Gadgets, Tech Tips & News

TCS / Infosys will buy SAP, Capgemini in 2020

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:11:00 +0000

Surprised by the subject?

That’s exactly what the recent Forrester presentation on Future of Services says. In The Coming Upheaval Of The IT Services Market, John C. McCarthy - Vice President, Principal Analyst Forrester Research - observes how IT services landscape will be restructured in terms of user behavior, service offerings, Pricing/delivery models, go-to-market strategies, and the competitive landscape.

Forrester talks on 4 powerful forces impact the services market:

The Restructuring Economy - Sustained economic uncertainty shifts customer buying behavior and focus

Innovation Moving To The Edge - Innovation shifts from core applications to the edge of the enterprise and analytics

Changing User Demographics and Decision Structures - The rise of the business “influencer” new workforce demographics, and vendor management redefine buying

As-a-Service Becomes The Norm - New pricing and delivery models change how services are sold and provisioned

It also depicts selected Service Providers Top line forecast in 2020 and how they need to structure their Organization. Possible consolidations and new partnerships would lead to globalized organizations comprising of multiple global service companies. Following slideshot explains how John observes the Top 10 IT Service Vendors in the year 2020.

INTERESTED? How can you leave this golden chance to grab this complete official presentation from Forrester? It is now very simple! For just $10, you can instantly access (i.e. download PDF) the complete near 50 page document. If you want to get your own copy, simply email me and I will guide you for the payment (through PayPal only) and on successful payment, I will send you the document.

Twitter rocks the privacy world, yet again

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:50:00 +0000

Twitter continues to face recurring problem of how to make (more and more) revenue. No surprise, as this would be the central issue for any company that was started on the premise of “scale up with a bunch of customers and then maybe we can figure out how to make some cash.” So of course Twitter management looks at different ways to create revenue. However, the current plan to record and analyze every link users click, whether on the company’s web site or using one of the popular third-party applications, is a big mistake in a number of ways.

Data on what people do and want is valuable, and so Twitter rightly figured that someone would pay to know what happened. Unfortunately, that’s bad for Twitter in a number of ways:

Although other companies track what people click on, they have done so long enough that consumers accept it as normal. Because it just started, Twitter stands out.
People will assume that Twitter will spy on them and keep a dossier. (And they’re probably right.)
Advertisers want the data, and Twitter doesn’t have the broad advertising base to keep people at arm’s length and will have trouble preserving privacy. At least, that’s what it will seem like, and perception is what eventually rules, not reality.
Such a small percentage of people click on links, that data may have limited value and commercial worth.

The privacy issues are seriously big. The FTC slapped Twitter over data security, and one government after another seems bound on a privacy witch hunt. Just look at such companies as Google and Apple. [Source: BNet article]

Scientists capture that moment when Blood Flow begins

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:26:00 +0000

By capturing movies of both the blood and vasculature of zebrafish embryos, each less than two millimeters long, researchers have been able for the first time to see the very moment that blood begins to flow [as reported by ScienceDaily]. The observations, reported online on June 3 in Current Biology, show that the earliest blood flow, involving what appear to be hundreds of cells, begins all at once.

Remarkably, that onset of life-giving circulation takes more than a beating heart. In fact, red blood cells remain stuck to the blood vessel wall initially, even after the heart starts to beat, says Atsuko Sehara-Fujisawa of Kyoto University. When most of the red blood cells finish their invasion into the vasculature, they are released into the circulation almost simultaneously," she says. "We could show that those blood cells release themselves into the flow, using 'molecular scissors' to disrupt their adhesion to blood vessels and enter the circulation dependent on plasma flow. Without those scissors, blood cells stagnate on the blood vessel wall. Those molecular scissors come in the form of a protease enzyme known as ADAM8, the researchers report.

These findings raise an obvious question: Why would the onset of primitive blood circulation require such an active protease instead of just going with the flow, with blood cells entering the circulation one by one? First, the researchers say, proteolysis would allow for control over which blood cells enter the circulation and which get held back. It might also help to stop blood cells from entering the circulation too early, preventing leaks that might occur if blood vessels aren't fully formed, or avoiding stagnation before an adequate flow of plasma is established with the heartbeat, the researchers add. It may be that blood cells need plasma to flow before they can reach maturity.

India has more Cell Phones than Toilets

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Far more people in India have access to a cell phone than to a toilet and improved sanitation, according to UN experts who published a 9-point prescription for achieving the world's Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for sanitation by 2015 on April 14.

They also urge the world community to set a new target beyond the MDG (which calls for a 50 percent improvement in access to adequate sanitation by 2015) to the achievement of 100 percent coverage by 2025.

Recent UN research in India, the world's second most populous country, shows roughly 366 million people (31 percent of the population) had access to improved sanitation in 2008. Other data, meanwhile, shows 545 million cell phones are now connected to service in India's emerging economy. The number of cell phones per 100 people has exploded from 0.35 in year 2000-01 to about 45 today.

Worldwide some 1.1 billion people defecate in the open. And data show progress in creating access to toilets and sanitation lags far behind world MDG targets, even as mobile phone connections continue to a predicted 1 billion in India by 2015. Says Zafar Adeel, Director of United Nations University's Canada-based think-tank for water, the Institute for Water, Environment and Health: "It is a tragic irony to think that in India, a country now wealthy enough that roughly half of the people own phones, about half cannot afford the basic necessity and dignity of a toilet."

The new UNU report cites a rough cost of $300 to build a toilet, including labour, materials and advice. Worldwide, an estimated $358 billion is needed between now and 2015 to reach the MDG for sanitation -- some of this funding is already mobilized at national and international levels.

