Mumbai University Bachelor Of Engineering

FBI May Shut Down Your Internet Access on March 8th 2012

2012-02-20T02:42:00.000-08:00

The Internet could go dark for millions of users as early as March 8 because of a virus that has corrupted computers in more than 100 countries. Last year, authorities in Estonia apprehended six men believed responsible for creating a malicious computer script called the DNSChanger Trojan. Once set loose on the Web, the worm corrupted computers in upwards of 100 countries, including an estimated 500,000 in America alone.

The primary impact of this infection is that it caused web surfers to be sent to fraudulent websites by changing what is called the DNS settings on compromised computers.The Domain Name System (DNS) is the backbone of the Internet's address scheme and DNS servers are special computers around the world that act as Internet traffic cops providing directions to websites that you wish to visit.
Though the FBI has shut down the DNSChanger network and put up surrogate servers, they warned the solution was only temporary - and the court-ordered deadline is March 8. When the FBI pinched this group, if they had shut down the rogue DNS servers, everyone that was infected would have instantly been cut off from the Internet so the FBI chose a different strategy.They decided to get a court order allowing them to replace the rogue DNS servers with legitimate stand-ins so that all the infected computers wouldn't get cut off without warning giving them time to get the word out.

Both Windows and MacOS users are at risk for this infection because it exploits your browser, not your operating system. If you are somewhat technical, you can do a self-check of your computer to make sure you're not infected by comparing your computer's DNS setting to the list of rogue DNS servers:

85.255.112.0 through 85.255.127.255

67.210.0.0 through 67.210.15.255

93.188.160.0 through 93.188.167.255

77.67.83.0 through 77.67.83.255

213.109.64.0 through 213.109.79.255

64.28.176.0 through 64.28.191.25

The FBI has published a pretty decent guide to performing the self-check here. If you are infected by the DNSChanger Trojan, the FBI reminds us that this malware also disables security updates which could have further exposed you to other malware.

How to remove facebook virus posting on your friends profiles

2011-12-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

If you’re facing the problem with automatic (nude) video posts on your friends walls, it is being done through the extension installed on your browser.

So the solution to remove this facebook virus is to remove / uninstall the extension. Extension is named “YouTube Premium“.

Google Chrome: Goto Tools > Extensions and remove the extension youtube premium from there

Mozilla Firefox: Goto Tools > Addons > Extensions and remove the addon “youtube premium”

Hopefully this will resolve the issue of facebook virus posting nude video link on your friends walls from your name!

and yes next time think twice before clicking on such links.

Apple iOS 5 features & Download Links

2011-12-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

Apple’s iOS 5 has been released, with owners of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad and iPad 2, along with the third- and fourth-gen iPod touch all getting the latest version of the mobile platform as a free update. Available to download for existing devices via iTunes

iOS 5 also brings with it iCloud, Apple’s new synchronization and backup system that promises to deliver your music and documents across all devices, as well as replace iTunes on the desktop as the hub of the digital ecosystem. All iOS 5 users – as well as those running OS X Lion on their Macs – will get 5GB of free iCloud storage, with more available at a fee. You can access the iCloud web-based login at icloud.com.

iOS 5 is compatible with the iPhone 3GS, 4, and 4S; the third- and fourth-generation iPod touch; and any iPad. To install it, you’ll just connect your iOS device to iTunes and—if not prompted to upgrade straight away—click on the Check For Updates button.

iOS 5 For iPhone, iPad And iPod Touch Download Links:

Download iOS 5 iPhone 4 (GSM)
Download iOS 5 iPhone 4 (Verizon)
Download iOS 5 iPhone 3GS
Download iOS 5 iPad 2 WiFi
Download iOS 5 iPad 2 GSM
Download iOS 5 iPad 2 CDMA
Download iOS 5 iPad
Download iOS 5 iPod touch 3G
Download iOS 5 iPod touch 4G

How to Type in Marathi or other languages in any website

2011-06-16T00:53:00.000-07:00

Many times we want to reply a message in our own language but we can do. But now by using Google Transliteration Bookmarklet we can type our message in any language in any website like Facebook, orkut
To do this follow these steps

For Firefox

Drag and drop this link [अ Type in Marathi] in your browser’s bookmark bar.
When you want to type in Marathi then click on that bookmark
Translation will be enabled and you will see the अ in Typing bar.
If you want to disable this then again click on that bookmark.

