CAEN RFID Now Offering New Slim RAIN RFID Desktop Reader
Slate³ is the latest desktop RAIN RFID reader offered from CAEN RFID.
Designed for high-performance, cost-effective RFID applications, the Slate³ features a slim design, integrated antenna, and USB Type-C interface. The new offering is being touted as an RFID solution for points of sale, document tracking, inventory management, and access control.
Powered entirely via USB Type-C, the device ensures easy setup and operation without the need for external power supplies. Its integrated circular polarized antenna achieves a typical reading range of up to 1 meter, making it ideal for desktop RFID applications in retail, logistics, offices, and industry environments.
“The increasing adoption of RAIN RFID technology across various markets and industries necessitates simple, effective, and low-cost readers for everyday operations,” said CAEN RFID General Manager Stefano Coluccini in a statement. “We designed the Slate³ with its slim form factor and rich features to be a robust and easy-to-use desktop reader suitable for a wide range of applications.”
Key features of the Slate³ (Model R1353I) is its compliance with RAIN RFID (UHF EPC Class1 Gen2, ISO 18000-63) standards; available in ETSI (Europe) and FCC (USA) versions for global use; configurable physical trigger button and external trigger jack for flexible operations; and easy mounting with corner fixing holes.
The desktop RFID reader supports the HID profile, allowing the device to input tag data directly into applications like Excel, Word, or ERP systems without additional software. Powered by the latest Impinj E310 chip, CAEN officials said this ensures high reliability, fast tag reading, and excellent RF performance, even in dense tag environments.
Elo Unveils the I-Series 5, Backpack 5 for Android
Elo has launched the all-new I-Series 5 for Android, I-Series 5 Slate for Android and Backpack 5 products, devices for point-of-sale, self-service and industrial applications. Now in its fifth generation, Elo’s Android-powered line is used for self-service kiosks and point-of-sale systems to price checkers, employee time clocks and industrial control systems.
According to company officials, the new platform features Android 14 OS, the Qualcomm QCS6490 processor and Wi-Fi 6E, delivering up to 2.5x faster CPU performance, 4x greater graphics throughput, 10x enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) processing and improved power efficiency for long-term reliability. These performance gains result in smoother interactions, quicker load times and support for the latest Android-based applications across self-service, retail, hospitality and more.
“With I-Series 5, I-Series 5 Slate and Backpack 5, we’ve taken everything customers love about our commercial Android systems and supercharged it—with next-level performance, integrated AI and even more deployment flexibility,” said Craig Witsoe, CEO of Elo in a statement. “These new solutions make it easier than ever for our customers to create intelligent, engaging experiences across any environment.”
Powered by the Qualcomm chipset, the system includes a sixth-generation Hexagon 770 DSP with a fused AI accelerator capable of 12 trillion operations per second (12 TOPS). This real-time AI processing enables advanced functionality such as computer vision, voice interaction and predictive analytics—supporting use cases like facial authentication, item recognition and customer identification at the edge.
The I-Series 5 line consists of all-in-one computers available in 10-, 15- and 22-inch sizes, each with a 10-point PCAP touchscreen and 8MP webcam—all powered by Android 14 with Google Mobile Services (GMS). The I-Series 5 Slate features a slim 20.1-millimeter profile and 15.6-inch HD touchscreen display, making it ideal for deployments like point-of-sale where sleek design and commercial durability are essential.
Built on the same architecture as the I-Series 5, the Backpack 5 enables businesses to deploy Elo’s Android platform across the lineup of touchscreen monitors ranging from 7 to 65 inches. This flexibility makes it ideal for applications in retail, healthcare, hospitality, kiosks and manufacturing.
Renesas Introduces Low-Power BLE SoC for Automotive Applications
Renesas Electronics is now offering a Bluetooth chip that combines a radio transceiver, an ArmM0+ microcontroller, memory, peripherals and security features in a compact SoC design.
The DA14533, the first automotive-qualified device in the company’s BLR system-on-chip (SoC) family, includes advanced power management features to simplify system integration and reduce power consumption. With its software stack qualified against Bluetooth Core 5.3 and support for extended temperatures, developers can jump-start projects in applications from tire pressure monitoring and keyless entry to wireless sensors and battery management systems.
“Our SmartBond Tiny SoC family has seen remarkable success in the industrial market, with over 100 million units shipped to date,” said Chandana Pairla, VP of Connectivity Solutions Division, Renesas in a statement. “This new automotive-grade device will enable a new class of Bluetooth LE applications that demand high power efficiency, a small footprint and broader temperature tolerance for next-generation battery-powered automotive and industrial systems.”
Similar to other Bluetooth LE SoC devices in the SmartBond Tiny family, the DA14533 only requires six external components. The DA14533 is available, along with the Bluetooth Low Energy SoC Development Kit Pro that includes a motherboard, a daughterboard, and cables to facilitate application software development. The daughterboard is available by itself to simplify development.
Cerence AI, MediaTek Partner to Introduce MML Models
Cerence AI a global leader pioneering conversational AI-powered user experiences announced a new partnership with MediaTek and expanded collaboration with NVIDIA to deliver the next generation of CaLLM Edge, its embedded small language model (SLM) purpose-built for automotive user experiences.
With new multi-modal capabilities powered by NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, CaLLM Edge is intended to make in-car interactions smarter, more perceptive, more human, far safer and more secure than ever, according to company officials. This multi-modal edge SLM is integrated into Cerence xUI, the company’s hybrid cloud/embedded agentic AI platform.
The collaboration between MediaTek and NVIDIA, with MediaTek’s automotive-grade Dimensity Auto Cockpit chipsets. integrates NVIDIA’s GPU, AI, and graphics technologies. Now, the companies have teamed with Cerence AI on a multi-modal edge solution that delivers top performance and cost efficiency for automakers and unlocks powerful new features for drivers and passengers.
“As we continue to push the limits of our CaLLM family of cloud and embedded language models, we continue to improve our ability to meet the needs of a wide variety of automakers and their specific infotainment platforms,” said Nils Schanz, EVP, Product & Technology, Cerence AI, in a statement. “By teaming with MediaTek and NVIDIA, we’ve supercharged CaLLM Edge with real-time perception and contextual awareness that redefines the in-vehicle experience.”
Key innovations include increased intelligence inside the car, additional context from outside the car and smart guard railing on the edge. Benefits for automakers include eliminating the heavy lifting of the multi-modal processing happens at the edge, less cloud bandwidth is required and reduced costs for OEMs. In addition, drivers can access information outside the car and generative AI-powered features unlocks new subscription-based services and revenue streams for OEMs.