Strong QR Code Payments with Q2 Earnings PayPal

PayPal has started rolling out its QR code-based touchless payment solutions to small and micro merchants across 28 countries. The firm is seeing considerable penetration for the solution among more than 100 large U.S. and European enterprise merchants, he said.

'This isn’t just about payment or just about scanning a QR code,” CEO and President Dan Schulman said in announcing the results. “This is about the value proposition around that, and being able to use your wallet and fully tap any of the funding instrument — including your rewards points — in a way that [will] work with any handset.'

COVID-19 Positive Impact on Growth of the Global 3D Sensor Market

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown a positive impact on the growth of the global market for 3D sensor. According to a new report, the global 3D sensor market was valued at $1,464.6 million in 2018 and is anticipated to hit $12,937.2 million by rising at a striking CAGR of 31.8% by 2026.

In the current circumstances, the size of the market has reached approximately $2,537.9 million owing to the mounting demand for electronic devices with 3D sensors from various parts of the world.

Government bodies had implemented strict lockdown in many parts of the world in order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus infection. However, regardless of countless efforts by scientists and experts, the vaccine for Coronavirus is still under development. Therefore, to maintain the economy, government has come up with a decision to partially pause the lockdown and open marketplaces specifically the essential goods stores.

This has increased the demand for cameras equipped with 3D sensors that are skilled in observing the activities of people in crowded areas. Cameras equipped with 3D sensors are helping government officials such as police in observing hotspot zones and making sure that people are wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Owing to all these factors, the global 3D sensor market is expected to witness significant growth during the crisis period.

IO-Link Adds Flexibility and Control to Capacitive Smart Sensor

Balluff designed its new block-style capacitive smart level sensor with IO-Link for applications with highly conductive fluids like acids and bases, using smart level 50 technology to compensate for foam and deposit build up. And thanks to its IO-Link interface, it delivers expanded application and setting options.

IO-Link’s automatic parameter setting allow the user to see the upper and lower hysteresis values allowing easy and precise adjustments that aren’t possible with a potentiometer. Once unplugged, the sensor goes into standard I/O mode (SIO).

FEIG ELECTRONICS Introduces new Family of Modules for RFID Reader Terminals

FEIG ELECTRONICS, a global supplier of RFID readers and antennas, announced commercial availability of the CPR60, a compact RFID reader module designed for use in terminals, printers, handheld and portable devices.

This tiny module offers four interfaces for smart card contact units, making it suitable for electronic ticket applications in public transport.

Demand for RFID readers is surging: according to Allied Market Research, the market is forecasted to grow from $8.9 billion in revenue in 2018 to an impressive $22.5 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 9.8%. Portable and handheld RFID readers, which the CPR60 module is designed for, accounted for over 60% of the total market in 2018 and this is expected to continue.

The CPR60 also operates in the HF frequency band (13.56 MHz) and this segment of the RFID reader market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.7%, outperforming the market average.

COVID-19 has highlighted the necessity, not just the convenience, of contactless payment with smart cards. The need for RFID contactless solutions continues to grow rapidly, overall, contactless smart cards are growing at 18% a year, and are expected to see even faster growth ahead.

The CPR60 supports multiple HF ISO standards and offers multiple interfaces on a single reader which reduces hardware and integration costs and complexity. The CPR60 offers the highest flexibility by connecting to individual external antennas.

Akerna Exercises Option to Acquire Remaining Stake in solo sciences inc.

Akerna is planning to acquire the remaining 20% of solo sciences inc. Akerna received shareholder approval to exercise the option in a shareholder vote last month.

Akerna and solo sciences share a vision to protect consumers from dangerous counterfeit products, said Jessica Billingsley, chief executive officer, Akerna.

Today, more than one million solo CODEs have been sold.
Each soloCODE has a unique fingerprint, a soloTAG, for every package, augmented by the solo app, which confirms if a product is real or fake.

The technology is complementary to Akerna's MJ Platform ERP system and is driving consumer safety through its anti-counterfeiting technology and alert functionality.

Indian Railways to cover all wagons under RFID for tracking by 2022

The Indian Railways said that it will use radio-frequency identification tags (RFID) for tracking of all wagons by 2022. A total of 23,000 wagons have been covered under the RFID project so far and the target is to cover all wagons by December 2022, Indian Railways said in a release. By using RFID, each moving wagon can be identified and its movement tracked.

