Digital Future Outlook - TCP/IP

The Television of the future may just be connected to one Broadband Cable, it could be Optical Fiber termination point too. The Smart TV will be fully Web Capable, Browser, Apps and Games.

The Satellite Program download and streaming will be a job of the Broadband Access provider. He will have the programs stored at nodal points and stream to the TV that demand it.

Any tablet at home will be able to move from TV to Computer mode, by the Fling of just a Browser. All will be connected on the home WiGig network.

The Mobile Phones and SmartPhones will be things of the Past, just like the Gramophone. Netbooks, Nettops and Tablets of different sizes will be available to suit any function.

Communication by Voice, SMS or Video Chat will be possible on any Tablet or the TV or the Mini-Tablet Communicator in your pocket. The Phone Connection and Service will be on VoIP on the same WiFi, WiMax indoors or Outdoors. These will be achieved by a chain of modular mini WiMax relays. The need for Towers will be only in the Far Suburbs and Rural Areas. Then they also will be WiMax Towers.

Everything will be on the Internet Protocol - TCP/IP

Online Accounting for SOHO and Small Business

I have used quicken from Win 3.1 days. It ability in automating accounting and reporting is something phenomenal. I used it in unconventional ways also, where just its reporting capability was needed. This was years back.

Now that many Apps are moving online, something a bit beyond the Quicken Online, an API perhaps may help. Could not locate such a feature, hence this feedback.

If the Full Quicken Software is hosted online and only the Web API is leased to Accounting Service Providers. The Developers with the Service Providers can develop Adobe AIR Software that run on Thin Clients like these Nettop-and-Servers. These just have the minimum Linux OS to fire up Adobe AIR.

So, on Startup, the Screen just shows the client AIR screen in which entries are made or reports taken, depending on that client's configuration. This way the developers just need to learn using an Accounting Web API, on Adobe AIR. The Quicken Software is always up to date as it is on their servers. The complex process of bookkeeping, need not be studied for designing the clients. Only the Simplicity of the I/O design and the Power of the Remote API provider defines the service results.

In this Method, the Rich Experience and Capabilities of the Software Company, which is its IP; is well protected. Only the API is deployed, not the binaries.

• Quicken Software
• Quicken Online
• Adobe AIR

Embedding JS-CSS in a Webpage Template

Now many third part scripts like Stats, Ads, Videos, Gadgets and Ajax elements are available for embedding in the template of a service or community-network template page.

Average user cannot tackle code snippets and inadvertently introduce errors, while adding the code to his template html source.

More important is that this snippets will change syntax as the webapps evolve and the service api changes or even new web standards.

It may be best to make this snippet invisible to users and available to programmers if needed. Even the code coming on the browser client html makes the page cluttered and there is a bandwidth element too.

A new HTML tag may help clean the clutter and leave the snippet at the server. It is similar to embedding images ..

<xgz src="http://service3-api.net/ads-kb.gz" />

The xgz tag is for gz compressed xhtml code analogous to "img src" for embedding images. The gz file has CSS-JS and XHTML code that is current to that service and account.

The Browser decompresses the gz and renders the page and effects as designed. The Browser View source just shows the xgz tag for every code-embed. Expanding the element gives more details. As this code is at host, it cannot be modified or tampered by any user.

The best part of this is, some code gz can be password protected so the code wont unzip or render for user browsers that are not logged in. The password protection of code gz can also protect the code to some extent. Which may be the DHTML or AJAX IP of creative web designers.

From e-Mail to e-Gram - Evolve Communications

When we send a snail mail or receive them, there is not much of spam involved. This is because of the cost of the postage stamp and cover. Even then some unwanted mail may come in, but not snail mail spam.

The cost of sending an e-mail should fall on the sender, not the receiver or the mail transport system. A way - more like 100 free sending per day, above that nominal charges. This may not work well as most of this spam is sent unconventionally. If routers and servers get smart, they can block spam, then it may be like charging a Toll on the Data Highway. That may choke the net for normal users.

So a new communications method called e-Gram. This imposes the cost on the sender, it offers protection to the receiver and does not clog the net.

When i send an e-Gram, it is a string of not more than 24 characters which is the subject or summary, only text, no media. 24 ASCII characters.

Example -

Quotation for 20 Nos. of Storage Bins Q2341

is the e-Gram sent to sam.acme.tel - where sam is the name and acme the firm, service provider or home account.

