Unparalleled RFID Logistics Trial a Success

Twenty-eight companies collaborated in an RFID logistics pilot, successfully tracking shipments of goods on their journey across the sea from China to the United States, according to a recent article on RFID Update.

The trial, sponsored by EPC Global, established that that the EPC Information Services (EPCIS) standard can successfully supply real-time global visibility for multiple companies in a supply chain. (Learn more about EPCIS from the original article.)

Several technologies interfaced to an EPCIS system, exchanging data among the manufacturers, logistics suppliers, associations, government organizations, and technology providers that participated in the pilot testing. Through EPCIS, the various organizations were able to combine and share data via passive and active RFID and EPCIS technologies that are usually implemented separately.

Gen2 passive UHF RFID tags were used to identify 120 pallets of goods split among three cargo containers. An active RFID tag identified each of the three containers.

The RFID tracking took place at the origination and destination ports, by trucking firms, cargo ship operators and multiple distribution centers.
EPCglobal is considering another pilot to expand on what was learned in this trial.


Could an RFID pilot help your company test a potential solution?

Dynamic Computer is a great source for RFID information and can help you evaluate how RFID could enhance your operation. We provide comprehensive and customized RFID solutions from concept, through testing, to implementation!

Visit the Dynamic Computer Corporation Web site or call 248-473-2200. We offer an RFID Demo tour where you can experience the technology in action! You can visit us and request a tour of our facility at 23400 Industrial Park Court, Farmington Hills, MI 48335.

RFID Revolutionizes Industrial Battery Recycling Program

Montreal, Canada-based logistics and engineering firm Can/U.S. Enviro-Energy, recently teamed up with Academia RFID to plan and implement an RFID solution that enables them to automate the battery tracking process in their industrial lithium battery replacement and recycling processes.

Early this year, after three months of testing, the RFID system was put into place. The system alerts customers in real time when their batteries have been accepted, then sends the customer an e-document verifying its receipt. This immediately qualifies them to apply for return credits.

Can/U.S. Enviro-Energy views environmentally safe battery disposal as an industry obligation. The RFID solution provides the company not only with the means to track the hazardous batteries throughout the recycling process, but also with the assurance that this industrial waste does not end up in landfills, damaging the environment.

This technology has revolutionized the service the firm has been offering for more than 15 years, serving large telecom and hydro-electric utilities companies in the transport, storage, handling and disposal/recycling of industrial batteries and power supply equipment.

Could RFID help automate tracking processes in your company?

Dynamic Computer is a great source for RFID information and can help you evaluate how RFID could enhance your operation. We provide comprehensive and customized RFID solutions from concept, through testing, to implementation!

Visit the Dynamic Computer Corporation Web site or call 248-473-2200. We offer an RFID Demo tour where you can experience the technology in action! You can visit us and request a tour of our facility at 23400 Industrial Park Court, Farmington Hills, MI 48335.

What does RFID have to do with the price of gas?

While they might seem completely unrelated, Mark Roberti, founder and editor of RFID Journal, points out that RFID implementation can help offset or reduce the amount of gasoline that companies and consumers require – cutting costs at a time when gas is predicted to reach $200 per barrel.

Companies must be efficient to remain competitive, given the rise in costs for producing and shipping goods. Costs need to be cut across their operations, including manufacturing and distribution processes. While producing more energy efficient products is good for business, it is not enough in itself to create sustainability in this market, he explains.

The following examples were used to demonstrate a few ways RFID can save fuel:

• Ensuring correct goods reach the correct store, thereby reducing truck trips
• Ensuring proper raw materials are sent to the correct factory
• Ensuring perishables are used on a first-in, first-out basis, reducing waste
• Reducing manufacturer errors by tracking work-in-progress better
• RFID data from stores could facilitate more efficient production, storage and shipping of products, reducing waste in the process
• RFID together with GPS technology could determine the most efficient truck routes, saving fuel
• Enhanced tracking of inventory in stores, ensuring customers can find everything they want in fewer trips
  

To read Roberti’s article in its entirety, visit RFID Journal.

Could RFID help cut costs across your organization?

Dynamic Computer is a great source for RFID information and can help you evaluate how RFID could enhance your operation. We provide comprehensive and customized RFID solutions from concept, through testing, to implementation!

Visit the Dynamic Computer Corporation Web site or call 248-473-2200. We offer an RFID Demo tour where you can experience the technology in action! You can visit us and request a tour of our facility at 23400 Industrial Park Court, Farmington Hills, MI 48335.

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) Appears to be Favoring RFID Over Barcodes

The Federal Drug Administration Amendment Act of 2007 (FDAAA) was developed when the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) was tasked with identifying specific standards. The portion of the FDAAA requires the FDA to create a standard and execution process to be able to uniquely identify pharmaceuticals at the unit-of-use level.

With only a little more than 2 years to accomplish this directive, the FDA began researching likely solutions and progressive technologies. A solution has not yet been selected and numerous technologies have not been discarded, it appears that the FDA is leaning toward Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to achieve their goals, according preliminary Federal Register notices.

