RFID Lowdown

Biometric Or Contactless Payment?

[Commentary] In another fine example of abhorrent use of technology, Sawtry Community College is switching their student payment system from contactless smart cards to a fingerprint identification system. The reasoning is that the new system is more streamlined. [ITR Portal via SecureID News] This reminds me of the Scottish grade school that concocted some story about making all students pay for lunch using palm vein scanners being the only way not to embarass poorer students, who have their meals paid free.

My hypothetical question is, are these justifications for storing fingerprints of an entire student body? While a fingerprint-based biometric door lock for home use seems somewhat acceptable, there's just no accepting biometrics for payment in schools and colleges. (Though one benefit of the college's system is given as reportage for parents, who'll know what their children are eating. Right.)

It's all as bad, in my opinion, as the fear society being created in the UK where police are being given carte blanche to stop motorists (and pedestrians, I'm told by a contact) and force them to give up their fingerprints. We now live in a society where absolutely everyone is treated as a suspect because that's one great way to exert control over the populace to mass sell technology that would otherwise raise ire. This is not, in my outraged opinion, a legitimate use of biometrics.

Sequiam Biometric Deadbolt Lock

In what's claimed to be a first, Sequiam Biometrics is offering a biometric deadbolt lock, BioLock, for home use. A swipe of an authorized finger through a scanner grants access. The lock runs on double AA batteries and has a numeric keypad that makes it easy to manage users. [TMCNet via SecureID News]

While fingerprint biometrics probably tends to be met with caution by the average consumer because of its negative connotations, I can see something like this being more welcome than, say, the implantation of an RFID chip in the hand - like Amal Graftstra did when he grew tired of carrying house keys, and Mikey Sklar did purely for experimental reasons. Furthermore, the BioLock appears relatively easy to use, and biometric information seems to be stored only locally. It can even be set to allow one-time entries on a specific day, at a specific time.

Reasons To Tag Air Passenger Baggage

Airlines are suffering from an increased loss of passenger baggage lately, apparently since the US and UK foiled a terrorist plot in early August. As a result, more bags are being checked manually, which the system is unable to handle. Lost baggage costs airlines US$2.5B annually, and financially-troubled airlines are may be cutting corners. (Doesn't it make you wonder what happens to the 200,000 or so unrecovered bags yearly?)

Part of the problem is that in some countries, airlines handle the baggage checking process, and in others the airports. The decision as to who will cover the cost does play a factor, as item-level tagging isn't cheap. Since reusability is important, tags then have to be durable for years of use. Still, in today's atmosphere of fear, many passengers and most airlines likely see baggage tagging as an eventuality

[additional sources: Scripps News]

Is Anyone Really Using RFID?

That's a question that does actually get asked, and quite often. Louis Sirico and Andy Kowl of RFID Switchboard offer a guest column at The Manufacturer, deconstructing a wide feeling that maybe only a few hundred companies around the world are using RFID.

They say that there are in fact thousands of companies, and even list numerous examples of use, some of which are new to me. One example is that two companies are tracking coffins with RFID tags. Coffins are expensive, ranging from just sub-$1000 to many thousands, so a 50-cent tag is worth the cost. What's more, information about the body inside can be stored electronically on tags wth an appropriate amount of data storage space. Sounds like a rather unsettling, no doubt, though person is to replace the current method of affixing a slip of paper to coffin handles. If exhumation is ever needed, the paper helps identify the proper body.

Do Anti-RF Shields, Sleeves, and Wallets Work?

With all the privacy and security concerns about contactless key fobs, credit cards, payment cards, employee access cards, and e-passports, it's not surprising that several companies have popped up offering anti-RF (radio frequency) sleeves, envelopes, wallets and other forms. Kena Kai is one of the latest. Do any of these anti-RF forms work? Do they block out all appropriate frequencies? Digital Money World recently did a test of some anti-RF products, for different radio frequencies, and they discuss their results.

While some might see the warnings about security as a play for selling anti-RF product, research has proven that vulnerabilities do exist. My feeling is that these items are a good idea, and that contactless card issuing companies should include these as standard issue, after conducting their own tests, instead repeating their disproven mantra that their cards are secure. The same goes for the government and e-passports, etc. Stop saying what you think consumers want to hear and prove it.

More Aeronautical RFID Applications

Airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers are already using RFID for a variety of purposes including baggage tagging, customer ticketing, parts maintenance monitoring. Now, the airline Flybe is using radio frequency technology to tag onboard safety equipment. Items such as lifejackets and safety manuals being tagged means that it's easy to quickly verify their presence onboard using handheld readers. This means quicker turnaround times for each plane to be marked as safety-ready for flight.

Since RF technology reduces the required manual labor of safety checks, the cost of the procedure is reduced. [via Computing UK] Such asset management of onboard items is likely to catch on with other airlines and might give budget operations such as Flybe more of a competitive edge financially.

