Step 1: Template creation (Projection Module)

A template of the desired interface is projected onto the adjacent interface surface. The template is
produced by illuminating a specially designed, highly efficient holographic optical element with a red
diode laser. Note: the template serves only as a reference for the user and is not involved in the
detection process. In a fixed environment, the template can just as easily be printed onto the
interface surface.

Step 2: Reference plane illumination (Micro-illumination ModuleTM)

An infra-red plane of light is generated just above, and parallel to, the interface surface. This light is
invisible to the user and hovers a few millimeters above the surface. When the user touches a key
position on the interface surface light is reflected from this plane in the vicinity of the key and directed
towards the sensor module.

Step 3: Map reflection coordinates (Sensor Module)

Reflected light from user interactions with the interface surface is passed through an infra-red filter
and imaged on to a CMOS image sensor in the sensor module. Custom hardware embedded in the
sensor chip (the Virtual Interface Processing CoreTM) then makes a real-time determination of the
location of the reflected light. The processing core can track multiple reflection events simultaneously
and can thus support both multiple keystrokes and overlapping cursor control inputs.

Step 4: Interpretation and communication (Sensor Module)

The micro-controller in the sensor module receives the positional information corresponding to the
light flashes from the sensor processing core, interprets the events (e.g. keydown, keyup, mouse or
touchpad control etc..) and communicates them through an appropriate interface to external devices.
Money was originally a physical substance like gold and silver. It could even be alive ­ 
cattle were one of the oldest forms of money. Today, although much of the money 
used by individuals in their everyday transactions is still in the form of notes and 
coins, its quantity is small in comparison with the intangible money that exists only as 
entries in bank records. Perhaps coins and banknotes will become as obsolete as 
cowrie shells.

A   major   change   in   the   nature   of   money   would   have   significant   unintended 

consequences. The advantages for criminals and tax evaders could be considerable

Payment Systems and Organisations

Linden Dollars: Currency Exchange

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world created by its residents with a marketplace
currently supporting millions of US dollars in monthly transactions. This commerce is
handled with the the Linden dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at several
thriving online Linden dollar exchanges.

Oyster wave-and-pay trial is successful

A combined travel and payment card from Transport for London, Barclaycard and
Visa works, a trial has found. 8th May 2007.

Free Digital Money

Free Digital Money is a free open source project aimed at promoting ideas and
stimulating further innovation in the field of digital bearer money. It is like cash and
can be transferred person-to-person without going through a bank or PayPal
account.

Triple Deal
An international payment service provider (PSP), Triple Deal offers a full-service
payment based in the Netherlands. As a guarantor between buyer and seller on the
Internet, Triple Deal acts as a reliable third party to create confidence and certainty in
Internet transactions.

Merchant Account Services

The aim of the site is to provide merchants with the tools they need to make informed
decisions when acquiring merchant services.

BT click&buy
This BT facility allows Internet users to pay for online content and services via their
BT home or business telephone bill.

South Korea ready to hang up on cash

A television news report on how South Korea has introduced a common system for
payments via mobile phones that has been accepted by all the country's banks. BBC,
13 February 2009.

Paymo
By 2009 70% of the world's online population still did not have credit cards but over 3
billion people owned a mobile phone. Paymo allows consumers anywhere in the
world to buy online and pay with their mobile phone.
LUUP
LUUP is a payment solution for online and mobile payment. Participants get a mobile
wallet they can use to pay with their mobile phone or online. Just like an ordinary
wallet, the LUUP wallet can contain cash and credit/debit cards.

Developing world's text bank plan

A three-year project led by the UK will build on an earlier money transfer programme
set up in Kenya. It is hoped that a banking system using mobile phones could soon
help millions of the world's poorest people to tackle poverty. BBC, 13 February 2009.

Money transfer service wows Kenya

The lives of many Kenyans are being transformed by an innovative mobile phone
money transfer service, M-PESA. BBC, 3 April 2007.

Mobile Phone Banking and Low-Income Customers: Evidence from South Africa
A report by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, the World Bank and United
Nations Foundation and the Vodafone Group Foundation, 2006.
Out of Africa
An article by David Birch describing how mobile phones are being used to transfer
money in Africa. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, December 2005, vol.
10, no.3.

Upwardly mobile
How mobile phones and scratch cards can be used to transfer money rapidly and
cheaply in Africa. Dave Birch, The Guardian, August 18, 2005.

The real digital divide

Mobile phones are used to make cashless payments in Zambia and several other
African countries. The Economist, March 10, 2005.

Africa's cell phone boom creates a base for low-cost banking

In South Africa mobile phones are beginning to perform another function: personal
piggy bank.Christian Science Monitor, August 28 2005.

Taking charge
As BT seeks to grow its online payments business, Ken Young asks if it can rival
PayPal's success. Guardian, February 3, 2005.

Phones Become All-Purpose Payment Devices

Gartner Research has issued a report detailing the possibilities of using mobile
phones as all-purpose payment devices. June 28, 2004.

Put the tab on my mobile

An innovative payments system for your phone could give credit card companies a
run for their money. Ben Hammersley, the Guardian, May 27, 2004.

ePoint
A system designed for annonymous electronic transactions, including
micropayments.

