infoline - kasc.ac.in · build 2014. microsoft chose the name cortana due to a popular groundswell...
TRANSCRIPT
INFOLINE
EDITORIAL BOARD
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chief Patron : Thiru P.Sachithanandan,
Correspondent
Patron : Dr. N.Raman, M.Com., M.B.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.,
Principal
Editor in Chief : Mr. S.Muruganantham, M.Sc., M.Phil.,
Head of the Department
STAFF ADVISOR
Ms. P.Kalarani M.Sc., M.C.A., M.Phil.,
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Technology and Information Technology
STAFF EDITOR
Ms. S.Kowsalyadevi M.C.A.,
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Technology and Information Technology
STUDENT EDITORS
Sa.Sivakkumar III B.Sc. (Information Technology)
S.Jebastin Paulraj III B.Sc. (Information Technology)
S.Priyadharshini III B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
K.Vimalraj II I B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
S.Akshaya III B.Sc. (Information Technology)
A.Catherine III B.Sc. (Information Technology)
G.Gurubalaji II B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
V.Minitha II B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
R.K.Kiruthika Shivani II B.Sc. (Information Technology)
S.Arunkumar II B.Sc. (Information Technology)
B.Mano Pretha I B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
A.Uthaya Sriram I B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
P.Deepika Rani I B.Sc. (Information Technology)
R.Pradeep Rajan I B.Sc. (Information Technology)
i
CONTENT
Executive Committee i
Cloud computing 1
Cortana a better experience with every touch 1
Windows 10 3
New brain-like computer may solve world's most complex math problems 3
Firewall Technology 5
Common human gut bacteria hacked 6
Model for robots with bacteria-controlled brains 8
Researcher develops advanced computer vision technology 9
Optical Fiber Carriers 10
NASA‟S Horizons Space 12
The transistors in IBM‟s new chip are 7 nanometres longan industry record 13
Puzzles 14
Roll top 14
Number puzzles 17
Sony xperia m4 aqua review 17
1
CLOUD COMPUTING
Cloud computing is defined as a type of
computing that relies on sharing computing
resources rather than having local servers or
personal devices to handle applications. Cloud
computing is comparable to grid computing. It is
a type of computing where unused processing
cycles of all computers in a network are
controlled to solve the problems too intensive
for any stand-alone machine.
In cloud computing, the
word cloud (also phrased as "the cloud") is used
as a metaphor for "the Internet," so the
phrase cloud computing means "a type of
Internet-based computing," where different
services such as servers, storage and
applications are delivered to an organization's
computers and devices through the Internet.
K.SANTHOSH
I B.Sc. (Information Technology)
CORTANA A BETTER EXPERIENCE
WITH EVERY TOUCH
Cortana is the name of the newly
announced intelligent personal assistant and
knowledge navigator for Windows Phone 8.1.
The technology is expected to be added to
Windows 10 and the Xbox .Cortana builds off
Microsoft's previous voice technology called
TellMe, purchased by Microsoft in 2009.Cortana
is to compete against Apple's Siri and Android's
Google Now voice assistants.
The name 'Cortana' comes from the
fictional, artificially intelligent (AI) character in
the Halo video game series. The first evidence of
Cortana's existence was found in June 2013 in
the Windows Phone Central forums, appearing
as 'zCortana' from a developer device that was
accidentally sold to a non-Microsoft employee.
Naming and Voicing.
The name Cortana was reserved for the
AI in Microsoft's Halo gaming series. While
there was a desire to call Microsoft's next-gen
personal assistant Cortana as an official name, it
was not clear that the company could do so, due
to numerous marketing and trademark
concerns.However, on April 4 2014, Microsoft
finally unveiled Cortana to the public during
2
Build 2014. Microsoft chose the name Cortana
due to a popular groundswell of fans who
requested the name.Jen Taylor, who currently
voices Cortana in the Halo games, also voices
the knowledge navigator for Windows Phone8.1.
Features
The current look of Cortana is both
futuristic and minimalist, being represented as
an orb with animation. From a pre-release
description of Cortana by an inside source:"The
personality of Cortana is currently represented
by a circle graphic that expresses what it's doing
(searching, identifying music Cortana is
currently represented by a circle graphic that
expresses what it's doing (searching, identifying
music à la the current Bing music listener built
into Windows Phone, etc.) by various
animations like spinning, flipping, etc. more
animations [have] come in over time, and the
color is based on the theme color.
Cortana can integrate with third-party
apps via a new API introduced by Microsoft at
their 2014 Build conference. For instance, users
can say "Foursquare...checkin" and the personal
assistant launches the Foursquare app and brings
up locations around, to choose for checking
in.Cortana can set reminders, track flights, tell
the weather, send messages, and answer
questions. All searching on Windows Phone 8.1,
including Internet Explorer, is handled through
Cortana, which itself is powered by Bing.
Various sections of Cortana can also be pinned
to a user's Start screen, including Weather,
Reminders, and News for quick access. The app,
upon launching, can optionally deliver a 'Daily
Glance', which includes ones weather, traffic,
and headlines.Cortana can also make NFL and
other predictions and speak Klingon.Finally,
another change is how users start Cortana as the
app is now initiated via the Search key. Users
will no longer have to hold down the Start key to
launch the voice assistant.
