NFC Forum Enhances Certification Program with Kitchen Appliances
NFC Forum announced the latest version of its Certification Release (CR14), adding certification for the Kitchen Appliances use case as specified by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) Ki Standard. The Ki Cordless Kitchen, containing NFC Forum-certified products was showcased at this year’s CES conference.
WPC will use CR14 to certify NFC capabilities used within Ki Cordless Kitchens. Ki is a global wireless power transfer standard for kitchens that aims to eliminate power cords and add a communication channel between the appliance and the Ki power transmitter to improve the user experience through wireless power. NFC Forum will test and certify NFC products used within Ki-certified appliances, ensuring all NFC components in a Ki Cordless Kitchen work safely and with one another.
“The release of CR14 highlights the continued value of NFC Forum technologies and our Certification Program across an ever-growing number of sectors and emerging use cases, including Payment, Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Access Control, and now, Kitchen Appliances,” said Mike McCamon, executive director of NFC Forum.
The NFC Forum Certification Program confirms that devices are Certified Compliant with NFC Forum Specifications. This enables associations and standards bodies that are using NFC technology to ensure consistency in the behavior of their devices, set the foundations for interoperability and deliver enhanced user experiences.
“NFC Forum is committed to working alongside industry and standards bodies to evolve and extend our standards and certification program, as new use cases and market needs emerge,” McCamon continued. “The release of CR14 in support of the WPC Ki standard will help maximize the capabilities of NFC technology and Wireless Charging in smart kitchens by delivering trusted interoperability for the entire connected device ecosystem.”
BlueStar Signs Distribution Agreement with ProGlove
BlueStar has signed an agreement with ProGlove, a global leader in wearable scanner solutions for enhancing human-centered productivity. Customers can now procure ProGlove’s complete product suite—including the MARK wearable scanner series, chargers, and lifecycle care solutions—directly through BlueStar’s distribution channels and online portal. The wearable scanners are designed with worker ergonomics in mind, ensuring comfort, efficiency, and reduced workplace strain.
The collaboration brings ProGlove’s industry-leading ergonomic wearable scanners to a broader range of industries through BlueStar’s expansive partner network.
“As a value-added distributor, our goal is to provide customers with the most comprehensive solutions and services available in the channel,” stated Dean Reverman, BlueStar’s VP of marketing. “ProGlove’s hardware and software scanning solution will aid our customers in expanding their offerings in an ever-evolving supply chain market.”
The collaboration represents a critical step for ProGlove, as the company continues to build on its vision of supporting the workforce through innovative, human-centered solutions.
Stefan Lampa, ProGlove’s CEO, stated “we’re thrilled to partner with BlueStar to expand the availability of ProGlove’s wearable solutions. This partnership is a significant step forward in our broader product strategy, which focuses on meeting the diverse needs of the modern workforce with innovative, human-centered technologies.”
Bamboo Rose Acquires Verteego to Launch Retail’s First AI-Fueled Decision Intelligence Platform
Bamboo Rose, a leading provider of retail management solutions globally, has acquired Verteego, an automation platform focused on supply chain decision intelligence powered by AI.
Verteego brings widely sought-after state-of-the-art AI capabilities to the Bamboo Rose Retail Management Platform. This integration enables retail leaders to make better decisions more quickly and with less effort, delivering accurate and actionable recommendations across every operational function, from concept to creation, according to company officials.
Rupert Schiessl, Verteego founder and CEO, noted both teams were immediately aligned to a future that brought Verteego’s AI-fueled decision intelligence capabilities to the Bamboo Rose platform.
“Our AI will act as an intelligent orchestrator, providing detailed assistance and guidance across the end-to-end Bamboo Rose Retail Management Platform. With NRF right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to take our AI show on the road,” said Schiessl.
Bamboo Rose CEO Matt Stevens stressed his company is committed to driving innovation and delivering value to its customers and the deal will allow customers achieve their business goals faster and with less strain on their already taxed resources.
“The market is littered with firms who rushed to have any semblance of an AI story in place. This resulted in one-off, vertically-oriented approaches which have proven very difficult to leverage across multiple use cases and large data sets,” said Stevens. “Our hallmark is efficiency at scale.”
Cerence AI Expands Collaboration with NVIDIA
Cerence Inc. announced an expanded collaboration with NVIDIA AI Enterprise to advance the capabilities of its CaLLM family of language models, including its cloud-based Cerence Automotive Large Language Model (CaLLM) and its CaLLM Edge embedded small language model.
The expanded collaboration with NVIDIA equips Cerence AI with scalable, reliable tools and resources to develop next-generation user experiences in partnership with its automaker customers. This, in turn, facilitates enriched driver experiences intended to deliver advanced performance, reduced latency, enhanced privacy and security, and robust protection against malicious or unwanted interactions.
Cerence AI has accelerated the development and deployment of CaLLM by leveraging the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform, including NVIDIA TensorRT-LLM and NVIDIA NeMo, an end-to-end framework to build, customize, and deploy generative AI applications into production.
“By optimizing the performance of our CaLLM family of language models, we are delivering cost savings and improved performance to our automaker customers, who are running quickly to deploy generative AI-powered solutions to their drivers,” said Nils Schanz, executive vice president, product & technology, Cerence AI. “As we advance our next-gen platform, with CaLLM as its foundation, these advanced capabilities will deliver faster, more reliable interaction to drivers, enhancing their safety, enjoyment and productivity on the road.”