June 7, 2013June 7, 2013 by Kush Sharma

NFC Demystified: Just a matter of touch?

First of all, NFC stands for Near Field Communication. It is a technology for wireless transfer of data between two devices. If that sounds a lot like BlueTooth or WiFi, that is because it is a similar.

NFC has its roots in RFID or Radio Frequency Identification. RFID tags are like bar-codes that don’t need to be scanned, but merely placed near an RFID reader. An RFID chip—which by the way can be smaller than a grain of rice—can be read by an RFID reader without the need for contact, so if a shopping mall were to tag everything via RFID, all a shopper would have to do is pass their shopping bag / trolley near an RFID reader, and all the products could automatically billed.

An RFID tag is essentially a chip storing some data which gets activated by an RFID reader. The radio waves from the RFID reader are intercepted by the RFID tag, and these are enough to power the device. The tag uses the power it gets from the RFID reader to send back its own radio message with the data it stores—or it could just have a small battery. In this case an RFID reader is a passive device that sends the same bits of data it is stored no matter what.

What if you were to create a similar system where two devices could communicate using similar means? Where both devices could work as both a tag and a reader to pass along small messages. Well, NFC is exactly such a system. NFC is in fact compatible with RFID, and you could have NFC tags, just like RFID tags.

Many experts say NFC really is fundamentally secure by virtue of its extremely short range. In order to snag your NFC signal, a hacker would need to be very close to you. Uncomfortably close. In other words, you’d know they were there. And unless it was a very intimate friend of yours, you’d likely not be happy about it.

Aspect	NFC	Bluetooth	Bluetooth Low Energy
RFID compatible	ISO 18000-3	active	active
Standardisation body	ISO/IEC	Bluetooth SIG	Bluetooth SIG
Network Standard	ISO 13157 etc.	IEEE 802.15.1	IEEE 802.15.1
Network Type	Point-to-point	WPAN	WPAN
Cryptography	not with RFID	available	available
Range	< 0.2 m	~100 m (class 1)	~50 m
Frequency	13.56 MHz	2.4–2.5 GHz	2.4–2.5 GHz
Bit rate	424 kbit/s	2.1 Mbit/s	~1.0 Mbit/s
Set-up time	< 0.1 s	< 6 s	< 0.006 s
Power consumption	< 15mA (read)	varies with class	< 15 mA (read and transmit)

NFC technology is mainly aimed to be used in mobile phones. NFC uses both write and read technology. The connection is established when two NFC devices are bought within the distance of 4 centimeters.

Applications

As you can guess from the name, and from its ancestry NFC is for communication between devices placed very close by, distances much closer than those required by BlueTooth or WiFi. In fact devices usually have to be touching or placed a few centimetres apart. While this might seem like a disadvantage, and most certainly can be in many situations, it also has its positive sides. While BlueTooth and WiFi require that a device be paired, or share a mutual password, NFC has no such requirements.

Authentication is assumed based on the fact that the devices are nearly touching, which would require both device users to choose to do so. In fact NFC can be used as an alternative to entering long WiFi keys or traditional means of pairing devices using BlueTooth. For example if you have a WiFi point that supports NFC, it could automatically transmit the WiFi key to any device that is placed very near it. Or, rather that start a tedious BlueTooth pairing process, you could simply tap two phones together and they would use that gesture as consent for a BlueTooth pairing. This particular feature is in fact available in Android in the form of Android Beam. While NFC can be used for data transfer, it can be quite slow for large amounts of data, especially when compared to BlueTooth or WiFi.

So Android Beam uses NFC and take advantage of its convenience in quick communication over short distances, and uses that to authenticate the devices so that that it can use quicker technologies for the actual transfer of data. As such it can transfer anything, music, videos, or the state of an application, such as tabs open in a browser, the saved state of a game etc. NFC is also finding many uses in places where RFID was used earlier.

NFC isn’t a newfangled technology, but it’s just now beginning to filter into mainstream products like smartphones. With an NFC chip and antenna, you can use your smartphone to make contactless payments at NFC retail terminals, parking meters, taxis and many other places.

