USDA Announces Cooperative Agreement Funding for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Projects in 3 States

The United States Department of Agricultureâ's Animal and Plant Health Service (APHIS) is announcing the funding to support animal disease traceability (ADT) and electronic identification for cattle. The money will fund 3 of the 11 projects submitted with each coordinated by state organizations. The 3 to be funded are the Florida Cattleman's Association, Texas Animal Health Association and The University of Wisconsin at Madison which will jointly help USDA increase the accuracy, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of collecting key pieces of traceability information, while supporting the cattle industryâ's management and marketing needs. These projects will document how to link ultrahigh frequency (UHF) Backtags with other identification devices to collect animal movement and disease data while still maintaining the speed of commerce. We need to learn more about how adding RFID functionality will support traceability in these high-volume, fast-paced environments. The projects will gather important real-world data to help USDA; States, Tribes and industry advance animal disease traceability and implement electronic ID.

Atac brings contactless transit ticketing to Rome

Passengers using the subway and local trains in the Italian capital city of Rome can now use their contactless bank card to pay for the journeys they make each day — and can also opt to use their card as a replacement for their monthly travel pass. The new Tap & Go service has been introduced by Atac, the city’s public transportation operator. The service supports MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Maestro and Vpay contactless cards as well as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. It is live at all A, B/B1 and C line underground stations and on Rome-Lido, Rome-Viterbo and Termini-Centocelle rail services.

NXP unveils NFC, UWB and secure element chipset

NXP has launched a new chipset that combines a secure element, NFC and ultra wideband communications to make it possible for consumers to conduct secure transactions while “leaving their mobile devices in their back pockets”. The announcement follows the news that Apple has included an ultra wideband chip in its new iPhone 11 devices. “The use cases that UWB enables is one of the most highly anticipated developments and NXP is the first out of the gate to bring seamless, interoperable experiences with an all-in-one solution for mobile devices,” says Rafael Sotomayor, NXP’s senior vice president of mobile.

Barcode scanner MIDI guitar made using Arduino and acrade machine parts

Maker and 3D printing enthusiast James Bruton has created a new project in the form of a barcode scanner MIDI guitar. Using parts from old arcade machines and the little Arduino programming and an Arduino MEGA with a USB host shield and a MIDI shield, the unique musical instrument uses barcodes to create sounds. Watch the demonstration video below to learn more and see the barcode scanner MIDI guitar inaction.

Montreal Students Use NFC to Go Cashless at School Events

Business college HEC Montreal's student association, L'Association Étudiante des Hautes Études Commerciales (AEHEC), has improved its school event processes with an RFID-based solution that enables it to eliminate cash payments. With the RFID-based system, first deployed three years ago and upgraded this year, students can access events via their smartphones and make payments onsite using an RFID card. The Connect&GO Near Field Communication (NFC) solution has made entry faster and food and beverage queues shorter, while there is no need for anyone to manage cash for the student association, says Ian Perreault, AEHEC's secretary and treasurer.

Jury convicts Union County cop for faking barcodes at stores

A Union County Police Department cop was found guilty this week of using fake barcodes to get himself steep discounts at department stores. Blake Clay, 36, faces at least two years in prison with no possibility of parole when he is sentenced Nov. 15 in Superior Court. The 36-year-old faces up to five years on the charges of theft and official misconduct. Clay was arrested in 2016 after investigators learned of his scheme, which had allowed him to pay $1.50 to $4.50 for goods that were priced from $15.99 to $39.99.

Mobile Wallet (NFC, Digital Wallet) Market 2019: The Emerging Industry in Technology

The Global mobile wallet market size was valued at $16,650 million in 2013 and is projected to reach $ 5,250 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 127.5% from 2013 to 2020. Although mobile payment services have the potential to transform the shopping and payment experience, most consumers still prefer cash or credit card payment due to their concerns related to security and technology infancy of mobile wallet. On the other hand, higher investment and deployment issues have also been detrimental to mobile wallet industry. Although these restraints are prevalent, companies from the telecommunication industry are collaborating to better serve the needs of the customers with new and improved product/service innovations, which will help to better the adoption both in consumer and merchant groups.

