Cloud Computing

Introduction  to Cloud Computing

         

When you store your photos online instead of on your home computer or use 

webmail or a social networking site, you are using a “cloud computing” 

service. If you are an organization, and you want to use, for example, an online invoicing service instead of updating the in-house one you have been using for many years, that online invoicing service is a “cloud computing” service. Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing resources over the Internet. Instead of keeping data on your own hard drive or updating applications for your needs, you use a 

service over the Internet, at another location, to store your information or use its applications. Doing so may give rise to certain privacy implications.

For that reason the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has 

prepared some responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS). 

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the Internet. Cloud 

services allow individuals and businesses to use software and hardware that are managed by third parties at remote locations. Examples of cloud services include online file storage, social networking sites, webmail, and online business applications. The cloud computing model allows access to information and computer resources from anywhere that a network connection is available. Cloud computing provides a shared pool of resources, including data storage space and networks.

The cloud model promotes availability and is composed of five essential 

characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models"

Characteristics

                               

The characteristics of cloud computing include on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity and measured service.

 On-demand self-service means that customers (usually organizations) can request and manage their own computing resources. Broad network access allows services to be offered over the Internet or private networks. Pooled resources mean that customers draw from a pool of computing resources, 

usually in remote data centerss. Services can be scaled larger or smaller, and use of a service is measured and customers are billed accordingly.

Service Models

The cloud computing service models are Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform

 as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

                      

 In a Software as a Service model, a pre-made application, along with any required software, operating system, hardware, and network are provided. In 

Paas, an operating system, hardware, and network are provided, and the customer installs or develops its own software and applications. The Iaas model provides just the hardware and network; the customer installs or develops its own operating systems, software and applications.

Development Of Cloud Services

Cloud services are typically made available via a private cloud, community 

cloud, public cloud or hybrid cloud. 

 Services provided by a public cloud are offered over the Internet and are owned and operated by a cloud provider. Some examples include services aimed at the general public, such as online photo storage services,

 e-mail services, or social networking sites. However, services for enterprises canalso be offered in a public cloud. 

In a private cloud, the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for a specific organization and is managed by the organization or a third party. 

In a community cloud, the service is shared by several organizations and made available only to those groups. The infrastructure may be owned and operated by the organizations or by a cloud service provider.

A hybrid cloud is a combination of different methods of resource pooling (for example, combining public and community clouds).

Why cloud Services Are Popular?

Cloud services are popular because they can reduce the cost and complexity of 

owning and operating computers and networks. Since cloud users do not have 

to invest in information technology infrastructure, purchase hardware, or buy

 software licences, the benefits are low up-front costs, rapid return on 

investment, rapid deployment, customization, flexible use, and solutions that 

can make use of new innovations. Besides, cloud providers that have 

specialized in a particular area (such as e-mail) can bring advanced services 

that a single company might not be able to afford or develop. 

Some other benefits to users include scalability, reliability, and efficiency.

 Scalability means that cloud computing offers unlimited processing and storage 

capacity. The cloud is reliable in that it enables access to applications and documents anywhere in the world via the Internet. Cloud computing is often considered efficient because it allows organizations to free up resources to focus on innovation and product development. 

                      

Another potential benefit is that personal information may be better protected in the cloud. Specifically, cloud computing may improve efforts to build privacy protections into technology from the start and the use of better security mechanisms. Cloud computing will enable more flexible IT acquisition and

 improvements, which may permit adjustments to procedures based on the

 the sensitivity of the data. Widespread use of the cloud may also encourage open standards for cloud computing that will establish baseline data security features common across different services and providers. Cloud computing may also allow for better audit trails. Besides, the information in the cloud is not as easily lost (when compared to the paper documents or hard drives, for example).

Potential Barrier Risks

While there are benefits, there are privacy and security concerns too. Data is travelling over the Internet and is stored in remote locations. Besides, cloud providers often serve multiple customers simultaneously. All of this may raise the scale of exposure to possible breaches, both accidental and deliberate. 

