Replacing DC Power Jack on Fujitsu LifeBook P1610

I've always enjoyed dissecting gadgets to upgrade components, replace broken parts, or just to see what it looks like inside.

I recently had to replace the black DC power jack on my Fujitsu LifeBook P1610. I looked around and found a used yellow DC power jack from a Sony Vaio VGN-S150 series. No soldering required since the jack connects to the motherboard via wires and a plastic connector. The original jack was black and the wires were shorter than the yellow Sony jack, but the new jack worked out fine. It was a fun little project taking apart the mini tablet and replacing a broken part.

Remembering Former Chancellor Harry P. Ward

Here are some excerpts about this great leader and pioneer who served as chancellor while I was a student at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences:

http://www.uams.edu/update/absolutenm/templates/news2003v2.asp?articleid=7484&zoneid=18

Dr. Ward, who served as chancellor from 1979 to 2000, is remembered as a giant in the history of health care and higher education in Arkansas, as well as for his treatment of employees as family. A man of determination, vitality, compassion and commitment, he led UAMS’ transformation from a small institution with a charity hospital to an academic health center and research leader that is recognized as one of the outstanding academic health centers in the region with many world-class programs.

Dr. Ward was born in Pueblo, Col., on June 6, 1933. He graduated from Princeton University (magna cum laude 1955), the University of Colorado Medical School (gold headed cane awardee 1959), and trained in Internal Medicine and Hematology at Bellevue Hospital in New York City and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He returned to Colorado University Medical School in 1963 and served as Chief of Medicine at the Denver VA Hospital (1967-72) and then Dean of the College of Medicine and Associate Vice President for Health Affairs from 1972-78. In 1979 he was appointed Chancellor of UAMS and served until retirement in 2001. He received honorary degrees from Kaohsiung Medical College in Taiwan in 1991 and Lyon College in Batesville Arkansas in 2001.

Security of RF signals from implantable medical devices?

I've always had a strong interest in biomedical engineering. In fact, I used to think that I was going to be a biomedical engineer someday and develop medical devices. My love for technology still has me interested in the progress of these things.

One of the latest areas of research includes the use of wireless radio frequency (RF) signals to transmit data to and from implantable cardiac defibrillators with devices in the house. How secure is this technology? What would happen if there was some type of interference that then caused a serious malfunction?


Researchers have recently explored this question and you can read more about it here:

http://www.secure-medicine.org/icd-study/icd-study.pdf

Microsoft FolderShare Beta

Do you use more than one computer? Chances are, you use one at home, another one at work, and maybe you even have a portable device like an ultra-mobile PC (UMPC). Well, if you want a good, FREE way to keep all your files synchronized among various machines, you may want to try FolderShare. It also offers a novel way to keep backup copies of your files. This way, if you work at home or at the office, you can have access to your important files all the time. Plus, you can even access other files on your shared computers. Did you leave an important file at home? As long as your computer at home is turned on, you can access that file and retrieve it.

Acquired by Microsoft a few years ago, FolderShare is currently a FREE service and they just made some major updates. Give it a try.

http://www.foldershare.com/

Wireless electricity

Labeled by MIT as one of the top 10 emerging technologies, wireless electricity may revolutionize healthcare.

How would wireless electricity change the landscape of medicine? Imagine a world where cardiac monitors, pacemakers, defibrillators, insulin pumps, PCA pumps, and other devices would never need to be plugged in to the wall. Sound exciting?

Researchers at MIT are working on this concept and they've been able to power a 60-watt light bulb by transmitting electricity through the air. By using magnetic fields, they even powered this light bulb around a wall. Imagine a day when you won't be tripping over power cords...

You can read about this research here:

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging08&id=20248

Want to read about the all 10 emerging technologies that will change the way we live our lives?

http://www.technologyreview.com/specialreports/specialreport.aspx?id=25