European RFID Market Growing

Uses of RFID in the European market are expected occur in a number of growth areas including logistics, supply chain, mass transportation, libraries, and pharmaceuticals. The biggest expenditures are expected to be in logistics and supply chain, pharmaceuticals, and mass transportation, in decreasing order of expenditure. This is by 2009, when total RFID expenditures in Europe will be estimated to be just under US$2B. Germany and the UK will make up about 40% of this market. [via PR Minds]

Other reports indicate that Europeans in general have concerns about privacy issues relating to RFID. So the primary hurdle towards reaching the above market estimations would be addressing these issues to the satisfaction of citizens.

RFID Lowdown - Sat Nov 25, 2006

New Airline Bagging Tagging Chip
Delta Airlines is testing a new RFID baggage tagging solution called BagChip from RFID Ltd. The system is expected to cut down on lost baggage which estimated at around 800,000 pieces yearly, costing US$100M annually. Each BagChip tag is about US$10. [Business Wire via Biz Yahoo]

Medline RFID For Surgical Sponges
Medline Industries is the latest company to offer an RFID system for tracking surgical sponges. Such sponges are used during operations and have a tendency to be left behind under the stress of some surgeries. Medline's system also works with surgical gauze and towels. [via RFID Journal]

South Korea Certifies ThingMagic
ThingMagic's Mercury4 RFID reader has been certified [RFID News] for use in South Korea, and is already being used for a number of applications including airline, high-security, and casinos. Mercury4 functions on EPC Gen 2 technology.

Working Better with RFID

-- By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

Workforce scheduling at the Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport is breaking new ground with RFID solutions from IBM and Nokia. Northport, a member of the Finnair Group and provider of ground handling services in Finland, has rolled out an innovative system to push task information to employees spread out over the large terminal area.

A central IBM WebSphere server assigns and sends out task details to the RFID-enabled Nokia 51401 handsets of all employees, which can be read at key work locations. A vast improvement from the days when employees had to call a service center, dial a code and wade through a menu to get details of their next assignment. A direct benefit of improved workforce efficiency – enhanced customer service and a more satisfactory experience for air travelers, of course.

Cashing Out with NFC

-- By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

It’s all very well to talk of RFID-enabled mobile phones being used as a one-stop device that can open your car, pay your bus/train fare or grocery bills, provide information at tourist centers, et al. Don’t rub your eyes in disbelief; a few of these applications are already being put to use in the French town of Caen and Hanau in Frankfurt, Germany. The point I’m trying to make here is that for such technologies to gain widespread acceptance, it is imperative that the right infrastructure be in place.

The GSM Association is working towards this end – the organization which sets norms for more than 40 percent of the world’s mobile users, is hoping to bring about a global standard for the use of near field communications (NFC), the technology that would enable all the above-mentioned functions in a mobile phone. An RFID chip with NFC software will allow users to open their cars, play personalized music, download tickets, and also double as credit cards and subway tokens, according to a GSMA spokesperson.

How soon can we expect to see the technology being implemented? Well, that depends on the NFC Forum and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), says GSMA. Vodafone, 3, and Orange feature among the 14 operators who will join forces to detail business cases and user requirements for NFC.

Score One for RFID!

-- By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

Football fans the world over had their first brush with RFID at the FIFA World Cup that took place earlier this year in the form of tagged tickets and turnstiles. For those at Fulham, Coventry City, Manchester City, Reading, and Wigan, the experience continues. The London-based Premiership clubs are capitalizing on RFID-enabled smartcard tickets to reduce waiting times at the turnstiles and also boost security at the stadium. 

According to Fulham’s IT head Matthew McGrory, the tags cut average wait times to 4 seconds, from between 10 to 20 with ordinary tickets. The Fulham Craven Cottage was fitted out with 46 fixed and one mobile card reader for this deployment. Over 20,000 season-ticket holders and club members have been issued the tagged tickets that hold data according to the specific games paid for. Games can be subscribed to or cancelled either at the ticket office or over the phone.

Ticket touts and thieves are at the losing end here – a ticket reported lost will immediately be deactivated according to a unique code. Data on the cards can be transferred to new ones. The utility of the cards is being extended football – McGrory says that plans are afoot to allow the cards to be used for payment at shops in the stadium and to get cheap tickets on the London Underground on match days.

RFID Lowdown Blogger Featured On CBC TV

Canada's CBC Network has a news program called Canada Now which ran a segment on Thur Nov 23, 2006, about RFID-enabled contactless credit cards. I was one of the people interviewed for the segment. Instructions on where to find it are below.

Their angle was the security issues of contactless credit cards. I don't mind that they only used 1/6th of the content they taped me for, but the few seconds they did use makes me seem a bit like a digital hayseed, so to speak. That's only because they left out two crucial bits of info that I offered:

(1) The data from contactless credit cards might be skimmable, as per the recent NY Times article, but the likelihood of someone going around in the average city and doing that is probably fairly slim.

(2) Anyone having one of these contactless credit cards, no matter what generation card, should probably use an anti-RF sleeve or wallet to block out unauthorized readers. Better safe than sorry, and it's not like these things are all that expensive.

I'm hoping CBC TV runs another segment with more info. These sleeves should come standard with your credit card.

