Aum Gung Ganapathaye Namah

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma-sambuddhassa

Homage to The Blessed One, Accomplished and Fully Enlightened

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Technology

A Collection of Articles, Notes and References

References

(Revised:  Thursday, February 22, 2007)

References Edited by

An Indian Tantric

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet.

- William Shakespeare

Copyright © 2002-2010 An Indian Tantric

The following educational writings are STRICTLY for academic research purposes ONLY.

Should NOT be used for commercial, political or any other purposes.

(The following notes are subject to update and revision)

For free distribution only.
You may print copies of this work for free distribution.

You may re-format and redistribute this work for use on computers and computer networks, provided that you charge no fees for its distribution or use.
Otherwise, all rights reserved.

8 "... Freely you received, freely give”.

            - Matthew 10:8 :: New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 

1 “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,

4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God

5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,

7 always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.                                                                     

8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth--men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.

9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.”

            - 2 Timothy 3:1-9  :: New International Version (NIV)

 

6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

            - Hebrews 5:6 :: King James Version (KJV)

 

Therefore, I say:

Know your enemy and know yourself;

in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.

When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself,

your chances of winning or losing are equal.

If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself,

you are sure to be defeated in every battle.

-- Sun Tzu, The Art of War, c. 500bc

 

There are two ends not to be served by a wanderer. What are these two? The pursuit of desires and of the pleasure which springs from desire, which is base, common, leading to rebirth, ignoble, and unprofitable; and the pursuit of pain and hardship, which is grievous, ignoble, and unprofitable.

- The Blessed One, Lord Buddha

 

Contents

Color Code

A Brief Word on Copyright

References

Educational Copy of Some of the References

 

Color Code

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Color Code                                                              Identification

 

Main Title                                                                  Color: Pink

Sub Title                                                                   Color: Rose

Minor Title                                                                Color: Gray – 50%

 

Collected Article Author                                       Color: Lime

Date of Article                                                         Color: Light Orange

Collected Article                                                     Color: Sea Green

Collected Sub-notes                                             Color: Indigo

 

Personal Notes                                                       Color: Black

Personal Comments                                             Color: Brown

Personal Sub-notes                                              Color: Blue - Gray

 

Collected Article Highlight                                   Color: Orange

Collected Article Highlight                                   Color: Lavender

Collected Article Highlight                                   Color: Aqua

Collected Article Highlight                                   Color: Pale Blue

 

Personal Notes Highlight                                     Color: Gold

Personal Notes Highlight                                     Color: Tan

 

HTML                                                                         Color: Blue

Vocabulary                                                              Color: Violet

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A Brief Word on Copyright

Many of the articles whose educational copies are given below are copyrighted by their respective authors as well as the respective publishers. Some contain messages of warning, as follows:

Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited

without the written consent of “so and so”.

According to the concept of “fair use” in US copyright Law,

The reproduction, redistribution and/or exploitation of any materials and/or content (data, text, images, marks or logos) for personal or commercial gain is not permitted. Provided the source is cited, personal, educational and non-commercial use (as defined by fair use in US copyright law) is permitted.

Moreover,

  • This is a religious educational website.
    • In the name of the Lord, with the invisible Lord as the witness.
  • No commercial/business/political use of the following material.
  • Just like student notes for research purposes, the writings of the other children of the Lord, are given as it is, with student highlights and coloring. Proper respects and due referencing are attributed to the relevant authors/publishers.

I believe that satisfies the conditions for copyright and non-plagiarism.

  • Also, from observation, any material published on the internet naturally gets read/copied even if conditions are maintained. If somebody is too strict with copyright and hold on to knowledge, then it is better not to publish “openly” onto the internet or put the article under “pay to refer” scheme.
  • I came across the articles “freely”. So I publish them freely with added student notes and review with due referencing to the parent link, without any personal monetary gain. My purpose is only to educate other children of the Lord on certain concepts, which I believe are beneficial for “Oneness”.

 

References

Some of the links may not be active (de-activated) due to various reasons, like removal of the concerned information from the source database. So an educational copy is also provided, along with the link.

If the link is active, do cross-check/validate/confirm the educational copy of the article provided along.

  1. If the link is not active, then try to procure a hard copy of the article, if possible, based on the reference citation provided, from a nearest library or where-ever, for cross-checking/validation/confirmation.

 

References

Austin, Brian. (2000) Using the Internet in easy steps .compact. (1/e) UK:  Computer Step.

