#QR code access control

[heibaicom]

QR code RFID reader: The Future of Data Capture

Technology continues to advance rapidly, making it increasingly common to combine different technologies. A powerful tool for capturing and tracking data is created when QR code and RFID technology are integrated. We will explore the innovative world of QR code RFID readers in this article, exploring their capabilities, applications, and potential impact on a wide range of industries.

RFID and QR Codes: An Introduction:

The two technologies underpinning QR code RFID readers must be understood first before we dig into the nitty gritty of these innovative devices.

The Quick Response (QR) code is a two-dimensional barcode that can store a variety of information, including URLs, text, and other data. Easily scanned by smartphones and tablets, they are a popular choice for product tracking, marketing campaigns, and authentication.

By contrast, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology uses electromagnetic fields to identify and track objects that are attached to tags automatically. In addition to storing unique identifiers that can be read remotely, RFID tags can also be used to track and monitor assets, inventories, and individuals seamlessly.

QR Codes and RFID Technology:

Incorporating QR code technology with RFID technology creates a powerful data collection solution that combines the strengths of both technologies. Using a QR code RFID reader, one can capture and track data with both QR codes and RFID tags, providing a comprehensive and versatile solution.

It is possible for organizations to streamline data capture processes and improve efficiency by using a single device that can read both QR codes and RFID tags. As an example, a QR code RFID reader can track inventory by using RFID tags and provide customers with detailed product information via QR codes in a retail setting.

QR Code RFID Reader Applications:

There are a wide range of uses for QR code RFID readers, spanning industries and use cases across the globe. Here are just a few examples:

RFID readers can be used to track inventory levels in real time, reducing shelf discrepancies and ensuring accurate inventory counts.

A QR code RFID reader can be used to tag and track valuable assets, equipment, and tools, which enhances visibility and prevents loss or theft.

Using RFID tags or QR codes, authorized personnel can enter restricted areas using QR code RFID readers for secure access control.

A QR code RFID reader can be used by retailers to provide product information, promotions, and discounts to shoppers.

A QR code RFID reader can be used within healthcare settings to enhance patient identification, medication management, and inventory tracking, ensuring both patient safety and operational efficiency. Get more info about RFID reader factory.

In conclusion:

Data tracking and data capture capabilities have been significantly improved with the integration of QR code and RFID technology in QR code RFID readers. Organizations across various industries can improve efficiency, improve visibility, and streamline operations by combining QR codes and RFID technology.

As technology continues to evolve, the adoption of innovative solutions like QR code RFID readers will undoubtedly reshape the way data is captured, managed, and utilized in the digital age. QR code RFID readers hold a bright future, offering endless possibilities for improving data capture and improving business processes, thanks to their broad applications and potential impact.

[subjectsix]

I don't know I'm not done talking about it. It's insane that I can't just uninstall Edge or Copilot. That websites require my phone number to sign up. That people share their contacts to find their friends on social media.

I wouldn't use an adblocker if ads were just banners on the side funding a website I enjoy using and want to support. Ads pop up invasively and fill my whole screen, I misclick and get warped away to another page just for trying to read an article or get a recipe.

Every app shouldn't be like every other app. Instagram didn't need reels and a shop. TikTok doesn't need a store. Instagram doesn't need to be connected to Facebook. I don't want my apps to do everything, I want a hub for a specific thing, and I'll go to that place accordingly.

I love discord, but so much information gets lost to it. I don't want to join to view things. I want to lurk on forums. I want to be a user who can log in and join a conversation by replying to a thread, even if that conversation was two days ago. I know discord has threads, it's not the same. I don't want to have to verify my account with a phone number. I understand safety and digital concerns, but I'm concerned about information like that with leaks everywhere, even with password managers.

I shouldn't have to pay subscriptions to use services and get locked out of old versions. My old disk copy of photoshop should work. I should want to upgrade eventually because I like photoshop and supporting the business. Adobe is a whole other can of worms here.

Streaming is so splintered across everything. Shows release so fast. Things don't get physical releases. I can't stream a movie I own digitally to friends because the share-screen blocks it, even though I own two digital copies, even though I own a physical copy.

