North America leads the RFID lock segment

Technavio analysts forecast the global RFID lock market to grow at a CAGR of nearly 17% during the forecast period, according to their latest report. Global RFID lock market to grow at a CAGR of nearly 17% during the forecast period 2016-2020.

Geographically, North America leads the RFID lock segment with a market share of almost 38% (2015 figures). With the customers in the region becoming more accepting towards new technologies, there is an increase in number of residential properties adopting the RFID-based locks to enhance home security. They are finding increased utility as they can be linked to the customer’s smart phone to monitor and operate the locks. While the residential sector is still finding traction in the market, the hospitality industry sees widespread use of this technology.

B.O.S.’ RFID and Mobile Division Received an Order for a Warehouse Management System

B.O.S. Better Online Solutions Ltd., an Israeli provider of RFID and Mobile solutions and a global provider of Supply Chain solutions to enterprises, has received an order from an Israeli customer, for a Warehouse Management System ("WMS"). The WMS will offer the customer efficient management and control over its inventory (over 20,000 items) in its new 12,000 square meters logistics center. The order amounts to $150,000 and the WMS will be installed in 2017.

Yuval Viner, BOS' CEO, stated: "The installation of this sizeable WMS demonstrates the customer's confidence in our solutions. Following installation, we will offer the customer additional products and services such as mobile equipment and infrastructure. As a result of our acquisition of the Next Line business at the beginning of the year, we are also able to provide the customer with a turnkey solution for the relocation of its existing logistics center (including counting, moving and labeling of the inventory items in the new location).

Huawei Pay NFC mobile payments rolled out across China public transport

Smartphone maker Huawei is to begin rolling out NFC mobile payments for public transport in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing through Huawei Pay, which launched in China in September 2016. The company is working with NXP to allow passengers with Huawei Honor 8 and Honor V8 handsets to preload the ticket fare to Huawei Pay and tap their device against contactless readers when boarding.

SF Public Library revives plan to install microchips in books

More than a decade ago, the San Francisco Public Library unsuccessfully attempted to deploy radio frequency identification tags in books. Now, head librarian Luis Herrera is trying once again. Herrera disclosed the renewed effort for RFID during a Library Commission hearing and promised to return with more details in the coming weeks. That means funding for RFID — tiny microchips that exchange data with readers by emitting radio signals — could be included in the library’s budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year.

China a major exporter of tags

China already has 85% of the world's RFID manufacturing capacity, being a major exporter of tags. In addition, the second generation National Identification Card project in China is the largest RFID order by value and China is delivering it by using Chinese-only resources almost exclusively. Thanks to strong support by the government, China has used RFID widely on applications ranging from library assets to train tickets, and as China becomes a leader in manufacturing in most segments - from cars to planes - it will fuel increasing demand for RFID in manufacturing and many other industries.

As RFID is increasingly being deployed around the world (IDTechEx expect that over 8.5 billion tags will be sold globally in 2015 versus 7 billion in 2014), suppliers are in the process of shaving off fractions of a cent from each inlay, particularly for passive UHF. That means picking up and moving manufacturing base to China in some cases. There have also been other, relatively new entrants that by strong investment (including acquisition) have gained a relatively high market share from nothing in a few years, examples being Arizon RFID and Shangyang, to name a few.

Elatec's TWN4 MultiTech Reader Demystifies RFID Card Technology

Elatec USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elatec GmbH, which is based in Munich, Germany. A worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of highly configurable RFID technology, Elatec has demystified the card reader market with the TWN4 MultiTech reader.

The Elatec TWN4 card reader is one of the most versatile products of its kind on the market today. It's virtually a single-part-number solution which could potentially reduce inventory requirements by more than 50%. TWN4 simultaneously reads more than fifty RFID technologies from both the low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) bands, including NFC.  This provides the option to select as many of the technologies required instead of being forced to select one or two like most other readers.

Kiremko Adds RFID to Potato-Cutting Machinery

Kiremko, a Dutch engineering company that specializes in potato processing equipment, has launched KnifeGuard, a new RFID-enabled system for managing the knife blocks installed in the company's QuadraFlow potato cutter. A knife block is a replaceable cube-shaped unit containing a grid of razor-sharp knives, and is available in various configurations, depending on a potato's desired cut size. In a QuadraFlow machine, potatoes are propelled by water through a tube, where they are aligned and then pushed into the knife block, causing them to be sliced.

