Together with No7, we’re doing our bit to help keep our planet beautiful. That’s why we’re trialling a recycling scheme where you can bring your empty beauty, health, wellness and dental products, from any brand, that can’t be recycled at home.
Why is Boots doing a recycling scheme?
We know lots of beauty, health, wellness and dental items can’t be recycled traditionally due to their size, what materials they’re made from and various other factors.
We want to play our part in looking after the planet by making it easier to recycle items that might be difficult to recycle elsewhere. And we want to reward you for playing your part and making recycling part of your regime too.
What’s unique about the scheme?
We’re using Scan 2 Recycle technology, developed by our partners Metrisk and ReWorked, to create a unique solution that helps the environment and rewards customers at the same time. Win, win!
When you visit one of our participating stores and bring five empty products to one of the in-store recycle bins, we’ll give you 500 Boots Advantage Card points – that’s worth £5! We’ll also track how many empties you bring back so you can see the positive impact you’re making to the planet.
What can I bring back?
We’d love you to bring back beauty, wellness, healthcare or dental products that you can’t recycle through your household waste.
It doesn’t matter what brand they are or where you bought them, we’ll make sure they find a new lease of life. Take a look at our T&Cs for a list of things we can and can’t currently recycle.
What happens to my empty products?
Once you’ve dropped your empties into the bins in store, they’ll be taken to ReWorkedwhere the materials will be washed and sorted, ready for recycling into new usable products as far as possible.
Any remaining multi-material items will be recycled into Stormboard, a composite construction board material, similar to ply-wood, which has a lot of different uses.
Organics will be processed through an industrial organics processor. Nothing goes to landfill and nothing is incinerated.
After you’ve used the scheme, you’ll be able to log into your account to see how much you’ve deposited and how many empties have been recycled collectively. How good does that feel?
From IEEE Spectrum Dec2020 — The no-contact temperature screening systems can be off as much as four degrees –
Editors Note: this is Erik Beall writing this article and we believe his company offers fever inspection products. We cannot vouch for the accuracy of his testing as it has not been confirmed. Much of the text is a good read thru and explanation of the at best confusing policies of the FDA.
handheld infrared temperature test
THE INSTITUTE As part of the effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, countries have implemented body-temperature screenings at airports, train stations, and other public spaces to detect fever. Many of the systems include the use of infrared (IR), or thermographic, cameras such as those featured in The Institute article “Thermal Cameras Are Being Outfitted to Detect Fever and Conduct Contact Tracing for COVID-19.”
The market has been flooded with infrared fever-screening products, but almost none has undergone independent testing. Demand has been so great, many companies rushed into the field without understanding the accuracy requirements, and they’ve used technology that cannot possibly measure body temperature well enough. In many cases, their products are unable to tell the difference between core temperatures of 35 and 40 °C, or distinguish between hypothermia and a severe fever.
Some of the companies, under pressure to deliver, succumbed to the practice of averaging the measurement with a normal 37 °C. In the worst cases, they ignored inaccurate measurements and reported normal temperatures—which is as unethical as producing a COVID-19 test kit that always gives a negative result no matter what.
CURRENT SCREENING METHODS
There are three types of fever screenings commonly used in North America. Each comes with its own limitations.
Clinicians typically use oral thermometers during medical visits. Unfortunately, high-quality clinical-grade thermometers are not widely available. Furthermore, it’s not efficient or safe to use them outside clinical environments, because the operator needs to be in close proximity to possibly infected people. Also, if people drink something hot or cold before getting their temperature taken or cannot breathe through their nose and must open their mouth, that will affect the results.
Noncontact infrared thermometers (NCITs), commonly known as forehead screeners, are being used at fitness centers, schools, and businesses. Many of you probably have had your temperature taken by one recently.
Some NCITs, including those with U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, struggle to tell the difference between people with hypothermia (35 °C) and those with a severe fever (40 °C), even when operated properly in a controlled environment.
Even though NCIT sensors are accurate, they don’t account for how air temperature affects their measurements. NCITs also must be operated at a consistent distance to their target, and unfortunately foreheads vary too much. If NCITs were to report temperatures in real-world conditions, often they would be absurd. Some devices do report absurd readings, while others seem to report close-to-normal temperatures most of the time. The latter devices might do a lot of averaging of temperatures. For whatever reason, some manufacturers apparently have decided that rather than figure out how to get accurate readings, they could fudge the numbers and no one would be likely to notice.
Some operators do report the ridiculous readings, while others simply ignore impossibly low readings. That makes many NCITs useless for clinical purposes. Unfortunately, though, because NCITs are the easiest thermometers to obtain, many businesses use them to meet local government requirements.
The thermal imaging field is where we are seeing lots of new products hit the market. The products can work from a safe distance automatically. Near room temperature, everything is glowing in the far infrared electromagnetic spectrum by an amount proportional to its emissivity. Thermal sensing can detect and convert the measured light into a temperature.
An NCIT uses a single pixel sensor, but it must average all temperatures it sees in its field of view—which is why it must be operated so close to the skin. Thermal-imaging systems, on the other hand, use an array of identical pixel sensors to produce images of the luminous intensity, or amount of thermal light falling on each pixel per second per solid angle. To take someone’s temperature, an infrared device must first acquire an accurate surface temperature measurement of a patch of skin. Core body temperature can then be extrapolated, using a previously calibrated relationship between the skin temperature, air temperature, and core body temperature.
