Presented here are recent news announcements regarding the following organizations: Tageos, CVS Pharmacy, Identiv, STMicroelectronics, Kerlink, Vision Valley, Energous, OptConnect and Premier Wireless Solutions.
Tageos Launches Sustainable RFID Inlays with NXP, Impinj ICs
Tageos has announced the releasee of its EOS Zero Max product line, comprising sustainable versions of its RFID inlays. The first models include the EOS-300 Zero Max, the EOS-430 Zero Max and the EOS-241 Zero Max, based on ICs from Impinj and NXP Semiconductors. The sustainable inlays use FSC-certified paper as a substrate. The EOS Zero Max inlays and tags have a small ecological impact, the company notes, and are suitable for demanding environments and extended usage times.
The antennas are made by precision laser-cutting 4E technology. Supplied by Tageos’ partner, All4Labels, the antennas allow for paper-based RFID inlays that are free of plastic, heavy metal and conflict material. Tageos says the EOS Zero Max inlays can reduce waste by up to 70 percent, with a 90 percent smaller carbon footprint compared to PET-based products. The EOS Zero Base uses a vacuum deposition method to create thin aluminum antennas with minimal use of materials on a biodegradable paper substrate, Tageos reports.
“With our new EOS Zero Max product line, currently embodied by EOS-300, EOS-430 and EOS-241, we are not simply starting to round off what is already the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of sustainable RFID inlays,” said Chris Reese, Tageos’s director of product management, in a prepared statement. “We are also sending a loud and clear message to the market that we have understood the sustainability needs of our customers and markets, and that we are and will continue to be the market leader in highly sustainable RFID inlays and tags to fully support our customers’ demands.”
The Zero Max product line is growing rapidly, the company notes. Available in bulk quantities, the EOS-300 Zero Max and EOS-430 Zero Max have already passed ARC Specifications F, G, I, K, L, M, N, Q, W1, W2, W3, W4, W5 and W6.
CVS, Identiv Offer NFC-based Talking Prescription Labels
CVS Pharmacy has announced that it is offering Spoken Rx, its proprietary audio prescription label solution, at all of its nearly 10,000 pharmacy locations, including more than 1,700 CVS Pharmacy locations within Target stores. Developed in collaboration with the American Council of the Blind, Spoken Rx allows patients to have their prescription information read aloud, and is designed for those with visual impairments, as well as those unable to read standard print labels. The service is available to patients at no extra cost (see Medications Talk to Visually Impaired via NFC).
The Spoken Rx feature, available in the CVS Pharmacy app, is accessible using Voiceover for iOS, or with Siri or Google Assistant on a smartphone. It can read RFID labels affixed to the bottom of each prescription container for patients who have enrolled in the program. When the labels are scanned using the Spoken Rx tab in the app, prescription information, including the patient’s name, the type of medication and use directions, are read aloud in either English or Spanish. Identiv, a provider of digital identification and security solutions, helped CVS to develop the system.
“We continue to remove barriers to healthcare for all patients, and this in-app technology furthers our commitment by providing patients added flexibility and independence,” said Jared Tancrelle, CVS’s senior VP of store operations, in a prepared statement. “Our patients are increasingly digitally connected, so digital tools like Spoken Rx are a priority for us as we listen to feedback and adapt our suite of pharmacy services and programs to ensure we’re best meeting the needs of all consumers.”
“This is a positive step that offers same-day access for prescriptions filled in CVS stores,” added Eric Bridges, the American Council of the Blind’s executive director, in the prepared statement. “Spoken Rx allows for a greater level of privacy, safety and independence for blind and visually impaired customers.” With the app and a registered CVS account, patients can enroll for free over the phone or by visiting a store. For those without a smartphone, CVS offers an alternative in the form of a standalone speaker device that can read the Spoken Rx labels.
STMicroelectronics Upgrades Machine-Learning Software for Connected Devices
Semiconductor company STMicroelectronics has announced the availability of NanoEdge AI Studio Version 3. According to the company, this is the first major upgrade of the software tool for machine-learning (ML) applications, which STMicroelectronics acquired when the firm purchased Cartesiam earlier this year (see STMicroelectronics Acquires Edge AI Software Company Cartesiam).
The new version of NanoEdge AI Studio, STMicroelectronics reports, arrives as a shift in artificial intelligence capabilities from the cloud to the edge is allowing manufacturers to improve industrial processes, optimize maintenance costs and offer equipment capable of sensing, processing data, and acting locally to improve latency and information security. Applications include connected devices, household appliances and industrial automation. NanoEdge AI Studio is designed to simplify machine learning, anomaly learning, and detection and classification on any STM32 microcontroller, the company explains.