I have an iPod, and I had to install a third party OS to easily put my music on it without having to tangle with iTunes. Spotify bricked hardware I purchased because they were unwillingly to upkeep it. They don't pay their artists. iTunes isn't even iTunes anymore and Apple struggles to upkeep it.

My TV shows me ads on the home screen. My dad lost access to eBook he purchased because they were digital and got revoked by the company distributing them. Hitman 1-3 only runs online most of the time. Flash died and is staying alive because people love it and made efforts to keep it up.

I have to click "not now" and can't click "no". I don't just get emails, they want to text me to purchase things online too. My windows start search bar searches online, not just my computer. Everything is blindly called an app now. Everything wants me to upload to the cloud. These are good tools! But why am I forced to use them! Why am I not allowed to own or control them?

No more!!!!! I love my iPod with so much storage and FLAC files. I love having all my fics on my harddrive. I love having USBs and backups. I love running scripts to gut suck stuff out of my Windows computer I don't want that spies on me. I love having forums. I love sending letters. I love neocities and webpages and webrings. I will not be scanning QR codes. Please hand me a physical menu. If I didn't need a smartphone for work I'd get a "dumb" phone so fast. I want things to have buttons. I want to use a mouse. I want replaceable batteries. I want the right to repair. I grew up online and I won't forget how it was!

[parkomax]

Streamlining Amusement Park Entry: Modern Solutions for Efficient Visitor Management

Efficient visitor entry management is crucial for amusement parks to enhance guest experiences, ensure safety, and optimize operations. With advancements in technology, parks can now implement systems that facilitate seamless entry processes.

The Importance of Efficient Entry Management

Long queues and manual ticket checks can detract from the visitor experience. Implementing streamlined entry systems not only improves guest satisfaction but also aids in crowd control and security.

Key Components of Modern Entry Management Systems

1. Online Ticketing and Pre-registration

Allowing guests to purchase tickets online and register in advance reduces wait times at entry points. This system can also provide valuable data on expected attendance, aiding in resource planning.

2. Contactless Entry Solutions

Utilizing QR codes or RFID-enabled wristbands enables quick and hygienic access to the park. These methods minimise physical contact and expedite the entry process.

3. Real-time Monitoring and Analytics

Implementing systems that monitor visitor flow in real-time allows for dynamic crowd management. Data analytics can help identify peak times and areas, facilitating better staff allocation and enhancing safety measures.

4. Customisable Access Permissions

Advanced systems can assign different access levels to various visitor categories, such as VIPs or group tours, ensuring a tailored experience and efficient movement within the park.

5. Automated Notifications and Alerts

Integrating alert systems that notify staff of large group arrivals or potential security concerns enables proactive management and swift response to situations.

Benefits of Implementing Advanced Entry Management

Enhanced Guest Experience: Reduced wait times and personalised services lead to higher satisfaction.

Improved Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces manual workload, allowing staff to focus on guest engagement.

Increased Security: Real-time monitoring and controlled access points bolster safety measures.

Data-driven Decisions: Analytics provide insights into visitor behavior, informing marketing and operational strategies.

Adopting modern visitor entry management systems for amusement parks is essential, aiming to provide exceptional guest experiences while maintaining efficient and secure operations. By embracing technological advancements, parks can ensure smooth entry processes, better crowd control, and enhanced overall satisfaction. Upgrade your amusement park with smart entry solutions – Contact Parkomax today for seamless, secure, and data-driven visitor management!

[cworkaccesscontrolcom]

QR code reader access control systems utilize Quick Response (QR) codes as a means of authentication and entry authorization. These systems are becoming increasingly popular due to their simplicity and versatility. Users simply present their QR code, typically stored on a mobile device or printed on a card, to a QR code reader.

The reader then decodes the QR code, granting or denying access based on the information embedded within it. This method offers convenience, as users can easily generate and distribute QR codes as needed. Additionally, QR code access control systems can be integrated with other security measures for enhanced functionality and efficiency.