Forthcoming features
The Cortana team, led by Marcus Ash,
is adding new features to Cortana roughly every
two weeks. Those new features are added to the
Cortana 'What's New' page hosted by
Microsoft.Evidence for package tracking by
Cortana was found in the Windows 10 registry,
suggesting that this is a forthcoming
feature.Starting with the Lumia Denim update
later in 2014 for the Lumia 930 and Lumia 1520,
users will be able to activate Cortana via passive
voice, meaning they do not physically have to
launch the voice assistant. Instead, users can
simply say 'Hey, Cortana' and the phone,
through passive-voice technology, will wake to
take the request. This feature is dependent upon
the Qualcomm Snapdragon 80x chipset series
and SensorCore.
Availability
Currently, Cortana is only officially
launched in the United States. However, starting
in September 2014 it was announced that the
UK and China now have beta access, while
India, Canada, and Australia get opt-in alpha
program. The alpha program is access to the US
English version, but without much support for
3
local results, which have yet to be setup by
Microsoft.China has a special regionalized
version of Cortana called 'Xiao Na,' which also
has a more face-like visualization than the
default orb design of Cortana. This change was
made to reflect cultural variations in
China.Microsoft is expected to roll out Cortana
to more of Europe in late 2014 as the hard slog
of regionalization continues.
T.S.CHARAN NATH
III B.Sc. (Information Technology)
WINDOWS 10
Windows10 (codenamed Threshold) is
an upcoming personal computer operating
system being developed by Microsoft as part of
the Windows NT
Features:
A major aspect of Windows 10 is a
focus on harmonizing user experiences and
functionality between different classes of
devices, along with addressing shortcomings in
the Windows user interface that were introduced
in Windows 8. Continuing with this pattern, the
successor to Windows Phone 8.1 unveiled at the
same event is also branded as Windows 10, and
will share some user interface elements and apps
with its PC counterpart. Windows 10 will also
allow web apps and desktop software (using
either Win32 or .NET Framework) to be
packaged for distribution on Windows Store.
Desktop software distributed through Windows
Store will be packaged using the App-V system
to allow sandboxing.
T.AKILESH
II B.Sc. (Information Technology)
NEW BRAIN-LIKE COMPUTER MAY
SOLVE WORLD'S MOST COMPLEX
MATH PROBLEMS
A new computer prototype called a
"memcomputer" works by mimicking the human
brain, and could one day perform notoriously
complex tasks like breaking codes.These new,
brain-inspired computing devices could also
help neuroscientists better understand the
workings of the human brain, researchers say.
In a conventional microchip, the
processor, which executes computations, and the
memory, which stores data, are separate
components. This constant relaying of data
between the processor and the memory
4
consumes time and energy, thus limiting the
performance of standard computers.
In contrast, Massimiliano Di Ventra, a
theoretical physicist at the University of
California, San Diego, and his colleagues are
building "memcomputers," made up of
"memprocessors," that both process and store
data. This setup mimics the neurons that make
up the human brain, with each neuron serving as
both the processor and the memory.
The building blocks of memcomputers were first
theoretically predicted in the 1970s, but they
were manufactured for the first time in 2008.
[Super-Intelligent Machines: 7 Robotic Futures]
"These machines can be built with available
technology," Di Ventra told Live Science.
The scientists investigated a class of
problems known as NP-complete. With this type
of problem, a person may be able to quickly
confirm whether any given solution may or may
not work but can't quickly find the best solution
to it. One example of such a conundrum is the
"traveling salesman problem," in which
someone is given a list of cities and is asked to
find the shortest possible route from a city that
visits every other city exactly once and returns
to the starting city. Although someone may be
able to quickly find out whether a route gets to
all of the cities and does not go to any city more
than once, verifying whether this route is the
shortest involves trying every single
combination a brute-force strategy that grows
vastly more complex as the number of cities
increases.
The memprocessors in a memcomputer
can work collectively and simultaneously to find
every possible solution to such conundrums.
The new memcomputer solves the NP-complete
version of what is called the subset sum
problem. In this problem, one is given a set of
integers whole numbers such as 1 and negative
1, but not fractions such as 1/2 and must find if
there is a subset of those integers whose sum is
zero."If we work with a different paradigm of
computation, those problems that are notoriously
difficult to solve with current computers can be
solved more efficiently with memocomputers,"
Di Ventra said. But solving this type of problem
is just one advantage these computers have over
traditional computers.
Quantum computing
To solve NP-complete problems,
scientists are also pursuing a different strategy
involving quantum computers, which use
components known as qubits to investigate
every possible solution to a problem
simultaneously. However, quantum computers
have limitations for instance, they usually
operate at extremely low temperatures.
In contrast, memcomputers "can be built with
standard technology and operate at room
temperature," Di Ventra said. In addition,
memcomputers could tackle problems that
scientists are exploring with quantum
computers, such as code breaking.
However, the new memcomputer does
have a major limitation. It is difficult to scale
this proof-of-concept version up to a multitude
5
of memprocessors, Di Ventra said. The way the
system encodes data makes it vulnerable to
random fluctuations that can introduce errors,
and a large-scale version would require error-
correcting codes that would make this system
more complex and potentially too cumbersome
to work quickly, he added.Still, Di Ventra said it
should be possible to build memcomputers that
encode data in a different way. This would make
them less susceptible to such problems, and
hence scalable to a very large number of
memprocessors.
