Linux, Java, Android et nouvelles technologies

Log Onto Facebook, Contribute to Scientific Research

2012-02-13T18:51:00.002+02:00

Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand) (02/09/12)

Researchers at Victoria University of Wellington, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and Cardiff University are developing a cloud computing-based Facebook application that enables users to donate their computing resources to scientific projects. Victoria researcher Kris Bubendorfer says integrating cloud architecture with an existing social network such as Facebook has advantages over other options, such as commercial cloud services, which some research teams use on a pay-as-you-go basis and can be very expensive. "If we can recruit even one percent of current Facebook users to become volunteers, that will have a significant impact on resources available for research," Bubendorfer says. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology researchers are developing rewards and incentives that will encourage Facebook users to sign on for volunteer computing while Cardiff University researchers are developing a business model to support the initiative. "Social networks offer an easy and quick way for scientists to find each other and agree to share resources for the duration of a project," Bubendorfer says.

View Full Article

New Global Portal for Cyber-Physical Systems Research Launched

2012-02-12T12:34:00.000+02:00

Vanderbilt University (04/14/11) Brenda Ellis

Vanderbilt University's Institute for Software Integrated Systems (ISIS) recently launched the Cyber-Physical Systems Virtual Organization (CPS-VO), a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)-backed portal designed to unite researchers, educators, and students. CPS-VO is part of a larger NSF project called Virtual Organization for Cyber-Physical Research (VOCYPHER). Cyber-physical systems are smart technologies that combine the physical world with computerized environments. They have a variety of scientific applications, including aerospace research, civil engineering, and medicine. CPS-VO wants to connect basic researchers with the potential to solve problems to those in the field that need solutions, says VOCYPHER's Chris vanBuskirk. CPS-VO enables researchers to post problems, publish results, perform online experiments, and exchange ideas. The goal is to find out "who's out there working on techniques that can be applied to the really grand challenges of our age," vanBuskirk says. ISIS researchers are currently working on several CPS-related projects, including ways to normalize the types of conveyance used in military vehicles, and networking technologies that will help medical devices interact in hospitals.

View Full Article

Engineers Boost Computer Processor Performance By Over 20 Percent

2012-02-09T13:53:00.001+02:00

NCSU News (02/07/12) Matt Shipman

North Carolina State University (NCSU) researchers have developed a technique that combines graphics processing units (GPUs) and central processing units (CPUs) on a single chip, boosting processor performance by an average of more than 20 percent. "This approach decreases manufacturing costs and makes computers more energy efficient," says NCSU professor Huiyang Zhou. He notes that GPUs are capable of executing many individual functions very quickly, while CPUs are better at performing more complex tasks. "Our approach is to allow the GPU cores to execute computational functions, and have CPU cores pre-fetch the data the GPUs will need from off-chip main memory," Zhou says. He points out that the approach is more efficient than traditional methods because it enables CPUs and GPUs to do what they were designed to do. During initial testing, the researchers found that their approach improved fused processor performance by an average of 21.4 percent.

View Full Article

Embodiment, Computation and the Nature of Artificial Intelligence

2012-02-07T13:57:00.000+02:00

Technology Review (02/06/12)

Although many artificial intelligence researchers have adopted the idea that true intelligence requires a body, known as embodiment, a growing group of researchers, led by the University of Zurich's Rolf Pfeifer, say the notion of intelligence makes no sense outside of the environment in which it operates. Pfeifer and Zurich's Matej Hoffmann not only want to redefine artificial intelligence, they want to change the nature of computing itself. The researchers recently published a paper outlining several case studies that examine the nature of embodiment in different physical systems, such as the distribution of light-sensing cells in a fly's eye. The fly's computation is the result of simple motion-detection circuitry in the brain, the morphology or distribution of cells in the body, and the nature of flight in a three-dimensional universe. The researchers say that this, and other low level cognitive functions, such as locomotion, are actually simple forms of computation involving the brain-body-environment triumvirate, which is why the definition of computation needs to be expanded to include the influence of environment.
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27553/

The Java language has evolved!