Only 24 letters and no media (embedded or attached) is sent, so the transit cost and bandwidth reduced.

When i sent this e-Gram, it created a secure page on my host with the full letter and media. This page is protected and can only be seen by a browser or client when authenticated or logged in.

When the person gets the e-Gram, his spam filters after checking the subject and sender may mark it clean. When he clicks on the more link, the private page is visited at my host/provider. The link has the authentication for that page. If it looks like spam, he will not click the more link.

As only e-Grams move from server to server, the bandwidth and storage load is less. Only valid e-Grams are visited. This way Media and Executables can never be sent by an e-Gram. The person who accidentally visits a spam e-Gram will not download any media or binary, as this will need his action.

The eGram Client can have have a two Inbox system. One Green Inbox for known, verified or approved senders. Another Red Inbox for Unknown Senders.

Anantha Narayan

Trigger - Spam produces 17m tons of CO2'

Handheld Computers Suggestions

Mobile Virtual Office -

• Flash based Meeting Rooms or Conference, Animated Avatars, Text Balloons like Comics.
• Virtual www office, Entry only with identity - Open-ID, Shows as Avatar in Meeting Room.

Older -

• Seven Inch Long, Golden Rectangle Size Device, Inch or Less Thick, Color LCD.
• Can store and read PDF-MP3-Midi-xml-jpeg and very popular file formats.
• Can easily show as a drive on all OS, emulating standard popular external drive.
• Open Hardware, Linux Gadget, Battery Operated, Wifi-USB Interfaces.
• Email and Text Messaging, Audio Video Messaging, Shared fies or folder.

SOHO Wireless Application Server

The Apple Home Computer set a revolution in computing and these Personal Consumer Computer developments led to IBM making the IBM PC, which became a standard. Various associated Technologies and Components including the Windows from MS evolved from this IBM PC.

From XT to AT, then from 286 to 586, the evolutionary trend continues. The Speed: GHz, Space: GB and Software: Linux-XP, have grown rapidly. The other vital things Interface, Networking and Power Consumption moved a bit slower. So some suggestions on the New Desktop for Small Office and Home Standard, that is crucial in the present computing scenario.

Enterprise Level Hardware and Software can be extrapolated from this idea for a SOHO. An Enterprise is like a SOHO Cluster. One big Homogeneous Entity is unstable and unreliable. When small varied, self-dependent entities collaborate to form an Enterprise, it is a Cluster of SOHOs, which is a Reliable and Resilient Entity.

A Green solution could be New Desktop Computing Standard - The quiescent losses in this is only the wifi server cube, which can serve 6 tablets or UMPC. So if 6-12 people are using computers, many desktops need not be on. Tablets, Laptops and Notebooks consume less power and run on batteries. Thin Custom Notebook and Tablet Clients can use one OpenOffice on the WiFi Application Server cube

SOHO Desktop Standard

• The Desktop Home Computer is the Wireless Router, Power Server.
• SMPS Power Supply runs Both on 230V-110V AC and 12-24 V DC.
• Home Wifi Computer, Application and Web Server is just a Cube.
• Wireless Networked Peripherals, Printers, Drives, Viewers, Inputs.
• Desktop Wifi Server networks 6 Handhelds and 12 peripherals.
• Wireless Ethernet LCD Monitor-Keyboard for System Admin.

From Nomadic Computing

Resources -

• The History of Computers
• What was the first personal computer ?
• Nomadic Computing Handheld the Future
• Web Deuce The Web 2.0 Computing

Universal Sound and Music Browse Plugin

Playing various sound formats on the browser is a difficult experience for many. Even just midi and mp3 within browsers is difficult sometimes. Most plugins require big supporting software and frequent updates.

The adobe swf and flv plugin seems to integrate well with all browsers and is small and quick to update-setup. If small and medium mp3 and midi can be converted to swf or flv and played hidden in the webpage it could make integrating of sound in pages easy. So we need a midi to swf converter or a new flash sound only format like FLS, Flash Sound ?

Idea of Anantha Narayan - SAN Gear - 16:30 14-Feb-08

Ultimate Software Protection

This is an idea of a costly way of protecting your software IP, We now have Flash USB thumb drives going upto 100Mb, You now need to make an ASIC for a thumb drive which manages flash storage of 100Mb and also does some simple logic and maths, all this inside the thumb drive.