New RFID Car Hang Tag that Secures Parking Identification and Access Control

STAR Systems International, a RFID provider, launched the introduction of its new GATRIA car “hang tag” for parking, access control, and other automotive identification applications. Designed for ease of use, high performance, portability and reusability in automatic vehicle Identification applications, the GATRIA can be hung on a vehicle’s rear view mirror, providing fast and reliable RFID detection and identification in a portable and reusable form factor.

Google Targets IoT with Android Things

Google brings Android and its ecosystem to the development of IoT devices. Developers will write applications to these devices similarly to how they write for mobile ones. Google has included some of the main Brillo technologies into their mobile operating system, calling the new solution targeted at IoT devices Android Things. This embedded operating system contains, besides the usual Android API and the library to access various Google services, a new library called Things Support Library which comes with two main features: a Peripheral I/O API enabling access to sensors and actuators through several protocols and interfaces (GPIO, PWM, I2C, SPI, UART), and a User Driver API that makes it possible to to add new device drivers to an application, useful to inject hardware events into the system, making them available to applications.

How to 3D print tiny barcodes with Ember's Pattern Mode

A few months ago, Autodesk updated its Ember desktop 3D printer which included the addition of “Pattern mode”, which offers users an alternative to the standard “Video” projector mode for the DLP SLA 3D printer. The main appeal of the new Pattern projector mode has been its ability to print even finer details on the Ember 3D printer than was possible before. In fact, with Pattern mode, users can even 3D print such fine details onto their pieces as tiny barcodes. How does Ember’s Pattern Mode work? Well first off, if you haven’t done the upgrade for your Ember 3D printer yet, you’ll have to go through a few steps to get pattern mode up and running.

Solid Growth Ahead for Global RFID in Healthcare Market by 2020

Radiofrequency identification (RFID) refers to a wireless technology that uses radio-frequency waves to identify and track tags which attached to the objects. RFID system comprises of two components including tags and readers. In the process of identification of the object, RFID reader emits radio-frequency waves and receive signals back from the RFID tag. RFID technologies in healthcare help in patient tracking, surgery asset management, wait time monitoring, handwashing, asset management, parking and medication authentication and control. In addition, these technologies also help in facilities management, access control, inventory management, laundry management, document and file tracking and waste management. On the basis of RFID component, RFID in healthcare market can be segmented into RFID tags, RFID readers, RFID cabinets, RFID middleware and RFID printers. On the basis of application, RFID in healthcare market can be segmented into equipment tracking, medicine tracking, people identification and tracking, supply chain and medical report, samples and blood transfer tracking.

North America, followed by Europe, has the largest market for RFID in healthcare due to government initiatives, major drug counterfeit events and rise in need for reducing cost and increasing operational efficiency in healthcare sector in this region. Asia is expected to show high growth rate in the RFID in healthcare market in next few years due to low cost of original equipment manufacturing (OEM) services provided by china and rise in adoption of RFID systems in healthcare in the region.

Rise in demand for RFID in healthcare sector for increasing operational efficiency, growing concern about drug counterfeit and safety, government initiatives, increasing need for reducing operational cost in healthcare and rise in incidence of medical device theft cases are driving the market for RFID in healthcare. In addition, a large number of applications of RFID in healthcare are driving the market for RFID in healthcare. However, lack of awareness about RFID, installed base of barcode systems and lack of standardization are some of the factors restraining the growth for global RFID in healthcare market.

MetraLabs' TORY RFID Inventory Robot Celebrates First Jubilee

RFID inventory robot TORY by German robotics company MetraLabs GmbH celebrates his first jubilee at German fashion retail company Adler Modemärkte AG's store in Erfurt. TORY is the first RFID inventory robot worldwide which is actually used in practice. It takes stock via RFID with a superior read accuracy of 99%. Furthermore, TORY can serve as a shopping assistant as well, guiding customers to the products they are looking for and advising them on making their purchases.

