RFID technology simplifies screen media re-ordering

MAJOR has introduced FLEX-MAT ID Enabled. The RFID technology tracks and stores screen media data such as panel dimensions and customer-defined details to offer users information at their fingertips for simple reorders. According to the company, the technology improves convenience and productivity for any operation using FLEX-MAT with ID Enabled installed.

It takes the guesswork out of re-ordering and prevents costly mistakes that can result from measuring incorrectly and ordering improperly-sized screen media. All FLEX-MAT screen media is now embedded with the ID Enabled microchip. Product information is easily accessed through the company’s new MAJOR App without the need of an additional reading device.

PLUS postpones implementation of RFID lanes at its highways

PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) has postponed the implementation of the radio-frequency identification (RFID) lanes at all its closed toll highway toll plazas in the country. PLUS has to postpone the launch as all testing and progressive work is currently halted under the movement control order (MCO). Upon completion, all 83 Plus and 10 LPT2 closed system toll plazas will be equipped with RFID facilities.

OnePlus Pay NFC-Based Mobile Payments Launched

Mobile phone maker OnePlus announced plans to launch its own mobile payments service called OnePlus Pay back in September last year. OnePlus' digital wallet and mobile payments solution has now gone official.

As of now the OnePlus Pay service is limited to the Chinese market, and is exclusive to the company's latest smartphones – the OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro. The NFC-based OnePlus Pay mobile payments service is currently being rolled out in a phased manner and support for more OnePlus smartphones will be added moving forward.

RFID Market Size is Expected to Reach USD 26,435.12 Million by 2025

The RFID market size is expected to grow from USD 17,253.65 million in 2018 to USD 26,435.12 million by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.28% during the forecasted period, according to new research.

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) market is highly competitive and is marked by the presence of a great number of foreign and regional players.

The market has witnessed growing rivalry between vendors based on the pricing model, differentiation of technology, brand name, service quality, product differentiation, and technical expertise. Some of the key players in the market are Alien Technology, Applied Wireless RFID, Avery Dennison, Caen RFID, and Checkpoint Systems.

The growth of the RFID market is mainly driven by the increasing need for efficient supply chain management in the emerging economies of APAC, Middle East & Africa, and China. Robust protection in various applications such as inventory management, production process monitoring, along with long-distance object reading features of RFID tags, are also expected to increase the market growt

Will coronavirus force holdouts to adopt contactless payments?

Growing recognition that coronavirus can survive on hard surfaces for up to 72 hours — making it riskier to use PIN pads and touchscreens at the point of sale — is causing merchants around the world to rethink payment technology, especially at supermarkets.

Shops in Denmark are putting up signs urging customers to pay with contactless methods instead of germ-ridden cash, and government officials are encouraging people to use contactless and mobile payments to slow the spread of disease, said Kristian Sørensen, partner at Copenhagen-based Norfico, a fintech consulting firm.

RFID Reader Market to Reach $22.46 Billion by 2026

The fixed RFID reader segment is expected to register the fastest CAGR of 22.6% from 2019 to 2026, according to new research. This is largely attributed to the factors such as supply asset management, utilization and work-in-process (WIP) tracking, chain efficiency, improve in maintenance tracking, and drive efficient logistics.

Based on type, the ultra-high frequency (UHF) (860 MHz to 960 MHz) segment accounted for more than two-fifths of the global RFID reader market revenue in 2018, and is anticipated to retain its dominance during 2019–2026.

Simultaneously, the high frequency (13.56 MHz) segment is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR of 14.7% by the end of 2026. This is due to the increase in demand for the high frequency RFID reader, because of its features like patient flow tracking, ticketing, tracking library books, and data transfer applications.

Based on geography, North America generated the highest share in 2018, holding more than one-third of the global RFID reader market. This is due to increase in adoption of automated item identification systems for supply chain management, and rise in need for RFID technology in healthcare industry in this region. At the same time, the Asia-Pacific region would cite the fastest CAGR of 15.1% throughout the estimated period. This is attributed to the presence of largest manufacturers players and OEMs in the region and surge in demand for tracking, monitoring, locating objects and beings for security, safety, and resource optimization.

Zyxel Flaw Powers New Mirai IoT Botnet

Hardware maker Zyxel recently fixed a zero-day vulnerability in its routers and VPN firewall products. Last week, security researchers said they spotted that same vulnerability being exploited by a new variant of Mirai, a malware strain that targets vulnerable Internet of Things (IoT) devices for use in large-scale attacks and as proxies for other cybercrime activity.

