QR code system launched for contact tracing in Melbourne

Melburnians are set to return to offices today as the Victorian Government launches its new contact tracing app that will provide a universal QR code check-in for businesses.

From today, 25 per cent of non-essential workers will be permitted to go back to the office under one of the final steps in creating a COVID-normal across the city.

The Victorian Government's newly launched QR Code Service can be used by businesses and venues to keep records of visitors, however a number of workplaces have already set up their own system.

Stocard rolls out mobile payments service in four more European countries

European mobile loyalty wallet provider Stocard has expanded its Stocard Pay service to users in Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, enabling them to make in-store NFC payments in addition to using the wallet to access loyalty cards and redeem rewards.

Stocard Pay is built on Dejamobile’s Ready To Tap Payment technology and enables Android users to upload and use a digital Stocard payment card from within their mobile wallet. The service launched first in the UK in June 2020.

Global IoT Connected Machines SaaS Innovator, Elevāt, Raises $9.5 Million

Elevāt announced a D4 Investments-led seed financing round of approximately $9.5 million, including the conversion of convertible Note investments, to grow and expand its sensor-driven, cloud-connected, AI-enabled SaaS platform for machinery of all kinds.

Members of the Keiretsu Forum and Emles Venture Partners are among the organizations joining the seed financing round.

"Elevāt helps equipment manufacturers, owners and users increase control, decrease costs and extend the useful life of their machines," said William Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Elevāt. "This seed round will help us boost sales and marketing to further drive our growth in North America, the European Union, the Middle East and beyond. Along with the success Elevāt has seen in providing IoT cloud-based services for heavy equipment manufacturers, opportunities have arisen with mobile equipment, in plant maintenance, as well as agriculture and the oil and gas industries," says Hill.

USI to add NFC to active styluses

The Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) is to work with the NFC Forum to enable rechargeable styluses to be wirelessly charged with a smartphone, mobile computing device or other NFC-enabled device.

The two organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding with a view to  making it possible for USI members to integrate the NFC Forum’s NFC Wireless Charging Specification (WLC) into their devices.

“The integration of WLC will allow rechargeable USI styluses to be wirelessly charged with a smartphone, mobile computing device or other NFC charging device at a power transfer rate of up to one watt,” the NFC Forum says.

IDEC Corp. introduced the KW2D series of smart radio frequency identification (RFID) readers.

DEC Corp. has introduced the KW2D series of smart radio frequency identification (RFID) readers. These intelligent RFID readers are designed for easy installation into the typical 22mm panel-mount holes used with machinery, are readily integrated with automation systems, and enable OEMs and end users to apply advanced authentication and authorization measures.

The IDEC KW2D series RFID readers maintain IP65/67 water-, dust-, and oil-proof ratings, and feature push-in power supply terminals. A built-in Ethernet port facilitates connectivity to host devices like PLCs and HMIs using Modbus TCP.

Collaboration Aims To Wirelessly Charge Active Styluses Using Mobile Devices

The NFC Forum and the Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding today that points out a collaboration plan to allow USI members to integrate the NFC Forum’s Near Field Communications (NFC) Wireless Charging Specification (WLC) in their products and to verify standards compliance by utilizing the NFC Forum Certification Program.

The integration of WLC will allow rechargeable USI styluses to be wirelessly charged with a smartphone, mobile computing device or other NFC charging device at a power transfer rate of up to one watt.   

The WLC enables a single antenna in an NFC-enabled device to manage both communications and charging. This solution makes it easier and more convenient to charge low-power IoT devices such as smart watches, fitness trackers, wireless earbuds, and other consumer devices like active styluses. The NFC communication technology also allows for setup and configuration of the active stylus while it is being charged.

CVS now accepts QR code payments from PayPal and Venmo

CVS is following up on its promise to take pharmacy payments through PayPal and Venmo. Visit 8,200 CVS locations and you can display a QR code in the PayPal or Venmo apps to pay using credit cards (including Venmo’s), debit cards, PayPal Credit, bank accounts or existing balances. 

The partnership, which was first announced in July, makes CVS Pharmacy the first national retailer to integrate PayPal and Venmo QR code technology in its point-of-sale experience at all standalone locations across the country. The touch-free experience will be available to existing PayPal and Venmo customers, while new customers can sign up and link their preferred payment method usually within minutes.

