists at the agency’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in nearby La Jolla, California, to develop a local economy and culture of sustainable seafood.

C-SAM and TrustNordics Partner for NFC-Enabled Turnkey Mobile Wallets

More than half a billion mobile phones worldwide will have Near Field Communication (NFC) technology by 2014, ABI Research predicts. A new partnership between C-SAM and TrustNordics enables organizations of all types to target that installed base by developing and launching NFC-enabled wallets quickly and cost-effectively. The partnership’s initial solution is a turnkey wallet platform featuring C-SAM's pioneering, NFC-based transactions technology and TrustNordics’ Service of a Trusted Execution Environment Service to enable mobile applications for the latest smartphones such as Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Windows Phone. TrustNordics will serve as the wallet’s Trusted Service Manager and offer the wallet under its own brand or on a white-label basis to merchants, financial institutions, non-payment service providers and other organizations.

Paramount Taps NFC in Collaboration with Blue Bite and Joule for Launch of Star Trek Movie

Blue Bite, the Mobile Standard in Out-of-Home, announced the launch of a mobile campaign in partnership with tenthavenue mobile marketing agency Joule, and Paramount Pictures, for the recently released Star Trek Into Darkness motion picture.  The multi-media campaign, which launched earlier this month across large format Clear Channel Outdoor and JCDecaux airport displays, drives consumers to exclusive content that they can view or download to their mobile phones.
The team at Paramount Pictures created eye-catching, colorful art featuring Kirk, the main character of the Star Trek film, holding a phone-like communicator in his hand.  The creative invites users in any one of four major U.S. airports to take "The Future Into Their Hands" by tapping Kirk's communicator, to unlock exclusive video content. Powered by Blue Bite's proprietary mTAG® platform, the campaign enables consumers with NFC-enabled smartphones and tablets to simply tap their device on the airport displays to seamlessly gain access to the mobile media without having to download any external applications.
Blue Bite also worked with Joule to create the custom mobile experience which enhanced the outdoor campaign, rather than simply repurposing the same assets, further approaching true channel convergence.  The coupling of mobile interaction, especially NFC, with out-of-home media, provides an effective, natural way for Paramount Pictures to connect with its Star Trek fans.  The addition of this interactive component to the out-of-home environment showcases the ability of the mobile phone to enhance the messaging beyond awareness and introduces an exciting and simple element of engagement.

New app Buycott uses barcodes to help consumers

A new app called Buycott allows users to scan barcodes and learn which companies are behind the products on supermarket shevles. The barcode’s secrets are now out of the bag, and Monsanto, George Soros, and the Koch brothers had better beware. A new mobile app allows supermarket shoppers to scan barcodes to determine whether a product’s maker is morally in step with their values.

Dubai shopping mall to launch NFC and Bluetooth mobile loyalty program

The Wafi shopping mall in Dubai is to introduce a new service that allows shoppers to collect and redeem loyalty points with their mobile phone using either NFC or Bluetooth. The service is also expected to be rolled out at a European amusement park later this year. Currently, Wafi Rewards members use a physical loyalty card to collect and redeem their points in stores. And now, after downloading a new app from developer ViaFone Technologies, they will also be able to do so using their mobile phone.

Is RFID Still a Disruptive Technology?

Whether RFID in the supply chain is thriving, struggling or somewhere in-between is a matter of opinion right now. But almost nine years after the infamous Walmart case-level RFID program was first announced, only to be later shut down, and largely incremental progress since then, should we still consider RFID a "disruptive" technology? That's what Bill Hardgrave, current dean of the business school at Auburn University, recently said at the RFID Journal Live conference in Orlando. Hardgrave was previously at the University of Arkansas, where he headed up the RFID research center there and worked on several studies associated with Walmart's program and item-level apparel tagging.

