INFOLINE

EDITORIAL BOARD

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chief Patron : Thiru P.Sachithanandan,

Correspondent

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

Principal

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

Head of the Department

STAFF ADVISOR

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

Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Technology and Information Technology

STAFF EDITOR

Ms. S.Kowsalyadevi M.C.A.,

Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Technology and Information Technology

STUDENT EDITORS

Sa.Sivakkumar III B.Sc. (Information Technology)

S.Jebastin Paulraj III B.Sc. (Information Technology)

S.Priyadharshini III B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

K.Vimalraj II I B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

S.Akshaya III B.Sc. (Information Technology)

A.Catherine III B.Sc. (Information Technology)

G.Gurubalaji II B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

V.Minitha II B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

R.K.Kiruthika Shivani II B.Sc. (Information Technology)

S.Arunkumar II B.Sc. (Information Technology)

B.Mano Pretha I B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

A.Uthaya Sriram I B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

P.Deepika Rani I B.Sc. (Information Technology)

R.Pradeep Rajan I B.Sc. (Information Technology)

i

CONTENT

Executive Committee i

Cloud computing 1

Cortana a better experience with every touch 1

Windows 10 3

New brain-like computer may solve world's most complex math problems 3

Firewall Technology 5

Common human gut bacteria hacked 6

Model for robots with bacteria-controlled brains 8

Researcher develops advanced computer vision technology 9

Optical Fiber Carriers 10

NASA‟S Horizons Space 12

The transistors in IBM‟s new chip are 7 nanometres longan industry record 13

Puzzles 14

Roll top 14

Number puzzles 17

Sony xperia m4 aqua review 17

1

CLOUD COMPUTING

Cloud computing is defined as a type of

computing that relies on sharing computing

resources rather than having local servers or

personal devices to handle applications. Cloud

computing is comparable to grid computing. It is

a type of computing where unused processing

cycles of all computers in a network are

controlled to solve the problems too intensive

for any stand-alone machine.

In cloud computing, the

word cloud (also phrased as "the cloud") is used

as a metaphor for "the Internet," so the

phrase cloud computing means "a type of

Internet-based computing," where different

services such as servers, storage and

applications are delivered to an organization's

computers and devices through the Internet.

K.SANTHOSH

I B.Sc. (Information Technology)

CORTANA A BETTER EXPERIENCE

WITH EVERY TOUCH

Cortana is the name of the newly

announced intelligent personal assistant and

knowledge navigator for Windows Phone 8.1.

The technology is expected to be added to

Windows 10 and the Xbox .Cortana builds off

Microsoft's previous voice technology called

TellMe, purchased by Microsoft in 2009.Cortana

is to compete against Apple's Siri and Android's

Google Now voice assistants.

The name 'Cortana' comes from the

fictional, artificially intelligent (AI) character in

the Halo video game series. The first evidence of

Cortana's existence was found in June 2013 in

the Windows Phone Central forums, appearing

as 'zCortana' from a developer device that was

accidentally sold to a non-Microsoft employee.

Naming and Voicing.

The name Cortana was reserved for the

AI in Microsoft's Halo gaming series. While

there was a desire to call Microsoft's next-gen

personal assistant Cortana as an official name, it

was not clear that the company could do so, due

to numerous marketing and trademark

concerns.However, on April 4 2014, Microsoft

finally unveiled Cortana to the public during

2

Build 2014. Microsoft chose the name Cortana

due to a popular groundswell of fans who

requested the name.Jen Taylor, who currently

voices Cortana in the Halo games, also voices

the knowledge navigator for Windows Phone8.1.

Features

The current look of Cortana is both

futuristic and minimalist, being represented as

an orb with animation. From a pre-release

description of Cortana by an inside source:"The

personality of Cortana is currently represented

by a circle graphic that expresses what it's doing

(searching, identifying music Cortana is

currently represented by a circle graphic that

expresses what it's doing (searching, identifying

music à la the current Bing music listener built

into Windows Phone, etc.) by various

animations like spinning, flipping, etc. more

animations [have] come in over time, and the

color is based on the theme color.

Cortana can integrate with third-party

apps via a new API introduced by Microsoft at

their 2014 Build conference. For instance, users

can say "Foursquare...checkin" and the personal

assistant launches the Foursquare app and brings

up locations around, to choose for checking

in.Cortana can set reminders, track flights, tell

the weather, send messages, and answer

questions. All searching on Windows Phone 8.1,

including Internet Explorer, is handled through

Cortana, which itself is powered by Bing.

Various sections of Cortana can also be pinned

to a user's Start screen, including Weather,

Reminders, and News for quick access. The app,

upon launching, can optionally deliver a 'Daily

Glance', which includes ones weather, traffic,

and headlines.Cortana can also make NFL and

other predictions and speak Klingon.Finally,

another change is how users start Cortana as the

app is now initiated via the Search key. Users

will no longer have to hold down the Start key to

launch the voice assistant.