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NFC Proves Authenticity of Collectibles

Collectors Universe, located in Santa Ana, California, provides third-party grading and authentication services to collectors, as well as retail buyers and sellers of collectibles.

The company adopted a solution utilizing Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID technology and cloud-based authentication services to prove that collectible experts' certification, as well as the clear, tamper-evident holder in which each item is sealed, is the real thing.  

The technology is intended not only to prove that the company's grading service and the collectible are both authentic, but also to make this information accessible via the tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone.

Global IoT device connections to reach 11.7 billion in 2020

IoT Analytics, a provider of market insights and competitive intelligence for the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0, projects that there will be 11.7 billion connected IoT devices by the end of 2020.

Commenting on the rapid increase in IoT device connections, Knud Lasse Lueth, CEO at IoT Analytics explains, “IoT innovations will from now on dominate the connected device landscape. Despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the market for Internet of Things continues to grow. In 2020, for the first time, there are more connected IoT devices such as connected cars or smart home devices than there are non-IoT devices such as smartphones or laptops.  Of the 21.7 billion active connected devices worldwide, 11.7 billion, or 54%, will be IoT devices at the end of 2020.”

Active cellular IoT connections (based on the 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, or licensed LPWA standard) have grown 46% in the last 5 years and are continuing to enjoy strong momentum.

Low-power wide area network technologies (LPWA) are currently the fastest growing IoT connectivity technology. In 2015 there were roughly 10 million global connections, in 2020 there are now 423 million. 

7 in 10 Swedish consumers are interested in having a biometric payment card

Some 70% of Swedish consumers would be interested in having a biometric payment card so they can make high-value transactions without having to touch a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a new survey reveals.

Of the 59% who said they would be willing to pay an extra monthly fee for a biometric payment card, 47% would be willing to pay SEK10-50 (US$1.16-5.79) and 12% would be willing to pay SEK51-99 (US$5.91-11.47).

Global smart ticketing market expected to reach USD 22.72 billion by 2025

The global smart ticketing market, valued at USD 11.12 billion in 2019, is expected to reach USD 22.72 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 12.9%, during the period of 2019-2025.  

Smart ticket, as a substitute to the traditional paper-based ticketing, gained traction in recent times, owing to the emphasis on the digitization of ticketing processes.

Smart tickets can save a passenger's time, by eliminating the need to wait in line to buy a ticket. Covering both smartcards and apps on mobile phones, the technology evolved significantly and emerged as a better alternative to paper tickets.

Regional governments are even reaching new milestones in terms of the usage of smart tickets. For instance, according to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), a British rail industry membership body, more train journeys were made with smart tickets, with the number reaching 65 million. Compared to a four-week period from August to September 2019, with the same period in 2018, about 8.4 million more journeys were made with a smart ticket. The RDG data also reveals that passengers chose smart tickets for 50% of all journeys, which significantly increased from 37% a year ago.

QR codes mandatory across NSW from today

From today all venues across NSW (Australia) must have a system of digital registration as per new rules imposed by the State Government.

Venues, including cafes, bars, hairdressers and nail salons, will no longer be able to use pen and paper to sign people in.

The NSW Government says QR (quick response) codes will further protect patrons and staff from COVID-19.

Chinese President proposes global QR code system to help free up travel

Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed using a global QR code system to enable cross-border movement of people amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Addressing the virtual G20 summit on Saturday night, Xi said a global mechanism involving mutual recognition of health certificates, including nucleic acid test results in the form of QR codes, could be used to enable cross-border travel.

Mobile phone QR codes to prove health status and travel records have been mandatory since February.

3D image sensor using lasers for height measurements in semiconductor uses introduced by Teledyne Imaging

Teledyne Imaging, a Teledyne Technologies company in Bromont, Quebec, is introducing the Z-Trak2 3D image sensor for in-line height measurements for inspection, detection, identification, and guidance in electronics, semiconductor, automotive, and factory automation applications.

Z-Trak2 is a 5-Gigabit Ethernet 3D profile sensor that delivers scan speeds as fast as 45,000 profiles per second and features built-in HDR and reflection compensation algorithms to handle surfaces with varying degrees of reflectivity in one scan for precision in semiconductor manufacturing.