Geek Credit
Geek Credit is a digital complementary currency for internet. It is decentralized,
secure, interest and demurrage free. It is backed by mutual credit (time). There is no
central issuing and control authority, so it is a true peer-to-peer currency.

Smart Voucher
A simple platform for securely managing and transferring personal payments
between people and/or organisations both online and offline in real time.

DM - Digital Money
An open source micropayment system based on Java, JXTA, XML, OpenPGP and
SSL.

Payment in kind
An article about the Smart Voucher system and its founder Scott Thomson who has
an outstanding record of innovation in the technology of financial transactions.
Guardian, 10 April 2003.

Clickshare
Clickshare allows a consumer to have one account at a most-trusted website and
buy from other websites without having to pass around a credit-card number, register
or give out personal information. One ID, one account, one bill.

Peppercoin
A low-cost electronic payment system for processing micropayments based on the
work of Ron Rivest, father of the RSA Public Key crypto-security system, and Silvio
Micali, two of the world's leading cryptographers and information security experts.

AllCharge
A system developed by Newgenpay that can be used for micropayments.

PayPal
An international system which allows individuals to send money to each other by e-
mail. The service started in the United States but has now spread to many parts of
the world.

Future visions: A new way for e-commerce

Wingham Rowan, host of the British TV series cyber.café, describes his brainchild,
Guaranteed Electronic Markets or GEMs, a framework for online markets in which
anyone could sell anything with each transaction underpinned by the government in
the country of operation.

Internet Cash
An anonymous system using prepaid cards that may be purchased at convenience
stores, retail outlets or over the Internet from the website.

Digging Those Digicash Blues

For years, Robert Hettinga has been agitating, begging and pleading for the world to
listen to his ambitious plans for digital money. Wired, June 14, 2001.

Reengineering Money: the Mondex Stored Value Card and Beyond

A report by David C. Croson on the origins and the early history of the Mondex card.

Stored Value Cards: Costly Private Substitutes for Government Currency

by Jeffrey M. Lacker, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Economic Quarterly, vol.
82/83, Summer 1996. Stored value cards are particularly well-suited for transactions
that would otherwise be carried out with currency and thus are a private substitute for
government fiat money, like private banknotes.

Stored Value Cards: An Alternative for the Unbanked?

Stored value cards use magnetic stripe technology to store information about funds
that have been prepaid to the card. Certain types of these cards are being heavily
marketed to lower-income consumers, especially the unbanked or underbanked.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, July 2004.

Smartshield
This is a magnetically shielded cardholder which is claimed to protect contactless
smartcards from surreptitious, wireless access by hackers, electronic pickpockets or
the government.

NetCheque
An electronic payment system for the Internet developed at the Information Sciences
Institute of the University of Southern California

Checkfree Corporation's Electronic Payment Services

A method of paying bills over the web using any one of a number of financial
institutions.

E-Gold
Electronic money 100% backed by gold!

eCoin
A token-based micropayment system.

Paying the Piper on the Web: Is NetBill the Answer?

How will we pay for the many small items of proprietary data that someday we'll be
downloading from the Internet? In a NYU colloquium in 1995, Professor Marvin Sirbu
outlined a protocol that he and others at Carnegie Mellon University have been
developing.

NetCard
The NetCard project aims to provide solutions by the development of new protocols
and a smartcard based mechanism to manage the necessary functions of
authentication, delegation, authorisation, accounting and revocation. The new
technology will be tested and demonstrated in a trial multimedia system connecting
Cambridge and Manchester universities

Digital ssl certificate authority vendor

Digi-sign.com, reliable digital certificate authority vendor. Provides two factor
authentication solutions and digital signature certificates.

Secure Electronic Transaction

SET is the first global security standard for trading via the Internet.

Secure Electronic Transaction

An explanation of how the system works.

http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/RDavies/arian/emoney.html

Will paper money be phased out by electronic currency?

It's hard for me to believe that paper money will someday be replaced by electronic
currency. Paper money and coins have existed for centuries, so it's hard to believe
that digital cash will take over. Or is it?
Here are a few facts to consider:

1) There's a much larger amount of electronic wealth than paper money. Let me
explain this by looking at two aspects of banking:a) Banks are not required to
maintain large cash reserves in relation to their total deposits. Their cash reserves
are normally less than 20% of their total liquid assets. Therefore, if you deposit
$1,000.00 into a bank account, the bank would be obligated to keep no more than
$200.00 in cash. So where does the rest go? Into investments, loans, etc. - banks
make their money by lending it. If they didn't lend it back out, they'd never make any
profit. This non-cash 80% or more of your money is effectively transformed into
electronic funds and it may never have any physical life if you use payroll direct
deposit.

b) Credit cards, lines of credit, etc. represent a form of electronic currency which
rarely are converted into cash. In fact, I've seen one argument that says that we
effectively create currency, in the form of credit, whenever we use one of these debt
instruments.

The conclusion that I am drawing here is that much of today's money is already
electronic.

2) There are more and more ways to pay electronically. Credit card purchases are a
form of electronic currency that have existed for years. More and more businesses
allow the use of debit cards (i.e. electronic payment using some form of deposit).
Businesses use electronic funds transfer. Wire transfers are electronic. Finally,
consider the growing financial mammoth that is PayPal: it's not just for eBay! You can
use PayPal to send and receive money from almost anyone.

