Assam Culture
Assam - the meeting ground of diverse culture
Nestled beneath the Sub-Himalayan range of hills in the North and North East is the state of Assam in India. Assam is encircled by the Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal. Assam - the enchanting sangrila in the North East of India, is a mixing pot where culture, heritage, tradition, lifestyle, faith and belief of her Aryan & Non-Aryan, numerous tribes & sub-tribes, Mongoloids & Australoids, drawn from various hives at different points of time have gone into form the Assamese culture - a fascinating and exotic recipe of delightful flavour. The culture of Assam is a rich tapestry infused with multicoloured yarns of distinguished heritage of all the races that populate her.
The People of Assam
The people of Assam are in fact the result of fusion of people from different racial stocks who migrated to Assam down the ages. The Assamese population can be divided into two broad groups : the non-tribal people who constitute the majority and the tribals.
The Australoids were the first to come to the land; the Mongoloids, came here in a series of migrations from the north, north-east and south-east; and the Caucasoids who came from the west by the valley formed by the Ganges and the Brahmaputra.
Today, the people of the State can be broadly identified and classified as the Non-Tribals or Plains People. The people of the plains generally live in the plains and the Tribals mainly live in the hills. Though, Assam has a valuable tribal population in the plains too.
The state is peopled by a large number of tribal groups; major among them being the Boro-Kacharis, the Deori, the Misings, the Dimassas, the Karbis, the Lalungs, the Rabhas etc. Ahkhomiya or Assamese is the language of Assam. Assam has a reputation for warm hospitality. People of Assam are homely, charming and openhearted.
Fairs & Festivals of Assam
The superb blend of heritage extracted from numerous races have made Assam the home to the most colourful festivals at once blazing, compelling and mesmerizing. Most of the festivals celebrated in Assam have their root in the varied faith and belief of its people. Diwali, Holi, Durga Puja, Swaraswati Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Kalipuja, Shivaratri are some of the major festivals celebrated by the Hindus of Assam. Those of Islamic faith celebrate Idd and Muharram. Similarly, Christians celebrate Christmas.
Besides the religious and national festivals observed throughout the Country, Assam has a large number of colourful festivals of its own replete with fun, music and dances. Assam’s fairs and festivals are as varied as its population which comes from different racial origins, both tribal and non-tribal.
Bihu, the agricultural festival of Assam is celebrated by all Assamese, irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Bihu, Assam's very own festival come off at various stages of cultivation of paddy, the principal crop of Assam. There are three Bihus that come off at various stages of cultivation of paddy, the principal crop of Assam. They are Bahag (Baisakh) Bihu, Kati (Kartika) Bihu and Magh (Magha) Bihu.
In addition to all this, the tribals of Assam have their own colourful festivals like :
- The Kherai Puja of the Bodos
- The Baikhu and Pharkantis of the Rabhas
- Ali-ai-ligang and Prag by the Missing tribe
- The Sagra-misawa wansawa and laghun by the Tiwas.
- The Ahomes of Tai origin celebrate Me-Dem-Mehfi.
- The Ojapali dances of Non-Vaishnavite origin are usually associated with Manasa - the Serpent Goddess.
- Bathow festival is celebrated by the kacharis through sacrifice of goates and chickens.
- The Boros of the plains in general have an intricate pattern of indigenous dances associated with the primitive rituals like the Kherai Puja.
- The Dimasas celebrate Rangi Gobr and Harni gobra at the start of the cropping cycle.
- The Deoris observe Bohagiya visu- the Spring time festival.
- Ambubasi Mela is held during monsoon at the famous Kamakhya Temple.
- Jonbeel Mela is held every year during winter at Jonbeel. The festival is celebrated by the tribes like Tiwa, Karbi, Khasi, Jaintia etc.
Art & Craft of Assam
From time immemorial, the people of Assam have traditionally been craftsmen. The magic of art of Assamese craftsmen is a common passion inspiring the deep senses with its’ age old simplicity and sophistication. Though, Assam is renown for its exquisite silks, bamboo and cane products, several other crafts are also made here. The colourful Assamese Japi (headgear), terracotta of Gauripur and various decorative items bear witness to the craftsmanship of this land. Assam Handloom is indeed noteworthy offering a mosaic of colours and contours with pleasing motifs and designs. The Eri, Muga (Assamese silk dresses) and typical tribal attires are a treat to the eyes of the beholder.
Dance, music, woodwork, pottery, sitalpati or the art of mat making have survived through centuries with fewer changes since it remained an integral part of the locals. The advent of modernity, indeed, has brought a change in the everyday lifestyle of the tribals, yet the basic arts and crafts, and their technique of production has not changed much.
The land of Ahoms, Assam has a rich cultural tradition, which finds detail in several arts and crafts form of Assam. The natural beauty of Assam, is said to be reflected, in them.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Bhagavad-Gita and Its Three Secrets
Bhagavad-Gita and Its Three Secrets
The Gita is not meant for any one person or creed or nation; it is meant for humanity. It speaks to a mind that has fought in life, a mind that is dissatisfied with constant want, a mind that is alert and thinking and that has many conflicts
The Bhagavad-Gita is one of the most ancient religious scriptures of the world. It contains the direct message of God. It is a dialogue between God and his closest devotee. The discourse was delivered originally in Sanskrit, but today its translations are available almost in every language. The antiquity of the Bhagavad-Gita is hidden in tradition, ancient scriptures, myths and legends. Its history, content and personality are intimately connected to the life of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the Yadava hero, who played a crucial role in the war of the epic Mahabharata.
Lord Vishnu incarnated in the form of Lord Krishna to root out evil and establish dharma or righteous living upon earth. He participated in the drama of human life and left behind his discourse in the form of the Bhagavad-Gita for the benefit of future generations. The scripture is truly an icon of the Sanatana-dharama, an ageless and valuable ancient discourse that has the potential to play a significant role in the alleviation of suffering in all branches of human life, in a world that has been increasingly becoming more complex and unstable.
The central philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita characterizes in many ways the central theme of Hinduism even in today's context. It contains the message of divine centered living based upon right knowledge, faith, devotion, self-surrender, detachment and dispassionate performance of tasks as opposed to the ego centered living that is characterized by incessant striving, self-centered thinking, egoism, and suffering arising out of non-attainment of desires, or union with the undesired objects or separation from the desired objects. The book is a discourse of immense spiritual value, for people engaged in daily battles of life, symbolically or even truly reflected by the episode of Arjuna, who was stricken with sorrow and confusion, being taught and assisted by God himself, in the middle of the battle field of Kurukshetra where good and evil forces stood in confrontation with each other.
The Bhagavad-Gita reveals how any one can perform ordinary duties in the world and yet remain free from the consequences of ones actions. It is not by inaction, not even by doing only the so called good deeds, but by doing deeds without the sense of doer-ship, as a sacrificial offering to God, in the true spirit of renunciation, but without shunning the responsibility that comes with the birth.
The scripture deals with such basic concepts as the nature of our existence, the nature of the true self, our true relationship with God, the truth about action and inaction, the correct meaning of knowledge and ignorance, the inborn qualities of man and how the actions bind him to the mortal world, the meaning of true devotion, the right attitude towards the external world, the meaning and purpose of maya and so on.
The Bhagavad-Gita is a book of self-discovery and inward journey into the Abode of God. It helps one move from sorrow driven mortal existence to eternal and blissful life. Desire is central to all human activity. By eliminating the desires, but by not abandoning the actions, one can free oneself from the bondage caused by the desire driven actions. Such an approach not only liberates us from the struggling and striving that characterizes our egoistic actions, but also reduces greatly our inner anxieties and frustrations, creating in us in the process a permanent basis for a stable, peaceful and contended life.
According to the Bhagavad-Gita the external world is unreal not because it does not exist, but because it is unstable and ever changing. Since it is based upon impermanence, it cannot be relied upon as the vehicle of truth and it should not become the purpose of ones existence. He who clings to such an unstable phenomenon is bound to suffer as he is bound to engage himself in desperate actions to retain his unstable possessions and experience constant anxiety, anger, fear and envy.
Therefore the Bhagavad-Gita searches for a permanent reality that makes life more meaningful, stable, peaceful and purposeful. It discards layer after layer of untruth that surrounds us and reveals the shining self that exists in all of us as the center of truth and permanence that we should all ultimately discover. It is by understanding the hidden Self in us we will ultimately discover the Supreme Self, That exists in all of us and in Whom we all exist.
Great scholars of the Bhagavad-Gita say that the scripture fundamentally deals with three primary teachings, which are called the three secrets. The first secret is about duty. One must do ones duty in accordance with ones nature (swadharmacharana). The second is about the hidden self. In every one there is a real and hidden self which is different from the external false self. Every one must realize this difference between the outer self and the inner self. The third secret is about the omnipresence of God. One must live in this world with the awareness that all that exists in this world is but Vasudeva.
These three secrets are known as guhya (secret), guhyatara (more secret) and guhyatma (most secret). The second, third, fourth, fifth and eighteenth chapters deal with the first secret. The second, sixth, thirteenth to eighteenth chapters deal with the second secret. The third, seventh, eight, ninth, tenth to eighteenth chapters deal with the third secret.
The Bhagavad-Gita has profoundly effected the Indian way of life for millenniums. Its teachings have been at the core of the Hindu fundamental beliefs for time immemorial. They are ageless and relevant even today.
Originally written in Sanskrit, the scripture has been translated into many languages all over the world and is now easily available to interested readers in most parts of the world. It attracted the attention of many scholars for centuries.
Each verse and every chapter in it is loaded with multiple meanings, enabling each to understand it and interpret it in his own way. The more we read the Bhagavad-Gita, the greater is our insight into its deepest secrets. The more we read it, the stronger our feeling that we know but little about it.
When we feel that we have understood it all and can safely go elsewhere for inspiration, a particular verse or a chapter again starts bothering us with its new wisdom or a perplexing insight. That is why today we have so many interpretations of the Bhagavad-Gita from various scholars.