Dyson, Esther. (Wednesday, October 16, 2002) It's the Information, Stupid! USA:  EDventure Holdings Inc.

http://www.edventure.com/conversation/article.cfm?Counter=3926372

Manktelow, Nicole. (Tuesday, December 03, 2002) How to manage Australia's finest minds. Australia:  The Age Company Ltd.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/29/1038386319095.html

Mason, Fred. (2007) Visual, Vision, Video Inspection:  What’s the difference? Quality Digest.

http://qualitydigest.com/IQedit/QDarticle_text.lasso?articleid=11929

Fuji Film develops cheap optic fibre. (Tuesday, September 10, 2002) India:  The Times of India.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=21739557

Intel to unveil new chip designs. (Monday, September 09, 2002) India:  The Times of India.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_ID=21652551

 

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Educational Copy of Some of the References

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

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Reference

Austin, Brian. (2000) Using the Internet in easy steps .compact. (1/e) UK:  Computer Step.

 

Page 21

What is the Internet?

Imagine: millions of computers and other electronic devices around the world that can connect with each other using ordinary telephone lines! On a basic level, that’s the Internet, a complex network of different types of electronic devices connected together and essentially “talking” the same language. However, on a deeper level, the internet is much more than that: it’s really millions of people connected together, each having the power to decide with a couple of mouse clicks.

Originally a communications system designed to survive a global nuclear war, the Internet is the first human system that puts power back into the hands of individuals and limits the power of governments – so far. (Debatable, I know).

 

Page 22

So why has the Internet changed our world? In a word: information! Individuals, companies and other organisations, governments, universities and colleges help provide at low cost (or make freely available) a huge range of information.

 

Page 22-23

The framework of the Internet breaks down barriers between countries and empowers ordinary people everywhere to do what they want, to discover what they want and, more often than not, to save money!

 

Page 38

Who owns the Net?

A striking and sometimes confusing fact is that nobody and yet everybody “owns” the Internet! No single government or power has total control of the Internetan unsettling reality for some authorities – and anyone with a PC/modem or other Internet device, and a phone connection, can gain access to it.

 

Page 38-39

Some governments have tried and are still trying to control or censor the kind of information people can gain access to on the Internet – but usually with little success. Perhaps not a surprising outcome when we consider that the original purpose of the Internet was to create a communications system that could continue functioning even after a devastating global thermonuclear war.

 

Page 39

The Internet at present is young and still forming, and in some ways it’s much like a new “Wild West” or the Klondike of the 19th century. Like the gold fields of that era, the Internet and its “digital gold” are helping to create many multimillionaires. Internet success starts with having the right knowledge and know-how and if you have your eye on mining some Internet gold, books like this one can help you get started quickly. But like those early pioneers, you’ll need to tread carefully to avoid unknown dangers!

 

Page 41-42

Copyright: how to become seriously rich or poor

Here’s what to some is an obvious statement: every component on the Internet (text, graphics, programs, sound clips and video files) is owned by somebody. Compare this with the popular but dangerously false view among many Internet users that everything on the Internet is free! Although much on the Internet is free of charge to use privately by individuals usually for non-commercial purposes, check the small print or risk being sued. As the Internet is becoming accepted into mainstream business life, sharp copyright and trademark lawyers are quickly learning the rules and can make their clients much richer at the expense of people who decide to “borrow” components from the Internet!

 

Page 42

Often, an option is provided to download one copy, make a backup copy and print a single copy all for personal, non-commercial use. However, photocopying, re-selling or repeated printing is usually illegal. Arguably, copyright automatically applies to everything that is written, although including a copyright symbol does make ownership more clear. However, usually, even if Internet content is available free of charge, the ownership of that content stays with the copyright or trademark owner.

 

Hot Tip

If in doubt, simple: just ask copyright or trademark owners before using their material and keep copies of all written communications to cover yourself if necessary during any possible future disputes – people may sometimes genuinely forget that they have given permission previously so you need to keep documentary evidence to avoid possible problems and misunderstandings.

 

As a result of copyright and trademark infringements, some organisations have found a highly lucrative addition to their income by setting up systems that regularly scan the Internet (sometimes automatically, 24 hours a day) and suing those parties who violate international copyright laws.

 

Page 111

Physical distance or location is not really relevant on the Web in terms of navigation, so you probably won’t know if the page you’re viewing is located on a computer a few blocks away or half way around the world. But the point is, it doesn’t matter where the original Web page is located.

...

Introducing hyperlinks: the invisible thread that binds the Web

The single most important component that makes the Web so powerful is the link to other pages. Links are sometimes known by other names, for example: hyperlinks, hypertext and hot-links (but let’s use the word links).