For Internet Explorer

Write click on [अ Type in Marathi] then make a bookmark of it.
To enable it click on that bookmark
If you want to disable it then again click on that bookmark

For Google Chrome

Press Ctrl+B so that Bookmark toolbar will appear
Now drag and drop this link in that toolbar [अ Type in Marathi]
To enable it click on that bookmark
If you want to disable it then again click on that bookmark

For other language

Type [ਅ Type in Punjabi]
Type [అ Type in Telugu]
Type [அ Type in Tamil]
Type [ಅ Type in Kannada]
Type [અ Type in Gujarati]
Type [آ Type in Urdu]
Type [അ Type in Malayalam]

How to avoid facebook spam

2011-04-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

The rise of social media has unsurprisingly brought with it a number of different online scams. Nowadays the scams are much more sophisticated than the famous Nigerian scams and can be quite hard to detect as well. What makes these types of scams even more damaging than the traditional email based techniques is that people tend to trust the links they receive from their friends. Additionally, social media makes the hackers’ job easier by providing a convenient means to spread the infection virally, instead of having to rely on lists of email addresses.

This post covers some of the more common scams in use on Facebook today.

Click-Jacking - is a type of scam where a clickable button in your web browser performs some other function than the one intended, such as installing malware on your pc.

Like-Jacking - is commonly being linked with a fake video of a “teacher” wearing an outfit that has her back-end exposed. When you follow the link to watch the video, clicking anywhere on the video will cause you to “Like” it, posting a link to the fake webpage onto your Facebook wall. If you’ve fallen victim to this type of hoax you can click on the “x” at the top of the post and select “Remove and Unlike”.

Status-Jacking - is more malicious, it is when your account is compromised and a hacker has gained access to your login credentials. This can arise from a Click-Jacking scheme, but there are other ways in which hackers can gain access to your account.

Free Gold for Games / Free Facebook Credits- Often these types of scams will have you “Like” a Facebook profile that has been compromised. There are literally hundreds of these types of pages on Facebook, and the risk runs anywhere from simple tracking malware to full blown Status-Jacking. Like everything else on the internet, if something is being advertised as being free, chances are it’s a scam.

There are several important measures you can take to protect yourself from this type of attack :

1) Don’t click on any links from friends that seem uncharacteristic of them. If grandma is gushing over ranbir kapoor’s newest haircut, chances are her account has been compromised and the link contains malware. Unless of course your grandmother happens to like ranbir kapoor.
2) Pay attention to the source of the post. If it was posted from the web, you will see “via Facebook” text at the bottom of the post. If that text says something that sounds fishy, chances are it’s a scam.
3) Don’t trust external websites that invite you to download something. If you’re unsure whether something is a hoax or legit, just play it safe and don’t click on it.
4) Maintain up-to-date Antivirus software on your computer.
5) Make sure that your home network is secured, especially if it is wireless.
6) Maintain tight privacy settings in Facebook and regularly check that they are up-to-date.
7) Log out of Facebook after you are done if you are using a shared computer.
8) Don’t add friends that you don’t know.

:-)

How to protect yourself from phishing attacks

2011-02-21T06:34:00.000-08:00

Phishing is an increasingly common type of spam that can lead to theft of your personal details such as credit card numbers or online banking passwords.

Phishing attacks work by the scam artist sending "spoofed" emails that appear to come from a legitimate website that you have online dealings with such as a bank, credit card company or ISP - any site which requires users to have a personal identity or account. The email may ask you to reply with your account details in order to "update security" or for some other reason.
The phishing email may also direct you to a spoofed website or pop-up window which looks exactly like the real site, but has been set up for the sole purpose of stealing personal information. Unsuspecting people are then often fooled into handing over credit card numbers, passwords or other details.

How to protect yourself:

Never respond to emails that request personal financial information
Banks or e-commerce companies generally personalise emails, while phishers do not. Phishers often include false but sensational messages ("urgent - your account details may have been stolen") in order to get an immediate reaction. Reputable companies don't ask their customers for passwords or account details in an email. Even if you think the email may be legitimate, don't respond - contact the company by phone or by visiting their website. Be cautious about opening attachments and downloading files from emails, no matter who they are from.