The Bhagavad-Gita contains 18 chapters and 700 verses, which are attributed to the four principle participants of the narration in the following manner:
1. Dhritarashtra 1
2. Sanjaya 41
3. Arjuna 84
4. Lord Krishna 574
Each verse is considered to be a very sacred mantra. The seed mantra of this scripture is said to be the 11th verse in Chapter II. The shakti mantra of this scripture, because of which it is endowed with the divine blessings and able to exert influence on the mankind for centuries, is said to be the 66th verse in Chapter 18.
In all in the entire Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna has been addressed with 27 different names and titles. These are : Anantarupa, Achyuta, Arisudhana, Krishna, Kesava, Kesanishudana, Kamalapatraksha, Govinda, Jagadpatih, Jagannivasa, Janardhana, Devedeva, Devavarah, Purushottama, Bhagawan, Bhutabhavana, Bhutesah, Madhusudhana, Mahabahu, Madhavah, Yadava, Yogaviththama, Vasudeva, Varsheya, Vishnuh, Hrisikesa and Harih.
Whether the Bhagavad-Gita is a revelation or an actual event is a matter of great controversy. Looking to the depth of symbolism involved and the basic purpose of the whole scripture, the former possibility seems to be more acceptable than the latter. Veda Vyasa is regarded as the author of the book. It is not clear from where Veda Vyasa got the whole information since it was Sanjaya, not Veda Vyasa who was the direct witness to the whole discourse between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. Either Vedavyasa might have heard it from one of the participants or he got it through his inner experience, which is generally the case with all the shruti literature.
It is possible that the scripture might have entered the human consciousness as a revelation. It is even possible that the entire episode of the Mahabharata might have happened on a different plane and become a part of the human collective consciousness through the inner eye.
Whether revelation came to Veda Vyasa or to some other sage, we would rather leave the matter to historians and scholars to debate. What is more important is that the Bhagavad-Gita is a divine message for the troubled humanity and it provides many solutions to our day to day problems and helps us to balance our temporal lives with our spiritual needs.
The Gita is not meant for any one person or creed or nation; it is meant for humanity. It speaks to a mind that has fought in life, a mind that is dissatisfied with constant want, a mind that is alert and thinking and that has many conflicts
The Bhagavad-Gita is one of the most ancient religious scriptures of the world. It contains the direct message of God. It is a dialogue between God and his closest devotee. The discourse was delivered originally in Sanskrit, but today its translations are available almost in every language. The antiquity of the Bhagavad-Gita is hidden in tradition, ancient scriptures, myths and legends. Its history, content and personality are intimately connected to the life of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the Yadava hero, who played a crucial role in the war of the epic Mahabharata.
Lord Vishnu incarnated in the form of Lord Krishna to root out evil and establish dharma or righteous living upon earth. He participated in the drama of human life and left behind his discourse in the form of the Bhagavad-Gita for the benefit of future generations. The scripture is truly an icon of the Sanatana-dharama, an ageless and valuable ancient discourse that has the potential to play a significant role in the alleviation of suffering in all branches of human life, in a world that has been increasingly becoming more complex and unstable.
The central philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita characterizes in many ways the central theme of Hinduism even in today's context. It contains the message of divine centered living based upon right knowledge, faith, devotion, self-surrender, detachment and dispassionate performance of tasks as opposed to the ego centered living that is characterized by incessant striving, self-centered thinking, egoism, and suffering arising out of non-attainment of desires, or union with the undesired objects or separation from the desired objects. The book is a discourse of immense spiritual value, for people engaged in daily battles of life, symbolically or even truly reflected by the episode of Arjuna, who was stricken with sorrow and confusion, being taught and assisted by God himself, in the middle of the battle field of Kurukshetra where good and evil forces stood in confrontation with each other.
The Bhagavad-Gita reveals how any one can perform ordinary duties in the world and yet remain free from the consequences of ones actions. It is not by inaction, not even by doing only the so called good deeds, but by doing deeds without the sense of doer-ship, as a sacrificial offering to God, in the true spirit of renunciation, but without shunning the responsibility that comes with the birth.
The scripture deals with such basic concepts as the nature of our existence, the nature of the true self, our true relationship with God, the truth about action and inaction, the correct meaning of knowledge and ignorance, the inborn qualities of man and how the actions bind him to the mortal world, the meaning of true devotion, the right attitude towards the external world, the meaning and purpose of maya and so on.
The Bhagavad-Gita is a book of self-discovery and inward journey into the Abode of God. It helps one move from sorrow driven mortal existence to eternal and blissful life. Desire is central to all human activity. By eliminating the desires, but by not abandoning the actions, one can free oneself from the bondage caused by the desire driven actions. Such an approach not only liberates us from the struggling and striving that characterizes our egoistic actions, but also reduces greatly our inner anxieties and frustrations, creating in us in the process a permanent basis for a stable, peaceful and contended life.
According to the Bhagavad-Gita the external world is unreal not because it does not exist, but because it is unstable and ever changing. Since it is based upon impermanence, it cannot be relied upon as the vehicle of truth and it should not become the purpose of ones existence. He who clings to such an unstable phenomenon is bound to suffer as he is bound to engage himself in desperate actions to retain his unstable possessions and experience constant anxiety, anger, fear and envy.
Therefore the Bhagavad-Gita searches for a permanent reality that makes life more meaningful, stable, peaceful and purposeful. It discards layer after layer of untruth that surrounds us and reveals the shining self that exists in all of us as the center of truth and permanence that we should all ultimately discover. It is by understanding the hidden Self in us we will ultimately discover the Supreme Self, That exists in all of us and in Whom we all exist.
Great scholars of the Bhagavad-Gita say that the scripture fundamentally deals with three primary teachings, which are called the three secrets. The first secret is about duty. One must do ones duty in accordance with ones nature (swadharmacharana). The second is about the hidden self. In every one there is a real and hidden self which is different from the external false self. Every one must realize this difference between the outer self and the inner self. The third secret is about the omnipresence of God. One must live in this world with the awareness that all that exists in this world is but Vasudeva.
These three secrets are known as guhya (secret), guhyatara (more secret) and guhyatma (most secret). The second, third, fourth, fifth and eighteenth chapters deal with the first secret. The second, sixth, thirteenth to eighteenth chapters deal with the second secret. The third, seventh, eight, ninth, tenth to eighteenth chapters deal with the third secret.
The Bhagavad-Gita has profoundly effected the Indian way of life for millenniums. Its teachings have been at the core of the Hindu fundamental beliefs for time immemorial. They are ageless and relevant even today.
Originally written in Sanskrit, the scripture has been translated into many languages all over the world and is now easily available to interested readers in most parts of the world. It attracted the attention of many scholars for centuries.
Each verse and every chapter in it is loaded with multiple meanings, enabling each to understand it and interpret it in his own way. The more we read the Bhagavad-Gita, the greater is our insight into its deepest secrets. The more we read it, the stronger our feeling that we know but little about it.
When we feel that we have understood it all and can safely go elsewhere for inspiration, a particular verse or a chapter again starts bothering us with its new wisdom or a perplexing insight. That is why today we have so many interpretations of the Bhagavad-Gita from various scholars.
The Bhagavad-Gita contains 18 chapters and 700 verses, which are attributed to the four principle participants of the narration in the following manner:
1. Dhritarashtra 1
2. Sanjaya 41
3. Arjuna 84
4. Lord Krishna 574
Each verse is considered to be a very sacred mantra. The seed mantra of this scripture is said to be the 11th verse in Chapter II. The shakti mantra of this scripture, because of which it is endowed with the divine blessings and able to exert influence on the mankind for centuries, is said to be the 66th verse in Chapter 18.
In all in the entire Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna has been addressed with 27 different names and titles. These are : Anantarupa, Achyuta, Arisudhana, Krishna, Kesava, Kesanishudana, Kamalapatraksha, Govinda, Jagadpatih, Jagannivasa, Janardhana, Devedeva, Devavarah, Purushottama, Bhagawan, Bhutabhavana, Bhutesah, Madhusudhana, Mahabahu, Madhavah, Yadava, Yogaviththama, Vasudeva, Varsheya, Vishnuh, Hrisikesa and Harih.
Whether the Bhagavad-Gita is a revelation or an actual event is a matter of great controversy. Looking to the depth of symbolism involved and the basic purpose of the whole scripture, the former possibility seems to be more acceptable than the latter. Veda Vyasa is regarded as the author of the book. It is not clear from where Veda Vyasa got the whole information since it was Sanjaya, not Veda Vyasa who was the direct witness to the whole discourse between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. Either Vedavyasa might have heard it from one of the participants or he got it through his inner experience, which is generally the case with all the shruti literature.
It is possible that the scripture might have entered the human consciousness as a revelation. It is even possible that the entire episode of the Mahabharata might have happened on a different plane and become a part of the human collective consciousness through the inner eye.
Whether revelation came to Veda Vyasa or to some other sage, we would rather leave the matter to historians and scholars to debate. What is more important is that the Bhagavad-Gita is a divine message for the troubled humanity and it provides many solutions to our day to day problems and helps us to balance our temporal lives with our spiritual needs.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: Forgotten Hero
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: Forgotten Hero
Subhas Chandra Bose (Bengali: সুভাষচন্দ্র বসু) Shubashchôndro Boshu; born January 23, 1897; presumed to have died August 18, 1945, although this is disputed), popularly known as Netaji (literally "Respected Leader"), was a leader in the Indian independence movement.
Bose advocated complete freedom for India at the earliest, whereas the Congress Committee wanted it in phases, through a Dominion status. Other younger leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru supported Bose and finally at the historic Lahore Congress convention, the Congress had to adopt Purna Swaraj (complete freedom) as its motto. Bhagat Singh's martyrdom and the inability of the Congress leaders to save his life infuriated Bose and he started a movement opposing the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. He was imprisoned and expelled from India. But defying the ban, he came back to India and was imprisoned again.
