Apple iOS 11.3.1 Fixes QR Code Security Flaw

Less than a month after its last set of security updates, Apple released a new set of security patches for both iOS and macOS on April 24. Although Apple's advisory provides few details, the actual spoofing issue was in the in QR code reader capabilities. On March 24, security researcher Roman Mueller publicly reported the flaw, which he labeled as a QR code URL parser bug. According to Mueller, both the URL parser in iOS and the one used in macOS were able to be manipulated to show a different hostname in the notification window for a QR code scan than what actually is opened in Safari.

A One-Minute Attack Let Hackers Spoof Hotel Master Keys

In 2003, Finnish security researcher Tomi Tuominen was attending a security conference in Berlin when a friend's laptop, containing sensitive data, was stolen from his hotel room. The theft was a mystery: The staff of the upscale Alexanderplatz Radisson had no clues to offer, the door showed no signs of forced entry, and the electronic log of the door's keycard lock—a common RFID card reader sold by Vingcard—had recorded no entries other than the hotel staff. The disappearing laptop was never explained. But Tuominen and his colleague at F-Secure, Timo Hirvonen, couldn't let go of the possibility that Vingcard's locks contained a vulnerability that would let someone slip past a hotel room's electronically secured bolt. And they'd spend roughly the next decade and a half proving it.

RFID-maker Impinj expects $4.1M charge related to workforce reduction, office closures

Seattle-based Impinj expects to spend $4.1 million on expenses related to a restructuring that includes layoffs and remote office closures. In an amended SEC filing, the RFID-maker updated the estimated cost of a restructuring that went into effect Feb. 13 and included a 9 percent workforce cut and the closure of some remote offices. The move is intended “to match strategic and financial objectives and optimize resources for long term growth,” according to the company. Impinj currently employs 300 people.

RFID Wristbands Are the Future of Mobile Payment at Events

Means of payment has become one of the focuses of technological innovation in recent years. We can tap our phones on the cash register to pay for groceries and instantly transfer a few bucks to friends to avoid splitting a dinner bill, not to mention actual cash is practically a novelty at this point. The Festival International de Louisiane, a cultural and performing arts festival, is making payment more convenient for attendees by letting them preload money onto wristbands. The radio frequency identification (RFID) wristbands use radio waves to transmit information between devices, like you would scan a barcode or use your phone for mobile payment, according to Wristbands.com.

Transit customers can load Presto cards at Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws by end of May

Transit customers can buy Presto cards and load funds at dozens of Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations by the end of May, the City of Ottawa says. Metrolinx, the provincial Crown agency that runs the Presto system, has reported success with expanding Presto services at Shoppers stores in Toronto. Ottawa transit customers who prefer to load their Presto cards in person have had to go to OC Transpo or city client service centres. Soon they’ll be able to buy cards, load them and check the balances at 51 Shoppers Drug Mart locations, 12 Loblaws stores and three Real Canadian Superstore locations.

Walmart equips garden centre staff with mobile checkout devices

Walmart is testing a new program called Check Out With Me in the Lawn & Garden Centers of more than 350 stores across the country, just in time for the busy spring season. Outfitted with cellular devices and Bluetooth printers, Lawn & Garden associates at these select stores can check out customers and provide a receipt on the spot. Customers no longer need to venture inside the physical store to pay for items like mulch, soil and flowers, saving them valuable time. A Walmart associate scans a customer’s items with the Check Out With Me mobile device, swipes their credit card and provides them with a receipt – printed or electronic options available. Customers just pay and go. It's as simple as that.