Visit banks' websites by typing the URL into the address bar
Phishers often use links within emails to direct their victims to a spoofed site, usually to a similar address such as mybankonline.com instead of mybank.com. When clicked on, the URL shown in the address bar may look genuine, but there are several ways it can be faked, taking you to the spoofed site. If you suspect an email from your bank or online company is false, do not follow any links embedded within it.

Keep a regular check on your accounts
Regularly log into your online accounts, and check your statements. If you see any suspicous transactions report them to your bank or credit card provider.

Check the website you are visiting is secure
Before submitting your bank details or other sensitive information there are a couple of checks you can do to help ensure the site uses encryption to protect your personal data:Check the web address in the address bar. If the website you are visiting is on a secure server it should start with "https://" ("s" for security) rather than the usual "http://".
Also look for a lock icon on the browser's status bar. You can check the level of encryption, expressed in bits, by hovering over the icon with your cursor.

Note that the fact that the website is using encryption doesn't necessarily mean that the website is legitimate. It only tells you that data is being sent in encrypted form.

Be cautious with emails and personal data
Most banks have a security page on their website with information on carrying out safe transactions, as well as the usual advice relating to personal data: never let anyone know your PINS or passwords, do not write them down, and do not use the same password for all your online accounts. Avoid opening or replying to spam emails as this will give the sender confirmation they have reached a live address.

Microsoft Nokia Partnership

2011-02-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

Nokia and Microsoft announced a “broad strategic partnership” feb 11 2011, as both companies try to claw their way back into the smartphone market. Nokia will now produce a host of new Windows 7 phones that CEO Stephen Elop promises will make the segment a “three horse race” between Google, Apple, and the new Nokia-Microsoft partnership. Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, meanwhile, said the move would “dramatically accelerate” Windows Mobile 7 adoption.

This pioneering partnership has been kindled to soon equip Nokia’s Symbian devices with smarter and more advanced features for working on the move. Heaps of Nokia smartphones are primed to benefit over time, with Eseries on the frontline leading the charge and set to showcase the first breed of business services and apps. Dedicated teams from inside Nokia and Microsoft are now working together to bring this new era of mobile productivity to life on Symbian handsets. This isn’t just conceptual stuff, as both companies are closely collaborating to ensure the software and services are fully co-created, from the design and development of their creations to the marketing to ensure the best possible product ends up proudly in our palms

Microsoft/Nokia Partnership Enough to Challenge Apple?

App Gap

The app gap is oft-cited as a prime reason behind Apple’s success, but it bears repeating. iOS currently has almost 350,000 active apps available to consumers through the App Store. Windows Phone 7 has about 8,000 apps. Even with a growth rate of 125 apps each day, Apple’s advantage at this point may be insurmountable. Each Apple iOS device averages more than 60 downloaded apps, and the App Store remains the top destination by a huge margin in terms of time spent browsing app marketplaces by consumers.
Apple has the added advantage of offering multiple, non-phone platforms that also use and encourage the sale of apps (iPod touch and iPad), which adds to the perceived value of software purchases for consumers. Try as it might, Windows can’t gain purchase in the personal media player market, and WP7 doesn’t seem poised to make the jump to tablets anytime soon.

The Holistic Approach

Under the new arrangement between the two companies, Nokia builds hardware, and Microsoft builds software. Apple builds both. The advantage of having both hardware and software teams constantly working together to deliver the best possible consumer experience as a total product cannot be overemphasized. Any partnership between two companies, no matter how closely it may resemble an actual merger, isn’t one. Corporate cultures, offices and ultimate goals remain distinct. In this case, that’s especially true, since Microsoft announced this was a non-exclusive deal, and it would still be working with other hardware partners .
Apple’s ability to pair the hardware and software development sides of making a smartphone not only allow it to win the UX game, but also advantageously affects cost and the pace of breakthroughs and advances, and downplays the importance of internal specifications. It’s why an iPhone that’s almost a year old can still compete with just-released hardware from competitors in terms of real-world performance, and it’s a big part of why Apple enjoys the high margins that it does on the sale of each piece of hardware it makes.
Because Nokia and Microsoft aren’t starting from scratch, it’s most likely that the partnership will bear all the earmarks of success, at least from the outset. If they do it right, we’ll see the simultaneous release of a bunch of shiny new handsets sporting WP7, and these will be decently well-received by Nokia’s existing customer base. But without significant changes from either camp in the way they think about how to make phones and software, Apple doesn’t have to worry about being knocked off its rock just yet.