[spintly-co]

Spintly's cloud-based system lays the groundwork for top-notch security in your smart environment. Some notable users include Industry leaders like JLL India, Procter & Gamble, Prestige Group, Godrej Group. Connect with Spintly regarding your project today !!

[tripodturnstile]

waist height turnstile door from RS Security Co., Ltd(www.szrssecurity.com) Suitable for all kinds of public places that need organized passage of pedestrians, such as picturesque areas, exhibition halls, cinemas, docks, train stations, bus stations and other locations that need ticket verification; locations that need authorized entry such as factory presence, canteen consumption, golf courses, regular monthly card leisure centers, etc; anti-static control areas of electronic factories, units that need stringent security measures such as face acknowledgment and fingerprint recognition. RS Security Co., Ltd generally produces, develops and sells gain access to control products, such as waist height gates gate, subway flap turnstile gate, dc brushless swing turnstile gate, translation gates barrier, drop arm turnstile gate, complete body gates barrier, half high turnstile gate, speedlane turnstile gate and other channel turnstile gate items, and boom barrier, recognition video camera, hydraulic bollards, road blockers three arms turnstiles gate Integrated electronic tickets, gain access to control and attendance, club consumption/catering, anti-static, finger print, palm print, face acknowledgment, iris acknowledgment Integrated application of other series of products; full stainless steel frame structure, servo motor, separately established and produced motion; one-way/two-way gates door/ swipe to launch the lever button and the upper lever is optional, with Counting function can realize RS485 direct interaction with the computer; three arms turnstile door triggers and instructions and alarm triggers; automatic fall of the pole when power is off and manual fall The pole is optional, and it gets the switch signal to open gates gate; it can be geared up with a card reading control part, and numerous units can be linked to the network; it can be equipped with magnetic card and proximity card mix approaches; it can be purchased according to various functional requirements. Do. A totally rainproof box made from alloy aluminum or stainless steel, compared to the train flap turnstile gate dc brushless swing turnstile Door and other pedestrian passage devices, tripod turnstiles door are more cost-effective. It has an individualized setup interface (such as card reader, sign light installation, and so on) to make sure that the system integrator's control turnstile barrier devices is easy and hassle-free to install. The motion of the three-stick turnstile gate maker has actually an immediately adjusted hydraulic shock absorber. When using the three-stick turnstile door operation, the noise is very little and quiet. Impact, gates door bar instantly slows down back to center. The surface area of the movement is plated with yellow dichromate. Can be programmed with turnstiles door maker control, a couple of direction control (set by user). The base is fixed with expansion bolts.

[fionayao2008]

Tripod Turnstile Overview Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, as well as Flap Turnstile( RS Security Co., Ltd: www.szrssecurity.com) are modern-day control tools for pedestrian passages. They are utilized in position where the entryway and departure of individuals require to be controlled, such as clever neighborhoods, canteens, resorts, galleries, gymnasiums, clubs, metros, stations, docks, etc area. Using Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, and Flap Turnstile can make the flow of individuals orderly. Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, Flap Turnstile are utilized in mix with smart cards, fingerprints, barcodes as well as other recognition system devices to develop an intelligent accessibility control channel control system; they are made use of in mix with computer systems, access control, attendance, billing monitoring, ticket systems as well as other software to create a The intelligent Turnstile Gate thorough administration system can realize features such as gain access to control, presence, usage, ticketing, and existing limiting. This Turnstile Gate management system is part of the "all-in-one card" as well as is set up at passages such as neighborhoods, factories, smart buildings, canteens, and so on. It can finish different management functions such as worker card traveling control, presence at leave job and also meals, and eating. Tripod Turnstile system attributes Convenient and also quick: review the card in and out with one swipe. Use the authorized IC card and wave it in front of the smart Tripod Turnstile visitor to complete the Tripod Turnstile gate opening as well as fee recording work. The card reading is non-directional as well as the analysis and also creating time is 0.1 secs, which is rapid and also convenient. Safety and security and privacy: Use history or neighborhood confirmation, licensed issuance, and one-of-a-kind identification, that is, the card can just be made use of in this system, as well as it is secure and private. Integrity: Card superhigh frequency induction, steady and also trusted, with the capability to judge as well as assume. Adaptability: The system can flexibly set entrance and also departure control workers consents, time period control, cardholder legitimacy and also blacklist loss reporting, adding cards and also various other functions. Versatility: Through authorization, the user card can be utilized for "one-card" monitoring such as car parking, attendance, gain access to control, patrol, intake, etc, making it simple to realize numerous uses one card. Simpleness: Easy to mount, simple to link, the software application has a Chinese interface and is very easy to run. Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, and Flap Turnstile( RS Security Co., Ltd: www.szrssecurity.com) are modern-day control gadgets for pedestrian flows. The usage of Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, and also Flap Turnstile can make the circulation of people organized. Make use of the accredited IC card as well as wave it in front of the clever Tripod Turnstile viewers to complete the Tripod Turnstile gate opening as well as fee recording work.