2D Bar Code Marketing Market Expecting Worldwide Growth by 2026

2D bar code also known as QR (Quick Response) codes are small squares which contains ample amount of data in it, which is accessible by scanning applications in the smart phone. It is capable of storing data vertically as well as horizontally as compared to 1D bar codes. 2D bar codes is used across various industries from manufacturing, logistics, transportation to healthcare, the 2D bar codes are capable of storing data's such as product information, locations, videos and more. With the penetration of smartphones globally and digital marketing doing the rounds, 2D barcodes are widely being used in marketing and advertising as it enables the consumers to view the products information or any sort of other information that the product manufactures wants to convey by just scanning the bar code using smart phone applications. The 2D barcodes can be scanned using optical scanner; it does not require laser scanners to access the data. As this concept is new to the market and considering the digital marketing wave across geographies, the market for 2D bar code marketing will register a promising CAGR over the forecast period.

The increasing population of tech-savvy people primarily drives the global 2D bar code marketing market across the globe along with the compatibility of smartphones for scanning the 2D barcodes and the awareness among the people about the product legitimacy. Thus, the adoption of smartphones also attributes to the growth of 2D barcode marketing market. The data storage perquisites of 2D bar codes and the ability of scanning vertically and horizontally as compared to that of 1D barcodes can be considered as one of the factor driving the market for 2D bar code marketing. However, the investments associated with the 2D bar codes and the low awareness about the QR codes among certain age group might pose as a restrain to the 2D bar code marketing market. The integration of 2D bar code marketing in the digital marketing is the most recent trend in the global 2D bar code marketing market.

Packaging machinery attuned to the functional use of RFID

The use of radio-frequency identification turned up on two diverse packaging machine introductions this fall, one on a 3-robot cartoning machine and the other on an inspection system. One of those was the new configurable, upgradeable VISIONtec container inspection system for food, beverage and consumer goods from FILTEC. It inspects filled rigid containers at rates up to 1,200 containers per minute. The modular system may be equipped with one to 12 cameras to inspect a range of details including overfill/underfill, missing cap/crown, improper tamper band, date code presence and much more.

UnionPay slips through barcode for payments pie

China UnionPay, the national bankcard association, launched on Monday its own app and security standard for two-dimensional barcode payment. It thus joined existing players Alipay and WeChat Pay in the internet-based mobile payments segment. Song Hanshi, general manager of UnionPay's technology department, said it will adopt unified technical solutions to achieve interconnectivity among different financial institutions and to ensure consistency in user experience.

The RFID Chip is Coming – The House Just Passed The ‘Tracking Bill’

The United States Government just passed the tracking bill which allows the government to legally track people with RFID devices. A bill meant to help those with developmental disabilities would allow government agencies to locate people with tracking devices, which has some concerned the measure gives the federal government too much authority and power. In 2008, Kevin Curtis Wills, a 9-year-old boy with autism, jumped into a river near a park and drowned. In 2014, a 14-year-old boy with autism, Avonte Oquendo, left his school and drowned in a river.

Cartes Bancaires picks Gemalto to ease member banks’ NFC mobile payments offer

Groupement des Cartes Bancaires (GIE CB), the French bank card association which pioneered the use of chip cards for payments in the 1980s, has selected Pure, Gemalto’s white label mobile wallet solution, to enable its member banks to more quickly deploy their own NFC mobile and in-app payment services by bypassing one-to-one negotiations with international payment schemes. Until now, French banks have been using specifications provided by international schemes to implement their mobile NFC payment apps, simply because only international schemes had such specifications available for them,” Xavier Larduinat, financial services specialist at Gemalto, told NFC World.

Amazon's cashier-free store relies on an RFID-enabled inventory management system

Amazon Go, a store devoid of cashiers and check out lines, opened its first beta store in Seattle. While Amazon has not offered a full technological tour of the facility, a patent filing earlier this year shows the company is using RFID chips to automatically track the exit of materials from a shelf and sync to a handheld device, GeekWire reports. The technology involved allows shoppers to activate an app, select preferred items, then pass through a scanner area that reads purchases, tallies the amount spent,  and ultimately sends the bill directly to the shopper's Amazon card.

Japan Tags Dementia Sufferers with Barcodes

A Japanese city has introduced a novel way to keep track of senior citizens with dementia who are prone to getting lost — tagging their fingers and toes with scan-able barcodes. A company in Iruma, north of Tokyo, developed tiny nail stickers, each of which carries a unique identity number to help concerned families find missing loved ones, according to the city’s social welfare office.

