Intel working on wireless charging for portable devices

Dr. Marin Soljacic at the MIT Department of Physics and Research Laboratory of Electronics demonstrated the transmission of Electricity using using magnetic resonance. On Thursday, Intel was to demonstrate some progress in the wireless charging technology, which could be used to charge laptops, MP3 players and mobile phones without the need to connect any wires. Intel was to demonstrate that it has cut the previous 50% loss in power to between 40% and 25% loss. However, Dr. Izahr Matzkevich, cofounder of wireless developer WildCharge, warned that the technology still has a long way to go before it becomes more efficient and more practical in use. Soljacic's original demonstrations could transmit electricity to portable devices up to 7 feet. Present technology requires that wireless rechargers must be in contact with recharging bases or recharging mats. "Resonance technology like the MIT demonstration requires a heavy infrastructure -- right now, with coils of at least two feet -- to accomplish even a small distance," he said. "Add to that a 35 percent loss in power, this is not insignificant." There is also the problem of interference with other electrical equipment. Nevertheless, the technology is still worth developing.

Computer viruses make it to orbit

A computer virus is alive and well on the International Space Station (ISS).


Nasa has confirmed that laptops carried to the ISS in July were infected with a virus known as Gammima.AG.
The worm was first detected on Earth in August 2007 and lurks on infected machines waiting to steal login names for popular online games. Nasa said it was not the first time computer viruses had travelled into space and it was investigating how the machines were infected. Orbital outbreak Space news website SpaceRef broke the story about the virus on the laptops that astronauts took to the ISS.
Nasa told SpaceRef that no command or control systems of the ISS were at risk from the malicious program.
The laptops infected with the virus were used to run nutritional programs and let the astronauts periodically send e-mail back to Earth.
The laptops carried by astronauts reportedly do not have any anti-virus software on them to prevent infection.
Once it has scooped up passwords and login names the Gammima.AG worm virus tries to send them back to a central server. It targets a total of 10 games most of which are popular in the Far East such as Maple Story, HuangYi Online and Talesweaver.
Nasa is working with partners on the ISS to find out how the virus got on to the laptop in the first place.
The ISS has no direct net connection and all data traffic travelling from the ground to the spacecraft is scanned before being transmitted.
It is thought that the virus might have travelled via a flash or USB drive owned by an astronaut and taken into space.
The space agency also plans to put in place security systems to stop such incidents happening in the future.
Nasa told Wired News that viruses had infected laptops taken to the ISS on several occasions but the outbreaks had always only been a "nuisance".

Biometrics.

Security systems are employing new methods to increase the security of the identification. Biometrics is one technology that is fast becoming a reliable and secured method for identification.

Bio-security system is a Client-Server system for enterprises. The Client connects to the Bio-metric device and matches the finger print with the records stored in the database. Each employee has to first register his/her fingerprint and the data will be stored in the database. The system authenticates the employee with the Employee fingerprint for attendance entries. Reports are generated to display the attendance details for the employee.

'Tongue computing' could help disabled.

ATLANTA, Georgia(AP) The tireless tongue already controls taste and speech, helps kiss and swallow and fights germs. Now scientists hope to add one more ability to the mouthy muscle, and turn it into a computer control pad.


Georgia Tech researchers believe a magnetic, tongue-powered system could transform a disabled person's mouth into a virtual computer, teeth into a keyboard -- and tongue into the key that manipulates it all. "You could have full control over your environment by just being able to move your tongue," said Maysam Ghovanloo, a Georgia Tech assistant professor who leads the team's research.The group's Tongue Drive System turns the tongue into a joystick of sorts, allowing the disabled to manipulate wheelchairs, manage home appliances and control computers. The work still has a ways to go -- one potential user called the design "grotesque" -- but early tests are encouraging. The system is far from the first that seeks a new way to control electronics through facial movements. But disabled advocates have particularly high hopes that the tongue could prove the most effective. "This could give you an almost infinite number of switches and options for communication," said Mike Jones, a vice president of research and technology at the Shepherd Center, an Atlanta rehabilitation hospital. "It's easy, and somebody could learn an entirely different language."

Palm Device.

Palm PCs are used by business travelers and executives, since it can be used both as a mobile phone and a simple organizer to store contact information, appointments and to-do work activities. These systems have the ability to sync this information with a personal computer. But they do not provide option to sync with a Web server. PIM Down loader, in short PIM-Dler, is a PDA application that enables user to download and upload Personal Information Management (PIM) data between their PDA device and a Web server. This PIM data includes Tasks, Calendar and Contacts. As they travel they can upload data that is not necessary to a web server and keep those necessary. This allows them to utilize the memory of the PDA efficiently.