Telegram Beta gets QR codes for joining groups

TestingCatalog took an extensive look at the latest Telegram Beta, version 7.5, and found quite a few forthcoming changes: The update introduces widgets, QR codes for joining groups, and options for reporting content.

It is now possible to invite users via a QR code, which could make it easier to get members on board when you meet people face-by-face.  

The Telegram Beta isn't available on the Play Store or App Store, so you'll either have to wait or install the separate APK from Telegram's repository on Microsoft App Center.

Global Transit NFC Mobile Ticketing Report 2021: $1.7 Billion Market

New research estimates that the market size of mobile ticketing for public transport will increase from USD350 million in 2018 to over USD1.7 billion in 2025.

With the spotlight on contactless payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the size of mobile ticketing industry has increased by 40 percent.

Around 60 percent of the cities with plans to deploy mobile ticketing are based in Europe.

In the US, of the total cities with plans to deploy NFC-based mobile ticketing, over 80 percent will deploy the solution for the first time.
Digital wallets account for 50 percent of the share in NFC-based mobile ticketing.

Worldwide Industry for Wearable Payments Devices to 2026

The global Wearable Payments Devices Market size is expected to reach $42.9 billion by 2026, rising at a market growth of 27.2% CAGR during the forecast period.

The safe and secure payment method offered to the consumers for their purchase of products or services through the advanced integrated technology in their wearable devices is referred as Wearable payments.

This method provides vendors and retailers to go with a more secure and error-free payment method and hence, also known as tap-and-go payment method by many retailers and organizations. Moreover, several banks and financial institutions are offering wearable payment options for widening their customer base around the world while delivering better convenience in outdoor shopping. Additionally, the adoption of contactless payments and wearable payments has increased globally during recent years, owing to the increasing adoption of smartphones and ease in transactions compared to the traditional banking payment methods.

The growth of the market is attributed to the rising demand for Host Card Emulation (HCE) and the increasing adoption of cashless transactions. HCE helps mobile or wearable devices to allow card imitation on NFC-enabled devices without depending on the connection to an authenticated element. Moreover, the rising demand for Wearable Payments Devices is due to their fast payment feature, which is estimated to boost the market growth during the forecast period.

There are many e-banking platforms that are adopting Wearable Payments Devices. These e-banking platforms are aiming to integrate the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology into their transaction operations that facilitate smooth payments. Moreover, the reducing costs for implementing NFC technology are propelling the demand for the technology. This technology is broadly used in businesses to transfer data from their devices to several contactless payment terminals like NFC tags and smartphones.

RFID Market worth $17.4 billion by 2026

The global RFID Market will grow to USD 17.4 billion by 2026 (forecast year) from USD 10.7 billion in 2021 (estimated year), at a CAGR of 10.2% between 2021 and 2026.

The key drivers fueling the growth of this market include growing market competitiveness leading to availability of cost-effective RFID solutions, high returns on investment, and increasing regulations and government initiatives for various industries. Moreover, increasing installation of RFID systems in manufacturing units to improve productivity due to COVID-19 can play a key role in driving the growth of the RFID market.

The tag segment of the RFID market, by product is projected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. Tags are the most widely used components in the RFID market. These devices are attached to several industrial and commercial assets, including manufacturing equipment and other industrial machinery, industrial materials, products, retail products, inventory, logistic containers, labels on products and groups of products, IV pumps, ECGs, and wheelchairs. The large-scale use of tags and ease of use for tracing any kind of asset is the major reason for the adoption of RFID tags. This could drive the demand for RFID tags in years ahead.

The passive tags segment of RFID tag market, by tag type, is expected to register higher CAGR during forecast period. Passive tags do not require an external power source. These are inexpensive and smaller, and easier to manufacture than active tags. Passive RFID tags have various applications and are commonly used to track goods in pharmaceuticals, retail, supply chain, enterprise, and other industries. Zebra Technologies, Avery Dennison, Alien Technology, Omni-ID, HID Global, Honeywell, and Mozix are some of the leading providers of passive RFID tags. With the increasing penetration of passive tags as RAIN RFID frequency, the market for these tags is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

