Radio Frequency Identification Technology for Logistics, Tagging and EPC

Is that a RFID reader or a magic wand?

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

A recent study by researchers at UC-Berkley shows that public perceptions of RFID vary widely, to say the least. While some users of everyday RFID applications like work-access cards or transit passes can offer explanations of their inner-workings, some novices were willing to dismiss it as “magic” or “witchcraft.”

Researcher Andrew McDiarmid offered this insight and more at the USENIX Usability, Psychology and Security Conference (UPSEC) 2008 in San Francisco on Monday. For more of his somewhat surprising findings, click on the mystical portal below:

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The Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council has published a white paper examining how the transit industry can best make use of NFC technology.

“One of the major challenges facing transit agencies today is how to capitalize on the ever-growing popularity of mobile phones with a solid mobile strategy,” said Transportation Council Chairman Craig Roberts. “This white paper builds on the knowledge base developed in earlier white papers to foster a greater understanding of NFC technology, explain its role in the transit industry, and shed light on key issues facing the transit industry in developing a mobile strategy.”

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Gartner Group’s 2012 Magic Quadrant for unique and innovative user authentication products features Equifax’s multifactor authentication product Anakam TFA Two Factor Authentication.

Gartner predicts that by 2017 more than 50% of enterprises will use cloud-based authentication services like Anakam, up from 10% today.

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Murata and Beta LAYOUT announced a joint venture to launch an RFID starter kit aimed at printed circuit board (PCB) engineers and developers aspiring to incorporate RFID into their electronics design.

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GAO RFID has released a Wiegand-to-Ethernet RFID controller designed specifically for door access applications.

The network access controller, model 491018, is able to connect to any type of Wiegand reader such as magnetic stripe reader, RFID reader or fingerprint reader. It also offers a master card for adding or deleting access privileges directly from the external reader, thus acting independently without connection to a network or PC.

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India transport operator Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd. has launched a smart transit card for commuters traveling on the region’s bus system, according to ISO&Agent.

The agency began a six-month trial and August 2010 followed by a soft and silent launch in January 2012. The card is available now for a nonrefundable fee of 25 rupees ($.50 US cents) and allows commuters to travel for up to 100 minutes on one bus, for the minimum fare.

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The Huntsville, Ala. school district is conducting a pilot program that will track when and where students get on and off the bus. Currently, three schools–an elementary, middle and high school–are involved in the pilot.

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