Key Benefits of NFC

NFC provides a range of benefits to consumers and businesses, such as:

Intuitive: NFC interactions require no more than a simple touch
Versatile: NFC is ideally suited to the broadest range of industries, environments, and uses
Open and standards-based: The underlying layers of NFC technology follow universally implemented ISO, ECMA, and ETSI standards
Technology-enabling: NFC facilitates fast and simple setup of wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.)
Inherently secure: NFC transmissions are short range (from a touch to a few centimeters)
Interoperable: NFC works with existing contactless card technologies
Security-ready: NFC has built-in capabilities to support secure applications

For example it can be used as an alternative to ID cards. One up and coming use is as a means of payment. Google Wallet for example allows one to initiate payments by simply tapping your phone on a payment device. Your financial details can be stored on Google Wallet, and when you initiate a transfer using NFC, Google Wallet only needs your authorization for payment, and handles the rest. Games can use NFC to initiate a multiplayer gaming session and use WiFi or BlueTooth for the actual game data. Tapping mobile and tablets, or putting them in close proximity makes a lot of sense, but one is likely to have a hard time imagining such a thing working with desktops. Even so, a laptop or desktop fitted with NFC can use that functionality to enable all kinds of useful interactions. You could for example, transfer your browsing session to your tablet / mobile from your laptop / desktop before leaving home. Or sync between you laptop / desktop and mobile / tablet just by using NFC.

NFC is only one technology, with Bluetooth and RFID just as able to strike-up a conversation between two gadgets, but there are distinctions within NFC, too. In comes in both passive and active flavours, including P2P mode (exchanging information, such as business cards or contacts) and SecureElement NFC (where a machine recognises a NFC phone as a bankcard).

You won’t find NFC on many laptops or desktops but it is only a matter of time. Look at how BlueTooth is now common on any laptops and you will see how it is likely to find future laptops fitted with NFC. Desktops usually have neither but are flexible enough to use dongles to add those capabilities. There are tons of imaginative uses for NFC that people have yet to come up with. All one needs to know are the advantages of NFC at your disposal, quick initiation of communication, moderately fast data transfer speeds (around 400 kbit/s) and the possibility of having passive (without battery) items that interact with NFC devices.

May 29, 2013June 7, 2013 by Kush Sharma

Top 5 Apps: Supports All Platforms

Apps
5, all, apps, compatible, mobile, os, platforms, smartphone, top
1 Comment

Each coming day more and more new applications are being developed for the different operating systems and the designers make sure that they are compatible with the different operating systems or in other words they are cross operating system functions. There are many applications which are compatible with every widely used operating system and below are mentioned top five out of them. Now with these applications it is easy to transport your data and you do not have to use the inferior quality applications.

1. VLC Media Player

Now managing your audio and media files is not a problem on any operating system. You can convert, format, stream as well as re-size any media file without any hassle. Its presence on the USB drive makes it one of the most widely used applications round the world. It can also be used to manage the multiple codecs, formats as well as the various restrictions on the media files.

2. Dropbox

The second big name in the category of the all compatible applications is the Dropbox which has the function of synchronizing files and folders present on your system. The basic idea is same wherever you use this application whether from your desktop, your iPhone and from your mobile phones you will get the instant backup of all your information and you can use it in the portability mode also. This is perfect for any kind of documents and files you are looking to share.

3. Firefox

It may not be the best browser in the performance but it is customizable to its last detail. It is very powerful browser though and its USB version makes it compatible to use from anywhere and on any operating system. With the launch of the Firefox Mobile it has become the famous option among the users. With the complete segment of add-on and plug-ins available in the market you can really configure it to the least bit.

4. 7-Zipper

This may not be the best application of any single operating systems but it is like a boon for the users as no two operating systems accept the same compressed format it is quite an essential download for the file sharers. It is perfect to tackle the RAR files, .tar and .gz files on the different operating system. Also it has the built-in feature of the compressor system that is fast and time-saving.

5. Miro

This certainly is not the best all in one video aggregate but because of its cross operating system functionality it has been the best option for file streaming, handling podcast feeds, local files and any other file with the moving pictures and videos which can be aggregated easily without any trouble. The USB portability makes it sure that you can take your desktop as well as favorite web videos with you as you go on a picnic.

Going through the above five applications you will come to know why they are considered as all operating system compatible. You can make their optimum use by downloading them on the various operating systems and can use anytime as per your convenience. There is no trouble of information transfer as well as moving data.

Author Bio

Claudia has written a number of articles on the various dimensions of the operating systems as well as on the applications. They try to make the user aware of the best applications which can be used on all the operating systems and how SAP BO online training can streamline the business operations of any organization, follow me @ITdominus1.

May 14, 2013May 14, 2013 by Kush Sharma

Tips: Installing Freeware Wisely

Though one cannot be 100 per cent safe, there are some simple rules one can follow while installing freeware, or any software for that matter, to ensure that spyware applications do not install themselves on your computer.

❍ Download software only from trusted and reliable sources. If at any point you are unsure about the legitimacy or the trustworthiness of a download source, it would be advisable to look elsewhere.

