Goodbye, Wi-Fi! Li-Fi Just Got Tested And It's 100 Times Faster!

Goodbye, Wi-Fi! Li-Fi Just Got Tested And It's 100 Times Faster!

Things are going to get very interesting in the coming months. The way we access internet can completely change forever. Well, that's what scientists are telling us anyway. Remember this word - 'Li-Fi'; it's going to be used very often soon enough. What is it you ask? Li-Fi is a wireless technology that transmits high-speed (insanely high-speed) data using visible light communication, or VLC. So imagine switching on a bulb in your room, and it'll not only be a source of light, but will also transmit wireless internet to your phones and other devices. Madness, I tell you.   

Scientists claim that they are achieving speeds of up to 224 gigabytes per second in the lab using Li-Fi earlier this year. This would mean a revolution in the world of videos. Now, scientists have taken Li-Fi out of the lab for the first time, testing it in offices and industrial environments  in Tallinn, Estonia. They are claiming that they can achieve speeds of up to 1 Gb per second at a work environment. Just to put that into perspective, that is 100 times faster than the average Wi-Fi speeds that we currently have around the world. 

The technology uses Visible Light Communication (VLC), a medium that uses visible light between 400 and 800 terahertz (THz). It works basically like an incredibly advanced form of Morse code - just like switching a torch on and off according to a certain pattern can relay a secret message, flicking an LED on and off at extreme speeds can be used to write and transmit things in binary code. 

"We are doing a few pilot projects within different industries where we can utilise the VLC (visible light communication) technology," Deepak Solanki, CEO of Estonian tech company, Velmenni, told IBTimes UK. 

"Currently we have designed a smart lighting solution for an industrial environment where the data communication is done through light. We are also doing a pilot project with a private client where we are setting up a Li-Fi network to access the Internet in their office space.”

Invented by Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland back in 2011, Haas demonstrated how the flickering light from a single LED could transmit far more data than a cellular tower! 224 gigabytes per second! 18 movies of 1.5 GB each getting downloaded every second. Hmm, not bad eh?

There are more positives than just speed. Think about it, because light cannot pass through walls, you don't have to worry about your pesky neighbour trying to hack into your internet and stealing data. It's a lot more secure. Experts, however, don't feel that this will phase out Wi-Fi. Instead, the two technologies could be used together to achieve more efficient and secure networks.

"All we need to do is fit a small microchip to every potential illumination device and this would then combine two basic functionalities: illumination and wireless data transmission," Haas said. "In the future we will not only have 14 billion light bulbs, we may have 14 billion Li-Fis deployed worldwide for a cleaner, greener, and even brighter future." If this technology does pan out, and it comes to India, it would mean everyone who has an LED light bulb would have access to the internet. 

Source : http://www.indiatimes.com/

Aadhar enabled bio-metric attendance system – Early leaving is also to be treated as late coming…

"As per existing instructions, half a-day’s casual leave should be debited for each day of late attendance, but late attendance upto an hour, on not more than two occasions in a month"...

Govt introduces Aadhar enabled bio-metric attendance system

The Centre on Friday decided to phase-out manual attendance system and use an Aadhar enabled bio-metric attendance system (AEBAS) in all its offices.

“It has been decided to use an Aadhar enabled bio-metric attendance system in all offices of the central government, including attached and sub-ordinate offices, in India,” said an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

Aadhar is a 12 digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India on behalf of the central government.

The system will be installed in the offices located in New Delhi by this year end.

In other places this may be installed by January 26, 2015, it said.

The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) will provide technical guidance for installing the system, the order said.

The equipment will be procured by the ministries or departments as per specifications of DeitY on Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) rate contract from authorised vendors.

The expenditure will be met by the ministries or departments concerned. “The manual system of attendance may be phased out accordingly,” it said.

The bio-metric attendance system is only an enabling platform. There is no change in the instructions relating to office hours, late attendance etc. which will continue to apply, the order said.

