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INFOLINE

VOLUME : 4

ISSUE : 1

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INFOLINE

TECHNOLOGY NAVIGATOR

Executive Committee

Chief Patron : Thiru.A.Venkatachalam B.Sc.,

Patron : Dr. N.Raman M.B.A., M.Com., M.Phil., B.Ed., PGDCA.,Ph.D.,

Editor in Chief : S.Muruganantham M.Sc., M.Phil.,

Staff Advisor:

Ms.P.Kalarani M.Sc., M.C.A., M.Phil.,

Assistant Professor, Department of CT & IT.

Staff Editor:

Mr.S.Thangamani M.C.A., M.Phil.,

Assistant Professor, Department of CT & IT.

Student Editors:

Manivasagam.S III.B.Sc(IT) Sachin.V III.B.Sc(IT) Thirunavukkarasu.S III.B.Sc(CT) Vidya.R III.B.Sc(CT) Prem Kumar P II.B.Sc(IT) Ramya K II.B.Sc(IT) Jaya Prakash A II.B.Sc(CT) Kiruthika T II.B.Sc(CT) Elango B I.B.Sc(IT) Parthiban M I.B.Sc(IT) Shanmugapriya S I.B.Sc(CT)

Sivaranjani S I.B.Sc(CT)

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CONTENTS

Preface

1

Acknowledgement

2

Executive Committee

3

3D PRINTING IN SPACE ON THE HORIZON 5

APPLE-IOS 7

6

CELLUON EPIC PROJECTION KEYBOARD 8

CLOUD COMPUTING

10

GAMEPAD 14

MIND GAME

15

NEW TECHNOLOGY ADDS KEYBOARD FEEL TO

TOUCHSCREENS 15

THE SQUARE

17

PUZZLES

19

ROLL LAPTOP

19

4

3D Printing in Space on the

Horizon

As our space exploration projects continue to

move forward, there are some details to work

out if we ever want to take the long non-road

trip to Mars. One of the most interesting

problems facing astronauts is finding spare parts

to fix things on the International Space Station.

Well, it appears that 3D printing may provide

the solution to that issue

Over on Universe Today, (one of the top 100

science blogs) it is noted that the 3D printer has

passes a key test on the way to the International

Space Station — microgravity. The 3D printer

(being developed by Made in Space) has to

operate in zero gravity. The hope is that the 3D

printer can create somewhere around 30% of the

spare parts needed on the ISS, perhaps

alleviating certain plumbing issues as well.

This kind of operational technology is needed if

we ever hope to send folks to Mars. While many

have already applied for a one-way ticket, they

are basically just signing up to be put in a space

coffin if there is no way to fix in-flight

problems. Basically, the perfect situation for

space travelers is to be independent of Earth.

That means having the ability to fix problems

without waiting months for spare parts

"The 3-D printer we’re developing for the ISS is

all about enabling astronauts today to be less

dependent on Earth," stated Noah Paul-Gin, the

lead for the microgravity experiment. "The

version that will arrive on the ISS next year has

the capability of building an estimated 30% of

the spare parts on the station, as well as various

objects such as specialty tools and experiment

upgrades."

The best news coming out of all this however is

that of the mention of a food replicator. While

not exactly Star Trek just yet — we're getting

damn close. 3D printing in space is the first step.

A visit from the Vulcans is the last.

S.Manivasagam,

III – B.Sc (IT).

5

Apple-iOS 7

iOS 7 is an upcoming mobile operating

system designed by Apple Inc. as the successor

to iOS 6. It was announced at the company's

2013 Worldwide Developers Conference on

June 10, and is scheduled for release later in

2013. It includes a redesigned user interface and

a number of improvements to the operating

system's functionality. The design of iOS 7's

new elements was led by Jonathan "Jony" Ive,

Apple's Senior Vice President of Industrial

Design, for just 8 months.