FDA Tracking Goals Prescription Drugs:

Identification

Validation

Tracing

Tracking

Authentication

For drug pedigree and trace and track functions, the FDA seemed to favor RFID over Barcodes. The two obstacles standing in the way of RFID as a solution – well it appear to be a little superficial.

1. Barcodes are widely used and accepted in the pharmaceutical industry – less education required to implement.
2. Barcode systems are perceived to be less expensive to implement.

I wouldn’t call that a win for barcodes just yet either. The ideal solution will be the one that can accomplish the complete set of goals through automated processes. Accuracy will be a huge factor in the decision as well. Many enterprises claim barcodes and RFID compliment one another and perhaps the solution is made up of more than one technology.

However, the attraction to RFID seems to be the EPC system. EPC codes have the capability to assign unique serial numbers at a does-level, package-level as well as several other levels.

Until the “verdict” is in and announced, we won’t know what solution the FDA will select to meet the FDAAA directive. We’ll keep you posted.

Could RFID automate your processes and eliminate human error? Dynamic Computer is a great source for RFID information and can help you determine if RFID is a viable option for your needs.

Visit the Dynamic Computer Corporation website or contact us 248-473-2200. We even have a Demo area to visually show you RFID in action.

Dynamic Computer Opens RFID Demonstration Room

---If Your Company is Considering RFID & in the Southeastern Michigan Area...READ THIS!---

Dynamic Computer Corporation is pleased to announce the opening of their RFID demonstration room on Tuesday, May 13 2008. The demonstration room will be available to the public on Tuesdays and Fridays from 1PM to 5PM EST to allow industry professionals the opportunity to view Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) in action.

In the demonstration area, guests will be able to witness how RFID antennae, readers, tags and software operate together to achieve inventory control or asset management goals. Since RFID systems can accomplish many objectives for a number of industries, a variety of sample tags will be available for viewing and Dynamic Computer’s RFID Team will be on hand to answer questions and discuss use cases.

Dynamic Computer’s goal is to help RFID prospects get 100% read rates and a solid return on investment for their RFID implementation. By visiting the RFID demonstration area, guests will gain the advantage personal insight on how RFID works as well as how it applies to their company’s specific RFID strategy.

Anyone who is interested in RFID or would like to discuss their own upcoming RFID implementation is encouraged to call and reserve a seat for an open demo at 248-473-2200.
The RFID Demo Area is located at Dynamic Computer Corporation’s office at 23400 Industrial Park Court in Farmington Hills, Michigan. For directions, please call DCC at 248-473-2200 or email info@dcc-online.com.

RFID Equipped Shopping Carts; More Than Theft Prevention

What would you do if one of your $150-$200 ticket items added up to a loss of thousands of dollars every year?

An early solution was proposed by California Shopping Cart Retrieval Corporation (CSCRC), which takes on the responsibility of rounding up shopping carts for various retailers for a negotiated management fee. For example, many shoppers that live within walking distance from a store may take their cart all the way home with them. CSCRC will round up all those missing carts, or rather abducted carts, and return them to the store. They have 2,500 retail clients in California and Las Vegas and are responsible for returning approximately $8.5 million carts per year. Yes, that would be a potential loss of $170 million for the group or an average of $68,000 per client.

California Shopping Cart Retrieval Corporation is attempting to keep up with technology to better serve their clients and make their job more efficient. Their goal now is to prevent the shopping carts from going missing in the first place – introducing RFID to their niche service. CSRCR does not necessarily own this market, there are many RFID providers, such Dynamic Computer Corporation, that have the technology and expertise to implement a RFID tracking system for retail shipping carts.

As a basic program, the RFID tagged shopping cart can track the movement inside the store as well as in the parking lot. It can also trip a wheel-locking mechanism that stops the cart once it crosses a designated boundary. If the wheels won’t move beyond a certain point, the cart is rendered useless to those that used to take advantage of its functionality all the way home.

Where Can RFID Tagged Carts Go from Here?
If Microsoft has anything to say about it, RFID tagged grocery carts will have shoppers logging in via an on-cart scanner, utilize a virtual shopping list, receive printable coupon offers and much more. You might think it is all about enhancing the customer experience. While that is the primary goal, retailers will also be able to better track inventory, shopper behavior, loyalty trends and promotional efforts.

Think this all a bit too George Jetson-esk? MediaCarts are due to pilot in 2008.

If you think you may need more control over your assets and/or inventory, contact Dynamic Computer Corporation today to schedule an informational conference call!

www.dcc-online.com

248-473-2200

RFID Delivered a $12,000 Savings in First Month

Looking for a way to achieve a $12,000 saving in materials cost?

Consider a RFID Tracking System!

According to an article in RFID Update by John Burnell, a large commercial painting contractor implemented RFID tracking for inventory control and saved $12,000 in the first month. Vulcan Painters previously had issues keeping track of what materials were issued to job sites and what was returned.

In addition to inventory accuracy related to use, Vulcan’s new RFID system reduced misplaced and unaccounted for materials as well as reduced losses from expired paint.

