Tuesday, January 28, 2020

RFID and NFC Comparison and Analysis

RFID and NFC Comparison and Analysis RFID and NFC RFID JRI faces multiple problems that can be resolved with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and NFC card payments. RFID technology consists of three main components: a chip, a reader, and a database. RFID works through a series of steps. First, the RFID reader sends energy to the RFID chip that is placed within or on the exterior of any type of device. The RFID chip receives the energy from the reader, and transmits information to it. The reader can process this information and send it to a database (Bonsor Felon, 2017). The chips will be placed onto devices that need to be used for tracking purposes such as rental equipment, golf clubs, and tennis rackets. This source of information will be transformed into data through the RFID reader and tracked in a database in order to determine how long someone used the object and where it is. Then, when the guest pays, they will have their accounts automatically charged without having someone input that information. RFID differentia tes itself from barcodes in many ways. Traditionally, almost every object in a store is tagged with a barcode that must be scanned one by one by a clerk at the checkout. RFID chips will still be placed on object like the barcodes, but there will be no need for them to be scanned on by one because the RFID readers can detect them within a roughly 20-foot range (Bonsor Felon, 2017). Suppose that guests wanted to purchase an assortment of items on the JRI resort. They would simply grab what they want, walk out and make their payment with the NFC card (will be explained later). This will overall reduce the bottlenecks of checkout lines by a significant margin. Business Processes The way this will influence the business process is that the important resources of JRI will be managed more efficiently using crucial information. Guests at JRI will also have an RFID chip on their NFC card that will allow them to enter and exit certain facilities without having to put their card up to the door. The reason this process works is because the RFID chip will contain all the ID of the customer such as their age and their name. Activities use information to determine how inputs transfer into outputs, and in this case, the input will be the identification of the customer and the output will be the ability for the information system to grant them access or not. As mentioned before, the most crucial information in this system will be all the data of the specific object the RFID chip is attached to just like a barcode. Facilities at JRI will need to be updated to accommodate this technology for one important reason: checkpoints. When a customer has their items they want and w ant to leave the store, there needs to be checkpoints that customers walk through that will indicate that they want to purchase the item and pay for it with their NFC card. The readers need to be placed in strategic positions depending on the product, but in general, they would be in the same place a traditional barcode scanner would be. And finally, the resources of the company will be positively influenced because the suppliers of products to the resort will have more accurate tracking systems and they will know when they need to restock their inventories. Less workers will be required to check out items too which will alleviate labor costs of the business. NFC The second component of my alternative is the NFC card reader. The way this information system would work is this: before customers arrive at the resort, they will go to the website of JRI and sign up for an NFC card. They will enter relevant information like their name, credit card number, and email address. When they arrive at the resort, they will receive an NFC card that has their picture identification and will be used to make payments; the charges will be deducted from their credit card account accordingly. The benefit of this system is that the card will also contain a username and password that will be used to log into various computers that will be spread out through the resort so that they can log on to preorder meals, book golf games, and much more. Any purchases they make at these computers will automatically be charged to their account because it already includes their login information that is tied to their accounts. The NFC purposes of the card will serve to facilitate payments because items will already have an RFID chip and customers will simply have to grab their items, walk past the checkout checkpoint, then they cap their card at an NFC terminal and all leave. A benefit of the NFC payment method is also that the existing payment terminals at JRI will only need to be updated for roughly $150 dollars each and there would be no additional fees that the guests would have to pay (5). And since they already leave their phones when they check in, this feature must be embedded onto a card, like Tim Hortons cards that are used across Canada. Business Processes The business process would be impacted by the NFC card payment because of its impact on how the business works. The activities of the customer would be the purchases of different items at the resort. Rather than carry both and ID and credit card, they would simply be able to use their NFC card that would already contain all their relevant information that must be submitted before they come to the resort. Therefore, the NFC card would convert the identification and payment information into a payment transaction, and because the items already have RFID chips embedded in them, shipping invoices would automatically be made and sent to the supplier for more products (and resources).