S.DEVISRI
II - B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
FIREWALL TECHNOLOGY
In computing, a firewall is a network
technology system that controls the incoming
and outgoing network traffic based on an applied
rule set. A firewall typically establishes a barrier
between a trusted, secure internal network and
other networks (e.g., the Internet) that is
assumed not to be secure and trusted. Firewalls
are often categorized as either "network
firewalls" or "host-based firewalls". A network
firewall is one, where a firewall software
appliance running on general purpose hardware,
or a hardware-based firewall computer
appliances filters traffic between two or more
networks .Host-based firewalls works where a
layer of software on one host controls the
network traffic in and out of that single machine.
Routers that pass data between networks contain
firewall components and, conversely, many
firewalls can perform basic routing functions.
Firewall appliances may also offer other
functionality to the internal network. They
protect by acting as a DHCP or VPN server for
that network.
Firewalls can be implemented in both
hardware and software, or as a combination of
both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent
unauthorized Internet users from accessing
private networks connected to the Internet,
especially intranets. All messages entering or
leaving the intranet pass through the firewall
which examines each message and blocks those
that do not meet the specified security criteria.
Hardware and Software Firewalls
Firewalls can be either hardware or
software but the ideal firewall configuration will
consist of both. In addition to limiting access to
your computer and network, a firewall is also
useful for allowing remote access to a private
network through secure authentication
certificates and logins.Hardware firewalls can be
purchased as a stand-alone product but are also
typically found in broadband routers, and should
be considered an important part of your system
and network set-up. Most hardware firewalls
will have a minimum of four network ports to
6
connect other computers, but for larger
networks, business networking
firewall solutions are available. Software
firewalls are installed on the computer (like any
software) and it can be customized by allowing
some control over its function and protection
features. A software firewall will protect the
computer from outside attempts to control or
gain access the computer.
Common Firewall Techniques
Firewalls are used to protect both home
and corporate networks. A typical firewall
program or hardware device filters all
information coming through the Internet to the
network or computer system. There are several
types of firewall techniques that will prevent
potentially harmful information from getting
through.
Packet Filter
Looks at each packet entering or leaving
the network and accepts or rejects it based on
user-defined rules. Packet filtering is fairly
effective and transparent to users, but it is
difficult to configure. In addition, it is
susceptible to IP spoofing.
Application Gateway
Applies security mechanisms to specific
applications, such as FTP and Telnetservers.
This is very effective, but can impose a
performance degradation.Circuit-level Gateway
Applies security mechanisms when
a TCP or UDPconnection is established. Once
the connection has been made, packets can flow
between the hosts without further checking.
Proxy Server
Intercepts all messages entering and
leaving the network. The proxy server
effectively hides the true network addresses.In
practice, many firewalls use two or more of
these techniques in concert. A firewall is
considered a first line of defense in protecting
private information. For greater
security, data can be encrypted.
Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)
A newer class of firewalls, next
generation firewall - NGFW, filters network and
Internet traffic based upon the applications or
traffic types using specific ports. Next
Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) blend the
features of a standard firewall with quality of
service (QoS) functionalities in order to provide
smarter and deeper inspection.
C.MYTHILI
I B.Sc. (Information Technology)
COMMON HUMAN GUT BACTERIA
HACKED
The "friendly" bacteria inside our
digestive systems are being given an upgrade,
which may one day allow them to be
7
programmed to detect and ultimately treat
diseases such as colon cancer and immune
disorders.In a paper published in the journal Cell
Systems, researchers at MIT unveil a series of
sensors, memory switches, and circuits that can
be encoded in the common human gut bacterium
Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.
These basic computing elements will
allow the bacteria to sense, memorize, and
respond to signals in the gut, with future
applications that might include the early
detection and treatment of inflammatory bowel
disease or colon cancer.Researchers have
previously built genetic circuits inside model
organisms such as E. coli. However, such strains
are only found at low levels within the human
gut, according to Timothy Lu, an associate
professor of biological engineering and of
electrical engineering and computer science,
who led the research alongside Christopher
Voigt, a professor of biological engineering at
MIT.The team developed a series of genetic
parts that can be used to precisely program gene
expression within the bacteria. "Using these
parts, scientists built four sensors that can be
encoded in the bacterium's DNA that respond to
a signal to switch genes on and off .
Bacterial "memory"
To sense and report on pathologies in
the gut, including signs of bleeding or
inflammation, the bacteria will need to
remember this information and report it
externally. To enable them to do this,the
researchers equipped B. Thetaiotaomicron with
a form of genetic memory. They used a class of
proteins known as recombinases, which can
record information into bacterial DNA by
recognizing specific DNA addresses and
inverting their direction.
The researchers also implemented a
technology known as CRISPR interference,
which can be used to control which genes are
turned on or off in the bacterium. The
researchers used it to modulate the ability
of B.Thetaiotaomicron to consume a specific
nutrient and to resist being killed by an
antimicrobial molecule.The researchers
demonstrated that their set of genetic tools and
switches functioned within B.
thetaiotaomicron colonizing the gut of mice.
When the mice were fed food containing the
right ingredients, they showed that the bacteria
could remember what the mice ate.