Now put the software you make within the custom thumb drive and make it into an partial java based application server. So even copying or reading RAM will not expose the program binaries on PC. Now you have a custom thumb drive with embedded application software to sell just like objects, and cannot be copied. This thumbware you sell will be bought by the user and all he needs to do is plug it in the USB port and a icon will come with a balloon in the notification area and start using the new thumbware you bought. Remove thumbware the application will close, take it wherever you want. The thumbware will not be copied as ASIC is custom and some computation is within the thumb and major computation is in the PC.

Then you can make it OS independent, as it will be a embedded java application, the xml database can be within the thumb itself and an encrypted copy on HDD.

(Open Ideas - Jan-03, Revised again - 27 April 2008, Nature - Open Source SAN Gear )

AI Applications to query Search Engines

AI or artificial intelligence applications could be used to generate the search string to the search engines, this may help simple people get what they want in the internet, without having to rack their grey matter to improve their search results. The strength of a AI application depends on a human built database of knowledge with a capability to learn thru internet or by collaborative computing.
Then i have a small AI - DOS based program made by Greg Leedberg which works pretty well, it is called daisy, i taught it many things for over a year, now it comes up with interesting things, i have never heard about.

(Idea - Oct-05, Posted in Ideas Blog, Revised again - 4 April 2008, Nature - Open Source SAN Gear )

Coat Pocket Computer - dapj Open Design

I could find that many HandHeld Computers are Difficult to use and the User Experience is a bit like wearing Shoes two Sizes Smaller.

So i thought i make a Feedback about how small a computer could be without any Compromise from the Present PC OS or Program Base. So we can use the same things we have on the Home PC.

That lead to a Open Concept Design which is Quite Possible, I noted the Points that can give some relief from the Suffocation of small Sizes, still maintaining mobility for people used to wearing Big Coats.

From Nomadic Computing

Coat Pocket Computer - dapj Open Design - Thursday, October 11, 2007

This post is mirrored here as it is related to software too

---

I saw a Review of Sharp/Willcom W-ZERO3. Image below, the layout is good but size is a bit small. If it is 60% bigger then it could use a regular Desktop OS and Programs (muntzed). As HDD, CPU and Batteries has become smaller, efficient and Better. I think this is close to the ideal handheld.

From Nomadic Computing

Secure Search - Encrypted Search

When we search and get the results the keywords and results can be monitored in the network. In some cases : examples - a researcher working on a sensitive topic, an inventor gathering data for his next innovation.

When a competing firm or group gets the keywords and results, they will be ahead in getting their products to the Market.

The technology is similar to Enterprise Search, but Secure Search is a search that has all web content with a subscribed access, SSL and encrypted 'like' gui-keywords-results.

Researchers, Companies and Inventors can subscribe and keep ideas and study Secret !

( Idea date :10:11 9-Jul-08, Person : Anantha Narayan)

Wireless Handheld Multimedia Computers

The Average home user or a majority of mankind have trouble even when operating a TV remote control. Things are not as simple as a Water Tap or a Toggle Switch. An Easy to use Handheld is more important than any technology or features that may be available for that. Ergonomics, Utility or Application, Quality and Cost are the basic requirements of the consumer.

A Handheld gadget for the masses, needs to be a Entertainer and Communicator. It has to be wireless and should at least get into a Coat Inner pocket or Small Bag. It is a Duarble Consumer Electronics Product, comparable to the first Popular Tape Recorders from Philips or Grundig.

Wifi and WiMax are the things that are being talked-blogged about and being tried. I just got some idea about these technologies and have my feedback or understanding.

If Somebody asked me to set up a low cost wifi connectivity in a small housing complex, I would just strap a wireless router on the pole on every street corner, the poles or junctions being the ones used for existing cable broadband. Then depending on subscriptions and demand, improve the capacity of the network within the budget of the colony.

The handheld can have simultaneous connection to two or three routers and as the person moves, drop a weak path and take up a new router which is strong. This is just my hunch.

The Handheld could be used for three types of wireless connections.

• Full Multimedia Duplex - Like Video Telephone, WebApps - 100 units money charge per hour.
• Semi Multimedia Duplex - Like Interactive TV Quiz, Games - Up is Text, Down is Video - 50 Units /hr.
• Multimedia Broadcast - Digital Radio Podcast, TV Show Podcast, Movie Podcast - 15 Units/hr.