Conclusion: it's becoming increasingly easy to pay electronically.

3) The final frontier for elimination of paper money would be the remaining forms of
cash payment. This includes things like: small businesses, particularly restaurants;
pocket money e.g. allowances; underground or unregulated economy (think of yard
sales); and charities. Many of these types of commerce are increasingly able to
accept electronic payment.
Conclusion: electronic currency continues to preliforate into new channels.

4) However, the last bastion of a cash economy may be the most ubiquitous: the
vending machine. Many, many items are now available by vending machine: soft
drinks; potato chips and other snacks; toiletries; cigarettes; lottery tickets; toys; and
other items that might not be mentioned in polite company. It's hard to say, but the
vast majority of vending machines are cash-only: either coins or paper money. This
could take generations to phase out unless the markets or the governments force the
change. Many vending machines lack the necessary electronic circuitry to eliminate
the use of paper money or coins. This is a significant investment to replace. We
would also need some form of cheap, easily produced payment card, plus the
payment receiver and processor, to eliminate the paper. But there's no doubt that it
could be done.

It's becoming increasingly likely that paper money will be completely replaced by
electronic commerce. If there's a will, there's definitely a way.

http://www.helium.com/items/417530-will-paper-money-be-
phased-out-by-electronic-currency

How well do you trust technology? Would you...vote...online? Doesn't it scare you
that voting fraud is possible online?

On the other hand...do you do any banking online? Do you ever use eBay? Isn't it
just convenient?

Trust versus convenience is the issue, so it makes sense that the rate at which paper
money will be phased out (if ever) is the rate at which consumers become more
confident in technology as a whole - one country may become electronic much
quicker than another, because people's tastes will always be different in different
regions.

In the United States, we place a great deal of public confidence is our dollar. If you
don't believe this, remember how many times the U.S. Mint has tried to replace the
dollar with a coin. Each time this replacement process has failed, even though coins
are more convenient, both for the government and for people in general, precisely
because Americans are more familiar with dollar bills than any coin.
Of course, aren't people familiar with the internet and with e-commerce? It would
seem then that paper money is a sure goner against technology.

Once again, some Americans may have a distrust of complete technological

automation, and the Florida ballot controversy may have an effect on that. As one
cannot trust technology with the nation's votes, one certainly would trust technology
with his money, especially since more Americans care about finance than politics.

As for other nations, however, the process of phasing is already beginning. Instead of
giving paper checks, paychecks are directly wired to bank accounts (admittedly, in
some fields in America, this is occurring as well, but not to as wide a margin as it is
occurring in certain European nations.) As an American myself, I like that idea.
Although I know there are five people cringing for every one person with my opinion,
I find it reassuring to know that one day, my bills could be handled automatically, my
tax returns handled automatically, without having to mail (and wait for confirmation) in
several tax forms or return sheets. I already use paypal to pay for whatever I feel like
buying online. I am a friend of convenience and I, for one, welcome our new robot
overlords.

http://www.helium.com/items/205052-will-paper-money-be-
phased-out-by-electronic-currency

THE FUTURE OF MONEY

Buying and selling are fast becoming p art of th e digita l ag e

If you’ve ever purchased something over the Internet using a plastic card,
then you’ve seen the future.

Buying and selling - and even money itself - are rapidly entering the digital
age. The marketplace, once a teeming throng of goods, people, and hard
currency, is becoming a global stream of electronic information. We’re on
the brink of a new digital economy, and the coming changes are both
profound and exciting.

The way people shop for everyday items like books, toys, and groceries is
already changing as more retailers are setting up electronic stores on the
Internet. It is estimated that 200,000 U.S. households made purchases on
the Internet in 1998 and that online shoppers spend $4 million a day on
computers, books, music, and adult entertainment, according to Andersen
Consulting and Forrester Research.

Forecasts of how much electronic commerce will grow in the coming years
vary widely-anywhere from $2 billion to $200 billion by 2000-but some say
even the highest estimates are too low. “Consumer buying over the
Internet is wildly underestimated,” says Nicholas Negroponte, director of
the Media Laboratory. “I believe it will exceed one trillion dollars by 2000.”

TIME OF CHANGE

“The next few years will be a time of change and instability for business,”
says Prof. Erik Brynjolfsson, who runs the electronic commerce program at
the Sloan School of Management. “There’s going to be an explosion of
commerce on the Internet, and a lot of the ways business is done on the
Internet are fairly different from the ways business is done using
conventional channels.”

Take bookselling, for example. Electronic book stores like Amazon.com

have already taken a big share of the market away from traditional, real-
world book sellers. The lower overhead costs of operating in cyberspace
mean Internet sellers can offer lower prices.

“The real store has to pay rent, employ salespeople, and keep an
inventory,” says Joseph Reagle, public policy analyst with the World Wide
Web Consortium, an industry collaborative based at MIT. “Real stores are
going to feel a lot of pressure from virtual retailers, although I don’t think
real stores will ever disappear completely.”

Product pricing will also become more sophisticated, predicts Brynjolfsson.