System brings deep learning to IoT

MIT researchers have developed a system that could bring deep learning neural networks to new — and much smaller — places, like the tiny computer chips in wearable medical devices, household appliances, and the 250 billion other objects that constitute the “internet of things” (IoT).

The system, MCUNet, designs compact neural networks that deliver unprecedented speed and accuracy for deep learning on IoT devices, despite limited memory and processing power. The technology could facilitate the expansion of the IoT universe while saving energy and improving data security.

The research will be presented at next month’s Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems. The lead author is Ji Lin, a PhD student in Song Han’s lab in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Co-authors include Han and Yujun Lin of MIT, Wei-Ming Chen of MIT and National University Taiwan, and John Cohn and Chuang Gan of the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab.

Global Public Transport Smart Cards Market to Reach $91.2 Billion by 2027

The Public Transport Smart Cards market in the U.S. is estimated at US$18.7 Billion in the year 2020. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$16.2 Billion by the year 2027 trailing a CAGR of 5.1% over the analysis period 2020 to 2027.

In the global Other Interfaces segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 4.7% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$2.9 Billion in the year 2020 will reach a projected size of US$4 Billion by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets.

Led by countries such as Australia, India, and South Korea, the market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to reach US$10.2 Billion by the year 2027.We bring years of research experience to this 7th edition of our report.

Ring's Mailbox Sensor monitors your mail

Ring's Mailbox Sensor is a palm-sized plastic sensor, available in black or white, that attaches to the inside of your mailbox door.

Once configured in the Ring app, it's supposed to send real-time alerts every time the mailbox is opened. Adhesive and mounting hardware are included in the box, so you can decide how you want to install it, and you'll need three AAA batteries to power it (not included).

Scientists Eradicate Invasive Hornet Nest Using RF Transmission

Scientists have been attempting to locate and eradicate destructive Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia) since several were spotted in North America last year.

A group of entomologists from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) zeroed in on their invasive target in a tree cavity in late October, using wireless RF technology.

By tagging multiple hornets, they were able to utilize a handheld RF reader to locate the nest and eradicate hundreds of hornets and 76 queens.

More than 500m iPhone users have now activated Apple Pay

The number of iPhone users globally that have activated Apple Pay has grown by 66m over the past year, from 441m in September 2019 to 507m in September 2020, according to a study published by Loup Ventures.

The increase means that 51% of iPhone users have now activated Apple Pay, up from 48% last year.

The figures are based on an estimated 9% growth in the number of active iPhones from 915m to 1bn in the 12 months to September 2020.

Feig Introduces RFID Interface for Machines, Self-service Terminals

ID CPR46.10 is a new robust RFID Card Reader, which can be flush mounted into machines, self-service kiosks and terminals made of metal.
 
The automatic power management (the reader can be woken up either by card or by the host) and the low standby power consumption of the chip card reader make the CPR46.10 the first choice for solar or battery-operated machines and terminals.
 
The data traffic between reader and host can be encrypted according to AES256.

Nottingham begins rollout of multi-operator contactless ticketing system

Nottingham City Transport (NCT) has become the first transportation operator in the UK city to roll out a multi-operator ticketing system that lets passengers use open-loop debit and credit cards and NFC mobile phones to pay for fares across multiple transportation operators.

The system automatically calculates the best fare for a customer based on their journeys each day, with customers travelling around Nottingham guaranteed never to pay more than the NCT all-day-ticket price. When leaving the bus, there’s no need to tap off, either.

Community bus service CT4N is set to go live on the platform later this year. The Nottingham Express Transit tram network will then follow in early 2021.

Real-Time Location System Market to Reach $23.13 Bn, Globally, by 2026

According to a new report, the global real-time location system industry was estimated at $2.83 billion in 2018, and is expected to hit $23.13 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 30.2% from 2019 to 2026.

Rise in need for asset tracking, increase in use of smartphones, diverse utility across applications, and surge in adoption of business analytics solutions drive the growth of the global real-time location system market. On the other hand, high initial costs and several operational challenges impede the growth to some extent.

However, technological advancements and blend of technologies by key vendors to offer effective RTLS applications are anticipated to usher a number of opportunities, in the near future.

The hardware segment contributed to around two-fifths of the global real-time location system market share in 2018, and is expected to rule the roost by the end of 2026.

Abundant availability of affordably priced sensors, growth in awareness regarding benefits of RTLS technology, increase in adoption of Wi-Fi across various end user industries, deployment of existing RTLS across a number of industries are expected to boost the growth of this segment.

