OV-chipkaart to be converted from smart card to ID-based system

Trans Link Systems which manages the OV-chipkaart national multi-modal fare collection system has awarded Scheidt & Bachmann, Octopus Applications and independent ID-based ticketing specialist BlueBridge Transactions a contract to convert the technology from a smart card-based system where data is stored on a user’s card to an account-based system where calculations and billing are undertaken in the back office. This will permit the use of EMV bank cards and other contactless identifiers for ticketing.

PBOC working to regulate QR code mobile payments in China

People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is working to create a system for regulating QR code mobile payments in the country, after it suspended QR code-based services run by third-party payment providers in March 2014. “Payment providers including Alipay and Tenpay, along with a number of commercial banks, have continued marketing their QR code payment services,” Caixin reports.

SXM Airport Installs Bar Code Boarding Pass e-Gates For Faster Passenger Processing

The Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) recently installed six Bar Code Boarding Pass (BCBP) e-Gates to provide a faster, simpler, and more convenient boarding pass security control procedure. The BCBP e-Gates validates the authenticity of the boarding pass, including confirmation that the boarding pass is for an active flight on the day of travel.

Which RFID Tool Is Right For Your Lab?

Security is an overriding concern for lab managers, and one of the most important security tools at their disposal is access control equipment to provide and limit access to only those who are authorized to enter. Typically in a lab setting, access control is provided by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) cards which, paired with readers, provide hands-free access to laboratories. The RFID cards are typically placed in employee identification cards or used as stand-alone cards and they are paired with an individual’s data so when that card is used, in addition to providing access, it also makes a record of that person’s having entered or left a particular area within a lab.

Zebra Technologies Adopts Digimarc Barcode to Boost Front-of-Store Efficiency for Retailers

Digimarc Corporation announced that Zebra Technologies Corporation has enabled its MP6000 multi-plane bioptic imager to detect Digimarc Barcodes, driving faster retail checkout. Digimarc Barcodes, part of the Digimarc Discover platform, are not visible to consumers and can be incorporated into virtually any form of media, including product packaging, without taking space compared with traditional UPC barcodes or QR codes.

By deploying the Digimarc Embedded Software Development Kit (SDK), Zebra's MP6000 bioptic imager allows retailers to scan Digimarc Barcodes on product packaging as well as traditional paper-based 1D barcodes and 2D mobile coupons on shoppers' smartphones. The fully integrated solution can significantly reduce checkout time by increasing the average number of items scanned per minute, helping to improve operating margins, customer satisfaction and cashier productivity for retailers.

Zebra's MP6000 is the latest product release from a major retail hardware OEM that can read Digimarc Barcodes on product packaging, deli labels, cash register receipts and similar retail and grocery applications

Nextbike Uses RFID to Simplify Bicycle Rentals

For several years, Nextbike, a bicycle-rental system provider based in Leipzig, Germany, has been using Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID tags to identify bikes docked at its stations, and to provide authorized users with access to those bicycles. With RFID tags embedded in its bikes, the company can confirm not only that a bike is authentic before its locking mechanism is engaged, but also that a bicycle has been returned on time, explains Sebastian Schlebusch, Nextbike's director of international business development. Users can also employ smart cards with built-in NFC tags to access bikes.

Videotron launches SIM-based NFC mobile payments

Customers of Canadian mobile network operator Videotron with a Desjardins Visa card can now use their mobile phones to make NFC payments at any contactless terminal. “Customers who want to make mobile payments can go to the Videotron Customer Centre to check whether the function is supported by their device and their SIM card,” Videotron says.

NCDEX implements RFID technology in accredited warehouses

National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) today said it has begun implementation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in the exchange-approved warehouses. RFID ensures that the commodities stored in the warehouses are tracked through radio frequency signals and the real-time information helps improve the efficiency and reliability of the storage and delivery operations at the warehouses, NCDEX said in a statement here. National Bulk Holding Corporation (NBHC) became the first warehouse service provider of NCDEX to implement RFID technology at MV Agro-Tech, its warehouse in Bikaner, Rajasthan.

Business Europe Builds a Network for the Internet of Things

With much industry fanfare last month, Dutch telco KPN announced that it had completed nationwide coverage of the Netherlands in a wireless Internet of things network. Like a traditional cellular network, but with far lower costs and energy requirements, KPN’s network can connect sensors monitoring everything from rail switches at Utrecht Central station to depth sounders at the Port of Rotterdam and baggage handling at Schiphol Airport.