“Internet-based retailers can tailor their pricing to match supply and
demand in real-time. We found that online booksellers and CD merchants
change prices in much smaller increments than their counterparts in
conventional stores. One store even uses software agents to make sure its
prices are constantly updated to beat a key competitor.”

Buying on-line is also spreading to a huge variety of items, including some

that surprised even the experts. In addition to books and compact discs,
electronic sales of computers, cars, toys, and even groceries are growing
rapidly.

“One of the surprising things an early Internet grocery service told me is

that people bought a higher proportion of fruits and vegetables on-line
than they did in the physical store,” says Brynjolfsson.

The convenience of on-line ordering makes it easier for shoppers to

replenish these perishable foods more often. “There is a demonstrated
market for fresh bread on-line,” says Negroponte. “I’d buy white truffles in
a flash.”

ELECTRONIC MONEY

As we buy and sell more things electronically, old-fashioned coins and

paper money become less useful. “Cash is almost obsolete in the United
States and Europe due to credit and debit card systems,” says
Negroponte. “I can leave on a three-week trip with less than $50 in my
pocket.”

Experts say true electronic cash, in the form of a “smart card” similar to a
prepaid phone card, may replace cash altogether in the future. Already
popular in Europe, such electronic pocket money could conceivably be
recharged from a home computer linked to a bank account.

“As soon as we have an accepted stored-value system, be it e-cash on

your hard disk or money in your smart card, cash will be truly obsolete,”
predicts Negroponte. “We’re just not there yet.”

Beyond smart cards, some see even more dramatic changes in the nature
of money over the long term. One British think-tank predicts that by 2020,
we’ll be using a single global currency, common to all nations.

“That’s possible, for sure,” says Negroponte. “But the opposite will happen
as well-a vast array of digital currencies will evolve, issued by all sorts of
entities, not just nation states.” Examples include store-based loyalty
points or kids’ cash as well as tiny closed currencies specific to a town or
region.

Experts say cutting the tether between government and money will
expand markets and increase consumer freedom. In fact, much of the
future of the entire digital economic revolution lies in the hands of the
consumer. So far, the government has adopted a mostly wait-and-see
approach, letting market forces set the pace.

“There are some issues with encryption of sensitive information and with
taxation that the government is currently looking at,” says Reagle. “But
otherwise they are letting technology and the free market determine the
future.”

http://spectrum.mit.edu/issue/1999-winter/the-future-of-money/

Microsoft Surface uses cameras to sense objects, hand gestures and touch.
This user input is then processed and displayed using rear projection.
Specifically:
% Microsoft Surface uses a rear projection system which displays an
image onto the underside of a thin diffuser.
% Objects such as fingers are visible through the diffuser by series of
infrared–sensitive cameras, positioned underneath the display.
% An image processing system processes the camera images to detect
fingers, custom tags and other objects such as paint brushes when
touching the display.
The objects recognized with this system are reported to applications running
in the computer so that they can react to object shapes, 2D tags, movement
and touch.
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/FAQ.aspx

iPhone Touch Screen

Electronic devices can use lots of different methods to detect a person's input
on a touch-screen. Most of them use sensors and circuitry to monitor
changes in a particular state. Many, including the iPhone, monitor changes in
electrical current. Others monitor changes in the reflection of waves. These
can be sound waves or beams of near-infrared light. A few systems use
transducers to measure changes in vibration caused when your finger hits the
screen's surface or cameras to monitor changes in light and shadow.

The Nintendo DS, Palm Treo and Logitech Harmony Remote Control
all use touch-screen technology.

The basic idea is pretty simple -- when you place your finger or a stylus on the
screen, it changes the state that the device is monitoring. In screens that rely
on sound or light waves, your finger physically blocks or reflects some of the
waves. Capacitive touch-screens use a layer of capacitive material to hold an
electrical charge; touching the screen changes the amount of charge at a
specific point of contact. In resistive screens, the pressure from your finger
causes conductive and resistive layers of circuitry to touch each other,
changing the circuits' resistance.

Most of the time, these systems are good at detecting the location of exactly
one touch. If you try to touch the screen in several places at once, the results
can be erratic. Some screens simply disregard all touches after the first one.
Others can detect simultaneous touches, but their software can't calculate the
location of each one accurately. There are several reasons for this, including:
% Many systems detect changes along an axis or in a specific direction
instead of at each point on the screen.
% Some screens rely on system-wide averages to determine touch
locations.
% Some systems take measurements by first establishing a baseline.
When you touch the screen, you create a new baseline. Adding
another touch causes the system to take a measurement using the
wrong baseline as a starting point.
%
% The Apple iPhone is different -- many of the elements of its multi-
touch user interface require you to touch multiple points on the screen
simultaneously. For example, you can zoom in to Web pages or
pictures by placing your thumb and finger on the screen and spreading
them apart. To zoom back out, you can pinch your thumb and finger
together. The iPhone's touch screen is able to respond to both touch
points and their movements simultaneously. We'll look at exactly how
the iPhone does this in the next section.

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/iphone1.htm
When you use computers, entertainment systems or telephones, the various
pieces and parts of the systems make up a community of electronic devices.
These devices communicate with each other using a variety of wires, cables,
radio signals and infrared light beams, and an even greater variety of
connectors, plugs and protocols.