You can see the video (WMV format) at http://www.cbc.ca/video/. Click on the button that says "Canada NOW" and view the first 30 sec or so. The host's name is Ian Hanumansingh. If you see him, it's the right video. I'm in the intro, but the full segment starts at around 16:35 or so. The reporter's name is Havard Gould. It'll be removed from the main page Friday night (Nov 24), but will probably be available elsewhere on the site, though you'll have to find it - probably under the reporter's name.

Canadian Grocers Get RFID Help

Canadian grocers wanting to implement RFID have a helping hand in the CCGD (Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors) and the CRC (Canadian RFID Center). The CRC opened last year with Cdn$1.7M in funds from the CCGD and other other associations, as well as several vendors including IBM Canada, Intermec, and Symbol Technologies (now part of Motorola). Companies can send employees to visit the CRC and learn abouth RFID technology, actually see cold chain management for produce in action [via RFID Journal]

This is obviously a great idea, to help spur on the use of RFID. I'm really hoping that the center is open to other industries, as surely there are a lot of other companies that could benefit, even just from cold chain management.

Mobile RFID Redux: NFC Contactless Payment

Can NFC (Near Field Communication), aka contactless tech, become anything but huge with such big guns as Sony and NXP (formerly Philips Semiconductors) teaming up [Contactless News] to make the chips for contactless payments in mobile RFID solutions. Not only that, they are calling their cross-bred RFID chip solution a universal contactless chip platform for mobile phones. And apparently GSM mobile providers are salivating over including the technology in their next wave of smart phones. Very smartphones, as they'll be able to make payments, give you access, and even identify you.

While obviously not everyone in the world has a cell phone, estimates are that there are more cellular numbers active in the USA than landlines. An unusual use of RFID-enabled cell phones? As car keys. No doubt people will come up with innovative uses of RF cell phones.

AmerisourceBergen Using IBM RFID Pharma System

IBM's Websphere middleware system is the base for Track and Trace for Pharma, a drug supply chain management package being used by AmerisourceBergen, amongst others. The pharmaceutical wholesaler scans RFID as cases of select drugs enter and exit the warehouse, in order to build a history of tagged the tagged drugs. Said Shay Reid, VP Integrated Solutions,

We're hoping to establish an electronic chain of custody for each individual unit of drug that is tagged.

The system, which is also using VeriSign software for transaction authentication, will be linked to similar systems used by five unnamed drug manufacturers. IBM sytem is also designed to help fight counterfeiting of drugs.

[sources: Computer World]

We Don't Need No Stinkin' RFID Trial

Nothing like a trial run when testing out a new form of payment, right? Not for the Jack-in-the-Box chain of fast food restaurants. They didn't bother with a trial of contactless credit cards, planning a complete rollout in all of their stores across the US. They're possibly aiming at a younger market in hopes of seeming cool. Are RFID-enabled contactless credit cards cool, as far as the under-35 consumer is concerned? [via Storefront Backtalk]

Now if they want to show real attitude, they can reject cash altogether, as apparently some parts of the United States, such as Washington, D.C., allow merchants to do so. The proviso is that cash can only be refused if the payment is being made up front, before the food is eaten (in this case). In a restaurant where payment is made after the meal, cash cannot be refused.

Clipping Away Privacy Concerns

-- By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

The use of item-level RFID tags at the retail level had come in for considerable flak from privacy advocates. They took up arms and pronounced that these tags would enable an individual’s movements and activities to be monitored. Retailers, on the other hand, were for the tags since it meant a greater efficiency in post-sales service.

IBM is playing a stellar role in removing privacy concerns with its Clipped Tag technology that allows the antenna of a tag to be shortened, in effect, reducing the read range and rendering the signal too weak to be detected by passing readers. Tear along the dotted line, and your privacy is protected even as your silicon chip loses none of its data and functionality.

Post-purchase benefits such as product authentications, returns, recalls, and exchanges are facilitated with this new technology. While Gen2 tags also offer a similar option through the “kill” function, RFID Update says that this visible modification of the tag has a more profound psychological effect on consumers who can “see” that their privacy is protected.

Canadian label converter Marnlen RFiD has pooled its resources with IBM’s know-how to commercialize this technology, and, with a license from IBM, has already commenced the shipping of samples to potential end users. IBM has uploaded a video demo of the Clipped Tag on YouTube; a white paper on its site also provides more details on the tag.

Smart Checks and RFID

-- By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

Picture this – you’re in an upscale jewelry store, you’ve just stepped in to browse the sparklers on display, and you see a ring you absolutely must have. But you don’t normally carry around that kind of cash and you’ve left your credit card at home, and the only payment option left is your check book. Do you feel embarrassed or indignant that the store clerk eyes your check with some suspicion? Smart checks are here to prevent such delicate situations.

The checks are embedded with RFID chips which contain data related to your bank account. So on presentation, the payee can be certain that you do have the cash to cover the purchase. What’s more, he can rest assured that his payment is as good as in hand, since the chip blocks the check amount and deducts it from your account at the point of sale.

The technology has been patented in more than a 100 countries by the Dubai-based Amricon company.

