FBI Deals With Malware and Viruses

Choman Saleem

              FBI Deals With Malware and Viruses

     The Internet is used by millions of people. Some of those people are hackers who want to disturb and cripple other user’s computers using malware and viruses. In the middle of July, 2012, the FBI warned people that they could be on of the hundred thousands who will be losing their Internet connection. The root problem is a malware known as DNSChanger, which was initially discovered in 2007 and has infected millions of users throughout the world.

     The DNSChanger is targeted towards Windows and Mac systems. The malware infects people and changes the computer’s settings and automatically directs the user to a server set by the hackers. The users get directed to ads and other sites unintentionally, increasing the flow of traffic and making millions of dollars. The malware was engineered by six hackers and the FBI was able to track and criminalize them. The FBI created a website which detected and helped you remove the malware.  

Source:
http://techland.time.com/2012/04/23/dnschanger-fbi-warns-infected-computers-will-lose-web-email-

The Wild West: The Internet and Piracy

Choman Saleem

         The Wild West: The Internet and Piracy

     The Old west is always depicted as wild and dangerous, a frontier where only the ruthless flourished. The Wild West we see in moves is often shown as a place people could find opportunity, utilize natural resources, and develop yourself. Often times the Internet is compared directly to the Wild West. Even though the Internet is used by a wide population of people across the world, there’s still a lot of room for growth and development. As the Internet becomes more developed and explored, it will eventually need to be more mature and regulated, just like the current West today. Recently many governments have tried to do just that.

     The  US government has tried to step in and censor the Internet with a number of bills. Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) was introduced to give the United States law enforcement means to fight online piracy and basically give U.S. a strong grip over the Internet. The bill would criminalize Internet users for streaming copyrighted content and implement a maximum penalty of five years in prison. SOPA was backed by a legislation stating the need to “protect intellectual-property”.

Although plenty of copyrighted content such as music, videos, and games get downloaded illegally, passing such a bill would interfere with a large number of Internet users and businesses worldwide. Such  bills would end a variety of online communities, such as YouTube and online blogs. Old business models cannot be compared to new models based on the Internet economy. The lawmakers are stepping into a game which they have little to know idea of how to play.

Source:
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/science-scope/internet-censorship-bill-may-kill-american-innovation-jobs/11413

Cloud Storage

Choman Saleem

              Cloud Storage For Everyone

     Wouldn’t the ability to access your computer files from almost anywhere be practical? There has to be a better file management system out there other than emailing files to yourself, or carrying around a flash drive. Dropbox was created in 2008 to address that desire. Dropbox is a fairly simple online virtual storage program that gives you the ability to access your files anywhere. Dropbox lets you create a folder on your computer that is synced directly to the Dropbox server and updated continuously. The user is able to treat the folder like any other folder. Anything you save to the folder is accessible on the web using your private Dropbox account.

     The uses of Dropbox are limitless. Dropbox lets you securely share files and even lets you share individual folders with others using a shared folder. A team of people working together can continuously update a project and upload different files needed. Dropbox is perfect for any group who needs collaboration with others, such as graphic designers, musicians, programmers, and students. Dropbox offers 2 gigabytes of storage for free. If 2GB is not large enough for you, a user can purchase a bigger account for a reasonable price. The final advantage of the utility is it’s support for a wide variety of platforms. Dropbox is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, and even some smart phones. 

 

Source:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2343852,00.asp

The Beauty of Virtualization

Choman Saleem

                   The Beauty of Virtualization

One of the newest computer technologies is virtualization. Virtualization is a technology with an  endless number of uses. Virtualization allows a single machine to act as if it were many machines.  You are able to create a virtual version of an operating system, server, website, or even a specific computer environment for training purposes. Organizations are able to reduce power consumption, air conditioning needs, costs, and actual physical space. The rapid changing business demands can be simplified using virtualization. Applying applications and updates increases the response time for rapidly changing business demands. Many new operating systems and hardware have built in support.