ÂÂ   For the customer however, they will mostly be impacted by the fact that tapping their card at any payment terminal will automatically connect their identification and credit card info to the purchase to that they can receive items in return. This transaction also impacts the information aspect of the business process too. The final two business processes that are impacted by the NFC payment are the resources of JRI which include the workers, customers, and cash. The workers will not need any additional training for this system because it is already like the existing tap to pay transactions that exist on traditional payment systems, and the customers will be familiar with the system too. The other resources that JRI will no longer need to be concerned with is credit cards and identification because it will be combined onto the NFC. The structures within the business process that will need to be updated will be, as mentioned before, the payment terminals. This is overall a small compromise to make in return for the benefits of a tap to pay transaction that will improve the overall experience of the customer and speed up the transactions. Advantages and Disadvantages of RFID and NFC system RFID The benefits of the RFID system are that it has multiple functions such as the ability to track items and provide meaningful information to the owners of JRI. Knowing where items are, how long they have been checked out and used, and being able to transfer that information into orders is a huge benefit to the organization. The other advantage of passive RFID technology is that the RFID tags can be attached on the outside of objects or inside them (Bonsor Felon, 2017). Most of the major downsides of RFID technology are concerns about privacy and security. Also, to implement RFID, there would need to be coordinated efforts by the management at JRI to transition from barcodes to RFID tags on items; the doors would have to be updated to detect RFID tags as well. The constraints of RFID are that the only cost-effective solution is through the passive technology that can only be activated if it is somewhat close to an RFID terminal. If management wanted to track the range of certain items within the distance of the entire resort, they would need to make significant investment that would not be worth the overall cost. NFC The main advantages of the NFC system are the ease of payments that are provided with the tap to pay system. Customers can simply approach the payment terminal and tap their cards and go about their day without any delays. Compared to RFID, NFC does have some security advantages because it works within a much shorter range and the user data cannot be accessed by someone else without them being pretty much in contact with the card. The benefit of the username and password system of the NFC card is basically that guests at JRI will be able to plan their evenings. They can preorder meals, book a table, book a tee time to golf, and do much more. The disadvantages and constraints of NFC payments are that they are not hands free and work within a close range. Guests will also need to carry a car wherever they go and take it out of their pocket when they make purchases. Also, usernames and passwords can be stolen. If someone happens to drop their card, another guest could simply use it to m ake purchases either through the computer or the NFC payment systems. Cost / Benefit Analysis According to RFID Journal (n.d.), RFID tag costs range from 7 to 15 cents and the readers cost $500 to $2000 dollars. Comparing the cost to the benefit for the customer, this system overall provides a clear advantage over traditional barcodes. The ability for guests to not wait in line and walk through a checkpoint with their items without waiting for them to be scanned is worth the extra implementation costs of this new system. The information that management will receive about the location of their items too will provide meaningful rewards for their investments. There would also be costs for the business to set up computers around the resort. The price of desktop computers varies significantly, but JRI could buy around thirty computers to start with for $1000 dollars per unit and place them strategically around the resort. Comparing the costs to the benefits, its clear that the quick payment method of NFC cards will be a huge value to JRI and the customers. Even families that bring their kids to the resort can easily show them how to use their card, or add another card to their parents account, which they be given permission to use for small purchases. A user-friendly and familiar system will contribute to the profitability and user experience. And finally, the benefit of the username and password system that is implemented on the NFC card will provide value to customers that like to plan and do not like to wait. References Bonsor, K. Fenlon, W. (November 5, 2017). How RFID Works [Web]. Retrieved from http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-tech-gadgets/rfid1.htm RFID Journal (n.d.) RFID Frequently Asked Question [Web]. Retrieved from https://www.rfidjournal.com/faq/show?86