Smart Card tickets mean quicker service for commuters

Commuters using Greater Anglia rail services can now buy Smart Card tickets. The rail operator is the first to offer Smart Card tickets rather than traditional paper tickets. Customers will simply have to touch the Smart Card season ticket on a reader at ticket gates. The new system also eliminates the need to queue at the ticket office to buy a season ticket as it can be purchased online before being loaded onto a Smart card.

Fans Go Ape for NFC RFID at Monkey Week

Spanish event ticketing solution company Ticketea has launched a radio frequency identification system that it can build into its existing event-management solution for festivals that request the technology. The Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID-based system provides events with access control, while also enabling them to offer attendees cashless payments and links to social networks via an RFID-enabled wristband. Most recently, Ticketea provided the system to Monkey Week, a music festival that took place on Oct. 13-15 in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain.

UK commuters to get smart cards to travel across country by 2018

Every rail commuter will be able to use a pay-as-you-go smart card to take them anywhere in the country, Chris Grayling says today. The transport secretary says that he wants all train companies to make available these Oyster-card style cards to commuters by the end of 2018. The news came as Mr Grayling unveiled the biggest overhaul of the rail industry for two decades to “put passengers first” to create a new “golden era for rail”.

Kathrein RFID launched a new long range RFID Reader Generation

Kathrein RFID recently launched a new generation of RFID readers: the ARU3000 and the RRU4000 series. The readers allow for fast vehicle identification, provide different options in connectivity into the Backend System, and can connect using PoE+, WiFi, Bluetooth and 2G/3G mobile interface. The readers can also connect to additional sensors like LNPR cameras through the Ethernet Switch. Main development target was to reduce installation and infrastructure costs by using the site specific and cost effective way of connectivity.

ARC Advisory Group Announces New RFID in Manufacturing Market Research

​ARC Advisory Group has just completed fresh market analysis research on RFID in Manufacturing.   This ARC market research explores current and historical market performance and related technology and business trends, identifies leading technology suppliers, and provides five-year global forecasts for the RFID in Manufacturing market.  This new research is based on ARC’s industry-leading market research database, extensive primary and secondary research, and proprietary economic modeling techniques.  The research includes competitive analysis, plus five-year market forecasts by region, industry, machinery segmentation, sales channels, and customers. According to Florian Güldner, Director of Research, ARC Advisory Group Europe, and principal author of this study, “RFID supports maintenance and the ability for suppliers and OEMs to offer lifecycle services.  It is also crucial when it comes to remote support, which means it can counteract the brain-drain that users are facing.”

The Future Of Mobile Payment Processing

Consumers haven’t ditched the role of physical cards as readily as some mobile industry experts originally predicted, despite the massive launch of mobile wallets by major mobile manufacturers and tech providers. Though 15 percent of consumers reportedly used mobile wallets as of 2015, CIO Magazine says that consumers’ adoptions of mobile payments facilitated by other mobile technology like near field communication (NFC) is on the rise. Unlike mobile wallets, NFC doesn’t require merchants to invest in a particular mobile wallet provider’s technology to accept mobile payment, and it reportedly results in more robust data insights that merchants can use to market to consumers who pay using NFC-based mobile payments.

RFID in Healthcare Market Revenue Predicted To Go Up by 2020

North America, followed by Europe, has the largest market for RFID in healthcare due to government initiatives, major drug counterfeit events and rise in need for reducing cost and increasing operational efficiency in healthcare sector in this region. Asia is expected to show high growth rate in the RFID in healthcare market in next few years due to low cost of original equipment manufacturing (OEM) services provided by China and rise in adoption of RFID systems in healthcare in the region.

Rise in demand for RFID in healthcare sector for increasing operational efficiency, growing concern about drug counterfeit and safety, government initiatives, increasing need for reducing operational cost in healthcare and rise in incidence of medical device theft cases are driving the market for RFID in healthcare. In addition, a large number of applications of RFID in healthcare are driving the market for RFID in healthcare. However, lack of awareness about RFID, installed base of barcode systems and lack of standardization are some of the factors restraining the growth for global RFID in healthcare market.

