Feb 27, 2014The following are news announcements made during the past week by the following organizations: Smartrac, NFC Forum; Elatec RFID; Nordic ID, Nordic Plus; Appy Pie; Nokia; and SOLOMO Technology.
Smartrac Intros New NFC Tags With NFC Forum N-Mark Compatibility and More
Smartrac has announced that it is launching a new product line of passive high-frequency (HF) RFID tags made with NXP Semiconductors' NTAG213 chip. The tags, which include Smartrac's BullsEye, Midas and Circus models, come with 144 bytes of user memory with password protection, and are compatible with NFC Forum Type 2 Tags and the ISO/IEC 14443 Type A standards. The BullsEye version comes with the NFC Forum's etched N-Mark, a stylized letter N designed to help consumers locate embedded Near Field Communication (NFC) tags, such as those used on smart posters, food packaging or medicines. The N-Mark indicates the spot at which an NFC device can read an NFC tag to establish a connection. NFC tag, RFID tag and label manufacturers can use the N-Mark once they sign a license agreement (at no cost). In so doing, the companies agree that their NFC tags and labels conform to the NFC Forum's specifications and guidelines (see RFID News Roundup: NFC Forum Unveils N-Mark for Tags). The N-Mark is located in the center of the BullsEye tag. "By introducing our BullsEye NTAG213, we at Smartrac demonstrate our strong commitment to the industry standard defined by the NFC Forum," said Thomas Hitzer, Smartrac's executive VP Product House, in a prepared statement. "As a leading developer, manufacturer, and supplier of RFID transponders, tags and inlays, and as a member of the NFC Forum, we are very pleased to support the use of N-Mark as a universal symbol and touchpoint for NFC." Due to their smaller footprint, the Midas and Circus NTAG213 NFC tags do not carry the N-Mark logo. The Circus model's antenna has been reduced to 20 millimeters (0.8 inch) in diameter, retaining the performance of its 23-millimeter (0.9-inch) predecessor. The Midas, which Smartrac first launched in 2012 (see RFID News Roundup: Smartrac Announces High-Memory NFC Tag) is Smartrac's smallest NFC inlay for the electronics market, carrying the NXP NTAG213 chip's full feature set, Smartrac reports. The three new NTAG213 products will replace Smartrac's existing NTAG203 tag product line. The BullsEye, Midas and Circus tags are now available with the NTAG213 chip with 144 bytes of user memory, password protection and unique ID (UID) mirror functionality, enabling the chip's serial number to be mirrored as part of its encoded URL (see NXP Releases New NFC Tag Chips For New Applications). Thus, according to Smartrac, from an application perspective, every tag can be identified as unique without requiring that users encode tags with variable numbers. All products of the new NTAG213 product line are available in sampling volumes as of now, the company reports, with volume deliveries slated to begin in March 2014.
Elatec RFID Intros Multi-frequency Multi-Standard RFID Readers and Starter Kit
To help manufacturers and systems integrators develop solutions for multi-frequency multi-standard readers, Elatec RFID Systems is introducing its TWN4 Tech Tracer Kit starter package. The kit not only offers hardware and software for developing multi-standard solutions, but also helps integrators identify unknown transponders. Elatec's TWN4 reader modules are designed for all current 125 kHz, 134.2 kHz and 13.56 MHz standards, including Near Field Communication (NFC). According to Elatec, the TWN4 works with a variety of transponders deployed globally, from low-frequency (125kHz) tags such as proximity tags from HID Global to high-frequency (13.56MHz) tags such as HID Global's iClass and NXP Semiconductors' Mifare, to NFC tags incorporated on many Android smart phone platforms. One reader capable of interrogating all technologies simplifies supply chain logistics and reduces costs, the company reports. The TWN4 Tech Tracer Kit includes the TWN4 Mifare NFC-PI reader module in a desktop USB housing with handles, as well as a selection of 12 different transponders and a USB stick complete with a software development kit (SDK) and documentation. It also comes with desktop reader mounting options, a snap-in holder and a mounting bracket. The name Tech Tracer is taken from an application included in the package, which can be used to identify and read out customer transponders of unknown standards. One application for the TWN4 module includes devices that are required to be very flexible, regardless of which RFID standard the customer uses. Another application includes access-control systems in the process of being converted to new standards. During these migrations, employee ID cards can be used with different RFID formats simultaneously. "The TWN4 Tech Tracer Kit is perfectly suited for presenting these types of migration scenarios in companies that would otherwise be forced to replace hundreds of transponder cards all by a particular date," said Klaus Nagel, Elatec RFID Systems' director of sales and business development, in a prepared statement.