[solarpunkani]

hi would like to make this clear that this is gonna be an unhinged rant about my college classes.

For context, one of my classes is a semester-long group project (hell) and I pitched the idea of solar powered community fridges to my group and we rolled with it. Here's a post i made on it previously. We don't have to make the fridges themselves, basically just talk about the problem our concept addresses (food insecurity in this case) and how we think this concept would work and how, in a hypothetical reality where we made it real, we would test to see if it worked.

Anyways we had to post the rough draft of our presentations so people in other groups could see what we were doing and comment on them with their thoughts and all. Yknow. Classic 'college class discussion board have to reply to at least one project with quality feedback' stuff. And

Man.

I am so frustrated.

Highlights:

My group keeps insisting that we should have an app for the solar fridges. I don't know why they think app design needs to fit into community fridges but they put it into the draft posted to the forum.

In this case they proposed the app would be kinda like Instacart? Where people who want to donate to the fridges but don't have groceries on them and don't feel like going to get groceries can put in money and then people will then go buy the groceries to put in the fridge. Or use the funds to help with fridge maintenance. And the fridges would have 'QR codes, links, etc. to connect community members for the common cause of helping tackle food insecurity in the community.'

Lots of the comments were pretty good! People liked the idea. There were some concerns about insulation and keeping things cool with low energy cost (the program is online but the college itself is in Georgia USA so many people are in Georgia) but yknow.

But the frustrating part to me I guess is that a lot of people seem convinced that people would use the fridges 'unfairly' and that we'd need to find a way to restrict how much food people can take out or how many times they can use it or something. Which frankly in my opinion defeats the purpose of it being a community fridge. Here are some examples of things people have said so far (comments are due tomorrow evening but I'm mad now so I'm venting now):

One student said "How will you know if the pantry is being utilized fairly?" and "How will the app work? In a dream world, this might be a way to help with tracking and accountability. (Just a thought…) Maybe folks would need to sign up on the app, they get a code… and the fridge acts as a sort of vending machine to deliver what they need. This would give you data to measure success. :)"

Which. I just. This feels completely antithetical to the purpose of a community fridge??? Or a community anything???? Little free pantries and little free libraries don't operate on a 'you get a code to access it once' vending machine basis?? We even mentioned community farm stalls/community pantries in the draft write up! And showed examples!

Another student said "Great thoughts. I am concerned about one person taking all the food for themselves. It might be a great idea to have them in an enclosed area with access control through the app that would log and lock out people who are overusing the resource. Perhaps a barcode could be added to Apple Wallet to track each individual's arrival? Possibly having a mechanized lock and opening mechanism that would only allow each fridge to be open for a specific time before automatically closing and locking? Each scan would only allow access once each 24-48 hour period, preventing "password sharing.""

I cannot emphasize enough that this is the comment that has brought me here today because with all due respect what the flying fuck do you think is the point of a community fridge! I'm already prickly about the idea of limiting access to the fridge itself to only people with cellphones, but to this degree?! Like maybe its because I'm the one who came up with the concept and I care about terms like 'mutual aid' and 'community building' and 'judgement free accessibility to food' but have these people not heard of the concept of helping people?!?! With no strings attached?!? If someone takes all the contents of a community fridge or pantry--which, seriously, how likely is that--they're probably hungry and need it! The concept of putting community resources behind a lock and limiting accessibility is just repulsive to me???

