Saturday, February 28, 2009

FireWire

FireWire is Apple Computer's version of a standard, IEEE 1394, High Performance Serial Bus, for connecting devices to your personal computer. FireWire provides a single plug-and-socket connection on which up to 63 devices can be attached with data transfer speeds up to 400 Mbps (megabits per second). The standard describes a serial bus or pathway between one or more peripheral devices and your computer's microprocessor. Many peripheral devices now come equipped to meet IEEE 1394. FireWire and other IEEE 1394 implementations provide:
A simple common plug-in serial connector on the back of your computer and on many different types of peripheral devices
A thin serial cable rather than the thicker parallel cable you now use to your printer, for example
A very high-speed rate of data transfer that will accommodate multimedia applications (100 and 200 megabits per second today; with much higher rates later)
Hot-plug and Plug and Play capability without disrupting your computer
The ability to chain devices together in a number of different ways without terminators or complicated set-up requirements

Reference links

Home Networking

A home network is a residential local area network, and is used to connect multiple devices within the home.

The simplest home networks are used to connect 2 or more PCs for sharing files, printers, and a single connection to the Internet (usually broadband Internet through a cable or DSL provider). A server can be added for increased functionality.

More recently telephone companies such as AT&T and British Telecom have been using home networking to provide triple play services (voice, video and data) to customers. These use IPTV to provide the video service. The home network usually operates over the existing home wiring (coax in North America, phone wires in multi dwelling units (MDU) and powerline in Europe). These home networks are often professionally installed and managed by the telco.

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Saturday, February 21, 2009

Plasma display

A plasma display panel (PDP) is a type of flat panel display common to large TV displays (37in. [940mm]). Many tiny cells between two panels of glass hold an inert mixture of noble gases. The gas in the cells is electrically turned into a plasma which then excites phosphors to emit light. Plasma displays should not be confused with LCDs, another lightweight flatscreen display using different technology.

 

PLAN 9 Operating system

Plan 9 from Bell Labs is a distributed operating system, primarily used for research. It was developed as the research successor to Unix by the Computing Sciences Research Center at Bell Labs between the mid-1980s and 2002. Plan 9 is most notable for representing all system interfaces, including those required for networking and the user-interface, through the file system rather than specialized interfaces. Plan 9 aims to provide users with a workstation-independent working environment through the use of the 9P protocols. Plan 9 continues to be used and developed in some circles as a research operating system and by hobbyists.

 

Global Positioning System

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) developed by the United States Department of Defense and managed by the United States Air Force 50th Space Wing. It is the only fully functional GNSS in the world, can be used freely, and is often used by civilians for navigation purposes. It uses a constellation of between 24 and 32 Medium Earth Orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals, which allow GPS receivers to determine their current location, the time, and their velocity. Its official name is NAVSTAR GPS. Although NAVSTAR is not an acronym, a few backronyms have been created for it.

 

GPS has become a widely used aid to navigation worldwide, and a useful tool for map-making, land surveying, commerce, scientific uses, and hobbies such as geocaching. Also, the precise time reference is used in many applications including the scientific study of earthquakes. GPS is also a required key synchronization resource of cellular networks, such as the Qualcomm CDMA air interface used by many wireless carriers in a multitude of countries

Contents related to this are as follows:

Friday, February 20, 2009

Spyware and Trojan horses

Spyware is computer software that is installed surreptitiously on a personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer, without the user's informed consent.

While the term spyware suggests software that secretly monitors the user's behavior, the functions of spyware extend well beyond simple monitoring. Spyware programs can collect various types of personal information, such as Internet surfing habits, sites that have been visited, but can also interfere with user control of the computer in other ways, such as installing additional software, and redirecting Web browser activity. Spyware is known to change computer settings, resulting in slow connection speeds, different home pages, and/or loss of Internet or functionality of other programs. In an attempt to increase the understanding of spyware, a more formal classification of its included software types is captured under the term privacy-invasive software.

 

The Trojan horse, also known as trojan, in the context of computing and software, describes a class of computer threats (malware) that appears to perform a desirable function but in fact performs undisclosed malicious functions that allow unauthorized access to the host machine. For example, if a computer game is designed such that, when executed by the user, it opens a back door that allows a hacker to control the computer of the user, then the computer game is said to be a Trojan horse. However, if the computer game is legitimate, but was infected by a virus, then it is not a Trojan horse, regardless of what the virus may do when the game is executed.

Resource Links

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Voice over Internet Protocol

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a general term for a family of transmission technologies for delivery of voice communications over IP networks such as the Internet or other packet-switched networks. Other terms frequently encountered and synonymous with VoIP are IP telephony, Internet telephony, voice over broadband (VoBB), broadband telephony, and broadband phone.
VoIP systems usually interface with the traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) to allow for transparent phone communications worldwide.
VoIP systems employ session control protocols to control the set-up and tear-down of calls as well as audio codecs which encode speech allowing transmission over an IP network as digital audio via an audio stream. Codec use is varied between different implementations of VoIP (and often a range of codecs are used); some implementations rely on narrowband and compressed speech, while others support high fidelity stereo codecs.