 

Page 112

A link can be made up of text, a picture or another object and can easily be identified. Some text links are shown highlighted in bright blue and underlined. With another type of link, when you place your mouse pointer over it, the link changes colour.

 

Page 213

Email, like the Internet, can become addictive and so may reduce, not enhance, the quality of life for some people. As with any addiction, treatment is available and often the best guidelines are available online – the very place email and Internet addicts go.

 

Page 228

“Normal” email is not a secure system: anyone with the correct equipment can tap into the entire contents of your email box or peer into your PC while online. And yes, there are bogies out there – or more precisely unscrupulous people who use email scanners in an attempt to discover key information. So what can you do to keep these people out?

 

Page 228-229

If you’re particularly concerned about your email privacy, take a look at encryption methods as discussed on page 264. But remember that even so-called unbreakable encryption systems may be “hackable” for someone with the right equipment and know-how. Pages 147-156 also examine Internet security in a more general sense. However, for those of us who have no plans for world domination, or not to pay our taxes, or to do anything else that we know we shouldn’t be doing, for most purposes, simple email is probably fine and works wonderfully well.

 

Page 238

1. Developing a compelling email writing style

Here’s an obvious but often overlooked fact about email: as people (usually) cannot see you, they make judgements about you by what you write, how you write it and how it appears to them. With email, often your credibility is at stake. Also remember, the text-based nature of email means that a permanent record of what you’ve said may always be availableso don’t say anything that you wouldn’t mind your mother hearing or a judge sitting on the bench!

 

So let’s look at some simple ways you can ensure your email creates a favourable impression, whether you’re sending a simple message to a friend, family member, or perhaps sending a regular email newsletter to 7,000 keen subscribers eager for money-saving hints, tips and insights from your latest brain dump!

 

Page 247

Doubling up with Carbon Copy (Cc) and Blind Carbon Copy (Bcc)

 

Page 248

Did you really mean to shout?

A continuous sequence of capital letters in an email message is considered to be the equivalent of shouting and is also generally harder to read. Capital letters force the reader to slow their rate of reading. Therefore, use capitals with care rather than simply to emphasise a point: your recipient may think you mean something very different to what you’re trying to say.

 

Misunderstandings can easily arise possibly leading to problems that really have no basis – a definite no-no if you’re trying to sell. Upper and lower case letters – like this paragraph – provide the easiest and fastest way to read an email message. However, capitals are ideal for headings and short sequences of text that have a clear meaning to which you want to give special attention.

 

Page 249

Adding emotion with a Smiley

In a plain text email message, the options for putting over emotion or feeling are limited. However, you can use combinations of special characters to create Smileys – sometimes called emoticons. You can imagine how Smileys get their name: look at the list of popular Smileys below by tilting your head sideways to see the rough outline of eyes, nose and mouth.

 

Smiley:               Emotion:

:’-(                  Crying

:-(                   Frowning

:-I                   Indifferent

:-D                   Laughing

:-)                   Smiling

:-0                   Surprised

;-)                   Winking

 

Saving time with abbreviations

Email abbreviations are a great way to type less, provided of course they make sense to all involved. Here are a few to get you started:

 

Abbreviation:         Meaning:

B4                    Before

BTW                   By the way

CUL                   See you later

FAQ                   Frequently asked questions

FOAF                  Friend of a friend

FOC                   Free of charge

FWIW                  For what it’s worth

FYA                   For your amusement

 

Page 250

Abbreviation:         Meaning:

FYI                   For your information

FYIO                  For your eyes only

HTH                   Hope this helps

IME                   In my experience

IMHO                  In my humble opinion

IMO                   In my opinion

IOW                   In other words

KISS                  Keep it simple stupid

L8R                   Later

LOL                   Laughing out loud

 

Page 251

Abbreviation:         Meaning:

MOTAS                 Member of the appropriate sex

MOTOS                 Member of the opposite sex

MOTSS                 Member of the same sex

NRN                   No reply necessary

OBTW                  Oh, by the way

OTT                   Over the top

ROTFL                 Rolling on the floor laughing

RSN                   Real soon now

RUOK                  Are you OK?

SO                    Significant other

TIA                   Thanks in advance

TTFN                  Cheerio

TVM                   Thank you very much

WRT                   With respect to

 

The above are just a few of the hundreds of abbreviations used in email and Internet Chat communications, so if typing is not your bag, there’s one answer.

 

Page 291

A cautionary note: computer virus warnings

Message files downloaded from newsgroups are one of the most common ways to spread computer viruses. Therefore, before participating in a newsgroup, make sure you have an up-to-date antivirus program working in the background. Don’t ever trust anyone from a newsgroup who says a file or message is virus-free: if you decide to download it, always check it yourself using your antivirus program.