The service segment, on the other hand, would grow at the fastest CAGR of 31.3% throughout the forecast period. Increase in adoption of RTLS hardware and platforms is expected to boost the demand for these services.

Saudi Arabia reports ‘phenomenal’ increase in NFC mobile payments

NFC mobile payments accounted for 25% of overall POS transaction volumes in Saudi Arabia in September, Saudi Payments reports.

Overall, consumers in Saudi Arabia made more than 266m contactless payments, worth a total of SAR27.5bn (US$7.32bn).

The number of mada contactless payments cards in circulation in the country has also now topped 22m, the Saudi national payment infrastructure operator adds.

New technology could help employees social distance

PointGrab, an Israeli-based company, had been developing a prototype sensor to help workspace managers optimize how employees utilize office space prior to the pandemic.

Now, this sensor may emerge as a useful tool in helping employees maintain a safe distance away from each other in the workplace. The sensors, similar in design to a smoke detector, are able to detect and report the quantity and location of people in venues like offices, restaurants and hotels.

Managers can select how to program the sensors to issue alerts when people are closer than about 6 feet apart from each other.

TRUMPF and SICK partner to develop industrial quantum sensor

Q.ANT, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of TRUMPF, and sensor specialist SICK will work together on the development of quantum optical sensors for industrial use. The collaboration began with a successful functional test of the quantum optical sensor for serial production.

Quantum technology enables, for example, ultrafast measurements of the movement and size distribution of particles.

Quantum sensors could in future become everyday equipment in various industries. For example, they could be used in civil engineering to visualize underground structures before construction work begins; in the pharmaceutical industry, they could make it easier to determine the best composition of tablet powder; in the electronics sector, circuits could be inspected through surfaces; and highly accurate measurements could be made in industry in general.

Japanese café uses Apple’s new NFC App Clips to let customers order and pay with their mobile phone

Customers at the Kitasando Coffee shop in Tokyo can now tap an NFC tag with their iPhone to launch the company’s App Clip, place their order and then use Apple Pay to pay for their food and drink.

The cash-free Kitasando Coffee outlet is one of the first merchants in Japan to introduce a ‘point and pay’ option using Apple’s new NFC-enabled App Clips service.

Samsung Knox could use cell phone camera to scan barcode in future

Launched in 2013, the Samsung Knox security platform is used to provide multiple layers of protection for the brand’s smartphones, tablets and wearables.

But now a new patent filed in Europe shows that the tool could gain new features. According to the document, Samsung’s security system will be able to perform barcode scanning.

With a brand named Samsung Knox Capture, the function is described, among other things, as 'software for a logistics management system using barcode information via camera capture; image data capture devices; and software for tracking goods in transit'.

DNA-based molecular tagging system could take the place of printed barcodes

Porcupine is a new molecular tagging system introduced by University of Washington and Microsoft researchers.

These tags can be programmed and read within seconds using a portable nanopore device.

In a new paper published Nov. 3 in Nature Communications, the team describes how dehydrated strands of synthetic DNA can take the place of bulky plastic or printed barcodes.

"Molecular tagging is not a new idea, but existing methods are still complicated and require access to a lab, which rules out many real-world scenarios," said lead author Kathryn Doroschak, a UW doctoral student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering.

qReveal Launches Affordable QR Code Menu and Price List Solution

Responding to the challenging scene of a myriad of health and safety protocols facing restaurants and other businesses, a Chicago startup has launched a platform that builds easy to use QR code menus and price lists that customers access and view on their personal devices.

The platform, qReveal, is accepting sign ups its website www.qreveal.com.

Once these digital menus or price lists are ready, owners print free QR codes and customers simply point their smart device's camera at it to open the currently available menus or price lists.

qReveal does not charge setup fees and the monthly fees are affordable for all sizes of businesses. There is also no charge for making edits or changes.

Best in Sensors Awards 2020 finalists announced

With the explosive rise in IoT and connected devices, as well as the push forward in artificial intelligence, autonomous technologies, and edge computing there is an increasing need for sensors of all types with more capabilities, greater range and performance, and lower cost.

This year’s lineup of finalists for the Best of Sensors: Most Innovative Products showcases the impressive advancements in sensors technology across a diversity of applications.