RFID Tracking Fuel Trailers to Prevent Theft in Chile

Truck-fleet and asset-management technology company GPS Chile has deployed an RFID-enabled solution for a national oil company to manage the location and security of its loads, using RFID technology from Switzerland-based Internet of Things (IoT) technology firm Agorabee. Since being taken live last summer, the system has enabled the company to view where fuel tank trailers, loaded with its product, are located, based on an RFID link between each tagged trailer and a reading device, coupled with GPS, on the truck. The system is designed to accomplish several tasks, the company reports. First, it tracks which tractor is linked to each trailer, and whether that tractor-trailer match is incorrect (meaning that a driver might be taking the wrong trailer). It also provides visibility into the oil-filled trailer's location via the truck's GPS coordinates, linked to the unique ID number on the trailer's RFID tag.

GCash, Alipay jointly launches new GCash QR code

Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), which operates GCash, the Philippines’ largest mobile wallet, and Ant Financial Services Group (“Ant Financial” or “Ant”), which operates Alipay, the world’s largest mobile and online payment platform, announced a new QR code solution that will enable local merchants to accept payment from both local users using GCash and Chinese visitors using Alipay via one single connection to GCash QR Code solution. Alipay and GCash will work together with acquirers to promote this new QR code to enable local merchants to service an even bigger pool of consumers with seamless payment experiences. This service will be rolled out over the next few weeks across GCash’s merchant network.

Largest RFID File-Tracking System Goes Live in Qatar

The Qatar Public Prosecution (QPP) office in Doha has launched what it bills as the largest RFID-enabled file-tracking deployment in the world. With 1,006 read points spread across a 46-story tower, the system enables the office to track the movements and locations of 70,000 files down to a particular corridor, office or stairwell. The ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID solution was provided by OGTech Technology Solutions, a Middle-east distributor and systems integrator, using RFID technology provided by Feig Electronics. Local integrator Qatar Computer Services installed the system.

Supermarket giant Carrefour rolls out its own NFC mobile payments service

Following Apple Pay which was launched in France in June 2016, "Carrefour Pay” is part of Carrefour’s continuing drive to increase the number of mobile payment solutions available to customers in its stores. Carrefour Pay is quick and easy and has no payment limit – customers can use it to pay for their shopping at all terminals which have NFC contactless technology. Already available for customers with PASS MasterCards or C-Zam cards, it can be used in 3000 Carrefour stores in France and in all stores which accept contactless payment. All bank cards will be added in 2018, as well as all Carrefour e-commerce sites in France.

Carrefour Pay can be accessed via the Carrefour&Moi mobile app and also features a loyalty card and coupon facility. It can be used to easily manage the loyalty programme and customer discount offers.

Hull manufacturer secures new Oyster Card contract

Hull-based smart ticketing specialist Paragon ID has won a new £2.2m contract to manufacture Oyster Cards for Transport for London. The company provides identification systems for transport, e-ID, traceability and brand protection. Under the new contract, it will continue to produce the smart cards throughout 2018. Oyster Cards are rechargeable smart cards used to pay for journeys on bus, tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, TfL rail, river bus and most National Rail services throughout the city.

5G to become the catalyst for innovation in IoT

5G represents a fundamental shift in communication network architectures. It promises to accelerate future revenue generation through innovative services facilitated via 5G-enabled devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and Internet-of-Things (IoT). 5G deployments are envisioned as a complex amalgamation of next-generation technological enhancements to telecommunication networks, which will help 5G become the catalyst for next-generation IoT services. In fact, for IoT services to be deployed at scale efficiently, 5G’s critical benefits are essential. These include improved network speeds and capacity, reduced communication latency and flexible service delivery models.

Shell rolls out mobile payments at the pump

Millions of consumers of participating Shell branded retail sites in the U.S. are now able to pay for fuel with their mobile devices, using either the Shell app or the Chase Pay app. Mobile payment at participating Shell branded retail sites in the U.S. provides customers with speed, convenience and value by reducing the amount of dispenser prompts and integrating the Fuel Rewards program for added savings, all while ensuring secure transactions with the power of Chase Pay (Photo: Bjørn Erik Pedersen)

TAT rolls out new QR code for travellers

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched its "Enjoy Local" campaign, offering QR code payment for tourists purchasing products and services at over 6,000 locations across the country. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the campaign is among the new schemes introduced under the TAT's Amazing Thailand Go Local initiative.