 

Page 291-292

Even when a virus is present in a file, remember that antivirus software may still not detect the virus if it is a new strain or your antivirus records have not been updated to cover that particular virus. Therefore, do keep your antivirus software tables up-to-date: as a heavy Internet user, I update mine once every 2 weeks – sometimes more often. The safest option is to make a rule not to download any attachments from newsgroups, period. Plus make regular backups of your computer data.

 

Page 292

Sorry to spoil your fun but I needed to say that! From my own experiences, I’ve had a lot of fun in newsgroups and several times my antivirus software has detected infected downloaded attachments and zapped them promptly.

 

Page 302

Beware

Don’t say anything on a newsgroup, mailing list, Internet Chat or WebCam-based system that you’re not prepared to repeat in a court of law. The key point is: be careful what you say. Avoid making slanderous or libellous statements.

 

Page 371

Drawing up an Internet battle plan

The great benefit of the Internet – its huge size and far reach – can also be a drawback for new Web sites: no one knows you’re on the Net unless they know you exist. Therefore, once your business Web site is up and running, you’ll need to create and implement a launch plan AND an on-going promotion plan.

 

Page 388

...the Web address box contains “https://” rather than “http://” – the added “s” is included to show that the site is secure.

 

Page 485

However, as we have seen with recent computer virus scares, the great strength of the Internet is also its biggest weakness. The more people who use the Internet, the more we as a race come to rely on it, the more inter-connected our world becomes, the more precarious our situation. It only takes a single continually mutating computer virus to cause widespread chaos.

 

Perhaps the safest option is to somehow find a balance and understand that the Internet is just another tool for modern living, and not let the ever-increasing drive for self-interest and short-term gains blind us into thinking the Internet is the answer to every problem it simply isn’t!

 

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Reference

Dyson, Esther. (Wednesday, October 16, 2002) It's the Information, Stupid! USA:  EDventure Holdings Inc.

http://www.edventure.com/conversation/article.cfm?Counter=3926372

 

IT'S THE INFORMATION, STUPID!

by Esther Dyson

 

The following essay, based on an article for the New York Times Syndicate, outlines the theme for the next PC Forum (March 23 to 26, 2003). The invited speakers, panel discussions and company presenters will focus the who, what and where of data -- how to bring it to life and make it useeful, while ensuring it remains secure. We hope you can join us in Scottsdale!

 

Where's the recovery going to come from?

 

From an economist's point of view, it will come from macroeconomic factors: interest rates, investment cycles and the like. People will get tired of being depressed, prices will become so competitive that it will be hard to resist buying, and so forth.

 

But from the IT sector's point of view, there need to be specific reasons to spend money. Most CIOS get a flat maintenance budget simply to keep their systems running, but if they want any increases they need specific projects to justify them.

 

It's those increases that will fuel the recovery. What will they be for? What will capture CIOs' and CFOs' imaginations?

 

We already had the long cycle of PC adoption; call it self-empowerment. Then there was the Web: entertainment, media, the Internet as advertising medium... not a great success, overall. (You can point to Amazon and eBay, and a lot of real-world companies effectively using the Internet as a way to communicate with customers through e-mail and Websites, but that's not going to be a big incremental driver over the next year or two.)

 

No, I think it's going to be as basic as better information about the real world, and better ways of representing that information so it can be shared across systems.

 

Over the last few decades, information systems people have developed a huge infrastructure of systems full of data about customers, finances, inventories, whatever. But most of these systems aren't well connected to the real world, and they are certainly not well connected to one another.

 

QUERY GLOBALLY, ANSWER LOCALLY

 

So, even as we have this decade's version of modularity and interoperability with Web services (cf. object orientation, client-server, etc.), we still don't have interoperable data. Juan's turkey roll is Alice's luncheon loaf...and often, neither of them is registered anywhere at all online.

 

In this new age of security-consciousness and interconnected systems, our information infrastructure needs to have a better understanding of the environment and the things in it to keep track of them all.

 

The US government's current obsession with security, though in some ways hysterical, is pulling us in the right direction, towards better tracking of people and things. Any canny CIO hunting for a budget increase now has a pretty good rationale to point to.

 

Companies and governments alike need to know: Who's using their systems? Where are those spare parts? And when are they expected to arrive? Is there anything else in that truck? And where are some equivalent spare parts in case they don't arrive? (Stuck on a dock in California, for example.)

 

Yesterday's IT systems managed data in neat, tidy rows: customers, orders, inventory, financials. Next year's systems need to deal with the real world in all its messiness, complexity, richness and sheer unpredictability.