Virtualization’s flexibility is a trait which makes it very appealing to a wide demographic. The technology allows multiple operating systems on one system. For example, if a user on a Macbook needs to run a program only compatible with Windows, they are able to install a virtual Windows environment and access the program that way. A business can train their employees on a exact production environment without the fear of irreversibly damaging something. Virtualization is a technology that can be implemented in an array of ways, it’s here to stay. 

--> Source:
http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/the-advantages-of-using-virtualization-technology-in-the-enterprise

Java's Recent Vulnerability

Choman Saleem

                Java’s Recent Vulnerability

     The number of programming languages used today is abundant. One of the most leading object-oriented programming languages is Oracle’s Java. Java’s efficiency and widespread use as a programming language comes from it’s Java Virtual Machine, which is installed on all operating systems. The Java Virtual Machine allows the programmer to communicate with the virtual machine instead of the actual system. The JVM results in a secure environment on top of the real hardware platform and operating system.
     The Oracle Java platform has been revered as a secure platform for many years due to the fact that it operates on a layer separate from the hardware and operating system. Java has been a common target for hackers, but they have had little success. However, researchers at the Security Explorations have recently uncovered a  serious security flaw in the platform, Java Standard versions 5,6, and 7 have the ability to penetrate through the virtual machine.

     Oracle has confirmed the security issue and has been working on a critical patch update. Like any other download from the Internet, Java plugins should only be installed from trusted sites. The number of Java users on desktops, servers, and laptops is staggering. In a terrible scenario, a security flaw could affect millions of people.

Source:
http://www.eweek.com/security/new-java-vulnerability-allows-sandbox-bypass-security-firm-says.html

Hotels and IT Trends

Choman Saleem

          Accommodating Hotel Answers to Growing Trends

     Hotels are a business which do their best to accommodate your needs and make you feel welcome. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is an award-winning luxury hotel with locations throughout the world and is revered as a leader in the hospitality business. Having complimentary Wi-Fi is a flaming trend throughout businesses across the country. The Mandarin Oriental overlooking Central Park in New York has been one of the first to integrate high speed Wi-Fi networking into wall outlets. 

     The guest demographic of the hotel have increased expectations for more reliable, high speed internet connections. Guests with new trending demanding devices such as smart phones and tablets needed better connections to accommodate for their network usage. The Mandarin Oriental answered by deploying the Ruckus ZoneFlex 7025 Wi-Fi wall switch in all of their guest rooms and installed ZoneFlex dual-band 802.11n access points across their hotel, further fortifying their network. The Mandarin Oriental addressed growing issues of  network capacity, coverage, and user density and have raised the bar for luxurious hotels throughout the world.

Source:
http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/mandarin-oriental-hides-wi-fi-in-the-walls.html

100 Terabits Per Second Mark

Choman Saleem

              Topping The 100 Terabits Per Second Mark

     The networking and computer industry is evolving ever-so rapidly. Every  year, system performance is pushed and breaking new boundaries. Two separate research teams using ultrafast fiber optic technologies have accomplished to send more than 100 terabits of data per second through a single cable. To put the record-setting numbers in terms everyone can understand, that’s equivalent of sending three months of HD videos in one second. At this rate, you can send the contents of 250 double-sided Blue-Ray discs in a second.

The first team, NEC Corporation, achieved this data rate by altering the lights. NEC was able to send 101.7 terabits per second over 100 miles by stuffing pulses from 370 different lasers pooling into a single pulse that reached the end receiver. Every individual laser emitted a different frequency of light.The second team, Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, carved up new channels within the fiber. The team from Japan used a seven-cored cable which was able to transmit 15.6 terabits per second per each core, resulting in a total of 109 terabits per second. Although these kinds of speeds won’t be viable to everyday users today, they are still an extremely important step to the future of communications. The traffic of data is growing at a rate of roughly 50 percent every year due to recent network demands, such as TV-on-the-web like Netflix and Hulu. The current practicality of 100 terabits per second is viable in places such as server farms at Amazon.  