How To Identify Fake E-mail ID

2011-02-02T03:58:00.000-08:00

Hello friends, Daily we got almost 100's of face emails ,Like in spam folder. A php script can mail you from any email address...Even from your own email address..So How To Identify the Fake E-mail ID
At present it is difficult to identify the fake ID. With time more and more people are using the fake IDs which creates a bunch of trouble to thousands of people. So here detection of those fake IDs has become almost a necessity. It is also important because hackers are always looking to use the fake email IDs to get the personal information of victims.

There are several techniques to identify the fake e-mail IDs. The common method you can use is to send test mail to those IDs. If you got failure notification then its a fake email IDs. Alternatively there is couple of web service which identify the fake e-mail IDs for the users.

Email Address Checker:

Email Address Checker is well known email IDs checker which identify the the validity of any kind of emails IDs. All you need to do is type the email IDs in the box and press ‘Check’ button. Within a moment it displays the validity of email IDs.

IsValidEmail :
You can also try IsValidEmail as alternative web service to check for valid email IDs. If you got the answer is true then it is valid otherwise it is fake. All you need to add email IDs and click on ‘Invoke’.
is email id valid Easy Step To Identify the Fake E mail ID.

Stay Tuned,Stay Safe

Google, Facebook and Yahoo Ready IPv6 Test

2011-01-17T00:59:00.000-08:00

Several of the Internet's most popular Web sites - including Facebook, Google and Yahoo - have agreed to participate in the first global-scale trial of IPv6, the long-anticipated upgrade to the Internet's main communications protocol known as IPv4.

The trial — dubbed "World IPv6 Day" — requires participants to support native IPv6 traffic on their main Web sites on June 8, 2011.
Leading content delivery networks Akamai and Limelight Networks also committed to the IPv6 trial, which is being sponsored by the Internet Society. IPv6 is a necessary upgrade because the Internet is running out of IP addresses using the 30-year-old IPv4 standard.

Less than 5% of IPv4 addresses are left unallocated to the regional Internet registries, which in turn dole them out to network operators. Experts say the free pool of IPv4 addresses will be depleted in a matter of weeks.
IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses and can support 4.3 billion devices connected directly to the Internet. IPv6, on the other hand, uses 128-bit addresses and supports a virtually unlimited number of devices - 2 to the 128th power.

The day-long IPv6 trial is a critical development for content providers such as Google and Facebook, which until now have been supporting IPv6 at separate, dedicated Web addresses rather than on their main traffic-heavy Web sites. Google, for example, says it will enable IPv6 on its main Web sites - including www.google.com and www.youtube.com - for World IPv6 Day.
The event is also a big deal for Yahoo, which has been reluctant to support IPv6 because of concerns about using a DNS whitelisting approach like Google's, which provides IPv6 content only to users with known end-to-end IPv6 connectivity.
"Participating in World IPv6 Day will allow us to obtain real-life data that we can use to ensure a seamless user experience as we transition to IPv6," said Adam Bechtel, vice president of Yahoo's Infrastructure Group, in a statement. "We welcome this opportunity to collaborate with the technical community and provide leadership in addressing the scaling challenges facing the Internet."

Facebook virus spreads via photo album chat messages

2011-01-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

A new social networking worm in the vein of Koobface is currently doing the rounds.
This one actively infects your computer with malware instead of simply tricking you into taking surveys and passing on messages to other users.

The link in his Facebook chat from a friend pointed to an app.facebook.com/CENSORED link. Typically when you go to a Facebook app page it prompts you to add the application and grant it permission to post on your behalf or read your profile data. The scary part about this one is that it immediately prompts you to download a "FacebookPhotos#####.exe" file with no prompting or clicking required. The screen reads "Photo has been moved. This photo has been moved to other location. To view this photo click View Photo." If your computer has not already downloaded the malware, the "View Photo" button will download the virus for you.

It is really unfortunate that Facebook scams are moving back towards spreading malware. Fortunately, users of Sophos Anti-Virus had proactive protection from this threat with both our HIPS and suspicious file detection technologies; this particular strain is now identified by Sophos as W32/Palevo-BB.

