Archive for New Technology
Are cell phones really cooking your brain?
Posted by: | CommentsEveryone seems to have an opinion these days as to whether cell phones cause cancer. The truth of the matter is: this is a long term study without enough data for a definitive answer. It is also based on the usage of the individual consumer. Based on the studies out there (reading more than the first couple of pages), it appears that it definitely doesn’t help. This information has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to list cell usage as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. The non-ionizing radiation is similar to a low powered microwave, thus in theory, cooking your brain slowly over time. It certainly doesn’t help that prominent health officials are warning anyone who will listen about the “potential” (more like realistic) dangers prolonged cell phone use can have. Even the phone manufactures recommend keeping the phone away from your skull, usually at a range of at least an inch. What’s even more troubling is that fact that there is no long term data for children’s use of cell phones, especially because their skulls are thinner. They are also still growing and therefore their cells are dividing more quickly, with the potential of even more long term damage compared to adults. The best recommendation to date to lessen these dangers is to keep the phone away from your head by using a Bluetooth, or even better, a wired earpiece.
MIT strikes again
Posted by: | CommentsResearchers at the famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology are injecting people again, this time with implantable capsules. These capsules are filled with nanoparticles and are covered in a thin film membrane that is porous, which allows molecules from the body to pass through. These nanoparticles are accompanied with specific antibodies that attract and fasten themselves to the molecules that pass through. Doctors then check any build up inside these tiny ‘labs’ with an MRI to see if the cells are cancerous and if so, whether the tumor is growing, shrinking, or unchanged. They also can help prevent a second heart attack or small, unnoticed heart attacks in patients with heart problems. The new prototype of this technology is now eliminating the MRI by having the capsule produce a signal when a magnetic ward is waived over it. Some are debating whether this virtually non-invasive technology will create problems as it is a foreign object floating around within the body or even create cancer, which it will then detect and thus, ‘proving’ that it works.
Verizon customers hacked
Posted by: | CommentsVerizon has acknowledged that its customers have been the target of hackers trying to steal sensitive personal information. The Trojan horse, called SpyEye, is malware very similar to the Zeus Trojan that was implemented targeting banks and sending millions of dollars to six Chinese cities not too long ago. The SpyEye program lays in wait on the infected computer and is only implemented once the Verizon customer logs on into their account. Once signed in, the customers are then redirected to an authentic-looking page that asks for their credit card information and Social Security numbers. This Trojan is particularly dangerous for two reasons. First, it is an intricate embedded attacked and thus reducing the skepticism of the customer. Second, it is an attack of a shifting trend away from stealing user names and passwords and towards directly stealing financial data like credit card information as in the Sony attacks. Verizon has stated that the attack did not affect their systems, only the end user; ones without proper protection like anti-virus software with current definitions.
How Your Blood Will Keep You Alive
Posted by: | CommentsA Swiss team of researchers at Bern University have laid the initial ground work for enabling humans with implants to become more self-sufficient. By using a simulated blood vessel and inserting a miniscule turbine which is only a couple millimeters in diameter, they were able to use the flow of the bloodstream to generate up to 800 microwatts of power. This would be more than enough power to sustain implants such as pacemakers, glucose meters, neurostimulators, blood pressure sensors, and pumps that delivery various drugs. Under current implants procedures, these devices are embedded in manageable places within the body that make it less complicated to perform necessary preventative or corrective measures in the future, such as replacing a dying battery. However, this new method would allow the implant to be placed in a more efficient part of the body. One of the biggest setbacks with this program so far is the turbine is causing blood clots in bloodstream, and with the turbine’s power, would send these clots to parts of the body that could end up becoming fatal.
Hackers Disabling Your Brakes
Posted by: | CommentsMajor car makers are taking notice of a recent research study performed by a collective team from the University of California, San Diego, and Washington. They were able to use passive technology to hack into a car’s main control systems, and while they admitted that this is not necessarily a simple task, they were able to do so a number of different ways.