Hunt: I'll barcode sick Brits and rip up NHS's paper prescriptions

UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants to tear up the NHS's clumsy system of printed prescriptions - and instead use "unique barcodes" to dish out medication straight to the poorly. Under the proposals to hopefully reduce human error, paperwork listing medicines and drugs will be sent directly from doctors' surgeries to pharmacies, bypassing the need for ill Brits to pick up the printed slips and take them to a suitable shop to process. Patient notes and prescriptions will be stored in a new electronic system, and barcodes unique to each Brit will be used to ensure the right medication for the right person is supplied by pharmacies, we're told.

What is the Killer App for Mobile NFC?

With half a billion NFC-enabled handsets equipped with NFC tap and go technology expected to hit the market in the next year, industry experts at the NFC Solutions Summit agreed that the major first step to broad NFC adoption has been accomplished. But discussion and debate continued as to what the killer app will be to get the technology to take off. The NFC Solutions Summit, presented by the Smart Card Alliance in partnership with the NFC Forum, was held this week in Burlingame, Calif.
Applications like wine tracking and device pairing that fulfill unmet needs and simplify activities may be the "world-winning NFC solutions," according to Koichi Tagawa of Sony and chairman of the NFC Forum.  In another example, Tagawa noted that Japanese airlines using NFC can board a 450-person plane in only 15 minutes, as opposed to the standard boarding process for a 150-person plane without NFC in 40 minutes. While speakers and panelists didn't reach consensus on what the so-called "killer app" for NFC will be, speakers conveyed the great potential for NFC including mobile payments in the longer term.  When asked the question "Is NFC dead?" compared to alternate technologies such as cloud payments, Glenbrook Partners Consultant Allen Weinberg stressed that all these technologies are still in the early days and it is too soon to make judgments on what mobile commerce technologies will be the winners and losers. "At the end of the day, we don't have a widespread, commercialized anything yet," he said.
The two-day NFC Solutions Summit is the leading annual NFC conference, featuring leaders from the entire NFC ecosystem. The 2013 conference brought together nearly 400 executives 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 Smart Card Alliance has developed numerous educational  NFC resources that are available on its website.  Most recently, the Smart Card Alliance Mobile and NFC Council wrapped up a successful webinar series on mobile and NFC security fundamentals.  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.  The recordings from the webinars are available for free on the  Smart Card Alliance website.

StewartStand RFID-blocking Card Case review

 I’ve written a lot of news posts about various RFID-blocking wallets, but most of those seem to be designed for men.  This Card Case from StewartStand is in their Women’s line, and it, like their other accessories, incorporates stainless steel in the design to protect your information from RFID readers when you don’t want it read.  How well does it work?

Neology Adds NFC to UHF RFID Transponders

Neology, a leader in secure high-value Radio Frequency Identification solutions, has added NFC to ultra-high frequency (UHF) transponders to create dual frequency transponders that can identify themselves to a smartphone. The smartphone can be linked to an e-wallet or other funding account so that in a matter of seconds, a user can pay his toll and continue on his trip without further delay and without ever leaving his vehicle.
The reloading process is performed in seconds. Tapping a smartphone to an NFC/UHF RFID dual-frequency transponder will automatically open a corresponding application on the phone and read all relevant information from the transponder. There is no need to type any information except the amount to reload, credit card or other account to be used for this transaction and the security PIN code assigned to the e-wallet when it was created.
NFC technology is based on 13.56 MHz frequency using the ISO/IEC 14443 standard for contactless transactions, reader-to-reader or reader-to-tag processes.
NFC smartphones have an embedded NFC reader secure module capable of communicating with other NFC phones, NFC-enabled points of sale (POS) and NFC transponders. By holding the phone as close as 10 cm to another NFC device, the phone will detect and respond automatically to establish a link with the other device without ever having to search for and open an application. All these steps are performed instantaneously and relevant data is retrieved, simplifying the process to such an extent that any user without special knowledge can complete a transaction in seconds.