Expanded toolkit
The researchers now plan to expand the
application of their tools to different species
of Bacteroides. That is because the microbial
makeup of the gut varies from person to person,
meaning that a particular species might be the
dominant bacteria in one patient, but not in
others.
"We aim to expand our genetic toolkit to
a wide range of bacteria that are important
commensal organisms in the human gut," Lu
says.The concept of using microbes to sense and
respond to signs of disease could also be used
elsewhere in the body, he adds.
8
In addition, more advanced genetic
computing circuits could be built upon this
genetic toolkit in Bacteroides to enhance their
performance as noninvasive diagnostics and
therapeutics.
S.AKSHAYA
III B.Sc. (Information Technology)
MODEL FOR ROBOTS WITH BACTERIA-
CONTROLLED BRAINS
Understanding the biochemical sensing
between organisms could have far reaching
implications in ecology, biology, and robotics.A
scientist used a mathematical model to
demonstrate that bacteria can control the
behavior of an inanimate device like a
robot.Forget the Vulcan mind-meld of the Star
Trek generation as far as mind control
techniques go, bacteria is the next frontier.
"Basically we were trying to find out from the
mathematical model if we could build a living
microbiome on a nonliving host and control the
host through the microbiome," said Ruder, an
assistant professor of biological systems
engineering in both the College of Agriculture
and Life sciences and the College of
Engineering.
He also included that robots may indeed
be able to have a working brain. For future
experiments, Ruder is building real-world robots
that will have the ability to read bacterial gene
expression levels in E. coli using miniature
fluorescent microscopes. The robots will
respond to bacteria he will engineer in his lab.
On a broad scale, understanding the
biochemical sensing between organisms could
have far reaching implications in ecology,
biology, and robotics.In agriculture, bacteria-
robot model systems could enable robust studies
that explore the interactions between soil
bacteria and livestock. In healthcare, further
understanding of bacteria's role in controlling
gut physiology could lead to bacteria-based
prescriptions to treat mental and physical
illnesses. Ruder also envisions droids that could
execute tasks such as deploying bacteria to
remediate oil spills.
The findings also add to the ever-
growing body of research about bacteria in the
human body that are thought to regulate health
and mood, and especially the theory that bacteria
also affect behavior.The study was inspired by
real-world experiments where the mating
behavior of fruit flies was manipulated using
bacteria, as well as mice that exhibited signs of
lower stress when implanted with probiotics.
Ruder's approach revealed unique
decision-making behavior by a bacteria-robot
system by coupling and computationally
9
simulating widely accepted equations that
describe three distinct elements: engineered gene
circuits in E. coli, micro fluid bio-reactors, and
robot movement.
The bacteria in the mathematical
experiment exhibited their genetic circuitry by
either turning green or red, according to what
they ate. In the mathematical model, the
theoretical robot was equipped with sensors and
a miniature microscope to measure the color of
bacteria telling it where and how fast to go
depending upon the pigment and intensity of
color.
The model also revealed higher order
functions in a surprising way. In one instance, as
the bacteria were directing the robot toward
more food, the robot paused before quickly
making its final approach -- a classic predatory
behavior of higher order animals that stalk prey.
Ruder's modeling study also demonstrates that
these sorts of biosynthetic experiments could be
done in the future with a minimal amount of
funds, opening up the field to a much larger pool
of researchers.
The Air Force Office of Scientific
Research funded the mathematical modeling of
gene circuitry in E. coli, and the Virginia Tech
Student Engineers' Council has provided
funding to move these models and resulting
mobile robots into the classroom as teaching
tools. Ruder conducted his research in
collaboration with biomedical engineering
doctoral student Keith Heyde, who studies
phyto-engineering for biofuel synthesis.
Ruder hopes to help democratize the
field of synthetic biology for students and
researchers all over the world with this model. In
the future, rudimentary robots and E. coli that
are already commonly used separately in
classrooms could be linked with this model to
teach students from elementary school through
Ph.D.-level about bacterial relationships
V.MINITHA
II B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
RESEARCHER DEVELOPS ADVANCED
COMPUTER VISION TECHNOLOGY
A researcher from the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
has developed a new artificial intelligent user
interface designed to simplify the detection and
analysis of images. While computer vision
technology for images has been popping up
more recently, this new UI allows users to
visualize, navigate and manipulate visual media.
The system was created by Jeff Hansberger, a
researcher at DARPA‟s U.S. Army Research
Lab, as part of DARPA‟s Visual Media
Reasoning (VMR) program to extract mission-
relevant information from visual media. “Our
adversaries frequently use video, still and
cellphone cameras to document their training
and operations and occasionally post this content
to widely available websites,” said Hansberger,
according to the U.S. Army. “The volume of this
visual media is growing rapidly and is quickly
10
outpacing our ability to review, let alone
analyze, the contents of every image.
After observing how analysts interact
with images, and identifying the biggest
challenges, Hansberger decided to create a
touchscreen user interface for the VMR system.
“People looking within and for visual
information prefer to have 1) an overview first,
then 2) zoom and filter through the information
and retrieve 3) details on demand,” he said.
“Touchscreen technology and the use of
zooming, similar to how Google Maps utilizes
zooming across physical spaces was therefore
selected as a primary design element of the user
interface.
In addition to creating a touchscreen
interface, Hansberger also created a traditional
keyboard and mouse interface for organizations
that want to use the system, but avoid buying
new hardware.
