This whitepaper was presented at the NCICT Seminar in 2006.

Download Whitepaper

They discovered the phenomenon of “giant magnetoresistance”, in which weak magnetic changes give rise to big differences in electrical resistance.

The knowledge has allowed industry to develop sensitive reading tools to pull data off hard drives in computers, iPods and other digital devices.

It has made it possible to radically miniaturise hard disks in recent years.

Matin Durrani, editor of Physics World, a journal published by the UK’s Institute of Physics, said the award had gone to “something very practically based and rooted in research relevant to industry”.

“It shows that physics has a real relevance not just to understanding natural phenomena but to real products in everyday life,” he added.

Professor Ben Murdin of the University of Surrey, UK, said giant magnetoresistance, or GMR, was the science behind a ubiquitous technological device. “Without it you would not be able to store more than one song on your iPod!”

Nanotech advances

GMR involves structures consisting of very thin layers of different magnetic materials.

For this reason it can also be considered “one of the first real applications of the promising field of nanotechnology”, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in a statement.

“Applications of this phenomenon have revolutionised techniques for retrieving data from hard disks,” the prize citation said. “The discovery also plays a major role in various magnetic sensors as well as for the development of a new generation of electronics.”

A hard disk stores information, such as music, in the form of microscopic areas that are magnetised in different directions.

The information is retrieved by a read-out head that scans the disk and registers the magnetic changes.

The technology has allowed hard disk sensors to read and write much more data, allowing for bigger memory, cheaper and more reliable computers

Prof Jim Al-Khalili, University of Surrey

The smaller and more compact the hard disk, the smaller and weaker the individual magnetic areas.

More sensitive read-out heads are therefore needed when more information is crammed on to a hard disk.

“It’s no good having computer hard drives that can store gigabytes of information if we can’t access it,” said Professor Jim Al-Khalili of the University of Surrey, UK.

“The technology that has appeared thanks to the discovery of GMR in the late 1980s has allowed hard disk sensors to read and write much more data, allowing for bigger memory, cheaper and more reliable computers.”

Last year, US scientists John C Mather and George F Smoot won for their work examining the infancy of the Universe.

They were honoured for their studies into cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB), the “oldest light” in the Universe.

Here’s how you do it

1. You need the Apple iPod Software. You can get it from the Apple website. Install it.
2. You need the iPod Wizard to make changes in the firmware of your iPod i.e., changing the graphics manually. You can get it here. Unzip the file after downloading and start iPod Wizard.
   
3. After opening the iPod Wizard click on ‘Open Updater’ and select the Apple Update Application you downloaded in step 1. It is also shown in the photo below:
   
4. Once open, select the firmware.For e.g., IDR_FIRMWARE 5.4.0, which is the do not disconnect logo. Load the bitmap that you want and Save Bitmap.
5. In the same way you can load other bitmaps or fonts, change it and load it.
6. In the end, select Write. And close the updater after you have made all necessary changes.
7. Write will edit the firmware on your PC. So now open iPod Updater and update your iPod.
8. This will search for the firmware that you have edited and will copy it to your iPod.
9. Next you need to Restore your iPod. Once that is done you have successfully pimped your iPod and it is now ready to make you look much cooler and your iPod jazzy.

Very Important

1. In the process,all the data will be erased when you restore your iPod, so you better keep a back-up of the data.
2. Doing this,you will be void of the warranty. But it is worth giving it your own brand.
3. Use good judgement and play nice while personalizing your iPod.
4. We will not be held responsible for any shortcoming.

We have 2 methods to eliminate scratches:

1. Toothpaste Method
2. Banana and Banana Peel Method

Toothpaste method:

Apply toothpaste on the data side of the CD/DVD from the center to the border and back in (not sideways and spirally). Leave it for 5 minutes. Then, place the CD/DVD in running water to wash off the toothpaste. Now, gently wipe the CD with a soft cloth and remove the toothpaste residue.

Notes:

• Do not use toothpastes with gel (gel toothpastes)
• Do not use toothpastes with color
• Do not use toothpastes with additives. These do not help at all.