The system works because there is a consistently thin level of insulation between core blood and air at the inner canthus—often referred to as the tear duct—the region where the eye meets the bridge of the nose.
In our studies and in data reported by other researchers, we know the surface temperature tracks the core temperature but is reduced by a predictable fraction of the difference between core and ambient air temperature. In fact, a 4 °C change in the room air temperature will change the core temperature reading by a full 1 °C.
Despite manufacturer claims, no thermal imager has been through the FDA’s device-approval process specifically for fever screening. Because of the urgent need for devices that could help fight the pandemic, the FDA released guidance in April declaring the agency did not intend to object to the sale and use of thermal-imaging devices.
However, the agency stated that such devices should (not must) follow an established standard (IEC 80601-2-59:2017) and technical report (ISO/TR 13154:2017) for thermographic fever detection. The standards were designed to minimize mistakes in performing fever detection using off-the-shelf thermographic cameras and IR calibration equipment; no device existed that was explicitly designed for that purpose.
Following the standards, however, is no guarantee the system will be able to detect feverish temperatures reliably. For example, the ISO standard allows the device to take measurements in the same manner even if air temperature changes as much as 4 °C. As discussed before, such a change will throw off the measurement enough to miss mild fevers or have at least a 50 percent false-positive rate.
Nevertheless, thermal imaging is the most promising technology, because it can operate automatically from a safe distance and, importantly, has no additional per-scan costs.
It started as a project to encourage students at Basinview Drive Community School to develop a deeper love for reading. Grade 2 teacher Sheila McMullen came …
WESTMINSTER, Colo., Dec. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Kiosk Manufacturer Association (KMA), the leading unattended self-service kiosk association established in 1995, today announced the launch of new initiatives in the PCI Compliance space for unattended self-service kiosks. Those initiatives include providing content for the PCI Perspectives Blog, creating a SIG or Special Interest Group on PCI SSC for unattended and semi-attended transaction, as well as new guidepost content from our sponsors and members outlining best practices.
“The pandemic is fundamentally altering the relationship that business and customer have had historically. Rather than the conventional ‘push’ from storefront to customer, the ratio of customers ‘pulling’ from business is rapidly increasing. Online mechanisms are no longer optional but instead, mandatory,” says association spokesman, Craig Keefner. “Contactless and touchless are the new cornerstones. Shortening those transaction timeframes whether Drive-Thru or Text-to-pay are the new base metrics.”
The pandemic impact on the currencies and payment methods involved in today’s secure transaction has also expanded. Cash2Card deployments are rising and instead of the old Redbox DVDs at McDonalds you may soon have a new Bitcoin ATM Kiosks.
Technologies emerging and in-use include conversational artificial intelligence (AI) and all types of visual recognition systems (automobile license and facial examples given).
To stay informed on customer self-order and employee terminals sign up for our monthly news update or you can visit our website.
Based in Westminster, Colorado the Kiosk Manufacturer Association or KMA has served the unattended self-service kiosk market since 1995. The Kiosk Association leads the effort to optimize self-service engagements and outcomes using technology such as kiosks, digital signage, and touchscreens.
Regulatory issues such as PCI Compliance and EMV are a primary focus for the KMA along with ADA Accessibility. KMA is a Participating Organization with the PCI SSC. For ADA, the KMA meets annually with U.S. Access Board on accessibility standards for unattended. Additional market coverage includes digital signage, interactive digital, Point-of-Sale, Smart City, vending and robotics. See us on LinkedIn. KMA is available on https://kioskindustry.org and https://kma.global
Report from IPVM July 2020 – By: Isabella Cheng, Published on Jul 28, 2020 – Video surveillance is not the only market that has pivoted to medical device sales (admitted or not). Kiosk suppliers, hard hit by COVID-19, have also joined this emerging segment.
Inside this note, based on an interview with Craig Keefner, the manager of Kiosk Manufacturer Association (KMA) and editor of Kiosk Industry (KI), we examine where the kiosk market was before COVID-19 and how kiosk suppliers have rapidly ramped up temperature screening offerings.
Outdoor touchscreen ordering at Subway with terminals that move up and down to accommodate drivers. Nextep out of Troy Michigan with the software and terminals.
For the longest time American industry has had a very contradictory relationship with Asia.
Back in the late 70s, we had our own experience with semiconductors (RAM) and Japan and American manufacturers. Needing to collect more seismic data do we purchase 100 devices from a US company or do we purchase 1000 devices from Japan? The outcome was not good for the US semiconductor industry.
In the kiosk industry past it was common at shows to have the Chinese with high-resolution cameras take photos of kiosk units designed by US manufacturers. These photos were later transformed into CAD files and then subsequently offered on Chinese sites, sometimes at 25% the cost. They would break down more often but then you could buy 2 spares at the same cost.
The software application side of things though was and is non-China-provisioned. That has changed.
Currently, there is a “hot market” for temperature screening kiosks. Devices from Belgium and Germany are predominantly used as the temperature sensors and they are integrated into tablets typically running Android on a Rockchip.
The claim is they include AI module and facial recognition along with the temperature measurement. All the sweet spots.
Problem is now that this software is Chinese in origin. Its not just hardware anymore. That brings into play regulations such as HIPAA as well as Federal laws regarding technology (blacklists). Deployments by marquee companies such as Amazon are common, and have included blacklisted technology.