There are lots of different ways that electronic devices can connect to one
another. For example:

% Component cables
% Electrical wires
% Ethernet cables
% WiFi
% Infrared signals
The art of connecting things is becoming more and more complex every day.
In this article, we will look at a method of connecting devices, called
Bluetooth, that can streamline the process. A Bluetooth connection is
wireless and automatic, and it has a number of interesting features that can
simplify our daily lives.

The ProblemWhen any two devices need to talk to each other, they have to
agree on a number of points before the conversation can begin. The first point
of agreement is physical: Will they talk over wires, or through some form of
wireless signals? If they use wires, how many are required -- one, two, eight,
25? Once the physical attributes are decided, several more questions arise:

% How much data will be sent at a time? For instance, serial ports send
data 1 bit at a time, while parallel ports send several bits at once.
% How will they speak to each other? All of the parties in an electronic
discussion need to know what the bits mean and whether the message
they receive is the same message that was sent. This means
developing a set of commands and responses known as a protocol.
Bluetooth offers a solution to the problem.
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth.htm
Bluetooth Security
In any wireless networking setup, security is a concern. Devices can easily
grab radio waves out of the air, so people who send sensitive information over
a wireless connection need to take precautions to make sure those signals
aren't intercepted. Bluetooth technology is no different -- it's wireless and
therefore susceptible to spying and remote access, just like WiFi is
susceptible if the network isn't secure. With Bluetooth, though, the automatic
nature of the connection, which is a huge benefit in terms of time and effort, is
also a benefit to people looking to send you data without your permission.
Bluetooth offers several security modes, and device manufacturers determine
which mode to include in a Bluetooth-enabled gadget. In almost all cases,
Bluetooth users can establish "trusted devices" that can exchange data
without asking permission. When any other device tries to establish a
connection to the user's gadget, the user has to decide to allow it. Service-
level security and device-level security work together to protect Bluetooth
devices from unauthorized data transmission. Security methods include
authorization and identification procedures that limit the use of Bluetooth
services to the registered user and require that users make a conscious
decision to open a file or accept a data transfer. As long as these measures
are enabled on the user's phone or other device, unauthorized access is
unlikely. A user can also simply switch his Bluetooth mode to "non-
discoverable" and avoid connecting with other Bluetooth devices entirely. If a
user makes use of the Bluetooth network primarily for synching devices at
home, this might be a good way to avoid any chance of a security breach
while in public.
Still, early cell-phone virus writers have taken advantage of Bluetooth's
automated connection process to send out infected files. However, since most
cell phones use a secure Bluetooth connection that requires authorization and
authentication before accepting data from an unknown device, the infected file
typically doesn't get very far. When the virus arrives in the user's cell phone,
the user has to agree to open it and then agree to install it. This has, so far,
stopped most cell-phone viruses from doing much damage. See How Cell-
phone Viruses Work to learn more.
Other problems like "bluejacking," "bluebugging" and "Car Whisperer" have
turned up as Bluetooth-specific security issues. Bluejacking involves
Bluetooth users sending a business card (just a text message, really) to other
Bluetooth users within a 10-meter (32-foot) radius. If the user doesn't realize
what the message is, he might allow the contact to be added to his address
book, and the contact can send him messages that might be automatically
opened because they're coming from a known contact. Bluebugging is more
of a problem, because it allows hackers to remotely access a user's phone
and use its features, including placing calls and sending text messages, and
the user doesn't realize it's happening. The Car Whisperer is a piece of
software that allows hackers to send audio to and receive audio from a
Bluetooth-enabled car stereo. Like a computer security hole, these
vulnerabilities are an inevitable result of technological innovation, and device
manufacturers are releasing firmware upgrades that address new problems
as they arise.
If communications security is a concern of yours, then click here to learn how
phone conferencing security works. To learn more about Bluetooth security
issues and solutions, see Bluetooth.com: Wireless Security.
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth4.htm

OLED TECHNOLOGY

An organic light emitting diode (OLED), also light emitting polymer (LEP) 
and organic electro luminescence (OEL), is any light emitting diode (LED) 
whose emissive electroluminescent layer is composed of a film of organic 
compounds. The layer usually contains a polymer substance that allows 
suitable organic compounds to be deposited. They are deposited in rows and 
columns onto a flat carrier by a simple "printing" process. The resulting matrix 
of pixels can emit light of different colors.

Such systems can be used in television screens, computer displays, small, 
portable system screens such as cell phones and PDAs, advertising, 
information and indication. OLEDs can also be used in light sources for 
general space illumination, and large­area light­emitting elements. OLEDs 
typically emit less light per area than inorganic solid­state based LEDs which 
are usually designed for use as point­light sources.