According to Hansberger, the UI is
designed to reduce the time it takes to analyze
images, and support pattern detection. For
pattern detection, the interface features visual
diagrams and highlights patterns and
relationships across images. “The more care and
effort we spend in understanding the questions
users will be asking and how we can craft the
information in the interface to answer those
questions, the easier their job will be,” he said.
T. MOHANA PRI YA
II B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
OPTICAL FIBER CARRIERS
A wide and frequency comb ensures that
the crosstalk between multiple communication
channels within the same optical fiber is
reversible.
Electrical engineers have broken key
barriers that limit the distance information can
travel in fiber optic cables and still be accurately
deciphered by a receiver. Photonics researchers
at the University of California, San Diego have
increased the maximum power -- and therefore
distance -- at which optical signals can be sent
through optical fibers. This advance has the
potential to increase the data transmission rates
for the fiber optic cables that serve as the
backbone of the internet, cable, wireless and
landline networks. The research is published in
the June 26 issue of the journal Science.
The new study presents a solution to a
long-standing roadblock to increasing data
transmission rates in optical fiber: beyond a
threshold power level, additional power
increases irreparably distort the information
travelling in the fiber optic cable. "Today's fiber
optic systems are a little like quicksand. With
quicksand, the more you struggle, the faster you
sink. With fiber optics, after a certain point, the
11
more power you add to the signal, the more
distortion you get, in effect preventing a longer
reach. Our approach removes this power limit,
which in turn extends how far signals can travel
in optical fiber without needing a repeater," said
Nikola Alic, a research scientist from the
Qualcomm Institute, the corresponding author
on the Science paper and a principal of the
experimental effort.
In lab experiments, the researchers at
UC San Diego successfully deciphered
information after it travelled a record-breaking
12,000 kilometers through fiber optic cables
with standard amplifiers and no repeaters, which
are electronic regenerators.
The new findings effectively eliminate
the need for electronic regenerators placed
periodically along the fiber link. These
regenerators are effectively supercomputers and
must be applied to each channel in the
transmission. The electronic regeneration in
modern lightwave transmission that carries
between 80 to 200 channels also dictates the cost
and, more importantly, prevents the construction
of a transparent optical network. As a result,
eliminating periodic electronic regeneration will
drastically change the economy of the network
infrastructure, ultimately leading to cheaper and
more efficient transmission of information. The
breakthrough in this study relies on wideband
"frequency combs" that the researchers
developed. The frequency comb described to
ensures that the signal distortions -- called the
"crosstalk" -- that arises between bundled
streams of information travelling long distances
through the optical fiber are predictable, and
therefore, reversible at the receiving end of the
fiber. The photonics experiments were
performed at UC San Diego's Qualcomm
Institute by researchers from the Photonics
Systems Group led by Radic.
Pitch Perfect Data Transmission
The UC San Diego researchers'
approach is akin to a concert master who tunes
multiple instruments in an orchestra to the same
pitch at the beginning of a concert. In an optical
fiber, information is transmitted through
multiple communication channels that operate at
different frequencies. The electrical engineers
used their frequency comb to synchronize the
frequency variations of the different streams of
optical information, called the "optical carriers"
propagating through an optical fiber. This
approach compensates in advance for the
crosstalk that occurs between the multiple
communication channels within the same optical
fiber. The frequency comb also ensures that the
crosstalk between the communication channels
is reversible.
The laboratory experiments involved
setups with both three and five optical channels,
which interact with each other within the silica
fiber optic cables. The researchers note that this
approach could be used in systems with far more
communication channels. Most of today's fiber
optic cables include more than 32 of these
channels, which all interact with one another.
12
In the Science paper, the researchers describe
their frequency referencing approach to pre-
compensate for nonlinear effects that occur
between communication channels within the
fiber optic cable. The information is initially
pre-distorted in a predictable and reversible way
when it is sent through the optical fiber. With
the frequency comb, the information can be
unscrambled and fully restored at the receiving
end of the optical fiber. "We are pre-empting the
distortion effects that will happen in the optical
fiber," said Bill Kuo, a research scientist at the
Qualcomm Institute, who was responsible for
the comb development in the group.
The same research group published a theoretical
paper last year outlining the fact that the
experimental results they are now publishing
were theoretically possible.
C.SUNDAR RAJAN
III B.Sc. (Information Technology)
NASA’S NEW HORIZONS SPACE
NASA‟s New Horizons space probe has
revealed far-flung Pluto in unprecedented detail,
after sending back the first detailed pictures of
its surface. The first picture of an equatorial
region near the base of Pluto's bright heart-
shaped region reveals a range of what NASA
has described as "youthful mountains rising as
high as 11,000 feet (3500 meters) above the
surface of the icy body".
