Keeping Better Track From Factory to Checkout
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Using radio scanners to wirelessly identify consumer products is simple in concept but dauntingly complex in reality.
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Sometimes, buying new is worth the expense.
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(InfoWorld) - IAnywhere SolutionsÂ is adding location tracking capabilities and support for a wider range of sensor technologies in RFID Anywhere 3.0, the latest version of its sensor management software announced on Monday. The previous versions of RFID Anywhere allowed customers to collect data from RFID (radio frequency identification) tags, create reports with that data and integrate the data with other enterprise applications. With the latest version of the software platform, companies can collect more data including location and environmental information from a variety of technologies including active RFID, passive RFID, RTLS (Real Time Location System) and barcode into a single reporting and tracking system. Previously, customers using a variety of sensor and tracking mechanisms would use separate management software tools to monitor each technology, said Martyn Mallick, director of RFID and mobile solutions for iAnywhere. Passive RFID is theÂ technology used by Wal-Mart StoresÂ and other retailers to track products or pallets of products as they move through the distribution system. Active RFID chips can hold more data and can be read from a greater distance. RTLS is used primarily to track and find items, such as computers or medical equipment. RTLS sensors often communicate with Wi-Fi networks. RFID Anywhere 3.0 users can also collect environmental data. Some active RFID tags now include light, temperature and humidity sensors, Mallick said. By collecting that data along with tracking and location information, users can make better business decisions, he said. For example, a produce shipper can decide to send a load of lettuce that has been exposed to above-optimum temperatures to a local retailer where it can be bought and consumed quickly, rather than send it across the country, potentially taking days for it to reach store shelves. RFID Anywhere 3.0 is integrated with existing RTLS location and active RFID systems, collecting data from software from Ekahau, AeroScout, RF Code, and others. Collecting information from thousands of tags can produce an overwhelming amount of data, but RFID Anywhere allows users to set parameters to help control the flow. "The most important thing we recommend really to customers is that not all the data is valuable," Mallick said. "Typically 75 percent to 80 percent of data can be filtered out because it's not of value." Some data may only be useful for one or two days, after which it can be deleted. Other data doesn't actually need to be collected. For example, if a product is sitting on a shelf, its sensor doesn't need to repeatedly send data saying that it hasn't moved. The sensor reader can instead be programmed only to send data once the product moves, he said. RFID Anywhere 3.0 will become available later this month. Customers can deploy the software in as many sites as they want, paying based on how many data collection devices are connected to the network.
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Data Deposit Box service makes off-site data storage easy, inexpensive.
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What does one do when modern transport just can't get the shopping to the front door?
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One of the mantras of global industry  in recent years has been keeping inventories lean and mean, but  there are increasing signs this cost-cutting strategy is  creating strains and causing companies to miss out on sales.
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Think exchanging Santaâs mistake will be quick and easy? Not if you donât know the storeâs rules on receipts, time limits, restocking fees, or opened electronic items.
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Three tips to tell when to buy, and when to pass.
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Looks to commercial surveillance tools
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Access to this article is restricted to Linux Journal subscribers, click here for more information.Whether you're moving up from CVS or getting serious about a revision control system, here's a powerful tool that will keep records of changes and keep your projects under control.
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Enterprises face dual 2005 deadlines relating to RFID and supply-chain data synchronization. Those that haven&#39;t moved forward with a product-information-management strategy will be under-prepared to realize RFID&#39;s value.
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Inconveniente al sistema automatico di smistamento
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Information Commissioner checks it out Shops which use RFID tags and CCTV cameras must tell shoppers every time an RFID tag is used and must tell shoppers how to remove them. The order comes in guidelines produced by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). RFID (radio frequency identification) tags are used for inventory management in many shops but are increasingly used on shop shelves to identify products. The ICO said that shops must comply with the Data Protection Act when RFID information is collected alongside personal identifying information, such as CCTV footage.â¦
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Slovenian retail group Mercator has successfully implemented IBM (NYSE: IBM) Self Checkout solutions in its Celje store to improve in-store traffic flows, speed checkout and increase customer service and loyalty, IBM announced. This is the first implementation of this kind in South East Europe.
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Russia, other nations in east are latest destinations for OEMs, suppliers. Facing tighter margins and continuous needs to be closer to market, automobile manufacturers in Europe continue to seek out low-cost ...
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The store adds such features as details of an expected dispatch date it the point where shoppers select a product. For example the Power Mac G5 Dual 2.5GHz is &quot;usually dispatched 1 - 3 Weeks
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One recent Saturday morning, I woke with one seemingly simple thing in mind: cleaning out and organizing the closets in my bedroom. If my closets were a database system, the contents would be stored as BLOBs (binary large objects) of varying sizes with no defining structure â just a dumping ground for stuff. As I began dragging things out of the closet, I found items as varied as a backpack, a pair of old ski gloves, about 10 square feet of foam padding, and pocket change in three different international currencies (anyone need Thai bahts?). Faced with a mound of the messy detritus of my own life, I did what most people would probably do: I went to the store to buy even more stuff to organize the stuff I already had.