Replacing contactless payments with RFID hugs and tap dancing

Artist Heidi Hinder is turning RFID-enabled hugs into monetary transactions to prompt a debate on how we assign value and trust to virtual currencies and contactless payments. Through her project Money No Object  -- part of Watershed's  Craft and Technology Residencies programme launched this January -- Hinder has been working with the Pervasive Media Studio's technology team to translate simple human interactions into payments. A trained jewellery maker, she was driven to question the social context of monetary exchanges in a technological world in light of emerging new payment forms and the ongoing financial crisis.

DeviceFidelity’s CredenSE NFC microSD Supports Mobile Wallet

DeviceFidelity, Inc., a NFC and security platform provider, today announced that the revolutionary CredenSE NFC microSD supports mobile wallet, mobile identity, access management and secure transaction apps on the recently released Samsung Galaxy S4 across all mobile carriers in all geographies, making it the world’s first NFC secure element solution that is open and accessible to any service provider globally.
CredenSE features the company’s latest patented technology improvements and other enhancements including new secure elements with greater performance and increased memory capacity. The CredenSE NFC microSD easily fits existing business and distribution processes while providing issuer independence and supporting a wide variety of commercial models, paving the path for the mobilization of applications by security service provider. The end-user also receives greater benefits from the NFC microSD beyond expanding the phone storage, by making it easy to upgrade capabilities on their mobile phone or change mobile operators without losing the service or having to pay for re-issuance.
The CredenSE portfolio leverages DeviceFidelity’s patented technology that allows for clean integration of NFC microSD products into phones that already have NFC technology built-in such as the Samsung Galaxy S4. 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 such as banks, transit operators, system integrators, but also enterprise and security tokens providers to deploy directly to their consumers. This targeted deployment approach is also useful for cost conscious TSM operators and mobile operators who are looking at reducing upfront costs while controlling access to the NFC capable security platform. Besides supporting the newly launched Galaxy S4, the DeviceFidelity neutral Secure Element solutions are also available for other globally popular smartphones such as the Galaxy S3, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and Blackberry Z10.
CredenSE is the world’s first commercial NFC product with on board active signal amplification chip, industry leading Secure Element and miniature antenna, making it the only Secure Element microSD that can host mobile wallet applications on both NFC and non-NFC phones. CredenSE product line offers a wide choice of user memory up to 8GB with a variety of onboard Secure Elements that are compatible with industry standards such as EMV, Global Platform, ISO 14443, FIPS 140 and Java Card. The flagship of the product line, CredenSE 2.10, features a powerful Secure Element that can not only support payment applications from VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and China UnionPay but also features support for MiFare and HID’s MultiClass SEOS solution. CredenSE 2.10 delivers a robust platform of choice for a complete range of payment, transit and access control solutions.
DeviceFidelity will be presenting at the NFC Solutions Summit in San Francisco, on May 15th, 2013. During the event, DeviceFidelity representatives will be available to discuss how the DeviceFidelity solution can benefit you, demonstrate the product on the Galaxy S4 as well on the iPhone5, and help answer any questions you may have around neutral; secure elements.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/business/prweb/article/DeviceFidelity-s-CredenSE-NFC-microSD-Supports-4514311.php#ixzz2TKyUCjuX

QR codes assigned to hundreds of digital encyclopedia artist entries

The Louisiana Endowment for Humanities (LEH) has announced that it is now including QR codes as a new and smartphone friendly feature to its ever growing digital encyclopedia of the history and culture of the state, KnowLA. The museums can post the QR codes next to the artwork so that visitors can use their smartphones to scan them. By scanning the barcodes, it directs the viewer to the related and interconnected entry in the digital encyclopedia. The president of the LEH, Michael Sartisky, stated that there are already 276 different artist entries in the KnowLA encyclopedia.