 

Moreover, if your system needs to talk to the other guy's system, you need a common language - whether it's to pass the identity of a frequent flier from an airline's Website to a car rental Website so the car can be ready even if he changes his flight (with his permission of course), or to compare similar products from different manufacturers. For years, we've been reading about software interoperability; now we need data interoperability.

 

SO WHAT WILL CIOS BE BUYING?

 

...and what will the high-tech sector be selling?

 

Mostly, CIOs won't be buying all-new systems such as ERP or inventory management - even though they will be turning to those traditional vendors for upgrades, service and support.

 

Instead, they'll be buying tools and services to help them to get more value out of their existing systems, which in turn will help them get at and interpret data that is currently beyond reach. If the CIOs could, they would buy those things from the traditional vendors who sold them their existing systems and whom they consider (mostly) trustworthy, stable and accountable. (Yes, there's a huge rationale for partnerships beneficial to both sides.)

 

For instance:

 

Companies will buy (the use of) catalogues and directories so that they can define their inventories across vendors. If I'm short of part XG-3/8092 from MultiWidgets, what's the equivalent part from MacroWidgets? And if I can find a third option, from MonsterWidgets, maybe I can get MacroWidgets to lower its price.

 

I can tell where my parts are, but what I really want to know (with appropriate permission) is where my supplier's supplier's parts are. That's how I can determine whether the finished product will get to me on time.

 

Here's another example. Hal Rosenbluth of Rosenbluth International, a global travel management company, says corporate clients want to be able to track their employees: If there's an incident in Phoenix, for example, they want to know which of their employees is in or heading for Phoenix.

 

If there's a sudden need for a meeting, adds Jeff Katz of Orbitz (where I sit on the advisory board), clients want to know which location will be cheapest, considering hotel rates and the sum of all air fares from each employee's location to any of three possible meeting locations.

 

And all these systems need to be able to talk to one another, not at the technical level, such as XML, but at a concrete level, such as a part number, a stock price (bid or ask? dollars or Euros?), or a customer record. "Near the airport" means 5 miles, or accessible by a shuttle bus? Identity management for people is beginning to gain some traction; next up will be identity management for objects and locations - in other words, data and data standards connected with the real world.

 

When we look back at some of the failed promises of the past, one that stands out is "natural-language" query tools. They failed to catch on broadly not because the natural-language tools were inadequate (though they were), but because the systems didn't have the information required. The data may have existed somewhere, but it was just not accessible.

 

Ten years ago, it was because the systems weren't connected. Now, they are probably connected - all on the Internet - but they can't communicate effectively.

 

Making all those systems more valuable - by making their data accessible across corporate boundaries - is the big IT task of the next few years. I predict it will lead the recovery. Many of the key players will be smaller companies acting as middlemen between existing large vendors and existing installed bases.

 

While large vendors all want to sell multi-million-dollar projects, smaller vendors are happy with sales of hundreds of thousands of dollars that simply realize the value in all the million-dollar systems already out there. Eventually, they may find that they do best making sales of all sizes together.

 

READ THE ORIGNAL ARTICLE ONLINE:

http://www.edventure.com/conversation/article.cfm?Counter=3926372

 

(Reference: Dyson, Esther. (Wednesday, October 16, 2002) It's the Information, Stupid! USA:  EDventure Holdings Inc.)

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Reference

Manktelow, Nicole. (Tuesday, December 03, 2002) How to manage Australia's finest minds. Australia:  The Age Company Ltd.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/29/1038386319095.html

 

How to manage Australia's finest minds

By Nicole Manktelow

December 3 2002

 

Scientists like to share their research but it's not always wise - especially when a business idea is at stake.

 

The University of New South Wales has set up a system that promotes Australia's leading experts but also protects and manages their inventions.

 

Some 600 projects - including a breakthrough anti-bacterial substance, a solar energy conversion method and a quantum computing concept - many of which are still under wraps, are being handled by the university company Unisearch.

 

"Academics are used to sharing information and we work with them on the importance of keeping information safe," says Unisearch operations and finance director Warren Bradey.

 

Unisearch has a dual purpose - to provide quick access to scientific minds and to harvest the fruits of their eureka moments.

 

The company's business management system combines both. It puts experts at the end of the phone, while helping academics protect and develop their discoveries - tracking ideas from the initial diagram through to commercial success.

 

Bradey says it offers business and government an array of expert opinion just a call away.

 

"We provide the largest service to the courts and insurance industry . . . on everything from the habits of migrating kangaroos to occupational health and safety. However, we can only provide an independent report. We can't be on anyone's side."

