Aurionpro Inks a Distributor and Implementation Partner Agreement With the Largest RFID Vendor in the Middle East

Aurionpro has entered into a distributor and implementation partner agreement with Middle East industry leader and tracking technology innovator TrackIT Solutions, LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, TrackIT will provide sales support and implementation services of select Aurionpro offerings, including Aurionpro's SCMProFit suite, a leading supply chain management platform.

Based in Dubai, TrackIT Solutions is the most successful Motorola partner in the Middle East and a recognized developer of tracking solutions, with core competencies in RFID and complementary technologies. The value proposition that TrackIT offers for Middle Eastern organizations lies in its ability to provide comprehensive, local, reliable, and cost-effective tracking solutions and consulting services. In order to provide its world-class asset, inventory, vehicle, baggage, and other tracking solutions, TrackIT has established relationships with the world's leading manufacturers of hardware and technology products. In addition, TrackIT has a demonstrated record of success in providing system integration services on diverse platforms for a wide range of industry verticals.
 
While the initial relationship centers on a distribution and implementation arrangement, initiatives are actively being planned to expand the partnership, including the co-development of innovative solutions for the supply chain market and the integration of the Aurionpro SCMProFit suite with the value-added RFID and tracking solutions from TrackIT.

Fold’s Scannable Barcode App Aims to Streamline Bitcoin Payments

A new mobile bitcoin payments app is seeking to present digital currency consumers with a convenient, all-purpose spending solution. Fold, the latest effort from the makers of Coin For Coffee and Card for Coin, enables consumers to make bitcoin payments using a mobile app that can integrate with a variety of point-of-sale (POS) systems.

Essen bags RFID mandate for Dubai’s Cavalli Club

Next time technology entrepreneur Carlos Johnson comes calling at Cavalli Club in Dubai, he will be greeted by name and escorted to the preferred corner table without him having to prove his identity at the door. Johnson would be able to avail of such personalised services, including getting his favourite drink even without having to order, as the Club’s hostess already knows of his arrival and preferences by tapping into a system powered by Mumbai-based Essen RFID. 

Oak Ridge National Labs deploys combination PIV, CIV smart card ecosystem - See more at: http://secureidnews.com/news-item/oak-ridge-national-labs-deploys-combination-piv-civ-smart-card-ecosystem/#sthash.BIDKQbJk.dpuf

Oak Ridge National Labs, a technology research facility for the U.S. Department of Energy, is deploying a mix of PIV and CIV credentials throughout its Tennessee facilities. The new smart card credentials will be used for physical and logical access, says John Watson, group manager for the Laboratory Protection Division System at Oak Ridge. The lab went with the PIV smart cards for those employees who travel and need to use the credentials for access to other facilities, while CIV credentials will be for those who are just using the cards on site. The CIV credentials were less expensive than the PIV, Watson says.

India Barcode Scanner Market shipments value reached US$1.48 Million

The increasing usage of barcode technology in India is fueling growth of the India Barcode Scanner Market. Barcode technology is used across major industries due to multiple advantages such as better inventory management, time saving and cost efficiency. Additionally, growing retail, pharmaceuticals and logistics sector is further expected to boost the demand of the India Barcode scanner market.
According to this report, India Barcode Scanner Market shipments value reached US$1.48 Million in CY Q1 2014. MOTOROLA led the market followed by HONEYWELL and ZEBEX. In the Scanning segment, single line Barcode Scanners occupied around 83% market share.

Leading the way in RFID applications

Silent Partner Technologies announced its latest product line specifically for Fire and EMS organizations—IntelliView, and IntelliShelf further extending its Asset and Inventory Management system for Fire and EMS organizations.

Recently SPT won a prestigious contract to provide complete Asset and Inventory management for the City of Ft. Lauderdale Fire Department—one of the busiest Stations in the US. According to the organization, one of the key reasons for selecting the SPT product line is its comprehensive approach to solving the department's complete needs within one application, and doing it with the latest technology including both Passive and Active RFID.