Bose was elected president of the Indian National Congress for two consecutive terms, but had to resign from the post following ideological conflicts with Mahatma Gandhi and after openly attacking the Congress' foreign and internal policies. Bose believed that Mahatma Gandhi's tactics of non-violence would never be sufficient to secure India's independence, and advocated violent resistance. He established a separate political party, the All India Forward Bloc and continued to call for the full and immediate independence of India from British rule. He was imprisoned by the British authorities eleven times. His famous motto was "Give me blood and I will give you freedom".
His stance did not change with the outbreak of the Second World War, which he saw as an opportunity to take advantage of British weakness. At the outset of the war, he left India, travelling to the Soviet Union, Germany and Japan, seeking an alliance with the aim of attacking the British in India. With Japanese assistance, he re-organised and later led the Indian National Army, formed from Indian prisoners-of-war and plantation workers from British Malaya, Singapore, and other parts of Southeast Asia, against British forces. With Japanese monetary, political, diplomatic and military assistance, he formed the Azad Hind Government in exile, regrouped and led the Indian National Army in battle against the allies at Imphal and in Burma.
His political views and the alliances he made with Nazi and other militarist regimes at war with Britain have been the cause of arguments among historians and politicians, with some accusing him of fascist sympathies, while others in India have been more sympathetic towards the inculcation of realpolitik as a manifesto that guided his social and political choices.
He is presumed to have died on 18 August 1945 in a plane crash over Taiwan. However, contradictory evidence exists regarding his death in the accident.
National politics
Gandhi at the Indian National Congress annual meeting in 1938 when Subhas Chandra Bose was President of Congress party.
Released from prison two years later, Bose became general secretary of the Congress party and worked with Jawaharlal Nehru for independence. Again Bose was arrested and jailed for civil disobedience; this time he emerged Mayor of Calcutta. During the mid-1930s Bose traveled in Europe, visiting Indian students and European politicians, as well as Hitler in 1936. He observed party organization and saw communism and fascism in action. By 1938 Bose had become a leader of national stature and agreed to accept nomination as Congress president. He stood for unqualified Swaraj (independence), including the use of force against the British. This meant a confrontation with Mohandas Gandhi, who in fact opposed Bose's presidency, splitting the Congress party. Bose attempted to maintain unity, but Gandhi advised Bose to form his own cabinet. The rift also divided Bose and Nehru. Bose appeared at the 1939 Congress meeting on a stretcher. Though he was elected president again, over Gandhi's preferred candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya, this time differences with Gandhi led to Bose's resignation. "I am an extremist, " Bose once said, and his uncompromising stand finally cut him off from the mainstream of Indian nationalism.Bose then organized the Forward Bloc aimed at consolidating the political left, but its main strength was in his home state, Bengal.
Indian National Army and Provisional Government
When world war II erupted in Europe, Bose was again imprisoned for civil disobedience and put under house arrest to await trial. He escaped and made his way to Berlin by way of Peshawar and Afghanistan. In Europe, Bose sought help from Germany for the liberation of India. He got Nazi permission to organize the Indian Legion of prisoners of war from Africa, but the legion remained basically German in training. Bose felt the need for stronger steps, and he turned to the Japanese embassy in Berlin, which finally made arrangements for Bose to go to Asia. In an unusual joint operation, he was transferred from a German to a Japanese submarine off the coast of Madagascar.
Bose was flown to Singapore and became commander of the INA and head of the Free India provisional government (Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind).
Subhas Chandra Bose with the Greater East Asia Conference in 1943
The INA included both Indian prisoners of war from Singapore and Indian civilians in Southeast Asia. The strength of the INA grew to 43,000. The INA fought Allied forces in 1944 inside the borders of India at Imphal and in Burma, and even succeeding in liberating parts of North-East India from the Allies. Unfortunately, with Japan losing its way in the World War, aid to the INA was also reduced, and the army could not keep up its momentum.
By the end of World War II none of Bose's Axis allies had helped, and Bose then turned to the Soviet Union. Three officers of the INA were tried at the Red Fort after the war; the trial attracted much popular sympathy, including statements by Nehru and Gandhi that the men were great patriots.
Disappearance and alleged death
Bose's last undisputed picture that was taken on the morning of 17 August 1945 in Saigon
Bose is alleged to have died in a plane crash over Taiwan, while flying to Tokyo on 18 August 1945. It is believed that he was on route to the Soviet Union in a Japanese plane when it crashed in Taiwan, burning him fatally. However, his body was never recovered, and many theories have been put forward concerning his possible survival. One such claim is that Bose actually died in Siberia, while in Soviet captivity. Several committees have been set up by the Government of India to probe into this matter. In May 1956, a four-man Indian team (known as the Shah Nawaz Committee) visited Japan to probe the circumstances of Bose's alleged death. The Indian government did not then request assistance from the government of Taiwan in the matter, citing their lack of diplomatic relations with Taiwan However, the Inquiry Commission under Justice Mukherjee, which investigated the Bose disappearance mystery in the period 1999-2005, did approach the Taiwanese government, and obtained information from the Taiwan Government that no plane carrying Bose had ever crashed in Taipei.The Mukherjee Commission also received a report originating from the U.S. Department of State supporting the claim of the Taiwan Government that no such air crash took place during that time frame..
The Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry submitted its report to the Indian Government on November 8, 2005. The report was tabled in Parliament on May 17, 2006. The probe said in its report that as Bose did not die in the plane crash, and that the ashes at the Renkoji Temple (said to be of Bose's) are not his. However, the Indian Government rejected the findings of the Commission, though no reasons were cited.
Bose was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award in 1992, but it was later withdrawn in response to a Supreme Court directive following a Public Interest Litigation filed in the Court against the "posthumous" nature of the award. The Award Committee could not give conclusive evidence on Bose's death and thus the "posthumous" award was invalidated. No headway was made on this issue however.
Bose's portrait hangs in the Indian Parliament, and a statue of him has been erected in front of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
Mysterious monk
Several people believed that the Hindu sanyasi named Bhagwanji or 'Gumnami Baba', who lived in the house Ram Bhawan in Faizabad, UP at least until 1985, was Subhas Chandra Bose in exile. There had been at least four known occasions when Gumnami Baba reportedly claimed he was Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The belongings of the sanyasi were taken into custody after his death, following a court order. These were later subjected to inspection by the Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry. The commission refuted this belief, in the absence of any "clinching evidence". The independent probe done by the Hindustan Times into the case provided hints that the monk was Bose himself.Some people belive that Gumnami Baba died on 16 September 1985, while some dispute this. The story of Gumnami Baba came to light on his death. It is alleged that he was cremated in the dead of night, just under the light of a motorcycle's headlamp, at Faizabad's popular picnic spot, on the bank of River Saryu. his face distorted by acid to protect his identity. Faizabad's Bengali community still pays homage at the memorial built at his cremation site on the anniversary of his birth. However, the life and activities of Bhagwanji remain a mystery even today and was never investigated by any government agency.
Subhas Chandra Bose (Bengali: সুভাষচন্দ্র বসু) Shubashchôndro Boshu; born January 23, 1897; presumed to have died August 18, 1945, although this is disputed), popularly known as Netaji (literally "Respected Leader"), was a leader in the Indian independence movement.
Bose advocated complete freedom for India at the earliest, whereas the Congress Committee wanted it in phases, through a Dominion status. Other younger leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru supported Bose and finally at the historic Lahore Congress convention, the Congress had to adopt Purna Swaraj (complete freedom) as its motto. Bhagat Singh's martyrdom and the inability of the Congress leaders to save his life infuriated Bose and he started a movement opposing the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. He was imprisoned and expelled from India. But defying the ban, he came back to India and was imprisoned again.
Bose was elected president of the Indian National Congress for two consecutive terms, but had to resign from the post following ideological conflicts with Mahatma Gandhi and after openly attacking the Congress' foreign and internal policies. Bose believed that Mahatma Gandhi's tactics of non-violence would never be sufficient to secure India's independence, and advocated violent resistance. He established a separate political party, the All India Forward Bloc and continued to call for the full and immediate independence of India from British rule. He was imprisoned by the British authorities eleven times. His famous motto was "Give me blood and I will give you freedom".
His stance did not change with the outbreak of the Second World War, which he saw as an opportunity to take advantage of British weakness. At the outset of the war, he left India, travelling to the Soviet Union, Germany and Japan, seeking an alliance with the aim of attacking the British in India. With Japanese assistance, he re-organised and later led the Indian National Army, formed from Indian prisoners-of-war and plantation workers from British Malaya, Singapore, and other parts of Southeast Asia, against British forces. With Japanese monetary, political, diplomatic and military assistance, he formed the Azad Hind Government in exile, regrouped and led the Indian National Army in battle against the allies at Imphal and in Burma.
His political views and the alliances he made with Nazi and other militarist regimes at war with Britain have been the cause of arguments among historians and politicians, with some accusing him of fascist sympathies, while others in India have been more sympathetic towards the inculcation of realpolitik as a manifesto that guided his social and political choices.
He is presumed to have died on 18 August 1945 in a plane crash over Taiwan. However, contradictory evidence exists regarding his death in the accident.
National politics
Gandhi at the Indian National Congress annual meeting in 1938 when Subhas Chandra Bose was President of Congress party.
