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harshmishra8726 · 7 months ago

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PVC Cards vs. Traditional Paper Cards: Why Plastic is the New Standard

As technology evolves, the choices for business tools and solutions evolve too. A perfect example is the shift from traditional paper cards to PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) plastic cards. While paper cards have been a staple for identification, membership, and payment cards, PVC plastic cards are fast emerging as the preferred option across many industries. From toll management to retail loyalty programs, plastic cards offer durability, functionality, and branding opportunities that paper cards can’t match. Here, we’ll explore why PVC cards are overtaking traditional paper options and dive into how RFID readers are revolutionizing toll management on highways and city roads, enhancing revenue collection, and reducing maintenance costs.

1. Durability and Longevity: The PVC Edge

When choosing between paper and PVC, durability is a deciding factor. PVC cards are made of sturdy plastic, and resistant to physical wear and tear, moisture, and sunlight exposure. This makes them suitable for long-term use in high-traffic areas, like toll booths and public transport. Traditional paper cards, while inexpensive, wear down quickly. Even laminated paper cards can't offer the lifespan of PVC, especially in demanding environments.

PVC’s longevity leads to fewer replacements and less downtime, saving both businesses and users time and resources. This is why businesses in the healthcare, fitness, and government sectors are leaning towards PVC for secure and sustainable solutions.

2. Enhanced Security with RFID Technology

PVC cards support RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) integration, a feature that’s transforming the way industries handle security and access control. RFID technology enables contactless transactions and identification, which has become particularly beneficial in toll management on highways and city roads. An RFID-enabled PVC card contains a chip that communicates with RFID readers to enable seamless, automated toll transactions. These RFID readers, strategically placed at toll plazas, identify and record passing vehicles without the need for physical stops, minimizing congestion and maximizing efficiency.

This security advantage extends beyond tolls. RFID-enabled PVC cards are also used in corporate access control, secure payment systems, and government-issued ID cards. In comparison, traditional paper cards lack these advanced security features, making them impractical for applications that require data security and tracking.

3. How RFID Readers Improve Toll Management

The integration of RFID readers in toll management is a prime example of how PVC cards and modern technology can streamline processes. Here’s a closer look at how RFID technology enhances toll collection:

Automated, Contactless Transactions: RFID readers at toll plazas automatically identify RFID-enabled PVC cards in vehicles, allowing drivers to pass through without stopping. This contactless system significantly reduces traffic congestion and improves the flow of vehicles on highways and city roads, making travel faster and more efficient.

Accurate Revenue Collection: RFID readers accurately track every passing vehicle, ensuring that toll fees are consistently and accurately collected. This reduces the risk of manual errors and fraud, enhancing revenue collection for city and highway toll operators.

Reduced Maintenance and Operational Costs: Automated toll collection systems require less manual oversight, cutting down on labor costs and maintenance expenses associated with traditional toll collection booths. RFID readers are also durable and designed for high-frequency use, meaning they last longer and need less frequent replacement compared to systems relying solely on manual or barcode scanning.

Environmental Benefits: By reducing the need for paper-based toll tickets and minimizing vehicle idling time at toll booths, RFID toll management systems also contribute to a decrease in fuel consumption and emissions, supporting environmental sustainability efforts on a broader scale.

In essence, RFID readers at toll plazas enable a smart, efficient, and eco-friendly approach to toll management, ensuring accurate revenue collection while providing drivers with a hassle-free experience.

4. Branding and Professional Appearance

PVC cards offer a polished, professional look, making them an excellent choice for brands that want to create a lasting impression. Businesses can customize PVC cards with brand colors, logos, and high-quality graphics, enhancing brand recognition every time a customer uses their card. This visual appeal and customization option make PVC cards ideal for loyalty programs, membership cards, and even gift cards in the retail and hospitality industries.

Paper cards, though customizable to some extent, do not retain their appearance well over time. They wear out quickly, making them look worn or faded, which can diminish the brand’s image and lead to a less-than-professional impression on clients and customers.

5. Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Options

While it may seem counterintuitive, PVC cards can be a more sustainable option than paper in specific scenarios. Since PVC cards last significantly longer than paper cards, they require less frequent replacement, reducing overall waste. Additionally, many companies now offer PVC cards made from recycled or recyclable materials, aligning with eco-conscious goals.

Conversely, paper cards might appear to be the more environmentally friendly option at first glance. However, when considering the entire lifecycle of a product, the repeated need to reissue paper cards can create more waste and increase resource consumption. For businesses with sustainability goals, durable PVC options can provide a better balance between environmental impact and long-term usability.

6. Versatility Across Industries

PVC cards are incredibly versatile, which is why they are becoming the new standard across multiple industries. In addition to their role in toll management, PVC cards are widely used in gyms, retail stores, hospitality, and government offices for identification, membership, and payment purposes. The combination of durability, customization, and technological adaptability—such as RFID integration—makes PVC a practical and multifunctional choice for any industry looking to offer a professional, efficient, and secure experience.

Conclusion: PVC Cards as the Future Standard

As industries continue to evolve and adapt to new technology, PVC cards are proving to be the standard choice for businesses that value durability, functionality, and brand appeal. For applications that require reliable security, such as toll management on busy highways and roads, the benefits of RFID-enabled PVC cards are undeniable. They facilitate a seamless, accurate, and efficient toll collection process, reducing costs and enhancing the customer experience.

For organizations across the board, whether in retail, healthcare, or transportation, PVC cards offer reliability, flexibility, and advanced features that traditional paper cards simply cannot match. As the world shifts towards smarter and more sustainable solutions, PVC cards are positioned as the future standard in card-based applications.