NeoMedia Launches QodeScan Self Service 2D Barcode Solution

NeoMedia Technologies, Inc. unveiled its self service 2D barcode solution, QodeScan. The addition of QodeScan to NeoMedia’s barcode management solution portfolio provides businesses with a new alternative to cost-effectively kick start their QR campaigns with a secure, dependable and easy to use interface..
QodeScan’s self service QR code solution is available in Lite, Basic, and Elite subscriptions. With three different self service options, agencies, brands, retailers and small businesses can choose the subscription level that best fits their needs with the option to customize their mobile barcode campaigns how and when they want.
QodeScan is supported by NeoReader — the world’s best QR and barcode reader — which enables seamless barcode scanning from your mobile device. Currently installed on over 35 million devices and available for download from your app store, NeoReader quickly and easily scans both 1D and 2D barcodes, including QR, Datamatrix, Aztec, UPC, and more.

Suvarnabhumi to get smart card system for Thais

The chairman of Airports of Thailand (AoT) Plc, Sita Divari, has announced that he had discussed with the Immigration Bureau and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the use of such technology to replace passports at the airport. With a smart card, he said, it will take a Thai passenger less than 10 seconds at the immigration checkpoint. He added that the use of immigration documents for departure and arrival will also be phased out, which would help save printing costs of around B20-30 million a year.
- See more at: http://www.thephuketnews.com/suvarnabhumi-to-get-smart-card-system-for-thais-39213.php#sthash.40y5iixE.dpuf

Barcoding, Inc. Acquires Miles Technologies, Inc. to Increase Central U.S. Presence and Expand RFID Capabilities

Barcoding, Inc., a leader in enterprise-wide mobility solutions, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Miles Technologies, Inc., in order to increase its presence in the central region of the United States and expand its radio frequency identification (RFID) capabilities. Based in Lake Zurich, Ill., with two office locations in the greater Chicago market and one in St. Louis, Miles Technologies is a provider of barcode and RFID equipment and a developer of software applications for warehouse management and asset tracking.
As a result of this acquisition, Barcoding will strengthen its portfolio of RFID and auto-identification technologies by offering the full breadth of Miles Technologies’ solutions. By increasing its presence in the Central United States, Barcoding can better service and support enterprise customers from its Chicago office, as well as uncover new business opportunities in the Central and Western United States. For Miles Technologies, current clients now have access to a larger “Go Live” and “Continuing Care” support network with Barcoding’s Professional Services Group. Additionally, Miles Technologies’ customers can obtain new mobile capabilities, as Barcoding’s solutions extend warehouse technologies beyond the four walls, including fleet and delivery management and custom software solutions.

Barcode Scanners come in colors to optimize retail branding

Socket Mobile, Inc. an innovative provider of mobile productivity solutions, announced the upcoming availability of a spring color collection of the Socket Bluetooth Cordless Hand Scanner (CHS) 7Ci, a small and sleek wireless barcode scanner for the Apple iPad, iPad mini, iPhone and iPod touch. The vibrant new barcode scanners -- available in red, yellow and blue -- enable businesses to enhance corporate branding in retail point-of-sale (POS), field sales and service, and other customer-facing applications.
Chosen by global POS leaders and independent developers alike for their mobile POS solutions, the Socket CHS 7Ci is Socket Mobile's most popular and lowest-cost barcode scanner. Besides enhancing retail branding, the new colors make the scanners easy to find in store aisles or other busy work environments, enable developers to bundle a cohesive hardware and software solution, and allow personalization of devices among users. The scanners also support Android, BlackBerry and Windows devices.

Visualead launches its near-invisible QR codes in China

Visualead, an Israeli startup behind a simple service that creates QR codes that are barely visible, kicked off its official launch in China with a bang: winning the Growth Stage Competition at the Global Mobile Internet Conference Launched in January, Visualead lets anyone create a QR code. Uses simply upload a photo to its website, which creates a code that are merged with the original image.