An RFID Ring For The Body Mod Squeamish

Some people get inked, while others get henna or those water transfer tattoos you might find in a box of Cracker Jack. Becky wanted the benefits of having an RFID tag in her finger — unlock doors or log into your computer with a swipe of your finger — but wasn’t ready to get an implant. Her solution: make an artistic ring that conceals a tiny glass capsule RFID tag.

Changes in iOS-13 to boost NFC popularity

Apple Pay brought NFC new public attention but only reinforced the association of NFC with payment apps. With the release of iOS-13, 2019 may be the game-changing year for NFC. In this latest release, Apple opens up access to the full range of NFC capabilities on iPhones. Why is this an important evolution? What new app opportunities does this create? Does this represent an opportunity for NFC to become a “universal” technology in the eyes of mobile users?

Starbucks Japan is selling pens with built-in NFC wallets

Starbucks is releasing a new hardware product in Japan this month, and it’s a pen. Not a stylus or anything — an actual pen, with “coffee brown” gel ink, a drip coffee machine-inspired design, and the built-in ability to pay for things at Starbucks. “Starbucks Touch: The Pen,” for that is its name, contains an NFC reader that’s linked to a digital wallet. It works with FeliCa technology, which is ubiquitous in Japan and powers Starbucks’ popular domestic card system. I’m not totally sure how this is better than using mobile payments, but I guess if you want to leave your phone at home and get down to Starbucks for a hardcore study session, this could be useful.

Apple’s NFC Update Enables YubiKey Authentication

Yubico’s NFC-enabled security keys can now be used for contactless authentication with newer iPhones. The change was announced alongside Apple’s big product launches last week, with the company opening up somewhat from its usual closed-ecosystem attitude. Previously, Apple’s iOS mobile operating system supported NFC communications on a read-only basis; but now, it supports the read-and-write capabilities that are required for advanced authentication protocols like FIDO2 and FIDO U2F. The end result for Yubico, as the company notes in a new post on its website, is that its YubiKey 5 NFC and Security Key NFC solutions can now be used with iPhone models 7 or later running on iOS 13.

Colorado becomes first state to ban barcodes for counting votes over security concerns

Citing security concerns, Colorado has become the first state to stop counting ballots with printed barcodes. The state's secretary of state told CNN she felt it was a necessary step to ensure Colorado maintains its position as a national leader on election security. The decision is a further step toward prioritizing the role of human eye, rather than computers to count votes. In recent years — after researchers have repeatedly demonstrated it's possible to hack many voting machines in particular circumstances and the US intelligence community detailed Russia's interference in the 2016 election — both government and industry leaders have reached a general consensus that the US needs to use paper ballots so that elections can be properly audited.

Authentic Feet Manages Nike Stock via RFID

Sports shoe store Authentic Feet, part of Xambre Group, has automated the management of most of its stocks thanks to a radio frequency identification solution from iTag Smart Tags. The facilitating factor was the use of RFID tags in shoes supplied by Nike, which represents approximately 60 percent of the store's sneaker inventory. According to Leonardo Xambre, Authentic Feet's CEO, the successful deployment has raised operational demands and improved inventory control, especially for Nike products. "With Nike's initiative to ship its RFID-tagged products," he explains, "we had the idea to take this opportunity to manage our inventory of its products with the same technology."

Global RFID tags market for livestock management at a CAGR of nearly 12%

Radio-frequency identification (RFID)tags are attached to the livestock that needs to be controlled and tracked. RFID technology uses an electromagnetic signature that accompanies the radio frequency in a specific spectrum to communicate information. This RFID tags market for livestock management analysis considers sales from cattle, goats and sheep, and other types.