As per existing instructions, half a-day’s casual leave should be debited for each day of late attendance, but late attendance upto an hour, on not more than two occasions in a month, and for justifiable reasons may be condoned by the competent authority.

“Disciplinary action may also be taken against government servants who are habitually late. Early leaving is also to be treated in the same manner as late coming,” the instructions said.

All central government ministries and departments have been asked by the DoPT to follow the orders which comes into force “with immediate effect”.

Source: DDI News

What is a megapixel?

Digital cameras capture images as pixel elements, known as pixels. Simply put, a megapixel is equal to one million pixels.

Digital images are made up of thousands of these tiny, tile-like picture elements. The more pixels, the higher the image resolution.

Resolution relates primarily to print size and the amount of detail an image has when viewed on a computer monitor at 100%.

Elements of picture quality

The number of megapixels is only one aspect relating to the quality of a camera, or the actual quality of a photo it is capable of producing. Factors such as camera sensor and processor, and the optical quality of a lens, play equally important roles.

Other elements determine the quality of photos and prints. They include:

§  Good lighting of a subject

§  Proper focus and exposure

§  Image clarity (lack of blur due to camera shake or incorrect shutter speed)

§  Shooting at the highest resolution and quality camera settings

Photo was taken with a 1.4 megapixel camera. The resolution is suitable for a 4x6" print. Click to enlarge.

Photo was taken with a 1.4 megapixel camera.
 The resolution is suitable for a 4x6" print. Click to enlarge.

If you buy a digital camera with too few megapixels for your printing and editing needs, resulting prints will become degraded.  A photo made into a large sized print from a camera with a low megapixel count will look fuzzy, or pixelated. So will a digital image that is cropped too much.

Viewing images at 100%

A mistake many people make it judging the quality of an image when viewing it at 100% on a computer monitor. The image rarely appears tack sharp. However, when reduced in size for displaying online or printing, a quality image more often than not looks just fine.

Determining the number of megapixels

Deciding the number of megapixels you need does not have to be confusing. Don’t let a salesperson push you to buy a digital camera simply because it has a high megapixel count.

Before purchasing, keep the following in mind:

§  the maximum print size you plan to make

§  if you do a significant amount of cropping when editing or cropping in-camera

Minimum megapixels for quality prints:**

Printed at 300 dpi

Max Print Size	Minimum MP	Resolution
4 x 6″	2 megapixels	1600 x 1200
5 x 7″	3 megapixels	2048 x 1536
8 x1 0″	5 megapixels	2560 x 1920
11 x 14″	6 megapixels	2816 x 2112
16 x 20″	8 megapixels	3264 x 2468
16 x 24″	12 megapixels	4200×2800

** Unless you buy a used digital camera, it’s near impossible to find one today with a megapixel count of under 10 megapixels.

 Source : http://www.digicamhelp.com/

IT Modernisation Project Update # 10 - June 2014

Touch Ring Mouse with all mouse functions with ease

ThumbTrack is an ergonomic touch ring-mouse controlled by the tip of your thumb. Perform all mouse functions with ease, eliminating the risk of pain or injury to your hand and wrist.

Relax while you work

Work should not be stressful. 

ThumbTrack enables you to choose the most comfortable body posture while working on your computer, allowing the muscles of your hand, arm and shoulder to relax. 

Be free of pain and injury.

Technology is supposed to make life easier, not injure you or cause you pain. 

Long-term use of a traditional mouse can cause compression of a nerve in the wrist and elbow which induces a tingling or even painful sensation near the fingers and other areas of the hand and wrist. 

Free yourself from the pain and discomfort of repetitive strain injuries in the hand, wrist and arm with ThumbTrack. 

Maximize Productivity.

Time is precious. 

Maximize productivity by reducing fatigue and discomfort while eliminating time spent toggling between keyboard and mouse with ThumbTrack™.

Easy operation

ThumbTrack does everything a traditional mouse does (except cause you pain). 