Released from prison two years later, Bose became general secretary of the Congress party and worked with Jawaharlal Nehru for independence. Again Bose was arrested and jailed for civil disobedience; this time he emerged Mayor of Calcutta. During the mid-1930s Bose traveled in Europe, visiting Indian students and European politicians, as well as Hitler in 1936. He observed party organization and saw communism and fascism in action. By 1938 Bose had become a leader of national stature and agreed to accept nomination as Congress president. He stood for unqualified Swaraj (independence), including the use of force against the British. This meant a confrontation with Mohandas Gandhi, who in fact opposed Bose's presidency, splitting the Congress party. Bose attempted to maintain unity, but Gandhi advised Bose to form his own cabinet. The rift also divided Bose and Nehru. Bose appeared at the 1939 Congress meeting on a stretcher. Though he was elected president again, over Gandhi's preferred candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya, this time differences with Gandhi led to Bose's resignation. "I am an extremist, " Bose once said, and his uncompromising stand finally cut him off from the mainstream of Indian nationalism.Bose then organized the Forward Bloc aimed at consolidating the political left, but its main strength was in his home state, Bengal.
Indian National Army and Provisional Government
When world war II erupted in Europe, Bose was again imprisoned for civil disobedience and put under house arrest to await trial. He escaped and made his way to Berlin by way of Peshawar and Afghanistan. In Europe, Bose sought help from Germany for the liberation of India. He got Nazi permission to organize the Indian Legion of prisoners of war from Africa, but the legion remained basically German in training. Bose felt the need for stronger steps, and he turned to the Japanese embassy in Berlin, which finally made arrangements for Bose to go to Asia. In an unusual joint operation, he was transferred from a German to a Japanese submarine off the coast of Madagascar.
Bose was flown to Singapore and became commander of the INA and head of the Free India provisional government (Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind).
Subhas Chandra Bose with the Greater East Asia Conference in 1943
The INA included both Indian prisoners of war from Singapore and Indian civilians in Southeast Asia. The strength of the INA grew to 43,000. The INA fought Allied forces in 1944 inside the borders of India at Imphal and in Burma, and even succeeding in liberating parts of North-East India from the Allies. Unfortunately, with Japan losing its way in the World War, aid to the INA was also reduced, and the army could not keep up its momentum.
By the end of World War II none of Bose's Axis allies had helped, and Bose then turned to the Soviet Union. Three officers of the INA were tried at the Red Fort after the war; the trial attracted much popular sympathy, including statements by Nehru and Gandhi that the men were great patriots.
Disappearance and alleged death
Bose's last undisputed picture that was taken on the morning of 17 August 1945 in Saigon
Bose is alleged to have died in a plane crash over Taiwan, while flying to Tokyo on 18 August 1945. It is believed that he was on route to the Soviet Union in a Japanese plane when it crashed in Taiwan, burning him fatally. However, his body was never recovered, and many theories have been put forward concerning his possible survival. One such claim is that Bose actually died in Siberia, while in Soviet captivity. Several committees have been set up by the Government of India to probe into this matter. In May 1956, a four-man Indian team (known as the Shah Nawaz Committee) visited Japan to probe the circumstances of Bose's alleged death. The Indian government did not then request assistance from the government of Taiwan in the matter, citing their lack of diplomatic relations with Taiwan However, the Inquiry Commission under Justice Mukherjee, which investigated the Bose disappearance mystery in the period 1999-2005, did approach the Taiwanese government, and obtained information from the Taiwan Government that no plane carrying Bose had ever crashed in Taipei.The Mukherjee Commission also received a report originating from the U.S. Department of State supporting the claim of the Taiwan Government that no such air crash took place during that time frame..
The Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry submitted its report to the Indian Government on November 8, 2005. The report was tabled in Parliament on May 17, 2006. The probe said in its report that as Bose did not die in the plane crash, and that the ashes at the Renkoji Temple (said to be of Bose's) are not his. However, the Indian Government rejected the findings of the Commission, though no reasons were cited.
Bose was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award in 1992, but it was later withdrawn in response to a Supreme Court directive following a Public Interest Litigation filed in the Court against the "posthumous" nature of the award. The Award Committee could not give conclusive evidence on Bose's death and thus the "posthumous" award was invalidated. No headway was made on this issue however.
Bose's portrait hangs in the Indian Parliament, and a statue of him has been erected in front of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
Mysterious monk
Several people believed that the Hindu sanyasi named Bhagwanji or 'Gumnami Baba', who lived in the house Ram Bhawan in Faizabad, UP at least until 1985, was Subhas Chandra Bose in exile. There had been at least four known occasions when Gumnami Baba reportedly claimed he was Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The belongings of the sanyasi were taken into custody after his death, following a court order. These were later subjected to inspection by the Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry. The commission refuted this belief, in the absence of any "clinching evidence". The independent probe done by the Hindustan Times into the case provided hints that the monk was Bose himself.Some people belive that Gumnami Baba died on 16 September 1985, while some dispute this. The story of Gumnami Baba came to light on his death. It is alleged that he was cremated in the dead of night, just under the light of a motorcycle's headlamp, at Faizabad's popular picnic spot, on the bank of River Saryu. his face distorted by acid to protect his identity. Faizabad's Bengali community still pays homage at the memorial built at his cremation site on the anniversary of his birth. However, the life and activities of Bhagwanji remain a mystery even today and was never investigated by any government agency.
Monday, December 14, 2009
STORAGE AREA NETWORK
STORAGE AREA NETWORK (SAN):
SAN is an architecture to attach remote computer storage devices (such as disk arrays, tape libraries, and optical jukeboxes) to servers in such a way that the devices appear as locally attached to the operating system. Its a network whose primary purpose is the transfer of data between computer systems and storage elements. A san consists of a communication structure , which provides physical connections; and a manager layer, which organises the connections, storage elements , and computer systems so that the data transfer is secure.
A storage area network (SAN) is a high-speed special-purpose network (or subnetwork) that interconnects different kinds of data storage devices with associated data server on behalf of a larger network of users. Typically, a storage area network is part of the overall network of computing resources for an enterprise. A storage area network is usually clustered in close proximity to other computing resources such as IBM z990 mainframe but may also extend to remote locations for backup and archival storage, using wide area network carrier technologies such as ATM or SONET.
A san can also be a storage system consists of storage elements, storage devices, computer systems, or appliances, plus all controll softwares, communicating over a network.
A san is a high speed network attaching high speed servers and storage devices. A san always any-to-any connections across the network, using interconnected elements such as routers, gateways, hubs, switches, and directors. a san can be shared between servers or dedicated to one server. It can be local or can be extended over a geographical distances.
San create new methods of data storage to the servers(both in availability and performance).
San facillitates direct, high –speed data transfers between servers and storsge devices in three ways-
1.Server to storage – this is the model of interaction with the storage devices.
2.server to server- used for high volume communication between seervers.
3.storage to storage-this movement capability enables data to be moved without server intervention.
Historically, data centers first created "islands" of SCSI DISK ARRAYS as Direct Attached Servers (DAS), each dedicated to an application, and visible as a number of "virtual hard drives" (i.e. LUNs). Essentially, a SAN consolidates such storage islands together using a high-speed network.
Operating systems maintain their own file systems on them on dedicated, non-shared LUNS, as though they were local to themselves. If multiple systems were simply to attempt to share a LUN, these would interfere with each other and quickly corrupt the data. Any planned sharing of data on between computers within a LUN requires advanced solutions.
Despite such issues, SANs help to increase storage capacity utilization, since multiple servers consolidate their private storage space onto the disk arrays
Sharing storage usually simplifies storage administration and adds flexibility since cables and storage devices do not have to be physically moved to shift storage from one server to another.
Other benefits include the ability to allow servers to boot from the SAN itself. This allows for a quick and easy replacement of faulty servers since the SAN can be reconfigured so that a replacement server can use the lun of the faulty server. This process can take as little as half an hour and is a relatively new idea being pioneered in newer data centres.
SAN infrastructure
SAN-switch with optical fibre channel connectors installed.
SANs often utilize a Fibre Channel fabric topology - an infrastructure specially designed to handle storage communications. It provides faster and more reliable access. A fabric is similar in concept to a network segment in a local area network. A typical Fibre Channel SAN fabric is made up of a number of Fibre Channel switches.
Today, all major SAN equipment vendors also offer some form of Fibre routing solution, and these bring substantial scalability benefits to the SAN architecture by allowing data to cross between different fabrics without merging the data.
Compatibility
One of the early problems with Fibre Channel SANs was that the switches and other hardware from different manufacturers were not entirely compatible. Although the basic storage protocols FCP were always quite standard, some of the higher-level functions did not interoperate well. Similarly, many host operating systems would react badly to other operating systems sharing the same fabric. Many solutions were pushed to the market before standards were finalized and vendors have since innovated around the standard.
SANs at home
A SAN, being a network of large disk arrays, is primarily used in large scale, high performance enterprise storage operations. SAN equipment is relatively expensive and so fibre channel host bus adapters are rare in desktop computers. The iSCSI SAN technology is expected to eventually produce cheap SANs, but it is unlikely that this technology will be used outside the enterprise data center environment.
SANs in media and entertainment
Video editing workgroups require very high data transfer rates. Outside of the enterprise market, this is one area that greatly benefits from SANs.
Per-node bandwidth usage control, sometimes referred to as Quality of Service (QoS), is especially important in video workgroups as it ensures fair and prioritized bandwidth usage across the network if there is insufficient open bandwidth available. Avid Unity, Apple's Xsan and Tiger Technology MetaSAN are specifically designed for video networks and offer this functionality.
References
"TechEncyclopedia:IPStorage". http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=IPstorage.
Retrieved 2007-12-09.
"TechEncyclopedia:SANoIP". http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=SANoIP. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
Wikepedia.
IBM storage area network article.
SAN is an architecture to attach remote computer storage devices (such as disk arrays, tape libraries, and optical jukeboxes) to servers in such a way that the devices appear as locally attached to the operating system. Its a network whose primary purpose is the transfer of data between computer systems and storage elements. A san consists of a communication structure , which provides physical connections; and a manager layer, which organises the connections, storage elements , and computer systems so that the data transfer is secure.