The TV and Radio Shows on subscribed podcasts can be downloaded and stored when it is transmitted live; but seen any time, any number of times, but transmitted only once. This is a wireless Transmission with an advance program xml feed info. It is just like Regular TV. This is to avoid bandwidth wastage on multiple downloads of same show by the people in one block. Even software updates and games can be brodcast and stored in background.

The usage of Internet and phone remains duplex and will take more resources. The handheld usage for entertainment may be very high. Duplex for that will cause excess costly load. Normal usage of Internet for browsing, mail and webapps may become difficult as more entertainment load builds. Entertainment on Handheld is best as a one time brodcast with a advance feed.

Conclusion - Wireless Handhelds connectivity must have separate interfaces for Web and Media. The Web is the same as Lan Wifi but Movies and Games can be connected by a Broadcast Show. And seen on Handheld by wireless Programmable Live Reception with storage.

Anantha Narayan - 11:05 18-May-08

Captcha Like Technology for Secure Login

Entering Login details thru Keyboard has been found to pose security risks. I just got an idea which i will explain with an example. This is much safer as it uses mouse clicks and no ASCII characters encrypted or otherwise move on the SSL Page in TCP/IP, No keystrokes are generated since only a Mouse is used.

When the Secure Login page is visited by the User, He will see an image (png) with randomly generated Numbers (or Alphabets). This is done using a Captcha like process.

Now the user in order to Login to his Account will click the Numbers (image map - js onclick). The numbers can be scrolled, inc/dec (area on number top/bot). He will set the User ID and Password with a series of clicks (just like Combination lock. When he is done he will Press Login. The safest Login that can ever be achieved, no trace of number anywhere. The only risk is posed by an Onlooker or a Webcamera, Hence this can be used in closed Opaque kiosks only.


Alternative -

A Random Captcha AlphaNumeric KeyBoard Layout Imagemap. The User and Password field will be textboxes as usual. The User will click into textbox, a key-layout appears on right (ajax). The user clicks the alphabets and numbers on keyboard image and then he presses Login. Here the password will appear as ****. And the keyboard imagemap layout is random size usable AlphaNumeric Single png Image.
( Idea date :17:47 19-Dec-07, Person : Anantha Narayan, Type : Open Source)

Make Apps and Applets Resource Friendly

Some Apps and Applets or Widgets take more CPU and Memory Resources, Here is a gadget made to demonstrate it Aquatic Animations. When the Screen shows entire Aquarium, CPU Loads use FreeMeter to study. The 1 GHz computers are also affected. We cannot assume all have state of the art machines and browsers. The Latest Desktop Programs also just Choke the Machines.

The CPU is being made faster and multicore and the OS Makers again overload the Architecture by luxurious resource hungry Systems. This has been happening since 286, but most pronounced now. The OS can be developed without making it Beefy and Heavy. The CPU cant keep getting faster. It needs to be Energy Efficient and the OS Slim and Sensible.

The only solution is to move to Handhelds and Webapps to end this Runaway OS Design Process.

Conclusion -

The computing capability requirement for a future user is enormous, The data and databases unmanageable. Neither can he carry a Supercomputer in his Knapsack, nor can he afford to keep it in his home. He would either way not use it to full capacity.

He can carry or keep on his desktop a Light Weight Affordable Viewer alone. Hence "Move the Computation Online".

The User of the future will say "Just gimme an Ajax". He will pay for the Results. Not a Supercomputer.

Programming Breakpoints and Testpoints

Breakpoints may not serve the purpose fully, it may be easier to use Testpoints and incremental coding.

When we build Electronic Circuits with many Interacting Blocks or Modules, We put a small 5mm Tall Copper Pin in the PCB or a PAD without masking. This is a Test or Troubleshooting Point. This is where you can probe with a scope, dmm or logic analyzer.

In embedded program development, i tried a similar way, a Testpoint in software, but only that the card would light a led in a certain pattern or send a "all ok" and progress status to the serial port connected to PC.

In Script programming we can use a GUI element, just a Textbox as a Scope monitoring the Testpoint. When the program goes beyond the Testpoint, The GUI Text window will hold the Status. Just like you move the probes of the same DMM, you can keep shifting the Testpoints or Multiplex the same Scope, as the program becomes bigger.