Turkey to double contactless limit

Contactless transaction limits are to more than double from 120 Turkish lira (US$18.29) to 250 lira ($38.11). In the first 11 days of March, when the coronavirus outbreak knocked on Turkey’s door, the rate of using contactless payment methods via cards and smartphones soared. The 31m contactless payments in a period of 11 days indicate an increase of 23% compared to the last month.

Also non-NFC phones now support Mi Pay

A new feature of the Xiaomi Mi Wallet now allows non-NFC phones to also support Mi Pay. This new feature is active on at least three models which include Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 5, and Redmi 6. However, users of this smartphone can only access this feature after updating to the latest development version.

NFC and QR mobile payments service launches in Pakistan

UnionPay, Huawei and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) have launched a mobile payments service that lets owners of Huawei and Honor NFC phones use a single mobile wallet app to pay at any merchant equipped to accept either contactless or QR code payments. The dual payments function of UnionPay’s mobile payment products adds QR code-based payment on to contactless payment, and can be applied to any NFC-enabled smartphone, UnionPay explains.

PayMaya allows QR code donations via PH Red Cross

Mobile wallet PayMaya has partnered with the Philippine Red Cross to allow QR code-based donations to those in need amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As the entire country copes from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Filipinos–particularly those in the marginalized sectors and communities–are left with little to no access to basic necessities and livelihood, bPayMaya said in a statement.

TrueLayer, ANNA Money partner for instant business payments with QR

TrueLayer has partnered with ANNA Money to provide the card and admin FinTech with Payment Initiation, an API for instant QR code payments. The TrueLayer API allows ANNA’s customers to receive money instantly through QR codes, removing the need for physical payments terminals, bank cards or intermediaries for payments.

ANNA, which provides business accounts, debit cards and financial admin to freelancers and small businesses, began its partnership with TrueLayer in April 2019, integrating its Data API for Open Banking-based services including account aggregation and faster, easier VAT calculations via its assistant ap

Brazil launches national standard QR code

The Central Bank of Brazil has launched its standard for QR Codes, to universalize cashless payments in the country. The new standard will become mandatory in September 2020. According to the authority, the goal of the standard, dubbed "BR Code", is to promote standardization at a similar level to what has been in place for payment terminals, which now accept several payment formats in the same equipment including cards, tags and devices.

New RFID Solution Keeps Floaters Out of Beverages

Global beverage companies are employing an HF RFID solution from Dorcia Engineering and Feig Electronics that detects if a piece of machinery called a vent tube breaks off, ensuring that it never ends up in a drink or delays production. With such a system in place, he says, companies can immediately identify the problem and reduce the loss of time and product. Additionally, the solution is intended to eliminate the manual hourly process of checking for the presence of vent tubes, as well as prevent product waste.

Universal QR Code in Ghana will push cash-lite agenda

Vice President Dr. Mahammudu Bawumia says Ghana is launching a universal QR Code in two weeks-time. The universal QR Code will be first on the continent and is uniquely fashioned to adopt the national interoperability system – which will afford everyone with a mobile device the opportunity to instantly pay for goods and services, no matter the location, without a point of sale device. With the existing 15 million mobile money wallets, it means 90 percent of the adult population have been roped into the financial sector.

More than half of surveyed MSPs see a significant business opportunity in offering IoT managed services

The majority of MSPs have opted to take on IoT managed services as part of their portfolio, despite the fact that, according to Omdia data, enterprise adoption of IoT still hovers around 29%. But MSPs see significant business advantage in offering IoT managed services, according to the CompTIA report, Trends in Managed Services. Of 400 MSPs, 53% of respondents provide IoT managed services.

PLUS highways (Malaysia) to operate RFID lanes beginning April 1

PLUS Malaysia Bhd announced that it will be offering RFID (radio-frequency identification) payment facility on all its 83 closedtoll systems from north to south, including the Lebuhraya Pantai Timur 2 (LPT2) highway along the east coast from April 1. To enable RFID system for toll transactions, highway customers are advised to quickly instal RFID tag stickers at RFID Fitment centres nationwide.

Retailers ready for new type of barcode

According to results of a recent research study Powering the Future of Retail from GS1 US and VDC Research, 82% of retailers and 92% of brand owners support transitioning from the universal product code (UPC) to a data-rich, two-dimensional (2D) barcode, digital watermark, and/or RFID in the next one to five years.

The study also showed that while an estimated 68.5% of retailers use laser scanners incapable of reading a 2D barcode, 84% are evaluating or plan to migrate to advanced optical POS scanning technology capable of reading 2D barcodes.

Agreement will allow universities to leverage existing hardware to support mobile student IDs

Transact announced a new collaboration with HID Global that will enable Transact Mobile Credential to be accepted on HID physical access control readers.