UHF tags can be classified into 2 types on the basis of frequency range: passive tags and active tags. UHF passive RFID tags offer the longest read range and highest reading speed among all passive tags. These tags have a frequency range of 860–960 MHz. UHF passive tags can be read from an average distance of about 5–6 meters; larger UHF passive tags can read more than 30 meters in ideal conditions. UHF active tags have 2 major operating frequencies: 433 MHz and 2.45 GHz. These tags have the longest read range among all tags, i.e., around 150 meters. These tags are largely used for applications such as asset tracking, asset counting, inventory management, supply chain management, vehicle tagging, and manufacturing equipment and product part tagging. Due to rising adoption of UHF tags in these applications, the market for UHF tags is high and is expected to be the same during the forecast period.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) In Healthcare Market Value Anticipated To Reach US$ 6,435.7 Million By 2027

The Global Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) In Healthcare Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 22.3% from 2020 to 2027 and reach the market value of over US$ 6,435.7 Mn by 2027.

North America is dominating the global radio frequency identification (RFID) in healthcare regional market from the past and will continue its trend in the forecast period. The factors that contribute to regional growth involve the rising number of healthcare service providers coupled with hospitals, improvement in regulatory framework, patient safety on top priority, and tracking medical devices.

On the other hand, Asia Pacific is projected to record a significant CAGR of 23.9% during the forecast period. Large presence of pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, surge in efficient supply chain management.

Additionally, rising healthcare expenditure, improvement in healthcare infrastructure are the prominent factors that have positive influence on the regional market growth. Moreover, the region has large patient pool suffering from chronic and infectious disease condition. Rising burden of diseases is expected to fuel the demand for efficient healthcare related services, impacting positively on the regional growth for APAC.

Researchers develop tiny sensor for measuring subtle pressure changes inside the body

Researchers have developed an extremely sensitive miniaturized optical fiber sensor that could one day be used to measure small pressure changes in the body.

The researchers describe their new optical fiber sensor in The Optical Society (OSA) journal Optics Letters. The sensor, which is based on a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) inscribed into a fiber made from a new polymer called Zeonex, was able to detect pressure changes of just 2 kilopascals.

Many fiber optic sensors are based on FBGs, tiny periodic microstructures that can be inscribed onto a fiber. When pressure rises the fiber stretches slightly, increasing the grating period in a way that changes its refractive index and shifts the light output toward the red end of the spectrum. Similarly, a decrease in pressure produces a blue shift.

Making an FBG sensor from a traditional silica optical fiber is not ideal for medical applications, especially those involving long-term use in the body, because these fibers exhibit a relatively high stiffness and can be brittle. FBGs embedded in silica fibers also have limited sensitivity to small pressure changes because the material does not stretch and contract very easily. Although polymer optical fibers have been developed, they tend to absorb water -- which can affect measurements -- and are not very easy to inscribe with an FBG.

To overcome these hurdles, the researchers turned to the advanced polymer Zeonex. This new material is not only chemically inert and works well in the aqueous environments like those found in the body, but also exhibits a higher light shift in response to a pressure change compared to silica fibers. Although substances called dopants are often used to make materials with different refractive indexes for the inner core and outside cladding of fibers, the researchers simplified the fabrication process by using different grades of Zeonex to make a single-material fiber.

Jolt Launches New Remote Sensor Solution to Protect Restaurants

Jolt, the leading Operations Execution Software for restaurants, retail, and other businesses, recently launched the latest remote sensors solution, which is completely integrated into the Jolt platform.

The new sensors work when placed inside refrigerators and other kitchen equipment throughout the facility. They continuously monitor temperatures around the clock, sending alerts the moment anything goes outside of a preset range.

The sensors aim to help restaurants move away from the pitfalls of paper and into the digital future. Digital sensors help restaurants save money, avoid inventory loss, and automate manual operations while saving time and improving food safety and compliance.

The sensors with LoRa allow for increased sensor range (meaning only one gateway per location in most environments), less power consumption, more secure and reliable reporting, cheaper cost, and easier installation. Leading to an overall better experience and solution for restaurants.

NFC reader IC manufacturer Panthronics seals global partnership agreement with RFID specialist AdvanIDe

Panthronics AG, a fabless semiconductor company specializing in high performance wireless technology, announced today that it has signed a global partnership agreement with AdvanIDe, the world's best-known specialist supplier of NFC, RFID and smart card components.