In 2018, the cattle segment had a significant market share, and this trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. Factors such as the rising adoption of automation in livestock management will play a significant role in the cattle segment to maintain its market position. Also, our global RFID tags market for livestock management report looks at factors such as regulations regarding animal welfare, emphasis on reducing methane emissions from livestock, and government regulations on transition to RFID tags. However, high cost of active RFID tags, data security and privacy issues, and threat of disruption in RFID frequencies may hamper the growth of the RFID tags market for livestock management over the forecast period.

Barcode Scanner Market Will Make a Huge Impact in Near Future

Due to the digitalization of the public distribution system and due to increase in the number of e-retailers the barcode scanner market is expected to grow during the forecast period. Moreover, the barcode scanner market is significantly increasing in retail and warehousing industries. The barcode scanner market is becoming more popular in various industries due to cutting-edge features and technological advantages of barcode scanner. The advent of barcode technology is expected to reduce the hurdles in the tracking and supply for the retailers in the market during the forecast period proving growth opportunity for the barcode scanner market. Also, barcode scanner technology is becoming more efficient and has been consistently improved. The same results in increasing printing of the barcode on most of the products coming in the market, which are scanned through barcode scanners.

Thus, giving significant growth to the barcode scanner market during the forecast period.
A barcode scanner is an electronic device that can read a barcode and gives an output of printed barcodes to a computer. Today, barcode scanner has replaced the manual efforts with recording and managing product information online. Also, the barcode scanner is used to make quick check-outs at the cash counter. Thus, the barcode scanner market is expected to have a potential growth during the forecast period because of the benefits of the barcode scanner including easy and accurate account keeping and better inventory control for manufacturers and retailers.

Singapore Airport en Airlines Piloting Handheld RFID Reader

Numerous airlines are deploying or piloting a UHF RFID-enabled handheld device that can be used with a smartphone and then be charged with that phone on a single charging device. The compact reader, provided by Koamtac, is intended to allow airlines to track baggage handling and logistics in order to understand where their tagged luggage or parcels are as they are checked in, loaded onto aircraft and then unloaded. The device is currently in use by parcel handlers at Singapore's Changi Airport.  To meet the growing demand for UHF readers by airlines, as well as in logistics environments, the company plans to release a Ring and Glove scanner this fall that will fit over two fingers and can be worn like a glove.

Bluey Merino to use NFC tags to guarantee the authenticity of its clothing

Bluey Merino, an Australian active and outdoor clothing brand that produces garments exclusively made from premium Merino wool, has developed NFC labels that customers can use to confirm the origin of the wool in their new product by simply scanning the label with their NFC mobile phone. “Over 98% of our garments are developed with a single source provenance,” Bluey Merino says. “We certify that it is derived from ethical production and sustainable farm practices; we seek confirmation of our processing partners’ environmental practices and ensure all labour standards are being adhered to.”

Print and apply labeler for RFID tags

FOX IV Technologies introduces the 6984RFM RFID print and apply for RFID tags with closed cell foam construction such as those used for tagging metal products. Closed cell foam RFID Tags as small as 2.75 in. x 0.75 in. with thickness of 42- 47 mils can be printed, encoded, and applied such as GS1, EPC Class1, Gen 2 UHF. This includes tags with the Alien Higgs 3 chip or Impinj R6P chip for 902-928 MHz frequencies. In addition to metal products these tags can be used for other products including wood and plastics.

PepsiCo unveils customer loyalty programme

PepsiCo has launched a loyalty programme that lets customers use their mobile phone to scan a code printed on drink bottles and snack bags to earn 10% cashback each time they buy both a drink and a snack — and receive their rewards as an automatic credit to their PayPal or Venmo account each time their balance reaches US$2. To take part, consumers need to create a PepCoin account and then link a PayPal or Venmo account to their PepCoin account.

Identiv launches contact smart card reader for mobile devices

Getting away from passwords is among the most vital, and best funded, work going on in the digital world, and a new contact smart card reader for mobile devices is here to help. The new Bluetooth device is from physical security and secure identification services provider, Identiv. The new device sells for $99 and features two factor authentication, which can eliminate the use of passwords with mobile devices.