Growing demographics and economies in the developing countries such as China and India and low cost of RFID component such as original equipment manufacturing (OEM) services provided by China are expected to offer good opportunities in RFID in healthcare market in Asia. In addition, broader application of RFID technology in healthcare and rise in need for innovation in RFID technologies are expected to offer new opportunities for global RFID in healthcare market. Increasing number of mergers and acquisitions and rise in number of collaborations and partnerships are some of the trends that have been observed in global RFID in healthcare market. Some of the major companies operating in the global RFID in healthcare market are 3M, Hitachi, Ltd, AdvantaPure, Aaid Security Solutions Inc, IBM, Motorola, Siemens, BearingPoint, Alvin Systems, ACC Systems Inc and American RFID Solutions.

Smart cards for drinking water in slums

Slum dwellers will get safe drinking water in water scarce pockets as the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to distribute around 2,500 smart cards that can be swiped in the water ATMs for water.  At present, 10 ATMs machine have been installed at Jharana Basti, Gandamunda, Jadupur, Dumduma, Pokhariput, Siripur, Ganganagar Square, Bhimtangi, Sundarpada and Bhoi Sahi, Barmunda. People can recharge their smart cards, which look like debit cards, at the ward office. A litre of water will cost 30 paise.
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Soon, you can scan barcode info with your mobile

Soon you will be able to read the details of packed products on your mobile phone using an app, which consumer affairs department is scheduled to launch later this month. Simply by scanning the barcode one can get details such as the brand name, net weight, manufacturing and expiry dates and helpline numbers. The department is also changing the packaging rules to increase the letter size on labels by 50% in case of small packets so that people can read them easily. Moreover, mentioning email details for consumers to send complaints or suggestions is being made mandatory.

Austrian Bank To Introduce New ATMs Featuring NFC and QR Code Integration

Contactless payment technology, as well as QR codes, are slowly gaining traction within the financial sector–so much so that even Raiffeisen Bank in Austria is re-fitting their existing ATM network with 1,200 new devices, enabling both payment technologies. Consumers will be able to conduct advanced bill payments, as well as use QR codes and NFC technology for all kinds of operations. Most people who have ever used a bank ATM in their life may have noticed that these devices do not change much over the years. Keypads may be swapped out for newer ones, and the on-screen menus may change now and then, but beneath the hood, bank ATMs have operated in virtually the same manner for multiple years now.

Voyantic and Brotech team to provide state-of-the-art RFID testing equipment

Voyantic and Brotech Graphics have joined together to provide state-of-the-art RFID performance testing equipment that is simple where simplicity is sufficient, yet technically innovative where additional control and capability is needed. The Eurotech RFID FS RFID accurately rewinds rolls of RFID labels and validates their receptivity by running them through the Voyantic Tagsurance RFID inspection system. The unit allows stopping at a predetermined editing spot for the removal and replacement of the defective piece, as well as indicating defective labels by a mark printed by an inkjet system integrated with the machine.

Amex brings NFC mobile payments to Canada

American Express is bringing contactless mobile payments to Canadian cardholders with Android devices. Available through the Amex app for eligible consumer, small business and corporate cards issued by Amex Bank of Canada, the service will work with eligible Android handsets at merchants that accept American Express contactless payments.

Amazon Go: RFID Wins, Google Loses

Amazon Go is a heck of a good move in the game of artificial intelligence that is driving the tech sector With a simple video, Amazon has set in motion a chain of forces that could drive RFID into the mainstream and help Amazon pull further ahead of Google. It’s just one move, and nothing may come of it, but it sends out many ripples.

Twyp mobile payments app service to close in Netherlands

P2P mobile payments app Twyp is to be closed down in the Netherlands from 15 December 2016 after customers there said they “don’t need or want a separate app to make payments to friends”. Launched by Dutch bank ING in December 2015, the service will continue in Spain where CEO Mohamed de Booij says the “market for mobile banking is different from the Dutch”.

How RFID Helps Herman Kay Serve Department Store Customers

Chances are you have a coat made by Herman Kay Company hanging in your closet. The designer and manufacturer, based in New York City, produces approximately 5.5 million outerwear garments annually for brands such as Anne Klein, BCBG, Diane von Furstenberg, London Fog and Michael Kors. These coats are supplied to major department stores, from Macy's and Nordstrom to Lord & Taylor and Dillard's. As retailers began incorporating radio frequency identification(RFID) into their supply chains a couple years back, CIO/CTO Rich Haig says these partners requested that Herman Kay supply RFID hangtags on its outerwear. "From a customer service and marketing point of view, it was something we needed to do to support our customers," he explains.