[Ref: ScienceDaily]

Generate Electricity by tapping into Algae cells

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 04:05:00 +0000

In an electrifying first, Stanford scientists have plugged in to algae cells and harnessed a tiny electric current. They found it at the very source of energy production -- photosynthesis, a plant's method of converting sunlight to chemical energy. It may be a first step toward generating "high efficiency" bioelectricity that doesn't give off carbon dioxide as a byproduct, the researchers say.

The Stanford research team developed a unique, ultra-sharp nanoelectrode made of gold, specially designed for probing inside cells. They gently pushed it through the algal cell membranes, which sealed around it, and the cell stayed alive. From the photosynthesizing cells, the electrode collected electrons that had been energized by light and the researchers generated a tiny electric current. "We're still in the scientific stages of the research," said Ryu. "We were dealing with single cells to prove we can harvest the electrons."

Plants use photosynthesis to convert light energy to chemical energy, which is stored in the bonds of sugars they use for food. The process takes place in chloroplasts, the cellular powerhouses that make sugars and give leaves and algae their green color. In the chloroplasts, water is split into oxygen, protons and electrons. Sunlight penetrates the chloroplast and zaps the electrons to a high energy level, and a protein promptly grabs them. The electrons are passed down a series of proteins, which successively capture more and more of the electrons' energy to synthesize sugars until all the electron's energy is spent.

In this experiment, the researchers intercepted the electrons just after they had been excited by light and were at their highest energy levels. They placed the gold electrodes in the chloroplasts of algae cells, and siphoned off the electrons to generate the tiny electrical current.

The result, the researchers say, is electricity production that doesn't release carbon into the atmosphere. The only byproducts of photosynthesis are protons and oxygen.

[Ref: ScienceDaily]

Iceland Volcano Storms could threaten UK Power Grid

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:04:00 +0000

Changes in the space environment caused by the Sun can lead to periods of bad "space weather." As well as driving intense displays of the northern lights (or aurora borealis), this can generate unexpected currents in electricity distribution grids that could lead to blackouts and damage to valuable infrastructure with potentially high cost to the global economy.

A team of British scientists at Lancaster University and the British Geological Survey (BGS) in Edinburgh have developed a new model that shows the widespread impact inclement space weather could have on the UK. On April 14th, team member Katie Turnbull presented the results at the RAS National Astronomy Meeting (NAM 2010) in Glasgow.

Bad space weather can cause fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field (geomagnetic storms) that lead to Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) in power grids. These currents have previously been blamed for blackouts in Canada and Sweden and are suspected of damaging power transformers in countries at lower latitudes. Large GICs have even been recorded in Scotland.

To prevent future blackouts, understanding how GICs occur is vital. The model developed by the British team, the most sophisticated yet developed, takes magnetic field measurements from all over the UK and combines them with the BGS's 3D model of how the ground beneath the UK conducts electricity, in order to estimate the currents induced at over 250 locations in the high voltage national grid.

The new work provides further evidence that the size of the unwanted current depends not only on the severity of the geomagnetic storm but also on the configuration of the power grid and the direction and fluctuation speed of the electric fields produced. For many years, it was thought that only countries located at high latitudes (near to the Earth's magnetic poles) were at risk, but this is now known not to be the case. While the basic physics that links solar activity to our electricity grids is broadly understood, the interaction between natural and man-made systems makes it hard to quantity the risks.

Results to be presented at the conference will compare simulated GICs in the UK grid model with those actually measured during a geomagnetic storm in February 2003. The simulated and measured currents are similar, but the model suggests that high currents are likely to be induced at several locations in the grid where GICs were not being monitored by the power industry at the time.

[Ref: ScienceDaily]

Multiply savings while buying digital products

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:33:00 +0000

With so many products being invented and re-invented every hour, the world has become a digital zoo. Seriously, I am not kidding. Every hours, there are hundreds of new product designs and developments happening around the world, some of them are absolutely crap and yet some are quite useful. With a plethora of items to choose from, how does one decide to buy something that is useful to her? With so much technological advancements happening around us, it sometimes become quite difficult to keep track of all of these, and especially if you are willing to buy any of these products, then it may turn into a nightmare.

Don't fret. I am not saying that we should run around to find out the best deal on a particular digital monster of your choice. In fact, there exists a single source which can help you compare prices of various electronic gadgets and digital products and also brings to you the best available deals. Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to introduce SaveBuckets, a revolutionary concept in price comparison and best deals. You can now compare prices for laptops, mobile phones, digital camcorders, tvs, computers, netbooks, etc. in a few clicks. Besides digital products, it also offers clothing, home improvement items, many varieties of pushchair, books, personal care products, etc. I especially liked the electronic games section where in I noticed that the prices offered by SaveBuckets are much lower than predominant market prices.

This site is neatly organized around categories and then product listings. Though the categories look cluttered and incomprehensive, I still feel that the collection is impressive. With daily list of "Featured Products" it becomes an experience in itself to surf this site and save big bucks. It also adds many new products every week, so it's like a treat to visit this site at least once every week to get the best of the lot. This site is also rich in user guides like Buying Guide, FAQ, etc. I am in love with the gaming section and wish I could buy many of these games when I get my increment this year!

Tips while you hire a web-designer

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:34:00 +0000

Weird question, isn't it? But it is a serious attempt to understand whether we really need a website designer in the first place. No the question is not whether you need a website. One, of course, needs it - be it for personal, business, or social purpose. The answer to my question really depends upon following points:

What is the purpose of your website?
How much time do you think you can invest yourself in the development of this site?
How much familiar you are to blogging platforms, programming (HTML/CSS/PHP)?
Do you have the resources and the passion to develop the site yourself?
Can you afford to hire a website designer, in case your answer to above question is "No"?