❍ Though it can be a pain, it is definitely worth the while to read the Terms of Agreement of the software. Look for sentences like “When you agree to these terms you agree to allow third-party software to be installed on your computer.” Immediately avoid such programs. These are added in the application installer and some of them will ask you as your will, simply uncheck the option.

❍ If you really want to install a software you downloaded, but are not sure of its integrity, you should ask someone who knows more about the subject. Even a simple Google search should bring up some answers. Popular forums, Yahoo Answers, Ask, Stack Overflow are some good platform to find audience of all sort of categories. The golden rule is: only install software the contents of which you’re sure of.

❍ Spam is one of the leading sources of spyware. A large amount of spyware (posing as Trojans) is spread through e-mail. So always try to avoid opening email from unknown sources, and never ever download any attachment accompanied with it.

❍ Use your discretion and a general sense of caution when clicking on Internet ads (if you do). A lot of banner ads have buttons that say “Cancel” or “No” that you’re prompted to click if you don’t want the product they offer. Do ~not~ click that button! More often than not, doing that will take you to another ad site. If you are unsure about what to do, just close your browser window.

❍ Everyone needs pop-up blockers, and luckily, most new versions of popular browsers have pop-up blockers already inbuilt. It is advisable to install the latest version of your Web browser. Updates will also fix vulnerabilities found by developers.

May 14, 2013May 9, 2013 by Kush Sharma

YotaPhone : Dual Screen Android

On the left, a regular Android 4.1 display. On the right, a power-saving e-ink screen. (Credit: James Martin/CNET)

To borrow from a popular meme, the Russians are doing it right as far as the YotaPhone is concerned. It’s a dual-display smartphone with a very interesting twist. Sporting a 4.3 inch 720p LCD display on one side of its face, the YotaPhone has an e-ink display of the same dimension on its backside. The idea is to read on the e-ink display and watch videos and movies on the crisper LCD screen. Why? It’s all about battery savings. E-ink conserves more resources than color HD displays, so if you’re just reading a long article or a book, use the low-power e-ink side. Innards are pretty sweet as well with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon s4 chip , 2GB of RAM, NFC, 4G LTE connectivity, a 12-megapixel camera, and it’ll come with either 32GB or 64GB storage space with Android Jelly Bean support.

There are two ways to get content onto the back display. The first is to simply mirror what’s on the screen by swiping down with a two-fingered gesture. That will give you a static image of a map, for instance, or a shopping list.

The second way to program YotaPhone’s e-ink display is to use apps built for that specific purpose. Yota starts out with a few, like an RSS reader, an alarm clock, and Twitter, but plans to open up the SDK so developers can create their own compatible software. Transferring data with these apps was seamless over a strong Wi-Fi connection, just by tapping an onscreen control.

A series of specially made apps enable you to put your own messages on the screen, or it can show your Twitter feed, news or at its most helpful – SMS messages, missed calls, the weather, time and location data. E Ink screens are more commonly found on e-readers like the Kindle, and as you’d expect, e-books can be read on the YotaPhone’s second screen. Because it’s E Ink, the YotaPhone’s rear screen can be read in direct sunlight, making it easier to see important information quickly.

Yota has been working on the technology in partnership with E Ink for two years and is just now producing its first “working” prototypes. The phone is pretty large; it’s almost exactly the same width and thickness as Nokia’s chunky Lumia 820, but doesn’t hide its heft as well. It’s also pretty tall, thanks largely to a gesture area beneath both of its displays. It’s at this point that things get a little tricky, because the rear screen isn’t entirely touch sensitive. Only the bottom part of the rear panel is capacitive, and currently not all apps will respond to gestures in that area. That means you wouldn’t currently be able to flip the page in a Kindle book, for example, or a click on a tune in a Spotify playlist. But the Yota guys say they’ve had a lot of feedback on this and other points and are already working on solutions — and we’re totally ready to believe them.

I’m also still a little dubious about the convenience of flipping the phone over at intervals to use first one side and then another — even though one use case is to use the e-ink side when you’re on the phone’s final battery legs. For me, at least, chargers are nearby, I become loathe to switch up what I’m doing, and I can’t see myself wanting to leave the comforts of a rich, colorful screen to gaze upon an image that reminds me of an old, faded newspaper.

So where does Yota go from here? The company says it’s in talks with carriers worldwide, but wouldn’t reveal any specifics. It’s aiming to release the phone in June / July this year in its native Russia, but an international launch isn’t likely until Q4. Start saving as this phone/reader’s retail availability will begin in a couple of months.