Source:
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-04/two-different-fiber-optic-technologes-top-100-terabit-second-speeds-fastest-ever

Direct3D Questions

Choman Saleem

               Why Do We Still Use Direct3d?

Microsoft has always been a behemoth in the computer industry and will continue doing so for years to come.  The corporation is a key player in everything computer related. The long reach of Microsoft’s arm also goes into the field of computer gaming and video games. Microsoft uses their own Application Program Interface(API), called Direct3D. Direct3D is used to render graphic extensive programs such as games. The direct competitor of Microsoft’s Direct3D is an open-source free platform called OpenGL. OpenGL works on a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and even the Playstation 3.
     Recently one of the pioneers of gaming, Valve, openly declared their distaste for the new Windows 8. Along with their declaration, Valve also encouraged other professional gaming studios to drop Direct3D and Microsoft software for OpenGL. Valve has been working on a Linux/Ubuntu port of their Source gaming engine. The results are groundbreaking. Valve games run alarmingly faster on Ubuntu 12.04 and OpenGL compared with Windows 7 and DirectX/Direct3D. The hardware used to conduct the tests were the exact same, the only factor changed was the software. The important point to take away is that Valve has been working on refining their Source engine on Windows for almost a decade, and just recently spent a few months working on a Linux port for their Source engine. One of Valve’s most successful Games, Left 4 Dead 2 ran %20 faster on Ubuntu and OpenGL. The increased performance in was due to the “underlying efficiency of the Linux kernel and OpenGL” compared to the Windows kernel.
     Microsoft’s DirectX is the predominant API because of their monopolistic heft and pure marketing campaigns. The majority of game developers use DirectX, which leads to more DirectX games. Microsoft does an extremely fine job of keeping DirectX updated, documented, and having an abundance of DirectX tools. With the release of Windows Vista, the version of OpenGL incorporated with the new operating system was completely crippled. The result? Many developers were forced to switch to DirectX.  Since Valve is one of the pioneers in the gaming industry, it is foreseeable to see many other developers joining Valve and going against Direct3D and Microsoft. Will OpenGL be the dominant API? History repeats itself. In the mid 1990’s, an alarming number of users dropped Microsoft Operating Systems for open-source and free operating systems.

Source:
http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/133824-valve-opengl-is-faster-than-directx-even-on-windows

The Rivalry of Processors

Choman Saleem

The Rivalry Of Processors

    Just like the competitive nature of humans, there are also fierce rivals in the marketplace. The computer hardware and software industry is no exception. The two main rivals of processor technology are Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, better known as AMD. When a consumer goes browsing for a new computer, there is plenty of jargon the uninformed computer techie doesn’t know. The most difficult part about buying a new system is figuring out which of your choices has the best CPU. People are given details about cores, clock speeds, socket types, memory controllers, cache, and 64 or 32bit type.

    The question boils down to the fundamental question, an AMD processor or an Intel Processor? If you can afford the price tag, Intel processors are the choice of processor. The  Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge processors are reviewed to be the best processors in terms of performance. However, due to the added extra cores, cache and quad-channel DDR3 RAM, the i7 Ivy Bridge processor increases the price tag dramatically. A quick search Newegg.com for the most economical i7 results in a $280 product. If you’re wanting an i7, prepare yourself for the pricetag.
     If you’re looking for a processor with similar performance to the latest Intel Ivy Bridge processor, the AMD equivalent is the AMD Bulldozer family. You can find an AMD Bulldozer 4.0GHz processor with 8 cores for almost $100 less than an Intel Ivy Bridge processor. The Bulldozer has 8 cores which is quite impressive, however it makes the AMD Bulldozer processor quite large. The Bulldozer has almost twice as many transistors as it’s competition. The result, a physically large CPU which takes up ample space on a motherboard. If the system builder is adding extra hardware such as RAM chips, graphics cards, heatsinks, and more, the AMD Bulldozer’s size is definitely a factor to consider.
Source:
http://www.techradar.com/news/processors/computing-components/intel-vs-amd-which-processor-is-best-936589#null

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=bulldozer&x=0&y=0

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=ivy+bridge&x=0&y=0

SSD or HDD?

