Identiv Expects Healthy Demand for Its RFID Platform

With a focus on growth, global security technology company Identiv has secured a $20 million loan to retire debt and create liquidity of funds for its anticipated acceleration in delivering what it calls "trust for everyday items," in the form of EPC Gen 2 ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) and high-frequency (HF) Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID technology production. The firm has launched a new marketing campaign known as "Trust Your World" (Identiv asserts that trust is fundamental to identity), featuring its Identiv Trust Services (ITS) platform of solutions, including passive UHF and HF RFID tags for use in personnel, consumer and asset identity-management systems across a broad spectrum of industries, such as retail, logistics and health care. - See more at: http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?11724#sthash.jwF7HAzR.dpuf

Delhi Metro smart cards can soon be used in DTC buses

New Delhi: Passengers will soon be able to use the Delhi Metro train smart cards to travel in DTC buses and cluster buses run by DIMTS. Delhi government's long pending proposal in this regard has been approved by the Lt Governor following which the proposal has been sent to the Election Commission for clearance. According to transport department officials software used in the ticketing process will be changed or will be made specially equipped so that it can accept the Metro smart cards.

Fortune Highlights the Value of RFID to Brick-and-Mortar Retailers

The mainstream business press hasn't quite caught up with the reality that radio frequency identification technology has matured and is delivering benefits to companies in every industry and in every corner of the world. But that might be changing. A recent article posted on Fortune's website explains that Macy's and other brick-and-mortar retailers are using RFID to compete more effectively with online retailers, such as Amazon.com (see Can RFID save brick-and-mortar retailers after all?). After explaining that the early promise of transforming Walmart's supply chain didn't pan out, the article says: "Today, RFID has landed a high-demand job: Helping retailers become more competitive with online sellers, through 'omnichannel' sales—closing a sale on the buyer's terms, whether in the store, on the Web, using social media, or through some combination of those channels." - See more at: http://www.rfidjournal.com/blogs/rfid-journal/entry?10998#sthash.oZJEalM0.dpuf

New RFID WI-FI Antenna for Inventory Offered in Canadian Market

RFID Canada, technology provider and Canadian distributor for FEIG ELECTRONIC is introducing a new RFID Antenna for Inventory tracking the PRH200. The HF RFID antenna has an integrated battery operated Wi-Fi reader, is lightweight weighing only 600 grams (1.3 lbs) and is designed for one-handed operation.
The antenna and reader provide outstanding performance with 1.5W and 4.0W power modes which makes it ideal for inventory taking in environments with high density of items such as libraries and health care. The reader can also be used for applications such as document and asset management. It can operate for up to 16 hours on a single charge.

A Dropbox for the Internet of Things

With the advent of the Internet of things, potentially billions of devices will report data about themselves, making it possible to create new applications in areas as diverse as factory optimization, car maintenance, or simply keeping track of your stuff online. But doing this today requires at least some degree of programming knowledge. Now Bug Labs, a New York City company, is trying to make it as easy to create an Internet of things application as it is to put a file into Dropbox.
With a new service called Freeboard, Bug Labs is giving people a simple one-click way to publish data from a “thing” to its own Web page (Bug Labs calls this “dweeting”). To get a sense of this, visit Dweet.io with your computer or mobile phone, click “try it now,” and you’ll see raw data from your device itself: its GPS coordinates and even the position of your computer mouse. The data is now on a public Web page and available for analysis and aggregation; another click stops this sharing.

SMARTRAC and RFMicron Launch Co-Operation on Smart RFID Sensing

SMARTRAC has announced its co-operation with sensor specialist RFMicron. Goal is to jointly develop smart sensing solutions integrated in passive RFID, which enables affordable and robust sensor technology without battery lifetime worries.
Both companies are already working on spearhead projects within industrial automation and the construction industry. Primary joint efforts aim at allowing moisture and pressure sensing integrated into RFID. Further projects are in planning stages.

Printer Primer: Samsung Printer Xpress M2835DW

One of the newest models to hit the market from Samsung, the Printer Xpress M2835DW is part of the second set of Near Field Communication(NFC)-enabled printers which have come out recently. A single function monochrome model, it offers print speeds of up to 29ppm and first page out times of under 9 seconds. It is also reasonably compact at 14.5” x 13.2” x 8.0” (W x D x H). Further, it comes with a 600MHz processor, 128MB of internal memory, and 12,000 maximum monthly duty cycle.
One draw to this model is likely to come from its bevy of wireless printing options. As is mentioned above, it is NFC-enabled which allows users to establish a connection to the printer simply by tapping your mobile device on it.

Digital Wayfinding Now Available in Greeley CO

Discovering the best of the “Creative District” in Greeley, Colorado is now easy, thanks to a new wayfinding system that combines on-site digital signage with interactive mobile technology. The Greeley Creative District (GCD) is a local hub for art, entertainment, enrichment, and history. In an effort to promote the area, Greeley has deployed wayfinding software that allows citizens and visitors to quickly see - via mobile device or home computer - all the neighborhood has to offer.

