Hi-Tech Arena

For a more detailed analysis of this catastrophic bug, see  this update , which went live about 18 hours after Ars published this initial post. Researchers have discovered an extremely critical defect in the cryptographic software library an estimated two-thirds of Web servers use to identify themselves to end users and prevent the eavesdropping of passwords, banking credentials, and other sensitive data. The warning about the bug in OpenSSL coincided with the  release of version 1.0.1g of the open-source program , which is the default cryptographic library used in the Apache and nginx Web server applications, as well as a wide variety of operating systems and e-mail and instant-messaging clients. The bug, which has resided in production versions of OpenSSL for more than two years, could make it possible for people to recover the private encryption key at the heart of the digital certificates used to authenticate Internet servers and to encrypt data traveling between ...

A medical device, once its job is done, could harmlessly melt away inside a person's body. Or, a military device could collect and send its data and then dissolve away, leaving no trace of an intelligence mission. Or, an environmental sensor could collect climate information, then wash away in the rain. It's a new way of looking at electronics: "You don't expect your cell phone to dissolve someday, right?" said Reza Montazami, an Iowa State University assistant professor of mechanical engineering. "The resistors, capacitors and electronics, you don't expect everything to dissolve in such a manner that there's no trace of it." But Montazami thinks it can happen and is developing the necessary materials. He calls the technology "transient materials" or "transient electronics." The materials are special polymers designed to quickly and completely melt away when a trigger is activated. It's a fairly new field of study...

Newcastle University is trialling new technology to help patients suffering from Parkinson's disease live more independently by reminding them to swallow, speak up and take their medication Google Glass is being used by people suffering from Parkinson’s disease in a groundbreaking experiment to see if the technology can help improve their day-to-day lives. The technology, which is not yet available in Britain, reminds the patients to take their medication, contacts relatives in an emergency and can even prevent debilitating episodes of paralysis – known as ‘freezing.’ The system works like a hands-free smartphone, displaying information on the lens of the Glass. It is voice-operated and linked to the internet. Doctors at Newcastle University have created a programme that helps control behaviour associated with Parkinson's, such as reminding the individual to speak up or to swallow to prevent drooling. “The beauty of this research project is we are desi...