The mountains may have formed less
than 100 million years ago, quite young in
comparison to the 4.56-billion-year-old solar
system, and may still be in the process of
building, according to Jeff Moore of New
Horizons‟ Geology, Geophysics and Imaging
Team (GGI). This, combined with a lack of
craters on the planet's surface, suggests Pluto
may still be geologically active.Mr. Moore
stated it to be one of the youngest surfaces ever
seen in the solar system. According to NASA,
unlike the icy moons of giant planets, Pluto
cannot be heated by gravitational interactions
with a much larger planetary body, causing
scientists to rethink what could be powering
geological activity on other icy bodies.Another
image created with the New Horizons Ralph
instrument also shows the distribution of
methane ice.In the north polar cap, methane ice
is diluted in a thick, transparent slab of nitrogen
ice resulting in strong absorption of infrared
light was found by New Horizons co-
investigator Will Grundy. In different areas the
ice has different textures."Pluto New Horizons is
a true mission of exploration showing us why
basic scientific research is so important," John
Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's
Science Mission Directorate in Washington,
said. New Horizons also observed the smaller
members of the Pluto system, which includes
four other moons: Nix, Hydra, Styx and
Kerberos. The spacecraft descended to just
12,500km above the surface of Pluto, giving it
the opportunity to create detail surface maps as
it zipped past at 50,000km/h.These maps will
prove a boon to mission scientists as well as
those curious to finally see Pluto up close.
13
Earth was out of contact with the probe during
the flyby as mission control cannot maintain
contact with the probe while it records data.The
enormous distance between New Horizons and
Earth is also partly responsible for the delay in
communication, with important scientific
observations taking at least 4.5 hours to beam
back to Earth.As planned, the only
communication with New Horizons so far has
been a simple „phone home‟ message, received
here on Earth earlier today.The data will finally
ends decades of speculation and hypotheses on
Pluto‟s atmospheric characteristics, geology and
the presence of smaller moons or other debris in
the Pluto system.
Swinburne University of Technology‟s
Dr Alan Duffy said the encounter was
“incredibly exciting” and that “there‟s simply no
substitute for travelling the billions of kilometres
to see it up close”. “For our entire careers Pluto
has been a few pixels across on a computer
screen … imagine finally getting to explore a
new continent on Earth, twice the size of
Australia, being able to see details as small as an
Olympic swimming pool,” he said. Earlier
images captured by the probe revealed a
geologically complex world, including a
complex band of terrain with contrasting areas
of light and dark material.“Our first glimpses of
this world already show strange features” said
Dr Duffy. “The best is yet to come.”
M.VETRIVEL
II B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
THE TRANSISTORS IN IBM’S NEW CHIP ARE 7 NANOMETERS LONGAN
INDUSTRY RECORD
IBM has not yet released information
about when it will begin commercially
manufacturing its new generation of chips,
which are only in working versions right now.
But in a statement, the company said that it
expects the new 7-nanometer technology to be
crucial in “meeting the anticipated demands of
future cloud computing and Big Data systems,
cognitive computing, mobile products and other
emerging technologies. IBM‟s development of
the chip comes out of the company‟s $3 billion
investment last year in partnership with New
York state, Global Foundries, Samsung, and
equipment suppliers, aimed specifically at
manufacturing ultra-advanced computer chips.
Thursday's announcement bodes extremely well
for the semiconductor industry, which will be
able to harness IBM's new technology for
further innovation down the line. It also ensures
that the two-year rule of Moore's law-a
celebrated pace that the computer industry has
often boasted about in the past-will continue
thriving for at least a few more years.
IBM announced its development of a
fingernail-size computer chip that has roughly
14
four times more processing power than ever
before. The transistors in IBM‟s new chip clock
in at a size of 7 nanometers long—an industry
record. According to IBM, the company was
able to make its breakthrough due to the use of
silicon-germanium, a material that has lower
power requirements than silicon and also speeds
up transistor switching. Fourteen-nanometer
transistors were the previous industry standard.
The New York Times offers a way to understand
the new transistors.
J.JAYACHANDRAN
II B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
PUZZLES
Four Gallons
There is a three gallon and a five gallon
measuring device. The question is: how to
measure out four gallons in just two chances?
Solution:
Fill the five gallon container. Pour all
but two gallons into the three gallon container.
Empty the three gallon container. Put the two
remaining gallons from the five gallon container
into the three gallon container. Fill the five
gallon container one more time. Pour one gallon
from the five gallon container by filling the three
gallon container. Now the five gallon container
contains four gallons.
The Boxes
There are three boxes. One is labeled
"APPLES" another is labeled "ORANGES". The
last one is labeled "APPLES AND ORANGES".
But they are labeled incorrectly. How can the
boxes be labeled correctly if only one fruit from
one box can be opened to correct it?
Solution:
Pick from the one labeled "Apples &
Oranges". This box must contain either only
apples or only oranges.E.g. if you find an
Orange, label the box Orange, then change the
Oranges box to Apples, and the Apples box to
"Apples & Oranges.
J.DEEPIKA,
III B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
ROLLTOP LAPTOP
Rolltop Laptop
Gizmos and devices like the iPad,
tablets and notebooks offer the latest in
technological convenience possible. Technology
and personal electronic devices have progressed
and developed at such a fast pace that it is no
wonder that things like Rolltop Laptop are
becoming more than concepts. The ideas that are
being given
15
shape and will someday replace the traditional
act of reading hardcopy paper. For many people,
reading the newspaper in the morning or rolling
it up and taking it with them to work is a joyous
task, others like their news rolled up but much
more compact and in soft copy form. Rolltop
Laptop symbolizes exactly that. It is a laptop
device that rolls up just like the newspaper and
can fit in a handbag, briefcase, coat pocket and
anything in between.