National Express hailing Dundee smartcard scheme

Bus and travel firm National Express hailed the impact of a Dundee-based pilot scheme as it seeks to introduce pre-paid smartcard technology on its local bus services. The group used a trading update to reveal the “successful” launch of its commercial smartcard in the city, and hailed a like-for-like rise in revenues despite the disruption caused by wintry weather.

Manhattan Nightclub Hopes RFID Will Grant VIP Treatment to Patrons

Long Island technology startup EZ-Nite has developed a radio frequency identification application designed to help businesses instantly recognize VIP customers. A company called 13th Street Entertainment is currently testing the RFID system at its restaurant, nightclub and lounge in New York City, to identify guests entering through the doors of the three venues, and thus provide the appropriate service. As part of that test, which is taking place at the building in which all three venues are located, the firm has its own staff walking through the entrance carrying their RFID-enabled ID cards. But if the technology operates as hoped, says Christian Dacus, 13th Street Entertainment's creative director, VIP guests of the Beaumarchais restaurant, the Kiss and Fly nightclub or the RdV lounge will receive cards that can help earn them special treatment.
 

Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas to Distribute Identive Group's RFID and Near Field Communications Products

Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas, a business region of Avnet, Inc has signed a distribution agreement with Identive Group, a provider of RFID and Near Field Communications (NFC) solutions. The agreement provides Avnet's customers with access to Identive's broad range of RFID and NFC readers and embedded modules, in addition to an extensive array of RFID/NFC passive transponders and tags. Identive's RFID and NFC products enable a wide range of contactless applications including access, payment, ticketing and asset tracking.
Adoption of mobile phone-based point-of-sale, ticketing, security and loyalty systems based on Near Field Communications technology is accelerating while contactless technology is proliferating in new applications from closed loop embedded RFID based systems for video gaming platforms, to medical device tracking, to anti-counterfeiting, to field maintenance management and reverse logistics. Avnet and Identive are in a position to provide complete ecosystem solutions adapted to all applicable RFID standards to both industrial and consumer customers.
"Market research firm Deloitte projects that 300 million NFC-enabled cellphones, tablets and e-readers will be sold in 2013, and Identive is a pioneer in the advancement of complementary infrastructure-based solutions," said Alex Iuorio, senior vice president, supplier development, Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas. "In addition, many of Identive's readers and modules are based on NXP Semiconductors' popular NFC reader and Cortex processor family. Having Identive on our line card enables us to offer customers more integrated module options, along with a vertically integrated transponder offering -- all of which is exactly the kind of technological synergy that Avnet can help bring to a customer's development effort."

OSPT Alliance releases CIPURSE open security standards for NFC phones

The Open Standard for Public Transport (OSPT) Alliance announced the availability of the CIPURSE V2 Mobile Guidelines, a set of requirements and use cases for developing and deploying CIPURSE-secured transit fare mobile apps for NFC-enabled smart phones, tablets and other smart devices. Providing everything developers need to implement and use the CIPURSE V2 open security standard when embedded in an NFC mobile device, the new guidelines take the CIPURSE standard to the next level by enabling transit operators to enhance their systems to support mobile ticketing with these new form factors.

Why You Should Use QR Codes (Really)

There is no more put-down technology than the QR code. The red-headed stepchild of web marketers, the QR code is an easy go-to punchline, like this Tumblr filled with people scanning QR codes. But if we can look beyond the jokes, QR codes serve a very specific purpose that little other tech can do: it builds easy connections and intersections between the physical world and the virtual world we carry around in our pocket.