May 9, 2013September 23, 2018 by Kush Sharma

Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote

Gadgets
driver, gadget, remote, screw, sonic, universal
3 Comments

Doctor Who fans, you simply have to get this gizmo. Non Doctor Who nerds, this will appeal to you as well. Resembling the fabled Sonic Screwdriver from the cult british show (or a mysterious glowing probe), this programmable universal infrared remote lets you interact with any TV with gestures. With 13 supported gestures and 3 memory control codes. Enough to control most Earth-based “low-tech” consumer devices, we reckon.

The sonic screwdriver is a fictional tool in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spinoffs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor. Its most common function is that of a lock pick, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans, remotely controlling other devices and tracking alien life. It can, with the exception of a deadlock seal or wooden lock, open any type of lock and operate many computers, whether their origin is alien or human. Though all this was only limited up to TV but still you can show off your über cool Screwdriver as a Universal Remote.

Here is sneak peek of how the original Sonic Screwdriver work :

Compatible with almost all home entertainment equipments, such as iPod docks, TVs and Blu-ray players.

Guided Setup: teaches you how to use it with spoken prompts.
FX Mode: thirteen authentic special effects sounds from the universe of Doctor Who.
Bright illuminating tip: lights up in use and pulses when in standby.
Advanced gestures recognition technology: thirteen gestures multiplied by three memory banks means up to 39 remote control codes can be stored.
Hand polished: copper plated, high quality, die-cast metal construction.
Special features: Personal Lock Code facility and secret communication to discover.

It is packed with advanced electronics that help make it the most realistic Sonic Screwdriver ever built.

Electromagnetic emission: The sonic Screwdriver gets its classic green glowing tip courtesy of a hyper-bright green LED. however, as the tip in this also has to emit the infrared pulse of a remote control, a multi-wavelength solution is needed. The result is a custom manufactured, three-chip 5mm LED: one IR indium gallium nitride chip and two green gallium arsenide chip, encapsulated in a single transparent epoxy lens.

Motion Sensing technology: at the heart of this, a tiny state of the art three-axis accelerometer constantly measures the forces acting on the device so that the embedded microcontroller can determine if the Sonic Screwdriver is being moved. The silicon MEMS sensor is so sensitive that it can detect and measure 1000th of the force gravity. The accelerometer is fabricated from single-crystal silicon by deep reaction ion etching (DRIE) process and protected from the environment by a hermetically sealed cap at the water level.

One more thing is this gizmo comes complete with its own protective and attractive display case Fabricated from engineering grade ABS, the tough, crystal clear cover fits snugly over an analogue of the TARDIS console. The stand is decorated with authentic Gallifreyan script and provides the perfect containment, mounting and presentation for a Sonic Screwdriver of this quality.

April 27, 2013May 9, 2013 by Kush Sharma

How to: Create folder that no one can access not even you

These type of folders generally known as Private folders. To make Private folder which nobody can open, delete, see properties, rename we need to modify its permission for system. This can either done by going to its Properties > Security Tab or through Command Prompt, we will going to discuss later one.

First create a simple folder that you normally create.
For example- “softnuke”, in D drive so the Directory will look like “D:\softnuke”.
Open command prompt (Win+R ,type cmd) and then input the following command on the screen.

CD D:

This line is to change our directory to D drive where our folder “softnuke” resides.

Cacls softnuke /E /P everyone:n

This line sets permission of everyone to deny from any access. “n” after everyone is used to set none.

Now the folder is inaccessible from any user even from administrator. To access that folder again try the following command.

Cacls softnuke /E /P everyone:f

And the folder is accessible again. We have used “f” to set Full permissions to everyone.

You can use this method to store valuable assets and documents which you don’t want to be deleted or want no one to temper with.

You can fasten this by creating 2 “.bat” files. One file will be used for setting permissions to none and second for full permissions. Here is an example just edit it with notepad to adjust by your needs. You need to modify the name of folder and copy both of the files in same folder where your target folder is stored. :

Bat File 1 : Download

Bat File 2 : Download

Note: Your browser may show you that this file is malicious but trust me thats only because “.bat” file is powerful enough to execute any cmd command thats why its warning you not to download these type of files from untrusted sources. But Softnuke will never going to harm its readers and you can download that file without worrying much.

April 22, 2013April 22, 2013 by Kush Sharma

Android: Easiest way to type in Hindi with Google

Have you ever wanted to send a text message to someone in Hindi but was unable because your cell phone didn’t comes with a Hindi layout keyboard, and suppose even if it comes with it then it will surely consume a lot of time and effort to write a single paragraph.