Abu Dhabi launches smart card service on buses

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport’s (DoT) has announced the launch of a smart card service on regional buses to facilitate the payment of trip fares in a way that saves users’ time, effort and money .Hafilat smart card users can now purchase new cards or recharge them.

Offering this service is part of DoT’s endeavour to enhance the public buses services and facilitate its usage and sustainability.  The fare is calculated automatically based on the distance of the passenger's journey from the moment he or she boarded the bus until his or her descent. Fifty devices were installed in the buses in which facilitate the payment.

Two Reasons This QR Code Should Work

QR Codes continue to pop up in new places. Most recently, we can add Blue Diamond Growers’ Nut Thins to the list. The back of the box prominently displays a yummy looking “nutty cheddar spread,” served with Nut Thins, giving shoppers who might be unfamiliar with the gluten-free crackers a reason to test them out. A QR Code is prominently displayed underneath the picture, with the invitation for shoppers to scan the code to obtain the recipe.

Multi-transport smart card in Mumbai from December

With the aim of having a multi-transport, single ticketing smart card in place in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) by year end, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Wednesday initiated the process of appointing a private company that will design the software and server for integrating the ticketing system for suburban railway, metro corridors, monorail and public bus transport system. The private company will design the software and direct several public transport agencies to integrate their ticketing system accordingly, MMRDA officials said.

Washington Metro to accept mobile payments from 2019

Metro announced that it is working with its fare payment vendor to become “mobile ready” by next year, enabling customers to pay for their Metro trip using a mobile device rather than a SmarTrip card.

As part Metro’s initiative to upgrade its fare collection system, Metro is also developing a new fare payment app that will allow customers a quick and easy way to pay and manage their SmarTrip account from anywhere.

The new mobile fare payment platform will work with Metro’s existing infrastructure, eventually allowing customers to tap their mobile device to the white target at the faregate. The payment process is designed to be seamless and will have a similar experience to tapping a SmarTrip card today. Using the app, customers will be able to check fares, get real-time service information, and add money to their SmarTrip account instantly through Auto-Reload when the value is low.

During the second phase of the project to be completed by 2020, Metro will install new faregates at more than 900 entry/exit lanes at all 91 stations. The current faregates are more than 25 years old, using original power and communications systems. The new faregate design will be selected based on a number of factors, including customer input, speed, reliability, and ability to prevent fare evasion. In addition, new fareboxes will be installed on buses to replace the existing 15-year old equipment.

Avery Dennison launches new UHF RFID solutions and intelligent labels

Avery Dennison said it is set to transform food and cosmetics sectors with its innovative UHF RFID solutions and Intelligent Labels. Showcased at RFID Journal LIVE! 2018, they are designed to be applied to a versatile range of materials including liquids and foil or metal packaging. Whilst also one of the first UHF solutions that is suitable for use in microwave ovens , Avery Dennison said the new products are set to deliver an increased level of efficiency and traceability in both the food and cosmetics sectors. The company, the world’s largest UHF RFID partner, has been innovating RFID solutions for this technology for more than a decade.

Japanese banks to begin QR mobile payments pilot

Japanese banking giants Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. (MUFG), Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. (SMFG), and Mizuho Financial Group Inc. (MHFG) are collaborating on smartphone payment and remittance services that make use of two-dimensional barcodes, it has emerged. On March 15, MHFG announced that it will soon embark on a verification test of smartphone payments with Toho Bank, headquartered in Fukushima Prefecture, using the barcodes.