The good news is that even as I was writing this article, Facebook removed the malicious application from its service. But there are probably many more applications like this one making the rounds, so, as always, beware of unusual messages from friends whether they are in email, on their walls, or in an instant .

4G in India , trials at Navi Mumbai

2010-12-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

After the acquisition of Infotel Broadband Ltd by Mukesh Ambani?s Reliance (RIL), the rumour was there in market that Mukesh?s Reliance will come up with the most speedy Internet connection in India. As Indian market is still waiting for proper implementation of 3G network by major players, Reliance has started testing 4G connections. RIL team at Navi Mumbai started trials of 4G connection and got download speed of 80 Mbps and upload speed of 20 Mbps. It is way ahead than current 3G connection of 3.1 Mbps or 7.2 Mbps. Tata Indicom (Docomo) and Reliance Communication (Anil Ambani?s ) also started giving 21 Mbps download speed on supported devices. Reliance is using Ericsson equipment to test this 4G network. As the above testing results are in ideal scenario, that may drop to 40 to 50 Mbps depending on the system load and distance from the nearest tower etc.

As wireless Internet is at boom in India and other parts of world but still we are way behind most of the western countries. We are still waiting for the proper coverage of 3G network when Smartphone makers started selling 4G phones in countries like US and UK. But finally we are getting good news on Wireless Internet connectivity, as Reliance is expected come up with good plans in future for such fast Internet connections

Oh wow ! WikiLeaks data stored in Cold War-era bunker in Sweden !

2010-12-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

Confidential files of the website WikiLeaks have been stored into a nuclear bunker in Stockholm, Sweden early this week. In particular, WikiLeaks servers are moved to the “Pionen” White Mountains data center, 30 meters below the ground after being dumped by Amazon. According to the Norwegian news site VG Nett, the “Pionen” White Mountains data center is owned by Bahnhof - a Swedish broadband provider. This is the home to WikiLeaks\' sever and confidential national data called "James Bond" styled bunker, or Cold-War-era nuclear bunker. Let\'s take a tour around the nuclear bunker of WikiLeaks in the “Pionen” White Mountains data center in Stockholm, Sweden.

There are two WikiLeaks’ servers at least hosted by Bahnhof, a Swedish broadband provider under the granite-housed World-War-II era bunker.

WikiLeaks moved into Bahnhof’s “Pionen” White Mountains data center for the fist time in August 2010 utilizing servers owned by the Swedish Pirate Party. However, WikiLeaks has currently had a direct contract with Bahnhof in order to have servers hosted

the nuclear bunker in Bahnhof’s “Pionen” White Mountains data center featuring with the "floating" conference room and backup generators remind the scenes from "James Bond" film.

The move of Wikileads to Bahnhof’s “Pionen” White Mountains data center in Stockholm, Sweden is the result of debate last month of the launch of thousands of confidential documents about the Afghanistan war

About 15,000 secret documents related to the Afghanistan war will be released soon.

mobile number portability (MNP) is finally launched in India

2010-11-26T06:12:00.000-08:00

The mobile number portability (MNP) is finally launched in India today. Rohtak in Haryana is the place where the entire buzz is. Rohtak is witnessing a telecom revolution today. MNP is the procedure that allows consumers to switch from their existing operators to another while retaining the same number.

With Idea Cellular's TVCs on air for few days now, other operators are also coming up with their own promotions of MNP through various media. On the occasion of the MNP launch in India, we share with you the process and other facts of MNP.First the procedure. To change your operator all you need to do is send a SMS to 1900 with the message (PORTMobile number) from the number you want to be ported. On sending the message you will receive a SMS from your current operator giving you the Unique Porting Code (UPC). The UPC acts a reference when you fill an application prescribed by your chosen new network provider. The porting of number has to be completed in a span of seven working days, as per TRAI directives. The charge for porting your number to another operator is 19, payable to the new service provider. Post-paid subscribers need to ensure their billing dues are cleared before applying for number porting. Failing this, the request to the new porter will be rejected. For pre-paid users, the balance amount left does not get carried forward to the new operator after porting. So both kinds of subscribers start from a clean slate with the new operator.A point to note here is once you have switched your operators, you need to wait for a period of 90 days before you can change the operator again.
Let us give you a brief idea about how the MNP works. When a subscriber makes a request to port his number to a new operator, the porting can be done in two ways. One is called the donor-led porting and the other is recipient-led porting. In India the latter method is in usage.