The deal enables users of Panthronics' high-performance NFC reader ICs and NFC wireless charging controllers to draw on AdvanIDe's deep knowledge of applications such as point-of-sale terminals, contactless payments and access control, and its design-in engineering support.

AdvanIDe will provide a comprehensive engineering support, sales and supply-chain service to OEMs using Panthronics' PTX100R NFC reader IC and PTX100W NFC wireless charging controller. Headquartered in Singapore, AdvanIDe serves customers around the world through its regional sales and engineering offices in China, India, North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa and Russia.

Revolut rolls out QR code-based payments

Fintech challenger bank Revolut has rolled out touch-free QR code-based payments for business customers across Europe.

The services is targeted at business owners - from market stall traders to cafe proprietors - who can access QR codes on their phones using just the Revolut Business app, without needing to purchase any additional devices.

Users need to apply for a Revolut merchant account to access the feature, which generates a QR code which the customer can scan with the camera on their phone.

Central Bank of Iran to introduce NFC mobile payments

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has announced plans to introduce NFC contactless payments in the country, enabling consumers to upload their bank card information to their mobile phone and use their device to make in-store purchases at the point of sale.

Contactless payment would add to the ease of use of electronic banking systems in Iran while it would help cut contagion during the current coronavirus pandemic by reducing the risk of catching the disease, Iranian media outlet Press TV reports.

RFID chip to track missing pet dog in Hyderabad

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) plans to inject radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based chips in dogs and other animals to enable owners locate them in case they are found missing.

The chips would have a reader in which the vaccination and other details of dogs/animals would also be included. The corporation would provide the chips at a nominal cost of Rs 100.

According to GHMC officials, the corporation is receiving numerous dog-missing complaints.

Online shopping necessitates RFID technology

In March 2020, Avery Dennison completed the acquisition of Smartrac Group’s RFID transponder business. The acquisition combined two of major players in the RFID tag field; generally speaking, Avery Dennison is particularly strong in the retail space, while Smartrac has been developing tags for the industrial market in addition to its retail and NFC offerings.

Recently Avery Dennison highlighted its latest advances in RFID and NFC. Amir Khoshniyati, head of NFC business for Avery Dennison Smartrac, notes that consumers are moving toward buying their products online, which plays to the strengths of RFID.

NFC Forum explores the role of NFC in mobility-as-a-service

The NFC Forum has published a paper laying out strategies for the use of NFC technology in the development and deployment of electronic identification (eID) by mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) platforms and multi-modal transportation services.

The Management and Use of Identities in Mobility and Transport market requirements document (MRD) details the benefits that MaaS offers across transportation systems and explains why identity information is 'the link that connects the various modes of transportation and their service operators in order to support MaaS and enable a seamless multi-leg and multi-modal journey for customers'.

Rufus Labs Expands Product Offering with Addition of Rufus RADD Tab

Rufus Labs, which produces intelligent, wearable, warehouse technology and workforce analytics software, today announced that it has expanded its product offering with the launch of the Rufus RADD Tab, a tablet that can be used throughout the warehouse as well as on warehouse forklifts and vehicles.

The Rufus RADD Tab is a ruggedized Android tablet equipped with Rufus WorkHero software and can be used throughout the warehouse.

The Rufus RADD Tab comes with an optional forklift and vehicle mount and includes the Android 10 operating system, rechargeable and removable batteries, and dual-band WiFi capabilities. The Rufus RADD Tab provides operators in material handling vehicles with mobile access to supply chain applications they need to complete tasks faster and more accurately. 

In turn, warehouse managers will gain access to Rufus productivity analytics for forklift operators, receiving and shipping stations and stationary material handlers which provides managers with greater insight into warehouse operations as a whole and can therefore be used to reduce operational costs and improve efficiency.

The full Rufus Labs product line includes the Rufus RADD™ Tab, Rufus Cuff Pro, Scan2 and Scan2 Pro Barcode Scanners with Rufus Ring, Glove or Palm wearable attachments. All products are part of the Rufus WorkHero subscription, which combines Rufus industrial wearables with Rufus WorkHero visibility software. Rufus Labs' customers always receive the latest software and hardware as a part of the subscription offering, which increases warehouse productivity, safety, and accuracy, all while reducing labor costs and providing unprecedented labor visibility.