Google recently introduced his new app Google Hindi Input which let users to type in Hinglish(Hindi in English alphabets) and it will convert it to Hindi for you. If you have an Android smartphone or tablet, Google Hindi Input is the quickest and easiest way to compose emails, send messages and post on social networks using Devanagari script. There are alternatives also available on Google Play enabling typing in Hindi and other Indian Languages : PaniniKeypad and Lipikaar are two such apps. But we will focus on Google Hindi Input first.

Google Hindi Input has two methods for writing Hindi text. In transliteration mode, you simply type a Hindi word in English (like namaste), and the app will automatically convert the word to Devanagari script (नमस्ते). And you can get suggested words in Hindi language when you type some letters only. This will save your time and no need to type full Hindi words. Switching between English to Translator to Full Devnagari Keyboard is super smooth and just a button away.

Hitting the globe button switches to a full Devanagari script keyboard, with Hindi consonants ordered alphabetically on two pages. In this mode, you can long press at any time to select various forms of a consonant.

How to enable keyboard Input method?

Open Settings -> Language & Input, under “KEYBOARD & INPUT METHODS” section, check Google Hindi Input, then click Default and select “Hindi transliteration/Google Hindi Input” in the “Choose input method” dialog.

Don’t forget that it will not going to support if your android device does not have Hindi fonts installed. If so then you have to install it first but most of the Indian manufactured devices are pre-installed with it.

Bad Sides:

No voice or handwriting input: The keyboard gives no option to help the user input text using voice or handwriting.
No Gesture Support: There are plenty of android keyboards now who have started gestures a major thing to emphasize on and let user feel comfortable but Google Hindi input still needs to work on it.

Real time prediction while typing with devnagiri keyboard

Real time prediction while typing with devanagiri keyboard

Over all, Google Hindi Input offers an excellent option to those who would wish to use Hindi text while communicating through their Android devices. It’s simple and intuitive and makes typing in Hindi very easy.

Play Store Link : Google Hindi Input

April 21, 2013June 13, 2013 by Kush Sharma

Brief : Why you should concern about security ?

Web
adware, concern, internet, phishing, security, spyware, virus
4 Comments

Adware can bring down your PC, a virus can mass-mail annoying contents to all the contacts in your address book, a key logger can send every keystroke of yours to someone on the Net—and these are just a few risks that are out there affecting PCs. Also, for someone even moderately well versed with operating systems, getting into a poorly-secured PC is child’s play.

WHY SECURITY?

As computers become more and more integrated into our lives, we end up leaving a lot of sensitive information on our PCs—from passwords, e-mail IDs (even official e-mail IDs) and bank accounts to personal diaries and notes, business plans (or worse still, tender bids), confidential documents, a log of surfing habits (which can be viewed out of context), a backup of phone SMSes, and much more. Then there is another risk, especially when you are online—viruses and spyware. Though viruses and spyware are talked about in the same breath, there is one fundamental difference: a virus is written to cause damage to your operating system, programs or files, usually with no direct benefit to the virus creator. Spyware, on the other hand, is written for gain. This could be by tracking the surfing habits of a user on an infected computer and sending this information to someone who would send the user advertisements supposedly targeted at him based on his surfing habits.

Very strictly speaking, spyware is not intended to cause damage, at least in the traditional sense, but more often than not, they end up doing so on your PC, which is rendered difficult to repair. When we speak of computer security, what we mean is the ways in which you can prevent people from accessing data on your computer, keep your computer safe from viruses and spyware, and protect yourself from hacking and phishing.

The Internet

The Internet brings the world to your desktop, no doubt. But that world also includes a sub-world of spyware, worms, phishing attacks, and more. The most common of online irritants is spam e-mail. Spam is simply unsolicited email that urge you to buy herbal concoctions to enlarge certain body parts, promise youthfulness via a pill, say that you’ve won a Rolex watch, and so on. These mails invariably contain a link to a supposed online store that will ask you for a credit card number for an online payment. It is difficult to believe how someone can fall for a trick like this, but apparently, there are a few innocent people out there who get tricked into buying a “herbal” cure or a “collector’s watch.” Needless to say, you need to just delete these mails. The other common annoyance, which can also bring down your PC, is spyware / adware. The source of these is most usually pornographic sites or those with cracks for software. These sites can also be the very links you get in spam mail. Once they get installed, they are able to send a list of the Web sites you surf, and even your e-mail address. Based on your surfing habits, spam is sent to your email ID, advertising products or services that would ostensibly be of interest to you. An adware program will open browser windows all by itself and direct you to Web sites selling products of the same nature. Some of them are so designed that if you close the window that they bring up, they will open two or more instantly! If you receive a suspicious looking file in an e-mail (something like “annakournikova nude playing tennis.avi.scr”) even from a known source, do not download the file. It is likely that a virus has hacked into the sender’s e-mail client (or even disguised the sending address as something else—yes, that’s possible too) and is sending out spam or offensive mails.