This year’s awards competition consists of 11 categories for Most Innovative Product, with new categories for COVID-19 technologies and AI added in 2020. Entries were judged on the basis:

Below is the complete list of finalists. Winners will be announced at the Best of Sensors Awards ceremony on November 16, 2020 during the digital event Sensors Innovation Week.

AI/Machine Learning                                                             

Maxim Integrated - MAX78000 Neural Network Accelerator Chip                                                          

On Semiconductor - AR0234CS Vision Sensor                                                       

Automotive/Autonomous     

Wells Vehicle Electronics - Rotary Position Sensor                  

Algolux - Eos Embedded Perception Software                                                 

COVID-19 Technologies                                                                     

TDK InvenSense -    Ultrasonic Social Distancing Reference Design Dev Kit                                                      

Infineon Technologies Americas Corp. - XENSIVTM PAS CO2 Environmental Sensor                                                  

Data Acquisition & Analytics                                                             

IFOS Inc.   -   I*Sense distributed fiber-optic sensing interrogators                                                   

TDK InvenSense - SmartBug   compact, wireless multi-sensor solution                                                     

Industrial IoT                                                              

SK Murphy -        ACCEL Model 40 Nanoacc accelerometer   

LG Uplus          Underground antenna and Excavation sensing device                                                       

Industrial                                                                    

Texas Instruments - TMCS1100 and TMCS1101 zero-drift Hall-effect current sensors                                                    

STMicroelectronics - ISM330DHCX Inertial module with machine learning core & finite state machine for industrial applications                                                   

IoT                                                                  

TDK InvenSense - TDK ICS‐40800 directional MEMS microphone                                               

PIera Systems - Piera-1 Photon counting intelligent particle sensor for accurate air quality monitoring                                                         

Medical                                                                      

Fujitsu Components America- 24GHz Doppler Radar sensor module                                                         

Sensirion - Mass flow meter SFM3019                                                   

ams AG  -  AS7038RB vital sign sensor                                                   

MEMS                                                            

Menlo Micro - The Ideal Switch                                                        

Infineon Technologies Americas Corp. - XENSIVTM PAS CO2 environmental sensor                                                  

Mobile Devices                                                                      

SWIR Vision Systems Inc. - Acuros CQD SWIR (short wave IR) sensor                                                      

ams AG - TMD3719 ALS/Color, Proximity and Flicker Sensor                                                  

Wearables                                                                  

Shimmer Research Ltd - Verisense wearable sensing platform                                                     

TracPatch - TracPatch Spine surface sensor system   

Toll exec Philippines appeals for calm amid panic buying for RFID tags

Motorists in the Philippines, especially those who do not frequently use expressways, should not panic about buying radio frequency identification (RFID) tags needed to enter tollways as these stickers would not run out, a tollway official said.

According to Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) chief communications officer Romulo Quimbo, there is no difference to acquiring the Easytrip RFID tags now and on a later date if you do not intend to travel along the expressways, as the system is here to stay.

Global Proximity Mobile Payments Market to Reach $1.5 Trillion by 2027

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Proximity Mobile Payments estimated at US$121.9 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$1.5 Trillion by 2027, growing at aCAGR of 42.9% over the period 2020-2027.

Near Field Communication (NFC), one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record 45.7% CAGR and reach US$1.3 Trillion by the end of the analysis period.
After an early analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Barcode Payments segment is readjusted to a revised 27.2% CAGR for the next 7-year period.

The Proximity Mobile Payments market in the U.S. is estimated at US$37 Billion in the year 2020. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$231.6 Billion by the year 2027 trailing a CAGR of 40.2% over the analysis period 2020 to 2027. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 39.3% and 36% respectively over the 2020-2027 period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 28.7% CAGR.We bring years of research experience to this 8th edition of our report. The 109-page report presents concise insights into how the pandemic has impacted production and the buy side for 2020 and 2021. A short-term phased recovery by key geography is also addressed.

USDA moves toward all-RFID system for officially identifying cattle

 

The USDA has reopened the debate in the cattle industry on radio-frequency tags with a new proposal that has the stated goal of increasing overall traceability in case of disease outbreaks in cattle, according to the Wisconsin State Farmer.

The USDA asked the industry to weigh in with comments on its plan to make low-frequency identification tags, commonly known as RFID tags, the only official tags for use in interstate movement of cattle within a few years.

