Report shows mobile commerce spurs NFC adoption

Most modern mobile commerce initiatives are based on the use of NFC technology. This technology allows for digital information to be transmitted over short distances and have proven very proficient in facilitating payments from mobile devices. The problem, however, is that only mobile devices that are equipped with NFC technology can make use of these mobile commerce platforms. These devices have been somewhat rare in the past, but the growing popularity of mobile commerce has forced device makers to bring new NFC-enabled smartphones to the market.

RFID know-how mulled for industry waste

The Department of Industrial Works (DIW) is considering the use of wireless radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to help deter, and curb illegal disposal of toxic, hazardous industrial wastes in unauthorised locations nationwide in the next three months, according to the secretary-general of Department of Industrial Works (DIW), Nattapon Nattasomboon. Last week, Nattapon and Dol Hetrakul, adviser to the industry minister, had the opportunity to observe RFID technology at Hong Kong's R&D Centre for Logistics & Supply Chain Management Technologies (LSCM R&D Centre). RFID technology should be suitable in helping the DIW enforce proper discarding of toxic, hazardous industrial wastes.

Why QR code poems cause conflict in Philly's Old City

For almost two years now, artist Judy Breslin has been placing hundreds of poems on buildings across Philadelphia. There's no paper, no paint, just stamp-sized stickers with a jumble of black and white blocks. When these QR codes are scanned with a smartphone app, they conjure a few lines of text on a screen. They may be small, but Breslin says the stickers are placed almost always without permission. They dot storefront windows, parking meters, newspaper boxes.

Toshiba Launches NFC LSI for Mobile Payments

Toshiba Corporation announced that it has launched an NFC controller LSI (CLF[2]) "T6NE2XBG" for secure mobile payments via proximity wireless communication. Mass production is scheduled to start in October. The market for mobile payments, using smartphones and other mobile devices in transactions, is growing. The T6NE2XBG enables multiple concurrent connections with three different secure elements (SE[3]), allowing manufacturers to design NFC-enabled applications before the SE for the transaction system is determined.

RFID Tracks Assets at Canada's Oil Sands

About five years ago, Atlas RFID Solutions developed a solution to track approximately 4,000 fabricated pipe spools (sections of pipe preassembled with flanges and other fittings) at the construction site of a power plant in Virginia. Based on that system's success, the company launched a full-scale construction-management solution, known as Jovix, which employs radio frequency identification tags and readers to monitor materials and tools at oil and gas facilities, power plants, and similar industrial construction projects—often from the point of an item's manufacture until it is built into the facility.

Mobile Wallet Detection Launched for QR Code Marketers

Skycore LLC, a leading mobile technology provider, has today announced adding mobile wallet detection to its mobile marketing platform. When a QR code is scanned, the company's SaaS platform can selectively issue pass files to wallet apps or display web content to standard, barcode scanning apps. Skycore's technology enables brands to present a single QR code to consumers rather than one for instant pass issuance and yet another for web content.
Skycore's announcement follows the expectation that Apple's iOS 7 will enable QR scanning within their Passbook app for instantly adding passes, and the release of similar functionality within PassWallet's Android app, currently in beta.
When a QR code is scanned by most barcode scanning apps the embedded URL typically launches web content. However, for instantly adding passes to wallets, the embedded URL must instead point to a specific pass file.
Wallets that offer barcode scanning will make it easier for consumers to add passes but pose a challenge for brands to support both instant passes and web content with a single QR code. Without wallet detection, a brand would have to present different QR codes.
"By detecting whether the scan source is a wallet or a standard scanning app, we can selectively serve the proper pass file or alternatively serve mobile-optimized web content. This enables brands to display a single QR code at the point of interest," said Rich Eicher, Skycore's CEO.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z innovates with NFC

Many companies have tried to build an elegant tablet that's the right combination of look, feel, and functionality. Not many have succeeded. But my first look at the new 10.1-inch Sony Xperia Tablet Z ($500) makes me think that maybe the electronics giant has produced a success story. And if you're planning to use the Xperia Tablet Z near a pool this summer, don't fear the water, at least at the shallow end: Sony claims it's water-resistant, and our tests bear that out.