In the temperature kiosk market, we see literally thousands of Chinese units being deployed at schools, state agencies, and federal agencies which employ Chinese software. Software that uses algorithms of blacklisted companies with data that passes thru their servers.
TikTok is an entertainment platform and it has been deemed sufficient national interest to require changes.
Given these “surveillance” platforms for scanning the general population, is it reasonable to suggest they might require changes?
Maybe injecting Chinese software into Smart City technology gets peoples attention. Not sure.
Tablets in general — It can be argued that the closest thing to a U.S. made tablet is an iPad. There are zero Android/Rockchip hardware options in the U.S. and the origin of hardware is now giving Asia and edge in software. It used to be a Dell or HP pc.
TPM or Trusted Platform Module
Windows PCs and Apple support TPM 1.2 and 2.0 also known as Trusted Platform Module. Android and the Rockchip do not. ARM has another effort called TrustZone and not the same.
Additional Context from legal authority for consideration
Brian Weinthal
Partner at Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella
For reference HIPAA, the federal statute only covers those who are deemed to be health care providers under its terms.
Sharing or improperly releasing medical information, or taking biometrics without consent are both potential violations of the law, and could be actionable.
Recently we had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Southco and Mike Fahy. I have know Mike since before 2010 when he assisted developing some locks for major rental bike program.
Locks and access control isn’t the sexiest stuff in the world but they are critical components. Many people that we have worked with understand the value and benefit of good access technology. Electronic Access Solutions
Very nice exposition of McDonalds project by Steve Lister. This was a project to make McDonalds cool again.
From LinkedIn post we saw — So what was the idea of the project? – The complete reinvention of the world’s largest Fast Food Chain, including master-planning, architecture and interior design, brand positioning, graphics, packaging, uniforms and global design standards and guidelines.
What was the Project Brief to Landini Associates? – The brief was simply to “make McDonalds cool again”, in order to challenge and then re-attract “Millennials” who had become disenchanted with the brand, and to create a Global Flagship model.
Landini Associates’ design “Project Ray” is named after the brand’s founder Ray Kroc and first launched in December 2015 at Admiralty Station in Hong Kong.
Personally, I think they did an amazing job……what do you think?
So here are some of the concepts they came up with?
It always amazes us at the terms and phrases that end up getting misconstrued for lack of better phrase.
If you sit a keyboard and you type with your left and right hands try typing out kiosk a couple of time and eventually you will end up with KISOK.
I spent over 10 years with KIS also known as KIOSK. One of my jobs was web traffic and one of the best actions I ever took was purchasing the kisok.com (and net) domain name. Set up a simple redirect in DNS so that anybody trying to go to www.kiosk.com and who mispelled kisok then they would automatically be redirected to the proper site.
Probably 1500 a month which is substantial, and saved money on Adwords.
And that is a bit of trivia about the work Kisok (yes it is a real word).
Craig is a senior staff writer for Kiosk Industry Group Association. He has 25 years of experience in the industry. He contributed to this article.
New blog entry on Customer Loyalty. One major metropolitan art museum saw a 376 percent increase in membership after they launched a multi-channel loyalty program that utilized loyalty kiosks, email marketing and an interactive mobile phone experience.
TSITouch is a major provider of touchscreen overlays for large format touchscreens. 55″ is arguably the most popular but larger and smaller are both major markets.
We checked with TSI to see what they say.
Most screens, independent of if they have touch, protective, or raw OEM panels are not sealed against water intrusion. We did have a customer whose cleaning staff was using a mop, same one as they used to clean the floor, and they were killing the screens on a routine basis. Any cleaning solution should first be applied to a lint free cloth which is then used to clean the screen. No electronics should be sprayed and them wiped.
Soapy water leaves a thin residue on most surfaces so it is not recommended for cleaning screens. The best cleaner for displays with and without touch or protective solutions is any cleaner that does not have a high concentration of alcohol in it. Continued application of high alcohol concentrate cleaners will cause exposed plastics to discolor and become brittle over time.
TSItouch offers a screen cleaner that is < 98% deionized water <2 % BIO T Max and < .1% AEM 5772-5. AEM 5772-5 is an anti-microbial and BIO T Max is a biodegradable solvent typically used to removed oil and grease as well as other oil based products. Any product with a similar composition will work well.
DRDO develops kiosk for COVID-19 sample collection
New Delhi, April 14: Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad has added another product to the portfolio of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to combat Coronavirus (COVID-19) by developing COVID Sample Collection Kiosk (COVSACK).
The unit has been developed by DRDL in consultation with the doctors of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Hyderabad. The COVSACK is a kiosk for use by healthcare workers for taking COVID-19 samples from suspected infected patients. Patient under test walks into the Kiosk and a nasal or oral swab is taken by health care professional from outside through the built in gloves.
The Kiosk is automatically disinfected without the need for human involvement, making the process free of infection spread. The shielding screen of kiosk cabin protects the health care worker from the aerosols/droplet transmission while taking the sample.This reduces the requirements of PPE change by health care workers.
After the patient leaves the Kiosk, four nozzle sprayers mounted in the kiosk cabin disinfect the empty chamber by spraying disinfectant mist for a period of 70 seconds. It is further flushed with water & UV light disinfection. The system is ready for next use in less than two minutes. Voice command can be given through two-way communication system integrated with the COVSACK. It is possible to configure COVSACK to be used either from inside or outside as required by the medical professionals.