Forthcoming features

The Cortana team, led by Marcus Ash,

is adding new features to Cortana roughly every

two weeks. Those new features are added to the

Cortana 'What's New' page hosted by

Microsoft.Evidence for package tracking by

Cortana was found in the Windows 10 registry,

suggesting that this is a forthcoming

feature.Starting with the Lumia Denim update

later in 2014 for the Lumia 930 and Lumia 1520,

users will be able to activate Cortana via passive

voice, meaning they do not physically have to

launch the voice assistant. Instead, users can

simply say 'Hey, Cortana' and the phone,

through passive-voice technology, will wake to

take the request. This feature is dependent upon

the Qualcomm Snapdragon 80x chipset series

and SensorCore.

Availability

Currently, Cortana is only officially

launched in the United States. However, starting

in September 2014 it was announced that the

UK and China now have beta access, while

India, Canada, and Australia get opt-in alpha

program. The alpha program is access to the US

English version, but without much support for

3

local results, which have yet to be setup by

Microsoft.China has a special regionalized

version of Cortana called 'Xiao Na,' which also

has a more face-like visualization than the

default orb design of Cortana. This change was

made to reflect cultural variations in

China.Microsoft is expected to roll out Cortana

to more of Europe in late 2014 as the hard slog

of regionalization continues.

T.S.CHARAN NATH

III B.Sc. (Information Technology)

WINDOWS 10

Windows10 (codenamed Threshold) is

an upcoming personal computer operating

system being developed by Microsoft as part of

the Windows NT

Features:

A major aspect of Windows 10 is a

focus on harmonizing user experiences and

functionality between different classes of

devices, along with addressing shortcomings in

the Windows user interface that were introduced

in Windows 8. Continuing with this pattern, the

successor to Windows Phone 8.1 unveiled at the

same event is also branded as Windows 10, and

will share some user interface elements and apps

with its PC counterpart. Windows 10 will also

allow web apps and desktop software (using

either Win32 or .NET Framework) to be

packaged for distribution on Windows Store.

Desktop software distributed through Windows

Store will be packaged using the App-V system

to allow sandboxing.

T.AKILESH

II B.Sc. (Information Technology)

NEW BRAIN-LIKE COMPUTER MAY

SOLVE WORLD'S MOST COMPLEX

MATH PROBLEMS

A new computer prototype called a

"memcomputer" works by mimicking the human

brain, and could one day perform notoriously

complex tasks like breaking codes.These new,

brain-inspired computing devices could also

help neuroscientists better understand the

workings of the human brain, researchers say.

In a conventional microchip, the

processor, which executes computations, and the

memory, which stores data, are separate

components. This constant relaying of data

between the processor and the memory

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consumes time and energy, thus limiting the

performance of standard computers.

In contrast, Massimiliano Di Ventra, a

theoretical physicist at the University of

California, San Diego, and his colleagues are

building "memcomputers," made up of

"memprocessors," that both process and store

data. This setup mimics the neurons that make

up the human brain, with each neuron serving as

both the processor and the memory.

The building blocks of memcomputers were first

theoretically predicted in the 1970s, but they

were manufactured for the first time in 2008.

[Super-Intelligent Machines: 7 Robotic Futures]

"These machines can be built with available

technology," Di Ventra told Live Science.

The scientists investigated a class of

problems known as NP-complete. With this type

of problem, a person may be able to quickly

confirm whether any given solution may or may

not work but can't quickly find the best solution

to it. One example of such a conundrum is the

"traveling salesman problem," in which

someone is given a list of cities and is asked to

find the shortest possible route from a city that

visits every other city exactly once and returns

to the starting city. Although someone may be

able to quickly find out whether a route gets to

all of the cities and does not go to any city more

than once, verifying whether this route is the

shortest involves trying every single

combination a brute-force strategy that grows

vastly more complex as the number of cities

increases.

The memprocessors in a memcomputer

can work collectively and simultaneously to find

every possible solution to such conundrums.

The new memcomputer solves the NP-complete

version of what is called the subset sum

problem. In this problem, one is given a set of

integers whole numbers such as 1 and negative

1, but not fractions such as 1/2 and must find if

there is a subset of those integers whose sum is

zero."If we work with a different paradigm of

computation, those problems that are notoriously

difficult to solve with current computers can be

solved more efficiently with memocomputers,"

Di Ventra said. But solving this type of problem

is just one advantage these computers have over

traditional computers.

Quantum computing

To solve NP-complete problems,

scientists are also pursuing a different strategy

involving quantum computers, which use

components known as qubits to investigate

every possible solution to a problem

simultaneously. However, quantum computers

have limitations for instance, they usually

operate at extremely low temperatures.

In contrast, memcomputers "can be built with

standard technology and operate at room

temperature," Di Ventra said. In addition,

memcomputers could tackle problems that

scientists are exploring with quantum

computers, such as code breaking.

However, the new memcomputer does

have a major limitation. It is difficult to scale

this proof-of-concept version up to a multitude

5

of memprocessors, Di Ventra said. The way the

system encodes data makes it vulnerable to

random fluctuations that can introduce errors,

and a large-scale version would require error-

correcting codes that would make this system

more complex and potentially too cumbersome

to work quickly, he added.Still, Di Ventra said it

should be possible to build memcomputers that

encode data in a different way. This would make

them less susceptible to such problems, and

hence scalable to a very large number of

memprocessors.