Beacons and NFC RFID Take Off at Bologna Airport

Bologna Gugliemo Marconi Airport has launched a Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID and Bluetooth beacon solution that allows commuters to access content about the airport, as well as the city beyond, via their mobile phones or other smart devices. The One Touch BLQ system—which uses the airport's BLQ app in conjunction with Connecthings content-management software, NFC RFID labels and Bluetooth beacons—was taken live early last month. The airport has installed signs containing NFC RFID labels (printed with QR codes) in some parts of its facility, and beacons in others that transmit data directly to passengers' devices running the airport app.

Masterpass to enable in-store NFC mobile payments

Mastercard has unveiled an enhanced version of its Masterpass digital payment platform, adding in-store NFC mobile payment capability to the service that has so far only been available for online and in-app payments. “It enables consumers to look no further than their own trusted banks to make fast, simple and secure digital payments across devices and channels, anywhere they want to shop — online, in-app and now in-store using contactless,” the payment network says. “Masterpass also leverages the most advanced methods of payment security available today, including network tokenization.

TSA Hopes to RFID-enable 60 Security Lanes This Year

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) intends to expand its deployment of RFID-enabled baggage-screening technology to 60 lanes at U.S. airports by the end of this year. The TSA, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, has been using RFID during a pilot being carried out at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport since the end of May 2016 (see TSA Installs RFID-enabled Screening System at Atlanta Airport to Cut Wait Times). The technology has proven to increase passenger-screening efficiency by 30 percent, the agency reports, and it is thus in the process of working with several airlines to install the solution at multiple airports.

‘RFID tags for newborns in a fortnight’

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags will be introduced in all government maternity hospitals within a fortnight to protect newborn babies, according to Minister for Health Kamineni Srinivas. Talking to the media after restoration of male infant to the parents in the Government General Hospital here on Saturday, Mr. Srinivas said the introduction of the tagging of newborn infants was delayed because it was challenged in court. The stay on RFID tagging was vacated recently and system would be introduced on a pilot basis in the Guntur General Hospital.

Fake Fingernails With Embedded RFID Travel Card Are Literally 'Tap And Go'

You think body hacks are cool, but aren’t quite ready to get that electronic implant. Fair enough. If you’re style-conscious, then a set of RFID-impregnated fake fingernails might be a good compromise. It’s certainly fashion forward. London-based Lucie Davis decided to transform this idea into reality by embedding an Oyster card (a reusable, electronic travel ticket) into a set of acrylic nails.

Canadian NFC mobile wallet SureTap to close down

The SIM-based NFC Canadian mobile wallet SureTap is to be discontinued in August 2016 due to “ongoing changes in the market”, the mobile wallet provider has announced. Rogers Suretap“With ongoing changes in the market and an increasing number of mobile payment and banking options available from CIBC, Desjardins, Scotiabank as well as other wallets such as Ugo, we at Suretap have decided that we will no longer offer Suretap after August 26, 2016,” the company says.

University of Vermont Medical Center taps RFID to boost medication safety

University of Vermont Medical Center, an academic medical center in Burlington, has tracked more than 5 million medications using radio frequency identification. The RFID technology is part of the hospital's real-time location system, and it enables healthcare providers and staff to track the medication intake by patients at the bedside. The system has helped care providers dispense medicine to patients in a timely way, and also to eliminate errors.

Vodafone Wallet launches NFC mobile ticketing in Albacete

Commuters in the Spanish city of Albacete can now add their PayBus Albacete transport card to the Vodafone Wallet app and validate their journeys by tapping their NFC device against a contactless terminal on board. The mobile network operator teamed up with transport ticket provider PrePay Technologies, Gemalto and bus operator Subus Vectalia Albacete to roll out NFC mobile ticketing across Spanish cities in February 2016.

Scientists tag NYC rats with RFID microchips to study their behavior and potential for transmitting disease

For the first time, researchers are able to study the daily activity of some of the most abundant, most dangerous and secretive, and least known denizens of the world's great cities: rats. In the open-access journal Frontiers in Public Health, scientists present a novel, cheap, and safe method to tag city rats with RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) microchips and track their individual movements over several months. The new method, tried and tested on New York City rats - nicknamed "Ghosts of Gotham" because of their elusiveness - is expected to yield a wealth of data on the behavior of city rats and their potential for transmitting disease.

