RFID keeps drinks flowing

Patrons of the lobby bar at the Peabody Memphis hotel might look up to see a parade of ducks marching in formation before settling into the fountain, says RFID Update.

The duck parade is a Peabody tradition that goes back to the 1930s. Those unaware of the tradition might think they're seeing things, or that the drinks at the lobby bar are unusually strong. But it's definitely not the drinks; a radio frequency identification device (RFID) management system helps ensure those are poured consistently.

The Peabody Hotel recently began using the Beverage Tracker solution from Capton, which uses RFID tags and sensors to monitor and record how much alcohol is poured each time a bottle is used.

Pensonic Holdings unit Microtag Engineering is ready to launch an RFID document tracking system this year, reports The Star.

Microtag MD and Pensonic corporate advisor Datuk Dr Kang Chin Seng said the system was suitable for use in large corporations and government offices where there was a large volume of documents being moved daily.

"The system uses active RFID technology that can identify and locate documents on the move."

Crown Computing has launched a new homecare monitoring system to enable supervisors in control centres to be aware in real-time that carers are arriving on time at each of their planned visits, reports Hospitaliteurope.

The real-time data is captured using a mobile phone issued to each carer, and a contact-free chip card or tag located at the service user address.

Should a carer be late for a time-critical visit, the system will generate an alert to inform the supervisor, who can then investigate and put a contingency plan in place if needed.