2012-02-07T00:10:00.000+02:00

String in switch. Binary literals integer. Underscore in numbers. Diamond generic.

http://www.oraclejavamagazine-digital.com/javamagazine/20120102/m3/Page.action?lm=1328305476000&pg=34

Formation d'ingénieurs et informatique Liban. Logiciels libre Liban.: Formation Interactive

2012-02-06T22:46:00.000+02:00

Formation d'ingénieurs et informatique Liban. Logiciels libre Liban.: Formation Interactive: Visitez http://code.he.net/ un site de formation interactive pour les languages de l'internet

Smartphone Apps for Day-to-Day Work

2012-02-05T20:40:00.001+02:00

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (01/27/12)

Fraunhofer Institute researchers are developing several smartphone applications, including one designed to help farmers organize their harvest and one that provides support for business travelers. The farming application will help farmers keep track of how large their fields are, how much time the workers need, and which seed and pest controls they should use. The app also will describe the technological services that harvesting machinery provides and where mobile devices can be effectively used. The researchers tested the application at different times, which helped them design it to the farmers' specifications, says Fraunhofer's Ralf Carbon. Another Fraunhofer-developed application is designed to simplify the management and recording of business travel expenses. When travelers arrive at their place of employment, the app is activated and the smartphone stores the data, time, and location, while assigning the data to the correct business trip. Normally travelers must save all their receipts from public transportation and meals. However, the app enables users to take pictures of their receipts, and then it automatically assigns and stores the photos.

View Full Article

Google look to seed up the internet

2012-02-05T12:33:00.001+02:00

Google Looks to Speed Up the Internet
InfoWorld (01/24/12) Paul Krill

Google researchers want to overhaul the Internet's Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) transport layer and have suggested ways to reduce latency. According to the company's Make the Web Faster team, the key to reducing latency is saving round trips. The researchers recommend increasing the TCP initial congestion window to improve TCP speed. "The amount of data sent at the beginning of a TCP connection is currently three packets, implying three round trips to deliver a tiny, 15K-sized content," says Google's Yuchung Chen. "Our experiments indicate that IW10 [initial congestion window of 10 packets] reduces the network latency of Web transfers by over 10 percent." Google also wants the initial timeout reduced from three seconds to one second. The company has developed the TCP Fast Open protocol, which reduces application network latency, and proportional rate reduction for TCP, and the team is encouraging its use. Google's work is open source and disseminated through the Linux kernel, Internet Engineering Task Force standards proposals, and research publications to encourage industry involvement.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/networking/google-looks-speed-the-internet-184839

Facebook, Google, and the Future of the Online 'Commons' - Atlantic Mobile

2012-02-04T09:26:00.001+02:00

http://m.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/02/facebook-google-and-the-future-of-the-online-commons/252522/

Understanding Open Source Licensing

2012-02-03T14:42:00.000+02:00

"Arguably, the prime reason why developers tend to opt for open source licenses is that it lets their software roll on as a group or community exercise, and this in turn enhances productivity manifolds. For instance, Acquia Network, the parent organization behind Drupal, currently consists of 160 employees. Obviously, a company of that size cannot sustain a mammoth project such as Drupal. However, Drupal itself being open source, is helped by the numerous volunteers from the community. Similarly, WordPress rides the wagon of a super-active community while its parent organization, Automattic, concentrates on select issues.
"Open source licenses nowadays come in multiple versions. Wikipedia has a rather incomplete list of some of the major free licenses at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software_license While all such licenses cater to diverse purposes with the same goal ('freedom'), we shall restrict ourselves to only the major ones for the sake of simplicity. From a small/medium enterprise's point of view, the noteworthy licenses include GPL/LGPL, MPL, Apache License and BSD License."
Complete Story