Dual-Frequency RFID Reader Tunnel

-- By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

In spite of the advances made in item-level UHF tagging and the fact that various companies have started the production of tags for such applications, the majority of pharmaceutical companies tag their products using HF technology. The containers that hold the products usually come with UHF tags, which make reading a dual process. Not anymore, though.

The new Smart Conveyor Tunnel from Blue Vector Systems is touted to be capable of reading HF-tagged items inside UHF-tagged containers and pallets. With the Blue Vector Edge Manager, controlling the sensors and cases is made easy in real-time. Business rules allow cases to be removed, ECP-compliant details to be loaded into databases, items to be verified with the original manufacturer, and advance shipping notices to be sent to supply chain partners. Blue Vector has set up a web interface through which the tunnel can be configured and monitored. Business Wire reports:

The tunnel supports EPC Gen 1 and Gen 2 UHF tag standards. For HF, it supports the ISO 15693 and 18000-3 tag standards. Blue Vector’s Smart Conveyor Tunnel includes all components necessary for operation, including RFID readers from companies such as Symbol Technologies, a Blue Vector partner.

RFID Applications: Produce Management

[This post is part of a short series aimed at giving a quick overview of existing and future applications of RFID - radio frequency identification - technology.] With the recent packaged spinach scare in North America, producers were no doubt hurting from the recall - to the tune of several hundred million dollars. But can this sort of thing be prevented in the future? It's not just a question of profits but of health. Since e-coli can (and did) kill some people, there are many reasons another outbreak has to be prevented.

In the aforementioned outbreak, only one grower's product was tainted, but to determine this required an industry-wide recall. One solution would be to RFID tag and track produce through the entire industry and supply chain - something that simply cannot be done manually on the necessary scale. Such solution would quickly pinpoint product from each grower, as well as allow grocers to determine which packages are older, and be able to easily remove them from display if they are suspect.

RFID can also be used for cold chain management of food stuffs,  to ensure safer food.

[additional sources: RFID Journal]

RFID Lowdown - Thur Nov 16, 2006

Show Me The... Uh... Passport
The new Irish ICAO-compliant contactless passports will be supplied [Contactless News] by the same company that makes the paper money for over 150 countries, De La Rue. The books will be 34 and 66 pages and contain a 72kb chip storing details about each citizen, as well as a digital copy of the passport photo. An anti-skimming and eavesdropping feature called BAC (Basic Access Control) is present, as is Active Authentication, to prevent data cloning.

Malaysian Livestock To Be Tagged
Malaysia's Veterinary Services Department has plans to tag all of the country's 2.5 million livestock animals by 2008. Tags would be attached to the ears of cattle, buffaloes, goats, sheep and pigs. The objective is to ensure that only healthy animals are exported and sick animals quarantined. This program is similar to the NAIS initiative in the US.

Maxstream Extends ZigBee Range To 40 Miles
ZigBee, a low-cost, low-power, low-data rate wireless communications protocol, has had its range extended [EE Product Center] by up to 40 miles by modem supplier MaxStream through their XBee XTender bridge. The typical ZigBee range is 100-300 feet.

Pharmaceutical RFID Tech Not Ready?

If your company had a process with a 1% error rate, would you be satisfied? Not Cardinal Health, who conducted an RFID pilot study to tag, track and e-pedigree pharmaceuticals. For them, the desire is to be at a Six Sigma quality level because of the need for accurate e-pedigrees of drugs. Their conclusion was that while their pilot was encouraging [RFID Update],

the technology and industry are not ready for adoption.

Some of the issues that they feel need to be resolved includes global standards and privacy concerns.

Meanwhile, item-level tagging for pharmaceuticals is getting some innovation by packaging giant O-I in the form of embedded RFID inlays for packaging of the four common dosage forms (solids, gelcaps, powders, liquids). Their technology works with either HF or UHF tech.

Dec 1st, 2006, is the US FDA deadline for certain expensive and/or popular drugs to be e-pedigreed with RFID technology. This move is primarily to stop drug counterfeiting. While the industry backs the FDA, many companies are slow on the uptake.

ZigBee For Wireless Mesh Networks

ZigBee [wikipedia] is a wireless communications protocol that uses lower power and operates in either of three frequencies: 868 Mhz (Europe), 915 Mhz (USA), 2.4 Ghz (mostly worldwide). It's based on an IEEE standard (802.15.4) for WPANs (Wireless Personal Area Networks).

There are three types of ZigBee devices: ZC (ZigBee Coordinator), ZR (ZigBee Router), (ZB) ZigBee End Device. Each network has one ZC that maintains network information and security keys. The ZR passes data between devices. The ZED talks to either of the other two types of devices.

ZigBee is often used for low-power mesh networks that do not require high data transfer rates. An example use might be a home automation network to control lights, security, fire alarm, security and heating and air conditioning. Another use is to monitor devices in motion under a closed system - for example identity badges with ZigBee and RFID capabilities mobile within a predefined space. Some companies, such as the research firm In-Stat, believe that ZigBee will become the dominant wireless mesh network protocol.

RFID For Dummies?