VoIP can be a benefit for reducing communication and infrastructure costs. Examples include:
Routing phone calls over existing data networks to avoid the need for separate voice and data networks
Conference calling, IVR, call forwarding, automatic redial, and caller ID features that traditional telecommunication companies (telcos) normally charge extra for are available for free from open source VoIP implementations such as Asterisk.
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SSL-TLS

SSL Version 3, documented in an IETF draft, provides one of the most commonly available security mechanisms on the Internet. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, though IETF has renamed it TLS (Transport Layer Security). TLS is documented in RFC 2246 and identifies itself in the protocol version field as SSL 3.1.
Developed by Netscape, SSL is used extensively by web browsers to provide secure connections for transferring credit cards numbers and other sensitive data. An SSL-protected HTTP transfer uses port 443 (instead of HTTP's normal port 80), and is identified with a special URL method - https. Thus, https://www.verisign.com/ would cause an SSL-enabled browser to open a secure SSL session to port 443 at www.verisign.com.

SSL, like most modern security protocols, is based on cryptography. When an SSL session is established, the server begins by announcing a public key to the client. No encryption is in use initially, so both parties (and any eavesdropper) can read this key, but the client can now transmit information to the server in a way that no one else could decode. The client generates 46 bytes of random data, forms them into a single very large number according to PKCS#1, encrypts them with the server's public key, and sends the result to the server. Only the server, with its private key, can decode the information to determine the 46 original bytes. This shared secret is now used to generate a set of conventional RC4 cipher keys to encrypt the rest of the session.
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PolyBot - Modular, self-reconfigurable robots

Self-Reconfiguring Modular Robotics, Modular self-reconfiguring robotic systems or self-reconfigurable modular robots are autonomous kinematic machines with variable morphology. Beyond conventional actuation, sensing and control typically found in fixed-morphology robots, self-reconfiguring robots are also able to deliberately change their own shape by rearranging the connectivity of their parts, in order to adapt to new circumstances, perform new tasks, or recover from damage.
For example, a robot made of such components could assume a worm-like shape to move through a narrow pipe, reassemble into something with spider-like legs to cross uneven terrain, then form a third arbitrary object (like a ball or wheel that can spin itself) to move quickly over a fairly flat terrain; it can also be used for making "fixed" objects, such as walls, shelters, or buildings.

Modular robots are usually composed of multiple building blocks of a relatively small repertoire, with uniform docking interfaces that allow transfer of mechanical forces and moments, electrical power and communication throughout the robot.
Resource links

Facial recognition system

A facial recognition system is a computer application for automatically identifying or verifying a person from a digital image or a video frame from a video source. One of the ways to do this is by comparing selected facial features from the image and a facial database.
It is typically used in security systems and can be compared to other biometrics such as fingerprint or eye iris recognition systems.

Some facial recognition algorithms identify faces by extracting landmarks, or features, from an image of the subject's face. For example, an algorithm may analyze the relative position, size, and/or shape of the eyes, nose, cheekbones, and jaw. These features are then used to search for other images with matching features.
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Captchas

A CAPTCHA or Captcha is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to ensure that the response is not generated by a computer. The process usually involves one computer (a server) asking a user to complete a simple test which the computer is able to generate and grade. Because other computers are unable to solve the CAPTCHA, any user entering a correct solution is presumed to be human. Thus, it is sometimes described as a reverse Turing test, because it is administered by a machine and targeted to a human, in contrast to the standard Turing test that is typically administered by a human and targeted to a machine. A common type of CAPTCHA requires that the user type letters or digits from a distorted image that appears on the screen.

CAPTCHAs are used to prevent automated software from performing actions which degrade the quality of service of a given system, whether due to abuse or resource expenditure. Although CAPTCHAs are most often deployed as a response to encroachment by commercial interests, the notion that they exist to stop only spammers is mistaken.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Ext3 File System

The ext3 or third extended file system is a journaled file system that is commonly used by the Linux operating system. It is the default file system for many popular Linux distributions. Stephen Tweedie first revealed that he was working on extending ext2 in Journaling the Linux ext2fs File system in 1998 [2] paper and later in a February 1999 kernel mailing list posting[3] and the filesystem was merged with the mainline Linux kernel in November 2001 from 2.4.15 onward.[4] Its main advantage over ext2 is journaling which improves reliability and eliminates the need to check the file system after an unclean shutdown.

Although its performance (speed) is less attractive than competing Linux filesystems such as JFS, ReiserFS and XFS, it has a significant advantage in that it allows in-place upgrades from the ext2 file system without having to back up and restore data. Ext3 also uses less CPU power than ReiserFS and XFS.[5] It is also considered safer than the other Linux file systems due to its relative simplicity and wider testing base.
For more in depth information, here r some links:

Embedded Linux

Embedded Linux is the use of a Linux operating system in embedded computer systems such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, media players, set-top boxes, and other consumer electronics devices, networking equipment, machine control, industrial automation, navigation equipment and medical instruments. According to survey conducted by Venture Development Corporation, Linux was used by 18% of embedded engineers.