Like someone else commented with this excellent point--"As several have addressed above, I am also wondering how would you monitor use? If you use the simplicity of the honor system, it could easily be taken advantage of. However, I feel like if you were to create some sort of access code, how is it to say that they people needing the use of the fridge will have access to the necessary technology to get the code? It's a tricky situation to think about." For the purposes of this hypothetical assignment where we'd need to track how many people are using the fridges? Yeah I guess we'd need to be able to track how many people use it and when. But in reality??? In real life reality where people are living and struggling and hungry??? I just don't really give a shit!! Helping five people is better than helping none, and locking access behind technology everyone pretends is universal but really isn't is not the way to help!

And of course one of my groupmates is already commenting on all these posts like 'oh! I really like the idea of restricting access to a code! :)' even when someone said 'hey my family struggled with food insecurity when I was a kid and I think this would be helpful but not if you could only access it with an app some of the most vulnerable citizens wouldn't be able to access it I wouldn't have been able to access it' my groupmate was still like 'oh but that wouldn't be a problem today now would it? :) Maybe we should make a way to get a code without downloading the app :)' like maybe there shouldn't be an access code in the first place?!?!

Like am I crazy or like. What the fuck. Again I am here so I don't blow up on a bunch of masters students in a discussion post but like UGH

"you gotta be able to gague if the people who're using it are the people who actually need it" food insecurity can look so many different ways for so many different reasons and you can't always judge by appearances and income levels who is struggling to feed themselves or their families!! There are people who have nice jobs who are struggling because they're caring for sick family members or kids or dealing with student loans or ANYTHING! There are people with nice clothes who are trying to decide between buying groceries and paying rent! There are people living in their cars or couch surfing looking for jobs who also happen to own an XBox or a Laptop!!! "Sorry you can't access the community fridge because you don't look poor and needy enough to me. but if you do, good news--you can only use it once every 48 hours so make it last!" Bullshit utter bullshit.

I talk to people in my life about things like community fridges and little free pantries and mutual aid and the like and people are always like 'ok but theres gotta be strings attatched' BUT ACTUALLY NO THERE DON'T GOTTA!!! Maybe we could change how we view our fellow human beings and stop assuming that everyone around you are greedy little demons looking to ruin everything good and that you are the only holy and righteous saint on the streets who understands the concept of 'community resources' and 'sharing' maybe??? It's like that post about community fruit trees where people are like 'oh but what if people steal all the fruit' like HELLO? how do you STEAL a PUBLICALLY ACCESSIBLE RESOURCE

I'm tired of this goddamn class I'm tired of this goddamn group project if anyone actually has the ability to make a solar powered community fridge you have to promise to keep it accessible and not put it behind locks and QR codes and limited access and facial tracking BS promise me promise me promise me

[queerliblib]

Hi! I’m a member of QLL and just purchased a new Libra Color Kobo, but I’m having a hard time connecting to QLL on the device.

Instead of showing the books I already have on hold (in the Libby app), the display reads something like “Tap this screen to make it disappear” with a nearly blank screen -- for some reason, the device isn’t “reading” QLL (though the logo does show up). For reference, my library card registered to QLL is also registered to my local libraries.

I don’t have an Overdrive account since I registered with Libby in 2022 (when they phased out Overdrive in favor of Libby) so I’m not able to log into the device through Overdrive.

(I’m also having a heck of a time trying to get multiple libraries on my one card to connect, but that’s more of a device issue, I think.)

Any insight you can provide on how to connect QLL to the Kobo would be great. Love your library and the way you all provide queer-affirming books that my library often doesn't offer. Thank you!

Hi there!

We’ve got a few fellow Kobo users here at QLL, so we understand your frustration. This is a known issue and a bit of a tricky one, as Kobo doesn’t have native Libby support (something beyond our control!) and since we are technically a private library, we don’t show up in the public library search results on OverDrive’s website to connect to your OverDrive account (also beyond our control, but we’re trying to find a solution!)