A storage area network (SAN) is a high-speed special-purpose network (or subnetwork) that interconnects different kinds of data storage devices with associated data server on behalf of a larger network of users. Typically, a storage area network is part of the overall network of computing resources for an enterprise. A storage area network is usually clustered in close proximity to other computing resources such as IBM z990 mainframe but may also extend to remote locations for backup and archival storage, using wide area network carrier technologies such as ATM or SONET.
A san can also be a storage system consists of storage elements, storage devices, computer systems, or appliances, plus all controll softwares, communicating over a network.
A san is a high speed network attaching high speed servers and storage devices. A san always any-to-any connections across the network, using interconnected elements such as routers, gateways, hubs, switches, and directors. a san can be shared between servers or dedicated to one server. It can be local or can be extended over a geographical distances.
San create new methods of data storage to the servers(both in availability and performance).
San facillitates direct, high –speed data transfers between servers and storsge devices in three ways-
1.Server to storage – this is the model of interaction with the storage devices.
2.server to server- used for high volume communication between seervers.
3.storage to storage-this movement capability enables data to be moved without server intervention.
Historically, data centers first created "islands" of SCSI DISK ARRAYS as Direct Attached Servers (DAS), each dedicated to an application, and visible as a number of "virtual hard drives" (i.e. LUNs). Essentially, a SAN consolidates such storage islands together using a high-speed network.
Operating systems maintain their own file systems on them on dedicated, non-shared LUNS, as though they were local to themselves. If multiple systems were simply to attempt to share a LUN, these would interfere with each other and quickly corrupt the data. Any planned sharing of data on between computers within a LUN requires advanced solutions.
Despite such issues, SANs help to increase storage capacity utilization, since multiple servers consolidate their private storage space onto the disk arrays
Sharing storage usually simplifies storage administration and adds flexibility since cables and storage devices do not have to be physically moved to shift storage from one server to another.
Other benefits include the ability to allow servers to boot from the SAN itself. This allows for a quick and easy replacement of faulty servers since the SAN can be reconfigured so that a replacement server can use the lun of the faulty server. This process can take as little as half an hour and is a relatively new idea being pioneered in newer data centres.
SAN infrastructure
SAN-switch with optical fibre channel connectors installed.
SANs often utilize a Fibre Channel fabric topology - an infrastructure specially designed to handle storage communications. It provides faster and more reliable access. A fabric is similar in concept to a network segment in a local area network. A typical Fibre Channel SAN fabric is made up of a number of Fibre Channel switches.
Today, all major SAN equipment vendors also offer some form of Fibre routing solution, and these bring substantial scalability benefits to the SAN architecture by allowing data to cross between different fabrics without merging the data.
Compatibility
One of the early problems with Fibre Channel SANs was that the switches and other hardware from different manufacturers were not entirely compatible. Although the basic storage protocols FCP were always quite standard, some of the higher-level functions did not interoperate well. Similarly, many host operating systems would react badly to other operating systems sharing the same fabric. Many solutions were pushed to the market before standards were finalized and vendors have since innovated around the standard.
SANs at home
A SAN, being a network of large disk arrays, is primarily used in large scale, high performance enterprise storage operations. SAN equipment is relatively expensive and so fibre channel host bus adapters are rare in desktop computers. The iSCSI SAN technology is expected to eventually produce cheap SANs, but it is unlikely that this technology will be used outside the enterprise data center environment.
SANs in media and entertainment
Video editing workgroups require very high data transfer rates. Outside of the enterprise market, this is one area that greatly benefits from SANs.
Per-node bandwidth usage control, sometimes referred to as Quality of Service (QoS), is especially important in video workgroups as it ensures fair and prioritized bandwidth usage across the network if there is insufficient open bandwidth available. Avid Unity, Apple's Xsan and Tiger Technology MetaSAN are specifically designed for video networks and offer this functionality.
References
"TechEncyclopedia:IPStorage". http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=IPstorage.
Retrieved 2007-12-09.
"TechEncyclopedia:SANoIP". http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=SANoIP. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
Wikepedia.
IBM storage area network article.
Podcasting
Podcasting:
A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and downloaded through web syndication. The mode of delivery is what differentiates podcasts from other ways of accessing media files over the Internet, such as simple download or streamed webcasts: special client software applications known as podcatchers (like iTunes, Zune, Juice, and Winamp) are used to automatically identify and download new files in the series when they are released by accessing a centrally-maintained web feed that lists all files associated with the series. New files can thus be downloaded automatically by the podcatcher and stored locally on the user's computer or other device for offline use, giving simpler access to episodic content.
Most dictionary definitions of a podcast fall into one of two camps as of September 2009. One set focuses on the "on-demand" nature of podcasts. Another set requires the automatic or syndication posting. There are problems with both definitions. The first is too open. Under such a definition, a paid music download could technically be a podcast. Most audiences would disagree. The second is too limiting. It does not allow for manual downloads. Researchers at the Center for Journalism and Mass Communication Research at the University of Texas at Austin are proposing a three-part definition of a podcast: first, that it is episodic; second, that it is downloadable; and third, that it is program-driven, mainly with a host and/or theme.
Like the term broadcast, podcast can refer either to an ongoing series or episodes of a particular program.A podcaster is the person who creates the content.
Podcasting:
What It Means
2005 word of the year – New Oxford American Dictionary
A podcast is a media file that is distributed by subscription (paid or unpaid) over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers.
Podcasting may auto-update an iPod
Podcasting does NOT require an iPod!
Podcasts were first called
Define podcasting:
media file that is distributed by subscription (paid or unpaid) over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers.
Name:
The term was mentioned by Ben Hammersley in The Guardian newspaper in a February 2004 article, along with other proposed names for the new medium. It is a portmanteau of the words "iPod" and "broadcast", the Apple iPod being the brand of portable media player for which early podcasting scripts were developed (see history of podcasting), allowing podcasts to be automatically transferred from a personal computer to a mobile device after download.
It has never been necessary, despite the source of the name, to use an iPod or any other form of portable media player to use podcasts; the content can be accessed using any computer capable of playing media files. A backronym has been posited where podcast stands for "Personal On Demand broadCAST".
History:
Podcasting began to catch hold with the public in late 2004, though during the 1998–2001 dot-com era there were multiple "podcasts" done by major companies, such as Real Networks and ESPN.com. Many individuals and groups contributed to the emergence and popularity of podcasts.
The most common audio file format used is MP3.
“Audio Blogs”
Web logs (blogs) are web pages that are easily updated – example
Text, comments, exchanges possible
These web pages with text accompany most podcasts – allow for information exchange
Engages the audience
Process
Make recording, gather visuals
Assemble into a multi-media presentation
Post to the Web – most often with a description at a blog
Generate RSS file
Syndication
Clients receive notice via RSS
Their “podcatcher” automatically downloads to computer and send to iPod (if used)
Podcasts for Learning
Have been used in higher education for three years! Originally called “audio blogs”
iTunes University
Sample Accounting Podcasts
EPN Education Podcast Network
Accounting Best Practices – Bragg & Nach
Ernst & Young Podcast Channels
CPA Podcasts
Podcasting News - Business
Creating Podcasts
In simplest audio form (mp3), podcasts can be created using free software.
Audacity, Media Player, Feedburner, and other online tools
Enhanced podcasts mp4a format
Graphics, text, video
ProfCast – drag and drop visuals – chapters
OS-X platform required (Mac not PC)
Trademarks
2005
The logo used by Apple to represent Podcasting
On February 5, 2005, Shae Spencer Management LLC of Fairport, New York filed a trademark application to register PODCAST for an "online prerecorded radio program over the internet".On September 9, 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office rejected the application, citing Wikipedia's podcast entry as describing the history of the term.
As of September 20, 2005, known trademarks that attempted to capitalize on podcast include: Podcast Realty, GuidePod, PodGizmo, Pod-Casting, MyPod, Podvertiser, Podango, ePodcast, PodCabin, Podcaster, PodShop, PodKitchen, Podgram, GodPod and Podcast.
2006
On September 26, 2006, it was reported that Apple Computer started to crack down on businesses using the acronym "POD", in product and company names. Apple sent a cease-and-desist order that week to Podcast Ready, Inc., which markets an application known as "myPodder". Lawyers for Apple contended allegedly that the term "pod" has been used by the public to refer to Apple's music player so extensively that it falls under Apple's trademark cover. It was speculated that such activity was part of a bigger campaign for Apple to expand the scope of its existing iPod trademark, which included trademarking "IPODCAST", "IPOD", and "POD". On November 16, 2006, Apple Trademark Department returned a letter claiming Apple does not object to third party usage of "podcast" to refer to podcasting services and that Apple does not license the term(s).
2007
As of February 2007, there were 24 attempts to register trademarks containing the word "PODCAST" in United States, but only "PODCAST READY" from Podcast Ready, Inc. was approved.
A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and downloaded through web syndication. The mode of delivery is what differentiates podcasts from other ways of accessing media files over the Internet, such as simple download or streamed webcasts: special client software applications known as podcatchers (like iTunes, Zune, Juice, and Winamp) are used to automatically identify and download new files in the series when they are released by accessing a centrally-maintained web feed that lists all files associated with the series. New files can thus be downloaded automatically by the podcatcher and stored locally on the user's computer or other device for offline use, giving simpler access to episodic content.
Most dictionary definitions of a podcast fall into one of two camps as of September 2009. One set focuses on the "on-demand" nature of podcasts. Another set requires the automatic or syndication posting. There are problems with both definitions. The first is too open. Under such a definition, a paid music download could technically be a podcast. Most audiences would disagree. The second is too limiting. It does not allow for manual downloads. Researchers at the Center for Journalism and Mass Communication Research at the University of Texas at Austin are proposing a three-part definition of a podcast: first, that it is episodic; second, that it is downloadable; and third, that it is program-driven, mainly with a host and/or theme.
Like the term broadcast, podcast can refer either to an ongoing series or episodes of a particular program.A podcaster is the person who creates the content.