China Mobile and China UnionPay test NFC on public transport

The NFC mobile payments service launched earlier this month by China Mobile and bank card association China UnionPay has been pilot tested on public transportation services in Beijing, reports TechWeb China. The trial, which has now been completed, ran on the Beijing Bus network and is now set to be rolled out commercially, though exact timing has not been specified. The service will also be expanded to the metro, airports, schools and other locations.

Nation's First High School Uses Ekahau RTLS (RFID-over-Wi-Fi)

Ekahau Inc., the high-performance leader in Real-Time Location Systems (RFID-over-Wi-Fi), announced the first implementation of its school safety solution in a United States high school, at Skyview High School in Nampa, Idaho. The successful Ekahau RTLS pilot started on April 12th, 2013 and the project was completed on April 30th, 2013.
With the Ekahau school safety solution, a Skyview teacher simply pulls down on their wearable Ekahau Wi-Fi badge in the event of a security or health emergency and the Ekahau badge sends a request for assistance within seconds, including event details and the teacher's location, to the school's Resource Officer and local dispatchers. Ekahau's 2-way RTLS messaging solution eliminates the need for manual dialing and map look-ups; pulling down on a badge places Skyview High School into lock-down. During emergencies, dispatchers may also use Ekahau messaging software to send mass communication texts to badge-holders, directing teachers and classes away from danger without dependence on cellular networks.  In addition, the Ekahau Forensics Replay™ software feature allows administrators to test emergency plan effectiveness by reviewing second-by-second event replays.
After researching a variety of school safety solutions, Petty-Ford Security Solutions of Idaho recommended the Ekahau RTLS to the Nampa Police Chief and school administrators. Funded by a private, unnamed donor, the Ekahau RTLS pilot project at Skyview High School leveraged the school's existing Wi-Fi infrastructure investment to deliver an affordable safety alerting solution for the school. By taking advantage of Skyview's existing Wi-Fi infrastructure, Ekahau eliminated the need for costly, hard-wired readers in every classroom.

With iOS 7, Apple Shows It Will Tolerate QR Codes – But Not Further Their Cause

Apple had a great big belly laugh at the expense of near field communications (NFC) at its WWDC keynote this year, but it also quietly adopted a tech that has received an equal amount of general scorn (if not more): the QR code. Apple actually built a QR code reader into iOS 7 – yes, right into the OS – but in a way that makes clear its presence is more of a mildly unpleasant but useful tool in promoting its own tech, rather than anything to be truly upheld and encouraged.

Vodafone Selects Gemalto to Setup and Manage Global NFC Mobile Payment Services

Gemalto has been selected by Vodafone Group, one of the world's largest mobile communications service providers, to provide and operate its global Trusted Service Management (TSM) platform and deploy NFC services solutions.
This multi-year global contract will provide the foundation for secure and convenient ‘wave and pay’ contactless transactions via mobile phone, as well as for numerous new services that demand the highest levels of security and integrity. Key elements of the end-to-end solution that is being integrated by Gemalto include the Allynis TSM service platform (a complete solution that ensures mobile payment end-to-end security encryption between financial institutions and mobile operators) and the company’s UpTeq NFC high-end card product.
As the turnkey supplier and systems integrator for Vodafone’s ambitious international project, Gemalto will provide for the launch of a range of innovative services that can address hundreds of millions of subscribers, located in all the countries where Vodafone Group operates. To support this program, Gemalto’s solution will allow both Vodafone subsidiaries and third party service providers such as banks, transport operators and retailers to seamlessly plug into a secure and reliable NFC ecosystem.

Specialized Tech Companies Power First-Ever Dual-Purpose Debit/ID Card

Three leading payment technology companies have combined specialties to produce an award-winning, first-of-its-kind payment solution. Praxell, a prepaid card program manager; card marketing and production partner Arroweye Solutions, Inc.; and secure payment and ID solution provider ABnote have combined their unique capabilities to produce and fulfill an award-winning, first-ever combination municipal identification and banking card.
The card program, developed by SF Global for the City of Oakland, California, is the first to provide a secure identification and banking solution to the unbanked community. Arroweye’s patented digital on-demand technology enables the high level of customization required to produce each individual card, which includes a photo ID and other personal identification information. ABnote manufactures secure cards which are very effective against reproduction and tampering, like the technology used on other ID documents such as a driver’s license and a national ID.
Praxell is managing the card program, and the prepaid cards are issued by Sunrise Banks of St. Paul, Minnesota. The debit element addresses users’ lack of access to banking services while the identification component allows those cardholders to access other services which require a photo ID.
The card program was recently recognized by the International Card Manufacturers Association, receiving the award for Best Government Identification Card in the Association's Èlan Awards.