HOW VULCAN IMPLEMENTED RFID:
Moderate to high-cost inventory items in the Vulcan facility were tagged with an RFID tag. Project managers use handheld computers integrated with RFID readers to select and load the items required for the job. The handheld application assigns the materials to the project manager and job site. When the workers leave the facility wit the materials, they pass through a RFID portal read which records all tagged objects as well as identifies any items that were not “checked out” by the manager.

When employees return to the facility, they scan the items they are returning with a handheld RFID reader and enter the storage location. The collected data allows Vulcan to keep real-time tabs on their inventory and also search by expiration, brand, color, etc.

EXPANDING RFID FOR VULCAN:
The article also indicated that Vulcan Painters could further their savings if they wanted to implement RFID tracking to the work sites themselves. Ford recently announced new RFID reader-equipped pickup trucks and work vans that could held further their tracking abilities. Currently they are only tracking materials as the leave and come back to the storage facility, but RFID is also a very viable solution for asset management (i.e ladders, scaffolding, etc.).

At time publish, Vulcan does not have plans to expand RFID beyond materials, but if they continue to save anything near $12,000 past month one…they just might want to further their savings as well as efficiency.

Have you considered RFID for inventory control or asset management?

Dynamic Computer is a great source of RFID information and can help you determine if RFID is an investment worth initiating. Visit the Dynamic Computer Corporation website or contact us 248-473-2200. We even have a Demo area to visually show you RFID in action.

Restaurant Industry Starting to Relish RFID

Some strong competitors in the restaurant industry are eating up the benefits that RFID technology is serving for three major reasons.

Reduce Loss

Better Control/Visibility of Stock

Enhance the Customer Experience

As professionals we are all faced with making our business profitable, which generally means seeking ways to increase profit while decreasing spending. Even though the restaurant industry rakes in more than $550 billion a year (2008 projection from http://www.restaurant.org/), each player in the pool takes significant losses throughout the year.

REDUCE LOSS:
The human factor is one of the primary reasons that restaurants experience financial losses. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to necessarily spark more self-serve restaurants nor do I want to be served by mechanical robots when I dine out. Of course, human error accounts for some stock depletion, especially considering 13.1 million employees are working in the industry. Over or under-cooked steaks get thrown out and often “comped” off the bill. Error is error and often accidental, but there is also something to be said about over-generosity too. For instance, bartenders are likely to “heavy pour” customers that tip well or are regulars. I am sure we have all received at least one free, unrecorded drink from a friendly bartender since hospitality industry experts estimate a near $7 billion loss due to “liquor shrinkage”. Well RFID tags are now helping restaurants keep their employees honest and within policy. With RFID tags placed in the liquor spout, liquor usage is monitored and tracked. This reduces or eliminates over-pours and keeps tabs on what is running low and needs to be restocked.

BETTER CONTROL/VISIBILITY:
I have known restaurants to have their liquor stored in fairly inaccessible places, like a basement. On a busy night, getting replacement stock can make a customer wait a bit too long for their drink. Using RFID tags on kegs and liquor spouts can alert bartenders, servers and/or managers of what is running low so they have plenty of time to restock without cutting into the customer’s experience.

ENHANCED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE:
Customers have also enjoyed faster service and more accurate orders since some restaurants have installed a hand-held RFID order system. I have noticed this to be a trend for VIP sections offering “at-your-seat” service in many sports arenas. This RFID technology has also allowed consumers to utilize “contactless payment”, where they simply wave their pay card over reader. This technology also offers better identity protection. Identity theft is a huge concern and your credit information is most vulnerable when it is taken out of your site. Therefore, tableside payment via RFID systems brings an increased sense of security to your customers.

Faster, more accurate service as well as a safer and more convenient payment method – RFID technology is enhancing the customer experience across the hospitality industry.

RFID can enhance your profit margin as well as your customer’s experience too. Ask Dynamic Computer Corporation how or visit our website at www.dcc-online.com.

2008 Boston Marathon Enhanced by RFID Technology

On April 21, 2008, the legendary Boston Marathon launched more than 22, 000 runners on a 26 mile adventure…with a RFID device securely attached.

Given more than 25,000 runners actually registered for the event and the weather was predicted to hit 80 degrees, Marathon officials knew that a concise and effective method was required to ensure the integrity of the event remained in tact.

The RFID (radio frequency identification) device assigned to each entrant is approximately the size of a $.50 cent piece and is secured to their shoelaces, ankle strap or clipped to a wheelchair. The chip holds the contender’s registration information as well as tracks his/her progress through the event.

How Does RFID Benefit the Boston Marathon?

1. Accurate Statistical Data: gets collected and is available to necessary personnel in real-time (i.e. media, etc.)

2. Fraud Prevention: Ensures all participants finish the race by hitting each check point. No short-cuts allowed, especially when cash prizes are involved!

3. Crowd Participation: Not only can Marathon officials track a runner’s progress, but so can spectators by logging online or having alerts sent to a mobile device.