S.DEVISRI

II - B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

FIREWALL TECHNOLOGY

In computing, a firewall is a network

technology system that controls the incoming

and outgoing network traffic based on an applied

rule set. A firewall typically establishes a barrier

between a trusted, secure internal network and

other networks (e.g., the Internet) that is

assumed not to be secure and trusted. Firewalls

are often categorized as either "network

firewalls" or "host-based firewalls". A network

firewall is one, where a firewall software

appliance running on general purpose hardware,

or a hardware-based firewall computer

appliances filters traffic between two or more

networks .Host-based firewalls works where a

layer of software on one host controls the

network traffic in and out of that single machine.

Routers that pass data between networks contain

firewall components and, conversely, many

firewalls can perform basic routing functions.

Firewall appliances may also offer other

functionality to the internal network. They

protect by acting as a DHCP or VPN server for

that network.

Firewalls can be implemented in both

hardware and software, or as a combination of

both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent

unauthorized Internet users from accessing

private networks connected to the Internet,

especially intranets. All messages entering or

leaving the intranet pass through the firewall

which examines each message and blocks those

that do not meet the specified security criteria.

Hardware and Software Firewalls

Firewalls can be either hardware or

software but the ideal firewall configuration will

consist of both. In addition to limiting access to

your computer and network, a firewall is also

useful for allowing remote access to a private

network through secure authentication

certificates and logins.Hardware firewalls can be

purchased as a stand-alone product but are also

typically found in broadband routers, and should

be considered an important part of your system

and network set-up. Most hardware firewalls

will have a minimum of four network ports to

6

connect other computers, but for larger

networks, business networking

firewall solutions are available. Software

firewalls are installed on the computer (like any

software) and it can be customized by allowing

some control over its function and protection

features. A software firewall will protect the

computer from outside attempts to control or

gain access the computer.

Common Firewall Techniques

Firewalls are used to protect both home

and corporate networks. A typical firewall

program or hardware device filters all

information coming through the Internet to the

network or computer system. There are several

types of firewall techniques that will prevent

potentially harmful information from getting

through.

Packet Filter

Looks at each packet entering or leaving

the network and accepts or rejects it based on

user-defined rules. Packet filtering is fairly

effective and transparent to users, but it is

difficult to configure. In addition, it is

susceptible to IP spoofing.

Application Gateway

Applies security mechanisms to specific

applications, such as FTP and Telnetservers.

This is very effective, but can impose a

performance degradation.Circuit-level Gateway

Applies security mechanisms when

a TCP or UDPconnection is established. Once

the connection has been made, packets can flow

between the hosts without further checking.

Proxy Server

Intercepts all messages entering and

leaving the network. The proxy server

effectively hides the true network addresses.In

practice, many firewalls use two or more of

these techniques in concert. A firewall is

considered a first line of defense in protecting

private information. For greater

security, data can be encrypted.

Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)

A newer class of firewalls, next

generation firewall - NGFW, filters network and

Internet traffic based upon the applications or

traffic types using specific ports. Next

Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) blend the

features of a standard firewall with quality of

service (QoS) functionalities in order to provide

smarter and deeper inspection.

C.MYTHILI

I B.Sc. (Information Technology)

COMMON HUMAN GUT BACTERIA

HACKED

The "friendly" bacteria inside our

digestive systems are being given an upgrade,

which may one day allow them to be

7

programmed to detect and ultimately treat

diseases such as colon cancer and immune

disorders.In a paper published in the journal Cell

Systems, researchers at MIT unveil a series of

sensors, memory switches, and circuits that can

be encoded in the common human gut bacterium

Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.

These basic computing elements will

allow the bacteria to sense, memorize, and

respond to signals in the gut, with future

applications that might include the early

detection and treatment of inflammatory bowel

disease or colon cancer.Researchers have

previously built genetic circuits inside model

organisms such as E. coli. However, such strains

are only found at low levels within the human

gut, according to Timothy Lu, an associate

professor of biological engineering and of

electrical engineering and computer science,

who led the research alongside Christopher

Voigt, a professor of biological engineering at

MIT.The team developed a series of genetic

parts that can be used to precisely program gene

expression within the bacteria. "Using these

parts, scientists built four sensors that can be

encoded in the bacterium's DNA that respond to

a signal to switch genes on and off .

Bacterial "memory"

To sense and report on pathologies in

the gut, including signs of bleeding or

inflammation, the bacteria will need to

remember this information and report it

externally. To enable them to do this,the

researchers equipped B. Thetaiotaomicron with

a form of genetic memory. They used a class of

proteins known as recombinases, which can

record information into bacterial DNA by

recognizing specific DNA addresses and

inverting their direction.

The researchers also implemented a

technology known as CRISPR interference,

which can be used to control which genes are

turned on or off in the bacterium. The

researchers used it to modulate the ability

of B.Thetaiotaomicron to consume a specific

nutrient and to resist being killed by an

antimicrobial molecule.The researchers

demonstrated that their set of genetic tools and

switches functioned within B.

thetaiotaomicron colonizing the gut of mice.

When the mice were fed food containing the

right ingredients, they showed that the bacteria

could remember what the mice ate.

Expanded toolkit

The researchers now plan to expand the

application of their tools to different species

of Bacteroides. That is because the microbial

makeup of the gut varies from person to person,

meaning that a particular species might be the

dominant bacteria in one patient, but not in

others.

