The Albany Airport is using a blockchain-based app to track the cleanliness of surfaces and objects in the airport due to health concerns with the pandemic, according to a report from Cointelegraph.
The Wellness Trace App was developed by General Electric in partnership with TE-FOOD and Eurofins, the report stated. It looks to provide “a safe travel experience” during the pandemic, and the blockchain it uses is from Microsoft Azure.
With the app, travelers can gain information on the cleanliness and hygiene status of surfaces at the airport, with travelers being able to scan a QR code to access the information around the airport while they’re there. There are over 45 such QR codes around the airport, according to the report. Travelers can also use it to express personal opinions or observations about said cleanliness.
The project will last for three months, with employees using it to monitor cleaning protocols for major areas along with other objects inside or around the airport, the report stated.
In other news, BitPay has launched a new service letting businesses pay employees, contractors, customers and vendors via cryptocurrency, CoinDesk reported.
Called BitPay Send, the service is focused on international and gig economy work in which people need to pay multiple recipients at the same time.
The new service doesn’t require companies to buy, own or manage cryptocurrency, the CoinDesk report stated, and the company said it will aid recipients in getting payments faster and at a reduced cost.
In addition, BitPay Send lets customers perform various payment functions, including “payroll, customer cash-out requests, contractor payments, reward issuance and settlements with marketplace sellers,” the report stated, with recipients needing to have a BitPay ID and cryptocurrency wallet. Companies are charged a 1 percent fee, but no foreign fees.
BitPay CEO Stephen Pair said the adoption of blockchain payment is increasing “because it offers an easy way to send and receive payments on a global scale,” according to the report.