 

Unisearch has more than 2000 academic and industry experts in its database, from all over the country, including the Australian Defence Force Academy.

 

"One of our strengths is that we can handle difficult-to-find experts," Bradey says. "It's having a good database but also in knowing people who know who to ask. Before we take anyone on as an expert, we check their background and credentials. We give them training so that they know what to expect in court or what people will want to have in reports."

 

Unisearch was restructured in 1999, to handle what has since become a business with a $20 million annual turnover. "We thought there would be an upswing," Bradey says. "We also knew there would be changes in compensation legislation and that people would be getting their cases through the system."

 

It was then the company decided to adopt Microsoft's Navision business management system. Navision has supported the company's growth - more than 170 per cent in two years - and Unisearch expects return on its investment within three years.

 

Contact management is the heart of the system. When customers dial for an expert, Unisearch staff type in a key word (such as kangaroos) and the system fetches the details of suitable experts. A quick response is essential and Bradey says the service aims for a 24 to 48-hour turnaround.

 

Integration between key components, such as financials and CRM, is vital. The contact management system links to the in-built project management system and then to the financial module. Once a job is accepted, an invoice is automatically generated and the project monitored. Each project is managed, costed and reported individually.

 

The system was tailored by Brisbane-based Dialog Information Technology, the largest privately owned IT services company in Australia. The company also customised an intellectual property module, which Bradey says is central to commercialising winning ideas.

 

The next step is to provide remote access for Unisearch staff. "Our business development managers need to be out of the office more than in the office," Bradey says.

 

They need to be talking to people such as microbiologists Peter Steinberg and Staffan Kjelleberg, the UNSW academics who found an anti-bacterial compound with many potential uses in aquaculture and pharmaceuticals. Instead of killing a bacterium, the compound coats its surface and sends it away. The company formed around the idea, Biosignal, is jointly owned by the inventors and Unisearch.

 

"They first brought it to us as an anti-fouling paint for boats. And we then introduced them to a number of (international commercial) groups," Bradey says. "We now have it working in contact lenses and in cleaning teeth . . . We've done two trials on dogs' teeth. Dogs are the hardest test . . . to see if it doesn't wash off and prevents staining."

 

Other Unisearch alumni include Qucom, a company based on the university's quantum computing efforts and Pacific Solar, which devised an environmentally friendly energy system.

 

Developments in quantum research at the atomic level could revolutionise computing. Qucom handles the IP resulting from the university's work as well as complex research and commercial relationships in Europe and the US.

 

"It's still seven or eight years away but we have proof of concept," Bradey says. "We can put an atom on silicon at a particular time and pass a signal through it."

 

Pacific Solar was founded in 1995 to develop thin film photovoltaic technology into the Plug&Power product for residential use. It converts solar energy into a form suitable for connection to the electricity grid.

 

Because of the sensitive nature of Unisearch's portfolio, which includes about 200 commercial projects, the business management system has "very extensive internal security control", Bradey says. "As soon as an invention is disclosed and before it has a patent we put it in the system and the system locks it so that only the people in that project can access it."

 

[email protected]

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Reference

Mason, Fred. (2007) Visual, Vision, Video Inspection:  What’s the difference? Quality Digest.

http://qualitydigest.com/IQedit/QDarticle_text.lasso?articleid=11929

 

Visual, Vision, Video Inspection

What’s the difference?

 

Photo

by Fred Mason

 

Using the eye is visual. The use of magnified imaging by eye or with a camera is a common part of manufacturing. Some of that use is for inspection. Some is for measurement. Some is online. Some is offline. There are vision-inspection systems. There are video-inspection systems. There isn’t a standard definition of each, and they’re different from each other.

 

Visual (not vision) inspection

We all know about visual inspection—inspection by the naked eye. Parts are inspected for proper color, fit and finish, presence or absence of labels or other parts, and much more. Visual inspection can be improved by lighting. Colors are most easily seen under bright, white light. Other inspections are done with lights of different wavelengths. For example, certain inks appear only under ultraviolet light. Inspections of these kinds can be performed by unaided observation of the part.

 

If the part or characteristic of the part being inspected is small, magnification makes such inspection easier. A common tool for this is the single lens magnifier, many times surrounded by a circular fluorescent light. Mounted at the end of an adjustable arm, the lens can be positioned for proper magnification while the part being inspected is held comfortably. The fluorescent light evenly floods the part with light. This, too, is visual inspection.

 

Other types of inspection devices include microscopes that perform a similar function as a simple lens, but at much higher magnifications. In visual applications, the user looks through an eyepiece to see the magnified image, which can be illuminated from any number of directions and by a variety of light sources.