Spyware

The affected person may not even know that spam mails from his ID are being sent. You can be a good friend and call him up to let him know of this so he can take curative measures. Some sites even make use of the fact that people occasionally make typographical errors! A recent example is www.ork0t.com (now taken down), which you could have visited if you typed what you thought was “www.orkut.com” and made a typo. When one entered one’s user ID and password into that site, it would be used to hack into your account and send out spam to all your contacts! Phishing is a threat that can potentially rob you of your money. It’s a means of fooling you into disclosing your login details of any site / service. If you are using an e-banking service, be very careful of mails that you may receive claiming to be from your bank, asking you to fill in your login details. As a policy, most banks do not send out e-mails asking you to fill in any e-banking details. If you do receive such a mail, it is fake. Before you fill out any details on a site following a link sent via e-mail, do confirm with your bank’s customer care if they have indeed sent out such a mail. Visit only your bank’s official site for all transactions.

Attacks From Known Sources

It is not uncommon for crime investigators to find that the culprit was known to the victim—this is the case with computer security as well. Someone who works at your computer may access your personal files—and even your surfing habits. It is not generally practical to keep your PC under lock and key, but what you can have is a digital version of a lock and key: set up passwords and encrypt files.

Data theft is a growing concern amongst corporates. Personal and professional harm can arise if someone gets access to your private data or worse still, your e-mail, wherein they could email someone posing as you. You can assign a password to access your PC and, similarly, password-protect your files as a first step to safeguard yourself from this risk. And, it is good practice not to let anyone install unfamiliar programs on your computer.

You must realize that given sufficient time and resources, a competent enough person can eventually break into your PC, but that is no reason to leave it entirely unsecured.

A cartoon from drxtoon

April 9, 2013April 9, 2013 by Kush Sharma

Why is Ubuntu popular ? Who can’t use it ?

Worthy
distro, Free, linux, open, popular, source, ubuntu
8 Comments

Ubuntu is a Linux-based operating system with its origins in South Africa. Its name means “humanity towards others”. Back in 2004, Linux was already established as a server operating system, but free software was not yet a part of everyday life. Further, Linux was thought of as a complicated operating system which non-technical people couldn’t use. It was at this time in 2004 that Ubuntu began as a Linux distribution aimed at ease of use. Mark Shuttleworth, the creator of the project, gathered a few developers and went on to create the most popular Linux distribution till date.

Why is Ubuntu popular?

For those who’re interested in computing, Linux is something which they take pride in being a user of, and love its freedom and flexibility. Among all the Linux distributions, which already are extremely popular (use Google’s free keyword tool to avail salvation for yourself), Ubuntu is the most popular. The reason for its triumph over all other Linux distributions is its ease of use.

Before Ubuntu came into picture, Linux was thought of as a real tough nut to crack. Many had the (wrong) notion about Linux being a completely command line based operating system. While it is still true that an extremely rich set of useful applications, programs and features of Linux are dependent on command line (or call it the console), Linux certainly was much more than just a console-driven, type and press Enter styled operating system, even before Ubuntu was born. The one thing it lacked was the real ease of use offered by other operating systems such as Windows and Mac.

Ubuntu changed the scene with its innovative solutions to issues. It ensured that users could download new software easily. The OS was further popularized by the fact that it allowed you to use the system right from the CD and install it only once you felt pleased enough. The installer was simple and the looks were different and beautiful. Ubuntu software updates were fuss-free even for the regular user to understand. One of its most innovative technical aspects was its self-upgrade feature. You didn’t need to download a separate ISO file, burn it to a disk and then install or update from it. All you had to do was upgrade from within the OS. The required files would automatically be downloaded and installed. Version changed! Slowly, many other innovations came in: a music store (just like Apple), a software centre, integration of music players and social service into gnome shell and what not. It’s these little changes over time that increasingly increased the interest of new as well as already interested users.

The cherry on the topping was the awesome ‘no drivers required’ approach. Ubuntu made it easy for users to plug in their mobile phones, select their country, fill in a few details and get ready with a GPRS connection. This was, and still is, a huge boost for people (mostly students) who live in places where they can’t afford to have wired connections or costly wireless plans.