Sales Up By 40 Percent for New York Venues With RFID Wristband

Event payment technology company Billfold POS has been providing an RFID-based payment solution to events around New York for several years. The firm is now expanding its reach across North America with a system consisting of an RFID-enabled wristband and payment terminals that capture a user's ID number and credit card access with each tap of the bracelet. The system can reduce a typical credit card transaction from one minute to less than five seconds for individuals wearing the wristband, according to Stas Chijik, Billfold POS's co-founder and CEO. One of the company's customers, Avant Gardner, has been using the technology at its three venues in Brooklyn and has seen its per-person drink and food sales increase by about 40 percent as a result, says Martin Naughton, Avant Gardner's director of food and beverage.

Drivers of over 2,600 vehicles penalised for RFID tag violations

Over 2,600 commercial vehicles found entering Delhi through 13 major entry points without RFID tags or having insufficient recharge amount were penalised, officials said on Saturday. From Friday midnight only those commercial vehicles which have RFID tags are allowed to enter Delhi. "From the midnight of September 13, around 2,625 commercial vehicles have been found entering Delhi through the 13 entry points without radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags or insufficient recharge amount in their tags." Only 14,654 vehicle owners or drivers have recharged their tags and only 3,226 commercial vehicles have made payment through RFID tags while entering Delhi through these 13 toll gates, it said.

RFID Technology Comes To Severna Park

Severna Park is placing its own mark on the map when it comes to new technology. Smart Retail Label (SRL) Network originated in the Annapolis area with the goal of putting pertinent information about products directly at the fingertips of everyday consumers. Compass Marketing CEO John White recently gave me an in-depth tour of the recently implemented technology being used at the Severna Park Rite Aid. As I stood in front of digital tags, he simply waved his smartphone in front of the labels, and up popped information about the products. This technology is empowering and educating consumers.

ProGlove raises $40 million for barcode-scanning industrial gloves

ProGlove, a startup developing wireless gloves with built-in barcode scanners and gesture-sensing features, this morning announced that it’s secured an investment from global growth equity investor Summit Partners. The capital infusion brings the Munich, Germany-based startup’s total raised to roughly $60 million, following $6.7 million and $2.2 million rounds in April 2018 and May 2016, respectively.

CSPs Have a Chance to Address Consumer IoT Security Needs

Consumer cybersecurity needs have significantly changed over the past years. With the rising global dependence on smart devices for everything from waking up in the morning to dimming the lights at night, it is safe to say that smart homes are the new normal. However, there remains a glaring issue in this new connected reality. With the connectivity that IoT delivers, hackers have the opportunity to cast their nets further and deeper into the very centers of consumers’ lives. Unfortunately, available end-point solutions are deemed ineffective when it comes to IoT security. While they address many security holes for common devices such as laptops and mobile phones, they fail to address the security of more recent IoT devices like connected toys or smart dishwashers. This, coupled with growing awareness around data privacy and security, has left IoT consumers searching for comprehensive solutions that can address their evolving security needs.

An RFID Ring For The Body Mod Squeamish

Some people get inked, while others get henna or those water transfer tattoos you might find in a box of Cracker Jack. Becky wanted the benefits of having an RFID tag in her finger — unlock doors or log into your computer with a swipe of your finger — but wasn’t ready to get an implant. Her solution: make an artistic ring that conceals a tiny glass capsule RFID tag.

Sierra Leone puts national ID cards on the blockchain

The government of Sierra Leone is to introduce a blockchain-based national identity system at the end of this year, enabling citizens to “grant access to approved institutions to assert and verify identity and also build credit histories,” the country’s president has announced. The National Digital Identity Platform (NDIP) has been developed in partnership with the United Nations and financial services nonprofit Kiva and is being implemented in two steps.

