Qantas trials RFID tech

Qantas has signalled it will tighten its excess baggage policy as it introduces futuristic check-in facilities using radio frequency identification (RFID), reports The Australian.

The airline is also preparing to offer upper-tier frequent flyers a unique personal electronic bag tag that can automatically store details of up to four flights and will replace the traditional paper bar code.

A barcode will be sent to passengers' handsets to confirm their mobile check-in. Passengers will eventually be able to combine the smart card, which can also be used as a boarding pass, with RFID bag tags to check their bags at an automated bag drop in seconds.

Motorola will sell off most of its cellular infrastructure business to Nokia Siemens for $1.2 billion by the end of the year as Motorola continues to plan for an eventual split into two companies, states Twice.

Motorola's enterprise mobility solutions and networks includes the network infrastructure business to be sold to Nokia Siemens as well as barcode scanners, RFID readers and wireless-network infrastructure to enterprises and governments.

“Selling off the enterprise mobility business's cellular infrastructure operations is great news for our customers, our investors and our people,” says Motorola co-CEO Greg Brown. He adds it will allow the company to sharpen focus on providing mission and business critical solutions for government, public safety and enterprise customers.

Zebra Enterprise Solutions will roll out its real-time locating system called Dart Ultra-Wideband (UWB), says Trading Markets.

The company says the next generation of the Sapphire UWB product line, Dart UWB, enables fast, accurate location of personnel and equipment for operations in US, Canada and the European markets.

By reading thousands of small, active RFID tags per second, Dart UWB allows for an array of both indoor and outdoor asset management applications in the harshest industrial environments.