Plataine selected by Muskogee Technology to implement IIoT manufacturing solution

Plataine has been selected as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solution partner for Muskogee Technology, a provider of advanced fabrication, composite cutting & kitting, CNC machining, and inventory management services for the aerospace, defense, and oil & gas industries.

Plataine’s AI-based Digital Assistants offer predictive alerts, actionable insights, and real-time recommendations to planning staff, thus allowing engineering resources to dynamically optimize operations during the manufacturing and production processes.

The system adds value by significantly reducing the threat of human error through automating tasks such as manual tracking of materials and freeing up skilled workers for other operations. Meanwhile, all production data is securely stored to form a Digital Thread, creating a record of the entire manufacturing process from raw material to finished product for quality control, compliance, and audit.

LG CNS unveils facial recognition payment system

LG CNS has introduced a facial recognition payment system using cloud server and blockchain technology. The Korean company’s new payment system uses a kiosk equipped with artificial intelligence specialized in recognizing facial biometrics to identify customers. The company said the AI-based payment system is much more convenient than using mobile apps or credit cards.

Sensors woven into a shirt can monitor vital signs

MIT researchers have developed a way to incorporate electronic sensors into stretchy fabrics, allowing them to create shirts or other garments that could be used to monitor vital signs such as temperature, respiration, and heart rate. The machine washable garments can be customized to fit close to the body of the person wearing them.

IoT network alerts customers when roads are flooded

Green Stream’s automated flood sensor IoT network alerts customers when roads are flooded along with location information, and data about the depth of water and when it recedes. A WRC press release explained, 'state and local government customers, including emergency and stormwater management, as well as smart city IT departments, use the sensor data to improve response during flood events, and to make better decisions and predictions about localized flooding.' The company’s IoT systems include remote sensors, real-time data transmission, distributed power, cloud computing and data science.

'Barcode prefixes identify where a product was made'

Viral images on social media claim that barcode prefixes can identify where a particular product was made, Reuters reports. The prefixes encourage social media users to stop purchasing Chinese-made products and instead go with the Aerican alternatives. 'Pick up a product. Look at the barcode. If the first 3 numbers are 690 or 691 or 692, the product was made in China. Put it down and buy from any other country. If the numbers are 00 thru 09 to start, it’s USA made. Buy American.'

New Driver Identification Solution Utilizes Personalized QR Codes

Lytx, provider of video telematics, analytics, safety, and productivity solutions for commercial, public sector, and field services fleets, has introduced a new driver identification solution. Called the Lytx Badge Driver ID, the solution enables a fleet manager to easily identify which driver is operating which company vehicle at any time. Fleet managers can generate individual QR codes on their Lytx account that can be adhered to each driver’s ID card or accessed digitally on mobile devices. The feature is available with Lytx’s SF300 DriveCam Event Recorders.

Walmart updates mobile app for contact-free transactions

Walmart has updated its mobile app to remove the need for shoppers to make physical contact with a self-checkout station when paying with the retail giant’s QR-based Walmart Pay service.

Checking out at Walmart will be completely contact-free on any register when you use Walmart Pay on the Walmart app in the coming week, the company said.

Previously, customers had to select a payment method by touching a screen on our self-checkouts.

Will Google Pay support Bluetooth mobile payments?

Leaked screenshots of a new Google Pay debit card, to be issued by banks partnering with the search engine giant for its planned move into the US banking market, include mention of an option to use a digital version of the card for Bluetooth mobile payments, NFCW reports.

The accounts are designed to be opened and operated through Google Pay and will be offered free of charge to consumers, the company revealed in November.

France to raise contactless transaction limit

The contactless transaction limit in France will be increased from to €50 from 11 May, the date by which the French government for the country’s strict coronavirus lockdown to begin to be lifted.

The increase in the limit has been announced by the French Banking Federation (FBF) and is expected to be gradually phased in by individual retailers and their payments suppliers.

Will Use of QR Codes Grow in the Age of Social Distancing

The QR code payment infrastructure has a number of advantages over Visa and MasterCard’s offerings today.

The cost of making QR payments is lower than that of Visa and MasterCard, since unnecessary intermediaries – Visa and MasterCard themselves – are eliminated from the process.

Therefore, QR code based payment systems, at a minimum, can offer a reduction in commissions, which is very attractive to businesses, who can then offer more competitive pricing to customers, according to new research.