Assuming that you answered “Yes" to question # 5, you should remember that website designing is not so simple at it seems. Think of it as a package containing gifts you want to send to someone you are wooing since some time. If you do not package this well, there are chances that the gifts may get damaged or even destroyed in transit. The packaging should look interesting to the other party so as to generate enough interest in you. If you succeed in first attempt, there are high chances that she will be in touch with you later as well. So you now understand that it is quite important to make the first impact an impressive one.

You should always remember following pointers while choosing a web designer: Know what you want from your website; Know your target audience; Plan a budget; Set a deadline; Decide between a Freelancer and a Design Agency; and finally, get the specs absolutely clear as otherwise your site will become nothing less than a mess. You should also consider using advanced Javascript to make your site more attractive and interactive.

Solar Energy is the Future

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000

We consume fossil fuels at a greater rate than we have ever had over the past 50 years. That demand is fueled by the increase of cars on the street, the number of planes that take to the air and the number of homes that need electricity. Sadly, we would have depleted these resources by the end of this century which is why we have to come up with other ways to get power and solar energy may be the future. Solar energy is simply extracting the sun’s energy for power. Just to tell you how powerful the sun is, it can burn scrub lands and give you sunburn if you are out in the sun without any protection just for 30 minutes! In fact, the Greeks and the Chinese used this to set fire until the 1880’s by Charles Fritts made the first solar cell.

Instead of using a heater to warm up the home, sunlight can be used to control the temperature. You will just need large windows and shades to control the amount of sunlight that will go inside and keep the heat absorbed during the day to remain (read preserve) during night.

Solar energy can also provide warm water as it warms up cold water that passes down through the closed flat panels called collectors.

But solar energy does not only give warmth to the home. It can also be used to help power it which reduces our dependence on non-renewable resources like oil or coal. This occurs when solar cells are installed on the roof so it will be able to capture as much solar rays as possible and then converts this into electricity. You will need 10 or 12 to capture at least a kilowatt of power and more if you are powering more than just your home.

The only limitation which challenges the use of solar energy is that it can only generate power during the day. The answer to this is to put an auxiliary system in place that will store the energy and kick when the sun is not available. This comes in the form of batteries which will provide power in the evening or on a cloudy day.

Advances in technology have taken solar energy to the next level. NASA uses it to power satellites in orbit, solar panels installed onboard aircraft allow it to fly across oceans while cars can travel speeds up to 40 miles per hour. It is used to power a lighthouse so seafarers will be able to find their way at sea while aircraft can land in an airport in the middle of the frozen desert.

Solar energy is safe for the environment since it does not emit any harmful gases or chemicals into the air. It is a renewable resource that has not yet been fully tapped by a lot of countries which makes it very viable for the future.

But is it the only answer to reduce our dependence on oil? No because solar energy is just one of the options. We can also harness the power of the wind, the wave in the oceans, geothermal heat, hydroelectricity and a lot more instead of relying on coal or even nuclear energy that may harm the environment.

It is something we have to push for the next generation.

If you're a developer, you'll need this...

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:33:00 +0000

Software developers, popularly knows as Programmers, are those cretures which "get stuck" most often. Sometimes they are stuck in code, sometimes in functional specs, in technical requirements, in test cases, or sometimes even in code review! Most often, a developer will be stuck doing what she does best - programming. A developer, irrespective of the technology she is working on, will often need lot of "Help" on the technology / coding. Sometimes she is using a latest technology / framework and not much is known about it, yet some other time she is working on something niche which exists but is not known to many, and in some cases, she is using outdated stuff to which all outdated support is available.

So, generally, when a developer will need assistance during coding, what does she do? What are her options? Search for the probable solution on the Internet, check with friends, or read help - online/offline.

The most favoured and usually quickest option is the Emperor Google: Yes, Google turns out to be most trustworthy companion of a developer. Would you believe that Google has an archive of newsgroup messages since before the advent of Linux! Because of Google's awesome technology, it can crawl through millions on blogs, forums, and online help sites to bring out the most relevant content. No wonder, it still is most favoured source to turn for help.
Second most favoured option is Emailing lists and Newsgroups: Usually developers exchange email addresses whenever and wherever they meet, so that they stay connected with like-minded folks. Whenever someone faces an issue, she can simply shoot an email to this wide group and expect an answer pretty quickly.
Another not-so-favoured option is Vendor sponsored resources: This is quite rare and not all developers have access to this. It usually is shipped with new product releases to a specific set of priority customers, and those developers will then have exclusive access to the help documents.

Did you know that you can also get instant Insurance for your newly designed home?

Revolutionize website design with CSS & XHTML

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:52:00 +0000

Is CSS important for a website / blog?

I know this is an insane question. The answer is not only YES, but a resounding "Absolutely Yes". There was time, long long ago, when I used to create website using HTML and a bit of basic Javascript. Then I enlightened myself with advanced Javascript and my sites became more interactive. Later I learnt about CSS and then my entire world went for a tailspin... My sites now look fantastic, sleek and modern. I added spice to it by using PHP programming and my sites are now absolutely incredible. Thanks to CSS, XHTML, and PHP.