Features

iOS 7 was unveiled during the opening keynote

of Apple's WWDC on June 10, 2013. Billed as

the "biggest change to iOS since the introduction

of the iPhone", the most notable change is a

complete overhaul of the user interface. In a

promotional video shown during the keynote,

Ive described the update as "bringing order to

complexity", highlighting features such as

refined typography, new icons, translucency,

layering, physics, and gyroscope-driven

parallaxing as some of the major changes to the

design. The design of both iOS 7 and OS X

Mavericks (version 10.9) noticeably depart from

skeuomorphic elements such as green felt in

Game Center, wood in Newsstand, and leather in

Calendar, in favor of flatter graphic design. The

UI itself is not flat, but rather a multi-plane 2.5D

zooming user interface. In his segment of the

iOS presentation, Federighi emphasized ten

major feature addition and changes

Control Center

Similar to the Notification Center,

Control Center is available by scrolling

up from the bottom of the screen and

provides access to settings such as

Airplane Mode and brightness, media

controls, AirPlay and AirDrop, and

shortcuts to several apps including a

built-in flashlight, compass, calculator,

and camera.

Multitasking

iOS 7 builds on the limited multitasking

introduced in iOS 4 and provides full

multitasking for all apps. The

multitasking layer also provides for

background updating of apps at the

same time notifications are pushed to

the device, and previews of all running

apps.

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Safari

Safari in iOS 7 integrates the smart

search field first used in Safari 6 for OS

X and Mavericks' iCloud

implementation of iCloud Keychain.

Other changes include infinite tabs,

parental controls, and improvements to

Twitter sharing and Reading List.

AirDrop

iOS 7 integrates Apple's ad-hoc WiFi

sharing feature AirDrop for the iPhone

5, iPod Touch (5th generation), iPad

(4th generation), and iPad Mini.

Camera

The new camera interface allows

swiping between four different modes

(video, photo, square photo, and

panoramic photo) and offers live photo

filter previewing.

Trusted Devices

New to iOS brings trusted devices,

which the user is alerted with a warning

screen when connecting their iOS device

to their Mac/PC asking them to trust the

currently connected computer.

Photos

Photos in iOS 7 uses the EXIF data in

each photo to sort photos by date and

location, to the year level, and also

supports sharing video through iCloud

Photo Stream.

Siri

Siri features a redesign to match the rest

of the system, new male and female

voices, greater control over system

settings, and Twitter, Wikipedia, Bing,

and Photos integration.

iOS in the Car

iOS in the Car, due for release in 2014,

uses Siri integration in selected car

models to offer eyes-free and hands-free

satellite navigation, telephony, music

and iMessage integration through the

car's screen.

App Store

The App Store provides more search

options by age range and location-aware

sharing and also adds automatic app

updating.

Live Wallpapers

Features similar to that of Android

where a wallpaper could be moving

instead of just static. There are two

"Dynamic" Wallpaper included in the

betas, both have "bubbles" designs with

slightly different colorations. These

wallpapers that have bubbles that move

based on the devices accelerometer.

Static wallpaers now move to the

accelerometer. Also if you use a

panoramic photo taken with the native

"Camera" app they will move based on

where the device is "looking" with the

accelerometer.

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Other changes mentioned, but not fully featured

in the keynote, include audio-only calling with

the new FaceTime Audio, Notification Center

syncing and availability from the lock-screen,

Tencent Weibo integration, Wi-Fi Hotspot 2.0,

OS-level call blocking, app-specific virtual

private networking (VPN), and activation

locking through Find My iPhone.

The first beta, with support for the iPhone 4 and

later, and iPod Touch (5th generation), was

released after the WWDC keynote to registered

developers in the iOS Developer Program, with

a second beta to add support for the iPad 2 and

later, and the iPad Mini being released on June

24, 2013. A full public release for all supported

devices is scheduled for sometime in the Fall

(Northern Hemisphere) or Spring (Southern

Hemisphere) 2013. Some features of iOS 7 will

be limited to the upcoming iPhone 5s.

V.Sachin,

III - Bsc (IT).

Celluon Epic projection keyboard

Today more and more people

use smartphones and tablets as their main

computing devices. But these devices typically

don't have physical keyboards, and that leaves

the door open for innovation and creative

alternatives. Take, for example, the Celluon Epic

projection keyboard. Read on, as Gizmag goes

hands-on with a device that will turn any flat

surface into a full QWERTY keyboard.

The first thing to know about the Celluon Epic is

that, yes, it does work. Prop the tiny (70 x 35 x

20 mm) gizmo on a desk or other flat and

opaque surface, near your PC or mobile device.

Pair it via Bluetooth with your computer, and

you can start typing. Tap your fingers on the

projected red laser keys, and the letters pop up

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on your screen. It can even serve as a mouse or

touchpad for your Windows PC or Mac.