McAfee Launches Smart Perimeter Beta

McAfee released Smart Perimeter, as part of the new McAfee Mobile Innovations app, which provides enhanced protection for consumers against lost or theft of mobile devices. Smart Perimeter thwarts this activity by creating a perimeter that allows devices to track each other and alerts the user immediately when their Android smartphone or tablet moves out of the pre-defined range created among devices.
The Smart Perimeter feature, created jointly by Intel and McAfee, solves challenges associated with multi-device growth1. The McAfee Mobile Innovations app is a free application that is available today in the Google Play marketplace.
According to recent research2, 60% of US consumers own a smartphone and 39% own a tablet, and half of consumers say they would rather lose their purse or wallet than their smartphone. Despite that fact, a mere 20% of multiple device owners have security software on their smartphones and even fewer (13%) have security on their tablet.
The McAfee Mobile Innovations features are currently in public beta in English and will allow users to test and provide feedback via email or community forum to the McAfee Mobile Security team in order to shape and enhance future versions of the app.

Apple’s Passbook Gets QR Code Scanning

Apple’s Passbook application appears to be getting QR code scanning support through Apple’s new iOS 7 update. As iMore noted, a stock Passbook card imagine on Apple.com shows a “Scan Code” button in the app’s upper right-hand corner. This means that Passbook passes could potentially be added via QR code.

EchoRFID Offers Views Into Buried Oil and Gas or Utility Pipes

EchoRFID, a Colorado company founded by veterans of the oil and gas and radio frequency identification industries, is currently in discussions with potential clients to begin piloting an RFID and GPS solution, dubbed the EchoShield PipeTalker, that manages pipes and other equipment for oil and gas pipeline owners and operators. The solution has been five years in the making, according to the company, and was tested at a Colorado installation to determine whether tagged pipes could be located, and data related to those pipes accessed using a combination of RFID and GPS data. - See more at: http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?10751#sthash.Z7YPcLaP.dpuf

QR Codes Could Cut Car-Crash Casualties

To raise the bar on safety, German car manufacturer Daimler plans to use Quick Response (QR) code stickers in its Mercedes-Benz range of cars. These black-and-white square barcodes will enable medical emergency rescue workers and fire crews to quickly access information that could ultimately save the lives of occupants involved in car crashes. The QR code system, invented in 1994 by Toyota subsidiary Denso Wave to track vehicles during manufacture, was designed to facilitate high-speed component scanning.  Since then, its usage has escalated rapidly throughout the consumer and manufacturing sectors.

Walmart and P&G Do QR Codes Right

Walmart Canada and Procter & Gamble are creating mobile stores inside 50 Toronto bus shelters. The idea is that people can use their time waiting for the bus more productively by getting some shopping done via QR codes. The way it works is that inside the bus shelters there are special posters featuring popular everyday products from P&G brands like Pantene, CoverGirl, Pampers, Gillette and Tide. All waiting bus riders have to do is download the QR-code app that links to Paypal, scan the QR codes for the products they want, confirm payment and then the goods are shipped for free.

RFID advance to improve safety of nation’s blood supply

A six-year collaboration between industry and the University of Wisconsin-Madison RFID Lab has achieved a major milestone with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearing the first RFID-enabled solution to improve the safety and efficiency of the nation's blood supply. The UW-Madison RFID (radio frequency identification) Lab was one of three lead Wisconsin partners in the project, along with the BloodCenter of Wisconsin and SysLogic Inc., a Milwaukee-based information systems provider.

Burger King Use A Designer QR Code

A designer QR Code is being used on Burger King boxes in Kuwait to launch a new game ‘Go Mega’ is an interactive shootout style soccer game that can be played from any mobile device. Players defend the goal while collecting Burger King burgers along the way and are encouraged to share through social media channels. Players are automatically entered into a prize contest by creating a user profile and entering a code on the box.