Robot Sensor Market shipments to cross 9 Million units by 2026

According to the report Robot Sensor Market by Product the market valuation of robot sensors will cross $4 billion by 2026. The market growth is attributed to growing adoption of industrial & collaborative robots in the manufacturing sector to reduce operational costs, increase production capabilities, and profit margins.

Companies are deploying robotic arms in production facilities to increase productivity and achieve cost benefits by decreasing the labor workforce. This will increase the adoption of robotic sensors such as force-torque, 3D vision, and tactile sensors in industries, fueling the robot sensor market growth. Furthermore, the integration of IoT technology with robot sensors will offer enhanced results for manufacturing facilities and the environment.

The ultrasonic sensor segment accounted for over 10% of robot sensor market share in 2019 and will showcase growth of around 11% through 2026. These sensors are used for a robot’s autonomous navigation by targeting the distance using ultrasonic waves and near field navigation. Ultrasonic sensors are highly economical compared to laser range sensors and find application in robots that are used in smart factories for sensing & pre-sense sensing. Companies are focusing on the development of ultrasonic technology to launch new sensor products.

The demand for sensors in domestic robots will observe a growth rate of 10% from 2020 to 2026 owing to an increasing adoption of personal & domestic service robots in the market. These robots include robots for assistance & elderly care, toy robots, pool cleaning robots, educational robots, and vacuuming robots, among others. The integration of advanced features, such as voice recognition and machine learning, into domestic application robots will further increase the demand for robot sensors in the market.

Image Based Barcode Reader Market to Experience Industry 4.0 Revolution

The image based barcode reader market is anticipated to expand impressively from 2020-2030, concludes Future Market Insight in its recently published report.

Rapid Industry 4.0 penetration has led to the deployment of advanced technologies in the form of robotics, artificial intelligence and cloud-based computing across the manufacturing sector. This has made it possible for firms to streamline asset tracking and monitoring, for which the adoption of barcode readers has surged.

Heightened concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus have prompted end-users to employ barcode readers as a way of ensuring contactless transactions between individuals. Retailers are exploiting this technology to analyze user data and expand their customer base through virtual platforms. Similarly, airports are using QR codes to filter visitors and enable contact tracing.

Modi govt eyes QR, barcode to plug leak in supply chain of Covid drugs

The (Indian) Modi government is eyeing QR and bar codes as possible tools to check the alleged black marketing of key Covid-19 drugs, ThePrint has learnt. The move follows complaints that drugs such as remdesivir, tocilizumab and favipiravir — investigational medicines allowed for emergency use among Covid-19 patients — are being sold at over 10 times their price on the black market. Explaining how the codes may be deployed, the officer said they “can be scanned at various points of the supply chain until the product reaches the final consumer”.  

Terso Solutions Releases Stratosphere; the Real-Time Inventory Management Platform

Terso Solutions has announced the release of its inventory management web application, Stratosphere. While Terso's RFID devices serve to secure inventory and identify essential inventory information, Stratosphere ensures that data is accessible to end-users in the fields of medical device manufacturing and distribution.

Adding the Stratosphere software platform to its portfolio of offerings allows Terso to streamline its technology deployment process, as well as enable manufacturers or distributors to roll out an end-to-end consignment or vendor managed inventory management solution quickly to replace manual systems and outdated technology.

Savi Gets Army RFID Tech Supply Contract

Savi Technology has received a four-year, $45.8M contract to manufacture active radio frequency identification tags for the U.S. Army to track the service branch's equipment worldwide. Army Contracting Command received one bid for the firm-fixed-price contract and will determine funds and performance locations at the issuance of individual orders.

Exero Medical Completes First In-Human Implant of Wireless Anastomotic Leak Sensor

Wxero Medical, developer of a wireless sensor for early detection of anastomotic leaks following GI surgery, announced it has completed the first human implantation of its sensor.

The implant procedure was part of an ongoing clinical trial conducted at Rabin Medical Center led by Prof. Nir Wasserberg, chairman of the Israel CRS society and director of colorectal division.