If you've never seen a projection keyboard

before, it makes for quite the "whoa" moment.

Sometimes you have to shake your head and

marvel at what technology is capable of, and

using your kitchen countertop as an iPad

keyboard is one of those times.

Like any magic trick, there's actually something

very specific happening behind the scenes that

creates the illusion. Here we're looking at

infrared light that's emitted from the lower end

of the Epic. When your finger (or any other

object) passes through a key's projected area, the

sensor detects the infrared light reflecting off of

it, and computes it as a keystroke.

The device itself is tightly constructed, with a

compact, attractive design. It doesn't look

remotely cheap. It's small enough to drop in a

pocket, and can easily sit next to the device

you're typing on without drawing attention to

itself.

The Epic is compatible with all the major mobile

and desktop operating systems, including iOS,

Android, Windows, and Mac OS X. Windows

Phone isn't yet supported.

Typing with Celluon Epic:-

So, with the Celluon Epic, we have something

that is sure to grab any gadget- or technology-

lover's attention. But is it something you'll

actually want to use on a regular basis? Is this

worth considering instead of a physical

keyboard?

Unfortunately, unless you have a lot of patience,

I'd say probably not. The Epic is about as

accurate as you'd expect it to be, considering the

technology behind it, but it's a far cry from using

a physical keyboard. In fact, it's even a far cry

from an iOS or Android multitouch software

keyboard.

The image above is the result of my attempt to

type out Mary Had a Little Lamb without

looking at the screen. Spaces often ended up as

n's, other letters were mistyped, and it ended up

a jumbled mess. When typing while looking at

the screen, I eventually typed what I was trying

to say, but spent about three times as long

correcting mistakes as I did typing.

9

To Celluon's credit, the company recommends

beginning by typing with a hunt-and-peck style,

and gradually building up to standard two-

handed typing after you're comfortable with that.

There's a fine line with innovation. On one hand,

there's the jaw-dropping, "holy crap" factor that

comes from new technology you've never seen

before. Epic has that. But a truly innovative

product also needs to solve a problem, make

things easier, or do something better than

products before it did. This is where Epic is

sorely lacking. It doesn't solve any problem, it

actually makes typing harder, and it doesn't do

anything better than physical or even on-screen

keyboards do.

Who is it for?

Here at Gizmag, we keep a close eye on exciting

and interesting new technologies and technology

products. So we do have a certain appreciation

for products like the Epic that swing for the

fence and try to do something new and exciting.

But apart from gadget lovers who want a cool

party trick, the US$170 (discounted for $150

on Amazon) Celluon laser keyboard probably

isn't worth it. Perhaps future versions will offer

infrared typing that works to perfection, and

provides a legitimate alternative to the

keyboards you already have. But in its current

form, it's hard to recommend.

M.Dinakaran,

III - B.Sc (IT).

Cloud Computing

Advantages

Cloud computing relies on sharing of

resources to achieve coherence and economies

of scale similar to a utility (like the electricity

grid) over a network. At the foundation of cloud

computing is the broader concept of converged

infrastructure and shared services.

The cloud also focuses on maximizing the

effectiveness of the shared resources. Cloud

resources are usually not only shared by multiple

users but as well as dynamically re-allocated as

per demand. This can work for allocating

resources to users in different time zones. For

example, a cloud computer facility which serves

European users during European business hours

with a specific application (e.g. email) while the

same resources are getting reallocated and serve

North American users during North America's

business hours with another application (e.g.

web server). This approach should maximize the

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use of computing powers thus reducing

environmental damage as well, since less power,

air conditioning, rackspace, and so on, is

required for the same functions.

The term "moving to cloud" also refers to an

organization moving away from a traditional

CAPEX model (buy the dedicated hardware and

depreciate it over a period of time) to the OPEX

model (use a shared cloud infrastructure and pay

as you use it)

Proponents claim that cloud computing

allows companies to avoid upfront infrastructure

costs, and focus on projects that differentiate

their businesses instead of infrastructure.

Proponents also claim that cloud computing

allows enterprises to get their applications up

and running faster, with improved manageability

and less maintenance, and enables IT to more

rapidly adjust resources to meet fluctuating and

unpredictable business demand

What cloud computing really means

As a metaphor for the Internet, "the cloud" is

a familiar cliché, but when combined with

"computing," the meaning gets bigger and

fuzzier. Some analysts and vendors define cloud

computing narrowly as an updated version of

utility computing: basically virtual servers

available over the Internet. Others go very

broad, arguing anything you consume outside

the firewall is "in the cloud," including

conventional outsourcing.