"We aim to expand our genetic toolkit to

a wide range of bacteria that are important

commensal organisms in the human gut," Lu

says.The concept of using microbes to sense and

respond to signs of disease could also be used

elsewhere in the body, he adds.

8

In addition, more advanced genetic

computing circuits could be built upon this

genetic toolkit in Bacteroides to enhance their

performance as noninvasive diagnostics and

therapeutics.

S.AKSHAYA

III B.Sc. (Information Technology)

MODEL FOR ROBOTS WITH BACTERIA-

CONTROLLED BRAINS

Understanding the biochemical sensing

between organisms could have far reaching

implications in ecology, biology, and robotics.A

scientist used a mathematical model to

demonstrate that bacteria can control the

behavior of an inanimate device like a

robot.Forget the Vulcan mind-meld of the Star

Trek generation as far as mind control

techniques go, bacteria is the next frontier.

"Basically we were trying to find out from the

mathematical model if we could build a living

microbiome on a nonliving host and control the

host through the microbiome," said Ruder, an

assistant professor of biological systems

engineering in both the College of Agriculture

and Life sciences and the College of

Engineering.

He also included that robots may indeed

be able to have a working brain. For future

experiments, Ruder is building real-world robots

that will have the ability to read bacterial gene

expression levels in E. coli using miniature

fluorescent microscopes. The robots will

respond to bacteria he will engineer in his lab.

On a broad scale, understanding the

biochemical sensing between organisms could

have far reaching implications in ecology,

biology, and robotics.In agriculture, bacteria-

robot model systems could enable robust studies

that explore the interactions between soil

bacteria and livestock. In healthcare, further

understanding of bacteria's role in controlling

gut physiology could lead to bacteria-based

prescriptions to treat mental and physical

illnesses. Ruder also envisions droids that could

execute tasks such as deploying bacteria to

remediate oil spills.

The findings also add to the ever-

growing body of research about bacteria in the

human body that are thought to regulate health

and mood, and especially the theory that bacteria

also affect behavior.The study was inspired by

real-world experiments where the mating

behavior of fruit flies was manipulated using

bacteria, as well as mice that exhibited signs of

lower stress when implanted with probiotics.

Ruder's approach revealed unique

decision-making behavior by a bacteria-robot

system by coupling and computationally

9

simulating widely accepted equations that

describe three distinct elements: engineered gene

circuits in E. coli, micro fluid bio-reactors, and

robot movement.

The bacteria in the mathematical

experiment exhibited their genetic circuitry by

either turning green or red, according to what

they ate. In the mathematical model, the

theoretical robot was equipped with sensors and

a miniature microscope to measure the color of

bacteria telling it where and how fast to go

depending upon the pigment and intensity of

color.

The model also revealed higher order

functions in a surprising way. In one instance, as

the bacteria were directing the robot toward

more food, the robot paused before quickly

making its final approach -- a classic predatory

behavior of higher order animals that stalk prey.

Ruder's modeling study also demonstrates that

these sorts of biosynthetic experiments could be

done in the future with a minimal amount of

funds, opening up the field to a much larger pool

of researchers.

The Air Force Office of Scientific

Research funded the mathematical modeling of

gene circuitry in E. coli, and the Virginia Tech

Student Engineers' Council has provided

funding to move these models and resulting

mobile robots into the classroom as teaching

tools. Ruder conducted his research in

collaboration with biomedical engineering

doctoral student Keith Heyde, who studies

phyto-engineering for biofuel synthesis.

Ruder hopes to help democratize the

field of synthetic biology for students and

researchers all over the world with this model. In

the future, rudimentary robots and E. coli that

are already commonly used separately in

classrooms could be linked with this model to

teach students from elementary school through

Ph.D.-level about bacterial relationships

V.MINITHA

II B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

RESEARCHER DEVELOPS ADVANCED

COMPUTER VISION TECHNOLOGY

A researcher from the Defense

Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

has developed a new artificial intelligent user

interface designed to simplify the detection and

analysis of images. While computer vision

technology for images has been popping up

more recently, this new UI allows users to

visualize, navigate and manipulate visual media.

The system was created by Jeff Hansberger, a

researcher at DARPA‟s U.S. Army Research

Lab, as part of DARPA‟s Visual Media

Reasoning (VMR) program to extract mission-

relevant information from visual media. “Our

adversaries frequently use video, still and

cellphone cameras to document their training

and operations and occasionally post this content

to widely available websites,” said Hansberger,

according to the U.S. Army. “The volume of this

visual media is growing rapidly and is quickly

10

outpacing our ability to review, let alone

analyze, the contents of every image.

After observing how analysts interact

with images, and identifying the biggest

challenges, Hansberger decided to create a

touchscreen user interface for the VMR system.

“People looking within and for visual

information prefer to have 1) an overview first,

then 2) zoom and filter through the information

and retrieve 3) details on demand,” he said.

“Touchscreen technology and the use of

zooming, similar to how Google Maps utilizes

zooming across physical spaces was therefore

selected as a primary design element of the user

interface.

In addition to creating a touchscreen

interface, Hansberger also created a traditional

keyboard and mouse interface for organizations

that want to use the system, but avoid buying

new hardware.