“The City of Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department is constantly striving to  advance in updated equipment and technologies to enhance daily operations and overall accountability with all Department (City) assets. Through the use of RFID technology the Department will enhance Fire Logistics operations in regards to all supplies and equipment utilized. Fire Operations will utilize the     technology to enhance ordering, restock and inventory checks. This new technology is accurate and reduces time frames drastically compared to actual physical counts that had to be conducted on a routine basis" — says Cris Dietz, Battalion Chief City of Ft. Lauderdale Fire & Rescue.

The updated solution combines a variety of applications all into one comprehensive system which manages Inventory—both serialized (such as narcotics), and non-serialized such as general station supplies (paper, mops, brooms, etc.). Furthermore, regarding Inventory, the system uses “smart shelf” (IntelliShelf™) technology thus removing the need for any human interaction.

Adoption of the innovative system by the City of Ft Lauderdale's fire-rescue department demonstrates how other Fire & EMS organizations can reap the benefits of specific/custom RFID asset and inventory management processes and tools.

Lifesaving equipment needs constant monitoring, and medical providers need to track drug supplies, equipment, temperature within a compartment or an ambulance, and availability of assets for mobile and in-house procedures. Medical responders, disaster-relief companies, and other industries face increasingly complex logistical situations whereby not having the “right equipment” on a call can prove catastrophic. This is where the “real-time”—all the time visibility of “mission critical” assets is essential and big part of the SPT solution suite.

New Textbook App Wants Students to Scan Barcodes in Stores, Then Buy Elsewhere

A new version of the Direct Textbook mobile app, which allows users to compare textbook prices at hundreds of stores on their mobile device, now comes with a “barcode scanner” that allows students to browse textbooks in a physical store and then find the best price online, a practice otherwise known as “showrooming.” Students can also check prices of a textbook on the app by entering its ISBN number. The app searches 200 bookstores and 10,000 libraries to find the best deal on a new or used version of the textbook.

Would Mark Twain have scanned a QR code?

When smartphones evolved to the point where they could scan quick response codes, many produce companies were among early adopters of the two dimensional codes. Now, four years into the trend, some in the industry are abandoning the black and white squares. Others, including HarvestMark founder Elliot Grant, say reports of the death of QR codes are like the proverbial premature obituary for Mark Twain — greatly exaggerated. Courtesy CMIUsing redesigned bags for its imported Ambrosia apples this season, Columbia Marketing International is running a QR code test in conjunction with a consumer contest for upscale kitchen gadgets to determine how shoppers access their website. Not comfortable with either of those views, Columbia Marketing International, Wenatchee, Wash., decided to dig for data. “We’re a little surprised with the initial data,” said Steve Lutz, vice president of Wenatchee, Wash.-based CMI. “Conventional wisdom is that QR codes are dead, but we are still getting a lot of traffic. The problem is we don’t know where the scans are being done, at home or in the store.”

Latest Innovation from Silent Partner Technologies

Silent Partner Technologies (SPT) announced its latest product line specifically for Fire and EMS organizations—IntelliView and IntelliShelf, further extending its Asset and Inventory Management system for Fire and EMS organizations.

Recently SPT won a prestigious contract to provide complete Asset and Inventory management for the City of Ft. Lauderdale Fire Department—one of the busiest Stations in the US.  According to the organization, one of the key reasons for selecting the SPT product line is its comprehensive approach to solving the department's complete needs within one application, and doing it with the latest technology including both Passive and Active RFID.

“The City of Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department is constantly triving to advance in updated equipment and technologies to enhance daily operations and overall accountability with all Department (City) assets. Through the use of RFID technology the Department will enhance Fire Logistics operations in regards to all supplies and equipment utilized. Fire Operations will utilize the technology to enhance ordering, restock and inventory checks. This new technology is accurate and reduces time frames drastically compared to actual physical counts that had to be conducted on a routine basis," Cris Dietz, Battalion Chief City of Ft. Lauderdale Fire & Rescue, said.

Smartphone Check-Ins: Not Quite an Aladin's Lamp

Smartphone check-ins seem destined to be as commonplace as frette sheets on hotel beds;  Earlier this week Hilton announced that guests will not only be able to book rooms and check-in and check-out but also choose their rooms via their smartphone. Given the exponential growth of the "head-down tribe", smartphone users who walk, talk and even sleep with their head down and eyes fixated on their devices, it seems like a natural if not a brilliant idea.