I do not want to emphasize my proficiency here. Actually I wanted to highlight how important and unseparable part CSS has become in today's website development. Even though scripting and CSS become quite a challenge for web designer, it certainly brings great rewards when the site finally goes live. With the 3 pillars of website designing (namely, HTML, XHTML and CSS), everything looks pretty much in proper place: all pictures are in position, all headings are alike and all of the content flows in a predefined pattern of formatting. All of this, perhaps, was impossible without the 3 pillars. They do have their own pitfalls: to use CSS, once needs to be quite patient and have attention to details; XHTML calls for strict discipline in coding.

But the rewards at the end of the exercise are handsome. Your site will not only look sexy, it will be as per latest standards, extensible, scalable, and easily manageable.With CSS, you can simply play with the colors. Remember, using plain HTML has lot of constraints on the way components (text, images, placeholders, quotes, etc.) are displayed. With CSS, you can revolutionize the user experience by throwing multitudes of colors - forecolor, backcolor, shading, gradient, etc. Although most widely used colors on web undoubtedly are Red, Yellow, Black, and White, you can make millions of combinations by using Hex colors and Color schemes.

Microsoft's View on Security in the Cloud

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:13:00 +0000

By building on the same security principles used to manage risks to Microsoft software development and operating environments, Microsoft has created an online Information Security Program — that results in continuous improvements to security for the Microsoft cloud computing environment. The coordinated and strategic application of people, processes, and technology allows Microsoft to adapt to the rapid changes happening within the cloud infrastructure and in the marketplace for online services while still maintaining a trustworthy computing experience for customers.

Having a defense-in-depth approach is a fundamental element in how Microsoft provides a trustworthy cloud infrastructure. Applying controls at multiple security measures of varying strength — depending on the sensitivity of the protected asset — results in improved capacity to prevent breaches or to lessen the impact of a security incident. The advent of cloud computing does not change this principle — that the strength of the controls derives from the sensitivity of the asset — or how essential it is to managing security risks. The fact that in a cloud computing environment most assets can be virtualized results in shifts in the analysis of risk and how to apply security controls to the traditional defense-in-depth layers (physical, network, data, identity access, access authorization and authentication, and host).

Online services, including the infrastructure and platform services take advantage of virtualization. As a result, customers using services hosted on the Microsoft cloud may have assets that can no longer be easily associated with a physical presence. Data may be stored virtually and distributed across many locations. This basic fact means identifying security controls and determining how to use them to implement a layered approach to protecting assets must evolve.

Physical and network security measures must, of course, still be taken. However, the focal point of risk management shifts closer to the object level, closer to the elements in use in the cloud environment: for example, the static or dynamic data storage containers, the virtual machine objects, the run-time environments in which computations occur.

Host Security and Auditing and Reporting: Daily scanning of the infrastructure assets; penetration testing performed by internal & external parties

Application Security: The rigorous security practices employed by development teams at Microsoft were formalized into a process called the Security Development Lifecycle (SDL). Many cloud and online service development projects have shorter release schedules or the frequent addition of new features and capabilities. Agile development is widely adopted methodology for software development, and widely suited to these projects. Microsoft has evolved its SDL process to be effective in these accelerated development models and offers development teams the flexibility to adapt their secure code development practices to meet a project's specific goals and timeframe.

Identity and Access Management: Microsoft uses a need-to-know and least-privilege model to manage access to assets. Highly sensitive assets require multifactor authentication, including such measures as password, hardware tokens, smart cards, or biometrics.

Data Security: Microsoft applies security controls to assets based on asset classification. Controls include data encryption at rest and in transit.

Network Security: Microsoft applies many layers of security as appropriate to data center devices and network connections.

Physical Security: Microsoft ensures the establishment of outer and inner perimeters with increasing controls through each layer. The security system applies the combined use of technology solutions including cameras, biometrics, card readers, and alarms with traditional security measures such as locks and keys.

Tool to fix any computer problem: Spotmau PowerSuite 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 10:05:00 +0000

Are you still struggling with the age-old computer? Does your computer give problems while booting up? Do you often find yourself entangled among a lot of pesky computer problems which simply are making your life hell? Can’t find (or afford) a professional to quickly fix your computer? Sounds familiar situation?? If you find your poor soul fighting these pesky issues, then you’ve come to the right place… If you’re reading this, you are 50% closer to the optimal solution that will take care of all of your computer-related problems, including that of optimization. Yes, I am glad to introduce to you the latest Spotmau PowerSuite 2010 using which users can easily check, optimize, speed up and fix any computer problems on Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7.

This stupendous software is developed by Spotmau, the global leader in utilities software and computer services. Some of the key features of Spotmau Powersuite 2010 are:

360°PC Health Check, 1-click to perform a comprehensive health scan for your computer
TuneUp kit, includes Windows Speedup, Windows Cleaner and Customization
Emergency Kit, includes Windows Recovery, Windows Backup, Data Transfer
Data Backup Kit, includes Folder Backup, Folder Recovery, Clone Genius
Data Recovery Kit, includes Undelete, Unformat, Raw Rescue
Privacy Kit, includes Program Lockup, File Shredder, File Encryption, Personal Safe, Disk Wiper
Password Kit, includes Admin/User Password, Password Finder, MS Key Finder
Partition Genius, the most easy and comprehensive hard disk partition utility

About Spotmau
Spotmau Corporation was established in April, 2006. It has quickly become the market leader both in software utilities developer and a computer service company. It has been awarded a Certificate of CMMI CL3. A long term and stable cooperation relationship with many leading companies has been established, such as Google, Microsoft, Intel, Digital River, etc. Spotmau.com is a one-stop shop for all your computer needs. It provides both "Fix It Yourself" and "We Fix It For You" services. Their team of Microsoft-Certified Engineers will instantly fix computer problems for you through our Remote Control Platform.