Reaching people on-the-go is a key component of the mobile community maps. Wayfinding signs placed strategically in parks, store windows, and other public spaces invite pedestrians to pull out their smartphones and start exploring. Some of the signs are shaped like a mobile device to catch the attention of users; others are located on wayfinding kiosks mounted in public buildings. NFC tags (digital chips built into modern mobile devices) allow users to immediately access a location-based guide to what’s nearby - from coffee shops to libraries to public art, and even local events. Using this wayfinding design, discovery is made simple for citizens and tourists, with no download or installation required. “Discover Greeley Creative District” catches people where they are - out and about - and entices them to walk, shop, and enjoy the richness of the neighborhood.
While browsing the mobile maps, users can tap a location for more information, such as the historic significance of the Union Pacific Depot or the operating hours of the Atlas Theater. Contact information and websites are readily available - right within the app - for people who wish to know more. And a built-in widget keeps pedestrians on the right track as they head for their next destination.
The mobile maps are a community project. Citizens of Greeley are invited to vote for their favorite places, and add new ones that are missing from the app. Businesses are welcome to purchase advertising with a place marker or detail page, which simultaneously helps support the project and boost the local economy. The interactive wayfinding campaign is helping the GCD to guide local citizens and out-of-town visitors on a journey of discovery that is as unique and delightful as the District itself.

Here's What's on the Shelves of the Paranoia Market

Thanks to RFID technology, those with passports, drivers licenses and credit cards become potentially high-risk victims of identity thieves in possession of a counterfeit RFID reader. That's opened up the market for a spate of reader-blocking accessories, from wallets to fanny packs to bra stashes. The styles abound, including wallets woven from Stewart/SNDS's slick stainless-steel billfold; Tumi's ID Lock-enhanced accessories; and the more minimalist Kickstarter-funded HuMn wallet. Prices can go into the hundreds of dollars, but the more thrifty have discovered that putting your goods in a simple Altoids tin works, too.

How to convert a PDF to ePUB

There’s some debate as to whether PDF files or ePUBs are easier to read. Some say that PDFs produce less eye strain and provide a more aesthetically pleasing experience because PDFs are restricted to showing pages as they were originally saved, omitting adjustments for images, font size, and other page aspects. On the other hand, some prefer ePUB’s flexibility. ePUBs allow text size to adjust to the dimensions of your tablet or eReader’s screen, while retaining the original formatting and layout.

MAINtag and Zebra Technologies Launch New Enterprise RFID Printing Solution

FLYplug, a new label-based format for aerospace RFID parts identification, has been launched by MAINtag in partnership with Zebra Technologies. FLYplug is easy to use, cost-efficient and practical for aircraft (A/C) manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and MRO sectors that want to upgrade from older barcode identification labels or name plates to a  state-of-the-art, data-robust RFID tagging system.
The FLYplug RFID printing solution includes software license, Zebra Technologies RFID printers (RZ400, RZ600 and R110Xi4 series as well as the new ZT410R and ZT430R) and MAINtag's on-metal ruggedized flexible FLYchip®-embedded RFID tags. This new system sets a standard that outperforms existing on-metal identification.
Based on MAINtag's patented on-metal RFID label (firm-plate) technology, FLYplug is a global integrated printing/encoding enterprise package solution based on ATA Spec 2000. It is the logical stand-alone and networkable solution for fast, fully automated and cost-efficient printing/marking and encoding of RFID-integrated labels.

Westpac enables tap-to-pay for Samsung devices, but lack of NFC leaves iPhone in cold

Westpac will allow owners of some Samsung devices to make payments through their smartphones from next week, but says it won’t provide an equivalent service for iPhones until Apple integrates a payment technology. The capability, which the bank has been developing with Visa since December, will initially mean those who own the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be able to tap their smartphone on a compatible terminal from next week to make a payment. It will be available on the Samsung Galaxy S5 once it is released this month and will become available on its Note 3 device with a software update.

Avery Enhances RFID-Enabled Solutions

In an attempt to improve inventory accuracy and visibility for retailers and brands, Avery Dennison Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS), a unit of Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY  -  Analyst Report), has widened its Radio-frequency identification (RFID) portfolio. Avery Dennison RBIS is an integrated solutions provider of ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID inlays. Avery Dennison RFID inlays are widely used by global apparel brands and retailers including Macy's, Inc. (M  -  Analyst Report), Marks & Spencer, Lord &Taylor, Gerry Weber and C&A.

Hanmi IT Markets Item-Level RFID Tracking Software, New Readers

Hanmi IT, a division of Korean pharmaceutical company Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., has launched multiple pilots of its Keidas RFID software, a platform that it developed for use in-house. The firm is now marketing the solution for use by other companies in the pharmaceutical industry, including manufacturers, hospitals and drug stores. The pilots currently underway include two Korean government programs that are testing the technology throughout the supply chain to harness RFID-based visibility to prevent the theft or counterfeiting of narcotic drugs.