4. Participant Safety: Not only can medical information be stored on the RFID chip, but should a “lost” participant need to be found, the search area can be narrowed to specific check point zones.


How Does RFID Work for Marathons?

Because RFID tags only need to come in close proximity to the reader, most large marathons use “Antennae Mats”. These mats are laced with antennae equipment which reads the chip number and sends the corresponding runner information to the data device, including the time at which the data was sent. Many RFID systems use antennae devices on either side of an entry or exit; I suspect the mats are used in large marathons due to the extremely heavy congestion at a starting line. Runners that may be trapped in the middle of the crowd still get timed since their device sparks upon stepping on the mat.

RFID Technology has been a favorable enhancement to large events, including marathons. Could it be a welcomed revolution to your business?

Feel Free to contact Dynamic Computer Corporation with any RFID questions.

New High Speed Proof of Concept

While we have been using RFID readers to track items moving through portals, in the past RFID users have needed to observe a careful speed limit in order to ensure a 100% read rate. This week, a new proof of concept was conducted with professional motorcycle racers!

For purposes of this experiment, the race track used standard Gen 2 UHF RFID tags, antennas, readers from Alien, Inc, and software to accurately track and time eight motorcycles at speeds exceeding 140 mph. Competition-prepared motorcycles were successfully time-stamp recorded passing several read points around the racetrack, simulating realistic race situations where multiple racers pass reader checkpoints. The professional racers’ machines were equipped with a total of two of Alien’s M-Tags each.

While this was a simulation and not an actual race, the goal is to be able to use RFID to provide exact time recording for high speed vehicles.

This will make reading a forklift of a semi-truck very easy in the near future!

Fitness through Judicious RFID Use

Here's a new one for you. In the Dallas Morning News yesterday there was a great article on ways RFID is expanding from government and logistics use cases into the mainstream of consumer life. The newest use case? RFID is helping women burn calories and get in shape. Curves, which is a nationwide chain of gyms based in Waco, Texas, has implemented RFID in approximately 10% of their locations so far. At each station, a woman flashes an RFID-tagged wristband over an RFID reader on the machine. The machine reads the woman’s workout program and gives the exerciser real-time feedback on whether she’s meeting her goals for that station.

At the end of the half-hour workout, each woman's wristband is read by reader at a desktop computer which creates a graphical display of how she did overall. Muscle groups targeted, reps completed and calories burned are all stored on the RFID chip and displayed on the monitor.

Gary Heavin, founder Curves, expects high-tech workouts to be a big trend in the fitness industry. “The consumer who is looking for the next big thing is going to have a computerized personal coaching system that designs a precision workout,” Mr. Heavin said. “It gives them moment-to-moment feedback, and it gives them a monthly report card that kind of holds them accountable for their diet and attendance in a positive way.”

Paris to Tag 3 Million Books

Once again, libraries are at the forefront of the asset tracking technology using RFID. The city of Paris, France, has announced plans to implement RFID at 42 of its library branches. The libraries intend to use RFID to better manage circulation and inventory, as well as to improve security. Also, at those branches with larger numbers of patrons, the city plans to implement RFID-enabled self-service checkout and return facilities to free up staff from the circulation desk, allowing them to better serve patrons in other areas of the library. The original plan calls for at least 3 million RFID tags, as well as kiosks, readers, portals and self-checkout systems that allow customers to check out and return items, and in some cases pay fees and fines, without staff assistance.

The Paris Library system will use France's national standard for RFID formatting in library book tags. This means if a patron requests a book from a library in Paris at an RFID-enabled library in Lille, the same tracking system can be used by both libraries to track the book. France is one of four countries that have established national standards for RFID data formats, and is therefore a leader in RFID implementation. National laboratories and the retail supply chain in France are already RFID enabled.

Exciting new RFID technology

A California company called Wirama (last syllable rhymes with gamma) has invented a new type of RFID reader software which seems to be a dream come true. Using an algorithm programmed into software that can be loaded on a mobile Gen2 RFID reader, Wirama can locate a passive RFID tag within 6 inches of its actual location. It does not require special hardware for either the reader or the tags. The read range for the algorithm software (or "locationing engine") is about 15 feet; that is, tagged objects more than 15 feet away from the current location of the mobile reader cannot be precisely located.

Current location software for passive RFID tags can locate objects within an area, but not as specifically as the Wirama software is promising. For example, with the industry's current software, Dynamic staff can use RFID to track whether an item is in our inventory area or not, but we can't tell exactly where in the area that particular item is located. If we were to use the Wirama code, we could zero in on the object's exact location within our inventory.

Wirama hasn't announced a production schedule or a time frame for bringing the product to market; but they do plan a public demonstration at a conference in April. I can't wait to see it in action!

RFID in 2009 Ford Trucks!

Ford's next generation of F-Series trucks will include an in-dash computer, which will use RFID technology to track tools stowed in the truck's box. The system is called 'Tool Link', and it's designed to prevent the types of losses Ford customers were experiencing on their job sites.