Device Technologies to Distribute Haldor's ORLocate RFID Enabled Surgical Instruments

Haldor Advanced Technologies Ltd., the leading provider of RFID-enabled surgical item visibility solution for hospitals and sterilization centers, and Device Technologies, a leading Australian distributor of medical devices, signed a cooperation agreement that will enable the distribution of Haldor’s RFID solutions in Australia and New Zealand.
ORLocate solution is the first commercially available intuitive, interoperable system to leverage RFID technology to track, manage and analyze surgical instruments on an individual basis throughout Sterile Processing Departments and Operating Rooms.
ORLocate enables hospitals to significantly reduce costs associated to surgical instrument shrinkage as well as provide usage data on each instrument to ensure accurate set size and overall inventory, optimizes workflow by actively guiding and monitoring the technician’s processes to ensure compliance, and enhances the quality of patient care by managing infection control with accurate instrument level data. For more information see a short video.
Driven by the joined conviction that utilization of RFID technologies in the healthcare space will improve efficiency, elevate productivity and improve patient care, Haldor and Device are now preparing the introduction of ORLocate® solution in Australia and New Zealand.

River Bank Run participants can use QR codes this year

Runners for this year’s Fifth Third River Bank Run will have the addition of QR codes to instantly view their unofficial times on May 11. Race officials announced the codes this week, which enable participants to use their smartphones to scan their QR code after crossing the finish line and instantly view their unofficial results. Those can be shared on various social media.

Checkpoint Systems Scales up RFID Project With Leading European Apparel Retailer C&A

Checkpoint Systems, In c announced that it is scaling up its Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) project with leading apparel retailer C&A from five to 25 stores. As part of the C&A project in Germany, Checkpoint is providing RF/RFID antennas, point of sale RFID solution, software and consulting services.
The aim of the project is to ensure that the merchandise is available on C&A store shelves in the right color, size and fit so consumers can always find the item they want when they are ready to buy. Implementing RFID in store means that retailers are more effectively and efficiently able to manage inventory and enhance loss prevention efforts.
C&A selected Checkpoint for the RFID project to analyze processes and procedures for store deliveries, replenishment and inventories. C&A already implemented source tagging with Checkpoint for RF EAS several years ago, as a stepping stone for a potential RFID deployment.
"C&A chose Checkpoint's software solution to improve inventory replenishment and to ensure on-shelf availability for products such as women's jeans or lingerie. The objective is to improve the movement of merchandise from the supply chain to the store and from the back room to the sales floor inside the store," commented Joachim Wilkens, Supply Chain Development, C&A Group. "We have already noticed a clear reduction in out of stocks and increase in the availability of items on store shelves for purchase by our customers where the Checkpoint RFID solution has been installed."
Checkpoint's OAT Foundation Suite(TM) software provides real-time accurate inventory visibility in the receiving area, in the back room and on the sales ieoor. On a day-to-day basis, this means that C&A store employees are able to cycle count with a Motorola handheld RFID reader, equipped with the Checkpoint Merchandise Visibility software, allowing employees to maintain accurate perpetual inventory. As a result, C&A knows exactly how much merchandise it has left in store, in which part of the store, and if it has to re-order items. The software's integrated reporting facility includes sales, stock and replenishment data for the apparel retailer to get real time and full visibility of its merchandise and sales.
Checkpoint's RF/RFID exit door solutions for C&A deliver loss prevention and inventory visibility benefits, and have been specially designed with aesthetics that fit in perfectly within the apparel retail environment. Either discreetly attached to the ceiling or installed on each side of the doors at C&A, the solution enhances loss prevention integrity as the antennas will only alarm if an item that has not been paid for moves through the store's exit doors.
At the point of sale in stores equipped with the RFID reader solution, employees can place several items onto the counter simultaneously, where they are automatically read and processed during the transaction. This reduces the risk of an employee forgetting to scan an item. The RF/RFID labels can then easily be deactivated by Checkpoint's high-performance deactivation solution, enabling consumers to walk out of the store without setting off alarms.