 

Visual inspection with a camera

With the pervasiveness of digital cameras, everyone now pretty much understands the basics of how they work. A lens images a scene on a detector that digitizes the image for later viewing. A camcorder is similar, except that it captures a continuous series of scenes. Digital still cameras and camcorders also illuminate and magnify the scenes they image. Let’s apply this to the inspection examples above.

 

Your digital camera can show the captured image on its display, but the size of that display is usually less than 3 in.—not very practical for inspection. However, displaying that digital image on a video monitor can show great detail enhanced by the size of the monitor. It’s the same for the camcorder images. Vision inspection is basically visual inspection with a camera.

 

The simplest vision inspection is just the magnified image from a camera shown on a monitor, instead of directly through a lens or eyepiece. There are a number of advantages to this type of inspection. The user doesn’t have to bend over an eyepiece to see the image. He or she can sit at a comfortable distance. In addition, several people can look at the image at the same time, which may not be practical for inspection, but is very useful for training purposes.

 

Let’s go back to the digital camera. If you take a photograph of an object, you freeze its motion. The still image captures the event at an instant in time. My earlier mention of inspection assumed the inspector was holding the part being inspected. What if the part is still on the production line? Freezing it in time can come in handy.

 

In-line vision inspection

Many times it’s desirable to inspect parts at various stages of the manufacturing process. However, if tens or hundreds or thousands of parts are being made at a time it can be impractical to pick each one up to inspect it. This is where capturing an event in time comes in handy.

 

Solid state cameras are small enough to mount on the production line at positions where parts pass by it on a conveyor belt, for example. Inspectors can look at images of the parts on monitors, rather than at the parts themselves. If there are few parts or the belt is moving slowly, it might be possible to inspect them all in real time as they go by. However, if there are lots of parts, or they’re going by too fast to see the detail by eye, images can be captured just like taking pictures with your digital camera. Those still images can be inspected visually (by eye) or by image processing software.

 

All this leads to two generally accepted definitions. Visual inspection means inspection by eye, either directly or with supplemental lighting, and/or with magnification. In other words, it’s inspection without the use of a camera/lens/electronics (an instrument). Vision inspection, on the other hand, typically means inspection with a camera/lens/electronics where, in addition, the images are analyzed by software, not simply the eye of an observer.

 

How is video inspection different?

This is where it gets more convoluted. A vision inspection system that displays the camera image on a monitor typically uses video signal standards to present the images. A computer monitor can have separate red-green-blue (RGB) inputs. With a television monitor, the signal is usually the NTSC standard (in North America). In either case, the image is displayed on a video monitor. That vision inspection uses video monitors causes some people to erroneously interchange the words “vision” and “video” when describing the type of inspection. There is yet another difference.

 

The following definitions are common in the industries that provide such systems. Vision inspection typically means inspection of parts “as they go by.” This means use of a camera and associated electronics to capture images of parts on the production line. Video inspection, on the other hand, usually means off-line inspection, where the parts are taken to the inspection system. In such usage, vision and video are not synonyms.

 

The three Vs of inspection

So where does all this leave us? I can visually inspect a part directly, or I can visually look at a video image from a vision system. However, if I use a vision inspection system, I’m usually inspecting parts online. On the other hand, I use video inspection to measure parts that are taken to the inspection system. In both cases, those systems might use software to aid the inspection rather than rely on visual interpretation of the images. These distinctions matter when you think about the capabilities of each type of inspection.

 

What does this have to do with measurement?

Yes, the column is called “Measurement Matters,” and all I’ve talked about is inspection. Well, measurement and inspection are sometimes used interchangeably, yet are very different. Next month I’ll get into the differences between inspection and measurement. I’ll leave you with this thought: Just as you can visually analyze a video image from a vision system to inspect a part, you can also inspect a part to verify its measurements or inspect a part as you measure it.

 

Yes, measurement matters. Inspection, too.

 

About the author

Frederick Mason has more than 20 years of experience in metrology in engineering, and domestic and international marketing roles. He has a broad range of experience including holography, laser and white-light interferometry, microscopy, and video and multisensor metrology. He's the marketing communications manager for Quality Vision International, parent company of Optical Gaging Products, VIEW Engineering, RAM Optical Instrumentation, Micro-Metric and Quality Vision Services.

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Reference

Fuji Film develops cheap optic fibre. (Tuesday, September 10, 2002) India:  The Times of India.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=21739557

 

Tokyo: Fuji Photo Film, Japan's largest maker of photographic film, said on Tuesday it has developed a low-cost plastic optic fibre for high-speed communications that will be targeted for household use.