This new release includes prediction capabilities, such as regression and outlier libraries, and helps users integrate ML capabilities into their existing equipment. With native support for STM32 development boards, the solution eliminates the need for users to write code for its industrial-grade sensors, with new high-speed data acquisition and management capabilities. NanoEdge AI Studio software utilizes local data storage and processing, instead of transferring data and processing it in the cloud.
Kerlink, Vision Valley Partner on LoRaWan IoT Networks in Middle East, North Africa
Kerlink, a provider of solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), and Vision Valley, a supplier of systems and services for the telecommunications, networking and IT industries in the Middle East and North Africa, have announced a partnership. Under the terms of their agreement, the two companies will design, deliver and deploy LoRaWAN networks in Vision Valley’s markets.
Kerlink provides solutions for designing, launching and operating public and private LoRaWAN IoT networks. The company offers industrial-grade network equipment, network cores, and operations and management software, and it has carried out more than 140,000 installations throughout 70 countries. As Kerlink’s partner in the Middle East and North African IoT markets, Vision Valley will promote and integrate Kerlink’s gateways, including the outdoor Wirnet iStation and indoor Wirnet iFemtoCell stations, as well as the Wanesy Management Center, a modular solution for provisioning, monitoring and managing IoT networks.
Vision Valley entered the IoT sector in 2013 with a focus on smart-city IoT services, ranging from sensing to application integration. “Vision Valley has become a growing and diversified IoT solutions provider in the Middle East and North Africa over the past 20 years, because they have been quick to identify and respond to new market opportunities,” said Romain Weryk, Kerlink’s key account manager, in a prepared statement. “Their expertise and brand will help Kerlink expand its footprint in this large region, which has a very promising outlook for LoRaWAN networks.”
Energous RF Wireless Charging System Receives FCC Certification
Energous Corp., a developer of RF-based charging for wireless power networks, has announced that its 10W WattUp PowerHub has received U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Part 18 grant of equipment authorization for 10 watts of conducted wireless power transfer. This approval allows for higher power transmission, the company reports, safely delivering higher charge and power levels to wireless power network devices.
“2021 has proven to be a breakthrough year for distance wireless charging, and we at Energous are extremely proud to be leading the charge,” said Cesar Johnston, the company’s acting CEO, in a prepared statement. “As the pace of digital transformation accelerates, artificial intelligence and other edge processing are pushing the power requirements of connected devices to higher levels.”
Johnston added in the statement: “With solutions from 1W to 5.5W and now 10W, Energous’s world-leading wireless power technology portfolio allows us to provide a complete platform solution for wireless power networks where traditional wired or battery power is not an option. This is a significant accomplishment, as it opens up exciting new opportunities for the wireless charging of billions of IoT devices across emerging consumer, retail and industrial markets.”
The charging technology provides a wireless power network for an array of devices, the company explains, from asset tracking tags to electronic shelf labels and industrial IoT sensors. Capable of charging multiple devices simultaneously at a distance, WattUp enables wireless charging scenarios for industrial, retail and healthcare applications, utilizing 1-watt, 5.5-watt and 10-watt power levels.
OptConnect Acquires IoT Network Provider Premier Wireless Solutions
OptConnect, a provider of managed wireless services, has announced that it has acquired Silicon Valley-based IoT network solutions provider Premier Wireless Solutions (PWS). The acquisition, according to the two companies, will enable them to add strategic capabilities, product lines and services, while providing opportunities to scale, with greater end-market diversification and global reach.
The partners will provide a range of hardware and connectivity options, along with managed services. For customers seeking a customized solution they can manage on their own, or a fully managed system they can outsource in a connectivity-as-a-service model, the companies will provide the expertise, resources and platforms required to facilitate deployment.
PWS serves the machine-to-machine and IoT market. The company handles all aspects of IoT network deployments, including network design, hardware procurement, software configuration, staging, application programming interface integration, device certification, implementation, management and support. PWS has experience with multiple IoT vertical markets, including digital signage, primary Internet applications, utilities, asset tracking, EV charging and medical.
OptConnect’s connectivity-as-a-service model has been available to OEMs, operators and deployers since 2009, enabling them to connect equipment to the Internet. “Having the combined power and momentum of what our individual organizations and teams have built over the last 10+ years coming together will strengthen our united value proposition and connectivity solution stack for the IoT market,” said Chris Baird, OptConnect’s CEO, in a prepared statement.
PWS will continue to operate under the Premier Wireless Solutions name but will be branded as an OptConnect company. Its office in San Jose, Calif., will remain open, with Vince Giacomini, PWS’s founder, serving as president of the PWS business unit. “We are excited to join the OptConnect family,” Giacomini said in the prepared statement. “They have built an incredible fully managed solution for their customers and now that we can add our solutions, services, global carrier integrations, and hardware options into the mix we will provide a greater spectrum of options for customers.”