QR codes find a warm reception in Anchorage

QR codes, sometimes mocked for their lack of popularity or knack for popping up in unexpected places, have found a happy home in Anchorage. Last week the city’s assembly voted unanimously to allow families of the deceased to place QR codes on its columbarium wall, a 600-foot long structure that can hold about 9,000 urns. “This QR code, I’m really excited about that,” said assemblyman Ernie Hall at the meeting. He then suggested expanding the uses of QR codes to signs in local parks, so citizens could easily learn why the park’s namesake was honored.

Hard Rock Reduces Labor Expenses with RFID Tracking System

Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park has implemented the InvoTech UHF-RFID Uniform System to automate control and management of the property’s 6,000-plus uniforms.  The InvoTech Uniform System reduces labor expenses associated with manual handling and increases employee accountability with automated uniform tracking. 
 

RFID vs. iBeacons: Which is better for event marketing?

What better place to trial iBeacons then among a load of early-adopter hipsters at a Brooklyn arts and innovation festival. At Northside Festival iBeacons were used to push out alerts about backstage passes, the ability to queue jump, surprise tickets and food vouchers. The trial was carried out by MasterCard, which said it would be tracking metrics such as app downloads, alerts seen and actions taken, alongside conversations on social.

British Clothing Retailer Sees RFID as 'Enriching Experience'

Giulio, a fashion store located in Cambridge, England, has completed a four-month trial of a radio frequency identification system designed to track when garments are placed on or removed from a hanging rail, and to display information regarding those products to customers. The retailer now intends to install the technology at additional locations within its store.

Cubiq Uses RFID to Create 'Magic Closet'

Start-up Cubiq has announced its Cubiq On-Demand Concierge Storage Service, which uses RFID-tagged plastic storage containers, which it calls cubes. Each cube is about 24 inches long, 19 inches wide and 12.5 inches tall, with a volume of 18 gallons and a weight limit of 50 pounds. An Alien Technology ultra-high frequency (UHF) EPC Gen 2 Squiglette (ALN-9730) tag is affixed to the container's interior and a bar-coded label is attached an exterior side. Customers contact Cubiq, which sends one of its "concierges" to the customer's home.

Brazilian Clothing Wholesaler Invests in RFID

Brazilian children clothing wholesaler Brascol is tagging the merchandise that retailers buy at its wholesale outlet, and has installed RFID-enabled checkout system to enable faster purchases by those customers. The RFID system, supplied by iTag Technology, relies on RFID tags made with NXP Semiconductors’ Ucode7 UHF chips to quickly identify a shopping cart’s contents.

Barcode Label Design Software supports virtual environments

TEKLYNX International, a developer of barcode labeling software solutions, announces the launch of LABEL MATRIX 2014, the newest release of the barcode label design software application. This upgrade offers seamless integration with the Windows 8.1 operating system and expanded licensing options to support virtual environments. LABEL MATRIX 2014 is available for purchase today.

Designed to grow with your business, LABEL MATRIX 2014 is a feature-rich application for companies with basic labeling needs who are looking for an entry point into TEKLYNX’ full range of trusted solutions. TEKLYNX’ tiered product line allows users to easily convert their existing label templates from one barcode label design software application to another as their labeling needs become more complex due to product or process expansion.

TEKLYNX’ subscription licensing options include upgrades and technical support at no additional cost to support the evolution of a company’s labeling needs. The company’s customer service and professional services team, along with a wide network of resellers and technology partners, can help provide guidance in selecting the ideal labeling solution for any organization.

RFID tags along with the Internet of Things

RFID was the prototype for the entity-connected domains now being brought into the Internet of Things – but are the two technologies necessarily destined to contend with each other? Renewed interest in RFID suggests that it still has an important part to play. Some 15 years after the term was first coined, technology companies have at last latched onto the Internet of Things (IoT) as the driver for the next wave of their market growth. However, an earlier attempt to do some of what the IoT now promises has demonstrated that they could be in for a prolonged wait if they fail to heed the lessons learned by the more mature technology.

eAgile Inc. earns US Patent for its eSeal RFID-enabled packaging solution

eAgile Inc. announced  that the U.S. Patent Office has granted a patent for the company’s eSeal(TM) RFID-enabled packaging solution. The eSeal solution solves many of the underlying concerns surrounding the nearly one trillion containers consumed annually by the medical, cosmetics, food and beverage industries. These industries require visibility throughout the distribution process to combat counterfeiting and product tampering.