A significant benefit of OLED displays over traditional liquid crystal displays 
(LCDs) is that OLEDs do not require a backlight to function. Thus they draw 
far less power and, when powered from a battery, can operate longer on the 
same charge. Because there is no need for a backlight, an OLED display can 
be much thinner than an LCD panel. Degradation of OLED materials has 
limited their use so far.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OLED
http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/images/digital-photo-wallet.jpg

http://www.cscout.com/blog/data/splashpower.jpg

This sort of sealed arrangement is called inductive charging. Essentially, the

toothbrush and the base form a two-part transformer, with the base having one part
of the transformer and the toothbrush having the other. When you slide the
toothbrush onto the base, the complete transformer is created and charge can flow.
The base contains one of the coils and the metal bar. The toothbrush contains the
second coil. When you drop the toothbrush onto the base, you create the complete
transformer!

http://home.howstuffworks.com/question292.htm

Inductive charging charges electrical batteries using electromagnetic induction. A 
charging station sends energy through inductive coupling to an electrical device, 
which stores the energy in the batteries. Because there is a small gap between the 
two coils, inductive charging is one kind of short­distance wireless energy transfer.

The other kind of charging, direct wired contact (also known as conductive charging 
or direct coupling) requires direct electrical contact between the batteries and the 
charger. Conductive charging is normally achieved by moving batteries from a device 
to charger, or connecting a device to a power source with plug­in wires.

Induction chargers typically use an induction coil to create an alternating 
electromagnetic field from within a charging base station, and a second induction coil 
in the portable device takes power from the electromagnetic field and converts it back 
into electrical current to charge the battery. The two induction coils in proximity 
combine to form an electrical transformer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inductive_charging

CHARGING!!

WHAT IS ECOUPLED TECHNOLOGY?

eCoupled™ technology is real, INTELLIGENT wireless power. It is the
next generation of power delivery worldwide. It is intelligence that
moves technology beyond traditional constraints of inductive coupling
and wireless power into the next realm.

By leveraging the physics of near-field inductive coupling and

combining it with communications and control properties – made
available by microprocessor technology – Fulton Innovation builds its
advanced intelligence solutions and proprietary algorithms, which are
the keys to eCoupled technology and real wireless power.

Power is a current which takes the path of least resistance when

broadcast across an open space – unless it is controlled. Traditional
power cords serve as physical channels for power to travel through,
controlling the path of the energy. eCoupled technology eliminates the
need for power cords by creating an electromagnetic conduit
combined with an intelligent control system that constantly monitors
 the power flow to insure optimal efficiency and safety.

THE DIFFERENCE IS INTELLIGENCE

The intelligence of eCoupled technology allows it to dynamically seek
resonance and optimize power transfers at high efficiencies (greater
than 98% at 120 volts/1.4 kilowatts) under multiple, varying spatial
configurations and load conditions – from low-power to high-power
applications. Power and data can now be efficiently transmitted to
virtually any electrical device without the constraints of cords,
connectors or contact points. And the solution can be either adaptive
or integrated. This means that different devices from different brands
requiring different power needs can share a single power source
creating a truly interoperable solution at energy costs comparable to
hard-wired connections.

Through its advanced identification protocol, eCoupled technology

adapts its operation to match the needs of each device it powers by
communicating with it in real time. It assesses and determines not only
power needs but also factors in battery or device age and charging
lifecycles. It provides only the necessary power needed to keep a
device at peak efficiency.

Additionally, eCoupled technology authenticates any device within range. If a device

or object is not immediately recognized as eCoupled compatible, the power source
will not supply power to it, maintaining a safe operating environment. eCoupled
technology has been validated by standards organizations in 36 countries for safety,
electromagnetic compatibility (noise) and other international performance criteria.

BATTERY!!

A paper battery is a battery engineered to use a paper­thin sheet of cellulose (which 
is the major constituent of regular paper, among other things) infused with aligned 
 carbon  nanotubes
   .[1] The nanotubes act as electrodes; allowing the storage devices 
to conduct electricity. The battery, which functions as both a lithium­ion battery and a 
supercapacitor, can provide a long, steady power output comparable to a 
conventional battery, as well as a supercapacitor’s quick burst of high energy ­­ and 
while a conventional battery contains a number of separate components, the paper 
battery integrates all of the battery components in a single structure, making it more 
energy efficient.

Development
The researchers used ionic liquid, essentially a liquid salt, as the battery’s electrolyte. 
The use of ionic liquid, which contains no water, means there’s nothing in the 
batteries to freeze or evaporate. “This lack of water allows the paper energy storage 
devices to withstand extreme temperatures,” Kumar said. This also gives the battery 
its ability to function in temperatures up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and down to 100 
below zero. The use of ionic liquid also makes the battery extremely biocompatible; 
the team printed paper batteries without adding any electrolytes, and demonstrated 
that naturally occurring electrolytes in human sweat, blood, and urine can be used to 
activate the battery device. According to Pushparaj “It’s a way to power a small 
device such as a pacemaker without introducing any harsh chemicals – such as the 
kind that are typically found in batteries — into the body.”

Durability

The use of carbon nanotubes gives the paper battery extreme flexibility; the sheets 
can be rolled, twisted, folded, or cut into numerous shapes with no loss of integrity or 
efficiency, or stacked, like printer paper (or a Voltaic pile), to boost total output. As 
well, they can be made in a variety of sizes, from postage stamp to broadsheet. “It’s 
essentially a regular piece of paper, but it’s made in a very intelligent way,” said 
Linhardt, “We’re not putting pieces together — it’s a single, integrated device,” he 
said. “The components are molecularly attached to each other: the carbon nanotube 
print is embedded in the paper, and the electrolyte is soaked into the paper. The end 
result is a device that looks, feels, and weighs the same as paper.”