Cloud computing comes into focus only

when you think about what IT always needs: a

way to increase capacity or add capabilities on

the fly without investing in new infrastructure,

training new personnel, or licensing new

software. Cloud computing encompasses any

subscription-based or pay-per-use service that,

in real time over the Internet, extends IT's

existing capabilities.

Cloud computing is at an early stage, with a

motley crew of providers large and small

delivering a slew of cloud-based services, from

full-blown applications to storage services to

spam filtering. Yes, utility-style infrastructure

providers are part of the mix, but so are SaaS

(software as a service) providers such as

Salesforce.com. Today, for the most part, IT

must plug into cloud-based services

individually, but cloud computing aggregators

and integrators are already emerging.

InfoWorld talked to dozens of vendors,

analysts, and IT customers to tease out the

various components of cloud computing. Based

on those discussions, here's a rough breakdown

of what cloud computing is all about:

1.SaaS

This type of cloud computing delivers a

single application through the browser to

thousands of customers using a multitenant

architecture. On the customer side, it means no

upfront investment in servers or software

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licensing; on the provider side, with just one app

to maintain, costs are low compared to

conventional hosting. Salesforce.com is by far

the best-known example among enterprise

applications, but SaaS is also common for HR

apps and has even worked its way up the food

chain to ERP, with players such as Workday.

And who could have predicted the sudden rise of

SaaS "desktop" applications, such as Google

Apps and Zoho Office?

2.UtilityComputing

The idea is not new, but this form of cloud

computing is getting new life from

Amazon.com, Sun, IBM, and others who now

offer storage and virtual servers that IT can

access on demand. Early enterprise adopters

mainly use utility computing for supplemental,

non-mission-critical needs, but one day, they

may replace parts of the datacenter. Other

providers offer solutions that help IT create

virtual datacenters from commodity servers,

such as 3Tera's AppLogic and Cohesive Flexible

Technologies' Elastic Server on Demand. Liquid

Computing's LiquidQ offers similar capabilities,

enabling IT to stitch together memory, I/O,

storage, and computational capacity as a

virtualized resource pool available over the

network.

3. Web services in the cloud

Closely related to SaaS, Web service

providers offer APIs that enable developers to

exploit functionality over the Internet, rather

than delivering full-blown applications. They

range from providers offering discrete business

services -- such as Strike Iron and Xignite -- to

the full range of APIs offered by Google Maps,

ADP payroll processing, the U.S. Postal Service,

Bloomberg, and even conventional credit card

processing services.

4. Platform as a service

Another SaaS variation, this form of cloud

computing delivers development environments

as a service. You build your own applications

that run on the provider's infrastructure and are

delivered to your users via the Internet from the

provider's servers. Like Legos, these services are

constrained by the vendor's design and

capabilities, so you don't get complete freedom,

but you do get predictability and pre-integration.

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Prime examples include Salesforce.com's

Force.com, Coghead and the new Google App

Engine. For extremely lightweight development,

cloud-based mashup platforms abound, such as

Yahoo Pipes or Dapper.net.

5. MSP (managed service providers)

One of the oldest forms of cloud computing,

a managed service is basically an application

exposed to IT rather than to end-users, such as a

virus scanning service for e-mail or an

application monitoring service (which Mercury,

among others, provides). Managed security

services delivered by SecureWorks, IBM, and

Verizon fall into this category, as do such cloud-

based anti-spam services as Postini, recently

acquired by Google. Other offerings include

desktop management services, such as those

offered by CenterBeam or Everdream.

6. Service commerce platforms

A hybrid of SaaS and MSP, this cloud

computing service offers a service hub that users

interact with. They're most common in trading

environments, such as expense management

systems that allow users to order travel or

secretarial services from a common platform

that then coordinates the service delivery and

pricing within the specifications set by the user.

Think of it as an automated service bureau.

Well-known examples include Rearden

Commerce and Ariba.