Transact Mobile Credential supports student IDs in Apple Wallet and Google Pay, and enables students to use their mobile device to secure access to campus facilities and residence halls, as well as payments for dining, laundry, vending, and retail.

The agreement will enable current and prospective Transact Mobile Credential campuses to choose physical access control hardware from HID. Additionally, most installed HID readers can be field-upgraded to support Transact Mobile Credential.

RFID Journal LIVE! Postponed Until September 2020

Due to concerns regarding the worldwide COVID-19 crisis, RFID Journal has rescheduled this year's conference and exhibition. RFID Journal LIVE! 2020 will now take place from Wednesday, September 9, to Friday, September 11, 2020, at the Orange County Convention Center in Florida and will be co-located with another Emerald event, Surf Expo. RFID Journal LIVE! has the world’s largest exhibition of RFID and IoT products and services. More than 200 companies from 26 countries will exhibit in 2020.

SmartMetric Commenced Production After Supply Chain Issues

SmartMetric reports that final manufacturing of its Biometric Credit/Debit card has now commenced after being delayed due to supply line issues.

After engineering changes, the company found that it was unable to complete manufacturing due to the effect on its supply chain from the Covid-19 outbreak.

“It is expected that within the next 30 days our biometric credit/card will be in the hands of our partners who will be able to present our product to card issuing banks around the world," said SmartMetric’s President and CEO, Chaya Hendrick.

The SmartMetric biometric card is self-powered. That means that the card does not have to be inserted into a card reader for it to work. This feature allows the SmartMetric card to be used at all card payment situations including restaurants that take the card to the checkout to process the payment. The SmartMetric biometric credit/debit card will also work at ATM’s including those that “swallow” the card during the ATM transaction.

Beijing rolls out colour-coded QR system for coronavirus tracking

Beijing has joined a national initiative to assign residents coloured QR codes that determine whether they have to be quarantined, despite concerns of mislabelling and privacy leaks. The QR code system, launched through Ant Financial’s Alipay in Hangzhou on February 11, assigns users one of three coloured QR codes – green, yellow and red. he system, which has been rolled out in more than 100 cities across the country, has been criticised for a lack of transparency and potential mislabelling.

UnionPay, Network International complete pilot QR Code-Payment transaction in UAE

Network International and China’s UnionPay International have executed their first pilot QR code -based payment transaction at a merchant outlet in the UAE. The initiative aims to bring further convenience to UnionPay cardholders who use the ‘UnionPay’ app, the company’s secure, efficient and fast payment service.

More than 15.9 million Chinese visited the UAE in 2018, according to Dubai Tourism figures, making UnionPay cards an increasingly important tool for payments. UnionPay cards are currently accepted, online and offline, across the UAE. In 2018, trading volumes of the domestically issued UnionPay cards increased nearly 20% year-on-year.

Vizinex RFID Releases Sentry Midrange II for Tracking Larger Metal Assets

Vizinex RFID, a developer and manufacturer of high performance RFID tags tailored to specific applications, recently launched the Sentry Midrange II tags, the second generation of the company’s tag for tracking larger metal assets. The new Sentry Midrange II is 30 percent smaller (footprint is 39mm x 17mm) than its predecessor, but it provides a broader frequency response at a price that is 25 percent lower. The tag’s optional cover provides extra protection for the RF device and the flexibility to use bolts, rivets or zip-ties for attachment. The tag is made in the U.S.A.

Gloucestershire University has QR code wristband for prospectus

Gloucestershire University (UK) has ditched its traditional printed prospectus in favour of wristbands printed with QR codes which link to information online, the BBC reports. Research by the university estimates more than 2.5 million prospectuses are printed by UK universities each year. The move towards using a digital prospectus will also rely on using the university's Instagram account.

Signify launches IoT sensor bundles for Interact Office

Employee discomfort, ill health and reduced performance can be linked to a poor-quality office environment. Good quality lighting can already help to increase employee productivity up to 23%, Signify claims.

There are other environmental elements that impact employee health and wellbeing. Poor thermal comfort control leads to a 6% drop in staff performance when offices are too hot, and 4% when too cold.

Signify is launching new Philips IoT sensor bundles that collect and deliver envoronmental data via the Interact Office connected lighting system and Environmental monitoring API’s. The new sensor bundles can monitor occupancy, the number of people, temperature (at room and at desk level), noise levels, daylight levels, relative humidity and are Bluetooth enabled, to provide indoor positioning and navigation capabilities.