The dummies.com site, part of the "For Dummies" series of books, has a brief excerpt from the RFID For Dummies book, Examining the elements of a basic RFID System. Having owned several Dummies books, I'm guessing that the book itself will present important points but gloss over the really technical stuff. Until I read it for myself, I'm just going to say that this book will probably be an unintimidating starting point for people interested in RFID.

The excerpt itself covers transponders, transceivers, antennas, and reader interface layers (aka middleware), as well as giving a very basic overview of a passive RFID system works. That's followed by a bit more detail about tags and antennas, then a section about middleware and its elements: reader and device management, data management, application integration, partner integration.

I'll admit that from my point of view, even though I've written around 300 posts on RFID this year alone (on various sites), and having first written about RFID many years past, there's a great a deal to learn, a lot of misconceptions and biases (of which I'm also guilty), and learning means improving your knowledge continually and in slow degrees (kaizen). If you don't understand an RFID concept at first, leave it alone and come back to it later. Such deep technical matter sometimes requires re-reading material a few times before you start to absorb it. This suggestion applies whether you're a manager at a company planning to implement RFID, or a member of the IT division - the typical sink for such projects.

IBM RFID Retail Privacy Tags

To assuage consumers concerned about their privacy after purchasing merchandise with RFID tags, IBM and Marnlen came up with something called a clipped tag. This RFID tag is designed so that after an item is purchased at a retailer, a portion of the tag can literally be torn off, thereby reducing the read range of the section left on the merchandise.

Sounds great, right? The tag is about ready to go into production, despite a lack of customers. Though IBM and Marnlen are in discussions with retailers in North American and Europe. But RFID Hack, a blogger, says that this "clipped tag" from IBM is more about marketing than privacy.

Read the article for more details, but the crux of the matter is that these tags still do not protect consumer privacy (someone can still scan your purchases discreetly, but need to do it closer than 30 feet now), and that an anti-RF shopping bag would do a better job. However, as RFID Hack says, such bags would void merchant security systems. The reason the tags are left otherwise intact is supposedly so that the consumer can return the item if necessary, and the merchant's system will be able to credit them by scanning the still active tag.

Switch(ing) Between Wireless Technologies

-- By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

A new switch from the laboratories of Symbol Technologies is set to connect various innovative wireless technologies such as RFID, WiFi, WiMAX, Voice over Wireless LAN, mesh networking, and 802.11n. The RFS7000 RF Switch, which the company claims to be the first in the industry, is supposed to ease deployment and management of disparate wireless and mobile devices that provide access to information for an organization.

According to Anthony Bartolo, vice president and general manager of Symbol’s Wireless Infrastructure and RFID divisions, the switch will be the platform that serves to integrate and manage current and future mobile devices and wireless technologies. The application will find widespread usage in manufacturing concerns, hospitals, warehouses, supply chains, educational institutions, government operations, and service providers who require a high bandwidth for their applications.

The switch, which is expected to hit a selected market in early 2007, has already been chosen by the Bumrungrad International hospital in Bangkok. The largest private hospital in Southeast Asia is planning to leverage the new technology to expand its usage of RFID and wireless technologies across its premises, thus providing adequate support for new, state-of-the-art applications.

Minimizing Losses From Stolen Laptops

-- By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

Stolen laptops are a serious cause for concern for all organizations, especially when they contain sensitive data that can be misused to steal identities and corporate secrets. According to research firm Gartner, one stolen or misplaced notebook computer can cost an organization more than $6,000, in terms just computable attributes like hardware, software and time spent to restore lost data. Repercussions from abuse of the lost information can cost the company much, much more.

RFID is stepping in to fill the security holes that stolen laptops leave open – Vector Asset Locator from Vector Networks leverages RFID technology to find, track and monitor laptops in an enterprise. The solution has the following benefits:

• It can locate the exact location of every tagged laptop within the company premises.
• It can prevent misuse by partnering employee tags to laptop tags. This means that only those who are authorized to use certain systems will be able to do so. The two-factor authentication advantage comes into play here.
• It sends out an alarm when the tags are physically removed or otherwise tampered with.
• Vector Networks provides IT asset and service management services.

BGN Books a Profitable Ticket

-- By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

Here’s another example of an RFID deployment living up to its potential – tagging each item at the Almere outlet of its retail operations has allowed the Boekhandels Groep Nederland (BGN) to realize increased sales and decreased inventory times.

The Dutch book retailer had implemented the change in April this year, and within the short span of eight weeks, had reported a 12 percent increase in sales. The sharp rise is attributed to the fact that customers are able to locate books of interest more easily, both when browsing the Internet from home and when browsing the store using an in-house kiosk.

The store has also cut back its inventory time for each box of books, from four minutes to a few seconds. Misplaced books are also found faster, and the promised future benefits of this technology are driving BGN to expand the deployment across 16 more stores in its chain of operations. CIO Jan Vink estimates an annual cost savings of $3.8 million if RFID was implemented at all its 42 stores. As many as seven million books are handled by the retail chain each year. 

RFID Lowdown - Fri Nov 10, 2006

Alien Needs Cash
Venture Beat reports that Alien Technology, the RFID maker who recently delayed their IPO, is looking for US$50M in venture capital. The company lost about that much last year and has used up over $240M of financing.