Under its current timeline, the agency wants to require RFID tags for beef cattle, dairy cattle and bison moving interstate by January 1, 2023.

Barcode Scanner market will register an incremental spend of about USD 1 billion

SpendEdge has announced the release of its Global Barcode Scanner Market Procurement Intelligence Report.

The Barcode Scanner market will register an incremental spend of about USD 1 billion, growing at a CAGR of 3.71% during the five-year forecast period.

A targeted strategic approach to Barcode Scanner sourcing can unlock several opportunities for buyers, according to the report.

American Airlines pilots mobile digital identity system

Passengers flying with American Airlines from Dallas Fort Worth International and Reagan Washington National airports in the USA are testing a touchless mobile identity system that allows them to verify their identity with their face at the check-in desk.

Passengers need to create a mobile ID on either their Apple or Android device via the Airside digital identity app by uploading their passport or driving licence, adding a photo of themselves and giving consent for their mobile ID to be shared and used on the day of travel.

SimplyRFID Partners With Surgio Health to Automate Hospital Sterile Processing Department

SimplyRFID, a software and hardware development company that makes radio-frequency ID tracking systems, has partnered with Surgio Health to automate the hospital sterile processing department (SPD). With hospitals needing to keep track of medical tray location, delivery, and sterilization, SimplyRFID's technology efficiently solves all of these problems.

Surgio Track, powered by SimplyRFID's technology, tracks assets to add an automated layer of monitoring and location tracking. The system includes alarms to both identify equipment that misses customizable critical processing milestones and prevent assets from passing through thresholds without proper sterilization. Surgio Track's quick asset locating doesn't require human input and provides data to promote workflow efficiency over time.

Without RFID tracking, hospitals can experience a multitude of challenges related to sterile processing, including staff members not adhering or not having enough time to follow manual processes and the inability to properly track tray movement data. With SimplyRFID, SPD managers, surgeons, and other members of clinical staff can utilize automated asset tracking and the external alarm system to quickly locate necessary equipment and reduce human error.

Wireless RFID Readers Market to Surge at a Robust Pace in Terms of Revenue over 2017-2026

According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Wireless RFID Readers Market is accounted for $13.15 million in 2017 and is expected to reach $46.62 million by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 15.1%. Increasing retail industry and growing government support are the factors driving the global wireless RFID readers market.

However, increasing concerns about security and privacy is expected to hinder the growth of the global wireless RFID readers market.

The RFID reader is a device which uses a radio frequency to transfer data to the RFID label without using wires in order to categorize, identify, and track assets. The wireless RFID device is utilized to make a connection with RFID tags, this reader contains antennas which is able to emit and receive a signal from label.

Based on the operating system segment, the android segment is expected to account for the largest growth in the global wireless RFID readers market. Increasing usage of smart mobiles coupled with Android operating systems, low costs, and more compatibility are some factors expected to drive revenue growth of the Android operating system segment.

By geography, North America is projected to hold the largest share in the wireless RFID readers market. Growing adoption and permeation of wireless RFID readers and  Increasing application of  RFID s in various industries in this region.

Xiaomi lets customers use NFC tags to control their smart home devices

A global ABI Research study found 45% of consumers in nine countries use contactless payment with more than two-thirds of customers having two or more cards stored in their digital wallet.

The United Kingdom led survey countries with 20% of respondents reporting they use the technology daily. The study timeframe was at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing industry research reports surging use of contactless technology as part of the global health crisis.

The survey also reported that user experience with NFC was very positive and most respondents were equally positive about security. The vast majority of respondents (88%) reported a consistently positive user experience with NFC contactless technologies and 70% were confident with the security contactless cards/mobile wallets provide.

The goal of the survey was to provide a greater understanding of consumer adoption, familiarity, and experiences with NFC at both a global and regional level. NFC is a short-range technology that is a standard feature on the approximately 2.5 billion smartphones in use today — or 20% of the world’s population.

Victoria building own QR code check-in system for venues

The Victorian (Australia) government is developing a specific QR code check-in system that hospitality and retails stores will be asked to use so data can be easily linked to the state’s new contact tracing system to quickly track Covid cases.

Melbourne came out of lockdown last week and restaurants, bars, cafes and shops were allowed to open for the first time in nearly four months. However, venues are expected to keep a record of who has visited, and when, so contact tracers can find people who were there at the same time as someone later discovered to have been infectious.