Bag tracking to save airlines $3 billion

The global deployment of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, which can accurately track passengers’ baggage in real time across key points in the journey, can enable the air transport industry to save more than $3 billion over the next seven years.

Global IT provider SITA and IATA revealed that the highly accurate tracking rates of RFID technology could reduce the number of mishandled bags by as much as 25% by 2022, mainly through efficient tracking.

In particular, RFID will address mishandling during transfer from one flight to another by ensuring that airports, airlines, and ground handlers are able to keep track of bags at every step of the journey. The technology supports IATA’s Resolution 753 that requires airlines to track each item of checked baggage, at key points in the journey, by 2018.

Pokemon Sun And Moon: How QR Codes Help You Win The Game

With new Pokemon comes new moves and mechanics. The latest Pokemon Sun and Moon utilize a QR code to obtain Pokemon from the game through a QR Scanner. Each Pokemon creature has its unique QR code that must be scanned to automatically register them in a player's Pokedex. Once the player has them in their Pokedex, they can now see where the specific Pokemon will appear in Alola. According to Digital Spy, This is one of the preliminary steps a Sun and Moon player needs to snag the Alolan Championship.

McDonald’s South Africa pilots QR code mobile payments with WeChat

McDonald’s South Africa is piloting a mobile payment service at select restaurants in Johannesburg and Cape Town using social messaging app WeChat Africa, enabling customers to complete purchases by presenting QR codes generated by the app at the point of sale. To mark the launch of Quick Pay, WeChat is also giving the first 20,000 McDonald’s customers 50% cashback when using the service to pay for their meal.

One million MTN Rwanda customers to get NFC mobile payments service

One million subscribers of mobile network operator MTN Rwanda’s MTN Mobile Money service will be able to make in-store payments at thousands of retail outlets within six months using their NFC mobile phones through MTN Tap&Pay, unveiled in collaboration with Verifone Mobile Money and NFC technology provider Youtap. The first NFC mobile money payment solution implemented in the East African country is being piloted with African retailer Nakumatt and is expected to be rolled out to 100 merchants in its first deployment phase.

Kamarajar Port to deploy RFID

Kamarajar Port Ltd., (KPL) is all set to implement a full-fledged Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system from November 30 onwards to track movement of men, materials and laden vehicles within its premises on real time basis. The implementation of RFID system is one of the initiatives of Ease of Doing Business under the Shipping Ministry. The implementation of it will benefit trade immensely in terms of time and cost reduction.

Barcode Printers Market to grow beyond $3.8 Billion by 2024

The global Barcode Printers Market value is projected to grow beyond USD 3.8 billion by 2024. Barcode printers are specialty printers which facilitate the printing tags or barcode labels that are openly printed on or connected to physical objects. They are usually used to tag cartons or retail objects with European Article Numbers (EANs) or Universal Product Codes (UPCs) prior to shipment. They also find usage in printing barcodes on wristbands for individual recognition in hospitals or events.

Key products are industrial printers, desktop printers, and mobile printers. Mobile printers are mainly used by organizations sales employees for tickets, printing receipts, and labels, irrespective of the place and name. Desktop printers can be used for printing low to mid-volume labels, wristbands, receipts, and barcode. Industrial printers can also be used for high volume purpose counting order labeling and warehouse labeling. They are intended to function 24/7 in callous environments for mission critical operations.

Gauhati University students get smart cards

Amid the cash crunch triggered by the demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, Gauhati University (GU) has decided to introduce cashless transaction through smart cards. The university has already distributed the cards among students and the cashless system will soon become operational. Those who have not received the cards yet will do so soon.
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Five Easy Ways To Build Security Into The Internet Of Things

IoT security is at the forefront of everyone’s mind these days due to a huge uptick in DDoS attacks coming from our newly connected devices. So far, we’ve seen DVRs and video cameras fall victim and become mindless drones in a malicious botnet army. After 20 years of partnering with enterprises to build software that deploys inside, outside and around their firewalls, I’ve learned that there are a few basic things we should always include when creating new IoT solutions to protect our creations and our companies.

