- Microsoft’s White-Fi technology
- Digital Locker
- Antikythera Mechanism
- Regin, or Backdoor.Regin
- Detekt Anti-surveillance tool
- Nanodots for fast charging phones
- Nanotech for Flash memory
- Ezhil programming language
- Logbar Ring
- Merxius software.
- Mock Questions
Selected IT-Electronics topics from November-December 2014.
Microsoft’s White-Fi technology
- At present, unused spectrum is allotted to television broadcasters. This unused gap is called “White space” Microsoft wants to use it, to beam wifi on a bigger scale of 10 kms radius, with 15 mbps speed at a cost of Rs.10 lakh per router.
- This can provide internet connectivity to villages and tribal areas. But government must give the unused spectrum to tech companies first. Microsoft got trial-permission for Bangalore.
- Telangana Government also interested in this technology for Hyderabad.
- CEO Satya Nadella met Telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad for all-India application.
- Recall that other tech-giants too want to increase internet penetration. Example Facebook’s solar-drones (Internet.org) and Google’s helium balloons (Project Loon). Some other companies want to give free internet to non-smart phones using USSD code service.
- Because if more people have internet, then tech giants can make more money through advertisements and e-commerce.
Digital Locker
- In Dropbox, Google drive, Mediafire – you can store your personal files on cloudnetwork.
- Digital Locker aims to store certificates in government’s cloud (online hard disk).
- For example, you store your birth certificate online and provide only the link when you apply for passport.
- Maharashtra government already launched “Maha Digital Locker” where you can login with your Aadhar id. This website can directly upload your certificates to third party website- during job application, passport registration etc.
- Microsoft CEO Nadella wants to help implement this technology at all India level.
- Pro: Paperless operations, no need for photocopies and attestation by gazetted officer.
- Anti: Concerns about online privacy and security.
Antikythera Mechanism
What? |
|
---|---|
Where? | It was found in a shipwerck near a Greek island called Antikythera, hence the name. |
Who? | This bronze instrument was built by Greeks >2000 years ago. |
Features? |
|
Regin, or Backdoor.Regin
What? |
|
---|---|
Who? |
|
When? | Regin malware has been circulating since 2008, but American anti-virus companies detected it in late 2014. |
Virus | a program which copies itself and multiplies |
---|---|
Worms | copies and disitributes itself through networks |
Trojan | seems like performing some function, but breaches security |
Spyware | covertly tracks your activities |
Spam | useless messages spreading through internet/emails |
Phishing | inducing you to reveal your passwords/bank details. E.g. those messages which claim that you have won a lottery. |
Detekt Anti-surveillance tool
Problem |
|
---|---|
Solution |
|
Nanodots for fast charging phones
Who? | Israeli firm StoreDot. |
---|---|
What? | Designed new technology to charge mobile phones in just 30 seconds, and electric cars/ hybrid cars in a few minutes. |
How? |
|
Nanotech for Flash memory
- Data stored in flash memory is permanent even when electricity is off. For example USB Pen drives, Digital Cameras etc.
- At present flash drives are made from metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices.
- But, If we use nanotechnology, we can further increase the storage capacity of these flash drives.
- Because Nano Technology deals with molecules at the scale of 10 rest to -9 meter. At this scale, materials show unique physical, chemical and biological properties.
- For example, at Nano-scale, the Selenium oxides can be used for storing data.
- Scotland researchers working on this technology.
Ezhil programming language
Who? | Muthiah Annamalai- software engineer from Chennai, living in USA |
---|---|
What? |
|
Why? | To help Tamil school-children cultivate interest in Computer programming. |
Logbar Ring
Who? | A Japanese company has deleveoped an electronic Ring with bluetooth. |
---|---|
What? |
|
Merxius software
Who? | Hasan Ali Khan and Vaishali Neotia from Hyderabad. |
---|---|
What? |
|
Why in new? | They won Aegis Graham Bell award for this software. |
Mock Questions
[columnize]
Q1. Find correct statements
- Flash memory is volatile memory.
- RAM is an example of non-volatile memory.
- Both A and B
- Neither A nor B
Q2. What is white-fi technology?
- Beaming internet over an area using helium balloon
- Beaming internet over an area using solar drones
- Beaming internet over an area using underground cable network running along with water and gas connections.
- Beaming internet over an area using unused television spectrum.
Q3. Who among the following will benefit from a “Digital locker”?
- Person wanting to hide his IP address while downloading torrents.
- Person wanting to store his pirated movies, softwares and games.
- Person wanting to run applications made by strangers, without exposing his system to malware.
- Person wanting to store government certificates on a cloud.
Q4. Recently, archeologist discovered an “Antikythera device”. Find correct statements about it
- This device was found from shipwreck at Antikythera islands in Caribbean archipelago.
- Leonardo Da Vinci had designed this instrument for calculating solar eclipses.
- Both A and B
- Neither A nor B
Q5. Which of the following are malware or security threats?
- Regin
- Heartbleed
- Shellshock
- Detekt
Answer choices
- Only 2 and 3
- Only 2, 3 and 4
- Only 1, 2 and 3
- All of them
Q6. Correct Pair
- Finspy: Surveillance tool
- Detekt: Anti-Surveillance tool
- Both A and B
- Neither A nor B
Q7. What’s the use of Logbar ring?
- It is a medical device with embedded GPS chip to trace persons suffering from Alzheimer or Dementia
- It is a special plutonium ring meant to control the chain-reaction in nuclear reactors.
- It is a newly discovered belt of asteroids by ISRO’s Mars Mission.
- None of above.
Q8. Ezhil Programming language is written in ____.
- Telugu
- Tamil
- Kannada
- Oriya
[/columnize]
Mains: General Studies Paper-3
- Explain the mechanism of White-fi technology and its significance in removing digital divide in India. 150 words.
- List the applications for nanotechnology in electronics and IT sector. 150 words.
- What is Digital locker? What are its application for E-governance? 100 words.
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thanku sir , u r doing well
sir i want to become assistant commandant and i have passed 12th with 75.4 per and i have national certificate of football. help me
Guys there was a link for BASIC SPACE MATERIAL by mrunal sir..I am not able to find it again…Please someone help me by sharing its link as soon as possible..
Thank you’
Sir what is the difference between bandwidth and spectrum?
Spectrum refers to all the frequency bands in our nature . It varies from 3Hz to 300 EHz (10‛18 Hz). Spectrum includes Audio , Radio , Microwave , alpha , gama etc.
Bandwidth is difference of Upper Frequency and Lower frequency.
Bandwidth = Upper Frequency – Lower Frequency.
For eg. Human Ear frequency is 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Therefore Bandwidth is 19880 Hz or 1.988 KHz.
SIR PLEASE GIVE NOTES IN HINDI
Could you please give me more information about white fi
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful stuff. However, can I request you to mention the dates explicitly rin the articles. All we can find out is from the url and the comments which say ‘1 year old’.
Short and sweet way of presentation
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Nice