HID Global Bolsters RFID Business With TSL Acquisition

HID Global has finalized its acquisition of Technology Solutions UK Ltd (TSL). TSL is best known as a developer of rugged RFID readers, and currently designs and manufactures handheld devices for a number of different applications.

According to HID Global, TSL’s handheld readers are primarily used for asset management, giving companies an easy way to monitor their inventory and keep tabs on products in their supply chain. However, the readers can ultimately be used in any industry that utilizes RFID tags.

TMC Labs presented HID Global with its 2020 Pandemic Tech Innovation Award for developing a COVID-19 contact tracing solution with Bluetooth technology. HID Global’s Seos tech has since been integrated into the Nymi Band. The company has also made its NOMAD fingerprint readers compatible with iOS devices.

Sonim RS80 SmartScanner Tablet Now Available in North America and Europe

Sonim Technologies announced the commercial availability of its RS80 SmartScanner tablet in North America and Europe.

Designed to serve industrial, field service and public safety workers in demanding work environments, the RS80 is the first fully-rugged tablet to join the Sonim ultra-rugged product line.

The Sonim RS80 is an eight-inch tablet with an integrated barcode scanner that features a glove-friendly touch screen, high-capacity multi-shift battery, resistance to water and dust and a variety of additional features and capabilities to maximize its functionality on the job.

The RS80 is built to last and can lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to consumer tablets as a result of its proven durability while also improving the barcode scanning experience for front-line workers who must rapidly capture large amounts of data.

Global Force Sensor Market to Garner $3.30 Billion by 2027: AMR

According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global force sensor market was pegged at $2.16 billion in 2019, and is anticipated to reach $3.30 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 5.3% from 2020 to 2027.

Increase in safety regulations and surge in adoption of advanced driver assistance systems have boosted the growth of the global force sensor market. Moreover, growing IoT and AI technology and high demand from Asia-Pacific region supplemented the market growth. However, market instability across various end-user industry hampers the market growth. On the contrary, surge in automotive sales and increase in production sales, and rise in production of vehicles are expected to open new opportunities for the market players in the future.

The prolonged lockdown across several countries hampered the manufacturing activities and led to disruption in supply chain. Moreover, the market witnessed a huge shortage of raw materials and workforce.

However, the governments have released relaxation in lockdown regulations which reinitiated the business.

Digimarc Appoints Kelly Haggerty as Chief Product Officer

Digimarc Corporation announced it has appointed Kelly Haggerty as Chief Product Officer, a newly established executive leadership position at the company.

Haggerty will be a crucial member of the leadership team, reporting to the CEO. As Chief Product Officer, he will develop, deliver and support a world-class global technology platform that advances the reach and effectiveness of automatic identification of media across multiple industries.

Previously Haggerty was Vice President of Product & Strategy at Zix from 2016 through 2020. During his tenure at Zix, he helped transform the company from a single product appliance vendor with annual recurring revenue of $56 million to a SaaS security solutions provider with multiple products generating annual recurring revenue of over $215 million.

Digimarc Corporation is an expert in automatic identification of media, including packaging, other commercial print, digital images, audio and video.

Android barcode scanner infects users

Barcode Scanner, one of dozens of such apps available in the official Google app repository, began its life as a legitimate offering.

Then in late December, researchers with security firm Malwarebytes began receiving messages from customers complaining that ads were opening out of nowhere on their default browser.

Malicious code had been added that was not in previous versions of the app. Furthermore, the added code used heavy obfuscation to avoid detection.

Google removed the app after Collier privately notified the company. So far, however, Google has yet to use its Google Play Protect tool to remove the app from devices that had it installed.

RFID maker tops expectations for Q4

Impinj shares were up more than 11% in after-hours trading this week following the fiscal fourth quarter earnings report.

The RFID-maker beat Wall Street expectations for revenue, which came in at $36.4 million ($34.9 million expected).

Impinj’s technology is used by retailers to track inventory, verify shipments, and more. The company said it has shipped more than 50 billion endpoint integrated circuits, up from 25 billion in 2018.

INFINITE by SUKU Releases iOS App for Tagging Authentic Sneakers, Enabling Verification of Authenticity

SUKU announced the release of INFINITE - a new application for sneaker collectors and resellers that allows them to verify the authenticity of a shoe, activate an NFC-enabled tag, and attach it physically to the shoe. Unlike existing tagging solutions on the market, which are frequently removed after purchase, the INFINITE discrete NFC tag is designed to remain concealed inside the toe of the sneaker throughout the lifecycle of the product.