Starbucks takes mobile payments to 260 stores in Indonesia

Customers at coffee chain Starbucks in Indonesia can now make mobile payments at 260 stores nationwide by scanning a barcode at the point of sale using the company’s mobile app and completing the payment using a registered Starbucks Card. Starbucks“Customers can register multiple Starbucks Cards onto their account, all of which are linked to the Starbucks mobile app,” Starbucks says. “In addition to mobile payment, the Starbucks Indonesia mobile app puts the latest information on Starbucks products at customers’ fingertips with an easy-to-browse menu of beverage, food and merchandise as well as a convenient store locator.”

3 Ways High Tech Barcode Scanning Can Transform Supply Chain Efficiency

A product’s packaging and barcodes are vulnerable to damage during its entire journey through the supply chain, whether handled by humans or machines. Redundant information and error corrections are typically included in both 1D and 2D barcodes to ensure readability, despite any damage that could occur to the label. Some of today’s barcode scanning software includes algorithms that offset misprinted barcodes, such as blank lines from broken printer pins.

Barclays pilots cash withdrawals using NFC mobile phones and contactless cards

UK bank Barclays has begun piloting a contactless mobile cash service that will enable customers to withdraw cash with a tap of their NFC mobile phones or contactless debit card. The service is scheduled to be rolled out to more than 180 bank branches in the new year, and will be enabled on more than 600 in-branch machines. Customers will be able to pre-select the amount they want to withdraw through the Barclays Mobile Banking app and then tap their phone on the contactless reader to withdraw their cash within 30 seconds.

Thuraya joins Internet of Things industry group

Mobile satellite services operator Thuraya announced Nov. 21 that it is joining an industry group that develops standards for the “Internet of Things” (IoT), a market that has the potential to generate significant demand for satellite services in the coming years. The Dubai-based company has become the second satellite operator to join the LoRa Alliance, a nonprofit that creates IoT standards. It follows Inmarsat, which became a member in February this year, helping the organization factor in the capabilities of satellite technology when creating new standards.

France Brevets Licensed NFC Patents to Taiwanese Giant HTC

French technology firm France Brevets recently announced that they have granted to Taiwan-based mobile device giant HTC a worldwide patent license under their NFC Patent Licensing Program for use in HTC’s products. The NFC Patent Licensing Program, fully managed by France Brevets and their affiliate NFC Technology LLC, now offers NFC patents from both INSIDE Secure and Orange, as well as patents acquired by France Brevets and patents owned by NFC Technology LLC.

LotteCard to use Gemalto contactless stickers for NFC mobile payments

Korean credit card network LotteCard is using digital security giant Gemalto’s Optelio Contactless Stickers to allow its customers to make NFC mobile payments at 35,000 stores throughout South Korea. “The miniature size sticker is one third of the size of a standard banking card and designed to adhere to the surface of any mobile phone,” Gemalto says. “The sticker also doubles as a credit card for online shopping.”

RFIDsecur Offers Unusual Method of Protecting Contactless Payment Options

Security in mobile payment systems is instrumental in people’s continued and growing use of same. That’s why new tools are constantly emerging to fight data breaches and other hacker-driven incursions, and one of the latest—now going through Kickstarter—is delivering highly-portable protection for payment cards: RFIDsecur. RFIDsecur is built around a proprietary polymer film which acts to effectively block RFID access when a payment card isn’t actively being used. This isn’t exactly a new concept—the idea of RFID-blocking card sleeves and wallets have been around for some time—but this may be the first time I’ve seen it reduced down to a simple film sleeve.

Amcor Uses NFC RFID for S.M.R.T Pill Dispenser

Amcor Rigid Plastics, a division of Australia-based packaging company Amcor, has announced the release of an RFID-integrated pill-dispensing solution. The battery-powered system, known as the "S.M.R.T Bottle" (the initials stand for separate, monitor, release and track), has a clock-calendar function that registers and stores the time, date and number of each dose taken. Smartphones equipped with Near Field Communication (NFC) functionality can then read, display and transmit the information.

U.S. lawmakers balk at call for IoT security regulations

The U.S. government needs to pass regulations mandating internet of things security measures before device vulnerabilities start killing people, a security expert told lawmakers. A massive distributed denial-of-service attack aided by IoT devices in October "was benign" because a couple of websites crashed, said Bruce Schneier, a veteran cybersecurity researcher and lecturer at Harvard University. But the next attack may be more dangerous.