Banana and Banana Peel Method:

Take a freshly cut banana and apply it on the data side of the CD/DVD. Next take the banana peel and wipe the disc down. The wax in the peel cleans it further. Clean the disc with a soft cloth. This has to be done for a few minutes. Next, take a glass cleaner and spray in on the disc and wipe it down with a cloth so that the banana residue is cleaned off.Y ou have done it, you have saved your CD/DVD! The cheapest and a practical way to eliminate scratches from your disc.

For video instructions, head over to:

Toothpaste method: Showmehowtodothis

Banana and Banana Peel method: Metacafe

Finals results:

Abhinav J, Pranav and Karan - First place
Abhinav D, Sheena and Parth - Runners up

Congratulations to all the winners.

–

Elim results: (In no particular order)

1. Abhinav J, Pranav and Karan (B-Tech CS)
2. Abhinav D, Sheena and Parth (B-Tech EXTC)
3. Jai, Anubhav and Shikhar (MBA-Tech Telecom)
4. Karthik, Siddharth and Raghuram (MBA)

Finals will be held at 4pm on Saturday at MPSTME.

Rules and Regulations:

The time frame:

1. Opening Statement: 5 minutes each team
2. Break for culminating points for refutal: 2 minutes
3. Refutal (one person per team): 10 minutes (total)
4. Break for culminating the points for closing statement: 1 minute
5. Closing statement: 2 minutes each team

Basic rules:

One person makes the opening statement from each team (for and against the motion), followed by the dual of refuters (one from each team). This will be followed up by the closing statement from each team.

Each person in the team will have to speak once and each person gets to speak only once.

Team discipline, collaborative efforts, respect for the oponents, clarit of thought and speech, validity of points will be some of the judging citeria.

Use of obscence words and gestures is strictly prohibited. Any team indulging in such act shall be disqualified immediately.

Participants can make use of pens, pencils and papers only. Any other aid being used by the teams should be approved by the concerned authorities.

The teams:

1. Jai Awatramani & team (for the motion) Vs. Abhinav Dayal & team (against the motion)
   Topic: Does India need a Hitler today?
   
2. Siddharth & team (for the motion) Vs. Abhinav Johri & team (against the motion
   Topic: More IITs and IIMs. Do they serve the purpose?

The winning team from each of the semi finals shall proceed to the finals.

The topic for the finals:

“The Percentile based GPA evaluation system: The best grading system”

Winners from semi-final 1 shall be speaking for the motion while the winners of the 2nd semi-final shall be against the motion.

No extra time will be given for preparation for the finals. The teams are expected to come prepared for both the topics. Be prepared for a twist.

Good luck to all the finalists!

–

The Student Branch of IEEE at NMIMS is hosting its very first debate competition. The details of the same are as follows:

1. Teams should be of 3 Members.
2. Topics may be technical, current issues or general.
3. Last Date of Registration is 30th August by 10.00am
4. Elims will be held on 30th August
5. Topics for the Elims shall be given on 30th August at 10:00 am
6. Finals shall be held on 1st September at MPSTME 4:15pm onwards
7. Results of the Elims shall be declared on 31st August 12:00pm and Topics for the finals shall be given at the same time.
8. Cash Prizes worth Rs 1500 to be won.
9. Registration Fees are as follows:
NMIMS IEEE Student Branch Members Free entry.
Non IEEE Members @ Rs. 30 per team.

For any further clarification contact:
Saranya Bhaskaran - 9819044946
Gautam Bhaya - 9892620083

or mail us: web@nmimsieee.com

The workshop will cover the following topics:
1. Introduction to the world of robotics and various robotic competitions.
2. Making of wired robotic car.
3. Integrating wireless technology, making a remote controlled car.
4. Parallel port programming.
5. Information session on its application in the near future.

Registration Charges:
For NMIMS IEEE Members - Rs 2400 per team (Max. 5 Students per team)
For Non IEEE Members - Rs 2800 per team (Max. 5 Students per team)

Registrations are now open and will remain open till August 17th.

Registrations are now closed. We would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming response.

For further details contact:
Harsh Chamaria - 9867221484
Devansh Patel - 9833134155

LINA provides a major technological breakthrough in computer platform portability. With the advanced technology of LINA, Open Source Linux applications can be run simply and robustly on all flavor of Linux, as well as on UNIX, Windows, and Mac OS X platforms.