This tag functions as a physical-to-digital bridge for the product, linking it to the blockchain-based digital title. This enables a range of features, such as secure ownership transfers, authenticity record lookup, and reporting lost/stolen products.

The secondary sneaker market is highly active with a growing network of resellers operating anywhere from garages to sneaker conventions to online. According to Forbes, it isn’t uncommon to see the going market rate for certain pairs of highly-coveted sneakers rise 600% from already expensive retail prices.

Unfortunately, the high margins also attract a booming counterfeit sneaker industry, valued at over $450 billion USD. In fact, some sources estimate that the fake sneaker market could be larger than the market for real sneakers. Because sneakers are not serialized, both resellers and collectors are faced with uncertainty when buying shoes. INFINITE reduces authentication costs and creates a new source of revenue for authenticators, who can receive kickback fees on future ownership transfers for providing the original verification service.

Omni Hotels newest property in Oklahoma opens using InvoTech RFID Inventory Control for Uniforms

InvoTech Systems Inc. announced the recent implementation of its Uniform System at Omni Oklahoma City Hotel.

The RFID based InvoTech System manages the Uniform inventory for 500 employees, and the hotel joins InvoTech’s extensive client portfolio of hotels worldwide.

The InvoTech Uniform System monitors employee use and delivers savings in labor costs and a reduction in on-going purchases.

The InvoTech solution includes on-site installation and training services to ensure all items are issued to employees and recorded properly before the grand opening. Omni Hotels’ properties: Omni Dallas, Omni Grove Park Inn, and Omni Montelucia Scottsdale Resort & Spa also opened using InvoTech Uniform Systems to manage wardrobe operations.

Simple Sensor Makes Filament Measurements A Snap

Audi Neckarsulm first plant in Group using RFID for vehicle ID

Audi’s Neckarsulm site is the first automotive plant in the Volkswagen Group to use RFID technology for vehicle identification throughout the entire production process, thereby laying another cornerstone for fully connected production.

An enhanced RFID data carrier is being used for the first time in the production of the fully electric Audi e-tron GT.

An RFID data carrier (tag) consisting of a chip and an antenna will be attached to every Audi manufactured at the location—from the Audi A4 to the fully electric e-tron GT—in the body shop during the very first stage of production.

Swarm’s low-cost satellite data network available to commercial clients

Swarm, which now operates 81 of its sandwich-sized satellites on orbit, announced that its network service is live and available to commercial customers.

The network is low-power and low-bandwidth, ideally suited for situations that require relatively low amounts of data transfer, but on a regular frequency over very long durations.
That describes a wide range of use cases, such as logistics, agriculture, and other Internet of Things (IoT ) deployments.

Its service is available for just $5 per month per connected device (with a one-time cost of $119 for each Swarm Tile itself), which is far below any other satellite service available today.

Transport for New South Wales to pilot RFID tags for transit ticketing

High school students at Magdalene Catholic College in Sydney, Australia, are to trial RFID transit ticketing tags that come with an operating distance of up to two metres, enabling an on-board reader to detect students automatically as they walk onto a bus.

The new bag tags eliminate the need to physically tap on and tap off the bus with an Opal card.

The students simply attach the Opal tag to their school bag and when they walk onto the bus, it’s automatically picked up by a reader, delivering a seamless travel experience.

TEKLYNX Awarded Gold in 2021 Stevie Awards for Historic Customer Service Achievements

 

TEKLYNX International, a barcode and RFID labeling software developer and solutions provider, announced the TEKLYNX Customer Support Center was awarded a Gold Stevie for its notable customer service achievements in the 15th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

This is the fourth consecutive Stevie Awards win for the TEKLYNX Customer Service Department, which works incessantly to raise the bar for service and support for every customer in order to keep global brands working better.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the world’s top honors for customer service, contact center, business development and sales professionals. The Stevie Awards organizes eight of the world’s leading business awards programs, also including the prestigious American Business Awards® and International Business Awards.

Winners will be recognized during a virtual awards ceremony on April 14.