It is possible to read QLL books on Kobo, though. You’ll need to log in to QLL directly on your Kobo device. You can see how to do that in Kobo’s help section under the section titled Set up OverDrive on your eReader. basically, you’ve got to:

go to settings, then ‘overdrive'

click ‘add a library’ and search for us

then you have to scan the QR code which appears

login/authenticate from the device you used to scan the code

once you do that it should give you access

Unfortunately, Kobo doesn’t support logging into multiple libraries at once (a decision that baffles us, frankly). If you’d like to switch between library accounts, you’ll need to log out of one and log into the other each time. I know it’s a pain, and I wish I had a better solution.

Hoping this helps. If you run into further issues, email librarian@queerliberationlibrary.org and we'll try to sort things out there

[mariacallous]

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.”

[darkmaga-returns]

Population control organization Planned Parenthood has teamed up with a major public library system in California to promote adult themes among “all ages” by handing out condoms and other inappropriate items to children.

Planned Parenthood is seeking to promote “sexual health resource cabinets” for kids in libraries across California.

These cabinets are accessible to library visitors, including children, without restrictions.

They will provide children with condoms, pregnancy tests, contraceptives, dental dams, lubricants, and graphic sex education materials, all for free.

The effort is a partnership between Planned Parenthood Mar Monte and the Sacramento Public Library system.

Cabinets had already been placed in 12 of its 28 libraries six weeks ago, CBS News first reported.

The library system is under city-county jurisdiction.

The cabinets also include Planned Parenthood pamphlets titled “How to Talk to Your Child About Sex.”

They are also stocked with QR codes directing people to the clinic’s sexual health materials.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil granting ID to household pets

While the United States still debates whether to implement a voter ID mechanism, Brazilian household pets will soon be eligible for the Animal ID card free of charge as the National Register of Domestic Animals is entering its final testing phase, Agencia Brasil reported this week. The Environment Ministry said the tool can be accessed through the Gov.br website.

 Animal rescue organizations and city halls will also be able to register the animals under their responsibility and issue the identification card, which will include an identification code (QR Code). This code can be attached to the animal's collar, allowing anyone to locate the guardian via a cell phone camera.

Law 15.046/2024, approved in November by Congress and enacted by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Dec. 18, authorized the creation of the registry by the Federal Government. The system will gather information on owners and pets to facilitate zoonosis control and the fight against abandonment and mistreatment of animals. The measure should also provide more security in buying and selling transactions.

As per the new law, the register must contain the owner's identity, as well as data on the origin and characteristics of the animals: breed, sex, real or presumed age, vaccinations administered, and diseases contracted or being treated, in addition to the place where the animal is kept. It will be the guardians' duty to report the sale, donation, or death of the pet, indicating the cause.

Continue reading.

[dijacrypt]

Getting Started with STON.fi: A Step-by-Step Guide to Connecting Your TON Wallet

If you're stepping into the world of decentralized finance (DeFi) on The Open Network (TON), STON.fi is one of the most efficient platforms to trade, swap, and manage digital assets. But before you start exploring its features, you need to link your TON wallet.

This guide will walk you through the entire process, ensuring a smooth and secure setup.

Why Connecting Your Wallet Matters

Your crypto wallet is your gateway to decentralized applications (dApps). Unlike centralized exchanges that require logins and passwords, DeFi platforms like STON.fi rely on wallet authentication. This means your wallet acts as your account—allowing you to store, trade, and interact with the platform securely.

A successful wallet connection ensures:

✔️ Secure access to STON.fi

✔️ Direct control over your assets

✔️ The ability to swap tokens and participate in liquidity pools

Now, let’s set up your connection.

Step 1: Open the STON.fi Platform

To get started, visit the official STON.fi platform. Always verify that you’re on the correct website to avoid phishing scams. A good practice is to bookmark the site to ensure you're always accessing the right platform.

Once on the homepage, locate the “Connect Wallet” button—it’s your entry point to linking your assets with the exchange.

Step 2: Choose Your Wallet

STON.fi supports various TON-compatible wallets. After clicking "Connect Wallet," a pop-up will display a list of available options.