#rfid technology #PVC Cards #Plastic PVC Card #RFID Reader #RFID Solutions #PVC Cards Manufacturer #RFID-enabled PVC cards #RFID toll management systems #access control solutions

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sfcfinance · 1 year ago

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Ever Wondered How Safe Your Wallet Really Is?"

Did you know that your credit card information can be stolen in certain public places without you even noticing?

Skimmers would capture your card details in these places and use it without authorization.

#credit cards #rfid reader #rfid protector #finance #personal finance

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fionayao2008 · 2 years ago

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Tripod Turnstile Overview Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, as well as Flap Turnstile( RS Security Co., Ltd: www.szrssecurity.com) are modern-day control devices for pedestrian passages. They are made use of in places where the entryway and exit of people need to be managed, such as smart areas, canteens, hotels, museums, gyms, clubs, metros, stations, docks, and so on place. The use of Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, and Flap Turnstile can make the circulation of people organized. Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, Flap Turnstile are utilized in combination with smart cards, fingerprints, barcodes and other recognition system equipment to develop a smart gain access to control network control system; they are used in combination with computers, access control, participation, billing administration, ticket systems and various other software to form a The smart Turnstile Gate comprehensive monitoring system can realize functions such as accessibility control, participation, intake, ticketing, as well as current restricting. This Turnstile Gate monitoring system is part of the "all-in-one card" as well as is installed at flows such as areas, manufacturing facilities, smart structures, canteens, etc. It can finish various administration functions such as worker card traveling control, presence at get off work and dishes, and eating. Tripod Turnstile system attributes Fast and convenient: check out the card in and out with one swipe. Make use of the authorized IC card and also wave it in front of the clever Tripod Turnstile visitor to complete the Tripod Turnstile gate opening and cost recording work. The card analysis is non-directional and the reading and also composing time is 0.1 secs, which is quick and practical. Protection as well as discretion: Use background or local confirmation, licensed issuance, and also one-of-a-kind identity, that is, the card can just be made use of in this system, and it is risk-free and also confidential. Reliability: Card superhigh frequency induction, stable and also reliable, with the capacity to court as well as think. Flexibility: The system can flexibly establish access and also departure control workers authorizations, period control, cardholder legitimacy and also blacklist loss reporting, adding cards and also various other functions. Convenience: Through consent, the customer card can be used for "one-card" management such as auto parking, participation, gain access to control, patrol, intake, and so on, making it simple to realize multiple uses one card. Simplicity: Easy to install, easy to attach, the software program has a Chinese user interface and is simple to operate. Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, and also Flap Turnstile( RS Security Co., Ltd: www.szrssecurity.com) are contemporary control tools for pedestrian flows. The use of Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, and Flap Turnstile can make the flow of individuals organized. Make use of the accredited IC card and also wave it in front of the wise Tripod Turnstile visitor to complete the Tripod Turnstile gate opening and also charge recording work.

#Tripod Turnstiles Door #Uhf Hard Tag #Uhf Card Blanks #Triple Turnstile #Vehicle Detection #Boom Gate Barriers #Uhf Tag 860-960 Mhz #Swing Turnstile Gate #Uhf Rfid Fixed Reader #Semi Automatic Bollard

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ailurinae · 2 years ago

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We do have both mobile devices with pin entry, and tap ones, but both are at least somewhat recent. And the ones that use the contact chip tend to get dirty/damaged (not sure of details), and don't work well, at which point you need to fall back on the magnetic stripe. The tap ones are even newer and thus rarer, but at least are more reliable than the contact ones. And places like NYC and SV are more likely to have newer ones, backwaters in the western interior are less likely. Also varies by type and age of business… I rarely went to bars even before the pandemic, so I have no clue what is common now. Last time I did go to a bar was probably over 5 years ago in Seattle, and they held onto your card… they might have had a Square tap reader though? Hard to recall.

Right Americans, I need an explanation. What on Earth are these kids doing wrong? Surely this is normal?

#I mean I am pretty sure I first saw tap readers over 10 years ago #But they still aren't super common #More common at newly started small cafés and such #Or at farmers markets where you need to be mobile #No one trusted tap readers at first #Even though they are more secure than mag strips #Definitely less secure than chip contact ones though #And should definitely have an RFID blocking wallet #And credit cards were almost as slow to roll out cards with RFID as places were to add readers #The chips they rolled out fast and pretty early #But for a long time no one had the contact readers

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cyberpunkonline · 1 month ago

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🛠️ CYBERPUNK DIY: FIELD NOTES FROM THE EDGE

Signal witchery, junktech hacks, and dirty tricks for surviving in a monitored world. Use at your own risk.

🛠️ Decoy Wallet Drop Load a busted RFID card with junk data. Drop it in a corp zone. Watch how fast they panic-scan it.

🛠️ IR Ghost Hack Stick IR LEDs to your hoodie brim. Security cams wash out your face in overexposure. Cheap invisibility for entry-level hauntings.

🛠️ ID Ghost Tape an old barcode over a badge reader. Swipe it. Low-end systems loop out, grant ghost access. No log, no trace.

🛠️ Access Noise Scrap Walkman + laser pointer = drone jitter rig. Point, pulse, and watch surveillance drones shudder mid-hover. Works better than it should.

🛠️ Surveillance Spoof Build a scrambler from a tape deck & cracked RFID chip. Jams low-band corp sweeps when close to skin. Bonus: sounds like a haunted modem.

🛠️ Noise Cloak Plug an aux mic into a busted radio. Loop dish noise or dead air. Voice masking field, 2m radius. Best used in stairwells or lifts.