These  sensors are smaller than a match box and are easily upgraded on premise with a simple click and swap via an upgradable sensor slot.

New German legislation allows access to the iPhone's NFC antenna

German Parliament has decided to require providers of technical infrastructures, such as Apple in relation to the Near Field Communication (NFC) antenna contained in iPhones, to grant access to those technical infrastructures to payment service providers (PSPs).

This new legal requirement is applicable since 1 January 2020. Apple has closed the NFC antenna in the iPhone so that only a card/token stored in the Apple wallet will be able to access the NFC antenna and communicate with a contactless terminal.

RFID once became the target of far-right conspiracies

In the mid-2000s RFID elicited worldwide boycotts from consumer and privacy groups, got tied up in a far-right conspiracy about ObamaCare, and was even feared to be the sign of the Antichrist by some evangelical Christians.

One of the ironies is that the amount of public attention the tags received in the mid-2000s seemed to be inversely proportionate to how many RFID tags were actually in use. Those periods of protests even died down before RFID became nearly as widespread as it is now. One reason could be that the personal data landscape now is more complex than it was in the mid-2000s.

To some degree, the data an organization could get from RFID tags may seem quaint compared to the massive data profiles assembled based on mobile phone data, browsing history, credit card purchases, and so on.

Security keys for Google Accounts can now be enrolled on Android and macOS

Security keys for Google Accounts can now be enrolled on Android and macOS. All Android 7.0 Nougat and newer devices running Chrome 70+ able to register a USB, Bluetooth, or NFC security key. Once enrolled, you’ll have to plug in, tap (via NFC), or click (Bluetooth) the security key to the device you’re logging in to Google from to confirm that it’s really you.

Nike and Macy’s Run Blockchain Trial With Auburn’s RFID Lab

Blockchain might help major apparel brands from Nike to Macy’s better share product data across the retail supply chain, according to a white paper Auburn University’s RFID Lab published recently.

Many retailers have already been keeping internal tabs on product movements via radio frequency identification (RFID) tags installed in every unit.

RFID Lab will now take its blockchain study to a consultancy phase, trying to understand just how much value DLT and RFID data sharing systems can offer the businesses.

Saudi Payments to introduce national QR code scheme

Saudi Payments has contracted with HPS for the development of a national QR code platform for use by banks, fintechs and merchants across the Kingdom. Saudi Payments, which is a fully owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabia Monetary Authority (Sama), says the project will reduce cash dependence and speed the proliferation of mobile payments.

Iris Nova installs Avery Dennison’s RFID system

Avery Dennison has deployed its RFID technology at The Drug Store, a self-service retail experience in New York City owned and operated by Iris Nova, the company behind the Dirty Lemon line of premium functional beverages. The Avery Dennison label gives each product a unique digital identity – customers can scan the label, gain product information such as nutritional values or date of manufacture and pay for the product via SMS at their convenience – even after they have left the store.

NFC expected to have high growth rate

The NFC product type is expected to have the highest growth rate with the increasing penetration of NFC-enabled smartphones across all regions.

North America prevails over another region on account of its shift towards a digital economy. Europe is also showing robust mobile wallet market growth rate, followed by the Asia Pacific. Asian countries show high growth potential due to the adoption of smartphones.

At present, in the UK more than 88% of consumer payments are made via cashless modes. In the U.S. 80% of the consumer are using online payment. Governments are supporting mobile wallet and have implemented policies to move their countries to cashless economies.

In the Asia Pacific, Japan, China and India are moving towards cashless countries. There is a high growth opportunity for mobile wallet due to increased adoption of the smartphone in this region. In India online payment transfer has been increased drastically.

61 percent of companies use IoT platforms, but have security issues

A new report from Kaspersky shows 61 percent of companies globally have implemented IoT applications. The report shows that the use of IoT platforms has increased in almost all industries from 2018 to 2019, with the most significant growth occurring in hospitality (53 percent to 63 percent), healthcare (56 percent to 66 percent) and finance (60 percent to 68 percent). But at the same time 28 percent of organizations have experienced cybersecurity incidents targeted at connected devices, highlighting the need to protect IoT technology.

Health QR code made available to more residents

Chinese city Shanghai will allow foreign citizens and those from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan to apply for a health QR code to help track the current epidemic situation. The citywide health code was launched to assess individuals for self-quarantine based on basic health information and travel history. The Health QR Code has been accessed by individuals and businesses more than 47 million times since its launch.

IoT in Healthcare Market is Projected to Grow USD 206,236.12 Million by the end 2025

It is estimated that the global IoT in healthcare market will rise from USD 51,236.13 million in 2018 to USD 206,236.12 million by the end of 2025 at a compound annual growth rate of 22.01 per cent.