If your wallet isn’t immediately visible, click on "View All Wallets" to expand the selection. This ensures you find the right wallet for your setup.

If your wallet is missing from the list, double-check that you’ve set up a TON-compatible wallet correctly.

Step 3: Approve the Connection

Once you've selected your wallet, a connection request will appear. This step varies slightly depending on your wallet type:

🔹 Mobile Wallets: Scan the QR code displayed on STON.fi using your wallet app.

🔹 Browser Wallets: A pop-up will request approval directly in your browser extension.

Before confirming, always review the request details. Once approved, your wallet will be linked instantly.

Step 4: Confirm and Start Using STON.fi

After successfully connecting, you’ll see your wallet address displayed on STON.fi. This confirms that everything is set up correctly.

Now you’re ready to explore the full functionality of STON.fi, including:

✅ Trading and swapping assets

✅ Providing liquidity for rewards

✅ Managing your holdings directly from the platform

If any issues arise, try refreshing the page or reconnecting your wallet.

Best Practices for Wallet Security:

When dealing with DeFi platforms, security is non-negotiable. Here’s how to keep your funds safe:

🔸 Always use the official website – Avoid clicking links from unofficial sources.

🔸 Verify all approvals – Never confirm a request without understanding what it grants access to.

🔸 Secure your private keys – Your seed phrase is the key to your funds; never share it.

🔸 Disconnect when not in use – If you’re done trading, disconnect your wallet to reduce exposure.

A cautious approach keeps your assets secure while you explore the potential of STON.fi.

Connecting your TON wallet to STON.fi is a straightforward yet essential process. Once linked, you gain full access to the platform’s features, empowering you to trade, stake, and interact seamlessly within the TON ecosystem.

By following these steps and staying mindful of security measures, you’re setting yourself up for a smooth and secure DeFi experience. Now that your wallet is connected, the real journey begins—explore, trade, and grow your portfolio with confidence.

[tripodturnstile]

three rollers turnstile gate from RS Security Co., Ltd(www.szrssecurity.com) Suitable for all types of public locations that need orderly passage of pedestrians, such as beautiful areas, exhibition halls, movie theaters, docks, train stations, bus stations and other locations that need ticket confirmation; places that need authorized entry such as factory presence, canteen consumption, golf courses, regular monthly card leisure centers, etc; anti-static control areas of electronic factories, units that need stringent security procedures such as face recognition and fingerprint recognition. RS Security Co., Ltd mainly produces, develops and offers access control products, such as three arms turnstile gate, subway flap turnstile gate, servo motor swing turnstiles door, translation turnstile barrier, drop arm gates barrier, full height gates door, half high turnstiles barrier, speedlane turnstile door and other channel turnstile gate products, and traffic barrier, recognition electronic camera, hydraulic bollards, roadway bocker three arms turnstile barrier Integrated electronic tickets, gain access to control and presence, club consumption/catering, anti-static, finger print, palm print, face acknowledgment, iris acknowledgment Integrated application of other series of items; complete stainless steel frame structure, servo motor, separately established and produced movement; one-way/two-way turnstile door/ swipe to launch the lever button and the upper lever is optional, with Counting function can realize RS485 direct communication with the computer; three arms turnstile barrier triggers and instructions and alarm triggers; automated fall of the pole when power is off and manual fall The pole is optional, and it gets the switch signal to open gates door; it can be equipped with a card reading control part, and numerous systems can be linked to the network; it can be geared up with magnetic card and proximity card combination methods; it can be purchased according to different practical requirements. Do. A fully rainproof box made from alloy aluminum or stainless-steel, compared to the subway flap turnstile door servo motor swing turnstiles Door and other pedestrian passage devices, tripod turnstile barrier are more cost-effective. It has a customized setup interface (such as card reader, sign light setup, and so on) to guarantee that the system integrator's control turnstiles barrier devices is easy and hassle-free to install. The movement of the three-stick turnstiles door machine has actually an instantly changed hydraulic shock absorber. When using the three-stick gates barrier operation, the noise is very little and silent. Impact, turnstiles gate bar instantly decelerates back to center. The surface of the motion is plated with yellow dichromate. Can be configured with turnstile door machine control, a couple of direction control (set by user). The base is fixed with expansion bolts.