🛠️ Burner Beacon Dead smartwatch + static burst loop. Drop it in a stairwell. Signal sniffer bait. Congrats: you just left a ghost.

🛠️ Audio Junk Jam Wire a piezo buzzer into a gutted vape mod. Low hum disrupts mics + AI voice logs. Pocket-sized silence field.

🛠️ RFID Decoy Fry a store loyalty card. Embed it in a keychain with copper tape. Flicker-pings on passive readers—corp systems go wild flagging ghosts.

⚠️ Remember:

None of this is legal. All of it is necessary. Build slow, vanish fast.

#CyberpunkOnline #GEFFINECoded #CyberpunkDIY #SignalWitchery #UrbanJunktech #LowtechResistance #RFIDHacks #DroneDisruption #SurveillanceSpoof #TechnoFeral #ZinepunkTools #DigitalDirt #OccultHardware

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materialsscienceandengineering · 4 months ago

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Chip-free wireless sensors could reduce environmental impact of electronic tags

A more sustainable new form of electronic tag could help reduce the vast environmental impact caused by single-use RFID technologies, researchers say. Engineers from the University of Glasgow have developed the new wireless tag system, which can identify objects and measure temperature without the use of microchips. Instead, the tags use inexpensive coils and a sensing material made from a form of silicon rubber called PDMS and carbon fibers. The coils, smaller than the ones found in credit cards, absorb electromagnetic signals from a hand-held reader using electromagnetic waves. The researchers say their new, less wasteful tags could help reduce the retail sector's reliance on RFID chips, which uses more than 10 billion tags each year. Most tags are used just once, and end up in a landfill without appropriate recycling of the electronics.

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mariacallous · 4 months ago

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Scan the online brochures of companies who sell workplace monitoring tech and you’d think the average American worker was a renegade poised to take their employer down at the next opportunity. “Nearly half of US employees admit to time theft!” “Biometric readers for enhanced accuracy!” “Offer staff benefits in a controlled way with Vending Machine Access!”

A new wave of return-to-office mandates has arrived since the New Year, including at JP Morgan Chase, leading advertising agency WPP, and Amazon—not to mention President Trump’s late January directive to the heads of federal agencies to “terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person … on a full-time basis.” Five years on from the pandemic, when the world showed how effectively many roles could be performed remotely or flexibly, what’s caused the sudden change of heart?

“There’s two things happening,” says global industry analyst Josh Bersin, who is based in California. “The economy is actually slowing down, so companies are hiring less. So there is a trend toward productivity in general, and then AI has forced virtually every company to reallocate resources toward AI projects.

“The expectation amongst CEOs is that’s going to eliminate a lot of jobs. A lot of these back-to-work mandates are due to frustration that both of those initiatives are hard to measure or hard to do when we don’t know what people are doing at home.”

The question is, what exactly are we returning to?

Take any consumer tech buzzword of the 21st century and chances are it’s already being widely used across the US to monitor time, attendance and, in some cases, the productivity of workers, in sectors such as manufacturing, retail, and fast food chains: RFID badges, GPS time clock apps, NFC apps, QR code clocking-in, Apple Watch badges, and palm, face, eye, voice, and finger scanners. Biometric scanners have long been sold to companies as a way to avoid hourly workers “buddy punching” for each other at the start and end of shifts—so-called “time theft.” A return-to-office mandate and its enforcement opens the door for similar scenarios for salaried staff.

Track and Trace

The latest, deluxe end point of these time and attendance tchotchkes and apps is something like Austin-headquartered HID’s OmniKey platform. Designed for factories, hospitals, universities and offices, this is essentially an all-encompassing RFID log-in and security system for employees, via smart cards, smartphone wallets, and wearables. These will not only monitor turnstile entrances, exits, and floor access by way of elevators but also parking, the use of meeting rooms, the cafeteria, printers, lockers, and yes, vending machine access.

These technologies, and more sophisticated worker location- and behavior-tracking systems, are expanding from blue-collar jobs to pink-collar industries and even white-collar office settings. Depending on the survey, approximately 70 to 80 percent of large US employers now use some form of employee monitoring, and the likes of PwC have explicitly told workers that managers will be tracking their location to enforce a three-day office week policy.

“Several of these earlier technologies, like RFID sensors and low-tech barcode scanners, have been used in manufacturing, in warehouses, or in other settings for some time,” says Wolfie Christl, a researcher of workplace surveillance for Cracked Labs, a nonprofit based in Vienna, Austria. “We’re moving toward the use of all kinds of sensor data, and this kind of technology is certainly now moving into the offices. However, I think for many of these, it’s questionable whether they really make sense there.”

What’s new, at least to the recent pandemic age of hybrid working, is the extent to which workers can now be tracked inside office buildings. Cracked Labs published a frankly terrifying 25-page case study report in November 2024 showing how systems of wireless networking, motion sensors, and Bluetooth beacons, whether intentionally or as a byproduct of their capabilities, can provide “behavioral monitoring and profiling” in office settings.

The project breaks the tech down into two categories: The first is technology that tracks desk presence and room occupancy, and the second monitors the indoor location, movement, and behavior of the people working inside the building.

To start with desk and room occupancy, Spacewell offers a mix of motion sensors installed under desks, in ceilings, and at doorways in “office spaces” and heat sensors and low-resolution visual sensors to show which desks and rooms are being used. Both real-time and trend data are available to managers via its “live data floorplan,” and the sensors also capture temperature, environmental, light intensity, and humidity data.