For some users, the last mentioned feature (built-in drivers) is most important. Although you won’t find Pentium 4 processors in the market anymore, some still use such machines just because it does all they want it to do. These users don’t upgrade either due to monetary problems or because they’re simply happy with the PC which taught them what a computer is. The bigger problem with owners of ‘boxes’ such as these is more on the side of support than features. If you lost the only copy of the driver CD of the motherboard for a P4 computer today, you will be forced to buy a new system. The reason is lack of support from the manufacturer. In all probabilities, manufacturers would have stopped supporting the device. So you wouldn’t get the drivers on their web site, with little luck getting it elsewhere either. Since the Linux kernel has a huge database of drivers, Ubuntu gives you reason to rejoice. It brings life back to such old PCs. While system requirements of most other new operating systems for running are high, Ubuntu doesn’t need much to get great performance from older machines. While 512 MB RAM might seem a little less for Windows 7 or Windows Vista, Ubuntu can not only be used on such systems but can also perform pretty decently.

In case that description suggests even in the slightest of ways that Ubuntu (or any other Linux distribution) is meant to run on slow devices, you might be enlightened to know that most supercomputers in the world today use Linux as their operating system. All these facts and features make Ubuntu more popular than any other Linux distribution. Not only it is capturing computers, it has started targeting smartphones recently which is still in beta version by the way but who knows? Ubuntu could be the next iOS.

Who can use Ubuntu?

If you were to ask this question to the creators of Ubuntu, they would say ‘anyone’, and they wouldn’t be wrong. Ubuntu comes with almost all software which you would require as a normal computer user. We know demands differ, so let’s look at the valley from different mountains:

Home user

The term ‘home user’ would almost automatically ask your creative side to form an image of a person who enjoys using a computer for entertainment and a few not-so-important tasks. That would include music for passing the boring Sunday evening, a few movies to make yourself smile, email to keep you posted, web browsing to stay updated, a messaging client to chitchat with friends and probably a spreadsheet to help keep expenses in limit. Ubuntu comes with all of this. It’s got ‘Banshee’ to play your music, the ‘totem’ video player to play the movies, ‘Evolution’ to manage your calendar, contacts and email, Firefox to browse the mighty online mess (although beautiful and organized, the web is a mess after all!), ‘Empathy’ for chatting with friends on Yahoo, Google Talk and others and ‘LibreOffice’ for your office needs. We believe that is what a home user would want from his / her computer.

However, in case an Ubuntu aficionado wants more, installing software on this OS is a piece of cake. Windows users has direct installation wizard tool known as Wubi.

Office user

The typical office user fills data into spreadsheets, creating presentations to be shown to clients and/or typing in a leave letter. Despite the change in definition of offices or its users, almost all software manufacturers (including Microsoft) continue to consider “office applications” as a set of software used for creating documents, presentations, spreadsheets and small database applications. Ubuntu comes with an office suite named LibreOffice (Libre means open) which is similar to and compatible with the Microsoft Office range of applications. In addition to the document, spreadsheet, and presentation application, it also comprises two other programs named ‘Draw’ and ‘Math’ which can be used to create illustrative drawings and complex formulas for office purposes. Math is unique to LibreOffice because it is a full-fledged formula editor. You couldn’t ask for more.

Who can’t use Ubuntu?

This is one question which depends heavily on the needs. If you’re a hardcore gamer, Ubuntu probably isn’t for you. If you want to blame it on Linux, we suggest you change your mind. While there are games made for Ubuntu, the most popular games (we believe your brain is running a pronunciation simulation for spellings like ‘Crysis’, ‘Need for Speed’, etc.) were never meant to be run on Linux platforms. Although ‘Wine’ and ‘PlayOnLinux’ exist and recently steam was also released, a clean run can’t be promised, not by us at least.

The reasons for Ubuntu not having major game releases are much more social than technical. The first reason would be that Linux developers and users have traditionally been geeks (until the recent changes) and gaming was never on their list. So Linux didn’t receive much attention from the game developers. The second reason could very well be the mental set-up of game manufacturers: only those who can pay for software would pay for games. Since Linux is free, the platform never was considered good for hardcore gaming. Yet another point in favour for Windows can be the availability of DirectX APIs on Microsoft platforms as they make life easier for game developers. Nvidia rejected to pay attention for the drivers and support in Linux because of its open source tag and they are afraid that their so called secret ways to handle graphics will be easily accessed by public. There, however, are some fine 2D and a few nice 3D games for Ubuntu. Oh, and it does have board and card games like Chess, Sudoku and (the all-time favourite) Solitaire. You might also not like Ubuntu if you are a designer. Most desktop design and publishing software are not available for Linux. So if you’ve produced all your great graphics using Adobe’s Photoshop software, you won’t be able to open those beautiful projects inside GIMP as they don’t get along well. Animators and movie creators may also dislike Ubuntu for not supporting their Windows software.

