Create a New Forum Admin Login Member Login Contribute to Voyager Search VoyForums Help Desk VoyForums Exchange VoyForums Directory/Categories VoyForums Homepage VoyForums News FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time ]

Subject: Exploding chip could help in battle against stolen mobiles Author: Dave [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 07:08:39 01/21/02 Mon Exploding chip could help in battle against stolen mobiles Experts say a new exploding computer chip could solve the problem of stolen mobile phones and laptops. University of California scientists stumbled on the breakthrough while they tried to divide a porous silicon chip. The explosion - triggered by a signal from the owner - wouldn't harm the thief. Michael Sailor and colleagues at the San Diego-based university discovered the exploding chip when one of them tried to divide the porous silicon chip treated with gadolinium nitrate. "It blew up in his face. It was just a small explosion, like a cap going off in a cap gun. But it really surprised us, so we started looking more closely at it," Professor Sailor says. The chip is more likely to be used first in tiny sensors to detect invisible hazards like air pollutants, nerve gas, explosive vapours and biowarfare agents, The Guardian reports. The team knew silicon mixed with potassium nitrate would explode like gunpowder. The surprise was gadolinium nitrate had the same effect, and it gave them the basis for a hand-held detector which can 'read' toxins or pollutants in the burning silicon. "What we have shown is that a small voltage can be used to ignite this chip, so you don't need any sophisticated devices," Professor Sailor says. The next step could be information-collecting devices that keep their own secrets. "Let's say you've built a secret electronic device that you don't want someone to take apart or to find out how it works. You could build a self-destruct mechanism into the computer chip that would basically destroy it and any information stored on it," he adds. Story filed: 09:34 Friday 18th January 2002 [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]