The surgeons involved in the trial have also reported positive feedback on the Exero sensor's easy integration into the patient workflow during the procedure. As a result of the sensor's design and materials, surgeons are able to add the sensor implantation to current operating procedure with minimal added time and negligible added risk to the patient.

Wearable Patient Sensor Market to Reach USD 63.67 Million by 2027

The global Wearable Patient Sensor market is forecast to reach USD 63.67 Million by 2027, according to a new report by Reports and Data. Wearable sensors in this statement commit to the sensors which are used in smart medical wearable devices. For a better perception of various components of this pharmaceutical industry, the business has been classified as position sensors, inertial sensors, medical-based sensors, motion sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and others. Others are the level of sensors like humidity sensors and gas sensors. Based on the application, the other section includes smart headwear, neckwear, and based on end-users, the other group.

North America is expected to be the fastest-growing region over the forecast period. Numerous enterprises and several new players have been investing in advanced sensor products. The market in this region is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 24.7% over the forecast period.

Key participants include Fitbit, Inc, Verily Life Sciences, Cyrcadia Asia Limited, Karnak (US), VitalConnect, Minttihealth, OMRON Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Medtronic plc, among others.

Future Apple Pencil Could Have Sensor to Sample Colors

Apple is exploring new Apple Pencil technology that could allow the device to sample colors from the real world to use in digital art, drawings, edits, and more, according to an Apple patent. The sensor would be equipped with several photodetectors able to measure light for different color channels, which would let it detect and sample a color from a real world object, like a flower.

Afterpay lets US consumers pay by instalments with their NFC mobile phone

Australia-based buy now, pay later specialist Afterpay is launching a service that lets US consumers make NFC payments in stores — and then pay for their purchases in four equal instalments. To use the service, consumers apply in advance for an Afterpay card that they can then add to their Apple Wallet to make payments with Apple Pay. The company is also adding support for Google Pay, chief product officer David Katz told PaymentsSource.

Worldwide Retail Automation Markets, 2027 - PoS Segment to Reach $9.4 Billion by 2027

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Retail Automation estimated at US$12.2 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$23.2 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 9.6% over the analysis period 2020-2027.

PoS is projected to grow at a 10.2% CAGR to reach US$9.4 Billion, After an early analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Barcode & RFID segment is readjusted to a revised 9.5% CAGR for the next 7-year period. This segment currently accounts for a 33.4% share of the global Retail Automation market.

The Retail Automation market in the U.S. alone is estimated at US$3.6 Billion in the year 2020. The country currently accounts for a 29.65% share in the global market. China, the world second largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated market size of US$4 Billion in the year 2027 trailing a CAGR of 9% through 2027.

Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 8.9% and 7.8% respectively over the 2020-2027 period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 7.8% CAGR while Rest of European market (as defined in the study) will reach US$4 Billion by the year 2027.

Outlaw Technology is bringing RFID know-how to medical cannabis

It takes a number of steps for medical cannabis to get to a patient, each of the different parts of the process are tracked to ensure everyone is growing safely and in compliance with the limited number of licenses that are offered. In Maryland, this is facilitated by a system made by METRC. The proces includes RFID tags that are attached to every plant for tracking from one room or one step of the process to another. Yet within this system, growers and processors are still using manual data entry. Sometimes folks will yell out the weight and write it down. And manual typing often comes into play.

KOAMTAC Augments Line of Barcode Scanners, RFID Readers, and mPOS with Social Distancing Solution

KOAMTAC, Inc. a manufacturer of Bluetooth companion barcode scanners, barcode and RFID Sleds, mPOS solutions, and enterprise charging solutions launched a social distance solution for KDC BLE 5.0 barcode scanners and RFID readers. With warehouses, manufacturing, and other businesses resuming globally, the solution helps businesses adhere to social distancing guidelines and therefore protect employees’ health.

The new proximity feature leverages Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0 to alert employees via loud beeping alert, social distance warning message on screen, and vibration of both the KDC device and phone or tablet host device. The combination of approaches was created to help social distance even in a loud work environment and ensure accessibility for all workers. Workers may continue to utilize the scanner when the proximity sensor is alerting them, however, the alarm and messaging will continue until employees are at a safe, predetermined distance.