QR payments may even become free due to the distribution and legalization of open source solutions by regulators. In the meantime, commissions will depend on the greed of the banks and their willingness to change business models, reducing their share of transaction income, in favor of, for example, a more honest business model, such as subscriptions.

New Qualcomm chipset offers significant performance improvements for low-power long-life IoT applications

Qualcomm Technologies recently announced its 212 LTE IoT Modem, a single-mode NB2 (NB-IoT) chipset to drive the growth of cellular IoT. Power efficiency is a top concern for IoT devices that have to last for years in the field.

Requiring less than one micro-amp (1uA) of sleep current, the Qualcomm 212 LTE IoT Modem’s power-efficient chipset architecture allows for extremely low average power consumption.

Qualcomm Technologies is also launching an SDK for use with the Qualcomm 212 LTE IoT Modem, which is designed to support developers in running custom software on the integrated applications processor, with an expectation to offer pre-integrated support for cloud platforms such as the Microsoft Azure IoT SDK.

Kenya to use hybrid NFC/RFID stickers for national vehicle identity

Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority has issued a tender for a new vehicle identification system that will combine hybrid NFC/RFID windscreen stickers with a mobile app running on standard NFC smartphones.

The hybrid tag uses a combination of RFID and NFC technology. This helps in automatic mass data acquisition on larger distances, for instance on highways and case-by-case data logging through Kenya Traffic Police and NTSA personnel on the roads.

Google Chrome Canary gains QR code sharing

At the end of last year, work began in Google Chrome to enable sharing via QR codes, and as spotted by Android Police, the feature has finally arrived in a working state in the latest version of Chrome Canary for Windows and Mac — Chrome OS will surely be soon to follow. Once enabled, you’ll have two ways to access a brand new QR Code menu in Chrome — through the QR code button in the address bar and the Generate QR code for this page option in the right-click menu.

Smart Badge Market Worth $33.8 billion by 2025

The market for smart badges is projected to grow from USD 21.1 billion in 2020 to USD 33.8 billion by 2025; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.9% from 2020 to 2025, according to new research.

The most significant factor driving the growth of this market is the rise in demand for wearable access control devices for security management.

A contactless smart card/badge contains a chip and a radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna (copper or aluminum) attached to the chip for reading and writing information from the chip's memory. To complete any transaction, contactless cards do not have to be swiped or inserted into a smart card reader. Instead, they only need to be waved within the electromagnetic field range of the reader to read and store information in the chip.

North America contributes significantly to the smart badge market, derived primarily from the US. Moreover, the region is technologically advanced and is one of the early adopters of emerging technologies. North America is home to some major vendors of smart badges. High demand for smart badges from various verticals, such as event and entertainment, is driving the growth of the market in the region.

Commonwealth Bank: surge in digital wallet transactions

Digital wallet transactions grew 17% in March 2020, outpacing the average monthly compound growth rate of 6.7% over the past six months, according to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA).

Digital wallet transactions include Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay.

Overall there were 36m digital wallet transactions made in March, up from 33m in February.

Italian Company Creates RFID Cards in Biodegradable PVC

With many companies adopting eco-friendly solutions, an Italian company has created radio-frequency identification (RFID) cards and smart cards in biodegradable PVC. Gabrio Mechetti, card sales manager for Partitalia srl, says the material is a degradable PVC chemical. Biodegradable cards are in high demand. On one hand, cards are in great demand (credit cards, access control badges, gift cards and loyalty cards used in the retail and large-scale distribution sector), and on the other hand, a growing number of companies want cards made of biodegradable PVC to aim for the eco-sustainability of their products and to comply with European guidelines.

Barcode printer segment to hold the largest share of the thermal printer market

According to the new research report Thermal Printing Market, published by MarketsandMarkets, the Thermal Printing Market is expected to grow from USD 43.2 billion in 2020 to USD 53.5 billion by 2025; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% from 2020 to 2025.

The narcode printer segment will lead the thermal printer market, by type, in terms of size, in 2020. Thermal barcode printers are extensively used in small, medium, and large businesses to label and subsequently track the products to be shipped. This is one of the significant factors that has led to the leading position of barcode printers in the thermal printer market.

North America is expected to hold the largest share of the thermal printing market by 2020. The US leads the market in North America owing to its well-established economy that encourages government and private investments in new technologies.

APAC is expected to account for the second-largest share of the thermal printing market during the forecast period. China and Japan are significant demand-generating countries for thermal printers in this region.