The COVSACK costs nearly Rsone lakh and the identified industry based at Belgaum, Karnataka can support 10 units per day. The DRDO has designed and developed two units and handed over these to ESIC Hospital, Hyderabad after successful testing.
We’re thrilled to officially launch our 21.5” Outdoor Display, the first Mimo Monitors screen to be designed for optimum outdoor performance. Durable, reliable, and vibrant, this screen can handle almost any temperature (ranging from -20 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit), any lighting, and is IP65 rated making it fit to ward off any elements ranging from sand to dust and moisture. Watch this video to learn about our new outdoor display:
By Frank LegatoWed, Apr 1, 2020 — In several states, unregulated “skill games” are still up and running, despite the nationwide coronavirus shutdown.
On Monday, March 16, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board ordered all casinos in the state to shut down, part of the larger nationwide effort to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus. The following day, gaming boards in Missouri and Kansas followed suit, and eventually, the entire legal gaming industry was at a standstill.
Many in the industry initially thought social distancing—shutting down two or three slot machines between each active game—would allow casinos to remain open. Then the Centers for Disease Control revealed that the Covid-19 virus can survive up to two or three days on stainless steel, plastic and other nonporous surfaces—like gaming machines. An industry shutdown was unavoidable.
But as recently as last weekend, convenience stores, pizza parlors, gas stations and other retail locations in Pennsylvania, Missouri and elsewhere still had live gaming machines operating. These are the so-called “skill games” that had been cropping up in several states prior to the crisis, the subject of an effort launched in February to battle them by the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) and the American Gaming Association (AGA).
Newest product is built to withstand life in other galaxies and inform intergalactic locals
AURORA, Ill. – April 1, 2020 – Peerless-AV®, an award-winning designer and manufacturer of the highest quality audio and video solutions and accessories, is pleased to announce the introduction of the new SmartSpace product line with the launch of the New SmartSpace Kiosk.
The new customized SmartSpace Kiosk (SPC2556) can withstand any weather conditions, making it perfect for the drastic weather shifts on the moon. With interactive displays to disseminate important information about current gravity conditions, important NASA launch news, as well as to direct residents to the nearest lifeform.
“While this may be one small step for Peerless-AVas well as the digital signage and AV community, this is one giant leap for our lunar locals. We are thrilled to partner with Peerless-AV to enhance our community – especially as we have been envious of Earth’s many digital signage offerings,” said Ed Extraterrestrial, Moon Mayor. “These new displays are an innovative and dependable solution to keep our residents informed about the latest lifeforms to visit our planet, galactic black hole advisories, crater wayfinding, and more .”
The AV designing and manufacturing company plans to expand its Space collection at the end of 2020 with the addition of a SmartSpace Flat Panel Cart (SP560MN) and a SPACELESS Program to help the locals with their installation needs. With the addition of the SmartSpace Kiosk and upcoming full SmartSpace product line, Peerless-AV is setting sights on brand expansion in the milky way and beyond with an ultimate goal to become the official digital signage and kiosk provider for outer space.
Unfortunately, these space-rated solutions will never be available through Peerless-AV’s direct sales representatives and authorized distribution network because….
April Fool’s!!!
While we don’t have immediate plans to expand into space, we do offer our fellow earthlings many other innovative, outdoor solutions, such as the award-winning Smart City Kiosks, UltraViewTM UHD Outdoor TVs, XtremeTM High Bright Outdoor Displays, and more.
For more information about Peerless-AV’s current indoor and outdoor solutions for earth applications, please visit: www.peerless-av.com
For over 75 years, passion and innovation continue to drive Peerless-AV forward. We proudly design and manufacture the highest quality products, ranging from outdoor displays to complete kiosk solutions, digital signage mounts to wireless systems. Whether a full-scale global deployment or custom project, Peerless-AV develops meaningful relationships and delivers world-class service. In partnership with Peerless-AV, you are trusting an award-winning team of experts who will support your business every step of the way. For more information, visit peerless-av.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 30, 2020
Kandice Sanders
Connected Technology Solutions (CTS)
262-437-8096, [email protected]
Connected Technology Solutions Temporarily Furloughs Staff Due to Coronavirus
Menomonee Falls, WI: Connected Technology Solutions (CTS), the local kiosk manufacturer, closed their facilities and furloughed 95% of their staff starting Monday March 23rd due to concerns of the Coronavirus. With only current crisis-level staffing, the company intends to re-open operations in accordance with state and local directives.
Sandra Nix, President & CEO, stated “For the health and safety of not only our team members but our families and our communities as well, CTS is enacting a temporary furlough of most non-sales related staff. While we aren’t alone in enacting a temporary furlough, we are at the forefront of small to medium-sized manufacturers to do so. We’ve built an amazing team here and we need to look out for each other.
This is an opportunity for us to step up and be leaders while protecting each other, our families and our community.”
Overall, the crisis level staffing will be available to perform basic business functions and technical helpdesk support will continue to be available to CTS customers during the furlough. No production, research, development, 3D printing nor deliveries will be made during this time.
About Connected Technology Solutions:
Connected Technology Solutions (CTS) is the thought leader in branded user experiences including point of purchase kiosks, digital signage, interactive displays and retail fixtures, with an extensive roster of clients in the healthcare, retail, hospitality, transportation industries and more. Recognized for its outstanding creative talent and innovative engineering, the Wisconsin-based company has won numerous prestigious awards for its customized software and hardware design, implementation, and customer service and support since its founding in 2002. CTS is the parent company of CTS Healthcare Services and Mighty Touch. For more information, visit connectedts.com.