Featured Clients
The list includes influential clients like American Red Cross, Boeing, United States Air Force, ExxonMobil, US Army Corps of Engineers, JC Penny, Air Canada, and Brothersoft.

Win your favourite gadget by paying a small amount!

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:09:00 +0000

With the revolution in the entertainment industry by the introduction of iPod, Apple has, for sure, changed the entire game. With the introduction of yet another revolutionary product, iPhone, Apple shocked every other rival and steered ahead to become clear market leader. It has even came up with a few other products like iPod Touch, iTV, the customer is sure to get pleasant shocks… You will remember how iPod created a wave, a fever… there were even thefts reported – people just resorted to rob those who owned an iPod… Such was the glory, pleasure, and charisma of owning an iPod. Today it is not so costly, almost everyone can buy one iPod now… But my opinion is that, if you can Win an iPod, why should you Buy it?

Confusing? It should not be. I have just stumbled upon a revolutionary service, BidHere, whereby one can bid for the favourite gadget and cross his fingers – you might actually win that gadget! You end up paying only the bid amount (and delivery charges as and where applicable). So it turns out that you actually pay only a fraction of the total price of that gadget. I have started bidding for Apple iPhone, Apple MacBook Pro, Panasonic 5.1 Channel Home Theatre System, Sony PS3, Samsung LED TV, and Nintendo Wii. I hope I win at least one of these favourite and most-wanted gadgets. Most important of all – BidHere is secured, certified, and verified for safe online transactions! I have found that it follows fair bidding practices through their unique technique called Fair Auction Guarantee, which ensures that every user gets a fair chance to win a gadget, irrespective of his/her other details like nationality, race, status, etc. Bidding on this site is very simple; check out the timer against each of the gadget, bid your amount, and wait. If you are outbid, raise your bid (by $0.02) and continue until you win! That’s it… I really wish I get at least one of the gadgets in my wishlist! Amen…

Microsoft's unified messaging software, voicemail: Pros & cons (2/2)

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:30:00 +0000

--- Continued from Part 1 ---

Another important consideration regarding a unified messaging implementation is that, depending on the size of your organization, you may want to use a dedicated server to act as a unified messaging server, rather than trying to piggyback the unified messaging role on one of your other Exchange servers. Because of voice prompts, unified messaging is processor-intensive, so offloading the unified messaging role to a dedicated server is a good idea. The adjoining figure shows what a typical unified messaging deployment looks like. In the figure, an IP-PBX and a legacy PBX are running in parallel so that you can see how the SIP gateway fits into the picture. Click on the figure to see enlarged picture.

Keep in mind that voice messages are not actually stored on the unified messaging server but, rather, in each user's Exchange mailbox. You will therefore want to make sure that users' mailbox servers have plenty of free disk space to accommodate voice messages.

Other considerations

There are two extremely important issues one must consider while implementing unified messaging. The first one involves licensing. Unified messaging works by placing voicemail messages into users' Exchange Server mailboxes. This means that you will have to purchase an Exchange Server Client Access License (CAL) for any user who will be using unified messaging. The other issue is that unified messaging stores a user's voice, email, and fax messages within a single database. So robust hosting solution become extremely important. If the server which is hosting the database fails, users with mailboxes on that server will lose access to all three types of messages until the server is brought back online. You can, however, utilize clustering solutions to minimize the chances of such a failure.

Microsoft's unified messaging software, voicemail: Pros & cons (1/2)

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:06:00 +0000

Exchange Server 2007, with its unified messaging role, is Microsoft's latest attempt at jumping on the VoIP bandwagon. Unified messaging allows Exchange Server to essentially act as your company's central voicemail system. Voice messages can be placed into users' inboxes alongside email messages and faxes. Exchange Server's unified messaging role has many more capabilities than just voicemail, but since voicemail is the primary feature, so let's take a realistic look at Exchange 2007 and discuss whether or not unified messaging is ready for prime time.

Anywhere access

Before we start talking about system requirements and limitations, lets discuss some of the advantages of using unified messaging. If you are going to go through the hassle and expense of phasing out your existing voicemail system and replacing it with unified messaging, there have to be some benefits that make the project worthwhile.

The biggest advantage of using unified messaging (from a voicemail perspective) is that it makes it a whole lot easier for users to get their messages. With a traditional voicemail system, users basically had two methods of getting their messages. They could either dial into the voicemail system, enter a PIN and check for new messages, or they could wait until they got back to their desk and see whether the little red light on the phone was flashing. Neither of these methods is very efficient, though. Checking for the flashing red light isn't practical for those who spend a lot of time away from the desk, and dialing into the voicemail system to check messages is time-consuming and disruptive.

The Exchange unified messaging role treats voice messages like email messages. The advantage of this is that email is pervasive. The primary mechanism for checking email is Microsoft Outlook, but users may also check email through Web-based clients such as Microsoft Outlook Web Access, and messages are often sent to users' cell phones or PDAs using Direct Push or ActiveSync. The point is that users can receive email messages in any number of ways with very little effort. Unified messaging makes it possible for users to receive voice messages right alongside email messages. Of course, unified messaging still supports the traditional methods of checking voicemail.

Implementation

Without a doubt, the biggest disadvantage of using unified messaging as your company's voicemail system is the implementation. The implementation process can be both complex and expensive. The biggest obstacle to a unified messaging implementation is often a company's PBX system. Exchange Server doesn't actually care what kind of PBX you have, but Exchange does need to be able to communicate with the PBX. As such, Exchange assumes that you are using an IP-based PBX that supports VoIP.

