WiMax future in question

WiMax wireless technology could bring high-speed Internet access to rural areas, but regulatory, security and spectrum problems may limit the widespread use of the technology, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

BBC News says although WiMax has been widely touted as a technology that will beat both WiFi and 3G mobile networks, WiMax may instead find niche uses such as providing connectivity to remote areas.

A typical installation of a WiMax system could give users in an area 3km to 10km wide a 40Mbps connection to the Internet. However, the OECD report says the ultimate role of WiMax in the wireless market is debatable mainly because access to the radio spectrum WiMax uses is not universal and issues such as security and network management have yet to be resolved.

Future mobile phones will be "digital wallets" able to get e-mail and even scan business cards, while computers and TVs will merge, says Microsoft chairman Bill Gates.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Gates also told delegates to a government leaders` forum in Washington that Microsoft wants to redefine the way people think about how they work with government and how efficient communication takes place.

The two-day event is intended to explore ways to improve government use of computers, as well as the transition to what Gates called the "knowledge economy".

European data protection supervisor Peter Hustinx has criticised governments` fondness for biometrics to identify citizens, warning that greater interoperability of databases may have serious implications.

A News.Com report says in response to a recent communication by the European Union on the interoperability of several databases, including the Visa Information System, Hustinx has called for a better analysis of the data protection implications to ensure better data protection.

Hustinx also slammed the use of biometrics as unique identifiers for European citizens within databases, saying that fingerprint or DNA identifications are too inaccurate and can facilitate the unwarranted interconnection of databases.

Microsoft has begun testing advertisements across two of its Live-branded Internet services, and its blogging service, reports Information Week.

The adverts from 20 companies are being displayed across Microsoft Office Live, a Web site hosting service; Windows Live Mail, a Web mail service; and MSN Spaces, which hosts blogs.

The move marks the start of Microsoft offering advertisers access to the company`s online audience through its Live services. Live is the brand name for Microsoft`s initiative to offer Web versions of all its software.

A strain of bacteria that releases electrons as a waste product could become the secret ingredient for developing fuel cells for spy drones and other small robots, reports News.Com.

US researchers are working on a project to harness the power of the Shewanella oneidensis microorganism that consumes metals and produces excess electrons as a result. The idea is to develop a fuel cell in which colonies of Shewanella will attach themselves to the fuel cell anode and produce electrons.

The report says while the concept is feasible, researchers now have to figure out how to optimise the processes involved in creating a fuel cell by altering the genetic pathways of Shewanella for maximum electron production. In the next five years, the team wants to develop a fuel cell that can propel itself.