The proximity alert can be defined using the menu on a BLE 5.0 KDC, via KTSync application, or by scanning a special barcode and can be adjusted in increments of 3.3 feet (1 meter) up to 16 feet (5 meters). It is available for all BLE 5.0 KDC models including those with inductive charging, an alphanumeric keypad, and RFID reader. The KDC will send a notification to the connected host device, where it will record violations throughout the work shift and be available for review by supervisors. Utilizing the KTSync application, each violation can also trigger an email to the supervisor in real time to ensure adherence to the company’s social distance policy.

Increase in the spending limit on the digital display for advertiseme responsible for boosting the 2D Barcode Reader

The growing adoption of the barcode in the manufacturing and retail industry for precise tracking is one of the prominent factors driving the growth of the 2D barcode reader market.

2D barcode readers are used for scanning patterns such as dots squares, hexagons, and dots to decode the data.

An increase in the spending limit on the digital display for advertisement by companies is one of a factor responsible for boosting the 2D Barcode Reader market recently.

Moreover, continuous up gradation in technology and rising demand for monitoring purposes is anticipated to bring more opportunities to the players in the forthcoming period.

RFID used in the fight against COVID-19

RFID technology is increasingly being used in the fight against COVID-19. Microchips embedded in RFID tags can track and authenticate the vaccine journey from manufacturing to clinical site, along with antibody test kits, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical equipment and high value drug treatments. The technology has widespread applications in medical supply chains, and its ability to track and transfer data in real time helps managers maintain visibility during the rapidly changing coronavirus pandemic.

Dejamobile Announces the Launch of its ReadyToTap Payment

Dejamobile, a fintech specializing in mobile transactional services for payment, transport and commerce, announced the launch of ReadyToTap Payment for Merchants, a new generation solution that allows accepting contactless payments with a simple application and an Android device, smartphone or tablet.

The new offer is intended for buyers, terminal manufacturers and suppliers of software solutions for merchants. Once the payment has been made, a receipt is automatically sent by email or SMS to the customer.

A highly-affordable HomeKit contact sensor

VOCOlinc has introduced the VS1, a new contact sensor for Apples Homekit.

Whether you are just starting your HomeKit smart home or you already have an established one, a contact sensor is an easy way to make your home more secure as well as smarter.

The most simple and commonplace automation is to get a notification from HomeKit whenever your door or window is opened while you are away. You can also trigger your lights to come on whenever you open your front door, or perhaps you could turn off your AC when the windows are opened.

Xiaomi picks NXP’s mWallet 2Go for Mi Smart Band 4

NXP Semiconductors, Mastercard, and Xiaomi recently announced they are bringing more convenient and secure contactless experiences to Russia as the first phase of a European-wide roll-out with NXP’s mobile wallet solution.

With NXP’s mWallet 2GO mobile payment solution in Xiaomi fitness bands, users can simply add their bank cards to the Mi Fit app on Android and iOS mobile devices. Mi Pay also features NXP’s embedded secure element (eSE) technology so purchasers, payment card issuers, and Xiaomi wearable users can benefit from a high level of security to secure payment transactions.

The solution includes a mWallet 2GO wallet software developer kit (SDK), mWallet 2GO wallet server (application management server) integrated with Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES) and similar tokenization platforms; Secure Element Management Service (SEMS), NFC and Secure Element (SE) module, NFC middleware, SE JavaCard operating system and SE applets. NXP’s NFC+SE modules in mWallet 2GO offer a high protection against fraud.

Shipments of NFC-ready POS Terminals Reached 47.8 million in 2019

The global installed base of POS terminals grew to almost 161 million units in 2019. Market growth is primarily fuelled by the increasing adoption of electronic payments in emerging markets. Developed markets are relatively saturated in terms of POS terminal adoption.

Cellular connectivity has become a very popular option for POS terminals and was incorporated in 44 percent of the devices shipped in 2019. The wireless technology has an important role in facilitating the global adoption of electronic payments, as it enables the rollout of POS terminals to many new market segments and parts of the world where the fixed line telecommunications infrastructure is less developed.

The installed base of cellular POS terminals reached 66 million in 2019. The analyst forecasts a CAGR of 9.5 percent between 2019 and 2024, resulting in a total of 103.7 million cellular POS terminals at the end of the forecast period.