Computer Coding: Not for Geeks Only

2012-02-01T14:30:00.001+02:00

Bloomberg Business Week (01/26/12) Barrett W. Sheridan
; Brendan Greeley

People in traditionally non-technological careers increasingly are embracing software programming as a way to advance their careers. Programming is becoming "a much more fundamental piece of knowledge, similar to reading or writing," says Union Square Ventures' Andy Weissman. The number of college students pursuing computing science degrees rose 14 percent between 2007 and 2009, according to the Computing Research Association. Meanwhile, non-college students are accessing new resources, such as Codecademy, to develop their software development skills. Codecademy, which was founded in 2001 by former Columbia University students Zach Sims and Ryan Bubinski, offers free interactive tutorials that guide users as they write and test lines of JavaScript code directly in their browser windows. "We wanted to mirror the experience of what developers go through, learning by doing," Sims says. "There's a cohort of hundreds of thousands of people who are all learning at the same time, and they'll be conversational in how to build basic Web applications and sites at the end of the year." Free online classes from Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology also are encouraging people to learn about computer science. "The introductory computing class has, on YouTube alone, over 2 million hits for the videos," notes Stanford professor Mehran Sahami.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/computer-coding-not-for-geeks-only-01262012.html

Agir contre la pire menace pour l'Internet mondial

2012-01-31T22:55:00.001+02:00

La semaine dernière, 3 millions d'entre nous ont repoussé l'attaque des États-Unis sur notre Internet! Mais un danger encore plus grand nous menace, et notre mouvement mondial pour la liberté en ligne est prêt à tout pour le neutraliser pour de bon.

L'ACTA, un traité mondial, pourrait permettre à de grandes entreprises de censurer Internet. Négocié en secret par un petit nombre de pays riches et de puissantes entreprises, ce traité mettrait en place un organisme de l'ombre anti-contrefaçon permettant à des intérêts privés de surveiller tout ce que nous faisons en ligne. Il leur donnerait aussi la possibilité d'imposer des sanctions très sévères - allant jusqu'à des peines de prison - contre les personnes coupables selon eux de nuire à leur activité.

L'Union Européenne est en train de décider de ratifier ou non l'ACTA -- et son refus mettrait en échec cette attaque mondiale sur l'Internet libre. Nous savons qu'elle s'est opposée à l'ACTA auparavant, mais certains députés européens hésitent -- donnons-leur le soutien dont ils ont besoin pour rejeter le traité. Signez la pétition -- nous la remettrons de manière spectaculaire à Bruxelles lorsque nous aurons atteint 500 000 signatures:

http://www.avaaz.org/fr/stop_acta_fr/?tta

C'est scandaleux -- les gouvernements des quatre cinquièmes de la population mondiale ont été exclus des négociations sur l'Accord Commercial Anti-Contrefaçon (ACTA) et des bureaucrates non-élus ont travaillé en étroite collaboration avec les lobbyistes des grandes entreprises pour élaborer de nouvelles règles et un régime d'application dangereusement contraignant et puissant. L'ACTA serait appliqué dans un premier temps aux États-Unis, dans l'UE et neuf autres pays, puis son application s'étendrait au monde entier. Mais si nous persuadons l'UE de ne pas le ratifier aujourd'hui, le traité perdrait son élan et pourrait être stoppé pour de bon.

Cette réglementation serait extrêmement sévère: elle pourrait punir les citoyens partout dans le monde pour des activités banales telles que partager un article de journal ou mettre en ligne la vidéo d'une fête où on entendrait de la musique dont les droits sont protégés. Vendu comme un accord commercial protégeant les droits d'auteur, l'ACTA pourrait aussi conduire à l'interdiction de médicaments génériques de premier secours et menacer l'accès des agriculteurs aux semences dont ils ont besoin. Et plus incroyable encore, le comité ACTA aurait carte blanche pour modifier ses propres règles et sanctions, sans aucun contrôle démocratique.

De grandes entreprises font tout leur possible pour que cela devienne réalité, mais le Parlement de l'UE se trouve sur leur chemin. Appelons fermement les députés européens à tenir tête aux lobbies et à adopter une position ferme pour un Internet libre. Signez la pétition et partagez-la avec tous vos contacts:

http://www.avaaz.org/fr/stop_acta_fr/?tta

La semaine dernière, nous avons vu la force de notre pouvoir collectif lorsque des millions d'entre nous ont uni leurs forces pour empêcher les États-Unis d'adopter une loi sur la censure qui aurait frappé Internet en plein cœur. Nous avons aussi montré au monde combien nos voix peuvent avoir de force. Faisons-les résonner à nouveau pour contrer cette nouvelle menace.