Concerns have been raised by many that cloud computing may lead to 

“function creeps” — uses of data by cloud providers that were not anticipated when the information was originally collected and for which consent has typically not been obtained. Given how inexpensive it is to keep data, there is little incentive to remove the information from the cloud and more reasons to find other things to do with it. 

Security issues, the need to segregate data when dealing with providers that 

serve multiple customers, potential secondary uses of the data—these are 

areas that organizations should keep in mind when considering a cloud provider 

and when negotiating contracts or reviewing terms of service with a 

cloud provider. Given that the organization transferring this information to the 

provider is ultimately accountable for its protection, it needs to ensure that the 

personal information is appropriate handling. 

Conclusion

Cloud computing offers benefits for organizations and individuals. There are also privacy and security concerns. If you are considering a cloud service, you should think about how your personal information, and that of your customers can best be protected. Carefully review the terms of service or contracts, and challenge the provider to meet your need........

Orient First Glass Door Refrigerator

Orient first Refrigerator with LED TV on the upper door you can enjoy music, movies, TV while working connect your USB with Refrigerator. By using this device you can watch your favourite TV serials while working, learn and make new cooking recipes.
Orient aims to provide latest and the most innovative range of products to customers equipped with a patent certified technology, making it the World’s First Glass Door Refrigerator with LED TV.

                                                                                                                               Features:

• LED TV
• Movies
• FM Radio
• Music
• Photos
• Music & Photos
• Calendar
• Alarm
• Touch Keypad
• Remote Control
• Powerful Sound
• Input & Connectivity                                                      

Lacie Safe

This computer invention provides peace of mind for securing your information.
Storing your files on this mobile hard drive gives you multiple levels of protection because it uses advanced encryption and biometric authentication technology.
The Safe uses 128-bit AES encryption (Advanced Encryption Standard) which is the same standard usd by governments to protect top secret information. Encryption converts information that is readable into a mixture of unreadable characters. Decryption processes the encrypted unreadable characters back into a readable format.The algorithm that encrypts and decrypts the information is known as a cipher. The cipher allows access to the readable information when you enter a password.
Most ciphers will use passwords that are four to eight characters in length, but a 128-bit AES cipher uses a 16 character password which is extremely difficult to hack.
Biometric authentication is a technology that recognizes physical or behavioral characteristics such as fingerprints, palm geometry, retina patterns, voice and signature. Fingerprint recognition is the most popular because it's easier to use.
Your finger is scanned for minutia, which are the points on a fingerprint where a ridge ends or splits into two. An algorithm extracts the minutia points and creates a template image that is used for authentication.                                         

Gesture Recognition Bracelet

The MYO technology does not require positioning coordinates and therefore allows greater freedom of movement, Gestures are identified by muscular and electrical activity in the forearm. This detection occurs without any electrodes touching the skin, and the recognition is instantaneous. Myo currently recognises about 20 gestures. For example, it recognises the swiping motions we use to scroll a page on a touchscreen.MYO is designed as a one-size-fits-all device. It uses Bluetooth 4.0, features onboard, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and works out-of-the-box with your Mac or Windows PC. This gesture recognition bracelet is one of the cool new gadgets that let you control devices by moving your hands.
                                                   
Invented by Stephen Lake, Matthew Bailey and Aaron Grant, the MYO armband (derived from the prefix "myo" meaning related to muscle) can identify hand gestures by interpreting biometric signals in your arm. When making a particular hand motion such as pointing, the armband can identify the gesture, which allows the pointing motion to be associated with a specific command for a digital device.
You can use hand signals to interact with televisions, computers, phones or any smart technology system. The importance of this technology is that it enables you to interact more naturally with devices by reducing the need for input peripherals like mice, keyboards or touchscreens.
                                                        
The problem with current gesture recognition technology is that it requires you to be in a specific location. This is because motion sensors and cameras require positioning coordinates to accurately interpret your motions using complex algorithms.

Cell Phone Watch

Cell phone watches operate as a fully functional, fully featured mobile devices with multiple capabilities.One potential capability is to extend or project (known as body interfacing) an interactive screen onto a body part or other surface.