Promised to be one of the most used,
compact, ergonomic and easy to use devices in
history of electronic development, Rolltop
Laptop promises to be the reading partner,
provider of the latest news and updates and a co-
worker in times of need. Originally designed by
Orkin Design Company, this fresh concept has
enough probability to replace traditional
personal computers entirely and laptops largely.
While it weighs as much as a mini-book, the
Rolltop Laptop comes with OLED-technology
and a multi-touch screen that does away with the
hassle of using keypads and combines the
flexibility of using hands with the ease of
navigation.
Once in the rolled up position, the
Rolltop Laptop will take the perfect shape of a
rolled up newspaper but once this thing is
actually rolled out, there is a lot that it can do to
impress all kinds of technology savvy experts.
As far as the hardware is concerned, there is
very little of it to speak of. It is not needed to
carry external cable cords and battery charging
devices because the Rolltop Laptop comes
attached to a holding belt that actually holds and
helps to carry the device and allows using it as
an electric cable for charging purposes whenever
it is needed. The base of the Rolltop Laptop is a
circular and long case that holds the Rolltop
Laptop wrapped around itself. Once the device
is rolled out, the base can be detached and have
it stand next to the rolled out device. A cord that
can be pulled out of the base connects to the
main Rolltop Laptop and the base also acts as
the web camera and loudspeaker of the device.
The Rolltop Laptop itself comes complete with
volume control, USB ports as well as a LAN
port. Once Rolltop Laptop is roll out it is just
like a yoga mat, it is entirely up to us whether to
roll it out flat or keep it steeped upwards. When
Rolltop Laptop is flattened out a 17-inch screen
- to watch movies and videos on or simply
browse around using a pin inserted inside the
Rolltop Laptop can be viewed. If the Rolltop
Laptop is to be used at an incline, simply pull
the upper part of the screen towards ourself to
resemble something like a notebook or a laptop
16
with a 13-inch screen and a virtual keyboard on
the lower end. This ultimate feature, not found
in any other electronic device gives the complete
control of where, how and in what capacity the
device can be used in. To give this laptop-like
position some support, there is a pull out support
and stylus pen included.
While the Rolltop Laptop is yet a
concept, the German company Orkin Design is
fully dedicated to bring this concept to life in the
near future. The motive of the development of
this device is set in line with laptop users‟
usability and functionality with the ultimate goal
of bringing all kinds of electronic needs of the
average person into one single device. At the
moment, Orkin Design is running some tests on
the device and working out some issues and
kinks in order to ensure that the final product
that is sold in the market truly combines the best
combination of hardware and software
applications that is possible. Physically, the
Rolltop Laptop will not weigh anything more
than a mini notebook and once it all rolled up, it
will be 11 inches long and have a diameter of
3.26 inches.
Proposition
Rolltop is not a "virtual and futuristic"
gadget, existing only on the screen of the
computer as in the most of similar concepts and
visions! Most of the existing design concepts
usually have been developed without any deep
technologic and ergonomic elaboration and often
could be difficult or even impossible realized.
From the beginning Rolltop has been developed
as a real future product. During its development
a lot of different scenarios (e.g. usability,
functionality etc.) were simulated. Moreover
Rolltop has been included in the best worldwide
ergonomic, mechanic and electronic practices.
The device of the flexible display allows a new
concept in notebook design growing out of the
traditional "bookformed" laptop into unfurling
and convolving portable computer. Rolltop
incorporates both latest high-tech devices and a
new brand design techniques into a computer
that will increase the quality and productivity of
the designers work. On top of everything else no
laptop bag needed - all computer utilities from
an interactive pen through power supply to the
holding belt are integrated in Rolltop. This is
really an all-in-one gadget.
Overview
Rolltop is a portable computer
development concept for designer, architect and
everyone, who would like to have a gadget,
which, from an aesthetic standpoint alone,
certainly hits the mark. By virtue of the OLED-
Display technology and a multitouchscreen the
utility of a laptop computer with its weight of a
mini-notebook and screen size of 13 inch easily
transforms into the graphics tablet, which with
its 17-inch flat screen can be also used as a
primary monitor due to the support attached to
the back of the screen. While the Rolltop Laptop
is yet a concept, the German company Orkin
Design is fully dedicated to bring this concept to
life in the near future
17
Rolltop 2.0 is a further development
of Rolltop with some visible and mostly
invisible improvements (e.g. internal design,
placement of
G.GURUBALAJI
II -B.Sc. (Computer Technology)
NUMBER PUZZLES
Which number comes inside the circle?
Answer : 6
Explanation : Looking at the
diagram in rows, the
central circle equals
half the sum of the
numbers in the other
circles to the left and
right of the Centre.
Which number replaces the question mark?
Answer : 9
Explanation : The number at the
Centre of each
triangle equals the
sum of the lower two.
Which number completes the Puzzles?
Answer : 19
Explanation : As you move
diagonally down,
numbers follow the
sequence of Prime
Numbers.
K.SHANMUGAPRIYA
III - B.Sc. (Information Technology)
SONY XPERIA M4 AQUA
18
All behold the rain gods, for the
monsoon has arrived in Delhi... finally. If you've
lived in Delhi for long, you'd probably know
how Delhiites share a love-hate relationship with
rains. As the name suggests, the M4 Aqua has
been designed to survive splashes, showers,
puddles even pools of water. In short, it's what
you call a 'made for rainy weather' smartphone.