RFID Canada forms industry partnership with Wavetrend Europe

Markham ON-based RFID and NFC technology provider RFID Canada has become a fully certified and accredited distribution partner for Wavetrend Europe, a London England-based developer of active RFID products and solutions.“Wavetrend is committed to providing best in class technology and products which offer real-time, automated tracking and management of critical business assets and personnel” says Maggie Meaton, Wavetrend's global director of sales "Our partnership with the leading RFID provider in Canada increases our geographic and vertical market reach for Active RFID technology and will provide RFID Canada’s partners with best of breed solutions to deliver superior asset track and trace capability to their customers."

InSync Releases iApp Cobalt Platform for the Internet of Things and RFID Applications

InSync Software, Inc., the leading provider of enterprise IoT and RFID software, today announced the availability of its iApp application platform, Cobalt Release 5. InSync's award-winning iApp platform powers Fortune 500 companies' RFID, GPS and sensor-driven asset tracking and management applications, helping these businesses locate and track mission-critical assets and improve efficiency in operations.

Central to the iApp Cobalt release, is the introduction of two modules - Vista, a revolutionary customizable dashboard and report builder module, and ActionView, an intelligent drag-and-drop form builder that can also subscribe to real world events generated by any RFID or IoT device. The Cobalt release of the iApp platform also features an assortment of added and enhanced functionalities around building enterprise IoT applications and accessing iApp services from any mobile device.

iApp Cobalt now provides native support for building HTML5 applications. Using the HTML5 UI widgets, partners and customers can quickly build cross-browser applications that can be accessed from mobile devices like iPads, iPhones, Android devices, Windows surface and others. As RFID deployments go beyond pilots to the entire enterprise, Cobalt's high availability features are especially suited with its ability to either scale horizontally or vertically based on the application need.

Cobalt's iApp form builder, ActionView, is completely flexible and allows the user to set-up custom fields which are relevant to a customer's specific business process in order to easily manage and make sense of the RFID and sensor information. Each of these fields can be configured to process sensor data, making RFID and sensor information meaningful for the application.

The iApp Vista report builder allows the user to create one or many data sources from any data stored in the iApp repository. After configuring the data sources, users can build single or multi-panel UIs with a just a few clicks, and make these accessible in the iApp application. iApp Vista supports the creation of smart grids, charts, graphs and images, all in a single canvas. Now users can configure an RFID device, collect the data and immediately visualize the data through a set of dashboards and reports.

Banco Santander deploys NFC services on microSD

Gemalto announces that Banco Santander, through its Santander Universities Global Division, is issuing the Optelio Contactless microSD solution in Spain, Brazil, Chile and Mexico, as part of their University Smart Card program. The application is now live at a number of universities, and participating students, teachers and other personnel are able to use their mobile phones for everyday tasks such as building access, and as an ePurse to make payments in canteens. Banco Santander is also adding the mobile payment option integrated with its own mobile payment wallet, and is planning to use the NFC-capable microSD to deploy a wide range of services such as mobile transportation ticketing.
This innovation builds on the success of Banco Santander's University Smart Card program, which is already used by more than 7.1 million people, in over 270 universities across 12 countries. Gemalto's complete solution encompasses the personalization, issuance and fulfillment services, the microSD card, and the multi-service wallet framework necessary for Banco Santander to create its own mobile app.
Recognized as the most advanced product of its type on the market, Gemalto's Optelio Contactless microSD now incorporates 4GB of memory space for users to store personal data such as photos and videos, and provides seamless support for MIFARE ticketing applications. Gemalto's innovation also highlights a major breakthrough in radio technology, with enhanced RF signal transmission that ensures optimum performance across the widest possible range of phone handsets and operating environments.

San Miguel to roll out RFID toll collection at Skyway, SLEX

San Miguel Corp (SMC) expects users of its electronic payment system at the Skyway and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to increase significantly in the next three years with the new radio frequency identification (RFID) toll collection. Under the new electronic toll collection (ETC) system, toll will be deducted through special RFID-embedded stickers attached to a vehicle’s windshield or headlamp, which can be read even at high speeds, allowing for faster and smoother traffic flow at toll gates.

Uruguay Will Track Legal Marijuana Via RFID and Genetic Markers

The head of Uruguay’s National Drug Board says the government will track every legal marijuana plant in the country using radio frequency tags, among other rigorous standards planned for the country’s legal marijuana industry. Julio Caldeza says all government-grown plants will also be cloned with genetic markers to allow authorities to identify any plant grown legally. Proponents of the tracking and identification systems hope these measures will help them reduce illegal trafficking and production in the country and keep track of abusers that need help.

'Smart' card maker to expand

A Fort Wayne-based maker of financial and commercial plastic cards plans to add 4,400 square feet and 14 employees to its High Street location. A Greater Fort Wayne Inc. announcement on the $3.3-million CPI Card Group project said CME Build it Right would start construction in April. The additional employees will be hired during the next three years. CPI plans to invest $1.8 million in equipment and convert some of its office space at 613 High St. to production space. That conversion, the reconfiguration of some office space and the addition will cost $1.5 million.