CYBRA Announces Lock & EnCode Locking RFID Seals

CYBRA Corporation, the developer of MarkMagic Bar Code Labels, RFID Tags, Electronic Forms, and Report Writing Software and EdgeMagic Integrated RFID Control Software, announced a new tamper evident, single use RFID tagging solution – Lock & EnCode Locking RFID Seals.
An alternative to conventional padlocks, CYBRA Lock & EnCode Locking RFID Seals feature Alien Higgs 3 silicon and are designed for global operation between 860 - 960MHz. The seals are compliant with EPCglobal Class 1 Gen 2 (version 1.2.0) and ISO-18000-6C.
Manufactured of high grade polypropylene, the CYBRA Lock & EnCode Locking RFID Seals have an advanced metal locking mechanism with a chromed steel hasp.  They were developed in response to customer requests for a tamper evident seal for plastic distribution totes, containers, high-value items such as handmade carpets and rugs, and bundles of perishable goods.
The CYBRA Lock & EnCode Locking RFID Seals are available in two models – Basic and Custom. CYBRA Lock & EnCode Basic seals are delivered ready for customer RFID programming. Lock & EnCode Basic Seals accept ASCII and Hex data for flexible RFID User Data encoding using EdgeMagic EPC or EdgeMagic Mobile editions.

Researchers develop 'smart' paper and antennaless RFID tags

Research teams at North Dakota State University, Fargo, have developed a method to embed radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in paper, which could help combat document counterfeiting, and have developed antennaless RFID tags for use on metal. Both teams of researchers are presenting their technology advances at conferences from April 30 to May 2 in Orlando, Fla. Dr. Val Marinov will present research at RFID Journal LIVE! and Cherish Bauer-Reich and Layne Berge are presenting at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Conference on RFID, highlighting the NDSU technology breakthroughs.

HID Global Drives Initiative for Partners to Develop NFC Trusted Tag Applications

HID Global is driving an initiative for partners to develop NFC Trusted Tag applications with the launch of its HID Trusted Tag Services Software Developer Tool Kit (SDK). Operating within the Trusted Identity Platform (TIP), HID Trusted Tag Services is the company’s latest NFC innovation that offers a cloud-based service to confer trust and provide security to readily available NFC tags. In addition to its new SDK, HID Global is seeking to extend technology licenses to qualified partners to enable third-party development of novel internet-of-things NFC applications using its HID Trusted Tag Services. HID Global’s focus areas of use for new applications include:
HID Trusted Tags Services is a cloud-based platform for secure NFC tags and services that eliminates the inherent risks of authenticating original documents, processes and high-value assets as well as data-logging with traditional sign-off procedures. HID Trusted Tag Services also enables the authorization of trusted actions, such as access to websites and a range of applications. The ecosystem includes a comprehensive portfolio of HID tag, inlay and card solutions that can be used anywhere, at any time with NFC-enabled readers, smartphones or mobile devices within the services’ secure Trusted Identity Platform (TIP) boundary. HID Trusted Tag Services can also be used with RFID tags from other manufacturers.

Avery Dennison Introduces Multiple RFID Solutions for Retailers and Brands

Avery Dennison Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS) announced a newly expanded RFID portfolio which creates high performance, cost efficient solutions for targeted product categories (fragrances, jewelry, cosmetics, accessories, housewares) and improved durability, flexibility, speed, and graphic capabilities for all categories including apparel and footwear.