In the recipient-led porting, the new operator (recipient) takes the appropriate steps to register the user to its network. The process is completed once the mobile number of the user and the chosen operator's network ID are paired and updated in the central database. The country is divided onto two geographical sectors for ease of implementing the MNP. These two zones are then divided into 11 service areas.
The master database will be managed by a third party firm. For zone I, Syniverse has been appointed with the MNP and related issues while for zone II, it is Telcordia. With this set of information, we hope the MNP will be a good thing for the nation that is heralding its gears to the new technologies and embracing them with open arms.

Facebook messaging may soon doom you

2010-11-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

Computer security firm Sophos warned the Facebook users on their usage of online messaging services. It is being found that such uses of the social networking site are now more vulnerable to identity theft by cybercriminals.

A serious vulnerability in Facebook's security allows anybody who has your mobile phone number to not only change status messages, but also add or delete friends, send out private messages to other users and upload or change profile pictures. However, the security flaw only affects those who have activated Facebook Mobile, a facility that allows the user to send updates on the social networking site through text messages from a mobile phone."Users need to realize that these new features increase the attack surface on the Facebook platform, and make personal accounts all the more alluring for cybercriminals to break into," said Sophos senior technology consultant Graham Cluley.
Facebook's new messaging system was launched on Monday and includes facebook.com email addresses. Approximately 350 million of Facebook's more than 500 million members fire off messages using its existing service, with more than four billion digital missives sent daily.
Sophos noted that fraudsters are increasingly using hacked Facebook accounts to send spam messages compared with traditional emails because they are more likely to be opened by recipients lured to think the messages came from friends. Sophos also urged the users to be aware of the security risks before signing up for Facebook's next-generation online messaging service that blends online chat, text messages and other real-time conversation tools with traditional email.

SMS Blocker

2010-11-18T23:58:00.000-08:00

There are more than 650 million mobile phone users in India. While these devices help us connect to our family and friends, they also are culprit of many unwanted messages from spammers. Don't you get annoyed and irritated when you are expecting an important message, your phone buzzes, you check the phone and realize that it's a spam message? Sparing you the agony of spam messages is smsBlocker, an application that gives the user freedom from annoying spam and unwanted SMS.Developed by Optinno Mobitech, a Pune-based startup, smsBlocker identifies and blocks spam SMS on its own. It blocks over 95 percent of spam SMS automatically.

Sagar Bedmutha, a mechanical engineer by qualification, was leading a comfortable life with a swish job in HSBC Bank. He, like many others, was irritated with the constant spam messages. He quit his job in HSBC, and set out to address the problem of spam SMS. He founded the company Optinno Mobitech which was responsible for the innovation of smsBlocker. "The messages were analyzed on the basis of content, sender and language to decide on the pattern of spam messages like Hinglish and others," he says.The application is easy to set-up and integrates easily with your inbox and phonebook. It is fully customizable to suit your needs and preferences of who you want to block and not. There is a 'Daily Block Counter' on the phone homescreen that lets the user know how many spams were blocked in a particular day. The user can specify his 'Block list' and filter the messages based on the content and sender. A detailed log of all blocked SMSes is maintained which the user can review and also restore if need arises.

A global app, smsBlocker can be used in any country. All one has to do is key in the country code to activate it. The app size is less than 100KB and is available in Nokia Ovi stores and Aircel Pocket apps store at a onetime payment of 199 (about $4.50). The app, which has witnessed 24,000 plus downloads since July 2010, currently runs on the Symbian platform covering more than 100 models of Nokia phones. Porting of the app with other platforms like Android is on and may soon be launched.Optinno also has another product called Mobiwatchman which blocks calls and SMS as per your settings. With these two innovative products, the company sure is doing a lot good to rid mobile users of unwanted messages and give them a spam free mobile experience.

IIMs want more girls, non-engineering students

2010-11-16T23:10:00.001-08:00

The Indian Institutes of Management are now looking to rope in more girl students and those with non-engineering background to get a more diversified variety on their rolls.

Directors of five IIMs from across the country Monday held a conference and felt the need to change the quantitative bias in the Common Admission Test (CAT) to draw in more students in their classrooms from diverse academic backgrounds.Giving a wrap-up of the discussion, Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta director Sekhar Chowdhury said the issues would be dealt with seriously though it was not yet certain that the changes could take place from next year's CAT.