                                                                                     

A cell phone watch conveniently attaches to your wrist and not in your pocket, bag or elsewhere, so these gadgets do offer some interesting possibilities. Most of these watches feature video and still camera capability.

You wouldn't miss an opportunity to record anything because all you have to do is point your arm and click.Features such as touch screen, radio, texting video/audio recorder-players, handwriting recognition, ebook readers, internet access, and call setting options make these watches competitive with phones.

The average talk time for a cell phone watch is about 2-4 hours, stand by is 120-150 hours. Most of these watches have rechargeable batteries and loads of applications.Since Samsung introduced the world's first cell phone watch in 1999, there is more financing and development being done with these future gadgets.

Car GPS Tracking

Car Gps Tracking is fairly common in new vehicles, providing drivers with tracking and navigation. However, the latest technology inventions have made car GPS tracking systems more sophisticated, allowing for a wide range of additional uses.

Smartbox technology is one example of how car GPS tracking systems are being used to lower car insurance. A comprehensive recording of a driver's habits allows insurance companies to provide "pay-as-you-drive" car insurance. City officials in New York City are considering how car GPS tracking could be used as "Drive Smart" technology.

A car GPS tracking system that integrates with traffic information would give drivers the ability to select routes in real-time that were more fuel-efficient, less congested, faster or shorter.                               

Solid state drive and hard disk drive

SOLID STATE DRIVE

SSD stands for Solid State Drive. You’re probably familiar with USB memory sticks - SSD can be thought of as an oversized and more sophisticated version of the humble USB memory stick. Like a memory stick, there are no moving parts to an SSD. Rather, information is stored in microchips. A typical SSD uses what is called NAND-based flash memory. This is a non-volatile type of memory. What does non-volatile mean you ask? The simple answer is that you can turn off the disk and it won’t “forget” what was stored on it. This is of course an essential characteristic of any type of permanent memory.SSD does not have a mechanical arm to read and write data, it instead relies on an embedded processor (or “brain”) called a controller to perform a bunch of operations related to reading and writing data. The controller is a very important factor in determining the speed of the SSD. Decisions it makes related to how to store, retrieve, cache and clean up data can determine the overall speed of the drive. The technology is encased inside either a plastic or metal case and looks like nothing more than what a battery

HARD DISK DRIVE

HDD stands for a hard disk drive. An HDD uses magnetism to store data on a  rotating platter. A read/write head floats above the spinning platter reading and writing data. The faster the platter spins, the faster an HDD can perform.
 Typical laptop drives today spin at either 5400 RPM (Revolutions per Minute) or 7200RPM, though some server-based platters spin at up to 15,000 RPM!
The major advantage of an HDD is that it is capable of storing lots of data cheaply. These days, 1 TeraByte (1,024 gigabytes) of storage is not unusual for a laptop hard drive, and the density continues to grow. However, the cost per gigabyte is hard to calculate nowadays since there are so many classes to consider, though it is safe to say that all HDDs are substantially cheaper than SSDs.
When it comes to appearance, HDDs essentially look the same from the outside as SSDs. HDDs predominantly use the SATA interface. The most common size for laptop hard drives is the 2.5” form factor while a larger 3.5” form factor is used in desktop computers. The larger size allows for more platters inside and thus more storage capacity. Some desktop hard drives can store up to 4TB of data! Below is an example of what an HDD looks:

Comparison between SSD and HDD 

Attribute	SSD (Solid State Drive)	HDD (Hard Disk Drive)
Power Draw / Battery Life	Less power draw, averages 2 – 3 watts, resulting in 30+ minute battery boost	More power draw averages 6 – 7 watts and therefore uses more battery
Cost	Expensive, roughly $0.50 per gigabyte (based on buying a 1TB drive)	Only around $0.15 per gigabyte, very cheap (buying a 4TB model)
Capacity	Typically not larger than 512GB for notebook size drives; 1TB max for desktops	Typically around 500GB and 2TB maximum for notebook size drives; 4TB max for desktops
Operating System Boot-Time	Around 22 seconds average bootup time	Around 40 seconds average bootup time
Noise	There are no moving parts and as such no sound	Audible clicks and spinning can be heard
Vibration	No vibration as there are no moving parts	The spinning of the platters can sometimes result in vibration
Heat Produced	Lower power draw and no moving parts so little heat is produced	HDD doesn’t produce much heat, but it will have a measurable amount more heat than an SSD due to moving parts and higher power draw
Failure Rate	Meantime between failure rate of 2.0 million hours	Meantime between failure rate of 1.5 million hours
File Copy / Write Speed	Generally above 200 MB/s and up to 550 MB/s for cutting edge drives	The range can be anywhere from 50 – 120MB / s
Encryption	Full Disk Encryption (FDE)Supported on some models	Full Disk Encryption (FDE) Supported on some models
File Opening Speed	Up to 30% faster than HDD	Slower than SSD
Magnetism Affected?	An SSD is safe from any effects of magnetism	Magnets can erase data

Computer Glasses

When you work at a computer for any length of time, it's common to experience eye strain, blurred vision, red eyes and other symptoms of computer vision syndrome (CVS). This is because the visual demands of computer work are unlike those associated with most other activities. These special-purpose glasses are prescribed specifically to reduce eye strain and give you the most comfortable vision possible at your computer.                                                                                      

Computer screens usually are positioned 20 to 26 inches from the user's eyes. This is considered the intermediate zone of vision — closer than driving ("distance") vision, but farther away than reading ("near") vision. Computer glasses put the optimum lens power for viewing your computer screen right where you need it for a clear, wide-field view for maximum viewing comfort, the lenses of your computer glasses should include anti-reflective coating. Sometimes called anti-glare treatment, anti-reflective (AR) coatings eliminate reflections of light from the front and back surfaces of your lenses that can cause eye strain. Some eye doctors recommend adding a light tint to computer glasses to reduce glare caused by harsh overhead lighting and to enhance contrast. Tinted computer lenses also are recommended to block short-wavelength, "blue" light emitted from computer screens that are associated with glare and eye strain. Because an accurate eyeglasses prescription is essential if you want to get the full benefits from computer glasses, it's best to purchase this eyewear from a knowledgeable eye care professional.

Difference between LCD and LED

LCD stands for “liquid crystal display” and technically, both LED and LCD TVs are liquid crystal displays. The basic technology is the same in that both television types have two layers of polarized glass through which the liquid crystals both block and pass light. So really, LED TVs are a subset of LCD TVs.                                                         

 LED, which stands for “light-emitting diodes,” differs from general LCD TVs in that LCDs use fluorescent lights while LEDs use those light-emitting diodes. Also, the placement of the lights on an LED TV can differ. The fluorescent lights in an LCD TV are always behind the screen. On an LED TV, the light-emitting diodes can be placed either behind the screen or around its edges. The difference in lights and in lighting placement has generally meant that LED TVs can be thinner than LCDs, although this is starting to change. It has also meant that LED TVs run with greater energy efficiency and can provide a clearer, better picture than the general LCD TVs.                                                                                                        
 LED TVs provide a better picture for two basic reasons. First, LED TVs work with a colour wheel or distinct RGB-colored lights (red, green, blue) to produce more realistic and sharper colours. Second, light-emitting diodes can be dimmed. The dimming capability on the backlighting in an LED TV allows the picture to display with a truer black by darkening the lights and blocking more light from passing through the panel. This capability is not present on edge-lit LED TVs; however, edge-lit LED TVs can display a truer white than fluorescent LED TVs. Because all these LCD TVs are thin-screen, each has particular angle-viewing and anti-glare issues. The backlit TVs provide better, cleaner angle viewing than the edge-lit LED TV. However, the backlit LED TV will usually have better angle viewing than the standard LCD TV. Both LED and LCD TVs have good reputations for their playback and gaming quality.

Difference between Resistive and capacitive touchscreens

Resistive Touchscreens

The resistive touchscreen is the most common type of touchscreen. Except for modern smartphones, tablets and trackpads, most touchscreens we come in contact with are actually resistive touchscreens. As you’ve probably guessed, the resistive touchscreen relies on resistance. In that respect, it’s pretty intuitive to understand – the pressure you apply causes the screen to respond.