The Swiss-headquartered Locatee, meanwhile, uses existing badge and device data via Wi-Fi and LAN to continuously monitor clocking in and clocking out, time spent by workers at desks and on specific floors, and the number of hours and days spent by employees at the office per week. While the software displays aggregate rather than individual personal employee data to company executives, the Cracked Labs report points out that Locatee offers a segmented team analytics report which “reveals data on small groups.”

As more companies return to the office, the interest in this idea of “optimized” working spaces is growing fast. According to S&S Insider’s early 2025 analysis, the connected office was worth $43 billion in 2023 and will grow to $122.5 billion by 2032. Alongside this, IndustryARC predicts there will be a $4.5 billion employee-monitoring-technology market, mostly in North America, by 2026—the only issue being that the crossover between the two is blurry at best.

At the end of January, Logitech showed off its millimeter-wave radar Spot sensors, which are designed to allow employers to monitor whether rooms are being used and which rooms in the building are used the most. A Logitech rep told The Verge that the peel-and-stick devices, which also monitor VOCs, temperature, and humidity, could theoretically estimate the general placement of people in a meeting room.

As Christl explains, because of the functionality that these types of sensor-based systems offer, there is the very real possibility of a creep from legitimate applications, such as managing energy use, worker health and safety, and ensuring sufficient office resources into more intrusive purposes.

“For me, the main issue is that if companies use highly sensitive data like tracking the location of employees’ devices and smartphones indoors or even use motion detectors indoors,” he says, “then there must be totally reliable safeguards that this data is not being used for any other purposes.”

Big Brother Is Watching

This warning becomes even more pressing where workers’ indoor location, movement, and behavior are concerned. Cisco’s Spaces cloud platform has digitized 11 billion square feet of enterprise locations, producing 24.7 trillion location data points. The Spaces system is used by more than 8,800 businesses worldwide and is deployed by the likes of InterContinental Hotels Group, WeWork, the NHS Foundation, and San Jose State University, according to Cisco’s website.

While it has applications for retailers, restaurants, hotels, and event venues, many of its features are designed to function in office environments, including meeting room management and occupancy monitoring. Spaces is designed as a comprehensive, all-seeing eye into how employees (and customers and visitors, depending on the setting) and their connected devices, equipment, or “assets” move through physical spaces.

Cisco has achieved this by using its existing wireless infrastructure and combining data from Wi-Fi access points with Bluetooth tracking. Spaces offers employers both real-time views and historical data dashboards. The use cases? Everything from meeting-room scheduling and optimizing cleaning schedules to more invasive dashboards on employees’ entry and exit times, the duration of staff workdays, visit durations by floor, and other “behavior metrics.” This includes those related to performance, a feature pitched at manufacturing sites.

Some of these analytics use aggregate data, but Cracked Labs details how Spaces goes beyond this into personal data, with device usernames and identifiers that make it possible to single out individuals. While the ability to protect privacy by using MAC randomization is there, Cisco emphasizes that this makes indoor movement analytics “unreliable” and other applications impossible—leaving companies to make that decision themselves.

Management even has the ability to send employees nudge-style alerts based on their location in the building. An IBM application, based on Cisco’s underlying technology, offers to spot anomalies in occupancy patterns and send notifications to workers or their managers based on what it finds. Cisco’s Spaces can also incorporate video footage from Cisco security cameras and WebEx video conferencing hardware into the overall system of indoor movement monitoring; another example of function creep from security to employee tracking in the workplace.

“Cisco is simply everywhere. As soon as employers start to repurpose data that is being collected from networking or IT infrastructure, this quickly becomes very dangerous, from my perspective.” says Christl. “With this kind of indoor location tracking technology based on its Wi-Fi networks, I think that a vendor as major as Cisco has a responsibility to ensure it doesn’t suggest or market solutions that are really irresponsible to employers.

“I would consider any productivity and performance tracking very problematic when based on this kind of intrusive behavioral data.” WIRED approached Cisco for comment but didn’t receive a response before publication.

Cisco isn't alone in this, though. Similar to Spaces, Juniper’s Mist offers an indoor tracking system that uses both Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth beacons to locate people, connected devices, and Bluetooth tagged badges on a real-time map, with the option of up to 13 months of historical data on worker behavior.

Juniper’s offering, for workplaces including offices, hospitals, manufacturing sites, and retailers, is so precise that it is able to provide records of employees’ device names, together with the exact enter and exit times and duration of visits between “zones” in offices—including one labeled “break area/kitchen” in a demo. Yikes.

For each of these systems, a range of different applications is functionally possible, and some which raise labor-law concerns. “A worst-case scenario would be that management wants to fire someone and then starts looking into historical records trying to find some misconduct,” says Christl. "If it’s necessary to investigate employees, then there should be a procedure where, for example, a worker representative is looking into the fine-grained behavioral data together with management. This would be another safeguard to prevent misuse.”

Above and Beyond?

If warehouse-style tracking has the potential for management overkill in office settings, it makes even less sense in service and health care jobs, and American unions are now pushing for more access to data and quotas used in disciplinary action. Elizabeth Anderson, professor of public philosophy at the University of Michigan and the author of Private Government: How Employers Rule Our Lives, describes how black-box algorithm-driven management and monitoring affects not just the day-to-day of nursing staff but also their sense of work and value.

“Surveillance and this idea of time theft, it’s all connected to this idea of wasting time,” she explains. “Essentially all relational work is considered inefficient. In a memory care unit, for example, the system will say how long to give a patient breakfast, how many minutes to get them dressed, and so forth.