7.Internetintegration

The integration of cloud-based services is in

its early days. OpSource, which mainly concerns

itself with serving SaaS providers, recently

introduced the OpSource Services Bus, which

employs in-the-cloud integration technology

from a little startup called Boomi. SaaS provider

Workday recently acquired another player in this

space, CapeClear, an ESB (enterprise service

bus) provider that was edging toward b-to-b

integration. Way ahead of its time, Grand

Central -- which wanted to be a universal "bus in

the cloud" to connect SaaS providers and

provide integrated solutions to customers flamed

out in 2005.

Today, with such cloud-based

interconnection seldom in evidence, cloud

computing might be more accurately described

as "sky computing," with many isolated clouds

of services which IT customers must plug into

individually. On the other hand, as virtualization

and SOA permeate the enterprise, the idea of

loosely coupled services running on an agile,

scalable infrastructure should eventually make

every enterprise a node in the cloud. It's a long-

running trend with a far-out horizon. But among

big metatrends, cloud computing is the hardest

one to argue with in the long term.

S.Preethi,

I - B.Sc.(IT).

13

GAMEPAD

A gamepad (also called joypad or control pad),

is a type of game controller held in two hands,

where the fingers (especially thumbs) are used to

provide input.

Features

Gamepads generally feature a set of action

buttons handled with the right thumb and a

direction controller handled with the left. The

direction controller has traditionally been a four-

way digital cross (also named a joypad, or

alternatively a d-pad), but most modern

controllers additionally (or as a substitute)

feature one or more analog sticks.

Some common additions to the standard pad

include shoulder buttons placed along the edges

of the pad, centrally placed start, select, and

mode buttons, and an internal motor to provide

force feedback.

Gamepads are the primary means of input on all

current video game consoles except for the Wii

(though the Wii Remote can also function as a

gamepad). Gamepads are also available for

personal computers.

There are programmable joysticks that can

emulate keyboard input. Generally they have

been made to circumvent the lack of joystick

support in some computer games, i.e. the Belkin

Nostromo SpeedPad n52. There are several

programs that emulate keyboard and mouse

input with a gamepad such as JoyToKey,

Xpadder, and Pinnacle Game Profiler. Latest

Game pad is

Eighth Generation

The Wii U GamePad features a 6.2 inch

touchscreen which either replicates or

supplements the gameplay displayed on the

television screen, along with motion sensing,

front-facing camera, speakers, microphone and

rumble feature. In addition, the controller has

two clickable analog sticks, one d-pad, four face

buttons (labeled A, B, X and Y), four shoulder

buttons (labeled L, R, ZL and ZR), and "Select",

"Start", "Home" and power buttons. During the

Nintendo Direct Pre E3 2012 conference, Satoru

Iwata confirmed that the circle pads that featured

on previous prototype models had been replaced

with clickable analog sticks, stating that the

circle pads were more suitable for a portable

medium. He also announced the addition of an

NFC reader/writer, which has the capability to

recognize cards or figurines. The Wii U is also

compatible with an alternative controller named

the Wii U Pro Controller.

E. Mohana,

III – B.Sc (IT).

14

MIND GAME

Seven friends Ram, Raj, Ramesh,

Rakesh, Ranjith, Bala, and Shyam are friends

with Rahul, Venkat, Akhil, Ganesh, Saran,

Kannan, Dev not necessarily in same order.

These each members like different color pink,

green, blue, red, yellow, white and orange again

not necessarily in same order.

Ranjith and Akhil are friends and likes

green color. Raj and Saran are friends and

doesn’t like yellow and orange. The both who

like red are friends. Ram and Dev are friends

and likes blue. The Ganesh and his friend like

pink. Ramesh and Rahul are friends and Shyam

and Kannan are friends. Bala doesn’t like red.

Rahul doesn’t like yellow.

1. Which color is liked by Shyam?

a)Blue b)Green c)Orange d)Yellow

2. Who is friend with Ganesh?

a)Rakesh b)Bala c)Rahul d)Dev

3. Who likes White?

a) Ramesh & Rahul b) Raj & Saran c)

Bala & Ganesh d) Shyam & Kannan

4. Who likes Orange?

a) Ramesh & Rahul b) Raj & Saran c)

Rakesh & Venkat d) Shyam &

Kannan

5. Which statement is correct?

a) Rakesh-Venkat-Red b) Rakesh-

Venkat-Orange c) Ramesh-Rahul-

Red

b) d)Raj-Saran-Red

Answers:

1. Yellow

2. Bala

3. Raj & Saran

4. Ramesh & Rahul

5. Rakesh – Venkat – Red.

R.Ranjith Kumar,

I - B.Sc(IT).