Fast-Track RFID Training
RFID4U is offering a CompTIA-certified RFID Fast-Track Training program during AIM Global's AIM 2007 Showcase. In addition to the prep training course, attendees will receive practice tests on a CD-ROM. The one day course takes place on Feb 27, 2007, with the RFID+ Certification Exam on Feb 28. Participants can defer the exam for up to a year. [AIM via RFID News] CompTIA introduced their certification program earlier this year.

Auto RFID-Labelling On Lantech Pallet Wrapping Systems
Lantech LLC is offering a new packaging and palleting system that allows companies to apply RFID labelling at the same time as applying shrink-wrapping. This is now a standard option in all of Lantech's semiautomatic pallet stretch wrapper systems. [via Business First Louiville]

Protecting Laptop Computers With RFID

With all the government other laptops that have been reported stolen in the US in the past year, it's about time that a solution was devised. Enter Vector Networks' VAL (Vector Asset Locator) RFID-based asset management solution. Each asset, such as a laptop, is tagged and readers set up strategically. If an asset is moved out of a certain area or moved by an unauthorized user, the IT department of a company or other organization would be alerted almost immediately. This is done by associating the RFID tag of an asset with the RFID tag of an employee id card. Asset locations can be viewed from within the software.

VAL is new functionality that has been added to Vector AM (Asset Management) Professional, an IT asset management solution.

[additional sources:  Home Business Wire, Internet News]

RFID Generates Revenue From Recycling

Italian car marker Fiat is using RFID in their auto parts recycling program [RFID Journal] and generating revenue from doing so. Particular components in each Fiat are tagged and their status is recorded on an in-car ECU (Electronic Control Unit). Components are replaced, when necessary, with another part whose tag data is added to the ECU. Cars being scrapped have their ECU checked to see what parts are reusable.

The motivation for Fiat's four-year program comes from a European Union law that requires that "80% of each car be recycled." Indications are that this fraction will rise. The automotive sector is using RFID in a number of ways, including recycling parts containers, and demand for radio frequency technology in the industry is expected to grow.

Fashion Meets RFID

How's this for in-person CRM (Customer Relationship Management) in the retail industry: You find a piece of clothing that you like and you're wondering wihat it will match with. Well, a research team at the Institute of Textiles & Clothing, part of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) are working on a way to answer that with radio frequency technology. RFID-tagged items of clothing that come near a scanner would trigger a system that retrieves pre-stored images of models wearing that piece of clothing as well as others. These images would be projected onto an in-store screen beside a dressing mirror. Japanese department store Mitsukoshi and Toronto's Nygard are retailers using RFID with clothing in innovative ways.

Razor Scooter Picks Odin Technologies For RIFD Compliance

RFID tags are popping up in the oddest places these days. Well, maybe not so odd. Razor USA, maker of the popular, awarding-winning Razor kick scooter for kids and young adults, is a supplier to Wal-Mart. So under the latter's RFID mandate, they have to implement radio frequency technology or be shut out from being part of Wal-Mart's supply chain. As part of their compliance, Razor USA will be using an RFID system from Odin Technologies, who earlier this year released a benchmark for Gen 2 tags. Wal-Mart, who are using EPC Gen2 RF systems, made it mandatory for all of their suppliers to implement a compliant RFID system in order to continue participating as suppliers. They are helping to integrate 300 suppliers per phase, with the next batch to complete compliance by Jan 2007.

[additional sources: PR Web]

Biometric Passports: Freddy Gets Fingered

Thinking about getting around the UK biometric e-passport reissuing by being/ staying overseas? Forget about it. The UK not only plans to carry with their "Secondary Biometrics" project to pull ex-patriate British citizens into the National Identity Register but it plans to fingerprint them. Time was when a civilized country only fingerpinted people when they were arrested. No wonder the UK has been declared an endemic surveillance society by Privacy International, a civil liberties watchdog, who puts the country in the same category as China and Russia. Next thing you know, they'll want to implant people with RFID chips. Maybe they should offer them free lunches and record their palm vein patterns. Might take a while and cost a few quid, but then, the Secondary Biometrics program isn't over until 2010 and hasn't even been costed out. Free lunch might cost less.

RFID Lowdown - Mon Nov 06, 2006

Smartcards And Banking Models
The Australian government plans to adopt a banking system model for the new citizen "access card", which provides access to government services. In other words, access requires entering a PIN code, just like for a debit/ ATM card. However, unlike debit cards, the citizen access cards will have a photo, signature, card number, and an RFID chip containing a digitized photo and signature. [via Australian IT News]

Jack In The Box Goes Contactless
The American chain of Jack in the Box restaurants will be adding contactless payment cards as a new payment option at all of their restaurants - something few other chains can claim. They'll be accepting the typical American Express, MasterCard PayPass, and Visa Contactless cards as well as Discover Network. They expect to have all restaurants rolled out with this payment option by the end of this year. [via Home BusinessWire]

Metal-Compatible RFID Tags
Metal has been the bane of RFID tags but QinetiQ and Crown Holdings have come up with a way to make metal containers with special antenna-less Gen 2 UHF tags. The tags would be able to handle the interference normally associated with metal by redirecting the RF signals. [via RFID Journal]

RFID Applications: Containers + the Supply Chain

[This post is part of a short series aimed at giving a quick overview of existing and future applications of RFID - radio frequency identification - technology.] Containers seem like the hot target lately for RFID applications, not just in shipping, but also in other industries such as automotive. In fact, container tracking is important enough that the AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group) is working on a guideline. The document will define ways that resuable containers can be tracked across the supply chain. Of course, automotive parts containers are different than containers used in shipping, but the principles are similar. (The overall use of RFID in the automotive industry is expected to increase to just under US$800M by 2010.)