“Maybe an Alzheimer’s patient is frightened, so a nurse has to spend some time calming them down, or perhaps they have lost some ability overnight. That’s not one of the discrete physical tasks that can be measured. Most of the job is helping that person cope with declining faculties; it takes time for that, for people to read your emotions and respond appropriately. What you get is massive moral injury with this notion of efficiency.”

This kind of monitoring extends to service workers, including servers in restaurants and cleaning staff, according to a 2023 Cracked Labs’ report into retail and hospitality. Software developed by Oracle is used to, among other applications, rate and rank servers based on speed, sales, timekeeping around breaks, and how many tips they receive. Similar Oracle software that monitors mobile workers such as housekeepers and cleaners in hotels uses a timer for app-based micromanagement—for instance, “you have two minutes for this room, and there are four tasks.”

As Christl explains, this simply doesn’t work in practice. “People have to struggle to combine what they really do with this kind of rigid, digital system. And it’s not easy to standardize work like talking to patients and other kinds of affective work, like how friendly you are as a waiter. This is a major problem. These systems cannot represent the work that is being done accurately.”

But can knowledge work done in offices ever be effectively measured and assessed either? In an episode of his podcast in January, host Ezra Klein battled his own feelings about having many of his best creative ideas at a café down the street from where he lives rather than in The New York Times’ Manhattan offices. Anderson agrees that creativity often has to find its own path.

“Say there’s a webcam tracking your eyes to make sure you’re looking at the screen,” she says. “We know that daydreaming a little can actually help people come up with creative ideas. Just letting your mind wander is incredibly useful for productivity overall, but that requires some time looking around or out the window. The software connected to your camera is saying you’re off-duty—that you’re wasting time. Nobody’s mind can keep concentrated for the whole work day, but you don’t even want that from a productivity point of view.”

Even for roles where it might make more methodological sense to track discrete physical tasks, there can be negative consequences of nonstop monitoring. Anderson points to a scene in Erik Gandini’s 2023 documentary After Work that shows an Amazon delivery driver who is monitored, via camera, for their driving, delivery quotas, and even getting dinged for using Spotify in the van.

“It’s very tightly regulated and super, super intrusive, and it’s all based on distrust as the starting point,” she says. “What these tech bros don’t understand is that if you install surveillance technology, which is all about distrusting the workers, there is a deep feature of human psychology that is reciprocity. If you don’t trust me, I’m not going to trust you. You think an employee who doesn’t trust the boss is going to be working with the same enthusiasm? I don’t think so.”

Trust Issues

The fixes, then, might be in the leadership itself, not more data dashboards. “Our research shows that excessive monitoring in the workplace can damage trust, have a negative impact on morale, and cause stress and anxiety,” says Hayfa Mohdzaini, senior policy and practice adviser for technology at the CIPD, the UK’s professional body for HR, learning, and development. “Employers might achieve better productivity by investing in line manager training and ensuring employees feel supported with reasonable expectations around office attendance and manageable workloads.”

A 2023 Pew Research study found that 56 percent of US workers were opposed to the use of AI to keep track of when employees were at their desks, and 61 percent were against tracking employees’ movements while they work.

This dropped to just 51 percent of workers who were opposed to recording work done on company computers, through the use of a kind of corporate “spyware” often accepted by staff in the private sector. As Josh Bersin puts it, “Yes, the company can read your emails” with platforms such as Teramind, even including “sentiment analysis” of employee messages.

Snooping on files, emails, and digital chats takes on new significance when it comes to government workers, though. New reporting from WIRED, based on conversations with employees at 13 federal agencies, reveals the extent to Elon Musk’s DOGE team’s surveillance: software including Google’s Gemini AI chatbot, a Dynatrace extension, and security tool Splunk have been added to government computers in recent weeks, and some people have felt they can’t speak freely on recorded and transcribed Microsoft Teams calls. Various agencies already use Everfox software and Dtex’s Intercept system, which generates individual risk scores for workers based on websites and files accessed.

Alongside mass layoffs and furloughs over the past four weeks, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency has also, according to CBS News and NPR reports, gone into multiple agencies in February with the theater and bombast of full X-ray security screenings replacing entry badges at Washington, DC, headquarters. That’s alongside managers telling staff that their logging in and out of devices, swiping in and out of workspaces, and all of their digital work chats will be “closely monitored” going forward.

“Maybe they’re trying to make a big deal out of it to scare people right now,” says Bersin. “The federal government is using back-to-work as an excuse to lay off a bunch of people.”

DOGE staff have reportedly even added keylogger software to government computers to track everything employees type, with staff concerned that anyone using keywords related to progressive thinking or "disloyalty” to Trump could be targeted—not to mention the security risks it introduces for those working on sensitive projects. As one worker told NPR, it feels “Soviet-style” and “Orwellian” with “nonstop monitoring.” Anderson describes the overall DOGE playbook as a series of “deeply intrusive invasions of privacy.”

Alternate Realities

But what protections are out there for employees? Certain states, such as New York and Illinois, do offer strong privacy protections against, for example, unnecessary biometric tracking in the private sector, and California’s Consumer Privacy Act covers workers as well as consumers. Overall, though, the lack of federal-level labor law in this area makes the US something of an alternate reality to what is legal in the UK and Europe.

The Electronic Communications Privacy Act in the US allows employee monitoring for legitimate business reasons and with the worker’s consent. In Europe, Algorithm Watch has made country analyses for workplace surveillance in the UK, Italy, Sweden, and Poland. To take one high-profile example of the stark difference: In early 2024, Serco was ordered by the UK's privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), to stop using face recognition and fingerprint scanning systems, designed by Shopworks, to track the time and attendance of 2,000 staff across 38 leisure centers around the country. This new guidance led to more companies reviewing or cutting the technology altogether, including Virgin Active, which pulled similar biometric employee monitoring systems from 30-plus sites.