Outdoor Voices hears call of RFID

The digitally native women’s activewear brand is supporting seamless retailing with enhanced inventory management. Outdoor Voices is deploying the !D Cloud RFID inventory management platform from Nedap, with the objective of achieving full inventory visibility. This would consolidated all items, whether located in the distribution center or in stores, into one centralized inventory hub. As a result, Outdoor Voices, which has prior experience using RFID, intends to better support omnichannel services such as ship-from-store, without the need for separate stock in order to fulfill online orders and replenish stores.

Socket Mobile's New S760 Barcode Scanner Adds DotCode and Age Verification Support

Socket Mobile, Inc. announced that it is expanding its SocketScan 700 Series to include the S760 - a multi-use barcode scanner that includes scanning DotCode and most international travel IDs and passports.

The S760 is the first Socket Mobile scanner that supports DotCode barcodes. In addition, it reads most travel identification documents, such as passport, international travel IDs, drivers' licenses and 1D and 2D barcodes. The S760 was designed to support the many POS outlets that require electronic age verification, such as cannabis shops and retailers selling tobacco. 

DotCode is a barcode symbology which encodes serial identifiers at the unit level, which enables tracking and tracing of high-value goods, high-volume manufactured products and regulated items. DotCode is a low error form of code that helps deter theft and avoid corrupted labels. It can be read quickly with real-time data, include data such as expiration dates and lot/serial numbers. 

The S760 is also ideal for shops that offer duty-free purchases that need to scan a passport as part of the transaction. This is a requirement in many countries and one that is actively being deployed in Japan in time for the 2020 Olympic games.

RFID Tracks One Million Health-Care Assets in United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Health (MOH) is deploying one million RFID tags across 147 facilities, in one of the Middle East's largest RFID deployments to date. The system, provided by OgTech Technology Solutions, involves managing the locations of health-care, IT and mechanical assets throughout the ministry's hospitals, health centers, clinics and administrative buildings across the UAE. With the technology in place, hospitals and clinics have reported that they are conducting faster and more frequent audits of their assets, while nurses and health-care providers can locate the tools they need for patient care, and maintenance personnel can quickly identify any equipment that requires maintenance, cleaning or service.

Access Control Reader Market Worth $5.4 Billion by 2024

The Access Control Reader Market is expected to grow from USD 3.0 billion in 2019 to USD 5.4 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 12.5%. The growth of this market is mainly propeled by the high demand for enhanced security; contactless interfaces to boost adoption of smart cards; and increased convenience, enhanced security identity management, and improved human resource management. Rapid urbanization in emerging economies is likely to provide growth opportunities for the access control reader market.

Card-based readers are expected to exhibit the highest CAGR in the access control reader market from 2019 to 2024. The market for card-based readers has been further categorized into magnetic stripe, proximity, and smart card readers.  Rising adoption of card-based reader technology-equipped time and attendance as well as access control solutions in various organizations across the world is one of the factors surging the demand for card-based readers.

The access control reader market for the residential vertical is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2019 to 2024. In smart homes, access control readers are used to enhance security. Key factors contributing to the growth of this market include the rise in crime rates, ongoing technological advancements, high need for detecting hazards, such as fire and gas leaks, and ensuring the safety of children at home. The growing trend of smart homes is likely to increase the demand for access control readers in the residential sector.

Presenting SoftPOS – A Solution that Turns Smartphones and Tablets into a Contactless Payment Terminal

First Data, now part of Fiserv, a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology solutions, together with Visa, a global leader in digital payments, and Samsung Electronics, will showcase the company’s new Software Point of Sale (SoftPOS) solution during IFA 2019. IFA is Europe’s largest technology fair and the leading showcase for the global technology industry.

SoftPOS enables contactless payments of any amount via a smartphone or tablet, in the same way a traditional payment terminal functions but with no additional equipment. SoftPOS enables this functionality on an everyday mobile device using embedded near-field communication (NFC) functionality. The merchant’s phone will accept contactless transactions from existing contactless cards, other NFC-enabled mobile phones, or other NFC-enabled devices such as wearables and key fobs. A SoftPOS pilot will take place in Poland by the end of 2019. The pilot program will expand thereafter, initially in the EMEA and APAC regions.