Sensors driven by machine learning sniff-out gas leaks fast

A new study confirms the success of a natural-gas leak-detection tool pioneered by Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists that uses sensors and machine learning to locate leak points at oil and gas fields, promising new automatic, affordable sampling across vast natural gas infrastructure.

The automated leak location system finds gas leaks fast, including small ones from failing infrastructure, and lowers cost as current methods to fix gas leaks are labor intensive, expensive and slow, said Manvendra Dubey, the lead Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist and coauthor of the new study.

NXP Powers New Xiaomi PonPon Tile 2.0 Stickers

NXP Semiconductors and Xiaomi Inc. announced the companies are making everyday life smarter and easier to manage with the new Xiaomi PonPon Tile 2.0 stickers, powered by NXP’s NTAG NFC chip technology.

The PonPon stickers and Xiaomi’s Mijia (Mi Home) app work with a multitude of Xiaomi Mi smart home devices, such as lighting, security cameras, alarm clocks and entertainment systems. Configuring and managing the devices is all done with a simple tap of a Xiaomi NFC-enabled smartphone.

To set up smart home devices, users configure tasks using Xiaomi’s PonPon Tile 2.0 stickers and the Mijia (Mi Home) mobile app, which in turn links to the Xiaomi IoT platform to interpret commands and transfer instructions to the devices. PonPon Tile 2.0 stickers support quick configuration of single and multiple tasks, along with easy Wi-Fi and Bluetooth pairing for smart nodes. The Mijia (Mi Home) app is user-friendly and easy to navigate for creating and saving numerous commands across device categories. Users simply tap their Xiaomi phone that is running the Mijia (Mi Home) app to trigger, configure and modify various actions in their smart home. After placing the stickers in multiple convenient locations throughout the home, users tap to access their custom settings.

Schreiner MediPharm equips Cap-Lock label with RFID

Schreiner MediPharm, a Germany-based global provider of innovative functional label solutions for the healthcare industry, has enhanced its tamper-evident specialty label, Cap-Lock, with a special RFID inlay.

In medication management, data stored on the RFID-Labels—such as product name, manufacturer, batch number and expiration date—is read automatically either individually or in bulk using simple handheld or specialty readers, and matched with a database.

This enables exact tracking of inventories and provides transparency regarding medicines that are missing or approaching their expiration date. This helps protect patients against potential medication errors.

RFID in Healthcare Market Size to Reach US$ 12 Bn by 2027

The global RFID in Healthcare market size is expected to reach around US$ 12 billion by 2027 and predicted to grow at a CAGR of 21% during forecast period 2020 to 2027.

RFID technology is viewed as the next revolution in healthcare sector and signifies numerous prospects for improved safety, cost savings and operational effectiveness by means of tagging assets, inventory, personnel, and patients.

The application of RFID presents many paybacks to the healthcare sector linked to patient tracking, safety, proficiencies in patient care, and satisfaction. As the cost of RFID technology is presenting a continual downfall, its requirement has been widely growing in both government and private hospitals.

technology in healthcare sector is anticipated to observe a remarkable growth in during years to come. Improvement of inventory management system within hospitals, pharmacies, and biotechnology firms and augmented focus for patient safety are together driving market growth. Further, high efficiency of the RFID systems, intensifying population of cancer patients, and implementation of automated process in pharmacies and hospitals are likely to offer push to the market demand during near future. RFID technology gives rise to improved communication, adequate patient monitoring, patient identification, along with patient tracking. This aids in lessening medication errors and uplift safety.

Consequently, the rising requirement for patient monitoring and directives to lift safety subsidize to market growth. Further, progress of the market is bolstered by the cumulative implementation of RFID in manufacturing units for productivity enhancement, and augmented applications of access control application are accelerating demand. Also snowballing government initiatives, high implementation of RFID technology in retail sector and expansion in the RFID ecosystem over organic growth strategies like partnerships and mergers are flourishing market demand.

However, issues in the development of the healthcare RFID market are great installation cost of RFID systems in healthcare and systems interoperability. RFID acceptance in any industry needs huge investment for readers, tags, software, electricity and running replacement services. Further additional features like IoT integration, accuracy checking of system, and training charges increases expenses for RFID solution.