[fionayao2008]

Tripod Turnstile Overview Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, as well as Flap Turnstile( RS Security Co., Ltd: www.szrssecurity.com) are modern control devices for pedestrian flows. They are used in position where the entrance as well as departure of individuals require to be regulated, such as clever communities, canteens, hotels, galleries, gyms, clubs, metros, stations, anchors, and so on location. Making use of Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, as well as Flap Turnstile can make the circulation of individuals organized. Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, Flap Turnstile are made use of in mix with smart cards, finger prints, barcodes and also various other recognition system tools to create an intelligent accessibility control network control system; they are used in mix with computers, access control, attendance, billing administration, ticket systems and also other software application to create a The intelligent Turnstile Gate thorough management system can understand features such as gain access to control, participation, consumption, ticketing, as well as current restricting. This Turnstile Gate monitoring system belongs to the "all-in-one card" and is mounted at flows such as neighborhoods, manufacturing facilities, smart structures, canteens, and so on. It can finish different monitoring features such as employee card traveling control, attendance at leave work and dishes, as well as dining. Tripod Turnstile system attributes Convenient and also rapid: review the card in and out with one swipe. Utilize the accredited IC card and wave it before the smart Tripod Turnstile reader to finish the Tripod Turnstile gate opening as well as fee recording work. The card reading is non-directional as well as the reading and also writing time is 0.1 secs, which is rapid and also hassle-free. Security and confidentiality: Use background or local verification, licensed issuance, as well as distinct identity, that is, the card can just be made use of in this system, and it is safe and also confidential. Reliability: Card superhigh frequency induction, reputable and stable, with the ability to judge as well as assume. Flexibility: The system can flexibly set entry and also departure control employees permissions, period control, cardholder legitimacy and also blacklist loss coverage, including cards and other features. Adaptability: Through permission, the customer card can be utilized for "one-card" management such as parking, presence, accessibility control, patrol, consumption, and so on, making it very easy to recognize several uses of one card. Simplicity: Easy to set up, easy to connect, the software program has a Chinese user interface and also is simple to run. Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, and Flap Turnstile( RS Security Co., Ltd: www.szrssecurity.com) are contemporary control gadgets for pedestrian flows. The use of Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, and also Flap Turnstile can make the circulation of people orderly. Utilize the licensed IC card and also wave it in front of the wise Tripod Turnstile reader to complete the Tripod Turnstile gate opening and also charge recording work.

[dajo42]

every time i mod a 3DS the process has drastically changed from the last time

last time i had to download pokemon picross as a crucial step for some reason? i think to exploit a vulnerability in it? i was scared to delete pokemon picross off the system afterwards in case that bricked it somehow. pretty sure it wouldnt have. the system bricked itself eventually anyway because it was a shitty half broken preowned 2DS and one of the ribbons connecting to the top screen broke or whatever im sure the way that sentence is inevitably wrong stands out to somebody

the time before that, the first time i ever did it, had me open one of the base 3DS applications nobody ever uses and use a QR code to permanently change that app to a homebrew launcher but it became infinitely more complicated by the fact that it was a shitty preowned half broken 2DS where the home button didnt work because the previous owner- a small child- stabbed it. the home button was crucial to the process. anyway the bottom screen stopped working eventually. because of when the kid stabbed it

this time on my not shitty or preowned ancient original 3DSxl from 2016(?) the process had no picross and, helpfully, had a step where the controls to open certain menus could be changed in the case of a stabbed broken home button that would have been great before, and had me navigate to a specific point in the 3DS settings menu, take the sd out, put the sd in my laptop, run a batch file on it, and put the sd back in the 3DS which felt like it was going to explode my poor dual screened surgical patient but instead just automagically changed the settings menu to a homebrew installation menu

this version of the process was the easiest so far though. modding your 3DS has never been more accessible and is the best way to ensure you can continue accessing 3DS games after the 3DS eshop closure.

just dont get one a kid stabbed, or where the top screen sometimes doesnt work and then eventually always doesnt work