Ikea Canada Engages Customers With RFID at Pop-up Store

Ikea Canada has completed a two-week trial of a solution that enabled shoppers to purchase merchandise with the tap of a spoon, thanks to radio frequency identification technology. The system, deployed in a pop-up store in late May 2016, freed shoppers from having to push carts or carry baskets around the store. Instead, they simply carried a wooden spoon with a built-in RFID tag, and made their purchases by tapping the spoon against shelf readers.

SML Unveils Three Flexible RFID Solution Purchasing Models

RFID technology and total brand identification solution provider SML has announced three new flexible purchasing models to help retailers accelerate adoption of RFID technology, reduce upfront costs and realize a faster return on investment (ROI).

As more and more retailers across the U.S., Europe and Asia recognize how RFID improves elements of inventory efficiency throughout the supply chain, adoption of the technology is intensifying.  SML will encode and deliver over 1Billion RFID tags and will have  over 5Billion RFID transactions on its Clarity™ software platform in retail deployments in 2016.

Senate passes bill that could put QR code labels on GMO foods

The Senate this week voted to approve a bill that would require foods with genetically modified ingredients to have those ingredients labeled, Reuters reports. It will now head to the House of Representatives, where it's expected to pass as well. Te bill has proved controversial for several reasons, on both sides of the GMO labeling debate. The first reason is one that's been brought up in the debate over labeling in general: the science suggests GMOs are safe to eat, and any bill is unnecessary, critics argue.

Venture Research Adds More Intelligence to Its Surface Reader

Passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID alone does not always provide the reliability or read range required to track the movements of individuals and items within a large space. Active RFID tags (typically 433 MHz, 915 MHz or Wi-Fi) can be expensive to deploy when many tags are needed, while Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons are not designed to identify the location of a person or an object with a high degree of granularity. Bluetooth beacons are low-cost, however, and because they have a battery, they can be used in environments in which personnel or materials need to be read from up to 100 feet away, according to John Baker, Venture Research's president.

Bar Code, Retailing Innovation, Product Of IBM And RTP

On June 26, 1974, a scanner at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio scanned a pack of chewing gum. It was the first product to be checked out by Universal Product Code, an invention largely credited to Research Triangle Park scientist George Laurer. The first barcodes were developed by New Jersey engineer N. Joseph Woodland in the late 1940s and early 1950s, but the technology wasn’t brought into use largely because the scanners needed to put checkout systems into place were too expensive to produce.

Has RFID’s time finally arrived at cargo facilities?

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is hardly a cutting-edge technology. The system of scanning and identifying objects through the use of radio waves has roots that reach back to World War II. Since then, it’s been used in countless tracking systems to monitor the movement of trucks and goods. In the air cargo world, adoption of RFID has been slow to develop. However, a new track-and-trace system developed by Franwell, Inc., and View Technologies is proving that you don’t always need new technology to be innovative. The Franwell system, called CargoAware, now being rolled out at several Air Canada Cargo facilities, uses standard RFID antennas to collect data passively on individual items and ULD containers moving through cargo facilities, and record the movements in real time.

Mojix Joins Auburn University RFID Lab Board of Advisors

Mojix, Inc., a leading provider of wide-area RFID systems and IoT platform solutions, today announced it has joined the Auburn University RFID Lab and taken a seat on the board of advisors. The lab focuses on the business case and technical implementation of RFID and other emerging technologies in retail, supply chain and manufacturing. Mojix will be providing RFID system and solution expertise focused on fixed infrastructure sensor networks that collect, store, analyze and interconnect data from multiple sources including RFID. Mojix patented long-range location technology and real-time IoT software platform solutions will be on display and available for demonstration at the Auburn RFID Lab.

The 13,000-square foot Auburn University RFID Lab offers simulated retail, grocery and convenience store space, as well as warehouse and distribution center environments. Serving as a bridge between the academic and business communities, the lab works with leading retail, supply chain, manufacturing and technology companies and draws on the expertise of faculty and students in Auburn University's Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, College of Human Sciences and College of Agriculture. For more information: https://rfid.auburn.edu.

Startup to Pilot Low-Cost Wireless Sensor Technology

C2Sense, a sensor and radio frequency identification technology startup located in Cambridge, Mass., is preparing several pilots that will test the sensor technology it has developed—in RFID-enabled packaging, as well as in ID badges—to wirelessly detect and transmit the presence of specific gases that would require some action be taken. This year, a company that does not want to be publicly identified is testing the sensors without RFID to monitor temperatures in a perishable food-storage environment.