Wristband Leverages NFC, BLE for Worker Security and Health

Toronto technology company Nymi has begun offering its Workplace Wearables solution, which includes its sensor-based wristband, leveraging Near Field Communication (NFC) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technologies to communicate with  Elatec readers.

The solution is aimed at solving both safety and security challenges, by providing access to secure places or devices, as well as protect against COVID-19 transmission.

Nymi teamed with Elatec last year to leverage its RFID and NFC or BLE mobile device readers to communicate with Nymi's wristband.

WIZZIT Digital rolls out mobile payment solution for SMEs

WIZZIT Digital has rolled out a payment solution that will see small and medium enterprises conduct cashless transactions with customers using their Android smartphones.

The firm says the Tap2Pay soft point of sale which turns smartphones into sales machine leverages on the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology whereby businesses and customers get PIN protected contactless transactions in person or online.

WIZZIT says the solution which is 100% software only, enables merchants to accept PIN secured tap and go transactions on any NFC enabled Android phone.

BIXOLON’s New RFID Label printer Line-up

BIXOLON Co, a POS Printer manufacturer, announced the launch of its NEW RFID label printers line-up, the XT5-40NR and XD5-40tR.

The new RFID label printer line-up supports UHF RFID printing and encoding capabilities, Built-in LCD enhances visibility and tracking performance. An intuitive menu and simple calibration function reduces setup and operational time. By closely spacing RFID inlay (minimum pitch of 0.6 inches / 16 mm), it reduces media waste and decreases the media replacement cycle.

The XT5-40NR 4-inch (114mm) industrial printer supports up to 600dpi print resolutions for clear and crisp label print. Plus 4.3-inch full-colour touch LCD that enhances visibility and tracks performance. It offers fast data processing and print speed up to 14 ips (356mm/sec) at 203 dpi, with various interface options such as Bluetooth, WiFi, Parallel, USB, Serial, Ethernet (the industry’s fastest 1Gbit/sec) and two USB Host interfaces. Alongside an Auto Cutter, Peeler, Rewinder and Rewinder+Peeler options.

The XD5-40tR 4-inch (118mm) Thermal Transfer desktop label printer provides printing speeds of up to 6 ips (152mm/sec) and features USB, USB Host, Serial, Ethernet, optional Bluetooth V5.0 (MFi certified) and dual-band WLAN. It supports an easy-to-handle 1/2-inch and 1-inch core ribbon (74 m and 300 m), while featuring media handling option such as Auto Cutter and Peeler.

Skyllful Achieves Zebra Technologies Validation for On-device, On-demand Training

Skyllful, a mobile digital adoption platform that helps workers on the front lines use mobile apps and devices more efficiently, announced it has successfully completed Zebra Technologies’ Validated Program.

Zebra Technologies’ Validated Program enables eligible channel partners to test the interoperability of their software solutions with select Zebra mobile computers, scanners, printers, RFID readers, payment systems, and mobility management software products, meet user application-specific needs, and reduce both the risk and the deployment time for the user.  

Working closely with Zebra engineering teams, Skyllful has tested for interoperability its mobile digital adoption platform with select products, including the TC57x, TC77 and TC56.

Avnet Offers Secure Internet of Things Development Kit

Technology solutions provider Avnet has launched its HoriZone RA development kit to enable proof-of-concept designs for edge-to-cloud Internet of Things (IoT) applications that require secure communications.

The kit offers security features for resource-constrained embedded systems connected to Avnet's IoTConnect platform, which is based on  Microsoft Azure Cloud.

The kit includes sensors for humidity, temperature, ambient light, air quality and air pressure, as well as a microphone, a digital accelerometer, a digital gyroscope and a inductive proximity sensor for positioning information.

Dirt-cheap sensors will replace $10,000 instruments

Princeton Professor Marcus Hultmark and three Ph.D. students in his lab were testing — in water — a high-resolution temperature sensor that they had developed and used successfully for measurements in air.

But then-graduate student Clayton Byers saw that the sensor was delivering backwards results: warm registered as cold and vice versa. Disappointment led to discovery as the team realized they were measuring fluid velocity, which has long proven much more difficult to measure than temperature.

It turned out that their instrument determines flow velocity in a completely novel way. The team — Hultmark, Byers, Matt Fu, and Yuyang Fan — spent more than a year deciphering the mechanics of what they dubbed elastic filament velocimetry (EFV). They patented the technology and started a company to develop it into a widely available product.