The market for NFC-ready POS terminals continued to display strong momentum in 2019 with annual shipments reaching an estimated 47.8 million units worldwide. The attach rate for NFC was highest in EU28+2 and North America, where 94 percent of the POS terminals shipped featured NFC. NFC was also a very popular feature in many other major markets worldwide including Brazil, Turkey, and China.

While the installed base of NFC-ready POS terminals has grown quickly, some of the terminals do still not have the contactless features turned on. The analyst estimates that approximately 70 million POS terminals accepted contactless payments with Visa payWave, MasterCard PayPass, or UnionPay Quickpass at the end of 2019.

Malaysia’s first NFC Mobile Wallet will be discontinued on July 20

Before Samsung Pay was available in Malaysia, Maybank had introduced MaybankPay in 2016 which enables you to make contactless payments with your smartphone. According to a notice by Maybank, the MaybankPay service will be discontinued effective July 20, 2020. The app will also be removed from the Google Play Store. Maybank recommends that you switch to QR Pay which uses the Maybank2U app. If you’re not a Maybank customer, you can always create a MAE eWallet account.

Aatmanirbhar Barcode Scanning App lets you know if a product is Made in India or not

Two brothers from Mumbai, Nilesh and Deepak, have developed a bar code scanning app named ‘Aatmanirbhar’ by which you can find out a product is Made in India or not. Not only that, but there are also some more things to reveal to you.

New Surface Sensor to accelerate IoT adoption in buildings during COVID-19 and beyond

Enlighted now offers its technology in a new Surface Sensor designed for quick and easy deployments at scale across enterprise portfolios.

The IoT technology enables intelligent desks that know when employees are using them, creates smart conference rooms that release themselves when a meeting is completed early and informs workplace planners on everything from physical distancing compliance to real estate utilization.

The Surface Sensor is powered by a standard USB interface and features industrial strength adhesive for mounting, making installation as simple as placing the sensor on a surface. This eliminates the need for wiring, special installation instructions and additional labor, and makes it ideal for locations including satellite offices, smaller offices with limited or no facility managers or leased spaces.

Like its sister SU-5 sensor, the Surface Sensor is a software upgradable smart IoT end-point, able to capture multiple data streams, perform local data processing and wirelessly transmit the data to the Enlighted network and cloud database. This sensory data includes occupancy detection, temperature, ambient lighting levels and is also equipped with Bluetooth® LE capabilities to communicate with other IoT devices and applications.

Mobile Wallet Market Size is Projected to Reach USD 7,580.1 Billion By 2027 - Valuates Reports

Growing awareness of mobile wallets and their applications, rising smartphone penetration and high affordability, are expected to drive the growth of mobile wallet market size.

The mobile wallet market size was valued at USD 1,043.1 Billion in 2019, and is projected to reach USD 7,580.1 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 28.2% from 2020 to 2027, according to new research.

The rise of various e-commerce platforms is driving the growth of the Mobile Wallet market size. The ways consumers pay for their goods have changed with the advent of e-commerce and Internet penetration across the globe. Consumers are more inclined to purchase products easily from their home.

Growing smartphone penetration is predicted to be one of the major drivers for the growth of the mobile wallet market size. As smartphone adoption increases, the trend towards the use of financial services on mobile devices is also gaining momentum due to convenience and cost-effectiveness. This encourages financial institutions and technology players to cater to mobile applications to provide payment services.

Ordering food with QR code menus

With coronavirus continuing to spread across the U.S., dining at a restaurant is now a potentially risky decision. Plastic shields guard the host stand and your friendly waiter’s face is now half-covered by a mask. QR codes, however, are experiencing a comeback as a way to eliminate shared menus which could spread the virus between customers — and your dining experience may never be the same.

Zwipe Teams Up with Italian Smart Card Maker

Zwipe has found a new partner to help expand the reach of its biometric technology in the payments space: Publicenter, Italy’s largest domestic smart card maker. The company is certified by both Mastercard and Visa, and boasts of more than forty years of experience in payment card production.
The two companies will work together on contactless payment solutions based on both card and wearable form factors.

Testing Waste Water to Find COVID

The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology announced a standardised UK system for detecting coronavirus in wastewater to provide an early warning of future outbreaks, reducing the reliance of testing large populations. Sewage surveillance is one of the most promising methods to identify hotspots. The virus can be detected in the sewerage and wastewater supplies and indicate the potential for a major outbreak.

