Smartwatch

A smartwatch is a computerized wrist watch with enhanced functionality beyond timekeeping, often with features comparable to a PDA. While early models were capable of performing basic tasks like calculations, translations, or playing games, modern smartwatches are effectively wearable computers which include features such as camera, accelerometer, thermometer, altimeter, barometer, compass, chronograph, calculator, cell phone, touch screen, maps with GPS navigation, speaker, scheduler, SDcards that are recognized as a mass storage device by a computer etc. and rechargeable battery. It may communicate with a wireless headset, heads-up display, insulin pump, microphone, modem and other devices.




How Smartwatches work



Most of the popular Smart Watches work using a technology called Smart Personal Object Technology – SPOT, which is developed by Microsoft. SPOT allows for enhanced miniaturization, low power consumption and a low cost solution allowing for accessories such as watches to become more purposeful through the use of software.



SPOT uses FM broadcasting to deliver web-based data to Smart objects. Microsoft DirectBand Network is used to send data to Smart Watches and other SPOT objects. DirectBand consists of two components: a special chipset in the watch that houses the radio receiver and a nationwide, wide-area network (WAN) that is built on FM-subcarrier technology.



For example, a Fossil Abacus Smart Watch consists of the following components:









• Piezo (piezoelectric ceramic crystal) - This material expands and contracts when electric current is applied. The Piezo crystal in the watch acts as a tiny speaker driver, allowing the Smart Watch to generate sound.

• PCB (printed circuit board) - A PCB is usually a multi-layered board made of fiberglass. The surface and sublayers use tiny copper lines to direct electricity to various components on the PCB. The PCB in the Smart Watch houses the CPU, memory and radio chip. 

• CPU - The Smart Watch uses an ARM 7 TDMI as its central processor. 

• Memory - The Smart Watch uses 512 KB of ROM and 384 KB of RAM. 

• DirectBand radio receiver chip - This chip was made specifically for the Smart Watch and is how the MSN Direct service connects to the watch. 

• Battery - The Smart Watch battery is rechargeable. The Fossil Abacus comes with a recharging stand, but other models use an adapter that plugs into the wall. 

• Inductive charging coil - This is used to charge the battery. The coil is attached to the contact surface on the back of the watch. When this surface comes in contact with the charging plate on the watch stand, the Smart Watch battery is charged through induction.



References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartwatch

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/clocks-watches/smart-watch2.htm

Dropbox

Dropbox is a file hosting service that offers cloud storage, file synchronization along with client software. It allows users to create a special folder on each of their computers, which it then synchronizes so that the folder appears (with the same contents) on each of the synced computers, regardless of the computer used to view it. Files placed in this folder are accessible through a website and mobile phone applications.




Dropbox provides client software for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, BlackBerry OS and web browsers.





Business Model



Dropbox uses a freemium business model, where users are offered a free account with a set storage size and paid subscriptions for accounts with more capacity.



Files uploaded via the web site are limited to not more than 300 MB per file. To prevent free users from creating multiple linked free accounts, Dropbox includes the content of shared folders when totaling the amount of space used on the account.





Technologies Used



Both the Dropbox server and desktop client software are primarily written in Python. The desktop client uses GUI toolkits such as wxWidgets and Cocoa.



Dropbox uses Amazon's S3 storage system to store the files. It also uses SSL transfers for synchronization and stores the data via AES-256 encryption.



Other than synchronization & sharing, Dropbox client also supports personal storage, revision history (so files deleted from the Dropbox folder may be recovered from any of the synced computers), multi-user version control (enabling several users to edit and re-post files without overwriting versions) etc.



References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dropbox_(service)

MPLS VPN

MPLS VPN is a virtual private network (VPN) for securely connecting two or more locations over the public Internet or a private MPLS VPN network. It harnesses the power of multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) to create VPNs, thereby giving the network engineers the flexibility to transport and route several types of network traffic using the technologies of a MPLS backbone.




MPLS VPN networks are secured through encryption on a customer’s router. Such a network is known as a CPE based MPLS VPN. Alternately, they are secured through the MPLS VPN provider’s network router, and such networks are known as a network based MPLS VPN.



MPLS VPN services are typically provisioned over Internet T1 lines or a private MPLS circuit; higher bandwidth speeds are offered as well (MPLS Ethernet, NxT1, DS3), with options for managed MPLS VPN services.



Uses

• MPLS IP VPN services are used by businesses to provide reliable, secure, MPLS VPN service for applications including credit card processing, file sharing, data backup, MPLS VOIP, or remote access.

• MPLS VPN’s can also be configured to carry voice, Internet, and IP VPN services together on an Integrated MPLS T1 line.