Avec espoir et détermination,

Dalia, Alice, Pascal, Emma, Ricken, Maria Paz et toute l'équipe d'Avaaz

Plus d'informations:

Liberté internet: le projet ACTA fait suite à Pipa et Sopa (RTBF)
http://www.rtbf.be/info/medias/detail_liberte-internet-le-projet-acta-fait-suite-a-pipa-et-sopa?id=7447173

ACTA : démissionnaire, Kader Arif dénonce "une mascarade" (Numérama)
http://www.numerama.com/magazine/21424-acta-demissionnaire-kader-arif-denonce-une-mascarade.html

L'Acta, "un prétexte pour légiférer sur le téléchargement" (Nouvel Observateur)
http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/high-tech/20120126.OBS9900/l-acta-un-pretexte-pour-legiferer-sur-le-telechargement.html

ACTA: le traité secret qui pourrait changer la face d'internet (ReadWriteWeb)
http://fr.readwriteweb.com/2010/01/20/a-la-une/traite-acta-censure-loppsi-hadopi/

22 pays européens dont la France signent ACTA (PC INpact)
http://www.pcinpact.com/news/68561-france-traite-acta-parlement-europeen.htm

Free Libre Open Source Lebanese Movement: What is the OSGi Technology?

2012-01-31T09:43:00.000+02:00

Free Libre Open Source Lebanese Movement: What is the OSGi Technology?: OSGi technology is the dynamic module system for Java™. The OSGi Service Platform provides functionality to Java that makes Java the premie...

Le duo Apple et Samsung règne sur les smartphones

2012-01-28T11:10:00.002+02:00

Au quatrième trimestre, le Californien et le Coréen ont pris chacun près du quart du marché mondial. En 2011, Nokia demeure le numéro un du mobile, mais n'est plus que le troisième vendeur de smartphones.

Lire l'article complet : http://www.lesechos.fr/entreprises-secteurs/tech-medias/actu/0201867485843-le-duo-apple-et-samsung-regne-sur-les-smartphones-280875.php

10 indispensable Android apps

2012-01-26T10:54:00.003+02:00

A year ago, techrepublic put together a list of 10 must-have Android apps. Since then, things have really changed. Not only has the Android platform evolved into a much more stable, reliable, and powerful platform, the apps have also grown.

The original list of essential apps remains unchanged. But other apps have now either improved or come to the surface -- and they certainly deserve a list of their own.

Note: You can read the full post

A successful Git branching model » nvie.com

2012-01-25T02:39:00.001+02:00

http://nvie.com/posts/a-successful-git-branching-model/

Pourquoi Git est Meilleur Que X

2012-01-25T02:37:00.001+02:00

http://fr.whygitisbetterthanx.com/#perforce

New Storage Device Is Very Small, at 12 Atoms

2012-01-13T21:59:00.001+02:00

New York Times (01/12/12) John Markoff

IBM researchers have devised a method for magnetically storing data on arrays composed of just a few atoms in a breakthrough that could lead to a new class of nanomaterials for more power-efficient devices, and perhaps open up new avenues in quantum computing research. The researchers stored data on a 12-atom structure, whereas the most advanced magnetic storage systems have up to now required roughly 1 million atoms to store a single bit. The storage was effected by configuring two rows of six iron atoms on a surface of copper nitride atoms, using a scanning tunneling microscope. The antiferromagnetic properties of the atomic cluster make such closeness possible. The array was constructed at a temperature near absolute zero, but the researchers say the same experiment could be performed at room temperature with no more than 150 atoms. They also note that smaller atom groups start to exhibit quantum mechanical behavior, and could theoretically be arranged into Qbits. Antiferromagnetic materials are currently used to make recording heads employed in today's hard disk drives and in the new spin-transfer-torque RAM memory chip. IBM researcher Andreas Heinrich says the design of novel materials using self-assembly techniques is a focus of many research groups.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/science/smaller-magnetic-materials-push-boundaries-of-nanotechnology.html