According to Hansberger, the UI is

designed to reduce the time it takes to analyze

images, and support pattern detection. For

pattern detection, the interface features visual

diagrams and highlights patterns and

relationships across images. “The more care and

effort we spend in understanding the questions

users will be asking and how we can craft the

information in the interface to answer those

questions, the easier their job will be,” he said.

T. MOHANA PRI YA

II B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

OPTICAL FIBER CARRIERS

A wide and frequency comb ensures that

the crosstalk between multiple communication

channels within the same optical fiber is

reversible.

Electrical engineers have broken key

barriers that limit the distance information can

travel in fiber optic cables and still be accurately

deciphered by a receiver. Photonics researchers

at the University of California, San Diego have

increased the maximum power -- and therefore

distance -- at which optical signals can be sent

through optical fibers. This advance has the

potential to increase the data transmission rates

for the fiber optic cables that serve as the

backbone of the internet, cable, wireless and

landline networks. The research is published in

the June 26 issue of the journal Science.

The new study presents a solution to a

long-standing roadblock to increasing data

transmission rates in optical fiber: beyond a

threshold power level, additional power

increases irreparably distort the information

travelling in the fiber optic cable. "Today's fiber

optic systems are a little like quicksand. With

quicksand, the more you struggle, the faster you

sink. With fiber optics, after a certain point, the

11

more power you add to the signal, the more

distortion you get, in effect preventing a longer

reach. Our approach removes this power limit,

which in turn extends how far signals can travel

in optical fiber without needing a repeater," said

Nikola Alic, a research scientist from the

Qualcomm Institute, the corresponding author

on the Science paper and a principal of the

experimental effort.

In lab experiments, the researchers at

UC San Diego successfully deciphered

information after it travelled a record-breaking

12,000 kilometers through fiber optic cables

with standard amplifiers and no repeaters, which

are electronic regenerators.

The new findings effectively eliminate

the need for electronic regenerators placed

periodically along the fiber link. These

regenerators are effectively supercomputers and

must be applied to each channel in the

transmission. The electronic regeneration in

modern lightwave transmission that carries

between 80 to 200 channels also dictates the cost

and, more importantly, prevents the construction

of a transparent optical network. As a result,

eliminating periodic electronic regeneration will

drastically change the economy of the network

infrastructure, ultimately leading to cheaper and

more efficient transmission of information. The

breakthrough in this study relies on wideband

"frequency combs" that the researchers

developed. The frequency comb described to

ensures that the signal distortions -- called the

"crosstalk" -- that arises between bundled

streams of information travelling long distances

through the optical fiber are predictable, and

therefore, reversible at the receiving end of the

fiber. The photonics experiments were

performed at UC San Diego's Qualcomm

Institute by researchers from the Photonics

Systems Group led by Radic.

Pitch Perfect Data Transmission

The UC San Diego researchers'

approach is akin to a concert master who tunes

multiple instruments in an orchestra to the same

pitch at the beginning of a concert. In an optical

fiber, information is transmitted through

multiple communication channels that operate at

different frequencies. The electrical engineers

used their frequency comb to synchronize the

frequency variations of the different streams of

optical information, called the "optical carriers"

propagating through an optical fiber. This

approach compensates in advance for the

crosstalk that occurs between the multiple

communication channels within the same optical

fiber. The frequency comb also ensures that the

crosstalk between the communication channels

is reversible.

The laboratory experiments involved

setups with both three and five optical channels,

which interact with each other within the silica

fiber optic cables. The researchers note that this

approach could be used in systems with far more

communication channels. Most of today's fiber

optic cables include more than 32 of these

channels, which all interact with one another.

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In the Science paper, the researchers describe

their frequency referencing approach to pre-

compensate for nonlinear effects that occur

between communication channels within the

fiber optic cable. The information is initially

pre-distorted in a predictable and reversible way

when it is sent through the optical fiber. With

the frequency comb, the information can be

unscrambled and fully restored at the receiving

end of the optical fiber. "We are pre-empting the

distortion effects that will happen in the optical

fiber," said Bill Kuo, a research scientist at the

Qualcomm Institute, who was responsible for

the comb development in the group.

The same research group published a theoretical

paper last year outlining the fact that the

experimental results they are now publishing

were theoretically possible.

C.SUNDAR RAJAN

III B.Sc. (Information Technology)

NASA’S NEW HORIZONS SPACE

NASA‟s New Horizons space probe has

revealed far-flung Pluto in unprecedented detail,

after sending back the first detailed pictures of

its surface. The first picture of an equatorial

region near the base of Pluto's bright heart-

shaped region reveals a range of what NASA

has described as "youthful mountains rising as

high as 11,000 feet (3500 meters) above the

surface of the icy body".