In the case of parts container tracking, it's a problem similar to that of milk crates, which years ago often found themselves into the hands of college students and others as shelving and even for storage of vinyl records. Changing their size didn't reduce the theft, and neither did large lettering declaring "Property of...". Nowadays, dairies have changed the shape of crates to be less usable for shelving, and some have started tracking them with RF tags. Though, tagging such containers not only makes it easier to round up stray crates, it also allows allows for the efficient handling of perishable goods (using temperature sensors), since expiry dates can be easily determined for a batch. Of course, these are not issues for the transport of items such as auto parts, but most of the principles of tracking containers apply to all sorts of goods.

RFID Baggage Tagging For US Airline Industry

Finances pure and simple are apparently the reason the US airline industry has not implemented RFID baggage tagging. That and the fact that such tags end up being disposable and are currently expensive enough to cut into already small profits. But weighed against the fact that US airlines lose track of about 10,000 bags each day and typically compensate passengers, baggage tagging costs begin to look more attractive. The prediction is that as more airlines start to implement radio frequency technology for baggage tagging, the cost of tags and readers will drop, which in turn will likely encourage more US airlines to follow suit.

One possibility for raising funds to pay for the RFD technology is a head tax, but in the US, it's mostly the airlines and not the airports that usually handle baggage. So such a tax is less likely. That leaves higher ticket prices, which may not fly, so to speak, with passengers because of the competitive market. But it is expected that baggage tagging use will increase, with related revenues to the RFID industry to double by 2011. Other issues to be worked out, other than tag costs: the infrastructure and the tags themselves. One reader of this site commented that "a more feasible solution would be... multi-use tags..." and to "charge $10 and offer greater insurance against lost baggage."

[sources: PR Minds]

Biometrics Defeats The School Bully?

If you haven't experienced it yourself, you've seen it happen, at least on TV. The school bully and his lackeys "persuade" the milk money out of the weaker kids. Well a Scottish school has a solution to that problem, but for a different reason. For some reason, they're employing "palm vein scanning" biometrics supposedly as a way to encourage kids to eat better. [InfoWorld via SecureID News]

How does being able to identify a child by their palm encourage them to eat better? Well, the idea is that students from low-income families get free meals at school. But under old methods where students presented a ticket or coupon, they were sometimes picked on/ teased and wouldn't take advantage of the free meal.

It seems like an extreme solution for a good cause, and I still don't see how it encourages them to eat any better, unless students are limited to only healthy items. Because the system is new, privacy groups haven't weighed in yet, but had criticized a previously considered fingerprint-based system.

The InfoWorld article also indicates that the students are happy (why not - it's like something out of science fiction). Something as fun for kids would be a LAKS watch, which has RFID/ NFC technology and can be used for contactless payment. Though it'd probably be too costly a solution, since every student would have to have one under the premise that no student should feel singled out and thus stigmatized. But at least with the biometric system, the school bully can't steal your milk money.

Time Is Money: RFID Watches

In the mid-1980s, the colorful, funky Swiss-made Swatch watches were all the rage. I was young and outlandish and wore up to 5 of them on each arm, and gave away many more as gfits. Now Austria has the funky, colorful LAKS watches [Contactless News] which, despite their normal watch size, incorporate NFC (Near Field Communications) technology for contactless payment. LAKS stands for the initials of the watchmaker, Lucas Alexander Karl Scheybal. In addition to this new line, he has watches that have flash drives and play MP3s. Some incorporate employee access IDs or accept SIM cards and have a USB port. [Note: Swatch has an RFID-enabled watch as well.]

According to the Contactless News article, contactless-enabled watches have been in use for lift tickets at ski resorts for years. But the LAKS watches have additional features which allow it to be used for a variety of functions including transit, access, employee ID, etc. And it's popular, of all places, in Shanghai, China. (A recently-announced Chinese project resulted in an order for 125 million contactless, throwaway train tickets.)

LAKS has other watches, some of which were used at the FIFA World Cup (soccer) this year - and event that was massively RFID-enabled. This is a nice, handy way of combining a lot of RF-related functionality into a small, useful form factor - one that's already familiar and acceptable to consumers. Personally, I think we're going to see a lot more radio frequency tech incorporated into watches and wristband-type gadgets and gizmos. That, or something like the Korean MP3 player that also pays for train tickets.

RFID Watching Over You?