BW Bielomatik launches machine for RFID inlays

BW Papersystems’ brand BW Bielomatik launches a machine to produce RFID inlays: the TagLiner. The TagLiner provides fast production speed, high output and great bonding strength to help reduce the cost and increase in efficiency in the production process of RFID tags. The new TagLiner will officially be launched during this year’s RFID Journal LIVE! event in Orlando, Florida. Jürgen Rexer, global technical sales manager RFID at BW Papersystems’ Stuttgart, Germany, said: ‘The irresistible value proposition of the TagLiner really is its combination of exceptional bonding strength of the RFID chip which can’t be found in any other machine on the market, and its industry-leading output, even at longer product pitches."

UIDAI puts digitally signed QR code with photo on eAadhaar

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has brought in secure digitally-signed QR code on eAadhaar that will now contain photograph of the Aadhaar holder too, in addition to demographic details, to facilitate better offline verification of an individual. “The UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) has recently replaced existing QR code on eAadhaar having resident’s demographic details now with a secured digitally-signed QR Code which contains demographics along with photograph of the Aadhaar holder,” a UIDAI official said.

Thousands of Survivalists Compete With Help from RFID

With its first of what may become a series of annual endurance races, the Bear Grylls Survival Challenge, in Santa Clarita, Calif., will leverage ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification technology to track the level of fitness and endurance of each participant during challenges as wide-ranging as racing up stee  hills, eluding mines and eating mystery proteins. Traditional races, such as triathlons or marathons, track an individual's speed based on the time that he or she begins the race and when that person crosses the finish line. The Survival Challenge, however, is not just about speed, but also how well competitors perform in a variety of challenges, some in very remote locations

Scan or Scam? QR Code Thieves Arrested in Jiangsu

QR code payment is ubiquitous in Chinese cities. Every vendor from ritzy salons  to late-night barbecue skewer stalls will have a small square print that you scan with your smartphone to send payment.Yet intrepid fingersmiths are often fumbling for ways to exploit the technology. Last week, just as China’s central bank implemented new security regulations on payments using QR codes, police in eastern China’s Jiangsu province arrested three men on suspicion of theft. According to local newspaper Modern Express, greengrocers reported to police that the suspects had swapped the QR codes for receiving electronic payments to intercept the vendors’ income.

QR Code payments struggle to gain traction outside China

A new study from Juniper Research predicts that 2.1 billion consumers worldwide will use a mobile wallet to make a payment or send money in 2019, up 30% from the 1.6 billion in 2-17. The study claimed that while contactless card payments were far more prevalent than NFC mobile payments in many markets, leading wallets were seeking to redress the balance by enabling both online and offline options. The researcher cited a number of wallets have augmented payments offerings with banking services in a bid to deliver a holistic financial portfolio for consumers.

Why These Bumblebees Are Wearing Itty-Bitty QR Codes

Gently suck up the bumblebees with a special vacuum. Step two: Place them in the fridge to chill until they’re immobilized. Step three: Remove bees and superglue a sort of tiny, simplified QR code on their backs. Superglue what, you say? Yes, QR codes—a pretty significant upgrade for entomologists. Researchers used to stand over colonies, laboriously tracking the behavior of individual bees. But with this system, called BEEtag, cameras can automatically monitor hundreds of bees all day and night, exposing their personalities and interactions. That is, after the bees warm up from their chilly nap.

CNC Operator Relief Relies on RFID

Like a space capsule reentering Earth’s atmosphere, manufacturing innovations are coming in fast. For large industrial suppliers in the automotive and aerospace industries, the mission is to optimize production runs and reduce tooling costs. Increased production efficiency for CNC machines is coming from several directions, including improved work processes and increased monitoring. In one case, a large, global jet engine manufacturer needed a way to better manage the tools used with its CNC machines. Each machine comes with 100-200 cutting tools—all of which face considerable wear and tear in the manufacturing environment

RFID tags for locally-registered vehicles by early next year

The radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in Kuala Lumpur will be distributed to locally-registered vehicles by early next year, the Dewan Rakyat was told today. Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi said the government is currently in talks with Touch ‘n Go to distribute RFID tags for free to locally-registered cars. “The implementation of RFID system traffic flow at toll plazas will make traffic flow smoother,” he said in reply to a supplementary question from Anuar Abd Manap (BN-Sekijang).