Ubuntu, however, has some very good applications for all these tasks. Audacity, Blender, dia, Inkscape, GIMP, Pinta and VideoLAN Movie Creator are a few names you might want to keep in mind. But as we said earlier, the reasons for not using Ubuntu (or any other Linux system) are more social than technical. Different file formats, different software packages, different features, interfaces and a lot other similar problems and issues stand between you and Ubuntu. If you’re ready to restart your life in a free world, Ubuntu, we remind you, means humanity. It will warmly welcome you into a fresh new world.

Conclusion

If a summary of who can’t use Ubuntu is expected, we’d encapsulate it in one sentence: Anyone ,whose previous life has been on influenced by closed source software so much that he can’t survive without it, might not be able to use Ubuntu. At the same time, it’s our duty to remind you of two great terms: Wine and Virtualization.

March 30, 2013 by Kush Sharma

War Gadget : .338 Lapua Magnum – A Linux Powered Gun

Gadgets
gadget, gun, Magnum, Precision Guided Firearm, war
2 Comments

Geeks are a very predictable bunch. If you ask them for their ideal lives, you would probably get a roughly even distribution between Matrix and James bond movie environments. Favorite games would probably throw up Quake, Call of Duty and the ilk. What if we told you that there are parts of above fictional worlds that are coming to like ? And they are powered by your favourite operating system Linux? Please wipe that drool off your face, you might drop some on the page. So here is a setup that has an iPad that would pair with your gun’s scope, and would allow you to actually ‘lock’ on your targets, take all-weather conditions into account, and fire a shot so jaw dropping

Please wipe that drool off your face, you might drop some on the page. So here is a setup that has an iPad that would pair with your gun’s scope, and would allow you to actually ‘lock’ on your targets, take all-weather conditions into account, and fire a shot so jaw dropping awesome that you absolutely cannot miss. As an added benefit there is always the good feeling of living like an open source soul, even if it will cost you $22,500, although that is not way off creating the same setup yourself.

The XS1 is the largest-caliber Precision Guided Firearm (PGF) available today. It offers the longest Tag Track Xact™ effective range of any PGF.

Its performance is driven by a bolt-action, .338 Lapua Magnum Surgeon™ XL action. The 27-inch, Krieger™ cut-barrel is fitted in an Accuracy International AX chassis with detachable Picatinny rail pieces.

The image displayed on the scope isn’t a direct visual, but rather a video image taken through the scope’s objective lens. The Linux-powered scope produces a display that looks something like the heads-up display you’d see sitting in the cockpit of a fighter jet, showing the weapon’s compass orientation, can’t, and incline. To shoot at something, you first “mark” it using a button near the trigger. Marking a target illuminates it with the tracking scope’s built-in laser, and the target gains a pip in the scope’s display. When a target is marked, the tracking scope takes into account the range of the target, the ambient temperature and humidity, the age of the barrel, and a whole boatload of other parameters. It quickly reorient the display so the crosshairs in the center accurately show where the round will go.

Image recognition routines keep the pip stuck to the marked target in the scope’s field of view, and at that point, you squeeze the trigger. This doesn’t fire the weapon; rather, the reticle goes from blue to red, and while keeping the trigger held down, you position the reticle over the marked target’s pip. As soon as they coincide, the rifle fires.

The XS1 delivers our longest effective range: Tag Track Xact (TTX) to 1,200 yards. And it features our longest parallax-free zoom: 6 to 35X.

The scope streams video to Android and iOS smart phones and tablets. Wind speed is the only data you’ll manually input to the scope, using a toggle button.

The XS1 uses 300 gr. Sierra™ Open-Tipped Match XactShot™ ammunition by Barnes®, loaded to +/- 10 fps standard deviation muzzle velocity.

Included with your PGF System

Integrated Networked Tracking Scope, Guided Trigger, and Tag Button
Advanced Armament Corp.™ (AAC) Blackout™ 90T muzzle brake, installed
200 rounds of 300 gr. Sierra™ Open-Tipped Match XactShot™ ammunition by Barnes® (+/- 10 fps standard deviation muzzle velocity)
Harris™ bipod with Larue quick-detach mount
Custom Pelican™ 3300 hard case with TrackingPoint logo
3 batteries and chargers
Scope cover
Cleaning kit
Instructions

So a good deal, all in all. If any of you would actually like to have one of these, you should be looking at www.tracking-point.com.