Scannable Graffiti Acts Like A QR Code

Developed by Jeremy Rubin and Andrew Lippman from the Viral Spaces group at the MIT Media Lab, ‘Graffiti Codes‘ enables users to encode small pieces of information into a physical space, similar to a QR code. It uses accelerometer-based paths to unlock data, which can be drawn onto any surface with tools such as markers. They can then be scanned by tracing over them with a mobile device and the Graffiti Code software converts the image into code that links to a webpage.

NFC payments now possible with microSD cards

The venerable microSD card slot might not be as common in smartphones as it once was, but it is still exceedingly more common than Near Field Communications (NFC) capability. The SD Association is announcing today that it has decided on an official standard for NFC-enabled SD cards, called smartSD cards, which could allow any phone with a compatible slot to make payments, pay for transit, and do almost anything else NFC is used for.

RFID for Construction Materials Takes Off

The use of RFID (radio-frequency identification) has long been considered a next-gen method for tracking and managing materials on a construction project. Some of the most forward-thinking construction companies and owners have implemented this technology on large-scale projects. Now, the tech could become more commonplace. With the price of RFID coming down and technology providers coming together to offer integrated solutions, the use of this RFID and associated construction technology could become more feasible in the near future.

A Pair of Business Accelerators Focus on NFC RFID Startups

Two organizations recently launched initiatives with the goal of helping startups focused on Near Field Communication RFID technology. Startupbootcamp and AccelerateNFC (owned by OTA Ventures) are each offering a program targeting those with new NFC products, or with solutions that are developed but need a boost by way of partners, funding or customers. The two companies are now accepting applications for mentoring programs, with the understanding that any applicant accepted into the program will share a percentage of his or her company's equity. Startupbootcamp's NFC & ContactlessXL program is being funded by Vodafone, along with other companies, while AccelerateNFC is being funded by the mentoring companies that will share that equity from participating startups.

Airbus Bag2Go smart luggage wields GPS and RFID

Many of us avoid flying with checked baggage when possible, and for good reason: even a simple delay can sour a whole trip. Airbus' new Bag2Go prototype could save us from having to pack light, however. The smart luggage carries a raft of sensors that work with an iOS app to bypass the usual airport drudgery. Its RFID chip lets travelers check in their bag and link it to every step of their itinerary; in theory, couriers can ship baggage to the hotel at a lower cost than usual.

Jamison RFID Appoints Monte R. Lucas as New President

Jamison RFID (a division of Jamison Door Company), the leading manufacturer and integrator of rugged, purpose-built RFID portals and communications enclosures, today announced the appointment of Monte R. Lucas as President.
Monte Lucas has more than 23 years of hands-on experience in the automation market, including 15 in RFID. Previously, he held high-level positions with TAGSYS, Hi-G-Tek, Matrics RFID (acquired by Symbol, now Motorola), Intermec Technologies, Zebra Technologies and Paxar/Monarch (acquired by Avery). Lucas also has significant experience in both sales and business development of supply-chain solutions, including advanced product development, marketing strategy and design of barcode / data collection / automation systems for retail, transportation, and other key markets.

RFID Technology Moves Prosthetic Hands

Sean McHugh lost his right hand and part of his forearm in a construction accident 11 years ago. Today he wears a high-tech prosthetic arm with a sophisticated multi-articulated hand. Now the way it usually works is electrodes in the arm socket pick up movements of certain muscles and that moves the hand. But it didn’t work for McHugh. I was never really good, even with the best of training and working with some of the most wonderful occupational therapists. That’s where RFID, radio frequency identification, comes in. During World War II, all aircraft, friend or foe, looked the same on a radar screen. So, the British installed small transmitters that when hit by a radio signal from the ground, would bounce back a signal that identified the plane. That’s considered the genesis of RFID. Today it’s in the barcodes at the grocery store. wireless tracking of packages and more.

iOS 7 AirDrop Could Negate the Need for NFC

Apple may be avoiding the short-range NFC, or near field communications, wireless protocol for yet another generation of the iPhone when the company debuts the iPhone 5S. According to leaked information pertaining to iOS 7, Apple will instead use its AirDrop technology, which allows file transfers over the WiFi protocol that’s already present in all generations of the iPhone.

