Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Techno Page - By Harendra Alwis

IT, bridge between warring parties
We have discussed how Information Technology plays a crucial role in modern warfare, in the backdrop of the war in Iraq. There I raised the question whether this same technology could be used to spread peace and brotherhood as well, and it must be noted that I have received some very interesting and creative replies from readers regarding this matter.

Most of you who wrote in pointed out that war was the result of "lack of understanding and acceptance" between two groups or communities. It was pointed out that the Internet provided a common mode of communication to bridge the gap. Udara was of the opinion that "the LTTE's website was also an attempt to reach out to the rest of the Sri Lankan population living here and abroad, and be heard". It is definitely a topic worth pondering on.

Yet we are forced to admit that most of the technology we take for granted today is the result of warfare and military research. I am not talking about the Internet alone, which began as a military research programme itself called ARPANet or even the computer itself, but even some of the fast growing, high yielding crops used in agriculture are results of continuous research of the military machine. You are welcome to write in with your thoughts and ideas.

Web development
A very important function of Information Technology, web development captures a variety of different skills from imaging and graphics to sound composition and synthesis and from programming to writing and project management. New authoring tools have paved the way for 3D content and streaming video to be weaved in to create immersive multimedia experiences that provide entertainment and a high degree of interactivity.

We hope to publish a list of websites that combine innovation and creativity, for those who are interested in web development. We hope these will be a source of motivation and inspiration for all the aspiring web-wizards out there. Do you know any really cool websites that you want to share with others? If so send in the URLs to technopage_lk@yahoo.com

Magnetic 'miracle' memory
IBM and Infineon are ready to demonstrate how MRAM, one of the leading candidates to replace flash memory in cell phones, which could be ready for commercial production by 2005. MRAM, or magnetic random access memory, combines technological principles from both the magnetic world - the basis for the hard-drive industry - and silicon manufacturing. In MRAM, a tiny magnetic field is created inside a memory cell on a chip. The computer then measures the electrical resistance exhibited by the magnetic field at any given moment to determine whether the cell should be read as a "1" or a "0," the binary building blocks of data. Conventional flash memory, the mainstay for storing data on phones, also works by exhibiting different levels of electrical resistance, but it requires a considerable amount of electricity to switch between the "1" and "0" states. Ideally, MRAM will use less power and capture data faster than current flash memory.

No nano-breakthrough
Nanotechnology researchers report the development of fibres tougher than steel or spider's silk, with electronic properties that might one day yield truly "smart" clothes.

The fibres' electronic characteristics could allow them to act as batteries and sensors in clothing, says researchers at the University of Texas, Dallas. Rather than carrying heavy batteries for military computers, soldiers may draw power from smart clothes. Sensors built into the clothes could relay battlefield conditions to commanders.

Bundled into the fibres are incredibly strong carbon nanotubes, tiny cylinders of carbon atoms only a nanometre (about 40 billionths of an inch) in diametre. Nanotubes are seen as the genesis of a new era of tiny machines and electric devices.

Spinning nanotubes into fibres more than 300 feet long, fibres have the strength of spider silk and more than three times its shock-absorbing toughness. That makes them more than 17 times tougher than the Kevlar used in military flak jackets.

Pros and cons of piracy
There are pros and cons in the issue of piracy where individuals will look at this issue in different angles depending on how this affects them.

Pros
* With piracy, the level of accessibility to software, audio and video has increased dramatically for students (multi disciplinary)/fans/viewers respectively.

* Pirated software is in a form that has been copied and circulated without copyright or prior permission from the recording companies or artistes. This has led to the cheap prices of such materials which is by large affordable to most people in the Asian region.

* Replacement costs are very low, as these are readily available and can be within reach at any time in case the ones brought previously are lost/damaged.

Cons
* Due to the level of accessibility and availability, most households are dominated by pirated software. This in the long run will reduce the life span of the equipment that reads the software as these have been copied without any standards, neither are they protected from viruses which can harm the devices that they are played in.

* Since copyrights, etc. have not been granted, the product may vary from what is available in the original; where the consumer/user will be cheated to a great extent and the product is inferior in terms of quality, sound, graphics and other features.

* As replacement costs are low, the costs in the long run will be high due to defects in the devices and replacement of them. Price only will not act as an indicator to the user to purchase the product. The level of quality in terms of features, characteristics and relevance should be considered.

The only remedy for such a problem is to meet the user/customer demands by providing them with a quality original product under the licences of the companies at a market price which is accessible and affordable to a wide range of consumers in the region.
Sent in by
R. Lawrence

Improve your computer literacy
DVD-RAM
A DVD format wherein DVD-RAM discs can be recorded and erased repeatedly but are only compatible with devices manufactured by the companies that support the DVD-RAM format. DVD-RAM discs are typically housed in cartridges. DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM are supported by Panasonic, Toshiba, Apple Computer, Hitachi, NEC, Pioneer, Samsung and Sharp. The DVD Forum also supports these formats.

CSMA/CD
Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collision Detection, a set of rules determining how network devices respond when two devices attempt to use a data channel simultaneously (called a collision). Standard Ethernet networks use CSMA/CD. This standard enables devices to detect a collision. After detecting a collision, a device waits a random delay time and then attempts to re-transmit the message. If the device detects a collision again, it waits twice as long to try to re-transmit the message. This is known as exponential back off.

OSI
Open System Interconnection, an ISO standard for worldwide communications that defines a networking framework for implementing protocols in seven layers. Control is passed from one layer to the next, starting at the application layer in one station, proceeding to the bottom layer, over the channel to the next station and back up the hierarchy.

At one time, most vendors agreed to support OSI in one form or another, but OSI was too loosely defined and proprietary standards were too entrenched.

Except for the OSI-compliant X.400 and X.500 e-mail and directory standards, which are widely used, what was once thought to become the universal communications standard now serves as the teaching model for all other protocols.

Most of the functionality in the OSI model exists in all communications systems, although two or three OSI layers may be incorporated into one.

OSI is also referred to as the OSI Reference Model or just the OSI Model.
Webopedia

Back to Mirror Magazine