Despite a lack of comprehensive privacy rights in the US, though, worker protest, union organizing, and media coverage can provide a firewall against some office surveillance schemes. Unions such as the Service Employees International Union are pushing for laws to protect workers from black-box algorithms dictating the pace of output.

In December, Boeing scrapped a pilot of employee monitoring at offices in Missouri and Washington, which was based on a system of infrared motion sensors and VuSensor cameras installed in ceilings, made by Ohio-based Avuity. The U-turn came after a Boeing employee leaked an internal PowerPoint presentation on the occupancy- and headcount-tracking technology to The Seattle Times. In a matter of weeks, Boeing confirmed that managers would remove all the sensors that had been installed to date.

Under-desk sensors, in particular, have received high-profile backlash, perhaps because they are such an obvious piece of surveillance hardware rather than simply software designed to record work done on company machines. In the fall of 2022, students at Northeastern University hacked and removed under-desk sensors produced by EnOcean, offering “presence detection” and “people counting,” that had been installed in the school’s Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Complex. The university provost eventually informed students that the department had planned to use the sensors with the Spaceti platform to optimize desk usage.

OccupEye (now owned by FM: Systems), another type of under-desk heat and motion sensor, received a similar reaction from staff at Barclays Bank and The Telegraph newspaper in London, with employees protesting and, in some cases, physically removing the devices that tracked the time they spent away from their desks.

Despite the fallout, Barclays later faced a $1.1 billion fine from the ICO when it was found to have deployed Sapience’s employee monitoring software in its offices, with the ability to single out and track individual employees. Perhaps unsurprisingly in the current climate, that same software company now offers “lightweight device-level technology” to monitor return-to-office policy compliance, with a dashboard breaking employee location down by office versus remote for specific departments and teams.

According to Elizabeth Anderson’s latest book Hijacked, while workplace surveillance culture and the obsession with measuring employee efficiency might feel relatively new, it can actually be traced back to the invention of the “work ethic” by the Puritans in the 16th and 17th centuries.

“They thought you should be working super hard; you shouldn’t be idling around when you should be in work,” she says. “You can see some elements there that can be developed into a pretty hostile stance toward workers. The Puritans were obsessed with not wasting time. It was about gaining assurance of salvation through your behavior. With the Industrial Revolution, the ‘no wasting time’ became a profit-maximizing strategy. Now you’re at work 24/7 because they can get you on email.”

Some key components of the original work ethic, though, have been skewed or lost over time. The Puritans also had strict constraints on what duties employers had toward their workers: paying a living wage and providing safe and healthy working conditions.

“You couldn’t just rule them tyrannically, or so they said. You had to treat them as your fellow Christians, with dignity and respect. In many ways the original work ethic was an ethic which uplifted workers.”

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machine-saint · 6 months ago

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very fun that I can take my flipper zero's RFID reader and read our cats' microchips. just put it between their shoulder blades and I got a "beep" and the ID number like I was scanning my transit card or something

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clareguilty · 3 months ago

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STILES obviously duh

LOL THE BESTEST BOY our favoritest little guy

Sexuality Headcanon: BISEXUAL like cmooooon bro this guy is so bisexual i love him for it. you're doing amazing sweetie keep asking ur boy best friends to make out i promise it will work eventually

Gender Headcanon: I mostly write cis!Stiles BUT i am so in love with the trans authors on AO3 that write Stiles as a transman bc the headcanon works so so well and it really adds a lot to him also thanku for sharing ur experiences its so interesting to read

A ship I have with said character: i think more accurately the question is ships I don't have bc this man has chemistry with the whole cast but my faves are Steter, Stargent, Stetopher, and Sciles oh wait and Scisaac but only in rly specific ways oh wait Stalion DUH

A BROTP I have with said character: Sciles obvs they are a Bonded Pair Do Not Separate but also Stallison! and Sterek. Stisaac but as frenemies?

A NOTP I have with said character: this actually has nothing to do with the Stiles aspect of the ship but i dont like Peter/Stiles/Derek. Thats more bc i don't ship Derek and Peter it just doesn't work for me like 80% of the time. I like reading it as a V and not a Triangle.

A random headcanon: i've been thinking a lot about Stiles' mild klepto tendencies bc i think he carries a little mold to press keys into that he then uses later when he makes copies, and he probably has a little RFID type cloning device for key cards and electric readers. Also he probably has a little lockpicking multitool as well? i love this boy and his crimes

General Opinion over said character: 14 years later and I'm still mentally unwell about one boy from an MTV teen supernatural romance drama and by god was that show BAD but now i'm seven years into a professional writing career and I spend most of my free time trying to get this guy railed by werewolves in my little internet stories that somehow thousands of people read so i guess things are going pretty well all things considered. I'm pretty sure my mom and I used to just called Teen Wolf the "Stiles Show"

#ask #answered #takaraphoenix #character headcanon ask game #headcanon asks

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rfidtechnologyblog · 2 years ago

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ID Tech Solution's Trusted RFID Products for Indian Businesses

Trust ID Tech Solution to redefine reliability in RFID readers writers for Indian businesses. Our range of trusted RFID products assures unparalleled performance and durability, meeting the diverse needs of various industries. With a focus on innovation and quality, we provide solutions that set benchmarks for reliability and functionality in India's evolving market landscape.