The mountains may have formed less

than 100 million years ago, quite young in

comparison to the 4.56-billion-year-old solar

system, and may still be in the process of

building, according to Jeff Moore of New

Horizons‟ Geology, Geophysics and Imaging

Team (GGI). This, combined with a lack of

craters on the planet's surface, suggests Pluto

may still be geologically active.Mr. Moore

stated it to be one of the youngest surfaces ever

seen in the solar system. According to NASA,

unlike the icy moons of giant planets, Pluto

cannot be heated by gravitational interactions

with a much larger planetary body, causing

scientists to rethink what could be powering

geological activity on other icy bodies.Another

image created with the New Horizons Ralph

instrument also shows the distribution of

methane ice.In the north polar cap, methane ice

is diluted in a thick, transparent slab of nitrogen

ice resulting in strong absorption of infrared

light was found by New Horizons co-

investigator Will Grundy. In different areas the

ice has different textures."Pluto New Horizons is

a true mission of exploration showing us why

basic scientific research is so important," John

Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's

Science Mission Directorate in Washington,

said. New Horizons also observed the smaller

members of the Pluto system, which includes

four other moons: Nix, Hydra, Styx and

Kerberos. The spacecraft descended to just

12,500km above the surface of Pluto, giving it

the opportunity to create detail surface maps as

it zipped past at 50,000km/h.These maps will

prove a boon to mission scientists as well as

those curious to finally see Pluto up close.

13

Earth was out of contact with the probe during

the flyby as mission control cannot maintain

contact with the probe while it records data.The

enormous distance between New Horizons and

Earth is also partly responsible for the delay in

communication, with important scientific

observations taking at least 4.5 hours to beam

back to Earth.As planned, the only

communication with New Horizons so far has

been a simple „phone home‟ message, received

here on Earth earlier today.The data will finally

ends decades of speculation and hypotheses on

Pluto‟s atmospheric characteristics, geology and

the presence of smaller moons or other debris in

the Pluto system.

Swinburne University of Technology‟s

Dr Alan Duffy said the encounter was

“incredibly exciting” and that “there‟s simply no

substitute for travelling the billions of kilometres

to see it up close”. “For our entire careers Pluto

has been a few pixels across on a computer

screen … imagine finally getting to explore a

new continent on Earth, twice the size of

Australia, being able to see details as small as an

Olympic swimming pool,” he said. Earlier

images captured by the probe revealed a

geologically complex world, including a

complex band of terrain with contrasting areas

of light and dark material.“Our first glimpses of

this world already show strange features” said

Dr Duffy. “The best is yet to come.”

M.VETRIVEL

II B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

THE TRANSISTORS IN IBM’S NEW CHIP ARE 7 NANOMETERS LONGAN

INDUSTRY RECORD

IBM has not yet released information

about when it will begin commercially

manufacturing its new generation of chips,

which are only in working versions right now.

But in a statement, the company said that it

expects the new 7-nanometer technology to be

crucial in “meeting the anticipated demands of

future cloud computing and Big Data systems,

cognitive computing, mobile products and other

emerging technologies. IBM‟s development of

the chip comes out of the company‟s $3 billion

investment last year in partnership with New

York state, Global Foundries, Samsung, and

equipment suppliers, aimed specifically at

manufacturing ultra-advanced computer chips.

Thursday's announcement bodes extremely well

for the semiconductor industry, which will be

able to harness IBM's new technology for

further innovation down the line. It also ensures

that the two-year rule of Moore's law-a

celebrated pace that the computer industry has

often boasted about in the past-will continue

thriving for at least a few more years.

IBM announced its development of a

fingernail-size computer chip that has roughly

14

four times more processing power than ever

before. The transistors in IBM‟s new chip clock

in at a size of 7 nanometers long—an industry

record. According to IBM, the company was

able to make its breakthrough due to the use of

silicon-germanium, a material that has lower

power requirements than silicon and also speeds

up transistor switching. Fourteen-nanometer

transistors were the previous industry standard.

The New York Times offers a way to understand

the new transistors.

J.JAYACHANDRAN

II B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

PUZZLES

Four Gallons

There is a three gallon and a five gallon

measuring device. The question is: how to

measure out four gallons in just two chances?

Solution:

Fill the five gallon container. Pour all

but two gallons into the three gallon container.

Empty the three gallon container. Put the two

remaining gallons from the five gallon container

into the three gallon container. Fill the five

gallon container one more time. Pour one gallon

from the five gallon container by filling the three

gallon container. Now the five gallon container

contains four gallons.

The Boxes

There are three boxes. One is labeled

"APPLES" another is labeled "ORANGES". The

last one is labeled "APPLES AND ORANGES".

But they are labeled incorrectly. How can the

boxes be labeled correctly if only one fruit from

one box can be opened to correct it?

Solution:

Pick from the one labeled "Apples &

Oranges". This box must contain either only

apples or only oranges.E.g. if you find an

Orange, label the box Orange, then change the

Oranges box to Apples, and the Apples box to

"Apples & Oranges.

J.DEEPIKA,

III B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

ROLLTOP LAPTOP

Rolltop Laptop

Gizmos and devices like the iPad,

tablets and notebooks offer the latest in

technological convenience possible. Technology

and personal electronic devices have progressed

and developed at such a fast pace that it is no

wonder that things like Rolltop Laptop are

becoming more than concepts. The ideas that are

being given

15

shape and will someday replace the traditional

act of reading hardcopy paper. For many people,

reading the newspaper in the morning or rolling

it up and taking it with them to work is a joyous

task, others like their news rolled up but much

more compact and in soft copy form. Rolltop

Laptop symbolizes exactly that. It is a laptop

device that rolls up just like the newspaper and

can fit in a handbag, briefcase, coat pocket and

anything in between.