Priced at Rs.23,000 the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua is
a mid-range handset with mid-range specs. Sure,
it's waterproof and all that, but is it enough to set
the market on fire? We find out...
Design and build
The Sony Xperia Z3 will always be top
contender for the best-looking smartphones
we've ever seen. The Xperia Z3 was beautiful,
no two ways about it. It's good to see Sony
retaining that design philosophy in its recently
launched handsets. Even the current flagship
Xperia Z3+ has been built on similar lines. But,
bringing those design aesthetics in a mid-range
device, now that's something special, something
that we don't see many companies doing daily.
The M4 Aqua is strikingly similar to the Xperia
Z3 on so many levels, that on first look you're
bound to get confused. Heck, some of our
friends/colleagues mistook it for the Xperia Z3.
The all-familiar glass front and back,
accompanied by the slightly rounded edges, and
oh, the raised silvery power button are all there,
giving it a minimalistic yet sophisticated look.
The volume rocker is still on the right edge
(below the power button) and Sony has retained
the physical camera button as well.
Still, this is a mid-range device and
corners have been cut. Unlike the metallic frame
(in the Z3) the Aqua uses one made of plastic.
On closer look, this does look a little cheap, but
it's something we can live with.The dual-SIM
card slot (on the right) and the microSD card slot
(on the left) are guarded by protective flaps. A
welcome change here is the absence of a
protective flap over the micro-USB
charging/data syncing port that makes charging
a no-fuss experience as opposed to the Z3 where
the flap made things a little frustrating.
At 145.5 x 72.6 x 7.3 mm and 136
grams, the M4 Aqua is lighter than the Z3, but
that one was a 5.2-inch device. That said, the
M4 Aqua is one of the slimmest and lightest
smartphones in this price range, more
importantly it is ergonomically well balanced
and fits just right in the hand.One drawback is
that it attracts lots of fingerprints, but again most
handsets with a glass surface do that.
Display
19
The Xperia M4 Aqua has a 5-inch HD
IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with a
resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels that roughly
translates to 294ppi. These are basically standard
specifications for a mid-range device. There are,
of course, a number of handsets in this range
(like the Honor 6 Plus, OnePlus One) that give
you full-HD resolution and even bigger screens.
Sony trademarks like the Triluminos display and
X-Reality Engine are also missing out on this
one, and the effect shows in the overall display
output.
This is clearly not Sony at its best.
Though it also doesn't mean it's bad. The HD-
display on-board the M4 Aqua metes out a
pretty good output (for the price). Colour
reproduction is mostly accurate and there is an
option to manually adjust the white balance.
While viewing angles were pretty good for the
most part, we did not like the overall brightness
of the screen which was on the lower side. The
effect was more pronounced in outdoor
environment where low brightness meant
reading text and watching videos was a strain for
the eyes. Also, the reflective surface adds to its
display woes.
The cybercrime
Cyber crimes can involve criminal
activities that are traditional in nature, such as
theft, fraud, forgery, defamation and mischief,
all of which are subject to the Indian Penal
Code. The abuse of computers has also given
birth to a gamut of new age crimes that are
addressed by the Information Technology Act,
2000.When Internet was developed, the
founding fathers of Internet hardly had any
inclination that Internet could transform itself
into an all pervading revolution which could be
misused for criminal activities and which
required regulation. Today, there are many
disturbing things happening in cyberspace. Due
to the anonymous nature of the Internet, it is
possible to engage into a variety of criminal
activities with impunity and people with
intelligence, have been grossly misusing this
aspect of the Internet to perpetuate criminal
activities in cyberspace. Hence the need for
Cyber laws in India.
The hacking community
The hacking community can be
classified as follows.
White Hat Hackers
A White Hat who specializes in
penetration testing and in other testing
methodologies to ensure the security of an
organization's information systems.
The term white hat hacker is also often
used to describe those who attempt to break into
systems or networks in order to help the owners
of the system by making them aware of security
flaws, or to perform some other altruistic
activity. Many such people are employed by
computer security companies; these
professionals are sometimes called sneakers.
Groups of these people are often called tiger
teams.
20
Black Hat Hackers
A Black Hat is the villain or bad guy,
especially in a western movie in which such a
character would stereotypically wear a black hat
in contrast to the hero's white hat.Use of the
term "cracker" is mostly limited (as is "black
hat") to some areas of the computer and security
field and even there, it is considered
controversial.
A group that calls themselves hackers
refers to "a group that consists of skilled
computer enthusiasts". The other, and currently
more common usage, refers to those who
attempt to gain unauthorized access to computer
systems.
Gray Hat Hackers
A Grey Hat, in the hacking community,
refers to a skilled hacker whose activities fall
somewhere between white and black hat hackers
on a variety of spectra.One reason a grey hat
might consider himself to be grey is to
disambiguate from the other two extremes: black
and white. It might be a little misleading to say
that grey hat hackers do not hack for personal
gain. While they do not necessarily hack for
malicious purposes, grey hats do hack for a
reason, a reason which more often than not
remains undisclosed. A grey hat will not
necessarily notify the system admin of a
penetrated system of their penetration.
R.PRADEEP RAJAN
I B.Sc. (Information Technology)