Podcasting:
What It Means
2005 word of the year – New Oxford American Dictionary
A podcast is a media file that is distributed by subscription (paid or unpaid) over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers.
Podcasting may auto-update an iPod
Podcasting does NOT require an iPod!
Podcasts were first called
Define podcasting:
media file that is distributed by subscription (paid or unpaid) over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers.
Name:
The term was mentioned by Ben Hammersley in The Guardian newspaper in a February 2004 article, along with other proposed names for the new medium. It is a portmanteau of the words "iPod" and "broadcast", the Apple iPod being the brand of portable media player for which early podcasting scripts were developed (see history of podcasting), allowing podcasts to be automatically transferred from a personal computer to a mobile device after download.
It has never been necessary, despite the source of the name, to use an iPod or any other form of portable media player to use podcasts; the content can be accessed using any computer capable of playing media files. A backronym has been posited where podcast stands for "Personal On Demand broadCAST".
History:
Podcasting began to catch hold with the public in late 2004, though during the 1998–2001 dot-com era there were multiple "podcasts" done by major companies, such as Real Networks and ESPN.com. Many individuals and groups contributed to the emergence and popularity of podcasts.
The most common audio file format used is MP3.
“Audio Blogs”
Web logs (blogs) are web pages that are easily updated – example
Text, comments, exchanges possible
These web pages with text accompany most podcasts – allow for information exchange
Engages the audience
Process
Make recording, gather visuals
Assemble into a multi-media presentation
Post to the Web – most often with a description at a blog
Generate RSS file
Syndication
Clients receive notice via RSS
Their “podcatcher” automatically downloads to computer and send to iPod (if used)
Podcasts for Learning
Have been used in higher education for three years! Originally called “audio blogs”
iTunes University
Sample Accounting Podcasts
EPN Education Podcast Network
Accounting Best Practices – Bragg & Nach
Ernst & Young Podcast Channels
CPA Podcasts
Podcasting News - Business
Creating Podcasts
In simplest audio form (mp3), podcasts can be created using free software.
Audacity, Media Player, Feedburner, and other online tools
Enhanced podcasts mp4a format
Graphics, text, video
ProfCast – drag and drop visuals – chapters
OS-X platform required (Mac not PC)
Trademarks
2005
The logo used by Apple to represent Podcasting
On February 5, 2005, Shae Spencer Management LLC of Fairport, New York filed a trademark application to register PODCAST for an "online prerecorded radio program over the internet".On September 9, 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office rejected the application, citing Wikipedia's podcast entry as describing the history of the term.
As of September 20, 2005, known trademarks that attempted to capitalize on podcast include: Podcast Realty, GuidePod, PodGizmo, Pod-Casting, MyPod, Podvertiser, Podango, ePodcast, PodCabin, Podcaster, PodShop, PodKitchen, Podgram, GodPod and Podcast.
2006
On September 26, 2006, it was reported that Apple Computer started to crack down on businesses using the acronym "POD", in product and company names. Apple sent a cease-and-desist order that week to Podcast Ready, Inc., which markets an application known as "myPodder". Lawyers for Apple contended allegedly that the term "pod" has been used by the public to refer to Apple's music player so extensively that it falls under Apple's trademark cover. It was speculated that such activity was part of a bigger campaign for Apple to expand the scope of its existing iPod trademark, which included trademarking "IPODCAST", "IPOD", and "POD". On November 16, 2006, Apple Trademark Department returned a letter claiming Apple does not object to third party usage of "podcast" to refer to podcasting services and that Apple does not license the term(s).
2007
As of February 2007, there were 24 attempts to register trademarks containing the word "PODCAST" in United States, but only "PODCAST READY" from Podcast Ready, Inc. was approved.
DNA COMPUTING
DNA COMPUTING
• What is a DNA computer?
With advancement in technology and research we have come to know that millions of natural supercomputers exist inside living organisms, including our body. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecules, the material our genes are made of, have the potential to perform calculations many times faster than the world's most powerful human-built computers. DNA might one day be integrated into a computer chip to create a so-called biochip that will push computers even faster. DNA molecules have already been harnessed to perform complex mathematical problems. While still in their infancy, DNA computers will be capable of storing billions of times more data than our personal computer.
A DNA computer is a molecular computer that works biochemically. It "computes" using enzymes that react with DNA strands, causing chain reactions. The chain reactions act as a kind of simultaneous computing or parallel processing, whereby many possible solutions to a given problem can be presented simultaneously with the correct solution being one of the results.
• DNA Computing Technology-
In 1994, Leonard Adleman introduced the idea of using DNA to solve complex mathematical problems. Adleman, a computer scientist at the University of Southern California, came to the conclusion that DNA had computational potential after reading the book "Molecular Biology of the Gene," written by James Watson, who co-discovered the structure of DNA in 1953. In fact, DNA is very similar to a computer hard drive in how it stores permanent information about your genes.
Adleman outlined how to use DNA to solve a well-known mathematical problem, called the directed Hamilton Path problem, also known as the "traveling salesman" problem. The goal of the problem is to find the shortest route between a number of cities, going through each city only once. As we add more cities to the problem, the problem becomes more difficult. Adleman chose to find the shortest route between seven cities.
The steps taken in the Adleman DNA computer experiment are:-
1. Strands of DNA represent the seven cities. In genes, genetic coding is represented by the letters A, T, C and G. Some sequence of these four letters represented each city and possible flight path.
2. These molecules are then mixed in a test tube, with some of these DNA strands sticking together. A chain of these strands represents a possible answer.
3. Within a few seconds, all of the possible combinations of DNA strands, which represent answers, are created in the test tube.
4. Adleman eliminates the wrong molecules through chemical reactions, which leaves behind only the flight paths that connect all seven cities.
The following algorithm solves the Hamilton Path problem, regardless of the type of computer used:
1. Generate all possible routes.
2. Select itineraries that start with the proper city and end with the final city.
3. Select itineraries with the correct number of cities.
4. Select itineraries that contain each city only once.
The success of the Adleman DNA computer proves that DNA can be used to calculate complex mathematical problems. However, this early DNA computer is far from challenging silicon-based computers in terms of speed. The Adleman DNA computer created a group of possible answers very quickly, but it took days for Adleman to narrow down the possibilities. Another drawback of his DNA computer is that it requires human assistance. The goal of the DNA computing field is to create a device that can work independent of human involvement.
Three years after Adelman’s experiment, researchers at the University of Rochester developed logic gates made of DNA. Logic gates are a vital part of how your computer carries out functions that you command it to do. These gates convert binary code moving through the computer into a series of signals that the computer uses to perform operations. Currently, logic gates interpret input signals from silicon transistors, and convert those signals into an output signal that allows the computer to perform complex functions.
The Rochester team's DNA logic gates are the first step toward creating a computer that has a structure similar to that of an electronic PC. Instead of using electrical signals to perform logical operations, these DNA logic gates rely on DNA code. They detect fragments of genetic material as input, splice together these fragments and form a single output. For instance, a genetic gate called the "And gate" links two DNA inputs by chemically binding them so they're locked in an end-to-end structure, similar to the way two Legos might be fastened by a third Lego between them. The researchers believe that these logic gates might be combined with DNA microchips to create a breakthrough in DNA computing.
DNA computer components -- logic gates and biochips -- will take years to develop into a practical, workable DNA computer. If such a computer is ever built, scientists say that it will be more compact, accurate and efficient than conventional computers
• Comparison between silicon & DNA computers-
As long as there are cellular organisms, there will always be a supply of DNA.
The large supply of DNA makes it a cheap resource.
Unlike the toxic materials used to make traditional microprocessors, DNA biochips can be made cleanly.
DNA computers are many times smaller than today's computers.
DNA's key advantage is that it will make computers smaller than any computer that has come before them, while at the same time holding more data. One pound of DNA has the capacity to store more information than all the electronic computers ever built; and the computing power of a teardrop-sized DNA computer, using the DNA logic gates, will be more powerful than the world's most powerful supercomputer. More than 10 trillion DNA molecules can fit into an area no larger than 1 cubic centimeter (0.06 cubic inches). With this small amount of DNA, a computer would be able to hold 10 terabytes of data, and perform 10 trillion calculations at a time. By adding more DNA, more calculations could be performed.
Unlike conventional computers, DNA computers perform calculations parallel to other calculations. Conventional computers operate linearly, taking on tasks one at a time. It is parallel computing that allows DNA to solve complex mathematical problems in hours, whereas it might take electrical computers hundreds of years to complete them.
• Olympus Develops DNA computer-
In starting of year 2002 the Olympus Optical Co. Ltd. Developed what the company claimed the commercially practical DNA computer that specializes in gene analysis. The computer was developed in conjunction with Akira Toyama, an assistant professor at Tokyo University.
Gene analysis has been usually done manually, by arranging DNA fragments and observing the chemical reactions. But that was time-consuming, said Satoshi Ikuta, a spokesman of Olympus Optical. When DNA computing is applied to gene analysis what used to take three days can now be done in six hours, he said. DNA computing also allows scientists to observe chemical reaction that occur simultaneously, lowering the research costs.
The bottleneck was that engineers were required to have expert knowledge in two specific fields, in order to develop a gene analysis DNA computer.
I. Information Processing Engineering
II. Molecular Biology
This is called genome informatics as a whole.
To achieve this, the company formed a joint venture Novous Gene Inc. Which specializes in genome informatics, in February 2001? The principles for a DNA computer that works for gene analysis were provided by Tokyo University’s Toyama.
The computer Olympus Optical has developed is divided into two sections, a molecular calculation component and an electronic calculation component. He former calculates DNA combinations of molecules, implements chemical reactions, searches and pulls out the right DNA the latter executes processing programs and analyzes these results.
The company was started gene analysis using the DNA computer on a trial basis for a year, and form this year hopes to offer the service on a commercial basis for researchers.