Uses

The paper­like quality of the battery combined with the structure of the nanotubes 
embedded within gives them their light weight and low cost, making them attractive 
for portable electronics, aircraft, automobiles, and toys (such as model aircraft), while 
their ability to use electrolytes in blood make them potentially useful for medical 
devices such as pacemakers. The medical uses are particularly attractive because 
they do not contain any toxic materials and can be biodegradable; a major drawback 
of chemical cells.[2] However, Professor Sperling cautions that commercial 
applications may be a long way away, because nanotubes are still relatively 
expensive to fabricate. Currently they are making devices a few inches in size. In 
order to be commercially viable, they would like to be able to make them newspaper 
size; a size which, taken all together would be powerful enough to power a car.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_battery

Researchers present new lithium-ion batteries and

supercapacitors that are based on carbon nanotubes and paper.
Flexible and biodegradable, the batteries are also simple in
construction.

If you crack the back off of an iPhone or any other modern portable electronic device,
you'll find a big honking battery that takes up a huge amount of space and
contributes to a large part of the device's weight. Fuel cells and solar power have
both been floated as promising solutions to the battery weight/capacity problem, but
new research suggests that carbon nanotubes may eventually provide the best hope
of implementing the flexible batteries and supercapacitors needed to shrink our
gadgets even more.

Part of the problem with designing flexible batteries and supercapacitors has always
been the necessity of layering such devices. Typically, two electrode layers sandwich
two charge-holding layers, with an insulating layer in the middle of it all. As the layers
build up, flexibility goes out the window.

However, researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and MIT have

developed a new material that eliminates the need for a multilayer battery. They grew
carbon nanotubes on a silicon substrate and impregnated the gaps between the
tubes with cellulose—that's right, plain old paper. The cellulose also covered the
ends of the nanotubes, but once it had dried, the paper material could be peeled off
of the silicon substrate, leaving one end of the carbon nanotubes exposed to form an
electrode.

Tiny and flexible: the future of batteries?

By putting two sheets of paper together with the cellulose side facing inwards (and a
drop of electrolyte on the paper), a supercapacitor is formed. These supercapacitors
retain the flexibility of normal paper, but they have a rating that is comparable to that
of standard commercial hardware—a 100g sheet could replace a 1300mAh battery.
Because the medium is flexible, the researchers say you could shape batteries of all
sizes for very specific use.

It doesn't stop there, however. By putting a drop of electrolyte on a single sheet and
then putting a metal foil consisting of lithium and aluminum on each side, a lithium
ion battery is formed. This paper device had a respectable 110mAh/g capacity, and
the researchers indicate that small prototypes could already power small mechanical
devices like fans. These batteries and supercapacitors are quite stable and have
been shown to operate over a wide range of temperatures, with the research
showing that they can operate between -78–150°C.
The flexibility (pun intended) of this system shouldn't be understated. Batteries and
capacitors can be combined in any way desirable simply by controlling where the
electrolyte is placed and where the second sheet of paper is placed. The power
density isn't fantastic, but it makes up for that by being able to fit into strange shapes,
and it could even be wrapped around the electronics inside a device.

Also noteworthy: bodily fluids can act as the electrolyte, which hints at medical
applications. The capacitor would be put into a patient fully charged but dry, and
when more power was needed, bodily fluids would be allowed into the device to
allow it to discharge.

http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2007/08/scientists-create-
paper-thin-flexible-biodegradable-battery.ars

Ultra-thin and flexible allowing for custom design: At a thickness of only

0.6 – 0.7 mm, Power Paper believes that its battery is one of the thinnest in
the marketplace. The battery is flexible and can be bent or twisted repeatedly
at sharp angles. The batteries have the same elasticity and flexibility as the
paper or plastic surface onto which they are printed, and can be shaped to fit
the size, thickness, and form of a wide range of products for cosmetic,
consumer, medical, industrial and defense applications.
Environment-friendly and bio-friendly: The materials used for Power
Paper’s battery and integration technologies are environmentally safe
according to international standards. The cells do not contain any heavy
metals such as mercury, lead or cadmium, commonly found in conventional
batteries. As international standards for battery-powered devices evolve and
manufacturers seek cleaner, greener batteries to power their devices, Power
Paper is well-positioned to supply this demand.

Proven performance: Power Paper's batteries have been used in

commercially-available products for nearly a decade, with millions of units
shipped. The cells perform well over a wide range of temperatures and
humidity levels, featuring a flat discharge curve (see below), discharging at a
continuous current density per active cell area of 0.1 mA/cm2.

Low-cost mass production using a conventional screen-printing

processes: Production costs for Power Paper's batteries are very low. Using
a conventional printing process, cells are manufactured by industry-standard
printing, drying and laminating equipment and processes, resulting in
competitive material costs.

High safety features - The cells contain no caustic chemicals, and cannot
overheat, explode, or cause burns or electrical shock. They are non-toxic and
non-flammable and can therefore be freely shipped, stored, and disposed of
after use.

