ENCRYPTED BATTERIES
Cellphone owners have sometimes been injured when cheap, counterfeit batteries have shorted out and exploded. Now a scheme is under development that will verify the authenticity of a battery by fitting it with a chip containing a secret code.
Software in the phone will look for the code and not allow the phone to operate if it is not present. The simple software, which is being developed by NEC of Japan, uses very little memory. The batteries and software will be launched later this year and will be available to all cellphone makers.
SAFER FUEL TANK TAKES OFF…