-- By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

The Report on the Surveillance Society, a compilation of the spread of surveillance technology in the United Kingdom, has caused more than a few eyebrows to be raised with its prediction that “tagged” human beings will be an integral part of the future scenario. Governments and private agencies will show more than just a passing interest in implanting their citizens/employees with RFID tags that store personal information and allow their movements to be tracked.

Put together for the Information Commissioner of Great Britain, Richard Thomas, by Dr David Murakami Wood, managing editor of the journal Surveillance and Society, and Dr Kirstie Ball, an Open University lecturer in Organization Studies, the report claims that:

By 2016 our almost every movement, purchase and communication could be monitored by a complex network of interlinking surveillance technologies.

RFID chips being already implemented for medical purposes, the biggest fears are thrown up by the use of RFID chips as a monitoring tool; with the United States already using them to track the movements of mentally-ill patients and private companies embedding the tags under employees’ skin for security reasons, can the UK be far behind?

More About Facial Recognition Systems

A hybrid RFID/ biometric facial recognition system called TETRAGATE debuted recently which had astounding specs: the ability to scan 60,000 faces in one second and recognize people at 60 feet. A similar system is being tested in Germany by their BKA (Bundeskriminalamt) and applied to crimefighting. One attempt to blow up trains was already thwarted using the system, which recognized the faces of known criminals. While that's a noble use of the system, I'm wondering how long it'll be before a more advanced system gives us a society like that of Philip K. Dick's Minority Report, to give us a machine version of the precogs that "see" a crime before it's committted.

RFID Journal has more details of the German test.

Tagged - You're It

With online forums existing for pretty much any topic these days, it's not surprising that there's one called Tagged, for RFID implants. There are less than 800 members, but there are nearly 3,000 posts regarding RFID implants, including a sizable number containing technical info. Besides the list of members who have been tagged (some of whom have been prominently featured in the media, and some who are soldiers, if I've understood their post correctly), there are also tips on what activities you can and cannot do with a chip.

I came across the forum link, as well as that of AR+RFID Lab (a collective of artists using RFID), while reviewing an older article about artists and RFID at Wired - some of whom are implanted as well. But these aren't the only non-industrial uses of RFID out there. There's also one form of Parkour (Jackie Chan-like urban acrobatics), Pac-Lan and La Fuga, all of which are outdoor activities involving two or more participants. The RFID-enabled form of Parkour is competition, so there is more than one participant. Regular Parkour might be performed by one person. (One member of the Tagged forum mentioned that he gave up martial arts before his implant but does Parkour.)

Then there are video games including Snakes and Ladders and Mattel's Hyperscan hybrid video games platform. There are even children's dolls, for example Naoru-kun from Bandai, who are best known for their Tamagotchi electronic toys.

So there are people - albeit a very small segment of society - who are happy and proud to have a microchip implanted on them, typically between the webbing of thumb and forefinger. And there are still others using RFID in innovative ways in daily life. Acceptance of these uses of radio frequency technology might be an indication that a younger generation will actually welcome ubiquitous RFID into their lives.

RFID – Getting Under Diabetics’ Skin

-- By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

Diabetes is a disease that is not so much cured as controlled. The key is to combine a healthy lifestyle with a sensible diet and regular monitoring of blood sugar levels. If you have spent enough time around diabetics, you would have seen them pricking their forefingers to draw that drop of blood for testing purposes. I’ve heard it’s not painful, but for those who think it is, here is an alternative – a sensor that is implanted subcutaneously.

Developed by the Digital Angel Corporation, the “Embedded Bio-Sensor System” uses a syringe-implantable glucose-sensing RFID microchip that can transmit your blood sugar levels to a scanner that is waved over it.  Passive tags are used in the system, which means that the scanner powers the microchip and eliminates the need for a resident battery.

If you’re a diabetic and not averse to having an RFID chip beneath your skin, then get in touch with VeriChip, Angel’s sister concern which is responsible for the sensor’s marketing and distribution. The yet-to-be-christened device has been awarded a patent in the United States, but is patent-pending at the international level.

RFID to Tame Raging Bushfires

-- By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

Australian bushfires are infamous for the destruction and devastation they leave in their wake. Uncontrolled fires can spread across the outback in a matter of minutes devouring everything in their paths. A new sensor based on RFID technology is now hoping to stop these wild fires in their tracks before they can blaze out of control.

The TPX-VRF sensor is capable of sensing fires and alerting the fire brigade within two minutes, according to its developer, wireless communications company Telepathx Ltd. CEO James Eades claims that this device is the “first real-time, early warning fire mapping solution” available. The sensors, which are pending patents, are robust, being capable of remote detection of excess ambient, convected or radiated heat, 24 hours of a day, for 10 to 12 years, without needing maintenance or management.

They are activated on a difference of two degrees from the initial settings; using their isolated power supply and active RFID transmission system, they alert fire personnel to the presence of a bushfire within minutes of its germination. The system differs from geospatial and aerial reconnaissance systems; it is terrestrial based which makes it ideal for locating fires accurately.

Priced a bit on the steep side, these sensors cost around $(US)1500 per kilometer (around 0.62 miles), depending on the number of sensors in the distance.