Here are some very useful sites and powerpoint presentation on embedded Linux........

  • News and technical articles concerning embedded Linux



  • Embedded Linux mailist list archive



  • Introduction to embedded Linux



  • Embedded OS and Linux



  • Embedded Linux
  • Computer forensics

    Computer forensics is a branch of forensic science pertaining to legal evidence found in computers and digital storage mediums. Computer forensics is also known as digital forensics.
     
    The goal of computer forensics is to explain the current state of a digital artifact. The term digital artifact can include a computer system, a storage medium (such as a hard disk or CD-ROM), an electronic document (e.g. an email message or JPEG image) or even a sequence of packets moving over a computer network. The explanation can be as straightforward as "what information is here?" and as detailed as "what is the sequence of events responsible for the present situation?"
    These things must be covered in this include are

  • Counter forensics



  • Cryptanalysis



  • Data recovery



  • Data remanence



  • Disk encryption



  • Resources for this topics:

    Wednesday, February 18, 2009

    Security Protocol For Sensor Network

    Wireless sensor networks will be widely deployed in the near future. While much research has focused on making these networks
    feasible and useful, security has received little attention. We present a suite of security protocols optimized for sensor networks: SPINS.
    SPINS has two secure building blocks: SNEP and TESLA. SNEP includes: data confidentiality, two-party data authentication, and
    evidence of data freshness. TESLA provides authenticated broadcast for severely resource-constrained environments. We implemented
    the above protocols, and show that they are practical even on minimal hardware: the performance of the protocol suite easily matches the
    data rate of our network. Additionally, we demonstrate that the suite can be used for building higher level protocols.
    Keywords: secure communication protocols, sensor networks, mobile ad hoc networks, MANET, authentication of wireless communication,
    secrecy and confidentiality, cryptography
    Resource Links
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    Seminar topics

    Here I am providing some of the topics for computer science students

    * SPINS -Security Protocol For Sensor Network
    * Generic visual perception processor
    * Nanotechnology Assembler Design And Nano-Communication
    * Tele-Immersion
    * Liquid Crystal on Silicon Display (LCOS)
    * Jini - advanced set of network protocols
    * Computer memory based on the protein bacterio-rhodopsin
    * CSS and DeCSS
    * Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS)
    * Extreme Programming (XP)
    * Holographic Versatile Disc
    * Zero Knowledge proofs
    * Bimolecular Computers
    * Context Disambiguation On Web Search Results
    * Touch Screen Technology
    * Surface Computer
    * Face Recognition Technology
    * DNA Computing in security
    * 4g Wireless Systems
    * Spyware and Trojan horses
    * Zigbee
    * Java Management Extensions (JMX) - component framework for building intelligent network
    * Quantum cryptography
    * Home Networking
    * Steganography and digital watermarking
    * TouchFLO Technology
    * NESSUS *
    * 3D Volume Storage
    * Optical Networking and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing
    * Software-Defined Radio
    * Space-time adaptive processing
    * multimedia-oriented web based instructional system
    * Porting Device Drivers For The Solaris ~
    * Steganography - The art of hiding information
    * VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language)
    * Global Positioning System~
    * Magnetic RAM
    * Embedded computers
    * SSL-TLS
    * Quad core Module technology
    * Micro Total analysis systems
    * Plasma Displays~
    * Computerized Paper Evaluation Using Neural Network
    * Mesh Based Geometric data processing
    * DNA Computing~
    * Multiple Domain Orientation
    * Digital Rights Management
    * Multimedia Broadcasting via Satellite
    * USB Tape Drives
    * UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access)
    * Virtual Reality~
    * Embedded Configurable Operating system
    * Cluster computing
    * Digital cash
    * PLAN 9 Operating system
    * Brain computer interface & systems
    * Digital Imaging~
    * Wearable computers
    * Data Mining concepts & Models
    * Captchas
    * Computer forensics
    * Quantum computing
    * LOC technology (Lab On a Chip)
    * Advanced Design repository systems
    * Security of Open-Source Software
    * Wireless Markup Language
    * B-ISDN Reference Model
    * Agent OS
    * iSCSI-Future of Network Storage
    * PolyBot - Modular, self-reconfigurable robots
    * AMD Processors
    * Bluetooth Based Smart Sensor Networks
    * multimedia-oriented web based instructional
    * BioComputers
    * Ubiquitous computing
    * Microcontroller Based Power Theft Identification
    * Computer Forensics
    * Microcontroller Based Automation
    * Quantum teleportation
    * Curl: A Gentle Slope Language For The Web
    * Grid Data Farm for Petascale
    * Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser
    * Dna Computing In Security
    * Bio Telemetry
    * Digital Visual Interface
    * Embedded Linux
    * Management Information System
    * Teleportation
    * Ext3 Filesystem
    * Radio Astronomy
    * Security threats in the World Wide Web
    * Facial Recognition System
    * Visual Neuro Prosthetics
    * Multiple client's communication
    * Fluorescent Multilayer Optical Data Storage
    *Wearable computers
    *DNA Based computer

    I have collected these topics name from various sites.Regarding content for each topic, I will post them as soon as possible......