Statement by Mike Lee, CEO of ATMIA, issues statement regarding ATMs and recent coronavirus. Marc 13, 2020
New Coronavirus Health Crisis – Separating Fact from Fiction
A Statement by the ATM Industry Association for Immediate Global Release
Panic reactions are happening across the world as the new corona virus, for which there isn’t yet human immunity, spreads. We are seeing emptier supermarket shelves, an extremely volatile stock market, cancelled events and flights and many other signs of fear spreading even faster than the virus itself.
The medical consensus is that this virus is transmitted through respiratory droplets, primarily when infected persons sneeze, or cough, and the viral droplets then hook onto mucous or saliva of another person to gain a foothold in their cells so the virus can reproduce in that new host body.
The best advice is to regularly sanitise hands and disinfect surfaces, which may have been contaminated by viral droplets, while avoiding, as far as possible, touching one’s nose, eyes or mouth. We know that in close contact with an infected person, such as when shaking hands, or when we touch a doorknob, tabletop or surface previously touched by an infected person, we run a risk of catching the virus.
Since people don’t usually sneeze or cough into their banknotes, and since we all touch dozens of surfaces every day, it is disingenuous to single out cash as a medium of transmission of the virus. Handling cards, mobile devices and touching keypads in public places, not to mention countless other surfaces, can carry an equal risk. What is important is frequent hand sanitising to kill off any viral droplets, given that the virus has a fragile envelope surrounding it which can be readily destroyed through disinfectants.
Professor Raina MacIntyre, the head of the biosecurity programme at the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, supporting the idea that airborne respiratory droplets would the most common means of transmission for the new corona virus, highlights the fact that the range of objects which can cause an infection when they have a residue of the viral droplets on them would be so broad that to remove all potential sources of infection is simply impossible.
“Like every other object in the universe, physical money has its surfaces,” said Mike Lee, CEO of ATMIA and President of the ATM Security Association. “The scapegoating of cash by some agencies and media is an irresponsible piece of pseudo-science, or bias, because it can distract citizens from the risks of infection on all other surfaces of their daily lives. Let’s all grow up and not arbitrarily insert into this health crisis the phoney old war on cash. It’s not exactly an edifying spectacle to see an epidemic being exploited in this manner.”
ATMIA urges all members and all companies in the industry to take the necessary precautions, especially in terms of regular hand and surface disinfection, but to continue life and business as normal as far as humanly possible. “This epidemic will surely peak at some time, and then recede, and panic serves no rational purpose,” Lee concluded. “Cash is a vital social service for billions in everyday life, but it’s even more important when there’s a crisis.”
About ATMIA www.atmia.com
ATMIA is a global not-for-profit trade association for the ATM and cash industries, which was founded in 1997 and now has over 11,000 members in about 70 countries. ATMIA runs the ATM Security Association and the Consortium for Next Gen ATMs. Contact Mike Lee at [email protected]
Unprecedented consumer empowerment is redefining food service: delivery, privacy, personalization, alternative payments, artificial intelligence; stir in new ways to streamline the back of the house, and it’s a full-on innovation inferno.
That’s why at MURTEC 2020 we’re giving restaurants an innovation heatmap. The agenda is packed with subject matter experts, and the show floor features 75+ of the hottest technologies. We’re helping restaurants find the solutions they need to feed time-starved, convenience-hungry consumers with a hankering for exceptional experiences.
“The ever-changing landscape of technology and its impact on consumer-facing brands makes MURTEC a must-attend event – a perfect combination of content, networking and learning to enable and drive real solutions back into our organizations.”
–Chief Experience Officer, TGI Fridays
Exhibitors
Star is excited to see you! Star is proud to offer a variety of restaurant solutions for both the front-of-house and the back-of-house, from online ordering solutions to kitchen ticket printing. Stop by booth #21 to learn about it all. To schedule a meeting, please click here.
MURTEC is only one week away! If you’re headed out to Vegas, make sure to swing by the Appetize Restaurant of the Future in booth #51 to see why multi-unit restaurants need an Enterprise Cloud Point of Sale platform to increase revenue and scale the business effectively. Our team will be exhibiting our self-service solutions, quick service terminals, handheld POS devices, multi-unit management tools, and more key features your POS needs to deliver a frictionless guest experience. Schedule a meeting with us here: https://lnkd.in/gKQrJKk
Example of privacy screens. Image courtesy Olea Kiosks. Click to see full size
We update and refresh our Charter Sponsors content and one of our original Charter Sponsors is Olea Kiosks. Their original charter sponsor page was done many years ago and today we updated it (several http links instead of https e.g.).
We’re kicking off the new year with many exciting things ahead! With new product launches on the horizon, and Integrated Systems Europe around the corner we can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store.
Make An Appointment to Stop by Our Booth (#8-E450) At Integrated Systems Europe (ISE)
This year at ISE get hands-on with the last, exclusive preview of our outdoor digital signage, check out our new shelf edge displays, and feel the revolutionary Mimo Vue with TanvasTouch®. We’ll have all this and so much more at the booth, so make an appointment to check it out.