Choman Saleem

Solid State or Hard Drive?

The most widely used secondary storage method that’s been used for decades has been the Hard Disk Drive (HDD). A HDD is a data storage device uses which consists of platters coated in magnetic material and magnetic heads arranged on a moving actuator arm which reads and writes data to the platter surfaces. Up until recently,  the HDD was left unchallenged. It’s rival has become popular over the past five years, the Solid State Drive (SSD).

     A solid-state-drive is built like a very large memory stick, or flash drive. Unlike the HDD, a solid state drive doesn’t have have moving mechanical parts. Due to the architectural nature of SDD’s, the seek time is drastically reduced compared to a HDD. One of the main issues of HDD’s is the mechanical parts break down, making the content on the HDD unreachable. A SDD also doesn’t generate as much heat, and compared to it’s counterpart, it’s completely silent. By not having any moving parts, the SSD is also much more durable, if dropped or shaked, it is less likely to be damaged.

Source:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404260,00.asp

 

    

System Performance And Benchmarks

Choman Saleem

System Performance And Benchmarks

I started playing computer games ever since I was eight years old or so. PC Gaming is what got me into computers, I’ll always have a tiny interest in the latest hardware and software implementations. The reason myself and many other PC Gamers aren’t interested in consoles is due to the fact that they’re so square. Many people are content with their computers just the way the are, they only use it for surfing the web and checking email, Facebook, and other tasks which aren’t demanding at all. There’s also others who are extremely interested in performance and want to push their computer to new heights.  This is where “Benchmarks” come into play.

One of the programs that almost performance enthusiast has on their computer is a “Benchmark” program, which measures the level of performance of their computer.

Many enthusiasts push their systems and spend hundreds of dollars  upgrading hardware. Any useless task that doesn’t need to be running in the backgrounds gets hunted down and terminated immediately. In plain terms, Benchmark programs record the number of FPS of a graphic intensive game running. One of the most important hardware pieces that effect FPS is your graphics card. Every computer comes with an integrated graphics card that’s integrated with the motherboard. Graphic extensive games require a much more powerful graphics card than integrated cards.

In the world of luxurious supercars and car enthusiasts, the time it takes to get from 0 to 60 and top speed is measured, amongst other tests. People who build computers or do graphic extensive tasks run benchmarks to see where their system compares to others. Benchmarks aren’t just for people who want to push their systems over the top. Benchmarks also come with graphics and sound tests which can be used to diagnose and isolate problems.

Source:http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-computer-benchmarks.htm
http://hothardware.com/News/Futuremark-3DMark06-Launched/

The Genghis Khan of Computer Language

Choman Saleem

The Genghis Khan of Computer Language

The computer world is a vast, ever-changing galaxy. The key players are innumerable. Without standards set place by organizations all over the globe, our programs, hardware, and everything in between wouldn’t be as united as they are today. Computers and electronic devices all deal with numbers, the numbers then need to be transformed and stored as a sequence of bits in the computer, which can then be used and manipulated by the processor. Before Unicode, there were numerous encoding systems which helped transition these numbers into characters. The problem was, there wasn’t a coding scheme that contained enough characters for all of the different languages.

     All of the different coding schemes didn’t work well together, or at all once introduced into a different environment. People used a different encoding system depending on what part of the world they were in. Unicode is a standard used all over the world, across a variety of machines, platforms, operating systems, programs, and languages. Unicode is used by a variety of corporations and organizations such as Apple, IBM, Oracle Microsoft, and Unysis. Unicode is maintained and promoted by a non-profit organization called The Unicode Consortium.

Source:
http://www.interproinc.com/articles.asp?id=0305