Though its fun to think of the Body Area Network as another way for cheap employers to get out of paying for properly wiring your workspace, the most obvious uses for this technology would seem to be in the realm of health care. To this end, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan has developed an ECG that can be worn 24 hours a day, wirelessly transmitting electrocardiographic data as well as measuring changes in body surface temperature and posture. The data can even be transmitted securely using cryptographic keys dynamically generated by the patient's posture and biological data (which are unique to each user). We'll let you guys ponder the cypherpunk ramifications of this technology in the comments -- and be sure to check out the additional pic we have for you after the break.

We've seen ECG systems of all sorts (homemade included), but DRE Medical has now released what it claims to be the most compact system on the market today. Dubbed simply the Universal ECG, the system relies on a Windows-based desktop, laptop or Pocket PC for its computing component, which the company says offers a number of benefits over a standalone ECG system, not the least of which is a sizable cost savings. That savings also extends to printing costs, as the system can print reports on standard computer paper as opposed to the pricey thermal paper used by regular ECG systems. Among other things, the ECG also apparently requires no calibration, and it draws all its power from the device its connected to, so if you're using it with a laptop you may want to bring along a couple of extra batteries. Of course, while it's less expensive than a standalone ECG, that still probably doesn't mean it'll come cheap -- a likelihood further backed up by the fact that you have to contact DRE for a quote if you're interested in buying one.

[Via Medgadget]