• Example of an application-
For example, a DNA computer as a tiny liquid computer —- DNA in solution -- that could conceivably do such things as monitor the blood in vitro. If a chemical imbalance were detected, the DNA computer might synthesize the needed replacement and release it into the blood to restore equilibrium. It might also eliminate unwanted chemicals by disassembling them at the molecular level, or monitor DNA for anomalies. This type of science is referred to as nanoscience, or nanotechnology, and the DNA computer is essentially a nanocomputer.
• Conclusion-
The DNA computer is only in its early stages of development. Though rudimentary nanocomputer perform computations, human interaction is still required to separate the correct answer out by ridding the DNA computer solution of all false answers. This is accomplished through a series of chemical steps. However, experts are encouraged by the innate abilities of a DNA computer and see a bright future.
• What is a DNA computer?
With advancement in technology and research we have come to know that millions of natural supercomputers exist inside living organisms, including our body. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecules, the material our genes are made of, have the potential to perform calculations many times faster than the world's most powerful human-built computers. DNA might one day be integrated into a computer chip to create a so-called biochip that will push computers even faster. DNA molecules have already been harnessed to perform complex mathematical problems. While still in their infancy, DNA computers will be capable of storing billions of times more data than our personal computer.
A DNA computer is a molecular computer that works biochemically. It "computes" using enzymes that react with DNA strands, causing chain reactions. The chain reactions act as a kind of simultaneous computing or parallel processing, whereby many possible solutions to a given problem can be presented simultaneously with the correct solution being one of the results.
• DNA Computing Technology-
In 1994, Leonard Adleman introduced the idea of using DNA to solve complex mathematical problems. Adleman, a computer scientist at the University of Southern California, came to the conclusion that DNA had computational potential after reading the book "Molecular Biology of the Gene," written by James Watson, who co-discovered the structure of DNA in 1953. In fact, DNA is very similar to a computer hard drive in how it stores permanent information about your genes.
Adleman outlined how to use DNA to solve a well-known mathematical problem, called the directed Hamilton Path problem, also known as the "traveling salesman" problem. The goal of the problem is to find the shortest route between a number of cities, going through each city only once. As we add more cities to the problem, the problem becomes more difficult. Adleman chose to find the shortest route between seven cities.
The steps taken in the Adleman DNA computer experiment are:-
1. Strands of DNA represent the seven cities. In genes, genetic coding is represented by the letters A, T, C and G. Some sequence of these four letters represented each city and possible flight path.
2. These molecules are then mixed in a test tube, with some of these DNA strands sticking together. A chain of these strands represents a possible answer.
3. Within a few seconds, all of the possible combinations of DNA strands, which represent answers, are created in the test tube.
4. Adleman eliminates the wrong molecules through chemical reactions, which leaves behind only the flight paths that connect all seven cities.
The following algorithm solves the Hamilton Path problem, regardless of the type of computer used:
1. Generate all possible routes.
2. Select itineraries that start with the proper city and end with the final city.
3. Select itineraries with the correct number of cities.
4. Select itineraries that contain each city only once.
The success of the Adleman DNA computer proves that DNA can be used to calculate complex mathematical problems. However, this early DNA computer is far from challenging silicon-based computers in terms of speed. The Adleman DNA computer created a group of possible answers very quickly, but it took days for Adleman to narrow down the possibilities. Another drawback of his DNA computer is that it requires human assistance. The goal of the DNA computing field is to create a device that can work independent of human involvement.
Three years after Adelman’s experiment, researchers at the University of Rochester developed logic gates made of DNA. Logic gates are a vital part of how your computer carries out functions that you command it to do. These gates convert binary code moving through the computer into a series of signals that the computer uses to perform operations. Currently, logic gates interpret input signals from silicon transistors, and convert those signals into an output signal that allows the computer to perform complex functions.
The Rochester team's DNA logic gates are the first step toward creating a computer that has a structure similar to that of an electronic PC. Instead of using electrical signals to perform logical operations, these DNA logic gates rely on DNA code. They detect fragments of genetic material as input, splice together these fragments and form a single output. For instance, a genetic gate called the "And gate" links two DNA inputs by chemically binding them so they're locked in an end-to-end structure, similar to the way two Legos might be fastened by a third Lego between them. The researchers believe that these logic gates might be combined with DNA microchips to create a breakthrough in DNA computing.
DNA computer components -- logic gates and biochips -- will take years to develop into a practical, workable DNA computer. If such a computer is ever built, scientists say that it will be more compact, accurate and efficient than conventional computers
• Comparison between silicon & DNA computers-
As long as there are cellular organisms, there will always be a supply of DNA.
The large supply of DNA makes it a cheap resource.
Unlike the toxic materials used to make traditional microprocessors, DNA biochips can be made cleanly.
DNA computers are many times smaller than today's computers.
DNA's key advantage is that it will make computers smaller than any computer that has come before them, while at the same time holding more data. One pound of DNA has the capacity to store more information than all the electronic computers ever built; and the computing power of a teardrop-sized DNA computer, using the DNA logic gates, will be more powerful than the world's most powerful supercomputer. More than 10 trillion DNA molecules can fit into an area no larger than 1 cubic centimeter (0.06 cubic inches). With this small amount of DNA, a computer would be able to hold 10 terabytes of data, and perform 10 trillion calculations at a time. By adding more DNA, more calculations could be performed.
Unlike conventional computers, DNA computers perform calculations parallel to other calculations. Conventional computers operate linearly, taking on tasks one at a time. It is parallel computing that allows DNA to solve complex mathematical problems in hours, whereas it might take electrical computers hundreds of years to complete them.
• Olympus Develops DNA computer-
In starting of year 2002 the Olympus Optical Co. Ltd. Developed what the company claimed the commercially practical DNA computer that specializes in gene analysis. The computer was developed in conjunction with Akira Toyama, an assistant professor at Tokyo University.
Gene analysis has been usually done manually, by arranging DNA fragments and observing the chemical reactions. But that was time-consuming, said Satoshi Ikuta, a spokesman of Olympus Optical. When DNA computing is applied to gene analysis what used to take three days can now be done in six hours, he said. DNA computing also allows scientists to observe chemical reaction that occur simultaneously, lowering the research costs.
The bottleneck was that engineers were required to have expert knowledge in two specific fields, in order to develop a gene analysis DNA computer.
I. Information Processing Engineering
II. Molecular Biology
This is called genome informatics as a whole.
To achieve this, the company formed a joint venture Novous Gene Inc. Which specializes in genome informatics, in February 2001? The principles for a DNA computer that works for gene analysis were provided by Tokyo University’s Toyama.
The computer Olympus Optical has developed is divided into two sections, a molecular calculation component and an electronic calculation component. He former calculates DNA combinations of molecules, implements chemical reactions, searches and pulls out the right DNA the latter executes processing programs and analyzes these results.
The company was started gene analysis using the DNA computer on a trial basis for a year, and form this year hopes to offer the service on a commercial basis for researchers.
• Example of an application-
For example, a DNA computer as a tiny liquid computer —- DNA in solution -- that could conceivably do such things as monitor the blood in vitro. If a chemical imbalance were detected, the DNA computer might synthesize the needed replacement and release it into the blood to restore equilibrium. It might also eliminate unwanted chemicals by disassembling them at the molecular level, or monitor DNA for anomalies. This type of science is referred to as nanoscience, or nanotechnology, and the DNA computer is essentially a nanocomputer.
• Conclusion-
The DNA computer is only in its early stages of development. Though rudimentary nanocomputer perform computations, human interaction is still required to separate the correct answer out by ridding the DNA computer solution of all false answers. This is accomplished through a series of chemical steps. However, experts are encouraged by the innate abilities of a DNA computer and see a bright future.
Thin Clients
Thin Clients
A thin client, sometimes also called a lean or slim client is a clients computer or client software in client server architecture networks which depends primarily on the central server for processing activities, and mainly focuses on conveying input and output between the user and the remote server. In contrast, a thick or fat clients does as much processing as possible and passes only data for communication and storage to the server.
Introduction :
The thin client is a PC with less of everything. In designing a computer system, there are decisions to be made about processing, storage, software and user interface. With the reality of reliable high-speed networking, it is possible to change the location of any of these with respect to the others. A gigabit/s network is faster than a PCI bus and many hard drives, so each function can be in a different location. Choices will be made depending on the total cost, cost of operation, reliability, performance and usability of the system. The thin client is closely connected to the user interface.
In a thin client/server system, the only software that is installed on the thin client is the user interface, certain frequently used applications, and a networked operating system. This software can be loaded from a local drive, the server at boot, or as needed. By simplifying the load on the thin client, it can be a very small, low-powered device giving lower costs to purchase and to operate per seat. The server, or a cluster of servers has the full weight of all the applications, services, and data. By keeping a few servers busy and many thin clients lightly loaded, users can expect easier system management and lower costs, as well as all the advantages of networked computing: central storage/backup and easier security
History :
What are now called thin clients were originally called "graphical terminals" when they first appeared, because they were a natural development of the text terminal that had gone before them. Text terminals are essentially a thin client for computers that use text for input and output with humans, but are generally not classified as such because they come from an earlier computing era. Today's thin clients must give the user the experience of running the graphical, high-computation programs that are in use today.
It is said that the term "thin client" started to be used instead of "graphical terminal" for the following reasons:
1) When thin clients started to come back into vogue,fat clients had long been the norm in most environments. Many IT workers and managers used to working with fat clients such as PCs and Macs would have been unfamiliar with the term "graphical terminal".
2) As a marketing term, it sounds short and snappy – and also, importantly, it made the technology sound innovative and technologically advanced, even though it was neither – X terminals had been acting as thin clients years before the term was widely used in the IT industry.
3) "Thin Client" also reflects the fact that most of these devices leave out much of the hardware found in typical PCs, such as hard drive, cooling fan and much of the RAM.