Hear Our CEO, David Anderson, Speak at ISE on “Utilizing Haptics To Cultivate Rich Touch Experiences & Heighten Customer Engagement”
On Wednesday, February 12th in stand 13-N110 at 12:30 PM come hear our President & CEO David Anderson Speak about surface haptics and how you can utilize it in various verticals to reach your business goals. He’ll cover the basics about what surface haptics are, the benefits, and showcase new technology you’ll have to feel to believe.
Introducing Our Shelf Edge Displays, The Ideal Retail Digital Signage Solution
We know shelf edge displays can be an incredibly valuable in-store marketing tool. We’re pleased to launch our 23×2″ shelf edge displays, available with and without Android Media Player. Sleek, flexible, and durable, these displays are fuss-free and seamless to install. Check out this video to learn all about them.
Learn About Our Charitable Giving Program with TechSoup, A Global Non-Profit That Supports Non-Profit Organizations With Mission-Critical Resources
We’re proud to collaborate with TechSoup to provide our products to some of the organizations who need it most. We’ve helped out organizations such as The Boys & Girls Club of Milwaukee, The New York Academy of Sciences, DC Scores, Paws for Life and hundreds more.
If you’re interested in learning about how we’ve benefitted some of our customers, you can check out the new white paper and case studies section of our website for an in-depth look.
Are You Media/Press Interested In Covering Mimo Monitors?
We’ve got a brand new press kit on our website. If you’re a member of the media we invite you to check it out, and contact us if you’re interested in collaborating on a story, or stop by our booth at upcoming trade shows. We’d love to work with you.
Are You Following Mimo Monitors on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook?
We’re posting ongoing and valuable content over on our social media pages regularly. We’re sharing some of our favorite tips, tricks, and information pertaining to company and industry news. You can find and follow us here:
Twitter: @MimoDisplay
Facebook: Mimo Monitors
LinkedIn: Mimo Monitors
Craig is a senior staff writer for Kiosk Industry Group Association. He has 25 years of experience in the industry. He contributed to this article.
Sometimes it seems the last thing we put on a touchscreen is our finger. There are so many ways to customize a touchscreen and over the years they have continued to multiply. Whether its reflections, or vandals or privacy or what…There is always something new. Women with long fingernails are problematic. The only technology I have not seen is smart proximity sensing so people can’t look at the screen over your shoulder.
Introduction
What customers want when they ask for AR coatings is to reduce the ability to see oneself when looking at the display, especially when you are outside. AR coatings make the display easier to see.
In legacy touch products, glare reduction was done using anti-glare (AG) coatings. AG treatments are made by either coating the touch surface with silica “bumps” or lightly etching the glass. The result is that some of the light hitting the touch surface is diffused or scattered, and not reflected back at the user. This was good enough for 25 years of touch technology.
Then came Apple and their beautiful high-resolution display. To preserve that super display image, polished glass was used on the iPhone instead of the traditional AG treatment. It is kind of OK for mobile devices because you can tilt the surface to reduce reflections, but less easy to “fix” on bigger devices such as pads.
So the market is asking for something that reduces reflections but preserves that pretty little picture on the display. This has traditionally been done using anti-reflection treatments. Reflection reduction can be achieved in a number of ways, including moth-eye treatments, circular polarizers, eliminating the reflective surface, or that which I will talk about, multi-layer thin film interference coatings.
AR (Anti-Reflection)
Diagram 1.1 (Courtesy of Wikipedia)
This treatment applies a film or coating of a specific thickness to the surface of a cover lens. The film reduces the reflections on the surface by canceling out a specific wavelength of light as it is reflected back to the consumer. When a specific wavelength of light passes through the AR material, some of it is reflected back to the consumer at the surface of the AR film (R1) and some of it is reflected at the surface of the cover lens (R2). The thickness of the AR film causes the reflected wavelengths (R1, R2) to be reflected exactly out of phase with each other (see diagram 1.1) so that they cancel each other out. Thus the consumer will not see their own reflection. Instead, they will see a brighter and more vivid display.
Problems/Fixes
Fingerprints – The fingerprint problem has been fixed with anti-fingerprint (AF) coatings. Recalling the description above, you know that the thin film coating must be the precise thickness of a light wave (say ¼ of the width) to work. Along comes your dirty, oily fingertip, laden with hand cream, to touch the screen. Boom, the oil you left on the AR coating has changed the thickness of the coating which reduces the ability to trap the light and most often shows up as a fingerprint. AF coatings work by resisting the ability of the oil on your finger to “stick” to the AR coating; these are called hydrophobic (fear of water) coatings. Of course, for the AR coating to work, the AF coating must be built into the precise thickness of the thin-film stack. Touch Guy is not impressed with the aftermarket spray-on AF coatings over AR stacks. Not impressed at all.
Wears Off – fact is you have an angstroms thick material in an abrasive and chemically active environment, and you have limited time before its anti-reflection properties go away, especially on frequently touched areas. There seem to be two solutions…the first is that the AF coating on the AR stack is made of (secret) tough material that will wear-off your fingertip (just kidding) before it gives up. The other is to use thicker, but less effective (2% reflection) organic AR coatings, that seem to have better resistance to finger wear. Another way around the AR wear problem is to eliminate the reflective surfaces in the first place.
Fix: An AG coating and an optically bonded p-cap touch panel eliminates the wear, and anti-fingerprint issues, with only a minor loss in display sharpness.