“We now have a complete end-to-end solution that also secures the chain of custody from manufacturer to customer,” says Peter Phaneuf, president of eAgile Inc.

eSeal customers can expect to gain the following benefits:
* Security. eSeal verifies the contents of sealed containers and cartons to ensure the product is genuine, not part of a recall, within the expiration date and has not been tampered with.
* Visibility. Every eSeal tagged item bears its own secure and unique ID for e-pedigree or regulatory compliance and can be individually tracked throughout distribution with a location and time/date stamp.
* Simplification. eSeal closures and shrink seals are designed to replace current packaging and can be introduced with minimal disruption.

Barcode Scanning App Used To Boycott Israel

More than 400,000 people are boycotting goods produced by Israeli-linked companies using a barcode scanning app. Buycott allows users to identify the source of products instantly so that purchases do not conflict with their beliefs. People can set up banned product lists to support their own particular interests or causes, but it is the anti-Israeli lists which have boosted the app's popularity.

Global NFC Market Driven by Rising Mobile Commerce

The NFC market is currently witnessing a rapid growth in all its verticals. The NFC market is driven by the increasing trend of mobile commerce. Another driver for this market is that the NFC Forum and GSMA are pushing forward the NFC standard at global level. This report gives an in-depth analysis of the NFC market that includes market by product, market by application and market by geography.

Growing at 8.83% CAGR, total NFC Market is expected to reach $16.25 Billion by 2022. This market is expanding globally and the major market for the NFC ecosystem lies in America. The other regions Europe, APAC and ROW follow the American terms of the NFC market. This report gives an in depth analysis of the major drivers, restraints, and opportunities for this market. Also, a competitive landscape of the major players in the NFC ecosystem is very well illustrated. The NFC is a very dynamic market and entails a great potential across many industry verticals. The advancements in technology due to the never ending R&D in this sector, makes it one of the prominent segments in the current industrial scenario. The NFC products have been experiencing continuous developments right since their inception. The technology has a major role to play in this sector due to the cost effective matrix, and this results into a longer life cycle of products and systems, along with greater reliability. The highlighting features of the NFC technology include high rate of communication with other NFC-enabled devices, better properties to withstand rough environmental conditions, and a longer life that is best suited for the payment, ticketing, booking, and data sharing applications.

This report focuses on giving a detailed view of NFC with respect to the product market, with detailed market segmentations, combined with a qualitative analysis of each and every aspect of the classifications. The NFC market has been divided into three major verticals products, applications, and geography. The product vertical is sub-divided into IC/chips, tags, readers, micro SD cards, SIM cards, and covers. The application vertical has been further sub-divided into payment, transportation, booking, service, data sharing, access control healthcare, and tag applications. The geography has been sub-divided into Americas, Europe, APAC, and ROW. Payment application has the largest market share in terms of value for 2013. Apart from the demand side market drivers, the report also analyzes the supply side drivers. The major players in this field includes: Broadcom (U.S.), Inside Secure (France), Infineon Technologies (Germany), MediaTek (Taiwan), NXP Semiconductors ( Netherlands), Renesas (Japan), Samsung Electronics (South Korea), Sony Corporation (Japan), STMicroelectronics (U.S.), Texas Instruments (U.S.), and Gemalto (Netherlands). Order a copy of this report at http://www.reportsnreports.com/Purchase.aspx?name=291277 .

The Near Field Communication (NFC) technology is developing at a very high pace in the overall market. One of the greatest advantages of this technology is that it utilizes less power than the other wireless technologies. This technology has been commercialized in many products, which operate in three modes, namely, card emulation, reader emulation, and peer-to-peer. This technology can be compatible with the existing contactless card infrastructure and this also enables a consumer to utilize one device across multiple systems.

