Abstract: Component failures are reported using a radio-frequency identification tag associated with an electronic component of a computer system installed on a common communications bus and power bus among at least one other electronic component wherein failure of a component may cause disruption of the power bus, the communications bus, or both busses; a system-level diagnostic function within the computer system but external to the first electronic component receiving a diagnostic failure indication from the first electronic component, and responsive to receipt of the diagnostic failure indication, sending a latching signal to the first electronic component; and a latch controllable by the latching signal, the latch having at least two stable modes including an unlatched mode which prevents the tag from transmitting signals upon query by a radio-frequency identification reader, and a latched mode which enables the tag to transmit signals upon query by a radio-frequency identification reader.

Abstract: A method and an associated system for monitoring and instantly identifying faults in a data communication cable are disclosed. A fault monitoring program learns a reference data traffic pattern communicated through the data communication cable by reading inputs from a sensor. The reference data traffic pattern is stored and is used for determining normalcy of data traffic through the data communication cable. The fault monitoring program monitors for a fault in a data traffic, and, if a fault is detected, activates a fault indicator sending out fault signals to notify users of the fault. If the fault is not recovered within a predefined recovery period, the fault monitoring program deactivates the fault indicator and shuts down a power source for later use of the data communication cable.

Abstract: Presently, when an e-mail message is identified as SPAM, it is deleted and the process ends. According to the system, computer program product and method provided herein, upon identifying an e-mail message as SPAM, source information, identity and data stream of the e-mail message are transferred to a database accessible by trusted ISPs. The trusted ISPs may compare the transferred data stream to data stream of incoming and outgoing e-mail messages to determine whether they are also SPAM and the transferred source information and identity may be used to determine an original sender (i.e., a spammer) of the message.

Abstract: A method and an associated system for monitoring and instantly identifying faults in a data communication cable are disclosed. A fault monitoring program learns a reference data traffic pattern communicated through the data communication cable by reading inputs from a sensor. The reference data traffic pattern is stored and is used for determining normalcy of data traffic through the data communication cable. The fault monitoring program monitors for a fault in a data traffic, and, if a fault is detected, activates a fault indicator sending out fault signals to notify users of the fault. If the fault is not recovered within a predefined recovery period, the fault monitoring program deactivates the fault indicator and shuts down a power source for later use of the data communication cable.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and a data processing system continuously tracks the potentially changing location of a plurality of global positioning system (GPS) enabled mobile devices such as a cellular phones or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). Generated GPS location updates are used to determine the location and directional velocity of each monitored device. Unique and separate optimal navigation convergence routes are provided to each device. Convergence locations and ETA indicators are provided. A common destination for the devices based on the separate convergence routes is provided. The common destination can be user selected or automatically determined by the system. The system is capable of providing convergence route and common destination information even when users of the various GPS devices are unaware of their present location, the location of other consenting devices, or the location of the common destination.

Abstract: An apparatus for reporting failed components which integrates a radio-frequency identification tag sub-circuit into each component of a system, including a latch controllable by a diagnostic function. The latch has at least two stable modes including an unlatched mode which prevents said tag from transmitting signals upon query by a radio-frequency identification reader, and a latched mode which enables said tag to transmitting signals upon query by a radio-frequency identification reader. The latch is transitioned to said latched mode by the diagnostic function responsive to detection of a failure, fault, or error condition of said component by said diagnostic function. Subsequent “reading” by an RFID reader of the tag allows identification of the failed component without requiring system power or communications busses to be operative, where only failed components respond to the RFID reader, and the latch prevents known-good components from responding to the reader.