So, before you build the Next big Program, Build the Test Equipment and the First Testpoint. The first few lines of code is written around the First Test point. Like it is done in PCBs, incremental Building-Testing.

Lastly Break Big Jobs to Small Pieces. Like the Plugin Modules in a Oscilloscope, The Components or Modules should be built and tested independently and then Combined to Form one Big System. Then they can be maintained and reused easily.

Idea of Anantha Narayan - SAN Gear - 16:22 12-Dec-07

Software GUI Ergonomics

The GUI or graphic user interface must be of three types one for the 'novice' another for the 'expert' and lastly one for the 'hacker', a programmer should not assume that other users think like him. look at the 3 levels of GUI in 1st Page 2000 even though this is a coders tool.

Nero cd burning rom software which has a simple wizard for simple tasks. also programs must work downward 2 processor and OS versions if you want the product to be usable by many.

Good multiple high color icons. install with path option, add icon on desktop option. settings independent of registry. a compiled html help or *.chm. file. a good toolbar with tooltips. shortcuts of main functions. wizards for new users. tabbed advanced options. if possible skins. compact program size. when i see these features. then i know it is a real good product.

Too many Knobs, Dials, Switches and Buttons Cluttering the Front panel of an Instrument or Web-application or Software can overwhelm the user and he may not be able to use it properly or may even lead to misuse. So..... we need to use things like euro-controls that was done for Philips TV etc. or Sensible Wizards like in some software like Nero CDROM burner. The Advanced options should be available for those who need it.

So What is the Cache

When pages from the web are downloaded to your computer. A page means a html page, like "mypage.html", with a lot of bells, whistles and flashers. These are javascript, flash and images like png-jpg-gif and even mp3-mpeg. Some have scripts that make the pages smart, these are pages that can think and react, they are Live Pages. This makes your page work with a array of computers from a service provider and behave like a software application.

This page and its accessories when downloaded to your computer are stored as files, in an allocated area on your computer. You can view them when you go offline and delete them from your browser history. This is the local computer cache.

In order to speed up the internet such cache of pages may be made at cyber cafes, Internet service providers and other servers in the path, or even at the host. It may be more important for mp3 and mpeg than for simple pages, to make web run smooth. These caches are also flushed periodically.

I feel as web grows, there may be a cache on every pole, at every street corner. Then you can use your computer to watch HDTV.

Sometimes due to stubborn cache in the browser, isp server or host, the files you uploaded, may not show up in the browser. So this is a trick you can use, when you just cant wait.

Delete the file at host, reload your browser a few times till that element does not show on the page, upload the new replacement image or script. Now view page in browser after clearing history. Reload if required. You will see the new updated element.

If it is an xml, js or any other file you have to submit to a webapp for testing, but it does not respond due to cache. Rename and submit file, each time.

Use .... FileZilla A fast and reliable FTP client and server with lots of useful features and an intuitive interface.

Software GUI Ergonomics

Widen Website Usability - Keep it Simple.

The webpages you make should be verified in all major browsers. The pages, webapps, scripts and applets must work well in Linux, Mac and xp.

Making it very flashy, Animated DHTML navigation, etc. may impress a few but may be a big usability problems for some visitors, search engines also will have trouble indexing your pages. Avoid too much frames and scripts too, use some CSS. DHTML-CSS generation in some Wysiwyg work only in certain browsers and OS - Beware.

• The Pages must be Viewable by 800*600 and 1024*768 Monitors.
• The PNG transparency must work for few versions of all above browsers.
• The Main Pages must load quickly for users of Broadband and Dial-up-Networking.
• Very Big Jpeg, Pdf, Mpeg, Flash, mp3 or Webapps must load only on Request.
• A Menu / Toolbar, Breadcrumb, sitemap and a search to Navigate and Return.
• Appropriate Meta-Tags, Proper title wth not more that 6 or 7 words.
• An About-Blog-Cell in Main Page to indicate in short what the website is for.
• An easily Accessible Online email form to contact you easily.
• A clear indication of who is the webmaster or company behind website.
• The Font size should not shrink and become unreadable on some browsers.
• light background preferable with dark 12px font or better.
• Inform in advance, pages about cookies, activex and java that needs information.