Switch On - Press the center button/tracking area for 3 seconds

Navigate - Gently slide your thumb over the main tracking area

Select - 2 touch sensitive buttons and 1 additional button

Scroll - Capacitive Touch-Scrolling for vertical navigation

Switch Off - Press the center button/tracking area for 3 seconds

In the box

1 x ThumbTrack™

1 x USB Dongle Wireless Receiver

1 x USB-to-ThumbTrack™ Charging Cable

2 x self-adhesive liners / padding for re-sizing

1 x User Guide

Thanks And Source: https://www.indiegogo.com

A USB drive for faster transfer of mobile files

People using Android devices know it's not easy to move files from their phone or tablet to a PC. Now, a special USB drive will make the task simpler. 

At present, you need an internet connection throughout to move files from Android to PC, a task that involves e-mailing the file or uploading it to a cloud storage site like Dropbox or Google Drive. 

Next you open the e-mail and download the attachment, or get the file from the cloud server. And finally you open the file on your computer. 

Now this task can be achieved even without a internet connection. Thanks to Leef's Bridge 3.0 flash drive, which provides a flexible, if not smooth, alternative. The drive comes with both full-sized and micro USB connectors. 

Housed in a black plastic slide-and-lock tray, each connector is exposed by pressing on a centre button and pushing forward or backward, reported Wired.com. 

Plug it in and you can stream or copy content to and from your Android phone, tablet, PC, or Mac. It's easy. 

The drive itself is designed for Android devices with Jelly Bean 4.1 or higher, Mac OS X or later, Windows XP (SP3) and later, as well as Linux Kernal 2.6 or later computers. 

But it does have its own set of problems. 

The Leef Bridge is supposedly compatible with some 40 Android phones and 16 tablets. Some of these devices can read and write data from Leef drives with their Android operating system, but most require the assistance of third-party file management apps available in the Google Play store. 

Since there is no intuitive design, it may take you some effort to figure out how to find the files you want to transfer, and once found, how to actually move them from one device to the other. 

So while the Leef Bridge 3.0 itself works well, users still need to overcome the clumsiness of the file manager apps the drive typically needs to operate.

Transforming the Department of Posts into a Technology Driven Department

K. K. Pant*

A massive transformation of the Department of Posts is being undertaken by the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology which will metamorphose the Department - now better known to the nation as India Post - into a technology driven Department. For this the Government has approved an IT Modernization Project with a total outlay of Rs 4,909 crore. The unique Project involves networking of all the 1,55,000 post offices spread across the country rolling out Core Banking Solution for Post Office Saving Bank, McCamish Insurance Solution for Postal Life Insurance and will enable track and trace of all accountable mails in the country. The IT Modernization Project commenced in 2012 and is expected to be operational by 2015. It covers eight segments which are under various stages of implementation and operationalization. A dedicated Data Centre is already in place.

This Project is unparalleled in terms of its scale and underlines the commitment of the Department of Posts to provide better services to the customers, and ensure higher employee satisfaction. The project is intended to build a wider reach to Indian populace through more customer interaction channels.

The Core Banking Solutions (CBS) in All Departmental Post Offices

The Department of Posts is also implementing the Core Banking Solutions (CBS) in all Departmental Post Offices during the current Five Year Plan. The Project introduces the facilities of ATM banking, mobile banking, phone banking, National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) to the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) customers.  It will enable the Post Office Saving Bank customers to undertake anytime anywhere banking through a network of ATMs.  CBS has been rolled out in 38 pilot Post Offices and is expected to be rolled out in all departmental Post Offices by 2015. The Project will IT enable the Branch Post Offices with a bio-metric hand held device, which isAadhaar enabled, printer and solar power to charge battery.

Initiatives to Improve the Quality of Mail Related Services Across The Country

The Department of Posts has also taken initiatives to improve the quality of mail related services across the country. As part of the Mail Network Optimization Project (MNOP), the operational network for the delivery of mails has been restructured and the processes redesigned. An online monitoring system has been developed for a more effective monitoring of Speed Post Registered Post. An online track and trace system is also in place for registered articles on a pattern similar to the tracking of Speed Post articles. Automated Mail Processing Centers (AMPCs) have been set up at Delhi and Kolkata to further expedite the mail sorting activities. A Global Positioning System (GPS) system has been installed in mail vehicles in the North East Region for a better monitoring of the movement of mail carriages.

