Singapore tourists get smart
Offered by Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel), CitySim is Singapore's first visitor-orientated prepaid mobile phone service, offering location-based information about the island via the mobile phone. The service offers visitors to Singapore tourist information linked automatically to their location, via their mobile phone and prepaid SIM card, which they can purchase on arrival. Information available at their fingertips includes locations of restaurants, banks, nightlife attractions - a personalised 'tour guide' on a phone. The service also features a chat service that allows visitors to find, chat and share their experiences with other CitySim users in Singapore.
RFID in Europe
An international study reveals that RFID is high on the agenda for European retailers, food manufacturers and logistic service providers. A majority of the companies interviewed in the Netherlands, UK, Ireland, Germany, France and Belgium, gave RFID top priority in terms of planned IT investment. The study shows that half of the 50 companies interviewed in Europe have or are planning to deploy RFID pilot projects throughout 2004, with the vast majority planning to start implementing the technology within the next three years. A number of major retailers, such as Tesco (UK) and Metro (Germany) will initiate large-scale rollout of RFID. The focus for the moment is on returnable transport items (RTIs), such as crates and pallets. The tagging of these RTIs will be standard as of 2005. The cost/benefit analysis part of the research showed that based on a tag price of 50 cents the handling cost per pallet could decrease by 8,5%. This leads to a payback period of between two and three years. More details from www.logicacmg.com.ARGENTINE
Cattle get smart
The state government of Salta in northern Argentina has decided to proceed with the implementation of an RFID identification and trace back system for its entire cattle population, approximately 500 000 head. The government wants to eliminate the transportation of cattle infected with foot and mouth disease from northern border countries, and to ensure the health of its own cattle population. Argentina is a very significant market at over 50 million head of cattle, with an annual turnover of 22 million.
Smart chips in humans
Baja Beach Clubs International is currently using Applied Digital Solutions' VeriPay system at a nightclub in Barcelona, Spain. Launched at a global security conference in November 2003, the VeriPay system is a new syringe-injectable microchip implant for humans, designed to be used as a fraud-proof payment method for cash and credit-card transactions. The chip implant is an advance over credit cards and smartcards, which, without biometrics and appropriate safeguard technologies, are subject to theft, resulting in identity fraud. "The VeriPay chipping event was a huge success," says Conrad K. Chase, director of the Baja Beach Club. "Everyone embraced the electronic payment application. My customers like the fact that they do not have to carry a credit card or ID card with them. With the VeriPay system, they no longer have to worry about their credit cards getting lost or stolen."
Smart chips to aid doctors
The Italian Ministry of Health has approved a clinical study utilising VeriChip's healthcare application, VeriMed. The study is currently underway at the Instituto Nazionale Lazzaro Spallanzani Hospital in Rome, Italy. The study is designed to observe the VeriMed technology during care provided to patients whose medical conditions impede conveying vital information to the hospital's medical staff. Patients will be given the opportunity to utilise the VeriMed technology to provide their personal identification information and recent medical history.
Will we get an EPC world standard?
Currently the world is waiting for an EPC (electronic product coding) standard to basically replace bar coding with a low cost RFID tag. Currently, EPC Global, a non-profit organisation founded by EAN and its American counterpart, UCC, is debating the issue with the various suppliers but excluding Asian suppliers! Hopefully we will have a de jure standard in the next 2-3 months or even an ISO standard.
Smartcards (tags) saving lives in blood transfusion
Give the patient the wrong blood transfusion and you will kill him. Put a tag on the patient's armband and a tag on the blood and voila - saving life. Particularly as the RFID tag can be read through and around the human body, clothing and bed covering.
Microsoft and RFID
Microsoft recently formed a Microsoft RFID Council focused on RFID technology. The Group will look at RFID requirements and how to take advantage of today's technology to make it easier for retailers and manufacturers to track and ship merchandise. The company also highlighted a growing system of partners that are building innovative RFID solutions on the Microsoft platform to enhance control of key business processes, improve inventory visibility and provide better customer service for manufacturers, distributors and retailers.
Smart guns
Located in Columbia, South Carolina, VeriChip is a firearms manufacturer that produces small arms for military and police forces, as well as the commercial market. The company is engaged in R&D efforts to study and develop various technologies (commonly referred to as 'smart gun') that could limit the use of a gun to one or more authorised or recognised users, using smart chips.
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