"In many cases, despite efforts to get in students from other backgrounds, the number of engineering students has increased. The blame is on our admission process. We need to change how we admit students and how CAT is organised," said IIM-Lucknow director Devi Singh.

Singh said though a large section of the faculty would not have been favourably disposed to the idea of having a greater diversity in students, "now the realisation has dawned on them and in the next few years we may see a change in the system".IIM-Bangalore director Pankaj Chandra felt girl students found the CAT examination with its stress on mathematics a deterrent.

"That's the reason many girl students do not sit for the entrance test".

Statistics show that about 2 lakh students take the annual CAT examination for admission to 2,000 seats in the country's ten IIMs. Of them, the percentage of engineers gaining entry into the premier B-Schools is over 90 per cent, while the percentage of female students is only 10-15 percent taking all the IIMs together.Chowdhury said while the world has a nearly 50:50 ratio of men and women, "why cannot we have a similar or more or less equal representation in the classroom? After all, the class should represent life."He said on the contrary, private management institutes had a 40-45 percent girl students

China builds world's fastest supercomputer

2010-11-16T23:06:00.000-08:00

China has built the world's fastest supercomputer, the Tianhe-1A, which is capable of 2.57 quadrillion computing operations per second, pulling ahead of the United States in the global supercomputing race.The lead of the China-made system was confirmed by the 36th edition of TOP500 list of the world's most powerful supercomputers, which was released Monday on the TOP500 list website.Tianhe-1A was followed by the former No. 1 system, the U.S.-made Cray XT5 "Jaguar" at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility in Tennessee.The Jaguar system performs at 1.75 quadrillion per second, 92 percent slower than Tianhe-1A, running Linpack, the benchmark used to officially determine the speed of supercomputers.The Tianhe-1A is installed at the National Supercomputing Center (NSCC) in the north China port city of Tianjin, which specializes in super computing outsourcing services for complex work like the surveying of mines, the forecasting of weather, the design of high-end machinery, bioinformatics and large-data animation design.Tianhe-1A's chief designer, Yang Xuejun, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua, "The interconnect between CPUs and GPUs is key to the system's high performance."

"As there has been rare precedent to integrate GPUs into a system for high-performance computing, we made much effort to improve the performance and efficiency of those GPUs," Mr. Yang said.

Besides Tianhe-1A, another China-made supercomputer, Nebulae, which is a 1.27 petaflop-per second system, holds the third place on the TOP500 list.Nebulae, developed by Dawning Information Industry Co., is equipped in a Shenzhen NSCC.Jack Dongarra, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and supervisor of the TOP500 list, said in an email interview with Xinhua, "It's more of a sign that China is serious in pursuing high performance computing to aid the growth of science, engineering and economic competitiveness."

"The long-term implication for the U.S. is that China is seriously interested in high performance computing, and is developing and deploying computing resources," said Mr. Dongarra, who leads research at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Li Nan, the project manager for Tianhe-1A, told Xinhua, "We managed to upgrade key technologies, such as large-scale integrated chips, node computers and cutting-edge circuit boards. We also made a few breakthroughs in hybrid architecture and high-speed interconnection."

Among the world's most powerful 100, China holds five seats while the United States takes up 42 percent. Out of the 500 list, China-made systems occupy at least 40 slots.

Tianhe-1A, is estimated to have cost 600 million yuan (90.4 million U.S. dollars) and was developed by the Changsha-based National University of Defence Technology. It employs 14,336 Intel Xeon X5670 CPU and 7,168 NVidia Tesla M2050 GPU, as well as 2,048 home-grown Feiteng 8-core CPUs.Zhang Yunquan, a lead computing scientist at the Chinese Academy of Science, told Xinhua, "The international supercomputing competition is extremely fierce and it's very difficult for China to hold the top position for more than one year."

Zhang Zhe, a researcher who works at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, said, "Although the computing power of Tianhe-1A has surpassed Jaguar, its storage is not keeping the pace."Jaguar adopts an external file system with 10 petabytes, or 10 quadrillion bytes, of information storage capacity, while Tianhe-1A is only two petabytes.The U.S. National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) is now developing the IBM latest chip-powered Blue Waters system, which is widely believed to take over again the world's No. 1 by 2012.