Monday, January 20, 2020

Essay --

Terraforming Mars Project Terraform Mars is a difficult task that us as humans are trying to accomplish to fulfill the entirety of our speeches . There is a number of ways to achieve this task , but there are many questions that we do not have answers for. This paper will present my idea for how we could terraform Mars to successfully elongate the human speeches . According to Thefreedictionary. com terraforming is defined as transforming another planet into one having the same characteristics of landscape as earth. The terraforming process could take anywhere from 100 years to 20,000 thousand years to complete entirely, due to the tedious process of making Mars suitable for human life. I believe that it will take nearly 1,000 years to complete entirely my process of terraforming mars. What makes it so difficult to get to Mars is one the launch window time, which mean when Earth and Mars are nearest to each other. The time that we know of so far for the next launch windows is 2013 November -2014 January,2016 January- April , and 2018 April -May,2020 July - September according to wikipedia. This is why it is so difficult to get to Mars, there are only certain times that you can launch and it be such a short flight. This is one of the many reason that I believe that it will take 1,000 years to terraform Mars. As we arrive to Mars there are some resources already there, such as water and atmospheric 02. But the difficult part about these resources is that we have to transform them in a certain way so it can be used for humans. We would have to extract the water from the rich soil using a tool, therefore this would be our water source. We would also have to bring some sort of greenhouse so we could grow plants and give off mor... ... Viking 2 was also a orbiter and a lander that reached Mars August 1976, both were very successful and sent back many of images.The Pathfinder orbiter reached Mars July 1997 and lasted for total of 3 months, its major discoveries were measuring the atmosphere of Mars.The Sojourner was the brother of the Pathfinder but it was a rover. It reached Mars July 1997 , and had many discoveries of investigating of Mars soil and rocks. The Spirit lander landed on Mars in January 2004 using its air bag system. It was the longest successful rover as of yet lasting about 6 years . Opportunity rover is the sister to Spirit, which landed January 2004 and lasted for around 4 years, its main mission was to explore the Martian environment. Phoenix reached Mars on May 2008 near the north pole, and analyzed the soil receiving images and data, and with the major discovery of water ice.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Macbeth- The Murderer of King Duncan Essay

Justice Wallace, I strongly believe that Macbeth and his accomplices, Lady Macbeth and the weird sisters, is to blame for the murder of King Duncan. The night of which King Duncan went to the Macbeth castle, Macbeth murdered King Duncan in his sleep. Although he isn’t to blame completely; The supernatural powers of the weird sisters made Macbeth’s ambition get the better of him, and with the manipulation of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth kills King Duncan with his own hands. Macbeth’s ambition and weakness is what caused the murder of King Duncan, In contrary to that statement, the play begins with Macbeth slicing a man from the bottom up and then displaying his head for everyone in the battlefield to see. â€Å"Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’chaps, And fixed his head upon our battlements† (1.2.22-23). This shows that Macbeth is capable of murder through his bravery and strength. King Duncan notices these traits and awards Macbeth by making him Thane of Cawdor. Here is when the weird sisters come into play. Shortly after the battle in the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Banquo meets with the witches, and they say â€Å"All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter† (1.3.48). As we know, the witches have the power to control fate, so they are partially to blame when Macbeth’s ambition gets the better of him. The witches also states that he is Thane of Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth already knows he is Thane of Glamis but he becomes Thane of Cawdor later that day, so then he figures he can also become king. Macbeth’s ambition overcomes his morality as he pictures all the great things that would happen to him if he becomes king, so he plans the murder of King Duncan in a letter, and sends it to Lady Macbeth. As King Duncan arrives at the Macbeth castle, his host and hostess already plan to murder him when he sleeps. Although Macbeth couldn’t initially go on with the plan because he feels guilt as he says to himself â€Å"as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself†