The major Near Field Communications market drivers discussed in this research include Adoption of Smart Homes Appliances and Smart Healthcare Services, Growing Trend Of Mobile Commerce, Enhanced User Experience And Trust Amongst Contactless Card Technologies, Growth In Production Of NFC-Enabled Mobile Phones and Use Of Cost Effective, Smaller Size, And Power Efficient Element (Silicon) In Chips. Short Range Communication, Indifference and Disputes between Key Players in the Value Chain and Only Proprietary Standards are the restraints of the industry as per this research. Opportunities for the new entrants and current market players of near field communications industry include Integrated IC Supporting NFC, Bluetooth, And Wi-Fi, Online And In-Store Payment In Retail and Growing Need Of Connectivity Between Different Devices. Burning issues discussed in this research include Lack Of Consumer Awareness and Need Of Intermediaries Gateway For Mobile Payment (Not An End-To-End Technology), whereas 'winning imperatives' like Innovation In Payment Methods In Emerging Economies and Strategic Coalition Across Value Chain are also covered in the report.

Global IoT & M2M Market to Top $450B by 2019

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Communication Market is expected to grow from $128.7 billion in 2014 to $498.92 billion in 2019, at an estimated CAGR of 24.42% from 2014 to 2019. "Internet of Things (IoT) & Machine-To-Machine (M2M) Communication Market by Technologies & Platforms (RFID, Sensor Nodes, Gateways, Cloud Management, NFC, CEP, SCADA, ZigBee), M2M Connections, IoT Components - Worldwide Market Forecasts (2014-2019)" research report is a March 2014 publication of 224 pages providing global analysis and perspective of the industry. Complete report is available here.

Barcode system to cut errors

The anaesthetists at Palmerston North Hospital are going hi-tech with a new barcode scanning system as part of MidCentral District Health Board's move to a paperless system. The SAFERsleep system, which is where medication is delivered in barcoded syringes and scanned into the system, will provide anaesthetists with visual and audio confirmation of what drug is being used before it is administered. DHB medical head anaesthetist Dr Alberto Ramirez, who is co-ordinating the project, said it would "improve the quality of care" for patients with better quality and accuracy of records and also reduce the number of errors with drugs.

The Energy Sector Embraces RFID

A new event will show that the energy and construction sectors are beginning to get serious about the adoption of radio frequency identification technologies. Large construction projects are mind-numbingly complex, with materials needing to show up at a job site in precise sequence Bechtel is using RFID technology to track materials as they move through a complex local supply chain to arrive on Curtis Island, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, where three liquified natural gas (LNG) plants are being built. An active RFID system has helped Bechtel shorten cycle times, reduce costs and achieve transactional benefits during material-handling activities.

Smart Card Alliance Celebrates U.S. Federal Government’s ID Security Successes at HSPD-12 10th Anniversary Event

The U.S. federal government has been steadily moving towards higher levels of cybersecurity and efficiency in the 10 years following the signing of landmark security directive HSPD-12 , government leaders shared last week at a special Smart Card Alliance HSPD-12 10th Anniversary event in Washington, D.C.

The event commemorated the government-wide security directive signed by President George W. Bush in August 2004, which drove momentous change in the way the U.S. federal government manages employee and contractor identities and access to government facilities. HSPD-12 and the resulting FIPS 201 standard established practices for verifying identities and issuing secure, reliable and tamper-proof PIV credentials that could be rapidly authenticated electronically across government. PIV cards are issued to government employees and contractors for secure access to government buildings and IT systems, and the standards have been extended for non-federal and commercial use.