In addition to international cooperation in implementing SoftPOS in the EMEA and APAC regions, each of the participating companies contribute technology to make SoftPOS one of the most advanced payment solutions in the world. Visa’s contactless capability enables quick and secure contactless transactions. Fiserv ensures swift and secure settlement of transactions via a simple and intuitive mobile app, and Samsung Electronics, in partnership with Samsung Knox, provides multi-layered security protocols in both hardware and software, as well as providing a vast array of the most innovative mobile devices.

Nedap Launches RFID Loss Prevention Academy

Nedap has launched the RFID Loss Prevention Academy. This is an online learning environment, which consist of free online courses, study guides and tests. This will help retail executives to develop critical skills, test knowledge, and demonstrate expertise in the area of RFID-based loss prevention. “Reduction in inventory due to shoplifting, employee theft, or other errors, significantly impacts a retailer’s bottom line – to the tune of nearly $100 billion annually in direct losses worldwide. Regardless of where retail operations are located, shrink is a universal foe,” said Rob Schuurman, managing director of Nedap Retail.

How mobile RFID communications and OR workflow tech saved one hospital $1M annually

When Randy Saad first started as director of perioperative services at Los Angeles-based Adventist Health White Memorial, way back in 2005, he faced multiple challenges. The hospital needed the ability to locate patients in real time, regardless of where they were in the facility. Staff also sought to improve communication between units and between support staff to improve coordination of resources, both physical (supplies and equipment) and human (staff and surgeons). So Saad and the IT and caregivers teams turned to the Zebra Technologies Android-based TC51-HC mobile computer. It enabled them to improve because it is integrated with an OR workflow solution from vendor Tagnos.

82% IoT Devices of Health Providers, Vendors Targeted by Cyberattacks

The majority of healthcare organizations, IoT manufacturers, and other organizations that leverage IoT devices have faced a cyberattack focused on IoT within the last 12 months, according to a report from Irdeto, fielded online by Vanson Bourne. Researchers surveyed 700 security decision makers from the US, UK, Japan, Germany, and China, from the connected health, connected transport, and connected manufacturing industries to determine the types of cyberattacks targeting IoT devices, concerns about the tech, and security measures in place.

University Researchers Develop Low-Cost, Low-Power mmWave IoT Network

Researchers at the University of Waterloo, Ontario claim to have cut the costs and power requirements for millimeter wave networks used for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies have been one of the building blocks of 5G networks so far. It uses much higher spectrum than current 3G and 4G networks, with most early 5G mmWave networks using 28GHz or 39GHz frequencies. Current 5G mmWave networks from AT&T and Verizon can deliver downloads of a gigabit per second.

Air France Contract to Bring RFID to 40 Million Baggage Tags Annually

Air France expects to be providing RFID-enabled baggage tags to its passengers at Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2020. The airline is the latest to announce intentions to track passengers' baggage via RFID technology, with the aim of reducing the rate of lost luggage, as well as boosting efficiency and sharing baggage status content with passengers in real time. As part of that effort, Air France has signed a three-year contract with RFID label company Paragon ID to provide a minimum of 40 million EPC UHF RFID labels for the Paris airport annually.

Samsøe & Samsøe Selects Nedap’s Cloud-based RFID Platform for European Roll-out

Samsøe & Samsøe, one of Denmark’s fastest-growing fashion retailers, selected Nedap's RFID platform !D Cloud as a foundation for its RFID implementation.

Nedap’s !D Cloud enables Samsøe & Samsøe to achieve real-time view on stock levels and their precise location within the store, closing the gap between e-commerce and physical shopping. The application of RFID raises stock accuracy to a minimum level of 98%.