AG (Anti-Glare)
Diagram 1.2 (Courtesy of Information Displays)
This type of treatment involves creating a rough surface on the cover lens via an etching process. As light reflects off of the rough surface, it is scattered at different angles (see diagram 1.2) which reduces the clarity of the reflected image. Thus, the consumer will not see the bright glare of any reflected light source.
AF/AS (Anti-Finger Print)
This type of treatment reduces the ability of the cover lens retaining oils from your finger. AF/AS treatment is typically applied by vacuum deposition or by a liquid chemistry process, which creates an oleophobic top coating. Since this layer is a chemical modification of the glass surface, it is very durable compared to aftermarket AF/AS spray-on films and it is very thin with little or no impact on the optical quality of the display.
It has to be noted that AF/AS treatments do not perfectly prevent fingerprints. They only cause finger oils to bead on the surface, which makes them less noticeable and also much easier to clean off the screen.
Another benefit of the AF/AS coating is the “feel” or user perception of the treated surface. Because the surface is smooth, the finger will glide more easily compared to a non-treated surface. A non-treated cover lens surface can cause the user’s finger to stick, skip, feel like it’s being dragged, or even make drawing a singular line on the screen difficult so that it becomes a dotted line.
Oleophobic Coating
An oleophobic coating is an oil repellent coating. This means that it does not allow oil to absorb. A common oleophobic substance is water, but this quality can be produced on other materials with the help of treatment processes. The most useful aspect of oleophobic coatings are that they can make materials fingerprint-resistant because they repel the oils that are produced by the skin.
Sunglasses (Yes, sunglasses..)
Some outdoor high NIT touchscreens can come with what’s called “Circular Polarization Filters”. This allows people with sunglasses to see the screen. How Circular Polarizers work.
Protection Treatment
Many outdoor touchmonitors come with Tempered Glass and Anti-Reflective.
Tablets
Many tablets (and mobile phones) come with Gorilla Glass by Corning. Here is the pitch — Tough Corning® Gorilla® Glass is enabling slimmer, more lightweight laptops, notebooks and tablets with exceptional visual quality, while providing damage- and scratch-resistance from everyday handling and use.
AntiBacterial Coating AntiMicrobial Coating
This is a touchy subject for many…We have an entire page devoted to this subject. Our typical recommendation is treat it like your mobile phone, but better. Clean it everyday. There are excellent cleaners like PDI Easy Screen. Use them. It is not rocket science and oily, dirty, unwashed hands are a fact of life. It amazes me when I go to the airport or Costco and see how many men do not wash their hands leaving the lavatory. See AntiBacterial Coating page
UV Treatment
We have some experience here having won an award for developing such a system. These systems though are not to be taken lightly; there are liabilities that come with them. If you want to utilize UVB light treatment we recommend having employees manually do it off-hours when they are cleaning the screens. A high quality (and safe) manual system is less than $500.
ADA and Accessibility Touchscreen Access
One of the considerations for Accessibility is with Prostethics. Some touchscreen technology does not work since there is no path to ground. PCap for example. For those situations we recommend Resistive or Infrared touchscreen technology.
Privacy Screens for HIPAA and Privacy
Here is an example of kiosks with privacy screens on them. Typically 3M is the most popular. There are two-way and four-way screens and they act like windows blinds basically. They orient generally horizontally but they can also do vertical.
Example of privacy screens. Image courtesy Olea Kiosks
Valued at $535 million, autonomous retail startup Standard Cognition has emerged as a soon-to-be tech giant and the best hope for merchants to compete with Amazon Go. Cashierless checkout is poised to transform brick-and-mortar commerce, and shop owners fear having to battle Amazon’s technology alone or partner with it, exposing data it could use against them.
The $86 million-funded Standard Cognition is racing to equip storefronts with an independent alternative using cameras to track what customers grab and charge them. But Amazon’s early start in the space poses a risk that it could patent troll the startup. So today, Standard Cognition announced it has acquired DeepMagic, a pioneer in autonomous retail kiosks.
By integrating Evoke’s digital kiosks with Radius Networks’ customer location technologies, businesses can dramatically improve both the in-store and curbside experiences for customers and employees.
Radius Networks and Evoke Partnership
Washington, DC — Radius Networks, a leading provider for location services, and Evoke, an interactive digital technology provider, announced a partnership to help businesses across Europe provide innovative technology solutions in-store, curbside, and drive-thru. With the simple integration of Radius Networks and Evoke technologies, businesses can simplify and complete the customer journey.
“Our goal is to create a turnkey end-to-end journey for customers, meeting the needs of restaurants and retailers across the globe,” says Chief Strategy Officer Dan Estrada. “With our proprietary technologies, we can calculate the exact location of the customer throughout the entire customer journey, alerting employees at pivotal moments along the way. This automates the entire process for the customer and ensures that the order will be ready upon the customer’s arrival.”
Radius Networks builds a platform that uses machine learning to help businesses conduct location-based transactions with their customers. The platform core services include location-aware table service, curbside and in-store pickup, mobile loyalty and redemption, and mobile payment at the table. By using FlyBuy Pickup, a Radius Networks product designed to enhance the existing in-store pickup, curbside, and drive-thru experiences, restaurants and retailers can ensure they prepare the right order, for the right customer, at the right time. Through a combination of proprietary location technologies, businesses can accurately predict customer arrival time, monitor customers when they arrive on property, and pinpoint their exact location for order delivery. Additionally, restaurants and retailers can gather personalized analytics, including customer wait time, trip origination, activity metrics, and more.