Developed with DEWALT and ThingMagic, Tool Link allows truck owners to mark and scan high-value tools, safety equipment, material inventories and other important assets using RFID tags. When the truck is running, a pair of RFID antennae, mounted in corrosion- and impact-resistant housings on the inside of the pickup box, scan the box for the items on a pre-programmed inventory list.

The data is transmitted to a reader mounted inside the cab and displayed on the in-dash computer screen, alerting the driver if any inventoried tools are not loaded on the truck.
"Tool Link increases productivity and saves money," said William Frykman, Ford Work Solutions product and business development manager. "It helps contractors and tradespeople guarantee they show up at the job site with the right tools for each job- and that they don't leave equipment behind."

Tool Link comes pre-loaded with several standard tool lists that are easily edited to reflect specific types of jobs. The system uses industry standard Gen2 RFID tags, which means the same tags may be tracked by other RFID readers outside the truck.

Turning On RFID

One of the great things about working with different companies on RFID solutions is the creativity and out of the box thinking that an RFID project brings out in people.

Eyes light up and mental wheels start churning when someone realizes that RFID can help solve major problems. How does RFID help solve problems? It shines a bright light on systems and processes within an organization.

Below are examples of some pretty straight forward ways of using RFID to solve real business problems.

Imagine “losing” valuable assets within your organization. You are fairly confident your area is secure but somehow you still have shrinkage. Turn on RFID and you can see where your assets are at all times.

Imagine trying to maintain a just in time inventory system by carefully assessing lead times for products and usage of products. You’re ordering the right amounts and your suppliers are shipping as requested but you’re still facing “out of stock” and “overstock” issues. Turn on RFID and all of sudden you see the problem—it’s at your dock door with product sitting waiting to be moved into the warehouse.

Imagine having to manage field personnel who write down time in and time out at job sites. You’re concerned because projects aren’t being completed on time. Turn on RFID and you can see exactly how much time was spent at the job site and how much time is unaccounted for.

When thinking about your RFID project ask your self “What is it that I can’t see that I wish I could?” Answer that and you’re on your way to leveraging RFID to solve your organization’s problems.

Heathrow starting small, thinking big

Heathrow airport is going to run RFID baggage tracking systems for one small airline on one specific route. I think this is the perfect way to start a project like this; we at DCC are always trying to get our RFID clients to pick one small way to get going with RFID, then branch out into larger projects. In the case of Heathrow, they are deploying RFID readers at key points along the journey of luggage belonging to passengers travelling the Emirates Airlines route from Heathrow to Dubai - from check-in desk to carousel.

Heathrow will use Motorola XR480 Fixed RFID readers in Terminal 3 to read tags on luggage entering and leaving the airport. In the past, Heathrow has used bar codes to track luggage, which has been a problem when bags do not have the correct line of sight with the reader. RFID readers will be a great help, because they can still function when a bag has tipped on its side, or when a stray strap has fallen across the tag.

RFID Passport transition

As the new rules for the US border with Canada came into play, I anticipated long waits as my teenage daughter and I returned from a weekend in Toronto. U.S. border crossings have been notoriously slow for years, and with new rules requiring travellers to have passports, I assumed we would be in for a long wait.

We plugged in our iPod, and were no sooner getting out our snacks when it was our turn at the window! My passport took a couple minutes for the border guard to check, but my daughter's, which was issued after 2006 and is RFID-enabled, took less than two seconds as he glanced at her photo, which popped up on his computer monitor as soon as I handed the passport into his shack.

He didn't even have to open her passport. Just glanced at her, glanced at his computer screen, and waved us along. The RFID reader in his shack picked up the signal from my daughter's passport, then brought up her photo and electronic passport records from the government's database.

Indeed, it seems to be a smooth transition to the new border rules, assisted in part my lenient enforcement, and in part by speedy RFID identification.

Another Combined RFID App

I really like the idea of combining RFID technology with GPS to create a comprehensive tracking and monitoring system. There's an article floating around online this week that Seimens has a good proof of concept for tracking shipping containers worldwide.

The idea is that they are using the RFID transponder to monitor the temperature in the container, and to document whether the door is opened or closed. GPS technology is being used to locate the container. In this case, the RFID reader in the container is relaying information to the satellite, too.

A box measuring about 8 inches wide by 11 inches long was attached to the two refrigerated containers used in the test on the ship, which spent about three weeks at sea while sailing from Shanghai to Singapore and back. The box contained an active RFID transponder wired to two sensors—one for documenting whether the container door was opened or closed, another for monitoring the temperature inside the refrigerated containers. Each container's RFID tag transmitted its ID number and sensor data to an RFID reader, which then forwarded that information via a GSM base station to an on-board control system, and via satellite to the ground system monitored by a central surveillance center.

This seems like a lot of fuss to make sure a container isn't too warm or prematurely opened, but in fact huge amounts of these containers are shipped internationally on a daily basis, and until now there hasn't been a method for monitoring them. This leaves them at risk for sabotage, theft, and mishandling.