Some of the many successes celebrated at the Smart Card Alliance event included:
◾Today, more than 90 percent of all government employees and contractors have been issued PIV cards–a major achievement. In only 10 years, standards have been defined, PIV cards and card readers have been developed and produced, and secure issuance procedures, including background checks, have been developed and implemented government-wide.
◾Future goals include reaching 100 percent issuance, developing PIV and PIV-derived credentials for multiple devices including mobile, increased usage of digital signing and encryption of emails and transactions, and the acceptance of PIV credentials by physical access control systems (PACS) across the government.
◾The typical day in the life for government employees is much more efficient. 10 years ago, an employee may have multiple badges for multiple purposes issued in multiple ways for physical access to buildings, along with several usernames and passwords and an expensive one-time password (OTP) token for access to networks and systems. Today, employees have one badge that has been issued in a secure manner that can be trusted by any federal agency and used for access to any PIV-enabled facility or website.
◾Innovation is important for the future. Government and industry speakers indicated that the future roadmap for PIV credentials includes biometrics, mobile credentialing, expanded use in transit and applications for the cloud.
◾HSPD-12 has laid the foundation for strong, trusted identities that will help the federal government meet physical and cyber security challenges in the future.

“HSPD-12 required a total overhaul of the government’s approach to identity management and security and is a project of unprecedented size and scope. The successes of the past 10 years have, too, been unprecedented and represent our government leaders’ determination and vision for the future of interoperable and trusted credentials. Now that the foundation has been successfully laid, there is a clear commitment to the next steps: increasing PIV card usage and leveraging mobile and cloud technologies,” said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance.

The Smart Card Alliance will next host the 13th Annual Smart Card Alliance Government Conference on October 29-30, 2014 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The conference will feature more than 75 government and industry leaders speaking on PIV credentials, government-focused efforts in the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) initiative, trusted ID on mobile devices, developments in state and local ID programs and global trends in secure identification. Details regarding the agenda and registration can be found at http://www.GovSmartID.com and on Twitter by following @SmartCardOrgUSA, #govsmartID.

Marks & Spencer, Wilko Among Leading Retailers to Present Case Studies at RFID Journal LIVE! Europe

This year's RFID Journal LIVE! Europe conference and exhibition, to be held on Oct. 23 at Dexter House in London, England, will focus on educating end users about how radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is delivering real business benefits to companies. The event will feature three general sessions, a Main Track and a Retail Track. Among the sessions to be featured in the Retail Track are:

•Dr. Bill Hardgrave, the dean of Auburn University's Harbert College of Business, will present a session detailing how RFID can be used to help brick-and-mortar stores disrupt online retailers, by providing them with the inventory visibility necessary to become true omni-channel retailers.
•Alexander Bols, Intersport Jan Bols' general manager, will share how the athletic equipment and clothing store is using RFID to boost sales and decrease costs. Attendees will hear how the use of RFID contributed to increased sales, and how the checkout process was made quicker and more accurate.
•Karl Jordan, Wilko's senior loss-prevention investigator, will explain how the British housewares and household goods retailer fights stock loss via RFID. Attendees will learn how the RFID system alerts the store to loss, when it happens, with real-time visibility about what is and is not passing through the tills, before items can be taken through the exit point.
•Richard Jenkins, the head of Marks & Spencer's RFID programme, will share how the company is expanding its RFID use to all of its stores. Attendees will learn why the company expects the technology's future potential benefits to provide greater visibility and accuracy of all stock at the item level, and offer an opportunity to reduce the costs of annual stock-taking.
•Lilian Mariani, Vente-privee's project director, will discuss how RFID speeds up preparations for flash sales for the European online retailer. Attendees will hear how the technology enables the retailer to spend less time searching for samples, thereby ensuring that the items are properly photographed and described as they circulate around the facility, before being returned to product suppliers.
•Hans Gunnarsson, a co-founder of Four Levent, will discuss how to connect with customers via RFID. Four Levent has created a high-quality dress shirt with a Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID tag embedded in each cuff. The customer can, via a free app, write his or her own information to the tags, such as a business card, a company URL or a link to a video. The audience will learn how the firm is using RFID technology to connect with its customers and enhance customer loyalty, and how the tags can be used in even more creative ways.

The event will also feature a roundtable breakfast for retailers, hosted by Dr. Bill Hardgrave, and an exhibit area in which leading technology companies will showcase their latest solutions. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from those who have already deployed RFID, and to network with leading end users.

"The use of RFID to manage complex inventories, improve store operations and enhance profitability is picking up among retailers in Europe, as in the United States," said Mark Roberti, RFID Journal's founder and editor. "This is a great opportunity for retailers to hear how RFID is delivering benefits today, and to meet the RFID technology companies that have solutions designed for the retail sector."