A few key players operating in the thermal printing market are Zebra Technologies (US), SATO Holdings (Japan), Seiko Epson (Japan), Fujitsu (Japan), Star Micronics (Japan), BIXOLON (South Korea), and Honeywell International (US).

Apple Pay Express Transit payments roll out to 275 Chinese cities

Commuters in 275 Chinese cities can now add their T-Union public transportation card to their iPhone or Apple Watch and then use their smartphone or wearable to tap in and out of bus and subway services.

Until now, it could only be used in Beijing and Shanghai, with Suica cards in Japan, on Transport for London (TfL) services in the UK and in the US on MTA services in New York or in Portland, Oregon.

Ingram Micro Develops a Center of Excellence for IoT

Ingram Micro announced it will create a Center of Excellence for IoT. The distributor also named Sabine Howest to lead the team effort. The new Center of Excellence for IoT will expand Ingram Micro’s IoT go-to-market and portfolio. Channel partner enablement is core to the center’s initiative. Ingram Micro will expand its portfolio by teaming up with up with established and emerging vendors. In particular, the distributor will work with IoT, artificial intelligence (AI) and mixed reality (MR) manufacturers

UCI team develops smartphone application for coronavirus contact tracing

On Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested that reopening the state’s economy will require six steps, the first of which involves tracing and tracking individuals in order to identify those who need to remain in isolation.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a tool that could be instrumental in this effort. TrackCOVID is a free, open-source smartphone application that permits contact tracing for potential coronavirus infections while preserving privacy.

As people congregate with others over time, their interactions are linked to each other anonymously. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 can report it through the app without revealing his or her identity. Using the graph of interactions, the app will notify users who may be at elevated risk of exposure.

How could this be encouraged? Co-author Brandon Lehrich, who earned a B.S. in biomedical engineering at UCI in 2018, suggested that endorsement by local, state and national government entities would be beneficial – as would enlisting the help of grocery stores and other “essential” gathering places.

The establishments could post signs displaying their QR code, which visitors could scan with their smartphones. TrackCOVID would open automatically in their device browsers, and they’d be anonymously checked into that specific location.

If enough public places are doing this, then a lot of contact tracing will happen without any users making a conscious effort other than scanning a QR code when they go shopping. From there, people will start to see the value of the app and begin using it to create checkpoints for their private interactions as well.

Starling Bank adds connected cards for volunteer shoppers

Starling Bank is introducing the Connected card, a second card that customers can connect to their existing account and give to anyone they trust to pay for groceries and other essential items on their behalf.

The Connected card has been designed to help personal account customers who are self-isolating during the coronavirus emergency and are relying on trusted friends, neighbours and community volunteers to get their shopping in. The cards avoid the need for IOUs, cash, contact, cheques or the exchange of sort codes and account numbers.

Protected by a PIN and with a balance limit of £200, the Connected card is secure and only permits users to spend in-store and not online. This gives the account holder control over their money when they’re unable to visit the shops themselves.

Shanghai Disney Resort Expanding Health QR Code Checks

The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, Disneytown, and Wishing Star Park in Shanghairesumed limited operations on March 9, with health protocols in place to keep guests safe and prevent the further spread of the virus.

Every guest entering Shanghai Disney Resort will be required to undergo temperature screening procedures upon their arrival and will need to present their Health QR Code when entering dining venues, and are required to wear a mask during their entire visit.

The Disney Car and Coach Park and the Disneytown Parking Lot will also reopen.

Barcode Scanner Fused With UV Emitter

A new weapon in the war on coronavirus is on the way. Health creative agency The Bloc has developed SafeCode, a unique device concept which fuses a barcode scanner with UV-C light technology proven to destroy dangerous viruses and bacteria, and is expected to do the same to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The inventors were inspired by Tesla, which has provided a free license to utilize its battery design patents, to further the electric car market for all.

SafeCode combines two existing technologies - UV-C light and barcode detection - in order to significantly reduce the risk of transmission while packages are being shipped. The Bloc's concept also integrates a new double scanning process to cover all surfaces on a package and a delayed scan to facilitate the cleansing.

The aim is to kill the coronavirus before it ever makes it through the front door, after just a few seconds of exposure to UV light. The product also has utility far beyond the current crisis - since the UV technology it utilizes is proven to destroy numerous kinds of viruses, bacteria and other pathogens.