Friday, January 3, 2020

Andrew Jackson, Indian Removal, and the Trail of Tears

The Indian Removal policy of President Andrew Jackson was prompted by the desire of white settlers in the South to expand into lands belonging to five American Indian tribes. After Jackson succeeded in pushing the Indian Removal Act through Congress in 1830, the U.S. government spent nearly 30 years forcing American Indians to move westward, beyond the Mississippi River. In the most notorious example of this policy, more than 15,000 members of the Cherokee tribe were forced to walk from their homes in the southern states to designated Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma in 1838. Many died along the way. This forced relocation became known as the â€Å"Trail of Tears† because of the great hardship faced by Cherokees. In brutal conditions, nearly 4,000 Cherokees died on the Trail of Tears. Conflicts With Settlers Led to Indian Removal There had been conflicts between whites and Native Americans since the first white settlers arrived in North America. But in the early 1800s, the issue had come down to white settlers encroaching on Indian lands in the southern United States. Five Indian tribes were located on land that would be highly sought for settlement, especially as it was prime land for the cultivation of cotton. The tribes on the land were the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole. Over time the tribes in the south tended to adopt white ways such as taking up farming in the tradition of white settlers  and in some cases even buying and owning African American slaves. These efforts at assimilation led to the tribes becoming known as the â€Å"Five Civilized Tribes.† Yet taking up the ways of the white settlers did not mean the Indians would be able to keep their lands. In fact, settlers hungry for land were actually dismayed to see American Indians, contrary to all the propaganda about them being savages, adopt the farming practices of the white Americans. The accelerated desire to relocate American Indians to the West was a consequence of the election of Andrew Jackson in 1828. Jackson had a long and complicated history with Indians, having grown up in frontier settlements where stories of Indian attacks were common. At various times in his early military career, Jackson had been allied with Indian tribes  but had also waged brutal campaigns against American Indians. His attitude toward Native Americans was not unusual for the times, though by today’s standards he would be considered a racist as he believed American Indians to be inferior to whites. Jackson’s attitude toward American Indians could be viewed partly as paternalistic. He believed Native Americans to be like children who needed guidance. And by that way of thinking, Jackson may well have believed that forcing the Indians to move hundreds of miles westward may have been for their own good, as they would never fit in with white society. Of course, the American Indians, not to mention sympathetic white people ranging from religious figures in the North to the backwoods hero-turned-Congressman Davy Crockett, saw things quite differently. To this day Andrew Jacksons legacy is often tied to his attitudes toward Native Americans. According to an article in the Detroit Free Press in 2016, many Cherokees, to this day, will not use $20 bills because they bear the likeness of Jackson. Cherokee Leader John Ross The political leader of the Cherokee tribe, John Ross, was the son of a Scottish father and a Cherokee mother. He was destined for a career as a merchant, as his father had been, but became involved in tribal politics. In 1828 Ross was elected the tribal chief of the Cherokee. In 1830, Ross and the Cherokee took the audacious step of trying to retain their lands by filing suit against the state of Georgia. The case eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court, and Chief Justice John Marshall, while avoiding the central issue, ruled that the states could not assert control over the Indian tribes. According to legend, President Jackson scoffed, saying, â€Å"John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it. And no matter what the Supreme Court ruled, the Cherokees did face serious obstacles. Vigilante groups in Georgia attacked them, and John Ross was nearly killed in one attack. Indian Tribes Forcibly Removed In the 1820s, the Chickasaws, under pressure, began moving westward. The U.S. Army began forcing the Choctaws to move in 1831. The French author Alexis de Tocqueville, on his landmark trip to America, witnessed a party of Choctaws struggling to cross the Mississippi with great hardship in the dead of winter. The leaders of the Creeks were imprisoned in 1837, and 15,000 Creeks were forced to move westward. The Seminoles, based in Florida, managed to fight a long war against the U.S. Army until they finally moved westward in 1857. Cherokees Forced Along Trail of Tears Despite legal victories by the Cherokees, the United States government began to force the tribe to move west, to present-day Oklahoma, in 1838. A considerable force of the U.S. Army—more than 7,000 men—was ordered by President Martin Van Buren, who followed Jackson in office, to remove the Cherokees. General Winfield Scott commanded the operation, which became notorious for the cruelty shown to the Cherokee people. Soldiers in the operation later expressed regret for what they had been ordered to do. Cherokees were rounded up in camps, and farms that had been in their families for generations were awarded to white settlers. The forced march of more than 15,000 Cherokees began in late 1838. And in the cold winter ​conditions, nearly 4,000 Cherokee died while trying to walk the 1,000 miles to the land where they had been ordered to live.