The new product marks the first entry into the fibre cable business for Fuji Photo, which aims to expand its sources of revenue.

Its shares rose on the news, closing Tuesday's morning session up 2.87 per cent at 3,590 yen, while the Nikkei average added 1.19 per cent.

A Fuji Photo spokeswoman declined to confirm a report in the business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun that it would start to commercialise the product during the business year to next March.

"We haven't actually set a firm schedule yet for launching operations," she said.

The company said with plastic fibre, messages or signals are sent via light down a thin strand at speeds of more than one gigabit per second, about the same as glass fibre. A gigabit equals one billion bits.

Demand for faster Internet connection has grown at an exponential rate in Japan, with the number of ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) service subscribers totalling 3.6 million.

It is widely expected that ADSL services, which use existing copper telephone lines, will be replaced in coming years with fibre optic cables that offer much faster transmission speeds.

The company said the plastic fibre can withstand heat and humidity. The technology would also produce fibres with many times the diameter of conventional glass fibres and dramatically reduce installation costs, the spokeswoman said.

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Reference

Intel to unveil new chip designs. (Monday, September 09, 2002) India:  The Times of India.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_ID=21652551

 

San Francisco: Intel kicks off a conference for hardware and software engineers on Monday in Silicon Valley at a twice-yearly gathering hosted by the world's largest chipmaker to spur technology using its microprocessors.

Intel is expected to release more details on the first processor for laptop computers it has designed from scratch, code-named Banias, unveil faster Pentium 4 chips and demonstrate the next version of its Itanium processor designed for heavy-duty computing, analysts said.

Called the Intel Developer Forum, the conference in recent years has gone global, and is held around the year in Taipei, Moscow, Tokyo and Shenzhen, China.

An Intel spokesman said the company expects about 4,000 attendees -- flat with last spring's developer forum -- and said that the vast majority were engineers.

The conference comes as the personal computer industry, which represents Intel's major market, remains mired in the doldrums, following a slack 2001 when worldwide shipments of PCs declined year-over-year.

In the second quarter, according to market researcher International Data, PC shipments were little changed from the year-ago period and fell a greater-than-expected 7.8 per cent from the first quarter.

"Intel will show us how they will make their processors bigger and faster and the transistors smaller and more numerous," said Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst at market research firm Insight 64.

"They'll do their best to rally the troops and get this industry restarted."

Intel will also sound a theme it has been pushing for more than a year, that convergence of computing and communications. Intel is trying to boost revenue from outside its mainstay PC business by moving into the market for communications chips and helping to push the development of advanced handheld computers and wireless devices.

"Every computing device will ultimately be a communications device" and vice versa, an Intel spokesman said. "PCs will communicate even more than they do today and cell phones will compute even more than they do today."

Intel is expected to reveal more details about the Banias chip, which is more than just a microprocessor, Brookwood said, adding that Intel will likely talk up wireless connectivity using the 802.11 standard, which allows for high-speed wireless connections to the Internet and networks.

"Banias is really almost a whole approach to system design," Brookwood said. "It includes chipsets that optimize power usage, and new wireless adapters that are far more power sensitive."

Intel Chief Executive Craig Barrett has said that key for mobile computing is prolonging long battery life with sufficient performance.

"The whole thrust of Banias is how do you have a computer with a reasonable amount of performance and battery life that allows you to use the computer most of the day," Brookwood said.

Intel will also provide more details on the next-generation version of its Itanium 2 processor, code-named Madison. That processor will have even more on-processor memory than Itanium 2 and will be made with smaller lines of circuitry, both of which will boost performance, Brookwood said.

"Intel will get up there and say better times will come, and just because you're not selling much now, you can't cut back on research and development because that's going to drive demand going forward," Brookwood said.

Intel, when it issued its mid-quarter update for the second period on Thursday, said it still plans to spend $4 billion in 2002 on research and development, despite a weak PC market.

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Published on internet:  Wednesday, November 19, 2003

Revised:  Thursday, February 22, 2007

 

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“Thou belongest to That Which Is Undying, and not merely to time alone,” murmured the Sphinx, breaking its muteness at last. “Thou art eternal, and not merely of the vanishing flesh. The soul in man cannot be killed, cannot die. It waits, shroud-wrapped, in thy heart, as I waited, sand-wrapped, in thy world. Know thyself, O mortal! For there is One within thee, as in all men, that comes and stands at the bar and bears witness that there IS a God!

(Reference:  Brunton, Paul. (1962) A Search in Secret Egypt. (17th Impression) London, UK:  Rider & Company. Page:  35.)

Amen

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