Definitions
A thin client is a network computer without a user writable long term storage device, which, in client/server applications, is designed to be especially small so that the bulk of the data processing occurs on the server. The embedded OS in a thin client is stored in a "flash drive", in a Disk on Module(DOM), or is downloaded over the network at boot-up. The embedded OS in a thin client usually uses some kind of write filter so that the OS and its configuration can only be changed by administrators.
Industrial thin client applications
Since 2006 there has been a growing interest in using Thin Client technology in hazardous areas, such as oil & gas exploration, military mobile use to monitor gen sets and mobile missile installations, and in industry in Zone 1 areas where hardened industrial computers can be prohibitively expensive. Thin Client hardware is easier to seal against environmental hazards and contamination, and can sometimes withstand a wider temperature and vibration level, due to simplified components and lack of moving parts, such as hard drives and cooling fans.
breaches, lesser weight and greater mobility, and lower incidence of OS failures. Some Thin Client solutions (such as ACP's ThinManager Ready Thin Clients) are tightly coupled with specialized management software that enhances the basic features offered by server operating systems.
Thin Client products enable easy-to-employ industry standard network creation and control at hazardous area zones for less cost and with less risk of failure than full computer systems. In fact, in the first quarter of 2007, mandates have been created by the US Armed Forces to look at Thin Client solutions in all field applications. The military is primarily interested in Thin Client technology in the field due to its improved cost control, more robust construction, less vulnerability to failure and security.
Advantages of thin clients
1) Lower IT administration costs. Thin clients are managed almost entirely at the server. The hardware has fewer points of failure and the client is simpler (and often lacks permanent storage), providing protection from malware.
2) Easier to secure. Thin clients can be designed so that no application data ever resides on the client (just whatever is displayed), centralizing malware protection and reducing the risks of physical data theft.
3) Enhanced data security. If a thin-client device suffer serious mishap or industrial accident, no data will be lost, as it resides on the terminal server and not the point-of-operation device.
4) Lower hardware costs. Thin client hardware is generally cheaper because it does not contain a disk, application memory, or a powerful processor. They also generally have a longer period before requiring an upgrade or becoming obsolete.
5) Less energy consumption. Dedicated thin client hardware has much lower energy consumption than typical thick client PCs. This not only reduces energy costs but may mean that in some cases air-conditioning systems are not required or need not be upgraded which can be a significant cost saving and contribute to achieving energy saving targets. However, more powerful servers and communications are required.
6) Easier hardware failure management. If a thin client fails, replacement can simply be swapped in while the client is repaired; the user is not inconvenienced because their data is not on the client
7) Operable in Hostile Environments. Most thin clients have no moving parts so can be used in dusty environments without the worry of PC fans clogging up and overheating and burning out the PC.
8)Lower noise. The aforementioned removal of fans reduces the noise produced by the unit. This can create a more pleasant and productive working environment.
9) Less wasted hardware. Computer hardware contains heavy metals and plastics and requires energy and resources to create. Thin clients can remain in service longer and ultimately produce less surplus computer hardware than an equivalent thick client installation because they can be made with no moving parts.
10) More efficient use of computing resources. A typical thick-client will be specified to cope with the maximum load the user needs, which can be inefficient at times when it is not used. In contrast, thin clients only use the exact amount of computing resources required by the current task – in a large network, there is a high probability the load from each user will fluctuate in a different cycle to that of another use.
Device for running a thin client application program
"Thin client" has also been used as a marketing term for computer appliances designed to run thin client software. The SMARTSTATION THIN CLIENT, NEC US110, IGEL Technology Universal Desktops, Wyse Winterms, Neoware's acquired by Hewlett-Packard HP Compaq t-series, Chip PC Jack PC and Xtreme PC Series, SaaS style Nexterm NEXterminal, Sabertooth TC , TC3ProjectACP's ThinManager Ready Thin Clients, X terminal, ClearCube, Koolu, LISCON TCs, ThinCan or web kiosk might be considered thin clients in this sense.
A thin client, sometimes also called a lean or slim client is a clients computer or client software in client server architecture networks which depends primarily on the central server for processing activities, and mainly focuses on conveying input and output between the user and the remote server. In contrast, a thick or fat clients does as much processing as possible and passes only data for communication and storage to the server.
Introduction :
The thin client is a PC with less of everything. In designing a computer system, there are decisions to be made about processing, storage, software and user interface. With the reality of reliable high-speed networking, it is possible to change the location of any of these with respect to the others. A gigabit/s network is faster than a PCI bus and many hard drives, so each function can be in a different location. Choices will be made depending on the total cost, cost of operation, reliability, performance and usability of the system. The thin client is closely connected to the user interface.
In a thin client/server system, the only software that is installed on the thin client is the user interface, certain frequently used applications, and a networked operating system. This software can be loaded from a local drive, the server at boot, or as needed. By simplifying the load on the thin client, it can be a very small, low-powered device giving lower costs to purchase and to operate per seat. The server, or a cluster of servers has the full weight of all the applications, services, and data. By keeping a few servers busy and many thin clients lightly loaded, users can expect easier system management and lower costs, as well as all the advantages of networked computing: central storage/backup and easier security
History :
What are now called thin clients were originally called "graphical terminals" when they first appeared, because they were a natural development of the text terminal that had gone before them. Text terminals are essentially a thin client for computers that use text for input and output with humans, but are generally not classified as such because they come from an earlier computing era. Today's thin clients must give the user the experience of running the graphical, high-computation programs that are in use today.
It is said that the term "thin client" started to be used instead of "graphical terminal" for the following reasons:
1) When thin clients started to come back into vogue,fat clients had long been the norm in most environments. Many IT workers and managers used to working with fat clients such as PCs and Macs would have been unfamiliar with the term "graphical terminal".
2) As a marketing term, it sounds short and snappy – and also, importantly, it made the technology sound innovative and technologically advanced, even though it was neither – X terminals had been acting as thin clients years before the term was widely used in the IT industry.
3) "Thin Client" also reflects the fact that most of these devices leave out much of the hardware found in typical PCs, such as hard drive, cooling fan and much of the RAM.
Definitions
A thin client is a network computer without a user writable long term storage device, which, in client/server applications, is designed to be especially small so that the bulk of the data processing occurs on the server. The embedded OS in a thin client is stored in a "flash drive", in a Disk on Module(DOM), or is downloaded over the network at boot-up. The embedded OS in a thin client usually uses some kind of write filter so that the OS and its configuration can only be changed by administrators.
Industrial thin client applications
Since 2006 there has been a growing interest in using Thin Client technology in hazardous areas, such as oil & gas exploration, military mobile use to monitor gen sets and mobile missile installations, and in industry in Zone 1 areas where hardened industrial computers can be prohibitively expensive. Thin Client hardware is easier to seal against environmental hazards and contamination, and can sometimes withstand a wider temperature and vibration level, due to simplified components and lack of moving parts, such as hard drives and cooling fans.
breaches, lesser weight and greater mobility, and lower incidence of OS failures. Some Thin Client solutions (such as ACP's ThinManager Ready Thin Clients) are tightly coupled with specialized management software that enhances the basic features offered by server operating systems.
Thin Client products enable easy-to-employ industry standard network creation and control at hazardous area zones for less cost and with less risk of failure than full computer systems. In fact, in the first quarter of 2007, mandates have been created by the US Armed Forces to look at Thin Client solutions in all field applications. The military is primarily interested in Thin Client technology in the field due to its improved cost control, more robust construction, less vulnerability to failure and security.
Advantages of thin clients
1) Lower IT administration costs. Thin clients are managed almost entirely at the server. The hardware has fewer points of failure and the client is simpler (and often lacks permanent storage), providing protection from malware.
2) Easier to secure. Thin clients can be designed so that no application data ever resides on the client (just whatever is displayed), centralizing malware protection and reducing the risks of physical data theft.
3) Enhanced data security. If a thin-client device suffer serious mishap or industrial accident, no data will be lost, as it resides on the terminal server and not the point-of-operation device.
4) Lower hardware costs. Thin client hardware is generally cheaper because it does not contain a disk, application memory, or a powerful processor. They also generally have a longer period before requiring an upgrade or becoming obsolete.
5) Less energy consumption. Dedicated thin client hardware has much lower energy consumption than typical thick client PCs. This not only reduces energy costs but may mean that in some cases air-conditioning systems are not required or need not be upgraded which can be a significant cost saving and contribute to achieving energy saving targets. However, more powerful servers and communications are required.
6) Easier hardware failure management. If a thin client fails, replacement can simply be swapped in while the client is repaired; the user is not inconvenienced because their data is not on the client
7) Operable in Hostile Environments. Most thin clients have no moving parts so can be used in dusty environments without the worry of PC fans clogging up and overheating and burning out the PC.
8)Lower noise. The aforementioned removal of fans reduces the noise produced by the unit. This can create a more pleasant and productive working environment.
9) Less wasted hardware. Computer hardware contains heavy metals and plastics and requires energy and resources to create. Thin clients can remain in service longer and ultimately produce less surplus computer hardware than an equivalent thick client installation because they can be made with no moving parts.
10) More efficient use of computing resources. A typical thick-client will be specified to cope with the maximum load the user needs, which can be inefficient at times when it is not used. In contrast, thin clients only use the exact amount of computing resources required by the current task – in a large network, there is a high probability the load from each user will fluctuate in a different cycle to that of another use.
Device for running a thin client application program
"Thin client" has also been used as a marketing term for computer appliances designed to run thin client software. The SMARTSTATION THIN CLIENT, NEC US110, IGEL Technology Universal Desktops, Wyse Winterms, Neoware's acquired by Hewlett-Packard HP Compaq t-series, Chip PC Jack PC and Xtreme PC Series, SaaS style Nexterm NEXterminal, Sabertooth TC , TC3ProjectACP's ThinManager Ready Thin Clients, X terminal, ClearCube, Koolu, LISCON TCs, ThinCan or web kiosk might be considered thin clients in this sense.
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