Providing Computers and Peripherals to All Departmental Post Offices

The Department of Posts has also provided computers and peripherals to all 25,145 departmental Post Offices in the country to enhance their efficiency. Remotely Managed Franking Machines (RMFMs) are also being supplied to the post offices in a phased manner.  These machines have a number of security features, like generation of 2D barcodes to assist traceable evidence of postage. These machines will improve the efficiency of the post offices by faster franking of articles and also help in having a ready data base of customers in an electronic form.

‘Project Arrow’

Department of Posts has also launched a Quality Improvement Project called ‘Project Arrow’ in April 2008, which entails a comprehensive improvement of the Core Operations of Post Offices as well as the ambience (Look and Feel) in which postal transaction are undertaken.

The Department of Posts has evolved a Sevottam complaint Citizen’s Charter laying down the service delivery norms of various postal products and services.  A monitoring mechanism to ensure the quality of services and prompt redressal of public grievances is in place at all levels. It is also operating the Central Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) to handle complaints.

New services like e-IPO, e-Post, Express Parcel Post, Business Parcel Post have been introduced which not only open new revenue streams but also lead to widen the reach of the post offices and provide the customer with value added services.

Market Share on the Rise

The market share of the value added services of the Department of Post vis-à-vis private couriers has increased in last two year which are:

Sl. No.	Name of Products / Services	Market Share
		2011	2012
1	Speed Post	15.1% to 18.3%	16.7% to 19.8%
2	Express Parcel Post	4% to 6%	5% to 7%

Increasing Revenue Generation

The efficacy of the steps taken by the Government is also reflected in the fact that the Revenue generation of Postal Services is increasing every year, and the targets for each coming year are raised by the Government. The revenue generated and expenditure incurred by the Postal Department, during the last three years and the current year year-wise, are:

                                                                                                                   

                                                             (Rs. in crore)

Year	Revenue
2010-11	6,962.3
2011-12	7,899.4
2012-13	9,366.5
2013-14 (up to Dec' 2013)	7,733.2

To further increase the revenue the Department has taken following steps:

·         Beside the IT Modernization project, a series of initiatives have been taken under Mail Network Optimization Project in order to improve the quality of mail services.

·         Launching special drives for covering more persons under the small saving network, especially in rural areas. Similar drives are also launched to popularize Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) so that life cover / savings is encouraged among the rural population.

·         Financial Performance of each postal circle related to revenue and expenditure are reviewed on regular basis.

·         Rationalization of postal products to improve service delivery in the light of market demand.

(PIB Features.)

******

*Deputy Director (M&C), PIB, New Delhi.

With inputs from the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications & IT.

Google working on offering 10 gigabits per second Internet speed

Currently, Google Fiber service offers data speeds of 1 gigabit per second, and the search giant is working on technology to provide faster data transfer speeds.

Google is reportedly working on offering data transfer speeds of 10 gigabits per second as part of its project to develop ‘next generation’ of the Internet.

Currently, Google Fiber service offers data speeds of 1 gigabit per second, and the search giant is working on technology to provide faster data transfer speeds.

Google’s Chief Financial Officer, Patrick Pichette, said that the project was part of the search giant’s broader, long-term obsession with speed, USA Todayreports.

According to the report, faster speeds would increase the use of software as a service because users would be able to trust that critical applications that are data intensive would run smoothly over the Internet.

Mr. Pichette said that Google is trying to make the technology available in three years.

The report said that Google is not the only one working on this technology as last year, researchers in the UK announced that they achieved data transmission speeds of 10 gigabits per second using “li-fi“ — a wireless Internet connectivity technology that uses light.

Source : The Hindu