Samsung Electronics is about to launch the LoopPay Valet

In February 2015 Samsung has acquired mobile wallet solutions provider LoopPay. This startup company invented a mobile wallet technology called MST (Magnetic Strip Technology). The current Samsung Pay solution is already compatible with MST, alongside NFC. As a result, Samsung’s mobile payment system is supported by considerably more US stores than those that only offer NFC, like Apple Pay and Android Pay.

RFID-enabled Tooth Transmits Sensor Data About Diet

Researchers at Tufts University's School of Engineering have developed an RF system that captures sensor data and transmits it to a reader from a unique environment: a person's mouth. The passive RFID tag is designed to be attached to a tooth, with a layer of built-in sensors that respond to such conditions as the presence of sugar or sodium, as a person enjoys a meal or snack. Tag transmissions are sent via 400 MHz RFID to an interrogator, and are then modified according to those conditions. The technology can identify not only the intake of specific nutrients or chemicals, the team reports, but also the body's response to that intake, based on changes to a person's saliva.

Octopus expands merchant acceptance via NFC-enabled mPOS app

Octopus Cards Limited has launched a new feature to enhance the Octopus App for Business, enabling merchants to accept Octopus card payment through their NFC mobile devices, according to a press release.

Users of all Octopus cards and products (including Smart Octopus in Samsung Pay) can simply tap on the merchants' NFC mobile devices, which can now serve as Octopus readers for payments.
In collaboration with the Coalition of Hong Kong Newspaper and Magazine Merchants, the new feature will be introduced in the coming months to around 400 newspaper stalls in Hong Kong, commencing in Mong Kok.

How QR Codes May Benefit Personalized Medicine

Mass production has always been the method for delivering medications to individual patients. Despite the fact that many people metabolize at different rates or might have different dosage requirements based on their body size, little has been done within the pharmaceutical industry to improve the patient experience in this regard. Mass production might be the way of pharmaceuticals, but not all patients can be treated with equal amounts of an active compound.

Luckily, this unique approach to personalized medications might be in the near future. Researchers with the University of Copenhagen and Abo Akademi University in Finland have successfully printed medications. That’s right, printed medicine: all done with something akin to your typical inkjet printer.

Study Finds Value for RFID in Visual Merchandising

With radio frequency identification deployments tracking retailer inventory and out-of-stocks on display shelves, some in the RFID industry are wondering where the next level of benefit for the technology may come from in retail. The RFID Lab at the University of Parma has released the results of a 12-month study that investigated the impact RFID technology could have on store sales by providing visibility into how well merchandise performs at specific store display locations. With the technology, university researchers and an Italian men's clothing retailer tracked what was displayed in each area of a store, and then compared the net profit of the sale of each piece of merchandise against the cost of displaying that item. The retailer has asked to remain unnamed.

Japanese banks to begin QR mobile payments pilot

Japanese banking giants Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. (MUFG), Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. (SMFG), and Mizuho Financial Group Inc. (MHFG) are collaborating on smartphone payment and remittance services that make use of two-dimensional barcodes, it has emerged.

On March 15, MHFG announced that it will soon embark on a verification test of smartphone payments with Toho Bank, headquartered in Fukushima Prefecture, using the barcodes.

It is thought that the results of the test will be used to create uniform standards for the two-dimensional barcodes that are currently being mulled by the three banking groups -- in what can be interpreted as an attempt by the banking sector to challenge the IT industry's grip on smartphone-based payments.

Identiv Launches iOS Smart Card Reader Designed for OtterBox uniVERSE Case System and Apple iPhone and iPad

Identiv, Inc. announced its partnership with OtterBox and collaborative iAuthenticate 2.0 OtterBox, Identiv’s iOS smart card reader designed for OtterBox uniVERSE Case System and Apple iPhone and iPad.