Start-up blends NFC into the glass of Swiss watches

A collaboration between a smart payments company and Swiss watch manufacturer has yielded a new technology that could be headed to your next wearable – NFC infused glass.
It’s just an analogue device, not a hybrid smartwatch like the Fossil Hybrid HR, but uses STISS payments glass, which is a super-strong sapphire crystal glass panel infused with payment technology. The payment chip and antenna are concealed within the glass watch face, and it works with Mastercard.

IoT to reach USD 575.36 billion by 2025,

The global internet of things (IoT) market in manufacturing, valued at USD 221.18 billion in 2019, is expected to reach USD 575.36 billion by 2025, witnessing a CAGR of 18.07% during the forecast period of 2020-2025.

With the increasing demand in the last two decades for traceability and transparency, companies have started making the processes involved in the production of their product transparent. Data collection and analysis through IoT devices make the whole process transparent for manufacturers.

With the number of networked sensors increasing across production, supply chain, and products, manufacturers are entering into new generation of systems that enable automatic and real-time interactions among machines, systems, assets, and things. The pervasiveness of connected devices is finding applicability across multiple segments of manufacturing and supply chain throughout the value chain.

IoT in manufacturing can facilitate the production flow in a plant, as IoT devices automatically monitor development cycles, and manage warehouses and inventories. It is one of the reasons why investments in IoT devices have skyrocketed over the past few decades. IoT in manufacturing, logistics, and transportation is expected to rise to USD 40 billion by 2020.

The market for IoT in manufacturing is mainly dominated by North America. This region has developed economies, like the United States and Canada, which are heavily investing in the research and development (R&D) activities related to the market, thus contributing to the development of new technologies. With the early adoption of trending technologies, such as Mobility, Big Data, IoT, manufacturers are eager to integrate IoT technologies into their processes.

Myriota to expand its IoT satellite constellation

Internet of things satellite connectivity startup Myriota has raised $19.3 million Series B funding round.

Lead investors Hostplus and Main Sequence Ventures joined by In-Q-Tel, Malcolm Turnbull, Right Click Capital, Singtel Innov8, Boeing HorizonX and South Australian Venture Capital Fund,

The company provides low-cost, power efficient direct satellite connectivity for IoT uses, including industrial applications like equipment monitoring and measurement of environmental measures like groundwater levels.

Myriota’s plans for expansion have already begun, with its acquisition of satellite communications assets from data services company, exactEarth. With this deal, Myriota acquired four satellites, additional staff members, and a global network of ground station assets to build a presence across international markets.

A new Near Field Communications protocol makes keyless starting standardized for all car makers

NXP Semiconductors has announced its new Digital Key Solution to let smartphones, key fobs and even devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers unlock and start customers’ cars. The system works using Near Field Communications (NFC) technology like that used by credit cards and for mobile payments from phones through ApplePay and Google Pay. The 106 companies in the Car Connectivity Consortium all participate and agreed on one standard.

Fitbit Charge 4 launches with NFC contactless payments

The latest health and fitness tracker from Fitbit comes with contactless payments. The newly released Fitbit Charge 4 includes Fitbit Pay, the company’s prepaid wallet that works with cards from nearly 500 issuers in 44 countries. Previously, Charge buyers had to pay extra to get built-in NFC payment functionality.

Chrome 81 arrives with Web NFC Origin Trial

Google launched Chrome 81 for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. Chrome 81 includes an Origin Trial of Web NFC for mobile. Web NFC allows a web app to read and write to NFC tags. Google hopes the feature will be used to provide information about museum exhibits, to augment a conference badge, to perform inventory management, and so on.

New lawsuit filed against USDA over rescinded RFID requirement

The legal battle between radio frequency ID ear tag opponents and the USDA is back on. A previous lawsuit filed by R-CALF USA and several ranchers was dismissed after USDA reversed course on a rule that would have required cattle producers to use RFID ear tags and register their premises by 2023 if they transport adult cattle across state lines. The New Civil Liberties Alliance filed an amended complaint claiming USDA and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act back when they developed the original RFID requirement.

Musicians use barcode scanners to make their beats

Electronicos Fantasticos, a half-music-half-tech project led by Ei Wada, use barcode scanners, old TVs and other electromagnetic instruments to create beats that are made entirely from technology. The project, launched in 2015, includes all kinds of art installations and performances — but Ei Wada’s barcode music stands out as something special. Using the same kind of scanners you’d find at the grocery store self-checkout, he manages to create fully-fledged songs.

New solution tracks shipping accuracy via RFID

SML Group announced the release of a solution known as RFID FactoryCare, which the company says has been deployed at dozens of factories.