#rfid readers #rfid reader writer #rfid card reader writer #rfid reader and writer

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marchzheng · 4 months ago

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What is the mechanism behind RFID hotel key cards?

In the modern hospitality industry, enhancing guest experience and operational efficiency is a core goal for every hotel manager. With advancements in technology, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) has become an essential tool in hotel management. Particularly in the application of hotel key cards, RFID technology has brought unprecedented transformations. RFID hotel key cards not only simplify the check-in and check-out processes but also provide enhanced security, significantly improving guest convenience and overall satisfaction. How does RFID technology make all this possible? What is its working principle? This is a common curiosity among hotel managers, and today, we will explore this topic.

1. The Working Principle of RFID Hotel Key Cards

Before delving into how RFID hotel key cards work, let’s briefly introduce what RFID technology is.

What is RFID Technology?

RFID technology facilitates the exchange of information between objects through radio waves. It employs a tag and a reader for contactless data transmission, eliminating the need for physical contact. Users can simply bring an RFID card close to the reading device, and data will automatically transfer to complete authorization, authentication, or operations.

RFID hotel key cards are a type of RFID tag that connects with the hotel lock system via an RFID reader installed on the door lock, enabling contactless identity authentication and unlocking functions. Each card contains a tiny embedded chip that can store encrypted data such as the guest's room number, validity period, and access permissions. When a guest approaches the door lock with their card, the RFID reader communicates with the card via electromagnetic waves, retrieves the stored information, and decides whether to unlock the door based on pre-set security rules.

How RFID Cards Interact with Hotel Lock Systems

The interaction between RFID cards and hotel lock systems is grounded in simple, efficient wireless communication. In this process, the embedded chip within the RFID card contains a unique ID number, which is decoded by the RFID reader upon receiving a signal. Here’s a breakdown of the specific workflow:

Signal Emission: When the RFID card nears the lock system, the RFID reader within the lock emits an electromagnetic signal, activating the chip in the card.

Data Transmission: The chip in the card transmits its stored ID information to the reader, which then compares this information against the hotel management system.

Authentication and Authorization: If the card information matches the records in the system and the access validation is successful, the door lock will unlock, granting the guest entrance to their room.

The contactless feature of RFID technology makes the hotel check-in process smoother and more convenient, as guests don’t have to insert the card or physically manipulate a key, significantly enhancing the overall fluidity and experience of entering the hotel room.

Additionally, RFID cards offer heightened security. Compared to traditional magnetic stripe cards, the data transmission of RFID cards employs more complex encryption algorithms, making it harder to copy or tamper with information, thus providing greater security for hotels.

Through this series of simple and efficient operations, RFID hotel key cards not only ensure guest convenience but also significantly enhance hotel operational efficiency and security.

2. Advantages of RFID Hotel Key Cards

The introduction of RFID hotel key cards offers significant advantages to hotels, enhancing not only security but also customer experience and operational efficiency.

Enhanced Security

RFID cards utilize encrypted data transmission and unique chip designs to prevent card information from being copied or hacked. They can also be configured with specific validity periods and access permissions, ensuring that rooms can only be accessed within authorized times, thereby reducing the risk of unauthorized entry. Many five-star hotels have effectively improved room security and protected customer privacy through such solutions.

Improved Customer Experience

RFID cards streamline the check-in and check-out processes, allowing guests to simply hold the card near their room door to unlock it automatically. This contactless operation not only enhances convenience but also reduces the risk of contact transmission, increasing guests' peace of mind.

Cost Savings in Operations

RFID technology aids hotels in automating management tasks related to rooms and keys, minimizing human errors and wasted time. The system can monitor card usage in real time, alerting staff to lost or unauthorized use of cards promptly, which improves management efficiency and lowers operational costs.

Increased Management Flexibility and Scalability

RFID technology can seamlessly integrate with other management systems, enabling hotels to expand functionality on demand, such as automated climate control or lock management. This flexibility allows hotels to respond quickly to changing demands and easily upgrade their systems.

Enhanced Brand Image and Customer Loyalty

The use of RFID cards boosts the technological appeal of the hotel, enhancing its brand image. Additionally, through RFID cards, hotels can offer personalized services, which helps increase customer loyalty.

In summary, RFID hotel key cards provide a range of advantages that contribute to a safer, more efficient, and more enjoyable experience for both guests and hotel staff. This technology is not just a trend but a valuable asset in modern hotel management.

3. Future Development of RFID Hotel Key Cards

As technology continues to advance, the application of RFID technology in the hotel industry is expected to become more widespread and intelligent.

Smarter Integrated Systems

Future RFID systems will be more tightly integrated with other intelligent systems within hotels, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, smart room controls, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. Through this integration, hotels can offer more personalized services, such as automatically adjusting room temperature, lighting, and other amenities based on guest preferences, thereby enhancing the customer experience and reducing energy consumption.

Enhanced Security and Encryption Technologies

As security requirements continue to grow, future RFID hotel key cards will employ more advanced encryption technologies to ensure the safety of guests' personal information and room security. With dynamic encryption and multi-factor authentication mechanisms, RFID cards will effectively defend against various cyber attacks and forgery attempts, further strengthening the security of hotel management.

Data Analytics and Personalized Services

RFID systems will evolve beyond being simple door lock management tools. In the future, they will integrate with data analytics tools to help hotels analyze guest behavior and preferences, thereby enabling more personalized services. For example, hotels could automatically push tailored offers and services based on guests’ check-in history and spending habits, enhancing customer engagement and loyalty.