Using sensors to detect pollutants in wastewater is not a new concept. Currently, facilities require checks of pollution levels such as COD, BOD, and trace metals. Instant identification of viruses in the wastewater can narrow locations to a potential outbreak, preventing further harm before the virus has had a chance to take hold. This type of sensor network will have a lasting positive impact on many communities.

The UK detection system is being orchestrated by the UK government, consulting with universities, water companies and public research bodies. It aims to act in a similar way to that used in the Netherlands, run by the RIVM (the national institute for public health). This type of research will be beneficial as it will provide the funding for developing new and creative sensor solutions to monitoring wastewater from residential and industrial locations.

The methods by which waste-water companies have their supplies monitored for pollution incident identification have not changed in many years. These tried and tested processes require a worker to physically remove a sample, store it, and then take it to a lab where it is analysed. For some pollution identifying contaminants, this process from start-to-finish can take up to 10 days. As a result, it is common to log pollution incidents after it has had an impact on the community and environment.

Continuous monitoring of waste-water systems occurs in other industries (such as semi-conductor manufacturing), to monitor trace metals. These sensors and technologies could be used in potable water and waste-water supplies for similar monitoring. Not only this, but waste-water plants which closely monitor their processes can also increase their power efficiency. Pumps and blowers, for example, can be run at higher power levels only when they are required, based off monitoring measurements.

The introduction of sensors into these industries can lead to increases in efficiency for the plants, reduction in pollution from contaminants or waste materials, and more. The plight of COVID has highlighted this is a market which can benefit from the collaboration between technology companies and water and waste-water providers.

APHIS seeks comments on RFID use for interstate movement

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking public comment on a proposal for APHIS to approve only radio frequency identification (RFID) as the official ear tag for use in interstate movement of cattle that are required to be identified by the traceability regulations.

Regulations allow APHIS to approve tags that can be used as official identification, and both metal and RFID tags are current options.

Apple is working on QR Code payments for Apple Pay

References found in the iOS 14 code reveal that Apple is working on a new method for letting users make payments with Apple Pay by scanning a QR Code or traditional barcode with the iPhone camera. Users will point the iPhone camera at a QR Code or traditional barcode to pay bills and other things with a card registered with Apple Pay. The opposite would also work, with users holding the iPhone in front of a scanner with a QR Code generated by the Wallet app.

Ecobee Contact Motion Sensor

The Ecobee Smart Sensor is the first Homekit compatible device that combines motion and contact sensor into a single device. The Smart Sensor is a 915 Mhz range device which means that you should get good connectivity over a wide area to the required Ecobee Smart Camera or Ecobee Thermostat. Currently, the Smart Sensor is exposed to Apple HomeKit only if the Smart Sensor is paired with the Ecobee Thermostat, but this feature should also be available in the future via a firmware update to the Ecobee Smart Camera.

Touchless Shopping at Denver Zoo

Denver Zoo’s reopening strategy focused on ensuring that all food and retail experiences were safe, smart, innovative and powered by technology. Guests can access mobile ordering and shopping through the Denver Zoo mobile app or by scanning QR codes that are displayed throughout the Zoo. This service is available at all four restaurants as well as the gift shop.

Ordering starts with the scan of a QR code to allow customers to quickly access online stores and menus. Items are selected and paid for through an online system and the customer receives a text message notification when their order is ready for pick up. Items are picked up in a designated, isolated location with limited human contact.

City elevators to be fitted with QR codes

All 270,000 elevators in use in Shanghai will have a QR code by the end of September, allowing riders to alert authorities and maintenance workers when they are trapped. By scanning the Shanghai smart elevator code, they can access basic information about the elevator such as its location to report problems. It is expected that about 50,000 elevators in the city will have the code by mid-July, with all covered by the end of September.

Korea deploys QR-code system nationwide

South Korea is adding yet more high technology to its anti-virus arsenal as it continues the national battle against Covid-19. A QR code-based entry log system was made mandatory at some 80,000 facilities nationwide, and the country is considering using a similar system for baseball stadia.

The country has, over the last two months, seen clusters arise in nightclubs, call centers, distribution centers, churches, cram schools, a dance club and a table tennis club. 