Nordic ID to Resell RFID Products Under Nordic Plus Brand in the United Kingdom
U.K. automatic-identification and RFID company Nordic ID
Ltd., which has been part of the Nordic ID Group for the past seven years, has announced that it is realigning its business and will resell Nordic ID products in the United Kingdom under the Nordic Plus brand. According to Nordic ID, the realignment will enable it and Nordic Plus to work more closely together, especially on developing and providing RFID solutions for existing and new customers. In a prepared statement, Jorma Lalla, Nordic ID's CEO and founder, said retail RFID is growing fast in the United Kingdom, adding "We have worked for a long time with the people behind Nordic Plus—they are true Retail RFID experts." In a letter to customers dated Feb. 19, Mark Tailford, Nordic Plus' CEO, indicated the deal is due to significant expansion of the company's business activities and products, which include handheld and fixed RFID readers, embedded reader modules and software. Tailford told customers, "The name change should also be perceived as an acknowledgement of the size, strength, and diversity of the entire business making Nordic Plus a market leader in RFID solutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Our relationship with Nordic ID has never been stronger and we still maintain that relationship and exclusivity of products and support moving forward." Nordic Plus will continue to operate in its current structure.
Appy Pie Announces BLE-enabled iBeacon for Mobile Advertising
Appy Pie, a startup focused on mobile applications and games, has announced its Appy Beacon, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device that supports Apple's iBeacon protocol and sends Bluetooth-enabled text alerts that show up on a user's mobile device when he or she moves within a close distance of the beacon. The Appy Beacon is designed for proximity-based mobile advertising. Each Appy Beacon has a unique ID number, and its read range is 20 to 30 meters (66 to 98 feet), while its coin battery life can vary anywhere from three months to one year, depending upon usage. Appy Beacons use BLE technology to detect an individual's location in relation to nearby beacons within the buildings, such as an airport or a shopping mall. The Appy Beacons are already being used, the company reports. The Rubens House, a museum in Belgium, has installed a few devices on its premises, and whenever a person is standing next to a painting, the corresponding Appy Beacon can be used to download an x-ray scanned copy of that artwork to his or her smartphone. Other uses for the Appy Beacon, according to Abs Girdhar, Appy Pie's founder, involve retail stores, where a person need not go to a cash register, wait in line, sign a receipt, swipe a credit card or check out with a store employee. Instead, that shopper can walk straight out of the store with whatever he wants, and he will then be charged according to his purchase. In addition, Appy Pie offers the Appy Pie App Builder, which lets users easily integrate Appy Beacons with their applications. The App Builder allows users with no programming skills to create apps for Microsoft Windows 8 Phone, Android and iPhone applications for mobiles and smartphones; and to publish to Google Play and iTunes. The Appy Pie Beacon is available now; one beacon is priced at $49, two beacons cost $79, and a purchase of three beacons costs $99, with free shipping for all orders over $75, and a $10 flat shipping fee applies to orders less than that amount.