Types of MPLS VPNs

• Point-to-point (pseudowire) – Point-to-point MPLS VPNs employ VLLs (virtual leased lines) for providing Layer2 point-to-point connectivity between two sites. Ethernet, TDM, and ATM frames can be encapsulated within these VLLs. Point-to-point MPLS VPNs might be used to encapsulate TDM T1 circuits attached to RTUs, forward non-routed DNP3 traffic across the backbone network to the SCADA master controller etc.



• Layer 2 VPN (VPLS) – Layer 2 MPLS VPNs, or VPLS (virtual private LAN service), offers a “switch in the cloud” style VPLS service. VPLS provides the ability to span VLANs between sites. L2 VPNs are typically used to route voice, video and AMI traffic between substation and data center locations.



• Layer 3 VPN (VPRN) – Layer 3, or VPRN (virtual private routed network), utilizes layer 3 VRF (VPN/virtual routing and forwarding) to segment routing tables for each “customer” utilizing the service. The customer peers with the service provider router and the two exchange routes, which are placed into a routing table specific to the customer. L3 VPN could be used to route traffic between corporate or datacenter locations.



References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPLS_VPN

http://www.itquotes.com/what-is-mpls-vpn.html

Content Management System

A Content Management System (CMS) is a computer program that allows publishing, editing and modifying content as well as its maintenance from a single back-end interface. Such systems also provide procedures to manage workflow in a collaborative environment.




CMSs allow a user to add and/or update website content without the knowledge of programming language. Text formatting and image inserting is usually similar to the Word application. CMSs also offer the comfort of a user interface with intuitive control and an online assistant.



Content management system can be implemented for various types of web presentations, such as:

• Portal solutions

• Commercial and personal websites

• Intranet / Extranet

• Integrated Flash websites

Characteristics & features of CMS

• Allows immediate modification of a website content

• Centralized data editing, publishing and modification

• Intuitive operation

• Supports implementation of any web page design

• Includes advanced configurations for SEO - search engine optimization

• Automatically generates XHTML valid websites according to the W3C standards

• Can be accessed using any web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, ...)

• Ability to interconnect itself with other software systems

• High measure of security - multi-level data and access protection

Typical content management systems



Web content management systems

- They are bundled or stand-alone applications to create, manage, store and deploy content as Web pages. Web CMSs usually allow client control over HTML-based content, files, documents, and web hosting plans based on the system depth and the areas they serve.



Component content management systems

- They specialize in the creation of documents from component parts. These components can be reused (rather than copied and pasted) within another document or across multiple documents to ensure that content is consistent across the entire documentation set.



Enterprise content management systems

- They organize documents, contacts and records related to the processes of a commercial organization. They also structure the enterprise's information content and file formats, manage locations, streamline access by eliminating bottlenecks and optimize security and integrity.



References:

http://www.creativesites.eu/content-management-system-cms-joomla/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management_system

Service Delivery Platform

In telecommunications, a service delivery platform (SDP) is usually a set of components that provide service delivery architecture (such as service creation, session control and protocols, orchestration and execution, as well as abstractions for media control, presence/location, integration, and other low-level communications capabilities) for a type of service.




The business objective of implementing the SDP is to enable rapid development and deployment of new converged multimedia services, from basic phone services to complex audio/video conferencing solutions.



SDP provides a complete ecosystem for the rapid deployment, provisioning, execution, management and billing of value added services. SDPs available today tend to be optimized for the delivery of a service in a given technological or network domain (e.g. web, IMS, IPTV, Mobile TV, etc.). SDPs are applicable to both consumer and business applications.





SDP Architecture



Examples:

• A mobile sends a short code based sms i.e. “577577 Katrina” to download an image.

• Message will go through the GSM network and will reach to SMSC (Short Message Service Centre).

• SMSC is configured with end point URLs of the target applications, so SMSC will forward the request to respective application which will finally provide the image of Katrina.

• The application will push the delivery to the mobile device (e.g. send a WAP-push link to the device).

• If a push link is received by the mobile device, clicking on the link will automatically download the content to the mobile device through WAP gateway.

SDP also enables users to see incoming phone calls (Wireline or Wireless), IM buddies (PC) or the locations of friends (GPS Enabled Device) on their television screen, airline customers to receive a text message from an automated system regarding a flight cancellation, and then opt to use a voice or interactive self-service interface to reschedule.



References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_delivery_platform

http://www.techmahindra.com/network_services/telecom_service_delivery_platform.aspx

http://searchcloudprovider.techtarget.com/tip/Service-delivery-platforms-enable-service-differentiators

Single sign-on (SSO)

Single sign-on (SSO) is a property of access control of multiple related but independent software systems. With this property a user logs in once and gains access to all systems without being prompted to log in again for each of them. Conversely, Single sign-off is the property whereby a single action of signing out terminates access to multiple software systems.