BAP Tags

There seems to be a lot of confusion out there regarding BAP RFID tags. Just to clarify, here are a few key points.

BAP stands for "battery-assisted passive". This means that while the tag has a battery, it is not continuously using that battery, and therefore doesn't continuously transmit radio waves. The function of the battery in a BAP tag is simply to increase the distance the tag can transmit.

While there are standards for active and passive RFID tags, the industry has not settled on a standard for BAP tags. This means that we have to be careful in designing a solution around a specific BAP tag, finding an RFID reader that will be compatible with that specific tag.

BAP tags, just like active tags, will need to have their batteries replaced eventually. The life cycle of the battery will depend upon how often the tag is 'wakened' by a reader and forced to transmit.

Imagining the Grocery Store Afresh

I really don't have much time for the grocery store. I particularly don't have time to go through their weekly ads, pick up coupons from the paper, and figure out where the best buys are to help stretch the family budget. I'm kind of excited, therefore, to see ShopRite's RFID project with Microsoft.

The companies have combined forces to create a smart shopping cart. When the cart will display advertisements and discounts based upon location, which it will sense using an onboard RFID reader. So, if you push the cart into the detergent area, the cart will inform you that Tide is 2 for the price of 1 today.

The smart cart idea isn't a new one, really. Dynamic is working on one of these for one of our clients right now, although it will be used for marketing research, rather than customer service or sales.

Microsoft and ShopRite are funding the project with advertising, which seems to be a fairly common way to fund the transfer of information nowadays. I haven't decided what I think about that, because I am sure ShopRite could get ROI on their RFID investment in many other ways. Still, this is a step in the right direction.

My ideal grocery shopping experience:

I walk in, take what I want from the shelf, and walk out the door. No checkout lines, no wondering if the expiration date is okay, no need to get my debit card out of my purse. I walk past an RFID reader carrying the things I want, and my total purchase is automatically deducted from my checking account. That would be perfect!

Cool Video from ZDNet

This is a video of and interview with the CIO of PG&E, one of the nation's largest power companies. She mentions how they plan to  use RFID to make their systems more intelligent:

http://video.zdnet.com/CIOSessions/?p=237 

RFID in your own hands

Samsung has announced a very cool RFID reader consumers can use inside a mobile device! This is what I've been waiting for; something that might someday make shopping in a store easier. The reason I shop online is that I want specifications and comparisons at my fingertips, and I don't want to have to ask a pushy salesperson for information. I hope that in the future I'll be able to pull data from objects' RFID tags before making a purchase. I realize that's a long way off, but a girl can hope!

"We are enabling anytime, anywhere mobile access to information," said Dr. Chilhee Chung, senior vice president of Samsung Electronics' System LSI division, in a press release. "RFID chip reader systems allow consumers to pull context-specific information into their mobile devices while on the go. Our mobile RFID single-chip technology is an important step in the evolution of ubiquitous computing environments."

Really Tiny Chip

No, it's not a tick or a freckle. It's the smallest RFID chip on record. It's made by Hitachi, and measures 0.15 x 0.15 millimeters in size and 7.5 micrometers thick.  It can store enough data for a 38-digit number. It's pretty cool; hopefully it doesn't blow away in a stiff breeze, though. I'm betting Hitachi spent a bit of money on this one.

Home again

After a busy week, the DCC team is back. We had a great time meeting new people and getting reacquainted with long-time friends. Our booth was very popular due to an accident of fortune: Our theme for our exhibit was "knock one out of the park",  and this week the Tigers pitched their first Comerica Park no-hitter! We must have given away 250 DCC baseballs. To sum up, here are some photos:

A Dynamic Road Trip

Cindy Hupfel, Wendy Tate, and Eric Haener are hitting the road this week. The three of them will be representing Dynamic Computer at Detroit's ITEC conference Wednesday and Thursday. While attending ITEC, DCC will exhibit in booth #412 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Wednesday and 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM Thursday. On Wednesday Cindy and Wendy will give  a presentation on virtualization from 11:30-12:15. If you're in Detroit, stop by Cobo Hall and say hello! You can get in free of charge by choosing 'dynvip' in their online registration menu.

Also, on Friday the 15th Cindy, Wendy and Eric will be attending the MI-HIMSS summer conference at the St. John Golf Center in Plymouth. MI-HIMSS, for the uninitiated, is the Michigan Chapter of the Health Information & Management Systems Society. This event will be a day-long conference focusing on the impact and utilization of various types of technology on healthcare IT. Topics at the HIMSS event will be thin-clients, Internet2, the integration of PACS into EMRs and that sort of thing. DCC is a sponsor of the HIMSS event and will have an exhibit and participate in the conference sessions. This will be a nice way for everyone to unwind after ITEC!

Great news for non-profit hospitals

Did you see the May 11 directive? Hospitals can now donate EHR software and support to their doctors without IRS penalties or problems with their non-profit status. The goodies are here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/ehrdirective.pdf .

I think this is a pretty exciting example of a big government entity getting out of the way of the common good! Hopefully this will help lots of doctors to affordably adopt EHR technology.