How Can a Government Use RFID to Make a Country Better?

Radio frequency identification unfortunately cannot feed the poor, end illiteracy, reduce disease or eliminate crime, but it can still do a lot of good for a country. If I were ever appointed as a nation's Secretary for RFID or Minister of RFID, here is what I would do: I would educate all cabinet secretaries (ministers) and the administrators under them about what the technology is, how it works and what the potential benefits are. I would then give them six months to submit a report regarding where they think RFID could be used within their area of responsibility.

Which Internet Of Things Consumer Products Are Most Likely To Be Exploited By Hackers?

The day is fast approaching when your thermostat, washer, even the light bulbs in your lamps will contain embedded computers so they can talk to you and you to them. Having your fridge order more milk when supplies get low, your house cool before you get home and your light bulbs tell you just before they need replacing might be nice, but security experts say these connections, called the Internet of Things, carry with them the potential for catastrophe. They could just as easily tell a thief that you haven't been home in a week, because the fridge door hasn't been opened.

Raleigh’s Capital Area Transit to roll out ‘smartcard’ fare system

City bus riders will soon have an alternative to juggling coins and cash to pay their fare. Capital Area Transit has accepted a $340,596 state grant to install “smartcard” readers on 70 buses. Unlike CAT’s current magnetic strip tickets, smartcards can be reloaded using cash or a credit card. Initially, riders will have to reload the cards with vending machines at the Moore Square bus station and at major transfer points throughout the city. But CAT plans to eventually set up a system for reloading cards online.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/08/05/4052686/raleighs-capital-area-transit.html#storylink=cpy

RFID logo and privacy assessment test

The approval of technical standards introducing an RFID logo and a process for their data protection impact assessment required to comply with the EU Recommendation on RFIDs are expected to boost their usage in several fields including the Internet of Things. The market for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) will reach a value of $ 9.2 billion in 2014 with implementations not only in the fashion sector, but also to improve stock management and prevent theft and with an increased usage in the banking and healthcare sectors as well as in the upcoming Internet of Things.

Paypal Continues Digital Wallet Push at Outside Lands Read more at http://www.sv411.com/index.php/2014/08/paypal-unveils-rfid-payment-bracelets-outside-lands/#ijWR7RjUE6wcWDOv.99

Those headed to this week’s Outside Lands festival will likely experience elation and dread. Accompanying amazing shows: long lines, cashed-out ATMs, the drag of dragging around various layers of clothing and seeing a phone die the moment friends disappear. Sure, the first experience at Outside Lands may seem like an adventure, but the inconveniences become less quaint each time around. In previous years these things were unavoidable. This time may be different.

NFC is Rapidly Gaining Ground as an e-Wallet Standard. Will Apple Play Ball?

On July 25 we posted a secondary report about a new iWallet rumor that had surfaced days earlier. In that report we covered Visa introducing "Visa Digital Solutions," a comprehensive suite of offerings that facilitate secure payments across a broad range of internet devices and wearables like smartwatches. Today we learn that the new Visa system will support NFC and that it's being adopted by the largest Telecom in Taiwan, Chunghwa Telecom as well as those in the Asia NFC alliance including Japanese carrier KDDI, Sk Planet of South Korea and Hong Kong Telecommunications Corp to boost cross-border mobile payment services by using a shared NFC tag specification. The question becomes, will Apple add NFC to their upcoming iPhone 6 so that its ready to work with these Asian Carriers e-wallet services on day one?

Clever RFID solution helps passengers recover lost bags

Supported by all passenger airports globally, the clever suitcase tag uses RFID chips to keep track of your bags and travel details and ensure that if they do go astray, they can be identified anywhere in the world. The ReboundTAG uses two RFID tags—one acts as a digital yet anonymous identifier (i.e., it tells the system and no one else who the bag belongs to) and the other is reprogrammed with your travel details every time you arrive at the desk and check in your cases. RFID tags communicate with digital readers and scanners without requiring a power source of their own, so they never need recharging and always work.