10 Tech Research Projects to Watch

2012-01-08T07:38:00.002+02:00

PC World (01/03/12) Ian Paul

Ten promising research projects that could lead to future consumer products include a solar-powered personal computer (PC), three-dimensional (3D) images that respond to touch, and a robotic dog. Microsoft researchers are working on HoloDesk, a project that enables users to interact with 3D virtual objects. Microsoft researchers also are developing PocketTouch, a system that enables users to manipulate a touch device through clothing and other materials. Another Microsoft Research project, Vermeer, uses two facing parabolic mirrors to create glasses-free 3D images that can be touched. University of British Columbia researchers are developing programmable friction, a type of haptic feedback for touchscreens that could be used for moving folders around a desktop using touch. NASA and General Motors are developing Robonaut2 (R2), a humanoid robot designed to help astronauts complete space missions. R2 can lift up to 20 pounds and its arms have similar mobility to a human's. Intel is developing Claremont, a PC powered by a solar cell the size of a postage stamp. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is working with Boston Dynamics and the Marine Corps to develop an all-terrain robot dog that can help soldiers carry heavy objects in remote locations.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/247164/10_tech_research_projects_to_watch.html

Carmakers, U.S. Worry About Hacking of Cars

2012-01-02T22:22:00.001+02:00

From ACM TechNews:
Carmakers, U.S. Worry About Hacking of Cars
San Jose Mercury News
(12/28/11) Steve Johnson

Recent studies indicate that cars' increasing reliance on computer systems that control everything from airbags to crash-avoidance systems has left them vulnerable to cyberattacks. "I can definitely imagine organized crime or potentially even nation-states leveraging weaknesses in these functions to cause different kinds of havoc," says Intel's Ryan Permeh. Car manufacturers are taking the threat of cyberattacks very seriously. For example, Ford's Rich Strader says the company is "working to ensure that we've developed a product that is as resistant to attack as possible." The threat also is being addressed by the U.S. government. "The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is aware of the potential for 'hackers' and is working with automakers to better understand what steps can and are being taken to address the problem," according to an agency statement. University of South Carolina researchers recently hacked a vehicle, causing the tire-pressure warning system to send fake alerts to the vehicle's dashboard. University of California, San Diego professor Stefan Savage says it will be difficult to anticipate all of the schemes that could come about in the future. "I would be quite surprised if there are not additional vulnerabilities," Savage says.

View Full Article
http://www.mercurynews.com/drive/ci_19633869

Italie : Apple lourdement condamnée pour sa garantie limitée

2012-01-01T11:58:00.000+02:00

par La rédaction de ZDNet.fr, ZDNet France. Publié le mardi 27 décembre 2011

Tags: Apple, Juridique,

Juridique - Pour avoir imposé une garantie d'un an alors que la loi la fixe à deux, Apple écope de 900 000 euros d'amende.

La justice italienne ne plaisante pas avec la protection des consommateurs. La loi du pays (qui s'applique en fait à tous les pays européens) impose en effet aux fabricants informatiques d'offrir une garantie gratuite pièces et main d'oeuvre de deux ans à leurs clients.

Or, chez Apple, cette garantie n'est que d'un an. Pour profiter de deux années de support, il faut naturellement passer à la caisse via AppleCare. Une spécificité toute pommée qui agace les consommateurs transalpins depuis plus de dix ans.

Informations erronées

Et après une longue, une très longue enquête, l'Autorité de la concurrence du pays (l'AGCM) vient de condamner Apple à ce sujet : le géant américain écope ainsi d'une amende de 900 000 euros pour ne pas avoir respecté la législation en vigueur. Il devra en outre publier cette décision sur la version italienne de son site.

Pour l'autorité, les points de vente et les sites Internet d'Apple "n'informaient pas de manière adéquate les consommateurs sur leurs droits à une assistance gratuite de deux ans prévue par le code de la consommation".

Par ailleurs, les informations données par Apple "incitaient les consommateurs à souscrire un contrat supplémentaire payant recouvrant en partie la garantie légale gratuite", a encore dénoncé l'autorité. Il s'agit donc d'informations trompeuses.

Apple devra mettre fin à ces "pratiques commerciales incorrectes aux dépens des consommateurs" sous 90 jours et communiquer à l'AGCM les mesures prises pour mettre en oeuvre sa décision.