The problem is that while IP-PBX systems are becoming more common, most companies still use legacy circuit-switched PBX systems. These PBX systems use circuit-switched protocols such as Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) for transporting phone traffic. You can make Exchange work with a legacy PBX system, but to do so, you will have to implement a session initiated protocol (SIP) gateway. A SIP gateway's job is to facilitate communications between a legacy PBX and Exchange Server.

--- To be concluded in next part ---

Yes, Solar Energy is the next big thing

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:39:00 +0000

Despite its stupendous advantages, solar power has yet to fully make it in the mainstream. WHY? This is a debatable question and I will try to bring forth a few clear benefits of solar power as against the conventional energy and then will try to compare benefits offered by solar power over its counterparts.

In the long run, solar power saves money. I agree that initial costs of installation and operations may be more expensive than that for other energy forms; but after settling the expenses, you have an energy resource that is almost free. There are no charges for using sunlight - in fact it is more readily available in some tropical countries! The ROI can also be shorter depending on how much energy you use. You won’t spend too much on maintenance either. The most important raw material, the photovoltaic cells, usually last for 15 to 20 years. There are no mechanical or moving parts to oil and maintain nor are there parts that need to be replaced yearly.
Solar power is environmental friendly. It is renewable, unlike fossil fuels which, according to some studies, will be exhausted in a few decades from now. The process of converting energy to usable electricity does not involve the release of toxic chemicals which can harm the environment. Hazardous emissions from other energy generation plants including Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide, Sulphur Dioxide, Lead, and Mercury will become a history when everyone goes solar. Relying on the sun for power also helps reduce global warming.
There are no hazardous working conditions & no health risks to workers. Unlike the toxic wastes and pollutants involved in and generated by conventional energy plants, solar power generation involves very minimum generation of hazardous chemicals. There would be limited health risks in solar plants as compared to conventional energy plants.
Solar power is a boon for remote & poorer places. The use of solar panels is also good for remote areas where providing basic electricity services is troublesome if not totally impossible at all. Solar energy can be transported to far flung villages and once installed they can be left alone for years with little or without maintenance. For a poor country, producing electricity through solar energy can mean independence from oil-producing countries which controls the supply and prices of oil. With such independence, new policies on energy can be created which will maximize the benefit for its citizens. Countries will also not be wary on natural disasters which hampers delivery of oil. (Can you forget the recent Indian Oil Inferno that was erupted in Jaipur, India, a few days before - which was triggered by human negligence? All such disasters will be a histroy when we switch to friendly solar power.) With this new found independence, countries can invest its national budget on other programs aside from purchasing oil from foreign sources.

I agree that there are several disadvantages of using solar power and one of which is the huge initial costs. But thinking about it in the long run, you’ll see that the benefits of solar energy outweigh the disadvantages. Plus, with the current development in the field of science and technology, solar power is becoming more and more convenient and it would not be surprising to find solar energy as a primary source of power in the next few years.

Interesting Facts about Solar Energy

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:29:00 +0000

There are lots of interesting facts about solar energy. Educating yourself about this will prove to be beneficial in the long run. You can share the information to your loved ones. You can teach them of ways on how they can help to conserve the energy. You can also do your share to help this method to advance if you are a genius in the field. But if you are an ordinary citizen who only wants to enjoy, then feast on. But remember that you also have responsibilities to the environment that you must accomplish in order to do your part in the whole scheme of things.

The Facts that Matter

Solar radiation makes it possible for the energy coming from the sun to be used as power source and energy that can in turn be used for many purposes. The technology on this aspect is characterized in two ways. They can either be passive or active. This will depend on the methods that are used to get, convert and allocate sunlight.

What are active solar techniques? These utilize pumps, photovoltaic panels and fans to renovate sunlight into useful resources. These aim to increase the energy supply that is why these can also be referred as supply side technologies. The passive solar techniques, on the other hand, use only selected resources with constructive thermal properties, utilize the kind of spaces that can circulate air naturally and apply the position of buildings and structures towards the sun. These will lessen the need for other sources and can also be referred as the demand side technology.
Solar energy has influenced many factors that surround people. This can be referred in planning and designing buildings. This process can be rooted back at the early days of the architectural history. The Greeks and the Chinese first used such factor in building and constructing their architectural pieces and on their planning methods.
Solar energy is also being utilized by the agricultural sector because they rely heavily on its benefits in order to gain more harvest. They developed ways in order to plant the kind of crops that will grow according to the amount of sun that they will be getting for the season. This can also be used to dry the crops, pump water, brooding of chicks and to dry animal
manures that can later be used as fertilizers.
On seasons like the Little Ice Age, fruit walls were used by French and Chinese farmers to be able to collect and store solar energy to help them keep the plants warm and to speedy up the process of ripening of fruits. These walls serve as the thermal masses. The fruit walls that were first developed were perpendicular to the ground and faced the south direction. Over time, innovations were done and slopping walls were used to gain more advantage from the sun.
To convert the solar light into heat, people have developed greenhouses. These enable the production and cultivation of specialty crops all year round. Such innovation made it possible for crops to be produced in untimely seasons and in places where you think that those plants won’t grow. And these are only some of the interesting facts about solar energy. These give you a good peek at how wonderful nature is and how people have developed ways to use it to advance in many aspects of their lives.

Dumb questions about being Eco-friendly & Green (10)

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:59:00 +0000

Q19: Will washing my clothes at 30 degree C really get them clean?