The Frauscher Wheel Sensor RSR110

Inductive wheel sensors are now being used in many railway markets around the world as a basis for axle counters. One such an example is the Frauscher Wheel Sensor RSR110 which, due to its open, analogue interface, can be easily and quickly integrated into any infrastructure. The sensor is available in two system variants: the RSR110d contains two sensor systems, the RSR110s has one sensor system. Very individual systems can therefore be set up with the RSR110 which are supplied by the wheel sensor with precise measurement data.

Shift4 Payments Launches QR Pay

Shift4 Payments introduced a new, contactless payment technology called QR Pay. The technology allows consumers to pay their bill at restaurants, retail stores and hotels by simply scanning a QR code on the receipt or payment terminal and completing the transaction on their phone. There is no additional charge for Shift4 clients to implement QR Pay at their business.

This solution is fully integrated with a number of leading point-of-sale (POS) and property management systems (PMS) to provide a seamless checkout experience. QR Pay will also add support for loyalty functionality and full ordering capabilities in upcoming software updates.(see above).

LiDAR Sensors to Strengthen Smart City Monitoring

Velodyne signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Outsight, which offers solutions of Smart Cities monitoring. Outsight uses Velodyne Lidar sensing technology in its 3D Semantic Camera system that helps businesses and governments improve the analysis and management of people flow and assets in large crowded environments. LiDAR sensors enable 3D capture and tracking of people and objects while maintaining anonymity.

WhatsApp officially announces QR codes

WhatsApp announced a slew of new features that are set to roll out over the next few weeks. The most notable addition is likely the ability to add contacts via a simple QR code, similar to the feature Snapchat introduced many moons ago.

Michigan Makes Worker Microchips Voluntary

The Michigan House recently passed the Microchip Protection Act with bipartisan support. The plan, sponsored by Rep. Bronna Kahle, will protect the privacy rights of Michigan workers and promote further growth for job providers as it relates to microchipping – a cutting-edge technology on the rise across the country that increases workplace efficiency.

Radio-frequency identification tags, commonly referred to as microchips, are beginning to seep into the marketplace as new technological devices to help streamline everyday business practices. The chips, roughly the size of a grain of rice, are implanted into the hands of employees and act as a replacement for I.D. badges, timecards, usernames and passwords for security clearance, and even credit cards.

While there are only a few known U.S.-based companies embedding microchips in its employees, several job providers could be following suit soon – including businesses in Michigan.

“Despite this type of technology not quite making its way into our state yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a standard business practice statewide within the next few years,” Kahle said. “We should absolutely take every step possible to get ahead of these devices.”

Under Kahle’s plan, Michigan employers would be able utilize microchipping, but could not mandate employees to have such devices implanted. Kahle said the measure strikes a good balance between protecting workers’ rights and providing businesses with flexibility to increase efficiency and further grow.

Yes, tires may have RFID chips

RFID chips are actually placed in some tires. But not so that government can track you, as is suggested on the internet. Major tire producers are investigating new technologies to support their internal production processes and to gather more data per process step for individual tires.

Goodyear began exploring RFID technology as far back as 1984 and was putting it in tires around 1993. Michelin, meanwhile, is adding RFID chips into their tires for easier tracking and inventory purposes and are working to develop sensors that can provide a wealth of data on the tires as they are out on the road.

Greek airport using barcode to target passengers for testing

Travellers to Greece will now receive barcodes after filling out a Passenger Locator Form. An algorithm will calculate the travellers most at risk of spreading a coronavirus infection. The algorithm will use the barcode to identify passengers on international flights which need to be tested based on the information provided on the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) 48-hours prior to their departure.

Administration launches QR code for employment in Hoshiarpur

Hoshiarpur has become the first district in the state of Punjab to issue QR Code for employment. All employers, from small shopkeepers to big entrepreneurs, will be able to provide the demand of the employees required, by scanning the QR Code just from their mobile. The employers would be provided QR Code stickers and by instructed the departments concerned to ensure the smooth distribution of stickers.

Amazon is ending support for the Dash Wand barcode scanner

Amazon is ending support for its Dash Wand, an Alexa-enabled device that let shoppers scan grocery barcodes and order household essentials from their homes. The devices will no longer be supported as of July 21st. Shoppers can still use other Alexa-enabled devices to add items to a shopping list, the company noted.