If you or someone you know has ever worked in a factory, then you’ve probably heard some horrific stories about lost appendages, or even deaths because safety cords or buttons could not be reached in time.

In order to provide a safe workplace and avoid unnecessary costs, accident prevention should be a top priority. Thankfully, through advances in wireless technology, workers will no longer have to move in order to stop industrial equipment. With RFID technology, line workers can simply wear an identification card that is able to communicate their location to a centralized system and stop equipment on a zoned basis.

For example, with the use of RFID technology, the speed and acceleration of a lift truck operator could be tracked, providing an automatic reporting of unsafe operation. In fact, there are countless scenarios as to how RFID could be implemented in order to increase safety and decrease costs.

Read the full article here to learn more.

If you’re still curious as to what RFID is all about, learn more here.

Recently, we discussed the potential use of RFID chips with high-schoolers in New Caanan, Connecticut. Now, school officials in Contra Costa County, CA have decided to test RFID tracking on preschoolers with a federal grant that they received.

During school hours, students will wear an RFID jersey that tracks their movement and collects data, such as whether or not the child has eaten. The idea is that RFID tracking will save costs, since teachers used to have to manually keep track of attendance and meal schedules.

In fact, with the RFID chips, every movement the child makes is capable of being tracked. Unlike with high-schoolers, preschoolers won’t be able to understand the implications and ramifications of the study. Personally, I’m wondering what say parents will have in their child’s participation.

Let us know what you think about tracking preschoolers with RFID by commenting here, or on our Facebook or Twitter pages.

If you’re still confused about what exactly RFID technology is, learn more here.

If you’re up on your knowledge of mobile 2D barcodes, then you probably know about QR Codes and Microsoft Tag, maybe even JAGTAG and ZXing. But, have you ever heard of BeeTagg? According to their website, it is the most popular non-standard code for mobile tagging and has been optimized for it. Yet, until recently, I hadn’t heard of it!

Like Microsoft Tag, BeeTagg requires that users download their reader. Once downloaded, its functionalities are similar to other mobile barcodes, but it is particularly good in applications that require a layer of security, such as contests, voting, polls, ticketing and couponing. Also, be sure to check out which phones BeeTagg is compatible with.

While I have used and enjoyed Microsoft Tag in the past, I have to admit that the appeal of QR codes is far greater than any of the reader specific codes on the market. Many consumers don’t want to take the time to download a specific reader, and now, many phones are coming pre-loaded with QR code readers.

If you are familiar with BeeTagg, are there real advantages to using it over a standard QR code? From a marketing perspective, I can see that BeeTagg lets you easily incorporate a logo, but both Microsoft Tag, JAGTAG and QR codes can all be customized.

Let us know which code you like best and why by commenting here, or on our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Be honest, do you always recycle everything that can possibly be recycled? If you do, that’s great, but according to treehugger.com, about a quarter of the American population doesn’t recycle at all. Now, Celeveland, Ohio has decided to do something about it. By using RFID tags, city officals will be able to track how often residents recycle, and if they don’t, there will be consequences in the form of a $100 fine!

The city plans to issue recycling bins equipped with RFID tags and recyclables will be collected every two weeks, different from standard trash collection. The RFID tags will transmit the address when the truck comes to the house and information will be sent to a central computer which records the address. If a household fails to put out their recycling bin often, an inspector will check the trash from that household to see if they have been throwing any recyclables away with the standard trash. Should they have thrown out 10% or more recyclables in the regular trash, they will receive a $100 fine!

While some may think this seems steep, it should be noted that recycling is not only good for the environment, but also saves the city money because of landfill costs. Cleveland isn’t alone in their efforts to save money. In Charlotte, N.C., RFID tags are used to find out which neighborhoods recycle most.

In addition to helping the environment and saving money, the program will create awareness about the benefits of recycling and teach people to be more conscious about what they are throwing away.

What do you think about Cleveland’s RFID recycling program? A good cause, or too intrusive? Share your opinion by commenting here, or on our Facebook or Twitter pages.

If you’re still not sure exactly what RFID technology is all about, learn more here.

Psion Teklogix recently announced that version 3.0 of its Mobile Integration Suite (MIS) has been re-certified by SAP for integration with SAP applications.
The Psion Teklogix MIS is an enterprise middleware that enables full integration with SAP ERP applications and offers the ability to enable voice picking solutions. The Suite consists of three components: TekRF, TekConsol, TekConsoleSC, and TekSpeech.

TekRF
A middleware solution that connects Psion Teklogix devices to SAP.

TekConsole
Similar to TekConsole, but connects synchronously via SAP BAPI.

TekConsoleSC
An alternative to SAPConsole that can also be used for radio devices.

TekSpeech
A software solution to use speech devices.

Suresh Babu, Director of IT at Great Lakes Cheese Co. uses Psion Teklogix and SAP to ensure an efficient warehouse, stating, “Software from both Psion Teklogix and SAP are critical technology tools for our business.”

Learn more about what SAP and Psion Teklogix can do for you business.