ETC.

Cellphone dodges bullet
An Aurora, Colo., man may have his cellphone to thank for his life. Roger Baxter was shot in the chest during a burglary in his home, but the bullet was slowed by the cellphone he had tucked into his shirt pocket. “It hit me in the cellphone, went through the cellphone, and projected down and grazed me,” Baxter told a local news station. The former Colorado Department of Transportation employee was due for some good luck. Baxter was severely injured last year when he was hit by a semi and lost one of his legs.
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IEEE honors Lynch
Verizon Wireless’ EVP and chief technical officer, Dick Lynch, won IEEE’s 2007 CQR Chairman’s Award. IEEE chose Lynch “for leadership in implementing wireless technology and bridging the IEEE and industry to address the challenges of reliable wireless voice and data performance.” Lynch accepted the award May 16 at the IEEE Communication Society’s CQR conference.
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In smartphone/smartkey war, phones win
Nissan is warning its customers that its “intelligent keys” and cellphones may not mix. The company said some cellphones seem to erase the I-keys for its 2007 Altima sedan and 2007 Infiniti G35 models. Nissan is advising customers to keep their cellphones and the i-keys at least one inch apart at all times. Once the key’s electronic code is erased, it will not start the vehicle and it can’t be reprogrammed, according to Nissan.
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Gag me with an RFID chip
Doctors are using radio frequency identification technology to monitor patients with esophageal reflux. Doctors at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and engineers from UT Arlington have developed a wireless monitoring system that combines RFID technology with impedance monitoring, which tracks reflux through electrical impulses. The system involves pinning a dime-sized RFID chip to the esophagus. The chip tests for electrical impulses that signal acidic of nonacidic liquids and then transmits the data to a wireless sensor worn around the neck.