Extreme Tech Makeover on the way

It's official! The application period for Dynamic's Extreme Tech Makeover has begun. From today until July 15, we will be accepting applications from organizations & businesses in Farmington and Farmington Hills, detailing all of their technical woes. Once the deadline has arrived, the Dynamic team will sift through the applications, find the one we can help the most, and then overhaul their network.  We'll work with the winner to make the plan, and we'll provide all the hardware, software, and personnel it takes to deliver the solution.

When the project is complete, we will host a launch party to celebrate!

We're pretty excited about this, not just because of the party, but also because we really believe good technology can make a huge difference. This is a great chance for us to prove that by helping an organization who has fallen behind the technological curve.

If you're in Farmington or Farmington Hills and would like to apply, you can get the form from our web site at http://www.dcc-online.com .

Amazing gear coming!

I have to admit. Microsoft has knocked my socks off this time. Their surface computing stuff looks pretty awesome.

Don't settle for reading an article; you've got to see this thing in action: http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9723647-1.html 

It's being proposed for uses on restaurant tabletops, though, which to my mind is a bit impractical. I'm thinking this will be fairly pricey, and do you really want a restaurant patron dumping a plate of spaghetti on your extremely expensive computer?

Still, kudoes to Microsoft for bringing us ever-closer to the world of Philip K. Dick.

Multicore Computing

AMD announced this weekend that they will have their quad-core offerings in production before the end of this year. Their long-anticipated Phenom (for the workstation) and Barcelona (for the server) will arrive at rough time for AMD, after several months of losing ground to Intel's quad-core CPU's.  In fact, I've been surprised to see how many people are paying a premium for the Intel quad-core, and the Mac Pro 8-core systems, with the dual Xeon quad chips. Folks are more thirsty for horsepower than I might have guessed.  AMD seems to have fallen behind in this race by several noselengths; but they had won so many die-hard fans with the Opteron and Athlon series that I'm excited to see where they are headed.  

Upcoming Appearance!

It's confirmed! DCC will be exhibiting and presenting at Detroit's ITEC June 13 and 14. If you're in the neighborhood, please drop by our booth and say "Hello!" We always have goodies for our visitors.

Back from Boston

Your trusty DCC blogger is back from the BioIT World conference in Boston. There I learned about the growing world of bioinformatics, in which everyone is creating a new standard practically every day. I also absorbed lots of information about the disconnect that exists between the end-users (in this case biologists) and their IT staff. I wonder if we'd have the cure for cancer in our drugstores right now if only folks from other academic persuasions could understand IT better. 

I think in a perfect world, we could all be IT experts. I don't mean simply able to use a computer, but able to plan complex systems and adjust them to suit our specific technical needs. That way, a genius biologist could simply create an array of computers that could simulate protein folding all day, and also design a system to capture that data, analyze it, secure it, and back it up.

With our current level of technology, I don't think that idyllic day is upon us quite yet.  Computer technology is still too various, too complex, and cannot be mastered without a great deal of time and devotion.

Unfortunately, the part no one seems to understand, is that we have not reached the perfect day in which an IT expert can be a biology expert, either. Much like the field of IT, biology has many specific elements which are not intuitive and require a great deal of time and dedication to master. It's impossible for an IT expert to view the problem in the same way a biologist will.

The same holds true in many fields wherein computer science is quickly becoming part of the landscape.

I think the term "bioinformatics" lends itself handily to the solution for this problem.

Cross-discipline fields with IT components must become part of our Universities' curricula. Some key examples of this have already begun; for instance, many communications departments are incorporating IT or computer sciences with their telecommunications programs. Many Math, Statistics, and Economics programs have specialties which include some degree of technical computing training.  I think it would be wonderful if bioinformatics could be a course of study. There also need to be people who have training in chemistry/IT, and pharmacology/IT. Most importantly, however, there should be people who have studied medicine and IT together. I think someday that will happen, and it will be a great advancement for all of us.

There aren't any scientific fields left in which advanced computers do not play a key role*, and yet we are still academically separating the computers from the scientists.

*Except perhaps those guys who swim around with dolphins. They probably aren't using computers all that much.

Hp's 2012 vision

There are some really cool images on the following web site of HP's ideas for the future of personal computing. Click at your own risk, though; 2012 is still a few years off...

http://gizmodo.com/photogallery/hptour

Social Security Numbers: The case against storing them.

Once again, a government-run database has leaked thousands of social security numbers onto the Internet, and no one is being held accountable for it. This database was housed at the Census Bureau, and shared with the Department of Agriculture's web site, where you and I could browse the social security numbers of thousands of farmers using any standard web browser. In a New York Times article, White House OMB spokesperson Sean Kevelighan said: “We take the loss or exposure of personal identifiable information very serious, but we are confident that this is an isolated incident.”