Nokia's BLE-enabled Nokia Treasure Tag to Hit Retail Shelves in April
Nokia has announced its Treasure Tag, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID tag designed to be attached to keys, bags, wallets and other items that, if misplaced, can be tracked down using the company's Lumia smartphone. The Treasure Tag is designed to ensure that people do not leave home without their smartphones, or any items they have tagged (such as their wallet). Measuring 30 millimeters by 30 millimeters by 10 millimeters (1.2 inches by 1.2 inches by 0.4 inch)—approximately the size of a match box—and weighing 13 grams (0.5 ounce), the Treasure Tag can be paired using either NFC or BLE within the phone's settings. The tag comes in four different colors—cyan, yellow, white and black—and utilizes a standard, replaceable coin cell type (CR-2032), on the tag's reverse. Each tag has a battery lifespan of up to six months, Nokia reports. When the pairing occurs (during the first use), the Lumia phone will prompt the user to download the accompanying Nokia Treasure Tag app from the Windows Phone Store. Once the pairing is completed, if a customer starts to leave his or her home without the tagged item or the phone, the Treasure Tag and the phone will emit a loud tone as an alert. If the user fails to hear the alert, the Treasure Tag app can help located the misplaced item. Up to four different Nokia Treasure Tags can be connected simultaneously to a single Nokia Lumia smartphone, and users can assign ready-made icons for each (such as a key icon). Alternatively, customers can use a photograph instead of an icon. Each icon of a tag connected to the customer's Lumia can be placed onto the phone's Start screen as a Live Tile, and will be color-coded to match that person's Tag, providing updates indicating when the tag was last seen. For example, if a customer is unsure when or where she misplaced her belongings, the Treasure Tag app will show on a map where the Bluetooth connection was lost. A customer can deactivate a tag via a long press on its button. Alternatively, the tag alarm can be muted or put into sleep mode from the Nokia Tag app. With a recommended retail price of $29.90, the Nokia Treasure Tag is expected to start selling to retailers globally in April 2014. The tag will work with Lumia smartphones that have the Lumia Black update. There will also be third-party applications for the tag, to support Android and iOS devices. Nokia is not the first company to offer such tags (see RFID News Roundup: Phone Halo Unveils BLE-enabled Tag, App for Tracking Personal Items, Who Says RFID Tags Pose a Privacy Risk or Are Too Costly?, and RFID News Roundup: GearID Readies Bluetooth- and NFC-enabled GearTag for Tracking Personal Items, Pets and More).
SOLOMO Technology Launches SOLOMO Exchange Version 2.0 for Location Intelligence
SOLOMO Technology, which enables smart locations for the social, mobile world, has launched a new version of its sensor-agnostic SOLOMO Exchange platform. The patent-pending SOLOMO Exchange 2.0 is designed to provide marketers with the tools necessary to quickly implement and manage localized and personalized campaigns, devices and sensors across their enterprise. Through SOLOMO, the company reports, individuals can decide whether to share personal data with specific brands, businesses or locations, as well as grant or revoke permission at any time. The platform includes the SOLOMO Exchange Portal with four dashboards (Visits, Engagement, Behavior, and Real-Time Data & Maps) that display location intelligence collected from various Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), RFID, GPS and other indoor location technologies. The platform also includes the SOLOMO Beacon—a patent-pending, low-cost Wi-Fi sensor that takes less than two hours to install and is designed to collect "presence data" transmitted by Wi-Fi-enabled phones and tablets. The SOLOMO Beacon, the firm explains, irreversibly scrambles a phone's or tablet's unique device identifiers, such as Wi-Fi addresses at a particular location, thereby ensuring that neither SOLOMO nor its customers can transmit, store or access this information without consumers' permission at any time. The platform includes the SOLOMO Exchange application programming interfaces (APIs), which enable businesses and their developers to easily integrate SOLOMO Exchange's location and personal content and services into their own branded mobile applications. The platform also includes Interactive Maps that let businesses create consumer apps containing interactive maps and wayfinding to view real-time maps of all locations, sensors, devices and customers. "In today's hyper-connected mobile world, consumers expect personalized experiences—not just while shopping, but while traveling, in the office, at sporting events and throughout their daily lives," said Liz Eversoll, SOLOMO Technology's founder and CEO, in a prepared statement. "SOLOMO Exchange simplifies the myriad of location technologies into a single platform that enables marketers to engage with consumers and create new localized experiences; provides operations with location analytics to optimize facilities and staff; and supports IT with simple installation, privacy and enterprise management capabilities across locations, sensors and devices. Lastly, SOLOMO empowers consumers to take control of their personal identity information, allowing them to decide whether to keep it private or exchange it for value with businesses."
