It is not for the first time that Metro Group is deploying RFID. The Germany-based retailer is already in the limelight for its dock-to-door RFID project. This time, the retailer is undertaking an RFID project what it claims the largest production-scale RFID rollout in Europe. Metro Group has selected Reva’s Tag Acquisition Processor (TAP) products to manage its distributed network of RFID deployments. The retailer will use the TAP products in its stores to improve distribution and receiving, customer service and inventory management. Speaking to Computer World, Metro Group’s IT managing director, Gerd Wolfram explained, The efficiency, manageability and performance improvement we’ve demonstrated with Reva’s technology as part of our RFID architecture allows us to realize our plan for utilizing RFID technology to optimize the supply chain. Metro Group will target 200 locations of the sales brands Metro Cash & Carry, Real stores and distribution centers in the first phase. Image:
It’s an alternative to RFID passport system, which has raised a furious debate throughout the USA. The primary aim of RFID-enabled driving license is to ensure security at our border areas without obstructing trade and tourism, the Washington government claims. Acting on the Federal mandate, the Washington government has joined hands with the US Department of Homeland Security to develop a driver’s license, which would embed RFID tags, reports CRW News. These driving licenses will be issued next year. The RFID pilot programme meets the Federal Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)compliance, which was enacted three years ago in the Congress. As per the WHTI regulation, the visitors crossing US borders to Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda should hold passports or other DHS-approved documents to prove their identity. However, the problem lies in implementation of RFID-enabled driving licenses as it happened with RFID passports. The proposed RFID pilot programme are likely to pass through the bumpy roads before it becomes widely acceptable in the country. Not surprisingly, the reason here is privacy concerns of the license holders.
It is a big blow to the policy makers all over the world who are planning to introduce RFID technology in government documents such as ID card, driving license and credit cards to prevent document forgery. Germany-based RFID expert, Lukas Grunwald made a shocking revelation that the loopholes in the RFID passports could enable hackers to capture and replica the fingerprint image stored on the biometric e-passport. Grunwald asserted that he disrupted the two passport readers available from the local vendors by cloning a passport chip, then altering the JPEG2000 image file containing the passport photo. Grunwald has also discovered the methods to encode a passport chip in a creative way that it essentially attacks the passport-reading equipment when holder attempts to scan it. Using the scanned image and data, they can also make forged passports that are quite similar to genuine ones. America is the first country to campaign for RFID passports that contain radio frequency chips which enable government officials thwart document forgery and flash out illegal migrants crossing US borders. Image:
Last year, the Congressional Committee on Government Reform reported almost all the civilian agencies have experienced loss of laptops,which contained personally identifiable information. Therefore, the US government has decided to introduce RFID technology to stop laptop thefts in the government departments. According to this news sources, three civilian US Government agencies have adopted ActiveTagTM wireless RFID system from AXCESS International, a provider of Dual-Active RFID and Real Location Systems (RTLS) solutions. Allan Griebenow, CEO and President of AXCESS International says, AXCESS system has been proven to provide the necessary automated protection solution and is easily implemented as it can be integrated into common security systems that are currently installed. This is a comprehensive solution for assets that can be used to help more efficiently protect highly sensitive information. The use of ActiveTagTM wireless RFID system will help government agencies to locate, track and protect laptop computer assets and other critical documents. The AXCESS wireless RFID system works automatically to identify, locate and track assets as they move around a facility.
According to a WHO report, nearly 10 percent of drugs worldwide are counterfeit and in some countries, more than 50 percent of the drug-supply is made up counterfeit drugs. The annual earnings of counterfeit drugs are more than $32 billion. The facts and figures tell the gravity of the drug counterfeiting problem prevailing in the world today. Launching a fight against drug counterfeiting, IBM has introduced an electronic pedigree (ePedigree) system based on RFID technology that tracks drugs that pass through the supply chain before reaching to the customers. IBM has been developing RFID tags on drug packages to check out the authenticity of a particular substance. The leading drug wholesalers such as AmerisourceBergen Corporation and Cardinal Health Inc are using IBM’s RFID technology in their supply chain managements. The new ePedigree system developed by IBM will be enabling retailers and distributors to correspond more efficiently with manufacturers over secure networks allowing them to confirm that each package is authentic and not a counterfeit persists in the supply chain. Image:
In the backdrop of growing concerns over ID implants, the recent legislation introduced in the California state senate has imposed restriction on the forced implantation of RFID chips in human bodies. The bill introduced by Democratic Senator, Joe Simitian bars an employer from compelling a person to get one of the devices implanted. Thus, the companies cannot issue RFID-equipped badges or ID cards for their employees. The data kept in the RFID devices can be manipulated to track employee’s movement and personal information by using a low-cost monitor. No sooner the bill tabled in the house, the American Electronics Association has come down heavily on the senator stating, The technology has been in existence for more than 50 years. It’s in more than 1.2 billion ID credentials worldwide. … We’ve not seen a single showing of ID theft or harm. Privacy of an individual should not be interfered by this latest technology. At the same time, we cannot also deny the contribution of RFID to various sectors from healthcare to agriculture to defense and retail. Therefore, it is high time for us to patch up the loopholes in the RFID technology. Image:
Finally, Recall North America has unveiled Canada’s first RFID enabled, full cycle storage and management service, so that they can track their carton holdings as well as add a new layer of security and management efficiency at the market place for service. With the use of RFID equipped document cartons and specially designed RFID equipment, Recall information centres can provide 100 percent enhanced annual in inventory and audit reporting for their customers. Thus they can provide wide range of financial, medical and legal services to organization across Canada. The company is determined to work with important partner, so that customers can receive with the regulatory demands of industries. With the use of RFID enabled carton, they can easily retrieve the archives of documents whenever they needed. Russell Skinner, VP Global Integration, Recall Corporation stated that the company is providing a certain level of service with the use of RFID to address a point of non-compliance vulnerability. Image: WSVN
A new wireless monitoring system uses RFID to detect esophageal reflux
By admin | Filed in RfidblogsNow, a wireless monitoring system will use electrical impulses to track esophageal reflux. UT Southwestern Medical Center doctors and UT Arlington engineers have developed a wireless monitoring system, which uses electrical impulses to track esophageal reflux. Researchers have combined the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), with another emerging applied science, named impedance monitoring, which tracks reflux through electrical impulses. The new system includes a small, flexible RFID chip to the esophagus, where it would be removed by a physician. The size of chip is around two square centimeters, which will test electrical impulses that signal acidic or nonacidic liquids moving through the esophagus. Then it will transmit data to a wireless sensor worn around the neck. RFID system is not required for the catheter, so doctors are hopeful that the system will easily follow normal eating, drinking and activity patterns. The system includes the PillCam, a small pill-sized wireless camera, which takes photos as it goes through the digestive tract, and Bravo capsule, another wireless system that detects esophageal acids. The sensor will detect the stomach acid, gas and water, so that doctors can determine whether the presence of those substances coincides with feelings of heartburn, the start of eating or other activities. Dr. Shou Jiang Tang, assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern, said, We always want to come up with something that improves what we do on a daily basis. The procedure is very uncomfortable and because of the catheter, you can’t eat or drink the way you normally would. The test results can be biased because you change the way you eat. Image Credit: Apptech Via: Medical News today
Research and Markets’ have just made public their ‘Printed and Chipless RFID Forecasts, Technologies & Players 2007-2017′; in terms of quality and technology, it speaks highly of their latest brand addition. This technological breakthrough, the Chipless RFID smart labels, can help us unveil an identity and other important information when scanned and scrutinized electronically. The greatest advantage they boast of is that they do not incorporate a microchip to store data and information; this is infact an added advantage as this reduces their cost considerably as in comparison to chip RFID. It is forecasted that the chipless electronic components and devices can strongly hold the market and can show a growth rate of approximately 45%. The chipless RFIDs show sales of 2322 million as compared to the chipless RFIDs that hold a mere 0.4 % of the market (approx. 100 million). This is definitely a well-known fact that – chipless devices have a bright future and would surely contribute towards the technological upgradation of the world. Thus their cost effectiveness account for their wide popularity and recognition. They can be very well compared to the bar codes as they are somewhat cheap. Many popular brands in the electronic industry are now trying to offer chipless as well as chip RFIDs so as to cover the full market spectrum and almost every electronic equipment. Industry giants like AstraZeneca and Calvin Klein have already started consuming them in large numbers and almost every packaging company holds licenses to a wide range of processes. Coming to their cost effectiveness, the chipless RFIDs cut the cost of the devices to upto one tenth as that in comparison to their silicon counterparts. They are capable of handling information upto 256 bits and can be maneuvered upto the distance of ten meters. As compared to the silicon chips the RFIDs show enhanced physical performance too. What makes a RFID so effective and performance oriented is their material based and transistorless circuitry. Top electronic companies like Philips, PolyIC, OrganicID and Motorola are manufacturing such ‘Transparent polymer transistor circuits’. So we can analyze the situation and conclude that mainstream and typical RFID applications will soon be taken over by the chipless RFID circuitry, and that too for the good. So are we all ready for the price slashes in the electronic world? One may learn – The world’s only in depth report on Chipless RFID technologies Detailed market forecasts by chipless technology from 2006 to 2016 Analysis of the technologies being implemented today Over 200 pages, detailed case histories, and company profiles of the many trials and sales successes of chipless RFID Sales leads and opportunities Unbiased assessment of who will be the winners and losers in the shakeout and what the future will bring The Areas covered through RFIDs: First generation chipless – closed systems Second generation chipless – potentially open systems Thin Film Transistor Circuits TFTC Displays and sensors for chipless RFID Markets for chipless RFID 2006-2016 Timelines for chipless RFID market penetration Supplier and developer profiles List of
NEC Corporation is boosting RFID deployments with the launch of the world’s first multi RFID reader/writer, a device which can both read and write tag data supporting three RFID rag frequencies 13.56MHz, UHF band and 2.45GHz as well as the world’s most used protocols. With new multi RFID reader/writer makes, you can read and write any RFID tag information contained in any product or item by supporting all the major RFID tags. Additionally, the multi-purpose RFID expands its function through the additional installations of new network software. Generally, RFID is used for corporate activities, namely supply change management (SCM) and traceability for production and distribution. It is expected that the use of multi-RFID device will expand customer relationship management to further link business with customers. NEC will continue to develop dedicated LSI, which will bring compact and low-cost RFID reader/writer. The device would be embedded with general consumer terminals, like PCs, mobile phones, game machines and stationary terminals at retail stores. Image: ITU