White Plains introducing Smart Card parking

Faced with an aging stock of on-street parking meters, the city has decided to get smart. The Parking Department plans to spend $220,000 to buy new "Smart Card" parking meters to replace 1,100 downtown street meters. The Common Council unanimously approved the expense this week, with Councilman John Martin saying the meters being replaced "are at least 20 years old. This is a great step forward."

MIT: The ‘Internet Of Things’ Could Save Coal Power From Obama

New internet networking and improved computer hardware called “the internet of things” may have created an enormous market for coal power, according to a study published Thursday by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The study states that relatively simple networking upgrades could increase the efficiency of coal power plants from 33 to 49 percent and cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. These new networking techniques could allow coal plants to be “tuned” to operate much more efficiently and adjust more rapidly to changing prices, allowing them to go from a totally dormant state to full operation in less than two hours, a process which used to take more than three hours.

CSL Completes Management Buyout and Adds Strategic Investor

Convergence Systems Limited (CSL), a global provider of passive RFID products and active RTLS equipment, says its management has completed the purchase of the company from the original investors. To support the projected growth of CSL, a major investment and long-term financial commitment was reached with CSL manufacturing partner, Seveco International, in conjunction with the buyout.

Seveco has been a primary manufacturing partner for CSL in recent years, as well as engaging in OEM manufacturing for many global customers requiring advanced products with various embedded radio platforms.

CSL maintains business operations in three locations: Hong Kong is home to product development and global sales; Dongguan, China is the manufacturing site for all products; and Dallas, Texas is the site of warehouse operations for North American sales as well as local manufacturing requirements. CSL will continue to support existing RFID product lines, and the company has plans for expansion.

Mass. City Adding RFID Technology to Waste Collection

After months of research, city staff members are recommending the city sign a contract with Lakeshore Recycling Systems to implement a garbage collection program that would replace the current one-time-use stickers with permanent tags that use RFID technology. The program proposed by Lakeshore would continue the city's current pay-as-you-throw model, but it would use RFID tags that allow the garbage and recycling carts to wirelessly charge "tipping fees" to each customer's account when they are lifted onto the truck via an mechanical arm.

McDonald's, Other Companies Test TAG Sensors' RFID Temperature Loggers

A European McDonald's restaurant operator is one of several companies piloting an RFID-based solution designed to provide real-time temperature and location data regarding such items as fresh food, pharmaceuticals and other temperature-sensitive products, from the point of harvesting or manufacture to the consumer.  The system, provided by Norwegian company TAG Sensors, features a data logger consisting of a Near Field Communication (NFC) high-frequency (HF) or EPC Gen 2 ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) passive RFID chip, as well as a temperature sensor, a clock, an antenna and a printed battery.

Should You Get an RFID Blocking Wallet and Passport Cover?

Modern pickpockets no longer have to even reach their hands into your bag—they can simply pass by with a handheld RFID reader, which wirelessly collects the information transmitted by the embedded radio frequency identification chip. Several companies are now producing RFID-blocking wallets and passport holders (and bags, fanny packs, purses, and more) to prevent those radio waves from falling into the wrong hands.

South Korea launches first Internet of Things network

South Korea has launched its first commercial, low-cost Internet of Things (IoT) network aimed at making the country even more connected. The network would allow smart devices to talk to each other via the network. Phone carrier SK Telecom is behind the initiative, which uses technology that will allow it to reach 99% of the country's population.

'Smart card' travel ticket system for buses and trams finally has launch date

Ticket cards that can be used for ‘seamless travel’ across both buses AND trams will be launched next year. And they will be extended to trains within the next five years, transport bosses have pledged. Manchester will also get London-style contactless bank card payment ‘by 2021’.
The long-awaited ‘smart ticketing’ is aimed at all customers being able to use one travel card on public transport.

Barcode Printers Market size worth USD 4.51 Billion by 2022

Global Barcode Printers Market size is expected to reach USD 4.51 billion by 2022; as per a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Thermal technology will continue dominating revenue prospects in the coming years. Direct thermal barcode printers market share is set to grow with 9.7% CAGR estimations from 2015 to 2022. Lower number of moving parts, high speed, and more durable images are forecast to positively impact demand across the sector. Thermal transfer barcode printers market size is poised to exceed USD 1.7 billion by 2022, making it the largest technology segment in the industry.