Since 2008, U.S. car makers have been installing a Controller Area Network system in new cars, mainly used to diagnose problems. This coupled with Bluetooth, GPS systems, and technology like OnStar and Sync, has made the consumer’s commute a little easier. The unintended side affect is that it has also made the criminal’s life easier as well. The research team demonstrated how to hack in the car’s systems by calling the cellular connection and uploading malware through an audio file. Again using an audio file, they uploaded a Trojan horse via an mp3 file played on the stereo system with a CD. They also paired the car to a device that was Bluetooth enabled, enabling them to upload malicious code. All this gives a hacker the ability to track your location, unlock doors, disable the brakes, and virtually anything else that is computer controlled. The bright spot is that automakers are treating these vulnerabilities seriously and developing plans to fix any insecurity that arise.
Lifesaving Car Electronics
Posted by: | CommentsWithin years automakers with develop standardized car apps with dashboard interfaces that relay pertinent health information. These will include blood sugar and heart rate monitoring. Other safety features will let drives know of smog and allergen levels, advising drivers of alternate routes and even rolling up the windows and closing the vents to recycle cleaner air, which will be in line with plans to install air purifiers. Some even plan to spritz riders with vitamin C. With all this healthy and potential life saving technology, some already even on the market, you would think blood alcohol monitoring would be a standard by now, which would save numerous innocent lives.
Android’s Turn in the Negative Spotlight
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to German experts, all Google devices are only as secure as the Wi-Fi network they are connected to. When connecting to an unsecure network by submitting their login information, ClientLogin receives a cleartext file that is an authentication token, which can be used for 2 weeks to leak personal information. Even though the potential danger lies only when the device is signed into the unsecure network, users can take steps to help prevent these attacks. Changing the default settings to stop auto syncing of their apps and not using unsecured networks is a good start. App developers who use ClientLogin could also help the cause by reducing the lifespan of the authentication token and writing the code to limit auto syncing to secured networks.
LED’s Time to Shine… Bright
Posted by: | CommentsA trio of companies has been making a string of announcements catapulting the LED market in advancements. Switch Lighting is using its own technology, called City of Light, to generate an internal self cooling system. This allows fewer bulbs to be used and have those employed bulbs to burn brighter. While other manufacturers have only been able to generate 60 watt equivalents, Switch has created 60, 75, and 100 watt versions that are incandescent quality light, dimmable, and can be used in any direction. The 100 watt bulb can also be reused, recycled, or reclaimed.
Samsung has announced the opening of its first U.S. location in Atlanta, Georgia. They state that microchip technology has finally facilitated longer bulb lifecycles, with environmentally conscience designs that use less energy, prompting them to unleash an array of products to meet customer’s needs.
Meanwhile Bulbtroll Rambus launched its Pentelic lighting range, allowing manufacturers to modify hanging pendants, streetlights, and spotlights to their specifications by using optical design, power delivery, and thermal management to give meticulous angle control in addition to offering more than 90 percent optical efficiency.
Beefed Up Portable Hard Drive
Posted by: | CommentsSeagate has said it is coming out with its GoFlex Satellite HD later this summer. Its Wi-Fi and battery pack combo version of the portable hard drive has been working out and has put on some serious computing muscle. It 500 GB lets you store 300 movies, stream 3 iPads simultaneously, and automatically sync media and documents from a PC or Mac. It uses a lithium-ion battery giving 5 hours of continuous video streaming and 25 hours of standby, all while employing a working range of 150 feet with no pictures freezes. They have coupled this with an app that lets you buffer a full length movie in 7 minutes reducing the drive usage and conserving the battery.
Apple is Getting Sued Yet Again, For The Same Reason
Posted by: | CommentsWhen it comes to copyright lawsuits, Apple just cannot seem to stay out of the crosshairs. Linex Technologies, the licensing company, is now stepping up to the plate, aimed to take a shot at the tech giant and others like HP for what it claims are wireless communication patent violations. Linex is trying to have HP Pavilion and Envy laptops, Apple’s MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Airport Extreme, and Time Capsule products banned.