SSO uses centralized authentication servers that all other applications and systems utilize for authentication purposes, and combines this with techniques to ensure that users do not have to actively enter their credentials more than once.



Benefits

Benefits of using single sign-on include:

• Reducing password fatigue from different user name and password combinations

• Reducing time spent re-entering passwords for the same identity

• Reducing IT costs due to lower number of IT help desk calls about passwords



Common Configurations

Below are the common configuration methods, which are being used for single sign-on authentication:



Kerberos Based

• Initial sign-on prompts the user for credentials, and gets a Kerberos ticket-granting ticket (TGT).

• Additional software applications requiring authentication, such as email clients, wikis, revision control systems, etc., use the ticket-granting ticket to acquire service tickets, proving the user's identity to the mailserver / wiki server / etc. without prompting the user to re-enter credentials. 



Windows environment – Windows login fetches TGT. Active Directory-aware applications fetch service tickets, so user is not prompted to re-authenticate.



Unix/Linux environment – Login via Kerberos PAM modules fetches TGT. Kerberized client applications such as Evolution, Firefox, and SVN use service tickets, so user is not prompted to re-authenticate.



Other common configuration methods used for SSO authentication are:

• Smart card Based

• OTP token

• Integrated Windows Authentication

• Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)



Shared authentication schemes which are not single sign-on

Single sign-on requires that users literally sign in once to establish their credentials. Systems which require the user to log in multiple times to the same identity are inherently not single sign-on. For example, an environment where users are prompted to log into their desktop, then log into their email using the same credentials, is not single sign-on.



References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_sign-on

http://www.opengroup.org/security/sso/sso_intro.htm



Also, the following links provide information about a security study (made in March, 2012) of some Commercially Deployed Single-Sign-On Web Services, their flaws and resolutions:

http://research.microsoft.com/apps/pubs/default.aspx?id=160659

http://openid.net/2012/03/14/vulnerability-report-data-confusion/

Brain–Computer Interface

A brain–computer interface (BCI), often called a mind-machine interface (MMI), or a direct neural interface or a brain–machine interface (BMI), is a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device. BCIs are often used to assist, augment or repair human cognitive or sensory-motor functions.




The field of BCI research and development is focused primarily on neuroprosthetic applications that aim at restoring damaged hearing, sight and movement. Due to the brain’s ability to develop and adapt (cortical plasticity), signals from implanted prostheses can, after adaptation, be handled by the brain like natural sensor. Following years of animal experimentation, the first neuroprosthetic devices implanted in humans appeared in the mid-1990s.



However, the difference between BCIs and neuroprosthetics is that the latter typically connect the nervous system to a device, whereas BCIs usually connect the brain with a computer system.



Invasive BCIs – Invasive BCI research has targeted repairing damaged sight and to restore movement in individuals with paralysis or provide devices to assist them. Invasive BCIs are implanted directly into the grey matter of the brain during neurosurgery. Hence, invasive devices produce the highest quality signals of BCI devices but are prone to scar-tissue build-up, causing the signal to become weaker, or even non-existent, as the body reacts to a foreign object in the brain.



Partially invasive BCIs – Partially invasive BCI devices are implanted inside the skull but rest outside the brain rather than within the grey matter. They produce better resolution signals than non-invasive BCIs where the bone tissue of the cranium deflects and deforms signals and have a lower risk of forming scar-tissue in the brain than fully invasive BCIs.

Electrocorticography (ECoG) is a partially invasive procedure, which measures the electrical activity of the brain taken from beneath the skull in a similar way to non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG), but the electrodes are embedded in a thin plastic pad that is placed above the cortex, beneath the dura mater. ECoG has higher spatial resolution, better signal-to-noise ratio, wider frequency range, and less training requirements than scalp-recorded EEG.



Non-invasive BCIs – Signals recorded in a non-invasive way have been used to power muscle implants and restore partial movement in experimental volunteers. Although they are easy to wear, non-invasive implants produce poor signal resolution because the skull dampens signals, dispersing and blurring the electromagnetic waves created by the neurons. Although the waves can still be detected it is more difficult to determine the area of the brain that created them or the actions of individual neurons.

Electroencephalography (EEG), Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are the popular non-invasive interfaces.

Also, currently, there is a new field of gaming called Neurogaming, which uses non-invasive BCI in order to improve game-play so that users can interact with a console without the use of a traditional joystick.



References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain-computer_interface