Brain Stormer: New Barcode for Medicines

A new bar coding system for medicines will soon be brought by the Union Health Ministry. It is expected that the new system will address the issue of substandard medicines and overcharging of drugs in the days to come. Besides, the Ministry is also planning for imparting training to drug manufacturers so that they all can act together to bring a ‘zero tolerance’ regime for substandard medicines across the country. The Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) is all set to be the nodal agency for implementing the new measures of the Ministry.

Are QR codes more useful in hiding information than displaying it?

Although never mistaken for exciting and sexy technology, QR codes are functional and useful mechanisms. A tiny smudge-like box in the corner of a movie poster can deliver a five-minute preview or deep-link into a listing of local showtimes or even download the movie itself, for a hefty fee. Not bad for a souped-up barcode. But a move in the U.S.  Senate last week raises a more ominous question: Will retailers and manufacturers use QR codes to hide need-to-know consumer information, by being vague about what the code will deliver? Also, critics ask, is it fair to disclose important consumer information only to those with a smartphone and app capable of interpreting QR codes?

Toter Dumps Wasted Time With RFID-Tagged Bins

Waste and recycling bin company Toter is offering a new automated assembly and delivery (A&D) service, leveraging the passive EPC Gen 2 ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID tags that it embeds in its containers as they are manufactured. The solution, known as ToterTrax, consists of delivering the bins to customers and then using RFID readers to collect and store data in the field. It also includes an app and an online portal that users can access to learn more about when and where each bin was delivered.

Barcode readers move AGA closer to paperless system

Barcode readers have been installed at ticket gates at Abellio Greater Anglia stations, in a £3 million scheme. Passengers can now buy and receive most of AGA’s tickets straight to their phones via a mobile app, and scan them through the recently installed readers at ticket barriers. AGA said this will reduce ticket office queues, and moves the operator a step closer to eliminating paper tickets. A new ticket validation database and inspection app provided by Masabi has been installed.

Cochin Port installs new RFID system

A new Radio Frequency Identification System was installed at Ernakulam Wharf at Cochin Port. The RFID is an access control system on digital platform for regulating movement of vehicles, cargo and people into the sensitive wharf area. The system dispenses away with manual checking and reduces the waiting time at the wharf gates.

Global Smart Card Market Volume is Expected to Surpass 9,715 Mn Units In 2016

According to the latest market report published by Persistence Market Research, titled Global Market Study on Smart Cards: Established Players Are Focusing on Smart Card Products for Telecom Application in Emerging Economies to Gain Better Market Access over Forecast Period 2016 - 2024. Smart cards continue to gain traction in terms of application in sectors such as telecom, government, and financial services. Global smart card market volume is expected to surpass 9,715 Mn units in 2016, representing market value of over US$ 8,576.3 Mn.

Smart card demand is escalating owing to high volume of adoption for government identity cards. In addition, increasing adoption of EMV chip technology as the global standard for credit card and debit card payments is projected to boost global sales of smart cards.

Contact cards will continue to be the largest card segment in 2016 as well, representing 64.0% revenue share of the global market. Contactless card – another key card type segment – is expected to account for US$ 1,735.0 Mn in 2016, which is an increase of 13.3% over 2015.

Browse through the full Global Smart Card Market report at http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/smart-cards-market.asp

Among all smart card component types, micro-controller cards segment is expected to continue to account for highest value contribution, representing 71.5% revenue share of the global market in 2016.


Asia Pacific will continue to lead, with revenue share increasing to 47.9% in 2016. Increasing adoption of SIMs, EMV cards for banking applications, and increasing adoption of multi-use e-IDs for transportation and government sectors is anticipated to fuel growth of the smart card market in the region over the forecast period.

Vodafone Italia adds NFC mobile payments with PayPal

Customers of Vodafone Italia can now make NFC mobile payments through PayPal using the mobile network operator’s Vodafone Wallet. The service will allow for in-store payments at any Visa contactless terminal across the country. Vodafone logo“Currently in Italy one in four POS has contactless technology, an increase of 100% compared to 2014 which ranks among the top countries for the dissemination of contactless terminals and cards,” Vodafone Italia says. “Italians who have a smartphone enabled for contactless payments are more than 16 million, an increase of 33% compared to 2014.