• Avery Dennison makes RFID Tagging on Metals and Liquids Easy: Many retailers struggle with the challenge of RFID tagging products containing metal or liquid, such as housewares, cosmetics, lotions, fragrances, and other items using metal foil in the packaging. Retailers have wanted to achieve the inventory accuracy and loss prevention benefits of RFID for these items, but these materials/surfaces interfere with the radio frequencies the RFID reader and tag use to communicate. However, Avery Dennison has made RFID tagging these notoriously difficult products easy with the patent-pending AD-451m5 label that uses the Impinj Monza® 5 IC RFID.
• Avery Dennison Delivers Faster, Performance-Driven and Versatile RFID Tagging: For RFID applications that demand fast encoding, global versatility and best-in-class readability, Avery Dennison has partnered with NXP to deliver two new inlays to its UHF RFID portfolio, the AD-235u7 and the AD-370u7. The inlays feature the latest gGen2 IC from NXP, the UCODE7, which delivers high performance across all global markets. As the first company to bring the chip to market, Avery Dennison continues to set the industry standard for versatility, performance and speed in the global RFID market, giving brand owners the design flexibility they seek for label size and improved global performance they require. Delivering the fastest encoding speed capability on the market, the UCODE7-enabled inlays are able to program 100 items in milliseconds, enabling high-speed production of RFID tags and labels. Inventory management is further improved thanks to higher inlay sensitivity that allows all tags to be read from a greater distance, and allows a single small tag design to work across the full range of UHF RFID frequencies used in major global markets.
• Avery Dennison delivers breakthrough RFID digital printing solution which improves graphic capability and flexibility: As retailers have integrated RFID into their existing graphic tags, they have faced creative compromises with the limitations of printed RFID tags. The new solution offers the capability to print high quality graphic images and high-density variable information on UHF RFID integrated tags. This breakthrough utilizes Avery Dennison Smart Face technology, which delivers a superior printing surface without the multiple layers found in some competitor tags, combined with excellent graphic quality delivered through Avery Dennison’s extensive digital printing capabilities. This enables apparel retailers to eliminate separate RFID tags and labels and integrate RFID technology into their existing graphic tags, without compromising design creativity. Avery Dennison is the first to offer this integrated tag solution and continues to set the industry standard for versatility, performance and speed in the global RFID market. To date, Avery Dennison has delivered over 700 million Smart Face tags and labels to the market over 3 years.
• Avery Dennison Improves RFID Label Durability: For RFID applications that require elevated levels of durability including harsher environments in high-impact situations, Avery Dennison has partnered with EM Marin to expand its current RFID solutions portfolio to address customer durability needs with three new inlays, the AD-234eM, AD-382eM and AD-319eM, which include EM 4124 IC chip technology. These new inlays are the ideal solution for printed fabric labels that are sewn into a garment at the very beginning of the manufacturing process, securely attaching the label so that the garments can be tracked from source, through the distribution center, to the store floor and final check-out process, ensuring enhanced inventory accuracy and loss prevention throughout the global apparel supply chain.

The apparel industry is adopting RFID technology at a faster rate than other industries with Avery Dennison RFID inlays being widely used by global apparel brands and retailers including Marks & Spencer, Macy’s, Gerry Weber and CentrObuv. UHF/HF/NFC RFID Item‐level marking solutions provide retailers with benefits ranging from improved inventory productivity, labor efficiency and loss prevention while enhancing the customer’s retail experience through the use of new interactive applications that make retail transactions simpler and more convenient.

MHA plans to profile, track all vessels using RFID tags

As part of the efforts to further beef up the country’s coastal security, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is working on a plan to carry out a 360 degree profiling of the vessels plying the Indian waters. It envisages a process wherein the data regarding the identification and background info on the owners and the workers are stored in a smart chip fitted on the boats, which the MHA officials believe can successfully plug a security breach.

Nordson Asymtek Adds RFID to Its Industrial Fluid Dispensers

Fluid-dispensing equipment company Nordson Asymtek is offering an RFID-enabled version of its Genius Jet fluid-dispensing cartridge that enables customers to automatically track and store the number of cycles that the cartridge has undergone. The technology also enables users to ensure that the correct cartridge is being used for a particular job. The solution consists of a passive high-frequency (HF) 13.56 MHz RFID tag embedded in each cartridge, a reader built into the dispensing equipment, and software in the equipment's processing system to interpret that read data.

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.
1DMax+ with Hotbars enables the DataMan 8000 series to read the most challenging 1-D barcodes quickly and easily even when those barcodes are damaged, blurred, at extreme perspective, or otherwise challenging.
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.