A resistive touchscreen is made out of two thin layers separated by a thin gap. These are not the only layers in the resistive touchscreen, but we’ll focus on them for simplicity. These two layers both have a coating on one side, with the coated sides facing each other inside the gap, just like two pieces of bread in a sandwich. When these two layers of coating touch each other, a voltage is passed, which is in turn processed as a touch in that location.

    For this very same reason, resistive touchscreen requires slight pressure to register the touch, and are not always as quick to respond as capacitive touchscreens such as the iPhone’s. Besides, the resistive touchscreen’s multiple layers cause the display to be less sharp, with lower contrast than we might see on capacitive screens. While most resistive screens don’t allow for multi-touch gestures such as pinch to zoom, they can register a touch by one finger when another finger is already touching a different location on the screen. Resistive screens have been improving greatly over the years, and today many lower-end smartphones boast a resistive screen which is no less accurate than high-end devices. Some recent devices using resistive touchscreens are the Nokia N800, the Nokia N97, the HTC Tattoo and the Samsung Jet. Another well-known device using resistive technology is the Nintendo DS, which was the first popular game console to make use of it.

So when your finger, stylus, or any other instrument touches a resistive screen, it creates a slight pressure on the top layer, which is then transferred to the adjacent layer, thus starting the cascade of signals. Because of this, you can use anything you want on a resistive touchscreen to make the touch interface work; a gloved finger, a wooden rod, a fingernail – anything that creates enough pressure on the point of impact will activate the mechanism and the touch will be registered.         

Capacitive Touchscreens

Surprisingly, it was actually the capacitive touchscreen that was invented first; the first one was built almost 10 years before the first resistive touchscreen. Nevertheless, today’s capacitive touchscreens are highly accurate and respond instantly when lightly touched by a human finger.                                                                                                                           As opposed to the resistive touchscreen, which relies on the mechanical pressure made by the finger or stylus, the capacitive touchscreen makes use of the electrical properties of the human body. A capacitive screen is usually made of one insulating layer, such as glass, which is coated by a transparent conductive material on the inside. Since the human body is conductive, which means electricity can pass through it, the capacitive screen can use this conductivity as input. When you touch a capacitive touchscreen with your finger, you cause a change in the screen’s electrical field. 
 This change is registered, and the location of the touch is determined by a processor. This can be done by several different technologies, but they all rely on the electrical change caused by a light touch of a finger. This is the reason you cannot use a capacitive screen while wearing gloves – the gloves are not conductive, and the touch does not cause any change in the electrostatic field. Same goes for non-capacitive style. Since capacitive screens are made of one main layer, which is constantly getting thinner as technology advances, these screens are not only more sensitive and accurate, the display itself can be much sharper, as seen on devices such as the iPhone 4S. And of course, capacitive touchscreens can also make use of multi-touch gestures, but only by using several fingers at the same time. If one finger is touching one part of the screen, it won’t be able to sense another touch accurately.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Touch screen.

ADVANTAGES of Touch Screen

•  Touchscreen devices have limited buttons.
• Touchscreen devices usually have more simple user interfaces Ex. iPod Apps.
• Having less or no buttons means that you can put more effort into having a big screen. 
•  For the people worried about hygiene, most devices are easy to clean, some are even dirt, dust and grease resistant.
• For people new or uncomfortable with normal desktops, touchscreens are easy to use helping more people get used to using computers.

 

DISADVANTAGES of Touch Screen

•  The screen has to be big enough to be able to touch the buttons without missing.
• Having a big bright screen and needing massive computing power to run this means a very low battery life.
• Indirect sunlight is much less efficient and most of the time very difficult to read the screen.
• If a touchscreen device were to crash the whole screen would be unresponsive, and because of the lack of buttons recovering it would be very difficult.
• The screens will get very dirty.
• You have to be within arms reach of the device.
• They usually cost more than ordinary devices.