Reste désormais à savoir si cette sanction pourra être déclinée ailleurs en Europe, notamment en France, où Apple limite également sa garantie à une année...

Défi Google Cloud [Nuit de l'Info 2011]

2011-12-30T15:27:00.000+02:00

Défi Google Cloud [Nuit de l'Info 2011]

Description du défi

Le but de ce défi est SOIT de réaliser une application App Engine qui mobilise un maximum de puissance de calcul, SOIT de réaliser la meilleure application qui utilise la Prediction API de Google.

Si vous choisissez la prediction API, l'application sera jugée sur sa qualité générale et la pertinence de ses choix techniques.

Si vous choisissez la version “puissance de calcul” du défi, cette puissance sera mesurée en FLOPS sur une durée de votre choix. Il faudra bien entendu être capable de mesurer cette puissance avec une bonne fiabilité, et en convaincre le jury. Le calcul effectué doit également être pertinent d'un point de vue scientifique ou technique et également être adapté au thème général de la nuit (Exemples non pertinents: additionner les chiffres de 1 à N, faire N fois le même calcul, …). Sans rien révéler du thème, je vous conseille de commencer à regarder les algorithmes de datamining. Cette version du défi met l'accent sur la puissance de calcul et il sera acceptable de fournir une application qui ne résout qu'une partie (la partie calculatoire) d'une application plus générale correspondant au thème de la nuit.

La qualité de l'interface utilisateur sera un plus, notamment si elle met en valeur la puissance utilisée de façon originale.

And the Winners of the Cyber Challenge Are...

2011-12-25T23:50:00.003+02:00

Government Computer News (12/19/11) William Jackson

The SANS Institute and the Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation recently announced the winners of the most recent U.S. Cyber Challenge, a competition to identify future cybersecurity professionals. Competitors came from more than 150 U.S. high schools, and the top finishers received more than $6,000 in scholarships. More significant than the performance of the winners is the fact that more than 2,000 students from 169 schools in 32 states and three territories participated, says (ICS)2 Foundation director Julie Peeler. "That's a good number of kids who are being exposed to cybersecurity, regardless of whether they go into the profession," Peeler says. "We are at least educating a larger workforce overall to an understanding of cybersecurity issues." The Cyber Foundation competitions are part of a broader U.S. Cyber Challenge effort that includes summer camps for college, high school, and younger students, the Air Force Association's Cyber Patriot program, and several other scholarship and training programs aimed at developing a future professional cybersecurity workforce. Launched in 2009, the U.S. Cyber Challenge set a goal of identifying and recruiting 10,000 people with native skills needed for cybersecurity.
http://gcn.com/articles/2011/12/19/cyber-challenge-high-school-winners.aspx

Traditional Social Networks Fueled Twitter's Spread

2011-12-25T23:40:00.001+02:00

MIT News (12/21/11) Caroline McCall

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers studied the growth of Twitter from 2006 to 2009 and found that its initial growth in the United States relied heavily on media attention and traditional social networks based on geographic proximity and socioeconomic similarity. The researchers examined data from 16,000 U.S. cities, focusing on the 408 with the highest number of Twitter users. They characterized cities as early adopters, early majority adopters, late majority adopters, or laggards based on when 13.5 percent of the population had Twitter accounts. "The social network needs geographical proximity," says MIT professor Marta Gonzalez. "In the U.S., anyway, space and similarity matter." The researchers found that Twitter's initially popularity was fueled by young, tech-savvy users in San Francisco and Boston. However, after that it began to follow a more traditional pattern by traveling short distances, which implied that personal interactions were important to its wider use. "Nobody has ever really looked at the diffusion among innovators of a no-risk, free, or low-cost product that's only useful if other people join you," says MIT graduate student Jameson Toole. "It's a new paradigm in economics: what to do with all these new things that are free and easy to share."
http://web.mit.edu/press/2011/twitter-growth-research.html

openvpn - Documentation Ubuntu Francophone

2011-12-18T21:00:00.001+02:00

http://doc.ubuntu-fr.org/openvpn