The challenge

Today, tens of thousands of Open Source applications written for Linux are available free of charge. Unfortunately, Windows and Mac users cannot run these applications on their operating systems. Furthermore, due to the multiple versions of Linux currently available, even users on the Linux platform have difficulty benefiting from existing Open Source applications. The challenge that Open Source faces is how to bring its enormous base of applications to the ninety-five percent of users who cannot use it today. LINA meets this challenge head on.

LINA provides solutions for users and developers

LINA allows users to run Open Source Linux applications on Windows and Mac operating systems. With LINA, users don’t sacrifice the familiar look and feel of their operating systems since each LINA application will run exactly as expected, with native look and feel, regardless of the underlying operating system.

When companies develop their key applications to run on LINA, operating system can be upgraded with minimal business interruption. Businesses with a variety of operating systems on their network can also now run the same applications on all machines. LINA decreases
operating system dependency by offering fully portable applications. At the same time, LINA expands the deployment of applications by enabling them to run on any operating system.

LINA in a nutshell

Native look and feel

With LINA, Open Source applications developed and compiled in a Linux environment can be run on Windows, Mac OS X, and UNIX operating systems, as well as any flavor of Linux. On the LINA platform, Linux applications adopt the appearance and interface characteristics of applications written for the underlying operating system, providing users the native look and feel of their familiar operating systems.

Fully portable

LINA runs invisibly wherever installed, offering a fully integrated solutionfor development and deployment of cross-platform executables.

Secure and stable

Once installed, LINA creates a secure and stable execution platform for LINA applications. Each application runs in a separate instance of LINA which is terminated upon completion of the application. The termination of the instance effectively insulates the underlying operating system from unplanned interference from the application, and protects the
user’s other programs and data from unexpected modification or operation.

From the application’s perspective, since each instance of LINA is identical, programs written for LINA are guaranteed to run regardless of changes made to the underlying operating system.

LINA and other cross-platform solutions

LINA makes it simple to harness the power of Open Source Linux by combining the best aspects of all previous solutions. LINA is thin and fast, using minimal system resources. Applications running on LINA are completely integrated with the user’s operating system, incorporating the look and feel of applications written for that operating system. LINA
is secure — these applications only interact with the core of the main operating system to the extent that the user allows them to. Perhaps most importantly, LINA runs code written for an existing, robust, well documented operating system — Linux.

LINA: Operating system independence

With LINA, users have easy, straightforward access to Open Source Linux applications without changing any aspect of their existing operating system. With no sacrifice of their existing software, the user experience of LINA is “All Gain, No Pain.” LINA applications are simple to install and guaranteed to run. Complex packages can be easily installed with no configuring, no compiling, and no chance of missing dependencies.

Linux executables, written and compiled for LINA, work on all machines without the need to recompile. Because they adopt the native look and feel of the host operating system, they function exactly as the user expects, and are fully integrated into the desktop.

For businesses, all machines on a corporate network comprised of diverse desktops and servers can now run the same software. And LINA protects enterprise software, since applications written for LINA continue to work regardless of changes made to the underlying operating system. Further, with LINA the decision to upgrade or migrate to a new operating system no longer causes incompatibility issues that have historically kept businesses locked in. Because applications written for LINA are distributed as fully compiled executables with all dependencies included, complex solutions that currently require detailed configuration efforts are instantly usable upon installation.

LINA running an Image Application on Linux, Mac OS X and Windows

LINA unleashes the reusability of Open Source code. Businesses and individuals can now reap the benefits that results from the global collaboration of the Open Source community.

LINA: For Users

LINA brings Open Source applications to everyone

LINA brings Open Source applications to all users. Portable LINA applications enable users at home and in the enterprise to use Open Source applications on their existing operating systems. The vast majority who currently use Windows and Mac OS X can fully benefit from the tens of thousands of available Open Source applications, thus becoming less dependent on proprietary software. LINA allows all users to choose Open Source software.

LINA encourages Linux migration

Applications written for LINA are distributed as Linux executables guaranteed to run on all machines, Linux and otherwise. LINA minimizes migration risks such as increased support costs and productivity losses because users can transition one application at a time. With LINA, users can take advantage of the low cost, high reliability, and robust security of Open Source, allowing them to gradually move to Linux, if they choose.