Promised to be one of the most used,

compact, ergonomic and easy to use devices in

history of electronic development, Rolltop

Laptop promises to be the reading partner,

provider of the latest news and updates and a co-

worker in times of need. Originally designed by

Orkin Design Company, this fresh concept has

enough probability to replace traditional

personal computers entirely and laptops largely.

While it weighs as much as a mini-book, the

Rolltop Laptop comes with OLED-technology

and a multi-touch screen that does away with the

hassle of using keypads and combines the

flexibility of using hands with the ease of

navigation.

Once in the rolled up position, the

Rolltop Laptop will take the perfect shape of a

rolled up newspaper but once this thing is

actually rolled out, there is a lot that it can do to

impress all kinds of technology savvy experts.

As far as the hardware is concerned, there is

very little of it to speak of. It is not needed to

carry external cable cords and battery charging

devices because the Rolltop Laptop comes

attached to a holding belt that actually holds and

helps to carry the device and allows using it as

an electric cable for charging purposes whenever

it is needed. The base of the Rolltop Laptop is a

circular and long case that holds the Rolltop

Laptop wrapped around itself. Once the device

is rolled out, the base can be detached and have

it stand next to the rolled out device. A cord that

can be pulled out of the base connects to the

main Rolltop Laptop and the base also acts as

the web camera and loudspeaker of the device.

The Rolltop Laptop itself comes complete with

volume control, USB ports as well as a LAN

port. Once Rolltop Laptop is roll out it is just

like a yoga mat, it is entirely up to us whether to

roll it out flat or keep it steeped upwards. When

Rolltop Laptop is flattened out a 17-inch screen

- to watch movies and videos on or simply

browse around using a pin inserted inside the

Rolltop Laptop can be viewed. If the Rolltop

Laptop is to be used at an incline, simply pull

the upper part of the screen towards ourself to

resemble something like a notebook or a laptop

16

with a 13-inch screen and a virtual keyboard on

the lower end. This ultimate feature, not found

in any other electronic device gives the complete

control of where, how and in what capacity the

device can be used in. To give this laptop-like

position some support, there is a pull out support

and stylus pen included.

While the Rolltop Laptop is yet a

concept, the German company Orkin Design is

fully dedicated to bring this concept to life in the

near future. The motive of the development of

this device is set in line with laptop users‟

usability and functionality with the ultimate goal

of bringing all kinds of electronic needs of the

average person into one single device. At the

moment, Orkin Design is running some tests on

the device and working out some issues and

kinks in order to ensure that the final product

that is sold in the market truly combines the best

combination of hardware and software

applications that is possible. Physically, the

Rolltop Laptop will not weigh anything more

than a mini notebook and once it all rolled up, it

will be 11 inches long and have a diameter of

3.26 inches.

Proposition

Rolltop is not a "virtual and futuristic"

gadget, existing only on the screen of the

computer as in the most of similar concepts and

visions! Most of the existing design concepts

usually have been developed without any deep

technologic and ergonomic elaboration and often

could be difficult or even impossible realized.

From the beginning Rolltop has been developed

as a real future product. During its development

a lot of different scenarios (e.g. usability,

functionality etc.) were simulated. Moreover

Rolltop has been included in the best worldwide

ergonomic, mechanic and electronic practices.

The device of the flexible display allows a new

concept in notebook design growing out of the

traditional "bookformed" laptop into unfurling

and convolving portable computer. Rolltop

incorporates both latest high-tech devices and a

new brand design techniques into a computer

that will increase the quality and productivity of

the designers work. On top of everything else no

laptop bag needed - all computer utilities from

an interactive pen through power supply to the

holding belt are integrated in Rolltop. This is

really an all-in-one gadget.

Overview

Rolltop is a portable computer

development concept for designer, architect and

everyone, who would like to have a gadget,

which, from an aesthetic standpoint alone,

certainly hits the mark. By virtue of the OLED-

Display technology and a multitouchscreen the

utility of a laptop computer with its weight of a

mini-notebook and screen size of 13 inch easily

transforms into the graphics tablet, which with

its 17-inch flat screen can be also used as a

primary monitor due to the support attached to

the back of the screen. While the Rolltop Laptop

is yet a concept, the German company Orkin

Design is fully dedicated to bring this concept to

life in the near future

17

Rolltop 2.0 is a further development

of Rolltop with some visible and mostly

invisible improvements (e.g. internal design,

placement of

G.GURUBALAJI

II -B.Sc. (Computer Technology)

NUMBER PUZZLES

Which number comes inside the circle?

Answer : 6

Explanation : Looking at the

diagram in rows, the

central circle equals

half the sum of the

numbers in the other

circles to the left and

right of the Centre.

Which number replaces the question mark?

Answer : 9

Explanation : The number at the

Centre of each

triangle equals the

sum of the lower two.

Which number completes the Puzzles?

Answer : 19

Explanation : As you move

diagonally down,

numbers follow the

sequence of Prime

Numbers.

K.SHANMUGAPRIYA

III - B.Sc. (Information Technology)

SONY XPERIA M4 AQUA

18

All behold the rain gods, for the

monsoon has arrived in Delhi... finally. If you've

lived in Delhi for long, you'd probably know

how Delhiites share a love-hate relationship with

rains. As the name suggests, the M4 Aqua has

been designed to survive splashes, showers,

puddles even pools of water. In short, it's what

you call a 'made for rainy weather' smartphone.