Identiv’s iAuthenticate 2.0 OtterBox smart card reader, built for the OtterBox uniVERSE Case System, provides an extra layer of security in a world increasingly more reliant on accessing corporate resources through mobile devices. iAuthenticate 2.0 is designed to work with all OtterBox uniVERSE Case Systems for Apple iPhone and iPad. The reader supports standard ISO 7816 smart cards in addition to ones issued by the U.S. government, including PIV and CAC. iAuthenticate 2.0 is compatible with middleware applications for user authentication, digital signature, encryption/decryption, and secure access to web-based email, portals, and collaboration sites authenticated to CAC, PIV, or other approved smart cards. Customers have the option of purchasing iAuthenticate 2.0 bundled with the popular Sub Rosa® app from Thursby Software Systems, Inc. or can buy the middleware application of their choice separately.

The OtterBox uniVERSE Case System is a mobile accessories platform featuring an accent plate on the back that slides out to reveal a rail mounting system. Identiv’s iAuthenticate 2.0 OtterBox slides into the uniVERSE mount, securing the reader to the case and plugging into the lightning port. Unlike competing products, removing the module is just as easy.

WhatsApp To Support Payments Via QR Code

WhatsApp, the messaging app that has a payments component, is expanding the payments types it supports by rolling out the ability to support QR codes for payments. In an unsourced report, TechCrunch reported the ability to offer monetary transactions via QR code is being enabled for users who are part of the Android beta, with a larger-scale rollout slated for the coming weeks. With the feature, users can send money with QR codes as long as they have WhatsApp Payments.

Nvidia and Arm partner to meld AI and IoT in major evolutionary step

Nvidia and Arm team up to make a wealth of IoT consumer devices substantially more intelligent, while the connected clothing market shows no signs of wearing out. The big news this week from an internet of things (IoT) perspective was China-based iPhone supplier Foxconn announcing it was to acquire Belkin – one of the largest IoT device providers globally – for $866m. Foxconn plans to establish a new smart home division combining Belkin’s Linksys and Wemo businesses with its own IoT assets.

Honolulu Is Finally Catching Up With New Smart-Card System

Honolulu officials debuted “Holo,” the city’s new smart-card pass last week, a program that should eventually give public transit users another option besides cash or passes to ride TheBus, the Handi-Van and, years from now, the rail system. The new smart card is slated to roll out early next year after some 5,000 bus riders test it out this summer. If all goes as planned, Honolulu’s public transit system will finally catch up to others around the globe that have offered such smart-card passes for years.

Octopus lets Hong Kong merchants accept NFC payments on their mobile phones

Octopus Cards Limited launched a new feature to enhance the Octopus App for Business, allowing merchants to accept Octopus card payment through their NFC mobile devices. Users of all Octopus cards and products (including Smart Octopus in Samsung Pay) can simply tap on the merchants' NFC mobile devices - which can now serve as Octopus readers for easy payments.

Existing Octopus App for Business merchants, as well as other businesses and trades in the city can also make use of this new feature for broader consumer coverage.

Consumers simply need to tap their Octopus cards and products (including Smart Octopus in Samsung Pay) onto the merchants' NFC mobile devices, or scan the merchant QR code displayed at the stores to enjoy a quick and simple payment option.

Man with excellent taste in music controls his Google speakers with RFID tags

Rental Company Raises Efficiency, Accuracy With RFID

Alvero Kantoormeubelverhuur B.V. has a complex product offering: thousands of different types of furniture, which are sent around Germany and the Netherlands, and are then returned at varying times for servicing and another rental. After more than a decade of exploring RFID-based solutions to bring visibility to this process, the company has adopted a passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID system to track its rental furniture as it is received, and again as it is delivered to customers. According to the company, the solution not only makes the loading of rental equipment destined for customers more efficient, but also prevents errors.