Wireless Dynamics brings the joys of inventory management to the iPhone with the iCarte RFID reader

"You know, that pallet of overpriced skin cream isn't going to stock itself. Maybe if you'd stop playing Bingo Bonanza you'd have done that already. Oh, you say you're scanning their RFIDs to add them to our system? Whatever, you're fired." It's a scenario we see playing itself out at warehouses all around the world thanks to the iCarte from Wireless Dynamics, a device enabling iPods and iPhones to read from and write to RFID tags. It clips on the bottom and sports a mini-USB port so that you can still sync, but can also use the phone's wireless mechanisms to communicate with various systems, updating inventory or tracking purchases. As far as we know it will not prevent your phone from playing games, but we won't tell your boss about that. Nor will we tell him how much these will cost or when he can order them, since we don't know ourselves.

Update: Wireless Dynamics asked that we clarify that this device is indeed consumer-oriented, able to scan the RFID tags in your credit cards, transport badges, and probably even that chip you had implanted into your dog's head. So, this means you would be able to make MasterCard PayPass and similar RFID transactions without even reaching for your wallet -- which sounds as convenient as it does disconcerting. Being able to verify that your dog hasn't been replaced by an evil clone while you were at work? Priceless.

[From My Cube Posted Nov 19th 2009 8:46AM]

if you are unable to comment, take IE 8 out of compatability mode...it hides the submit button if you have it turned on!

[thebolster Posted Nov 19th 2009 8:47AM]

@From My Cube yeah, the new Engadget cannot render the Submit button in IE7.

[thebolster Posted Nov 19th 2009 8:46AM]

Neat idea, but will anyone actually find a use for it?

[haubey Posted Nov 19th 2009 8:58AM]

@thebolster perhaps they could use this with credit cards that have RFID support, and then link it up the the credit card apps that they have for the iPhone and then every company could have a credit card scanner anywhere in the store! perhaps....

[PENGADGET Posted Nov 19th 2009 8:56AM]

Actually a good dock needed for iphone to function as phone.. get it first

[madgunde Posted Nov 19th 2009 9:01AM]

Engadget, you are aware that Apple provides tools that allow enterprises to manage what apps can and can't be loaded/run on the iPhone and iPod touch devices they deploy, aren't you?

But don't let facts get in the way at your attempts at humour...

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 19th 2009 9:03AM]

These things are so overpriced.

[Yoshi1080 Posted Nov 19th 2009 9:04AM]

I think that is very cool! I am always misplacing stuff. On my Mac I can simply find it with Spotlight but outside of my computer I am SOL. One RFID tag on my keys, one on my remote control, one on those damn rechargeable batteries that are always disappearing, one on my passport and I'm always covered! Now the only question is, where do I get these tags and how big are they?

[GingerFox Posted Nov 19th 2009 12:05PM]

@Yoshi1080

I'm not sure how RFID tags would help you, you practically have to touch them to scan them, and think of a guitar pick for size. You can buy them and a usb scanner, but i can't find the link.

[Yoshi1080 Posted Nov 19th 2009 12:30PM]

@GingerFox: Oh so it's not for wirelessly finding things? That sucks. Well, then never mind.

@Engadget: Replying from an email link totally doesn't work in Safari!

[solarwater Posted Nov 19th 2009 9:11AM]

I could see using this for cloning rfid tags and bypassing security devices.

[frank4 Posted Nov 19th 2009 12:39PM]

@Dean
A huge use. I work in the security industry, and anybody with knowledge of coding RFID could do it.

[Michel Jansen Posted Nov 19th 2009 1:33PM]

@frank4 there is such a thing as encryption. Most cards provide some kind of security (hopefully not Crypto1), that allows them to be write-protected as well. Besides, this is by far not the first consumer-accessible mobile device capable of reprogramming RFID cards. Nokia has been producing an NFC line of phones for years. No need to panic, unless your security relies completely on your users not having physical access to your tags, which would be a bad idea to begin with.

[Billy Posted Nov 19th 2009 9:44AM]

yikes, it's such a pain to read the comment titles in italics.

[db2 Posted Nov 19th 2009 10:05AM]

This is fairly pointless. The iPhone/iPod Touch don't have anywhere near the durability or battery life that is required for a warehouse environment. I own an iPod Touch, and it can do a lot of nice things, but I'd be kidding myself if I tried to claim it were a viable competitor to a dedicated, ruggedized handheld from Motorola, Psion Teklogix, etc.

[Rambo Posted Nov 19th 2009 10:21AM]

This opens up all sorts of possibilities for modders with Jailbroken iPhones, like RFID door locks and the like.

PS: The new engadget blew my mind this morning.

[efekt Posted Nov 19th 2009 11:30AM]

Extremely useles...

[SaDudE Posted Nov 19th 2009 11:44AM]

I think this is pretty cool but it will require a real warehouse person to get somekind of external battery to hook-up via that usb port and then that defeats the purpose all together unless you factor in the ability to listen to your ipod at the same time :-)

[frank4 Posted Nov 19th 2009 12:37PM]

It writes RFID? Yea, that means you can wipe security devices and program access keys with it. Sweet!

[dEUS Posted Nov 19th 2009 1:13PM]

Swiping personal identification from PASSPORTS just became so much easier.

awesome!

[dEUS Posted Nov 19th 2009 1:25PM]

Swiping personal identification from PASSPORTS just became so much easier.

Awesome!

[411monk Posted Nov 19th 2009 2:27PM]

This is nice....maybe Apple can use it to replace those Windows Mobile devices they use in their stores. Don't they have an app for that : )

[dec11ad Posted Nov 19th 2009 3:30PM]

is there any inventory management software/app on the iPhone as of now?

(manufacturing)

[ditton Posted Nov 19th 2009 3:49PM]

Wasn't it rumored that the next iPhone might have this built in?