For in-store customer location, customers can place their order via mobile, at the counter, or using Evoke’s self-service digital kiosks. After ordering at the kiosk or counter, the customer is invited to sit anywhere and relax as their food is prepared. When the order is ready, the Radius Networks platform pinpoints the exact location of the customer for order delivery.
Evoke works with innovative companies to design and implement digital solutions to streamline operations and increase sales. From self-ordering kiosks to interactive digital signage experiences, Evoke helps improve efficiencies for both the front and back of the house. “By leveraging the Radius Networks product suite, we can bring additional value to our customers,” says Neil Clark, Founder and CEO Evoke. “By implementing their innovative in-store and curbside solutions, restaurants and retailers will quickly see a dramatic increase in customer satisfaction and staff efficiencies.”
Radius Networks is a software company that uses machine learning to help companies conduct location-based transactions with their customers. The platform core services include customer and asset location, curbside and in-store pickup, mobile loyalty and redemption, and mobile pay-at-table. Our clients include some of the world’s largest brands and span multiple markets such as restaurants, hospitality, gaming, grocery, and retail.
About Evoke
Evoke have been at the forefront of interactive digital technology since 2003 and work with some of the world’s biggest brands designing and manufacturing the latest in self-service solutions. Evoke’s highly trained production engineers work to continuously improve lean manufacturing processes and we deliver large scale rollouts of the highest quality to locations all over the world. With a culture of innovation and the best talent from around the country, Evoke has the experience and capacity needed for your digital transformation.
The outdoor kiosk replaces the regular drive-thru completely. Customers drive up and, if they manage to get close enough, roll down their windows and start pressing buttons. The computer takes them through the entire ordering process and allows them to choose whether they want a sandwich or salad, which bread they want, which veggies they want, whether they want to add chips and a drink and more.
Mastercard and Marie Claire magazine have teamed up to create “The Next Big Thing” concept shop, a pop-up store in SoHo that brings the convenience of online shopping to a physical storefront
“I’m a big believer in the physical store and I think when you look at just pure volume of sales, you still see a majority of that happening in a physical environment,” said Stephane Wyper, senior vice president of Internet of Things partnerships and commercialization at Mastercard.
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America, an industry leader in food services technology, announced today the launch of its new turnkey kiosk solution that provides restaurant customers an immersive, customized, and faster experience. The new solution will premiere at FSTEC 2018 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando on October 1-3, 2018, in Booth 801.
“Panasonic kiosks have proven that they drive a significantly higher check and that the guests using them experience an overall satisfaction similar to or greater than those placing their orders directly with staff,” said Michael D. Clarke, Owner, Lickety Split Food Services, LLC, a Texas Dairy Queen multi-unit franchisee.
Panasonic’s end-to-end platform is managed at the enterprise level, allowing chain restaurants to deploy large installations easily and efficiently. The enterprise-grade application features full Point-of-Sale and Payment integration, a cloud-based enterprise management portal, flexible screen design, highly responsive user interface, suggestive selling, and order customization throughout the customer ordering journey.
“The highly intuitive, digital user interface promotes customer engagement, increases restaurant sales and profits, and frees up staff to tend to other business needs,” said M. Faisal Pandit, SVP and Chief Digital Officer, Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America. “Customers interact with kiosks in myriad venues and have come to expect that same connectivity in restaurants too. And kiosks can have a significant impact on sales and profits with transaction uplifts of 20%-30% versus the traditional counter.”
Restaurant brands can have one strategic partner for a comprehensive menu of hardware choices, software, and consulting, with full deployment and after-installation services that can help scale self-ordering kiosks across an entire enterprise with speed and agility.
About Panasonic Corporation of North America Newark, NJ-based Panasonic Corporation of North America is a leading technology partner to businesses, government agencies and consumers across the region. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation and leverages its strengths in Immersive Entertainment, Sustainable Energy, Automated Supply Chains and Connected Solutions to provide secure and resilient integrated solutions for B2B customers. Panasonic was highlighted in Forbes Magazine’s Global 2000 ranking as one of the Top Ten Best Regarded Companies for 2017. The ranking is based on outstanding scores for trustworthiness, honesty with the public and superior performance of products and solutions. Learn more about Panasonic’s ideas and innovations at Panasonic.com.
Mimo Monitors and BrightSign, leading industry digital signage experts, share their best insights and strategies for maximizing digital signage to add value for the customer and cultivate engagement
CHICAGO, IL—April 2019— Mimo Monitors (www.MimoMonitors.com), the experts in small touchscreen displays, joined forces with BrightSign, to share their top five tips and best practices for digital signage. Both industry leaders in the digital signage space, Mimo Monitors and BrightSign believe in the far-reaching impacts and value that effective digital signage can have towards customer engagement, cultivating loyalty, and ultimately, the bottom line.
To watch the video of their top five tips visit here:
“With more noise than ever competing for customer’s attention, we know that utilizing digital signage effectively and in an engaging way is crucial,” said Jeff Hastings, CEO of BrightSign. “That’s why one of our most highly recommended tips is to make digital signage interactive. Interactivity is key to capturing attention and can directly add value both to the customer and the retailer.”
A Philly hacker is raising privacy concerns over the city’s just-approved Link kiosks – which caused quite a storm when they were installed in New York.
