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How would you like to pay your NaN pounds? (programming.dev)
submitted 4 months ago by to c/programmer_humor@programming.dev
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A NaN spotted in the wild.

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[–] 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Technically, these digital tags are being developed to automatically update price from a database, so there is a computer somewhere.

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago* (1 child)

    I think they’re just e-reader technology that accepts input by RF or something. Probably has an RFID on it, so a control node just (1) scans the RFID, (2) looks up price of product for that RFID, (3) send signal back to update the display. Meaning, someone still has to walk up to the price tag in order to update it.

    My worry is live updates to pricing tags based on things like facial / behavioral recognition from the cameras in the ceiling.

    I’ve looked at these things. I don’t see any modules for wireless communication over lan, Bluetooth, or anything like that.

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago

    See that window in the top left? It's a combination photovoltaic cell and IR receiver, so the tag can be powered indefinitely from the shop lights and they can use ceiling-mounted IR blasters to update them. There's no return path so the blasters just repeatedly transmit the entire inventory and price list, over and over.

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