Hydrogen power
If mobile phones, laptops and cars are ever routinely powered by hydrogen, the fuel could be stored in highly porous 鈥渘anocubes鈥�. As little as 2 grams of the metallo-organic material that the cubes are made of has an internal surface area as big as a football pitch, says its developer, the German chemical company BASF.
Blocking BSE
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The prion proteins that spread BSE in animal feed can be destroyed in 30 minutes by an enzyme extracted from actinomycete bacteria, say Japanese biochemists. Tatsuzo Oka of Kagoshima University says the enzyme could be used to sterilise animal feed to block transmission of prions to livestock.
Cyber terrorism
Governments worry too much about the threat of cyber terrorism, a panel of security experts at the CeBIT electronics show in Hanover, Germany, said last week. Bombs are still the weapon of choice for terrorists, they said.
Security tags
Fashion retailer Benetton is to embed radio ID chips in the labels of all the garments it sells. They will store the style, size, colour and destination of each item, simplifying stock tracking and helping fight crime. But the chips also raise privacy issues, because they will remain in the labels after sale.
Washable computer
A laptop that can be cleaned in a domestic dishwasher is being used by weapons experts at the FBI. The waterproof laptop contains sensors that detect radioactivity, and chemical and biological agents. Defense Group of Falls Church, Virginia, designed the laptop so that it can be easily decontaminated.
Computer security
A known computer bug deemed too insignificant to cause problems paralysed Japan鈥檚 air traffic system last month, leading to the cancellation of 200 flights. Aviation experts say the episode highlights the danger of tolerating any bug in safety-critical software.