New Technology Adds Keyboard

Feel To Touchscreens

For users who want to retain the touch and feel

of a traditional keyboard on their touchscreen

device, Tactus Technology has unveiled a tactile

layer component that creates dynamic physical

buttons that rise out of the surface of the screen.

The haptic user interface lets users see and feel

the buttons for the experience of operating a

physical keyboard.

15

The buttons recede back into the touchscreen

when no longer needed, leaving no hint of their

presence, the Fremont, Calif.-based company

said. Microfluidic technology is used to create

the physical buttons on the touchscreen.

Tactus CEO Craig Ciesla told BYTE he came up

with the idea when the iPhone first came out and

"I was thinking about how I could do without

my Blackberry and keyboard, and at that

moment I thought this microfluidic technology

could solve the problem and be the solution."

No extra thickness is added to standard

touchscreens because the tactile layer is a

completely flat and transparent surface that

"replaces a layer of the already existing display

stack," according to a press release announcing

the first demonstration of the component on a

prototype Google Android tablet. "If you were to

take an iPhone, for example, and take apart the

display there are three parts: the display, touch

sensor and window or cover lens ... we're only

changing the third one,'' that a user touches,

explained Ciesla. This design makes it possible

to add the tactile layer without adding any extra

thickness to touchscreens, he said.

The technology "is more than the ability to

create a QWERTY keyboard," he said. "Our

technology is a way of having a dynamic,

physical surface that integrates as a touchscreen,

and with that capability a number of different

user interfaces and experiences can be

developed."

Although Ciesla declined to comment on where

the tactile layer technology will first be

deployed, he said the first product will roll out in

mid 2013, and that customers have expressed

interest in it for gaming controls and navigation.

Chris Hazelton, research director of mobile and

wireless at 451 Research, said he questions how

flexible the screen will be, whether it will be

easy for developers to leverage the technology,

and how many different types of applications it

can support.

He also questioned what the impact will be on

battery life. "A large touchscreen already drains

the battery significantly, so a screen with

constant button adjustment is bound to also," he

said.

Hazelton called the technology "very interesting,

and if it ... is able to replicate a keyboard or any

large percentage of user interfaces for all

applications on the user device, I think it will be

powerful."

V.Nivetha,

III - B.Sc(IT).

16

THE SQUARE

Jack Dorsey, the co-inventor of Twitter, is

promoting his latest invention called the

Square.

The square is a small plug-in attachment to

your mobile phone that allows you to receive

credit card payments.

The idea originated from Dorsey's friend Jim

McKelvey who was unable to sell some glass

work to a customer because he couldn't accept a

particular card being used.

Accepting credit card payments for something

you're selling isn't always easy, especially if you

are mobile like a tradesman, delivery service or

a vendor at a trade show.

This latest invention uses a small scanner that

plugs into the audio input jack on a mobile

device.

It reads information on a credit card when it is

swiped. The information is not stored on the

device but is encrypted and sent over secure

channels to banks. It basically makes any mobile

phone a cash register for accepting card

payments.

As a payer, you receive a receipt via email that

can be instantly accessed securely online. You

can also use a text message to authorize payment

in real time.

Retailers can create a payer account for their

customers which accelerates the payment

process.

For example, a cardholder can assign a photo to

their card so their photo will appear on the

phone for visual identity confirmation. Mobile

devices with touch screens will also allow you to

sign for goods.

There are no contracts, monthly fees, or hidden

costs to accept card payments using Square and

it is expected the plug-in attachment will also be

free of charge.

A penny from every transaction will also be

given to a cause of your choice.

Square Inc. has offices in San Francisco, Saint

Louis and New York and is currently beta

testing the invention with retailers in the United

States.

S.Saranya,

III - B.Sc(IT).

17

PUZZLES

1.

Answer : C

2.

Answer : O

Explanation : In each segment

of the diagram

are a pair of

letters, one of

which is the same

distance from the

start of the

alphabet as the

other is from the

end.

3.

Answer : K

Explanation : The numerical

values of the

letters in opposite

segments of the

circle always add

up to 17.

4.

Answer : I

Explanation : Starting on the left, and moving

downwards in columns from left

to right, letters are written in

alphabetical sequence, in steps

of 4 letters at a time.

