Skip to main content

Sony develops power outlet that can recognize devices and users

By

Sony has developed a power outlet that can identify devices plugged into it, as well as individuals using the plug. The company says such technology could allow the electricity usage of individual devices to be monitored so non-essential devices could be switched off remotely in the event of limited electricity supply, or for the billing of customers charging their electric vehicles or mobile devices in public places.The Authentication Power Outlet relies on Sony’s FeliCa technology – a contactless RFID smart card system developed by Sony mainly for use in electronic payment systems, such as Hong Kong’s Octopus card system.
When a device is plugged in, a FeliCa Lite chip built into the plug relays information about the electrical device to a reader/writer built into the outlet. While the plug and outlet communicate through a wireless antenna in the current system, the company is also developing a version that exchanges data through the power cable.
While existing electrical devices will function as normal with the chip-embedded plug, future devices could have the FeliCa chip built in and the outlet-side reader/writer could be located in the distribution board, allowing existing power outlets to be used without modification.
Authenticated devices can be monitored and have their power supply controlled remotely, allowing non-essential devices to be shut off when electricity supply is limited to ensure more essential devices, such as healthcare equipment and refrigerators, remain running.
The system also allows individual users to identify themselves with a wave of a smartcard over the power outlet. This would allow users to be charged and supplied with power from a public electrical outlet for a specific period of time – when charging up an electric vehicle, for example.Sony hasn't decided when to release the system commercially, but says it would require the involvement of other manufacturers and power supply companies to be viable.
The video below from DigInfo.TV shows the Authentication Power Outlet system in action.
Source: DigInfo.TV

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10 URLs to Find Out What Google Knows About You

By
Google is much more than just a search giant. It is also home to many of your favorite products: Gmail, YouTube, and Chrome, just to name a few. Apart from that, it also offers many products to help you  keep track of your data . Most of these are  hidden deep  inside the My Account dashboard, which many users don’t really know of. These hidden tools  may reveal interesting details  about your usage of Google’s many services. We’ve compiled a list of important Google URLs of some  hidden tools  that carry information of what you did with Google, mostly from the searches that you have made on their many products, the voice searches and typed out Google searches that you have made. Are you ready to  find out what how Google knows about you ? 1.  Google Dashboard Google Dashboard offers  transparency and control over the personal data stored with your Google Account. You can  view  and  manage the data gener...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nine government sites hit by cyber attacks: NIC

By
The National Informatics Center (NIC) has revealed that as many as nine government websites were defaced by recent cyber attacks. The center further said that the servers, which hosts these government sites, suffer a number of hacking attempts on a daily basis. The websites www.kumbh2010haridwar.gov.in, www.ueppcb.uk.gov.in, www.gov.ua.nic.in/ujn, www.cdodoon.gov.in, www.arunachal.nic.in,www.bee-india.nic.in, www.civilsupplieskerala.gov.in, www.mpcb.gov.in and www.informatics.nic.in were  defaced , prompting authorities to  ramp up  the cyber security safeguards. In an RTI reply, the NIC, which reports to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, said that it was impossible for the body to accurately quantify these attacks but they are usually blocked by security controls put in place. The Ministry was asked to provide details of hacking attempts made on the governments websites in the last ten years (2001-11) along with url names of the portal...
1 comment
Read more

Solar car hits U.S. in round-the-world jaunt

By
Last October, the SolarWorld GT solar-powered car set out from Darwin, Australia on a drive around the world. It has since driven 3,001 kilometers (1,865 miles) across Australia, logged 1,947 km (1,210 miles) crossing New Zealand and been shipped across the Pacific Ocean. This Friday, it will embark on the U.S. leg of its journey, as it sets out across America from the University of California, Santa Barbara.   The SolarWorld GT is the result of a collaboration between solar panel manufacturer SolarWorld, and Bochum University of Applied Sciences in Germany. The four-wheeled, two-door, two-seat car gathers solar energy through photovoltaic panels built into its roof, with its solar generator offering a peak performance of 823 watts. Custom hub motors are located in both of the front wheels. The vehicle manages an average speed of 50 km/h (31 mph), with a claimed top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). In order to demonstrate that solar powered cars needn't be a radical...
Post a Comment
Read more