Multi–use of smart cards suggested

The smart cards introduced for outgoing migrant workers aimed at checking illegal migration have become non-functional, as it is possible to pass the airport immigration with other visas. Besides this, a migrant worker does not require a smart card after passing the immigration desk, airport officials said. Workers and officials demand that multipurpose use of the cards be introduced to justify its issuance.

Portuguese project uses NFC phones as mobile POS terminals

Technology provider Morpho has announced it is the supplier of NFC SIM cards to a Portuguese mobile payments pilot that uses NFC phones as mobile POS terminals and is backed by the country's major telecoms operators as well as MasterCard and Visa. MobiPag has been in development for two years and is designed to provide a way to drive down costs for merchants, eliminate cash and make the purchasing experience easier for consumers.

RFID Security Company Offers K-12 RFID Alarm Badges

A company that develops radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies and products for healthcare and manufacturing has developed an alerting product specifically for K-12. Guard RFID Solutions has announced SafeGuard K-12 Safety System, which is intended to speed up communication in an emergency situation.
The system consists of badges equipped with RFID and management software. The latter can integrate the technology with on-site video to provide "live views" of a location from which an alarm originates and with access control systems that can lock down doors within specific school areas. The badges provide for "man down" detection, duress alarms, and bi-directional communications, which allows for coded signals to be sent to the badge (such as a code signaling that the alarm has been received by security people).

FDA Approves RFID Blood Tracking Device

FDA announced it has cleared iTrace for Blood Centers (Version 1.0.924.0) for marketing based on a premarket notification. Manufactured by SysLogic Inc. of Brookfied, Wis., it is the first application to use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to help prevent the release of unsuitable blood components, according to the agency. "The iTrace for Blood Centers device has the ability to enhance blood safety by helping to ensure that unsuitable units are not released," said Karen Midthun, M.D., director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "iTrace for Blood Centers will be used in blood establishments by trained personnel as a tool in streamlining blood collection and processing and aiding in product tracking and reconciliation."

To Thwart Stray RFID Reads, IDRO Develops Glowfly

The Korean company plans to soon release its reader, which works in conjunction with an antenna fitted with an LED to activate EPC Gen 2 tags with photoelectric sensors. Radio frequency identification technology is often touted for its ability to read tags without requiring a line-of-sight, thereby making reads much faster than, for example, scanning a bar code. There are also times, however, that non-line-of-sight reading creates problems. The unintended reading of RFID tags can cause data errors in a variety of applications.

Chunghwa launches NFC payments in Taiwan

Taiwan's largest mobile network operator's NFC payment service has gone live and four banks will now begin the roll-out of Chunghwa Telecom's mobile credit card service, which enables Mastercard PayPass credit cards to be issued over-the-air to customers' NFC-enabled SIMs, starting with Cathay United Bank. Three other financial institutions — ChinaTrust Commercial Bank, Taishin International Bank and E-Sun Bank — are set to follow within the next couple of weeks

SEQR introduces mobile payments in Romania

Seamless and Garanti Bank have completed a pilot project putting in place a range of services and packaging for mobile payments and completing all the necessary integrations. The collaboration will enable SEQR to be rolled out in the 21.5 million-strong Romanian market on a large scale. Garanti Bank is the first bank in the country to offer its customers mobile payment services. Romania has some 3.5 million smartphone users and their number is growing rapidly. Combined with a low card usage (0.6 cards/person), the conditions for the rapid acceptance of mobile payments are ripe.
“We are delighted that Garanti Bank can roll out SEQR in the Romanian market in such a short time. Romania has a fast-growing banking sector. It does not have the sluggishness of older banking structures, which is a huge advantage. Garanti Bank can therefore introduce modern payment solutions such as SEQR without needing to take other solutions into consideration,” says Peter Fredell, CEO of Seamless.
Under the agreement, Seamless will receive a fee for every mobile payment transaction made by Garanti Bank customers. The use of the SEQR service is free of charge for consumers, the only costs charged to the consumer being for the goods purchased.
Paying by SEQR is simplicity itself. The customers imply scan a QR/NFC code using their SEQR apps at the checkout and then approve the payment with their PIN codes. Customers can also collect all their receipts in their mobile phones.