Smart Card Ticketing System for Kochi Metro

As part of implementing a multi-mode transport ticketing system for the Metro Rail, the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is planning to roll out a smart card that will help users meet all their payment needs, including transportation and shopping. The smart cards could be used both on the networks and ticketing terminals. The KMRL on Friday officially announced that it had appointed Ernst and Young (E&Y) as consultant for developing the ‘Common Smart Card Ticketing Solution’ for the Kochi Metro Rail.

American Express tests HCE for NFC payments

American Express is working with Croatia’s Privredna Banka Zagreb (PBZ), part of the Italy-based Intesa Sanpaolo banking group, to pilot an NFC payments service that makes use of host card emulation (HCE) technology. The pilot marks the first time an American Express card issuing partner has field tested HCE payments and is the first step in Intesa Sanpaolo’s plan to make HCE-based mobile payment services available across its network of banks.

Rady Children's Hospital Tracks Anesthetic Drugs Via RFID

Managing medications used by anesthesiologists during surgery is as time-consuming as it is critical to ensuring that all product is available when needed. To automate this process of replenishment—thereby saving time and preventing any mistakes—San Diego's Rady Children's Hospital is among the medical facilities employing a medication-tray management system provided by MEPS Real-Time that employs passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID tags.

Vizinex RFID Signs License Agreement With Omni-ID

Vizinex RFID has signed a patent licensing agreement for Omni-ID's innovative radiation decoupler technololgy. The agreement allows Vizinex RFID to manufacture and sell RFID tags incorporating Omni-ID's technology embodied in US Patents 7768400, 7880619, 8264358 829927 and 8502678.

Omni-ID announced the Omni Global Technology Licensing Program (OGTL) in 2012. This program was launched to provide access to Omni-ID's unique patented technology for the industry's first commercially viable on-metal RFID tag product line, enabling further market expansion and new growth opportunities.

Agencies Still Plugging Gaps in Smart Card Security

The Department of Health and Human Services was too lax in issuing smart ID cards to new employees and failed to deactivate them in a timely manner when workers left the agency, according to a new audit from the department’s inspector general office. Personal identity verification, or PIV, smart cards allow agency employees and contractors to access both federal facilities and agency networks and are a key part of the 2004 Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12, which required a common ID credential for federal personnel.

What Is the Maximum Range of an RFID Reader?

There are many different types of radio frequency identification technology, each with its own read range. Passive low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) tags can be read from a distance of about 3 feet (0.9 meter), whereas some active systems can read tags from 1,000 feet away or more. If you are asking about passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID, the range depends on several factors. One is the reader antenna's power output, which is regulated in most countries. Typically, the output is limited to 2 watts of effective radiated power (ERP). But in Pakistan, the government is working to establish regulations that would limit output to just 0.1 ERP, so the read range will be more limited than in other countries.

RFID and the Internet of Things

A recent article on an Internet of Things framework described efforts to form a consortium that would focus on improving the interoperability of devices that were connected to the internet for communications.  The plan was to "...define a common communications framework based on industry standard technologies to wirelessly connect and intelligently manage the flow of information among personal computing and emerging IoT devices, regardless of form factor, operating system or service provider." 

Things with RFID chips in them will carry this logo in Europe, because privacy

The European Commission has revealed a new logo for items that include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, to keep them compliant with EU data protection rules. The scheme is voluntary, but technology trade organizations like Germany’s BITKOM have signed up to promote its use. RFID tags, used in everything from travel smartcards and keychains to consumer goods, are trackable at close range but also tiny and generally hidden. By bringing in the RFID logo, the idea is to make people aware when items they’re carrying can be tracked, and help them decide whether or not they want to buy items with smart chips inside them.

Furniture Retailer Adds RFID to Its Brick-and-Mortar Showroom

Designer-brand online furniture retailer Made.com is employing a solution provided by CloudTags that includes supplying shoppers with tablets so they can access information via Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID tags attached to furniture on display at the company's London showroom. The solution enables visitors to create a wish list of products they like, for later review, and uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons to allow the retailer to track which areas of the showroom shoppers visit, and the amount of time they spend at each location. If a customer opts to share his or her name with the system and create a personal account, it can also link the furniture that individual liked at the showroom with subsequent sales online, thereby providing the retailer with valuable information.