A: If the reaction of consumers is anything to go by, washing powders formulated for use at lower temperatures do work. In a 2006 study by the UK's Energy Saving Trust, 89% of families who had been asked to test Ariel at 30 degree C said they would continue using it that way. Likewise, while only 2% of UK households were washing at 30 degree C in 2002, five years later that figure was 17%. Meanwhile in Germany, where people have traditionally used lower washing settings than in the UK, they are turning down to 20 degree C, and in North America growing numbers are doing their laundry in cold water. Unfortunately, there are some nasties that low temperatures may not remove. Researchers from the University of Seoul, South Korea, found that washing with biological detergent at 30 degree C only killed 6% of dust mites, compared with 100% at 60 degree C, and leaves traces of other allergens, including pollen grains and dog skin cells. The global detergent manufacturer Unilever, which has been keen to promote the eco-message, still advises customers to run one wash per week at 40 degree C to ensure bacteria don't have a chance to grow in the machine and cause unpleasant smells.

Q20: What is the single most effective thing I can do for the environment?

A: Over a 75-year lifespan, the average European will be responsible for about 900 tonnes of CO2 emissions. For Americans and Australians, the figure is more, like 1500 tonnes. Add to that all of humanity's other environmentally damaging activities, and draconian as it may sound, the answer must surely be to avoid reproducing!

Dumb questions about being Eco-friendly & Green (9)

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:57:00 +0000

Q17: Is it better to buy an eco-friendly car, with all the energy that is needed to produce it, or just run my old one into the ground?

A: According to the ETA, when the average new car leaves the showrrom, its manufacture, design and marketing have accounted for up to 6 tonnes of CO2 emissions! Nevertheless, swapping a thirsty and polluting old car for a lighter and more fuel-efficient model does make a good environmental sense. But the gains made from exchanging five year old family car, for example, with a similar sized brand new model are likely to be negligible!

Q18: What's the best way to charge my laptop - little and often or let the battery run down completely?

A: In energy terms, you use the same amount of electricity either way. However, charging a battety little and often reduces its capacity to hold charge, and eventually it will lose its capacity to charge altogether! If you kill your battery like this, you'll need a new one - and batteries take a lot of energy and materials to produce. So charge your battery fully and then let it run down completely (or till 85% of its capacity if not 100%) and then recharge. This will ensure the longest possible life out of your battery!

Dumb questions about being Eco-friendly & Green (8)

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 05:56:00 +0000

Q15: If I'm stuck in a stop-start traffic jam, do I use more petrol turning my car on and off repeatedly, or leaving it running?

A: Unless you are certain you won't have to pull away at short notice, the inconvenience and tiny amounts of fuel involved make stopping and restarting the engine hardly worthwhile. The UK Automobile Association recommends switching off engines if you're likely to be stopped more than 3 minutes. Technology is already providing a better solution, though. Recognising that many hours of urban driving are spent at a standstill, several car manufacturers have started to introduce so-called "stop-start" technology. In fact, Volkswagen recently mothballed plans for a hybrid car, preferring to invest in stop-start technology on its standard models to achieve fuel efficiency savings of between 10 and 15% in urban traffic.

Q16: Does it really take more energy to recycle an aluminium can than to make a new one?

A: NO, absolutely not. According to Alcoa, the world's third largest aluminium producer, manufacturing a can from recycled aluminium uses only 5% of the energy required to make one from scratch - an energ saving that could power a 100 watt bulb for 4 hours!!

Google Chrome OS: What you must know…

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:19:00 +0000

Google has finally, though little late, announced its long-expected operating system, the Chrome OS. Here are my 2 cents about this much hyped OS…

Everyone now knows that Chrome OS is like a secret well kept amongst a billion of netizens! Google’s idea is to essentially create a thin client OS for consumers. This is not going to have a big impact on IT departments and businesses, many of which are experimenting with Windows-based thin client solutions such as VDI. However, IT experts should understand Chrome OS because you never know when people start using it and you may feel left out!

What's so special about Chrome OS?

Runs with a Linux kernel as its base
Boots directly into the Chrome Web browser
Aimed primarily at netbooks
Runs on both x86 and ARM processors
Not designed for local storage; all data will be stored in the cloud
No Chrome OS API’s released; instead, techies can build Web apps running on a standard browser
Most important features, according to Google, are: Speed, Simplicity, and Security

Why Chrome OS Matters?

Does it? REALLY?? Well, here are 3 most important reasons why it does…

Windows OS is a monopoly… It sure needs tougher competition to pull up its socks!
Microsoft Windows “ruled” personal computers for almost 2 decades, with little competition from Apple’s Macintosh (~10% share). Now that people are bored with stereotypical Windows and menace from the likes of virus, spyware, and security troubles are its biggest weaknesses, Google is wise enough to target those soft targets with a promising Chrome OS.
Because Chrome OS will be cheap
Well, that’s what my personal opinion is, and please don’t quote me on this! Google has confirmed that the Chrome OS will be open source and will not have any licensing fees. That will enable Chrome OS-based netbooks to be cheaper than its Windows-based and ARM-based counterparts.
Because it’s from Google
I have got an impression that whatever Google does has to be grand, never-seen-before, and NOT HARSH on consumer’s wallets. So will be the Chrome OS!

What may put Chrome OS off?