LINA software runs on ALL your operating systems

With LINA, Linux applications can easily run on corporate desktops as well as on servers. With fully portable enterprise software, systems administrators can turn their attention elsewhere.

LINA: For Developers

Bringing Open Source to all the users in the world

Developing to the LINA platform allows software developers to experience the benefits of developing Open Source applications while still reaching the huge user base associated with Windows and Mac OS X. With LINA, developers and independent software vendors writing for Windows, Mac OS X, and other platforms have the option to build on existing Open Source software to bring their products to market faster and more reliably. With LINA they have access to the global collaboration of the Open Source community and can benefit from the contributions of developers everywhere.

Develop it for Linux, run it everywhere

The LINA development platform is the Linux development platform– well-established, stable, and with plenty of support for new developers. The developer writing a LINA application creates easy-to-install executables packaged with all dependencies, guaranteed not to interfere with anything else installed on the user’s machine.

With LINA, developers bring Open Source everywhere.

For more information, screenshots and videos of LINA, head over to OpenLINA

Beryl is a combined window manager and compositing manager written in C that runs on top of Xgl or AIGLX using OpenGL to provide effects accelerated by a 3D graphics card on the desktop. Beryl is a fork of the Compiz project, started by David Reveman of Novell.

It is designed to be highly flexible, extensible, and portable, all the while keeping in mind that the users know how they want their desktops to act better than the developers do. With Beryl the rather esoteric concept of the computer desktop is brought down to a more human level, allowing for a more native and intuitive understanding of the user’s workspace.

With an extensive feature list and modest system requirements, Beryl is poised to give Microsoft Windows’ Aero technology a run for it’s money.

Some of its features include:

Scale Effect

OS X Expose Like Effect
Beryl allows users to activate the scale effect to find and switch between windows easily. Switching between windows using the scale effect is as easy as clicking on the thumbnail you want and Beryl will automatically pull up the selected window.

Live Window Previews
As is the staple of all Beryl Effects, the windows show in the Scale effect are live previews. Movies continue to play, websites update. By right clicking on any given window, it will be zoomed back to full size for closer inspection.

Drag and Drop Support
Dragging and dropping documents from folder to folder has never been easier. Overlapping windows are no longer an issue, just grab the document you wish to drag and drop, initiate scale with your mouse, and hover over the window you wish to drop it on. Easy…

Enhanced Switcher

Improved Visual Identification
The new switcher replaces the old boring icon based switcher. Now providing the user with live previews of their windows. Switching between many windows of the same app with Alt+Tab no longer requires reading the sometimes ambiguous window name.

Better Selectiong Control
By pressing Alt+Tab you can easily browse through windows on your current viewport. Or if you wish to browse through all windows on all desktops, pressing Ctrl+Alt+Tab will allow you to do so.

See Only What You Want
If you wish, the new switcher can be configured to dim all windows but the active one making your entire desktop your switcher. If you switch to a window not on your current viewport, the cube will rotate to show you.

Desktop Cube

Visualize Your Workspace
The human mind thinks very well in 3 dimensions, so why limit yourself to only two? Beryl can display your viewports as a cube, making it easier to organize your desktop. For the diehards though, the cube is unobtrusive as possible for these users.

See Through The Clutter
Optionally the cube may be turned transparent to allow a user to see whats on the other side of the cube at all times. This feature is working but is planned to be in a future release.

See Even More
For some the cube doesn’t present enough information, only really showing the user one workspace at a time. In these situations it can be unfolded to show several viewports at once in a film strip style view by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Page Down.

Window Effects

Transparency, Brightness, and Saturation
The transparency, brightness, and saturation of a window can easily be changed simply by right clicking on its title bar and setting it in the menu. It can also be set via mouse bindings.

Gnome Terminal True Transparency
With Beryl providing a proper composited environment, Gnome Terminal can now use true transparency. That means you can see the windows below it instead of a copy of the wallpaper below it.

Negative Windows
Like the negative of a film camera, the color values of windows can be inverted. This simple inversion makes it much easier to read text in many situations and is often quite easier on the eyes. Neg is as simple as Super+n.

Blur Effects

Eliminate the Clutter
One of the longstanding issues of transparent terminals been that reading the text over whatever was behind it became very difficult. Beryl allows users to blur what is behind their windows effectively removing hard lines that making reading difficult.