In summary, the future of RFID hotel key cards promises to be more intelligent, secure, and personalized, transforming the hospitality experience and paving the way for a new era in hotel management. As these technologies develop, they will not only improve operational efficiency but also create a more satisfying experience for guests.

4. RFID Hotel Key Cards: The Key to Enhanced Hotel Management Efficiency and Customer Experience

Through contactless, efficient, and secure solutions, RFID hotel key cards not only provide guests with a more convenient and safe check-in experience but also enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs for hotels.

As technology continues to advance, RFID systems will become increasingly intelligent and integrated, with a stronger focus on security and data analytics functions. Whether through integration with smart room control systems or the fusion of mobile devices with RFID cards, future RFID technology will bring even more innovative opportunities to the hospitality industry.

However, to ensure the successful deployment of RFID systems and maximize business value, choosing an appropriate RFID vendor is crucial. With over a decade of deep experience in RFID technology, many hotel managers have achieved intelligent upgrades and heightened management efficiency through our customized RFID solutions, providing guests with an unparalleled stay.

If you are interested in the RFID hotel key card system or want to know more about solutions for improving hotel management efficiency, please feel free to contact us. Our RFIDCard.com professional team is ready to provide you with free consultation and testing services to ensure you select the RFID products and systems that best meet your needs. Take action now, and let us help you offer your guests a safer, more convenient check-in experience while driving your hotel towards future success!

#rfid cards #hotel

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harshmishra8726 · 10 months ago

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NFC vs. QR Code Business Cards: Which One is Right for You?

In a world where networking is vital, digital business cards have become a game-changer. NFC (Near Field Communication) business Cards and QR Code business cards are two popular options for quickly sharing contact information and other digital content. Each has its strengths, but how do you choose the one that best suits your needs? Here’s a straightforward comparison of NFC vs. QR Code business cards, highlighting their key differences, ease of use, and features to help you make an informed decision.

Understanding NFC Business Cards

NFC (Near Field Communication) is a wireless technology that enables devices to communicate when they are nearby, usually within a few centimeters. NFC business cards have embedded chips that store data, which can be read by tapping a smartphone against the card.

Key Features of NFC Business Cards:

Ease of Use: NFC cards are incredibly easy to use. With a simple tap, users can instantly share contact information, social media profiles, websites, or other digital content without the need to open any apps.

Technology Integration: NFC business cards leverage advanced technology, offering a seamless experience for users with modern smartphones.

Customization: Data on NFC chips can be updated or customized to meet various needs, such as sharing a portfolio or sending users to a specific website.

Speed: NFC technology allows for almost instantaneous data transfer, making it faster than scanning a QR code.

Professional Appeal: NFC cards feel modern and tech-savvy, making them ideal for industries where innovation is key.

However, NFC business cards do have some limitations. Not all smartphones are equipped with NFC readers, especially older models. Additionally, these cards can be more expensive to produce compared to traditional QR code cards.

Understanding QR Code Business Cards

QR (Quick Response) codes are 2D barcodes scannable by smartphones. When scanned, the code directs users to a website, social media page, or other digital content.

Key Features of QR Code Business Cards:

Wide Compatibility: Almost all smartphones come with built-in QR code scanners, either within the camera or through a downloadable app, making it highly accessible.

Cost-Effective: QR code business cards are generally cheaper to produce than NFC cards. You only need to print the QR code on the card, and it can be scanned multiple times.

No Additional Tech Required: Since scanning QR codes requires no special hardware, it can be used by a broader audience, including those without NFC-enabled phones.

Customizable: Just like NFC cards, QR codes can be linked to various forms of content, such as websites, portfolios, or social media profiles.

Printable: QR codes can be added to any material, whether it’s a business card, a flyer, or even a product package.

However, QR codes have some downsides. They require users to open their phone’s camera or an app, which might take slightly longer than NFC’s tap-and-go functionality. Additionally, scanning QR codes in low light or from a damaged surface can be tricky.

A Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature NFC Business Cards QR Code Business Cards

Ease of Use - Tap to transfer information instantly - Requires opening camera to scan code

Cost - Higher due to NFC chip production - Lower, simply print the QR code

Speed - Instantaneous data transfer - Slight delay due to the scanning process

Customization - Easily programmable and updatable - Customizable but fixed once printed

Compatibility - Limited to NFC-enabled devices - Works with nearly all smartphones

Durability - Chip could wear over time - QR codes can be damaged or faded

Which is Best for Your Business?

Choosing between NFC and QR code business cards depends on your business needs, audience, and budget.

NFC Cards: These are ideal if you want to present yourself as cutting-edge and tech-savvy. If your audience is likely to have modern smartphones and you’re looking for an easy, fast, and seamless way to share data, NFC cards are a great option. Industries like tech, marketing, and startups may benefit from the professional appeal of NFC business cards.

QR Code Cards: If you’re looking for a cost-effective solution that can reach a broader audience, QR code business cards are a solid choice. They work with nearly any smartphone and don’t require special hardware, making them more accessible to people who may not have the latest technology. They are also perfect for mass distribution, especially in industries like retail, events, or hospitality.

Final Thoughts

Both NFC and QR code business cards have their unique benefits and challenges. NFC cards provide a sleek, modern approach to networking but come with higher costs and limited compatibility. QR code cards are highly accessible and affordable but may not offer the same speed or ease of use as NFC cards. By considering your target audience, business goals, and budget, you can decide which type of digital business card will best suit your needs.

#NFC Cards #Business Cards #QR Code Business Cards #NFC Business Cards #NFC Technology #RFID Technology #Near Field Communication #NFC Reader

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