It’s running on Linux
It’s bit late in the race
No proven track record of Google in the OS space
It’s limited to netbooks

Having said all this, I must confess that I am trilled to use Chrome OS. Now that I own a Lenovo Netbook, I can’t wait to install Chrome OS…

Cyber Attack Code kills infected PCs

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:13:00 +0000

The botnet-driven cyber attack on government, financial, and media sites in the U.S and South Korea includes a newly discovered danger: The malicious code responsible for driving the distributed denial of service attack, known as W32.Dozer, is designed to delete data on infected computers and to prevent the computers from being rebooted, a shocking revelation made today by Network Computing.

The malicious code includes instructions to start deleting files when the infected computer's internal clock reached July 10, 2009. "Your machine is completely hosed at this stage," said Vincent Weafer, VP at Symantec Security Response.

According to Weafer, the malicious code will attempt to locate files with any of more than 30 different extensions, such as .doc, .pdf, and .xls, copy the data to an encrypted file that's inaccessible to the user, and then overwrite the data in the original files. It targets files associated with office, business, and development applications. The malicious code is also programmed to modify infected computers' Master Boot Records. The change renders computers inoperable following any attempt to reboot.

The impact of this self-destruct sequence should be minimal, however. Weafer said that he expects only a few thousand machines will be damaged. "I don't expect this to be a major issue, except perhaps in South Korea," he said.

The South Korean Intelligence Service estimated that about 20,000 compromised computers —mostly in South Korea—had been ordered to conduct a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on U.S. and South Korean sites. Given the timing, which coincided with a North Korean missile test, suspicions have been raised about the involvement of hackers in North Korea or possibly China.

6 Worst Cloud Security Mistakes

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:48:00 +0000

With Cloud Computing becoming a hot cake now-a-days with every other organization jumping at the idea and trying to cash on the bandwagon, mistakes do tend to happen. If you are constantly under pressure to "push" IT operations into the "cloud" of your service provider, then I can understand the cost and budget pressures you must be going through. Compliance can be equally tricky! However, please note that we tend to make mistakes just in such scenarios: we are in a hurry to achieve something and hence to miss some of the important signs that may lead to mistakes, if not blunders. The most important and most common mistake is: blowing off cloud computing all together because you think you can secure your own stuff better than a service provider. Network Computing researched on such common mistakes and have come up with proposed ways to avoid them. Let's see what these mistakes typically are:

Mistake #1: Assuming the cloud is less secure than your data center

It's only natural for security pros to be control freaks. Being charged with securing a company's data and intellectual property, they tend to have false impressions about cloud security. One common mistake is that as soon as they talk about the cloud, organizations assume it's less secure than their own IT security operation. We should keep in mind that "More control does not necessarily lead to more security."

Mistake #2: Not verifying, testing, or auditing the security of your cloud-based service provider
Don't assume instant security when you opt for a services provider. Be sure to verify how they secure your data and their infrastructure. It's a mistake to simply trust them. You have to verify and audit them, or have some third-party audit them.

Mistake #3: Failing to vet your cloud provider's viability as a business
It's a big mistake to implicitly trust a cloud provider without confirming the viability of its business.

Mistake #4: Assuming you're no longer responsible for securing data once it's in the cloud
Don't think outsourcing your applications or systems means you wash your hands of data breach accountability. That's a misconception some SMBs have, security experts say. Transferring protection of your data to the cloud provider doesn't mean you also hand off accountability when there's a breach.

Mistake #5: Putting insecure apps in the cloud and expecting that to make them more secure
Dumping an old IT system with flawed and unpatched applications into the cloud doesn't automatically make it safe and secure. The key is properly preparing your applications and data for the transition.

Mistake #6: Having no clue that your business units are already using some cloud-based services

You can click here to read the detailed article @ Network Computing website.

Command the web: Jasmine web directory

noreply@blogger.com (The Guru) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:41:00 +0000

With the hyperbolic growth of Internet, everyone wants to make most of it. With growing popularity of Internet, there were hundreds of sites dedicated to a particular subject. Then there were thousands and now millions of them catering to various subjects. If you are looking for some sites on a particular subject, then it is highly unlikely that you'll rely only on the search engines. You would be clueless and would take lot of time to get to right sites, as there is a jungle out there. In order to save time and cluster all relevant sites, experts evolved a concept called "web directory". Wikipedia defines it as: "A web directory or link directory is a directory on the World Wide Web. It specializes in linking to other web sites and categorizing those links. A web directory is not a search engine and does not display lists of web pages based on keywords; instead, it lists web sites by category and subcategory..."

As expected, there is now "uncontrolled crop" of these web directories. Some are good, some of best, and yet some are completely unreliable. Some of these look like they just want to cash on the hype and then they will disappear. However, when it comes to reliable and dependable listings, you should make a point to visit JasmineDirectory - a completely free web directory and yet having maintained high standards of site classifcation. This site is maintained by experienced and professional web editors, in order to ensure that only the best gets in. Similar to other best-in-class directories like Yahoo Directory, Business.com Directory, this one also stresses on focussed and thorough and precise research that goes behind including any site.

When one registers their site under a specific category, their research team quickly gets into action extracting vital stats about the submitted site. They scan the content with a magnifier to ensure that no pornographic / unaccepted content gets into the system, besides paying keen attention to the overall quality of the site. Once they are satisfied, only then the thumbnails are generated and the site is listed. One will argue that similar features are offered by other leading directories like Yahoo.com, Business.com, and DMOZ. But what is best about JasmineDirectory is that it is free, and SEO friendly web directory. The categories are exhaustive and cater to every nook and corner of the world. The only thing I can say about this is GO FOR IT. I have personally signed up a week ago and am seeing decent jump in my site's rankings and traffic as well. I would recommend one to subscribe to all leading web directories listed above to make the most of the opportunity.