18

5.

Answer : Q

Explanation : Adding the three

numbers in each

square together

gives the

numerical value

of the letter at the

centre of each

square.

6.

Answer : Hammer

Explanation : The Hammer = 1,

the File = 3 and

the Axe = 5

Answer : C

Explanation : In each circle,

multiply the

inverse

alphabetical value

of the upper left

hand letter by the

regular

alphabetical value

of the upper right

hand letter to give

the value in the

lower segment.

V.Nivetha,

III - B.Sc(IT).

ROLL LAPTOP

Laptop concept would roll up like a yoga mat

Ask anyone what a laptop, a notebook, or a

netbook looks like and the chances are they’ll

tell you it has a screen and a keypad and is sort

of square shaped but maybe with rounded

corners. Ask them to elaborate on differences

between the various models and you are likely to

hear about differences in thickness, whether it’s

light or heavy, and the sizes of the screens.

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Some may come out and speak about fancy

features like raised keyboards or multi card

slots, data security maybe.

Then you have those who would focus on the

different colours and trims, whether it’s glossy

or matt what they are made of andso on.The

point I’m getting at here is that basically all

laptops, no matter what you call them, follow

the same basic bookish design with maybe a few

added touches, features or specifications that

differentiate them from the rest.

You would be pretty shocked if someone came

out and said that a laptop is cylindrical or tube

shaped and that it rolls up like a scroll. It might

even cross your mind that they were completely

mad or some alien creature from another planet.

That just isn’t an image the masses are likely to

have in mind at all when you mention a laptop

and yet that is exactly the design that computer

scientist and designer HaoHua has come up

with.

According to HaoHua the digital roll as he calls

it is ―the next generation laptop design‖.

Personally, I can’t wait.The laptop would have a

flexible OLED screen, a roll-able keyboard and

the straps double up as USB outlets.

It even has a mouse and a webcam that you can

attach to your wrist. This really is computing on

the go at its best.

After unlocking the catch, the user would roll

out the Rolltop display like a mat and then either

leave it flat for 17-inch tablet computing, or

raise one end up for something resembling a

notebook. The lower part of the screen is then

used for keying on a virtual, onscreen keyboard

while the upper part becomes a 13-inch display

for viewing content. A pull-out support at the

back also allows the flattened device to be used

as a monitor-like display, and a stylus pen has

been incorporated into the body of the panel.

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When rolled up, Rolltop will be 11 inches (28

cm) long and have a 3.26-inch (8.3-cm) diameter

– and that's about all we can tell you. As it's a

concept designed to be built in the future, some

of the technology kinks are still being worked

on, but Orkin has stated its intention to see this

design through to an actual, real-world product.

There are, of course, quite a number of technical

hurdles to overcome before that happens and

unfortunately the designers do little to shed light

on how such difficulties will be dealt with,

leaving us to speculate.

It requires no great stretch of the imagination to

visualize the various technologies already used

in dual-screen notebooks, all-in-one computers

and cutting edge tablets being incorporated into

the Rolltop. Recent developments in bendy

screen technology might also make this device a

current possibility. However, details on how the

internal components like processors, memory,

storage and graphics cards will be dealt with

have not been forthcoming, so it looks like we're

just going to have to wait until there is more

substance to this project.

Rather than carry around a notebook in a laptop

bag, full to the brim with all manner of cables,

the Rolltop concept proposes bringing

everything together in a flat panel display that's

wrapped around a central cylinder. The top of

the column detaches and acts as a power plug

while the carry strap doubles as a power cord

(presumably some sort of battery technology is

also included, although this has not been

mentioned). The central column also contains

speakers, a camera, USB ports, and a LAN port.

Notebooks and tablets already offer pretty

convenient computing on-the-go solutions, but

Germany's Orkin Design proposes rolling up

both devices into one ultra-portable package.

The Rolltop concept will take advantage of

advances in flexible OLED and touchscreen

technologies to create a cylinder-shaped laptop

computer that can be rolled out to form a

notebook, a tablet, or display monitor. The

concept has been floating around for a while, but

has recently received a few tweaks to the design.

Although specifics are in short supply, read on

for what we do know ...

V.R.Prasaanth,

III - B.Sc (IT).

Submitted by

M.Dhinakaran III-B.Sc(IT)