FactoryCare consists of SML's Clarity software suite, as well as handheld and fixed readers that capture RFID tag read data, send it to the cloud and can integrate with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems The system includes Zebra MC3100 handheld readers and Microsoft's Azure cloud-computing service.

World’s first NFC protected line of Precious Metal Products

A new product called MintID has been created to solve the problem of counterfeiting in the precious metals space. By embedding AES-128 bit encrypted and tamper proof NFC chips directly at the source MintID customers can authenticate their investments in real time using MintID’s iOS/Android mobile apps.

Moscow to Enforce Virus Lockdown With QR Code Passes

Moscow authorities will enforce its citywide quarantine using QR codes assigned to residents as passes to leave their homes, the Meduza news website reported. Authorities will issue QR code passes to people who register with their home address on the mayor’s website. Muscovites will be required to show these QR codes to police officers on demand.

Retail Industry, CPGs Support Switch from UPC to Data-Rich Barcode

A new research study, Powering the Future of Retail, from information standards organization GS1 US has reveales that 82% of retailers and 92% of brand owners support transitioning from the UPC code to a data-rich 2D barcode, a digital watermark, and/or an RFID tag in the next one to five years.  The next-generation barcode(s) to be chosen by industry will embed more information on product packaging and continue to leverage the GS1 Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) standard—the number encoded in the UPC that uniquely identifies a product at checkout.

ITF-14 barcodes ensure that the sales transactions and other business operations flow smoothly

If you would like to sell your product to a retailer in South Africa, you will require an EAN barcode for each variety, flavour or colour of your product. However, what people don't always realise is that occasionally, retailers require an extra barcode called an ITF-14 barcode (also called case or box barcodes). A case barcode can be defined as a 14-digit barcode which is placed on a box or a case of products. When the case barcode is scanned, it brings up the number of products that the box contains.

Cellr Invests in NFC RFID Platform to Combat Wine Counterfeiting

Australian startup Cellr is developing a technology to combat the counterfeiting of wines and prevent fraud regarding intellectual property.

The product will use a blockchain system embedded in the bottle cap, which will allow buyers to verify the authenticity of the products they buy via cell phone. Cellr's innovation is built into the cork, allowing buyers to use their phone to confirm a wine's origin, verify its producer, and receive promotional and brand messages.

Apple confirms the existence of an unreleased product, AirTags

Apple inadvertently revealed the existence of an unreleased product, AirTags, in a support video uploaded to its YouTube account today. On the Settings page, the text references AirTags by name. AirTags are believed to be small tracking tiles with Bluetooth connectivity that can be used to find lost items. Apple has since pulled the video.

Zwipe Teams with MEA Smart Card Firm on Biometric Payments

Smart card manufacturer and digital payments provider Masria Digital Payments (MDP) has announced a partnership with biometric technology company Zwipe to help deliver biometric payment solutions in the Middle East and North Africa regions. The partnership offers the Norway-based Zwipe the opportunity to operate in a region that MDP is familiar with — MDP is one of Africa’s leading smart card solutions providers — and that appears to have growth potential in the biometric payments market.

National Bank of Georgia recommends contactless and mobile payments

Since any item, including money, can be contaminated with bacteria or viruses, the National Bank of Georgia urges residents to follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the National Center for Disease Control of Georgia when using cash. Whenever possible, use cashless payments, contactless and mobile payments, the banks says. And if possible, use remote banking.

QR code generator sites have stolen $46,000

A network of Bitcoin-to-QR-code generators has stolen more than $45,000 from users, ZDNet has learned. The nine websites provided users with the ability to enter their Bitcoin address, a long string of text where Bitcoin funds are stored, and convert it into a QR code image they could save on their PC or smartphone. When a user shared the QR code with someone else, or placed it on a website to request donations, all money would be sent to the scammer's Bitcoin address.

Processors Fully Automate The Plant Floor Using Barcode Technology.

Dynamic Systems, Inc., a Bellevue, Washington software developer specializing in barcode data collection for the Fresh Food Industry, has announced the release of SIMBA 2020, which is designed to provide meat and poultry processors a production, inventory and traceability system that records information on the plant floor in real-time. This release includes the updated Mobile Application that manages finished good inventory and shipping.

SIMBA allows a production line worker to change the content of product labels with a fingertip on the computer or touch screen, capturing product weight information and printing a label with a barcode identifier for that case or carton.  Once a product is packed, SIMBA uses mobile barcode scanners to move it to finished goods inventory and record shipping information.