Smartphone Usage and NFC Drive Mobile Wallet Market Growth

Widespread smartphone use and technologies that enhance the customer experience, such as Near Field Communication, will fuel ongoing stable growth of the digital wallet market through at least 2024. That’s the bottom line from an industry report from Grand View Research. The mobile wallet market has enjoyed rapid growth because it allows consumers to perform transactions and manage funds anytime and anywhere, all while supporting low fees and favorable prices. Recent years have seen substantive innovations from key players in the market.

Smart Card Market to surpass USD 65 Billion by 2025

The shipment of smart card market is poised to register gains at over 9% from 2019 to 2025 when the worldwide industry revenue is predicted to surpass a valuation of USD 65 billion, according to a 2019 Global Market Insights, Inc. report.

Technological advancements, such as the development of smart cities, blockchain, biometric technology, etc., are driving the smart card market across the globe. The growing smart city initiatives are encouraging several public & private companies to develop smart connected solutions to efficiently optimize available resources and effectively manage operations and services. Smart cities have been fueling the demand for digital payments in sectors including transportation, retail, government, etc., creating a huge demand for smart cards.

Several companies in the smart card market have run several successful trials of the fingerprint biometric technology within smart cards in countries including Japan, Cyprus, the U.S., Mexico, the UK, South Africa, etc., creating more opportunities for industry players. The rising number of financial frauds is leading to the need for a secure, personalized, and convenient payment solutions. The integration of biometric technology into smart cards with a microprocessor and contactless interface will eliminate the need for PINs, assuring safer transactions through fingerprint authentication.

The smart card market will keep growing over the future as they offer enhanced security for card issuers, merchants, banks, and consumers as technology adds a layer of cybersecurity protection. However, security remains a concern as the technology is still vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Therefore, several companies in the payment card market are developing more secure authentication ways than just EMV chips by adding technologies such as biometric authentication.

WISeKey registers strategic patents in the U.S. for an anti-counterfeiting NFC IoT Chip

WISeKey International Holding Ltd (WISeKey), a cybersecurity IoT platform company, today announced that it has adapted its U.S. patent. No. 7,898,422 for an anti-counterfeiting NFC device designed to protect the pharmaceutical industry from the escalating counterfeit problem which is causing damage to these companies and putting lives at risk (see list of U.S. patents here).

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently estimated that one-third of all medicines sold worldwide are illegitimate. Ecommerce has provided a gateway for these illegitimate products which falsely associate themselves with reputable brands to give themselves credibility. This has led to a large rise in illegal online pharmacies as well as online marketplaces distributing them. Fake drugs are everywhere. And they’re having a devastating impact, not just on pharmaceutical companies, but on consumers.

WISekey NFC IoT Chip enables brand protection as it effectively fights counterfeiting by providing a digital identification of the product for manufacturing control, product authentication and tracking and tracing in a reliable and secure way, while protecting user’s personal data.

The NFC IoT Chip installed on a smart bottle can be scanned remotely by an NFC reader to retrieve information on the pharmaceutical product, to confirm the authenticity of the information. When the pharmaceutical product is used, the NFC device is installed on the smart bottle/package is damaged, so that the packaging cannot be reused for another counterfeit product. The NFC IoT Chip authenticates the content of on the braded packaging using a state-of-the-art technologically that encompass wireless communication capabilities for connecting with computing devices such as smartphones or wearables and an artificial memory that helps provide alerts through display or sound system. Transparency Market Research estimates that the global smart bottle market of US$88.6 million in 2016, will reach US$258.8 million by 2024, registering a CAGR of 14.3% between 2016 and 2024.

Begin Transition to RFID Ear Tags Now

Holstein Association USA (HA) is encouraging all dairy producers to begin the transition to electronic animal identification. On January 1, 2023, virtually all dairy cattle will be required to have electronic ID to move interstate. The only exceptions will be feeder cattle and male dairy cattle born before March 11, 2013. The use of radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tags speeds up data collection and improves animal disease traceability, notes Darin Johnson, HA Dairy Identification Manager.