Their sensors are extremely sensitive to small flow rates, and their simplicity makes the manufacturing very scalable and cost-efficient. Both attributes will allow for large-scale commercial and industrial applications including chemical manufacturing, refining, and pharmaceutical manufacturing and delivery. The research team is also working to adapt the technology for further uses such as administering medicine to patients in syringe-like devices when dosage control is critical.

To measure flow, EFV uses nanoscale ribbons, ultra-fine filaments that span across two anchoring points like a suspension bridge. The team initially worked with material that was 300 microns long, 2 to 3 microns wide, and 0.1 microns thick (so if 1,000 of these nanoribbons were stacked on top of each other, the pile would be the same height as a strand of hair). When a flowing fluid hits the nanoribbons, they stretch, and the stretching changes their electrical properties in a way that reveals the precise flow rate.

AutomationDirect is launching CODE brand barcode scanners

AutomationDirect has added CODE brand barcode scanners for use in a wide variety of industrial and commercial applications. 

The CR950 handheld series and the CR1100 series that operate in presentation mode or as a small handheld unit can read and decode most 1D and 2D barcodes such as Code 128 and QR codes.

The CR6022 series scanners add Direct Part Mark (DPM) capability in addition to being able to read 1D and 2D barcodes. All three series are available with RS232 or USB communications.

Swiss Manufacturer Employs Contact Tracing with UWB Devices

Swiss engineering company Oerlikon has launched an ultra-wideband (UWB)-based system to manage worker safety by providing proximity warnings and contact tracing in the event of a positive COVID-19 test result.

The solution consists of UWB tags worn by employees that transmit data to each other to detect their proximity, along with cloud-based software to manage the collected data.

Oerlikon employs 11,000 workers at 182 locations throughout 37 countries and is among the world's leading suppliers of surface engineering and manmade fiber processing technologies.

Janam Assists Detroit-Based Olympia Entertainment with Reopening

Janam Technologies, a provider of rugged mobile computers and contactless access solutions, announced it is working with Olympia Entertainment to deploy contactless ticketing and venue access at Little Caesars Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons.

Olympia Entertainment is also considering integrating Janam's technology at its other sports and live entertainment venues, including Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers.

Janam's GT1 mobile pedestal delivers rapid, reliable and contactless access control for sports, performing arts and live entertainment venues. Its "plug-and-play" design transforms Janam's proven and widely deployed handheld ticket scanners into contactless, self-service mobile pedestals that help venue operators promote safe social distancing, take advantage of the most advanced digital ticketing technology and save enormous cost.

By enabling guests to self-scan their paper or digital tickets, GT1 provides a tap-and-go experience that eases congestion, moves fans quickly into the venue and complies with state and local health and safety regulations for reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Vistaprint and PayPal Bring QR Code Touch-free Payments to Small Businesses

Vistaprint, the marketing and design partner to small businesses, announced a collaboration with PayPal to bring innovative and safe touch-free payment solutions to small businesses across the country.

Touch-free payments allow small business owners to process payments for goods and services without having to handle cash or credit cards, and avoiding physical contact with customers during the transaction. Through this collaboration, Vistaprint is enabling customers to leverage PayPal’s touch-free payment solution through a collection of customizable Vistaprint marketing products bearing their unique QR code.

To more fully understand the pivots small businesses are making to remain open while helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Vistaprint conducted a survey of 500 small business owners in the retail and food service sectors. The addition of touch-free QR code payment options is among the top small business pivots reported. More than half of respondents (52%) say they added this feature in 2020 as a direct response to the pandemic and plan to keep it in place long term. Furthermore, 42% of the small business owners polled believed of all the pandemic pivots they have made, touch-free payment is among the most important to their customers.

Western Australia expands mandatory SafeWA QR code COVID-19 register

Additional Western Australian businesses have been added to the list of premises that will be required to use the WA government's SafeWA QR code for COVID-19 contact tracing registrations from February 12.

These additional venues include retail venues such as supermarkets and shopping centres; commercial buses or vessels that have a capacity of 12 or more people; public and private hospitals; takeaway food and beverage services; and events with 500-plus patrons and functions such as weddings or corporate functions.

The SafeWA QR Code will also be made available to passengers using the Central Area Transit business in the "coming weeks", the WA government said.