Priced at Rs.23,000 the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua is

a mid-range handset with mid-range specs. Sure,

it's waterproof and all that, but is it enough to set

the market on fire? We find out...

Design and build

The Sony Xperia Z3 will always be top

contender for the best-looking smartphones

we've ever seen. The Xperia Z3 was beautiful,

no two ways about it. It's good to see Sony

retaining that design philosophy in its recently

launched handsets. Even the current flagship

Xperia Z3+ has been built on similar lines. But,

bringing those design aesthetics in a mid-range

device, now that's something special, something

that we don't see many companies doing daily.

The M4 Aqua is strikingly similar to the Xperia

Z3 on so many levels, that on first look you're

bound to get confused. Heck, some of our

friends/colleagues mistook it for the Xperia Z3.

The all-familiar glass front and back,

accompanied by the slightly rounded edges, and

oh, the raised silvery power button are all there,

giving it a minimalistic yet sophisticated look.

The volume rocker is still on the right edge

(below the power button) and Sony has retained

the physical camera button as well.

Still, this is a mid-range device and

corners have been cut. Unlike the metallic frame

(in the Z3) the Aqua uses one made of plastic.

On closer look, this does look a little cheap, but

it's something we can live with.The dual-SIM

card slot (on the right) and the microSD card slot

(on the left) are guarded by protective flaps. A

welcome change here is the absence of a

protective flap over the micro-USB

charging/data syncing port that makes charging

a no-fuss experience as opposed to the Z3 where

the flap made things a little frustrating.

At 145.5 x 72.6 x 7.3 mm and 136

grams, the M4 Aqua is lighter than the Z3, but

that one was a 5.2-inch device. That said, the

M4 Aqua is one of the slimmest and lightest

smartphones in this price range, more

importantly it is ergonomically well balanced

and fits just right in the hand.One drawback is

that it attracts lots of fingerprints, but again most

handsets with a glass surface do that.

Display

19

The Xperia M4 Aqua has a 5-inch HD

IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with a

resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels that roughly

translates to 294ppi. These are basically standard

specifications for a mid-range device. There are,

of course, a number of handsets in this range

(like the Honor 6 Plus, OnePlus One) that give

you full-HD resolution and even bigger screens.

Sony trademarks like the Triluminos display and

X-Reality Engine are also missing out on this

one, and the effect shows in the overall display

output.

This is clearly not Sony at its best.

Though it also doesn't mean it's bad. The HD-

display on-board the M4 Aqua metes out a

pretty good output (for the price). Colour

reproduction is mostly accurate and there is an

option to manually adjust the white balance.

While viewing angles were pretty good for the

most part, we did not like the overall brightness

of the screen which was on the lower side. The

effect was more pronounced in outdoor

environment where low brightness meant

reading text and watching videos was a strain for

the eyes. Also, the reflective surface adds to its

display woes.

The cybercrime

Cyber crimes can involve criminal

activities that are traditional in nature, such as

theft, fraud, forgery, defamation and mischief,

all of which are subject to the Indian Penal

Code. The abuse of computers has also given

birth to a gamut of new age crimes that are

addressed by the Information Technology Act,

2000.When Internet was developed, the

founding fathers of Internet hardly had any

inclination that Internet could transform itself

into an all pervading revolution which could be

misused for criminal activities and which

required regulation. Today, there are many

disturbing things happening in cyberspace. Due

to the anonymous nature of the Internet, it is

possible to engage into a variety of criminal

activities with impunity and people with

intelligence, have been grossly misusing this

aspect of the Internet to perpetuate criminal

activities in cyberspace. Hence the need for

Cyber laws in India.

The hacking community

The hacking community can be

classified as follows.

White Hat Hackers

A White Hat who specializes in

penetration testing and in other testing

methodologies to ensure the security of an

organization's information systems.

The term white hat hacker is also often

used to describe those who attempt to break into

systems or networks in order to help the owners

of the system by making them aware of security

flaws, or to perform some other altruistic

activity. Many such people are employed by

computer security companies; these

professionals are sometimes called sneakers.

Groups of these people are often called tiger

teams.

20

Black Hat Hackers

A Black Hat is the villain or bad guy,

especially in a western movie in which such a

character would stereotypically wear a black hat

in contrast to the hero's white hat.Use of the

term "cracker" is mostly limited (as is "black

hat") to some areas of the computer and security

field and even there, it is considered

controversial.

A group that calls themselves hackers

refers to "a group that consists of skilled

computer enthusiasts". The other, and currently

more common usage, refers to those who

attempt to gain unauthorized access to computer

systems.

Gray Hat Hackers

A Grey Hat, in the hacking community,

refers to a skilled hacker whose activities fall

somewhere between white and black hat hackers

on a variety of spectra.One reason a grey hat

might consider himself to be grey is to

disambiguate from the other two extremes: black

and white. It might be a little misleading to say

that grey hat hackers do not hack for personal

gain. While they do not necessarily hack for

malicious purposes, grey hats do hack for a

reason, a reason which more often than not

remains undisclosed. A grey hat will not

necessarily notify the system admin of a

penetrated system of their penetration.

R.PRADEEP RAJAN

I B.Sc. (Information Technology)