Fully integratable – The cells can be printed directly into or onto the end-
product for seamless integration. Part of the cells may even have dual
functions to serve the purpose of the end-product.Flat discharge curve - The
cells feature a straight and stable discharge curve until the complete depletion
of their capacity, enabling steady performance of powered products over time.

BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY GETS FASTER WITH BLUETOOTH 3.0

21-Apr-2009 Bluetooth SIG
Bluetooth SIG Adds Speed, Bandwidth via 802.11 with Version 3.0 of the Global
Wireless Standard

TOKYO – April 22, 2009 – From its annual All Hands Meeting in Tokyo this week, the
Bluetooth SIG formally adopted Bluetooth Core Specification Version 3.0 High Speed
(HS), or Bluetooth 3.0. This latest iteration of the popular short-range wireless
technology fulfills the consumers’ need for speed while providing the same wireless
Bluetooth experience – faster. Manufacturers of consumer electronics and home
entertainment devices can now build their products to send large amounts of video,
music and photos between devices wirelessly at speeds consumers expect.

Bluetooth 3.0 gets its speed from the 802.11 radio protocol. The inclusion of the
802.11 Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL) provides increased throughput of data
transfers at the approximate rate of 24 Mbps. In addition, mobile devices including
Bluetooth 3.0 will realize increased power savings due to enhanced power control
built in.

“Like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights, this latest version was ‘born to go fast,’ said
Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. ”Utilizing the 802.11
radio was a natural choice as it provides efficiencies for both our members and
consumers – members get more function out of the two radios they are already
including in devices, and consumers with Bluetooth v3.0 HS products will get faster
exchange of information without changing how they connect. We are excited to
expand the possibilities of the PAN.”

This newest version of Bluetooth technology builds on the inherent qualities of the
current 2.1 EDR version, including Simple Secure Pairing and built-in, automatic
security. And as with all versions of the Bluetooth specification, Bluetooth 3.0 HS
provides developers, manufacturers and consumers with the benefit of backwards
compatibility, enabling both the expansion and enhancement of this technology with
every new specification release. Once products reach the market, the easiest way for
consumers to learn which devices are compatible with other Bluetooth enabled
devices is to visit the Bluetooth Gadget Guide.

Applications
With the availability of Bluetooth version 3.0 HS, consumers can expect to move
large data files of videos, music and photos between their own devices and the
trusted devices of others, without the need for cables and wires. Some applications
consumers will experience include:
% Wirelessly bulk synchronize music libraries between PC and music player or
phone
% Bulk download photos to a printer or PC
% Send video files from camera or phone to computer or television
Availability
The Bluetooth SIG’s formal adoption of the specification is only the first step in the
product lifecycle. News out today from wireless chip manufacturers and Bluetooth
SIG member companies Atheros, Broadcom, CSR, and Marvell shows the second
step – getting silicon solutions to device manufacturers – is already underway. End
products for consumers are expected to be in the market in 9 to 12 months.

Technical Specifications
This new specification release includes several major enhancements (learn more
here – page requires member login):
% Generic Alternate MAC/PHY (AMP)
% 802.11 Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL)
% Generic Test Methodology
% Enhanced Power Control
% Unicast Connectionless Data

About Bluetooth® Wireless Technology Bluetooth wireless technology is the

global short-range wireless standard for personal connectivity of a broad range of
electronic devices. The technology continues to evolve, building on its inherent
strengths – small-form factor radio, low power, low cost, built-in security, robustness,
ease-of-use, and ad hoc networking abilities. More than nine new Bluetooth enabled
products are qualified every working day and 18 million Bluetooth units are shipping
per week. There are over two billion Bluetooth devices in the marketplace and that
number climbs daily, making it the only proven wireless choice for developers,
product manufacturers, and consumers worldwide.
E INK!!

E Ink is a type of electronic paper manufactured by E Ink Corporation.

It is a proprietary material that is processed into a film for integration into 
electronic displays, particularly for E­book devices such as the Sony 
Reader, the iLiad, the Cybook
    Gen3
   , the Amazon Kindle, the Readius 
device from Polymer Vision [1] and Plastic Logic's Reader. The Motorola 
F3 was the first cellphone to employ E Ink technology into its display, 
taking advantage of the material's ultra­low power consumption.

According to the manufacturer, "The principal components of electronic 
ink are millions of tiny microcapsules, about the diameter of a human 
hair. In one incarnation, each microcapsule contains positively charged 
white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in a 
clear fluid. When a negative electric field is applied, the white particles 
move to the top of the microcapsule to become visible to the reader. 
This makes the surface appear white at that location. At the same time, 
an opposite electric field pulls the black particles to the bottom of the 
microcapsules where they are hidden. By reversing this process, the 
black particles appear at the top of the capsule, which now makes the 
surface appear dark at that location."[2]
To form an E Ink electronic display, the ink is printed onto a sheet of 
plastic film that is laminated to a layer of circuitry. The circuitry forms a 
pattern of pixels that can then be controlled by a display driver. These 
microcapsules are suspended in a liquid "carrier medium" allowing them 
to be printed using existing screen printing processes onto virtually any 
surface, including glass, plastic, fabric and even paper.[clarification needed]
On June 1st, 2009 E Ink was purchased by its primary business partner, 
Prime View International, for $215 million.