Let's ignore, for the moment, that Sean doesn't use the proper '-ly' ending on his adverb. The problem with Sean's statement is that this is not an isolated incident by any stretch of the imagination. The Department of Agriculture reported to the House Government Reform Committee on July 25, 2006 that it had confirmed eight incidents involving the loss or compromise of any sensitive personal information since January 1, 2003. The Department of Agriculture is not alone, and is not even the scariest example. This February the  Department of Veterans' Affairs leaked 1.5 million people's SSNs and medical data. In a separate incident, the VA reported in May 2006 that they lost 26.5 million people's SSNs.  You can see a frightening report by the House Committee on Government Reform here: http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20061013145352-82231.pdf .

The Federal Privacy Act stumbles timorously into the world of data protection, prohibits the use of SSN's as identifiers in federal agencies, and doesn't include any requirements for audits to ensure compliance.

The problem is not limited to federal agencies, either. Here in Michigan, both Michigan State and U of M have suffered breaches in which student and faculty social security information was leaked. Lansing Community College, where social security numbers also served as student ID numbers until a just a few years ago, has also had trouble hanging on to SSNs. In the first quarter of 2007, a few of the organizations who lost data including personal identification and social security numbers included: University of Idaho, Chicago Public Schools, MoneyGram International, & Fruit of the Loom.

Most of the data is not lost to hackers; most of it is physically stolen, when laptop computers, hard drives, or tape media are stolen. My question is, why is it necessary for so many of these organizations to retain my SSN? It might take some extra steps in the process of checking credit, arranging financial transactions, or handling loan data, but I don't think it's necessary for most of these agencies to store social security  numbers for any extended period of time at all, and certainly not in a mobile or net-accessible locale. Once you've applied for your farm loan and been approved, why does the Department of Agriculture need to store that information? Once you are a student at the University of Michigan and your financial aid has been processed, why do they need to keep your social security number in their file?

In short, I think too many of our systems are designed to hang on to large quantities of data they don't really need, and consumers don't have any option to withdraw that data once it has been given.  At a bare minimum, I think the Federal Privacy Act should be expanded to require personal identifying data to be purged when certain criteria have been met; for example, when a student graduates from college, certainly the college should get rid of their SSN. When a farmer has paid off his farm loan, his SSN should be removed from the system. My bank should not keep my SSN on file after my initial citizenship status check is complete, or after my loan has been processed.

Further, it should be absolutely illegal to store other people's personally identifiable information on anyone's laptop computer. This is ridiculous in the way that Bozo the Clown was ridiculous.

Identity theft is still on the rise, but almost half of identity theft victims are under the age of 40. This means, unfortunately, that it is not a heavily emphasized political issue, since baby boomers still drive politics in the US. I believe, however, that it is an ethical issue that organizations should not ignore. If you can't absolutely guarantee the safety of an SSN (which you most likely can't) I think you should remove it from your systems. 

Ubuntu Out of the Box

Ubuntu's next release is creating quite a stir this week, as Ubuntu makes aggressive strides into the world of high-end servers.  Essentially, the next release of Ubuntu (Feisty Fawn, scheduled for April 19) is the first Linux distribution with Para-Ops and VMI support for optimized performance under VMware.  Of course, Feisty Fawn still supports open-source virtualization packages, like Xen.

If the release works as it should, you could run Feisty Fawn on your Linux server, and install a VMWare layer. From there you could do all the ordinary things VMWare supports, including running virtual Windows machines.

New Mac Pro reaches epic proportions...

When I saw Apple's web site this morning, I think I heard the lofty trumpet sounds of Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man chiming down from the heavens. I am pretty sure the murky clouds over the Detroit area parted, and a single ray of sunshine beamed directly down through the Dynamic Computer ceiling and onto my flat panel.

The new Mac Pro is just an unspeakably awesome computer. Let's start with options for 8-core Xeon processing. Up to 16 GB of RAM. 3 TB of storage & your choice of three hot graphics carts. It is downright swoonworthy. The best part: the entire thing is customizable. You can opt to start out with this case nearly empty, leaving a ton of room for expansion, or you can load up. The price difference there is about $2500 for the bare bones (still pretty great) up to about $12,000 for the most incredible desktop computer I have ever seen.

I can't wait to see if the reviewers like these. I think it's a great move for Apple to offer just one really amazing new computer, and let people scale it the way they want it. I'm sure most home users aren't going to shell out $12,000 for a machine to play World of Warcraft or Doom; the nearly empty version could still make for some pretty smooth gaming or multimedia performance. I can, however, see how some professionals might want to inch toward the $12,000 top end. I have got to think this would be an amazing architect's or engineer's computer. It would also be great for my work with the Adobe Creative Suite, rendering vector graphics and such, although I'd have a tough time convincing Casie and Farida of the ROI of switching me from Windows to Mac and buying me a computer that costs as much as a car.

Dare to dream.  And now, all together on the count of three:

one,        two,         three:    *swoon*

Public Health Tech Conference

It's in the works! DCC will be attending Michigan's Public Health Technology conference in East Lansing this March. We're putting together packets and tweaking our cookie recipes as we ramp up for this exciting event. Surely the kindly folks who administer vaccines to all Michigan's baby residents will be cool people to meet. I can't wait!