Due to the increasing prevalence of chronic disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, and cancer, hospitals have been burdened with increasing numbers of patients over time.

With an increasing number of patients being treated, the amount of patient information produced is rising. IoT technology aims to integrate all medical devices seamlessly with hospital information systems, thus improving the organizational and clinical workflow within and outside healthcare organizations. This technological advance and rising geriatric population combined with the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions is expected to have a positive impact on the expansion of the market.

Indian South Central Railway (SCR) introduces QR codes

Photo Nikhilb239

The South Central Railway (SCR) in India has introduced QR (Quick Response) code ticketing. The QR codes for all the stations have been created and supplied for display at the railway stations.

This utility facilitates passengers to book tickets through Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) on the mobile app.

The South Central Railway is one of the 18 zones of Indian Railways.

Low-cost, drive-over tread monitoring system features RFID

Tyrata, Inc., a tire sensor and data management company, will demonstrate its IntelliTread Drive-Over System (DOS) with integrated RFID technology at the Tire Technology Expo, February 25-27 in Hanover, Germany.

The RFID technology enables the DOS to correlate tread-depth information of each individual tire as part of an asset management system. The DOS fully automates tire tread monitoring. This not only eliminates the labor associated with manual tread measurements, but also improves accuracy, enables scalability and identifies significant cost reduction for fleet managers. 

Tyrata is utilizing innovative RFID solutions from FineLine Technologies to track, trace and validate vehicle tires. Each tire is properly identified via the FineLine RFID solution, and monitored for tread wear via the DOS.

$2.5 Bn Livestock Monitoring Industry Increasing Adoption of IoT and AI by Dairy Farmers

The global livestock monitoring market is expected to grow from USD 1.5 billion in 2020 to USD 2.5 billion by 2025, rising at a CAGR of 10.9%.

The growing focus on livestock monitoring and disease detection, increasing adoption of IoT and AI by dairy farmers, and substantial cost-saving associated with livestock monitoring management are driving the growth of this market. However, the high cost of precision livestock farming solutions and limited technical knowledge and skills of farmers restrain market growth.

Europe is expected to hold the largest share of the livestock monitoring market during the forecast period. Europe is expected to offer a huge platform for the potential growth of the livestock monitoring market. The already existing infrastructure of modern telecommunication offers great potential for the growth of the livestock monitoring market in Europe.

Growing cannabis retailer lights up supply chain with RFID

Green Growth Brands is removing the need to physically locate, position and scan its products from source to store. The cannabis and CBD company, which operates CBD stores under the Seventh Sense banner, is leveraging RFID technology from Yobi Software to reduce labor costs, improve inventory accuracy, and meet tight governmental chain-of-custody and lifecycle tracking regulations for cannabis plants and products.

The best QR code scanning apps for Android or iOS

Numerous apps are available for scanning QR codes. Some apps are better than others, and while you can scan QR codes using your phone’s Camera app, various third-party apps dedicated to scanning QR codes offer additional functionality. Regardless of whether you have an iPhone or an Android phone, the simplest and easiest app to use to scan QR codes is often your Camera app. This will already be on your phone, so all you have to do is open the app and point it at a QR code.

Energy Company Testing Passive RFID Sensor for Equipment

A global energy company is testing a newly released passive sensor tag that measures temperature levels—and, in one version, mechanical strain—then transmits that data to nearby readers via UHF RFID. The AS321X chip was developed by French technology company Asygn. A preliminary version was being tested as early as spring 2019, while the latest iteration is now ready for commercial-scale rollout.

Scooter startup Bird tests QR code-based mobile payment service

Electric scooter and moped hire startup Bird Rides Inc. extended its services into mobile payments as the company seeks a path to profitability. Called Bird Pay, the service allows users to use the Bird app to pay for purchases at the point of sale, scanning a QR code to link to the merchant before the app prompts for a payment amount. The service is currently being tried out in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, although the company did not disclose how many businesses were participating in the trial.

Tier 1 Smart Card Manufacturer to Integrate IDEX’s TrustedBio Sensors

IDEX Biometrics’ new TrustedBio line of products is already generating interest with smart card manufacturers. The company has announced that it has formed a supply agreement with a “tier 1 smartcard manufacturer,” which will be integrating TrustedBio sensors into an upcoming line of next-generation smart cards. The news comes only one day after the TrustedBio line was officially unveiled. TrustedBio is a biometric-system-on-chip solution that was designed to reduce manufacturing costs by negating the need for a standalone sensor and any supplemental electronic components.