11.22.05
Marlin Mickle, a University of Pittsburgh electrical engineer and ADCUS, a subsidiary of Advanced Digital Chips, Inc., Korea, have partnered to sell radio-frequency identification tags (RFID). Called Product Emitting Numbering Identification (PENI) tags, these devices are smaller and cheaper to produce than other smart tags, which could potentially speed up check-out lines, control inventory, cut costs, reduce in-store theft and eventually even tell consumers when food has expired. Executives said PENI tags can hold more information, relay information faster and don’t need to be passed under laser readers. Instead, the tags talk with scanners using radio waves to relay information stored in them. More info: www.adcusinc.com.