Read Your Titlebar
Blur can also be used to blur what is behind your titlebar if your decorations are transparent. In fact, it can blur behind just about any transparent window, even those using a non-standard shape such as Cairo-Clock.

Take It Easy GPU
Blur strives to be easier on the GPU by taking advantage of caching techniques and having many different shaders of variable strength to allow lower end cards to work more smoothly. Blur can even be used on cards without pixel shaders.

For more information on Beryl, head over to Beryl Project.

Think you can be the next Bill Gates? or the new age whiz-kid who could start off the next big business revolution? If you have the plan, we give YOU the platform (and also the moolah).

This is not just another business plan competition with a few thousand rupees of prize money but a once in a lifetime opportunity to live your dream of becoming the next big and successful young turk. This is your chance to prove your mantra to success.

The Game

Submit a detailed Technical project/Business plan with a proper feasibility report projecting how you plan to go about implementing your idea and turn it into a successful venture.

Rules of the Game

The Technical project/Business plan can be submitted on an individual basis or as a group (not consisting more than 5 members)

The Technical project/Business plan should be a practically implementable concept and not just large figures presenting a rosy picture. Practicality and feasibility will be the main judging criteria.

An individual/ team can submit any number of Technical project/Business plan entries as long as they are all distinct. Groups can differ for differing entries.

Entry Fee will be Rs. 50/- per entry. Rs. 100/- for non-IEEE members. (to keep away people who intend to take it as some casual affair)

More innovative the idea, more the chances of winning

Of all the entries received, a select few will be short listed and called for a detailed presentation and discussion with a panel comprising of industry stalwarts. (We mean serious business guys)

The last day of submitting the Technical project/Business plan is 5th July, 2007. (Make the best of your time)Guidance can be sought from faculty members and other industry experts.

Last day for registrations: May 12, 2007.

For registrations, any further queries or details regarding the Live project competition, here are the contact details:

e-mail: treasurer@nmimsieee.com
elixir.vk@gmail.com

mobile: +91-9833834034

In our quest to find the perfect scheduling application, we stumbled upon Scrybe. Watching the gorgeous promo video was a treat and all of us here at Technology Administration Cell could barely wait to get our hands on this little application.And finally after a couple of weeks of waiting and praying, an invitation to join finally came in.

As a calendar, Scrybe has two big things going for it. First, the interface is almost as fluid and intuitive as it looked in the demo. As you navigate from months to weeks to days, calendar boxes zoom in and out beautifully, and days scroll by as you go forward and back. It’s like using a Macintosh: these UI cues make it much easier for your brain to follow what your hands are doing with your mouse. Adding and modifying appointments is easy and intuitive. There are no awkward page loads or jarring pop-ups as there are in lesser online calendars. Everything works just as it would in a real app.

The other huge benefit: Scrybe works offline. I’ll say that again: It’s a Web application, but when you’re not online, it still works. You can view your calendar, add things, move items around, print and so on. This shouldn’t be a big deal, but it is, since other online applications don’t work at all when they’re not connected. When Scrybe goes online, it synchronizes the data from your local machine to the Web.

Scrybe does all this magic by using Flash, but Scrybe doesn’t feel like a Flash application. The right mouse button does context-sensitive things, and the application responds quickly. However, the Scrybe window does not scale to your browser’s window, and the back button doesn’t work at all.

One other great feature in Scrybe: It prints useful calendars. Two of its formats fold up (there are instructional icons printed on the pages) to nice little pocketable booklets. My only beef with the printing function is that it’s accessed from a right mouse click and bizzarely called, “PaperSync.”

In this first beta, Scrybe doesn’t have enough of its features built out yet to make it a useful calendar (there’s no sharing or inviting, for instance). The Web clipping function in the video demo isn’t in yet. But more importantly, I’m not convinced that Scrybe’s great user interface will be enough to win over users already accustomed to the full feature sets in Outlook, Google Calendar, or in upstarts like 30 Boxes. Scrybe is solving the calendar problem in a neat new way, but some of the old ways aren’t all that bad. The offline function is awesome, though, and might make the difference for users who spend enough time offline to get frustrated with online applications.