APPLE iPOD
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Saturday, January 5, 2008
XML security
XML security
The subject of XML security is quite over-hyped. The whole idea of XML security can be simply described as applying common-sense security technology to a specific format, known as XML. XML security is classically described as a combination of XML Encryption and XML Digital Signature. We shall review these concepts in this article.
XML Encryption
The most interesting part about XML encryption is that we can encrypt an entire document, or its selected portions. This is very difficult to achieve in the non-XML world. We can encrypt one or all of the following portions of an XML document:
* The entire XML document
* An element and all its sub-elements
* The content portion of an XML document
* A reference to a resource outside of an XML document
The steps involved in XML encryption are quite simple, and are as follows:
1. Select the XML to be encrypted (one of the items listed earlier, i.e. all or part of an XML document).
2. Convert the data to be encrypted in a canonical form (optional).
3. Encrypt the result using public key encryption.
4. Send the encrypted XML document to the intended recipient.
The following a sample XML document, containing the details of a credit card of a user
We shall not describe the various details of this XML document, and would simply remark that it contains the credit card details, such as the user’s name, credit limit, currency, card number, issuer name and expiry details. Let us assume that we want to encrypt this. When we perform XML encryption, a standard tag called as EncryptedData comes into picture. As we have mentioned before, we can choose to encrypt selected portions of the XML document, or we can encrypt it as a whole. For illustration purposes, we shall see what happens when we encrypt only the actual credit card details (such as its number, issuer and expiry details). The result is shown in the figure below. We can see that the encrypted text is embedded inside the tag CipherData. This is another standard tag in XML encryption.
As we can see, the credit card details are now encrypted, and therefore, cannot be read/changed. The fact that we have encrypted the contents of the XML document is signified by using the xmlenc#Content value. If we had encrypted the full CreditCard element, this would have been changed to xmlenc#Element.
XML Digital Signature
As we can see, a digital signature is calculated over the complete message. It cannot be calculated only for specific portions of a message. The simple reason for this is that the first step in a digital signature creation is the calculation of the message digest over the whole message. Many practical situations demand that users be able to sign only specific portions of a message. For instance, in a purchase request, the purchase manager may want to authorize only the quantity portion, whereas the accounting manager may want to sign only the rate portion. In such cases, XML digital signatures can be used. This technology treats a message or a document as consisting of many elements, and provide for the signing of one or more such elements. This makes the signature process flexible and more practical in nature.
Eclipse vs NetBeans
Eclipse vs NetBeans
Eclipse vs NetBeans ...On which side are you on? Let us know which IDE you think is better and why.
Think of Java IDEs and two names that will come up are Eclipse and NetBeans. I have been using NetBeans for many years now and Eclipse has been a more recent addition to my Java armory. I have enjoyed working with both tools and as such don't have a clear favorite. I prefer NetBeans a little more than Eclipse as I have been using it longer and am more comfortable with it.
The thing I am most surprised about is how rapidly Eclipse has grown and how it has well and truly eclipsed NetBeans over the past year or so.
In the article: Migrating to Eclipse: A developer's guide to evaluating Eclipse vs. Netbeans, the author shows the differences between the two IDEs.
Just Eclipse or Eclipse in its WSAD avatar or MyEclipseIDE avatar is definitely good but hey..is it so good that nobody wants to be talk of NetBeans these days??? I haven't as yet tried out the new NetBeans 4 Beta 2 but I do hope it is very good. So that the competition between Eclipse and NetBeans stays fierce and there is no clear winner.
The end user gets two very good IDEs.
Apache Axis2 Offers Next Generation Web Services
Apache Axis2 Offers Next Generation Web Services
Axis2 is the next generation of the Apache Web service stack, that's built on a new flexible and configurable architecture. Axis2 has introduced a J2EE-like easily configurable deployment model, where the developer can bundle files into an archive file, and just drop it into a specified location in the file system. Axis2 uses AXIs Object Model (AXIOM), an XML object model meant to achieve a boost in performance. All this makes Axis2 our java developer software pick for the week
The Axis2 site says "One of the key motivations for Axis2 is to provide a clean and simple environment for implementations of associated WS standards such as Apache Sandesha and Apache WSS4J. Implementations of associated standards should be able to easily interface with the base SOAP Message handling system. In summary, Axis2 has a more modular and flexible message handling pipeline. It focuses on the details of message handling and provides clear hooks for implementations of associated Web Services standards and protocols. This evolution will allow Axis to be a foundational technology for next generation Web Services.
Apache Axis2 Version 0.94 was released recently and can be downloaded from here . The complete feature list for Axis2, as of version 0.94 is as follows:
1. AXIOM (AXis Object Model), an XML object model working on StAX (Streaming API for XML) parsing optimized for SOAP 1.1/1.2 Messages. This has complete XML infoset support.
2. Support for One-Way Messaging (In-Only) and Request Response Messaging (In-Out)
3. Module Architecture, mechanism to extend the SOAP Processing Model
4. Module version support , can have multiple versions of the same module and use them depending on the requirement.
5. Content hierarchy
6. Archive based deployment Model and Directory based deployment model
7. JWS like deployment (making Java class into Web service)
8. WSDL Code Generation Tool for Stub and skeletons
9. WS-Addressing, both the submission (2004/08) and final (2005/08) versions
10. WSS4J module for security
11. Improved and user friendly Client API
12. WSDL2Java
13. REST (REpresentational State Transfer) Support
14. Transports supports: HTTP, SMTP, TCP, JMS
15. Raw XML providers
16. Support for MTOM/ MIME/ SwA
17. SAAJ implementation
18. DOOM - New Feature
19. Pack/Unpack capability for the generated code- New Feature
20. Axis Data Binding - ADB (Framework and Schema Compiler)
21. Numerous bug fixes since last release
Spket IDE
Spket IDE
Spket IDE is powerful toolkit for JavaScript and XML development.
The powerful editor for JavaScript, XUL/XBL and Yahoo! Widget development. The JavaScript editor provides features like code completion, syntax highlighting and content outline that helps developers productively create efficient JavaScript code.
What's new
Spket IDE 1.6.5 released - 1 Jan 2008
* Toggle Mark Occurrences for JavaScript, screenshot
* Add/Remove comment for JavaScript.
* Minor bugfixes and feature enhancements.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
What users searched for in 2007?
What users searched for in 2007?
A review of Yahoo searches reveals global warming, celebrity meltdowns, social networking and a literary boy wizard's final adventure captured mankind's attention in 2007.
The US Internet giant sifted billions of searches made this year by its hundreds of millions of users worldwide to identify trends regarding what piqued people's interest.
Here we bring to you the 10 most searched tech words on Yahoo in 2007. These are the words for which the users clamoured for information on in this past-one year.
And are also the words which as Raj Gossain, Yahoo's senior director of marketing search, says reflect broad consumer trends that dominated the year 2007.
YouTube
Gadgets and games weren't the only thing to push the tech limits. In 2007, the popular video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips -- YouTube -- ruled the Yahoo search results.
YouTube made headlines for its US Presidential debate, its YouTube Video Awards, and of course its soft porn videos.
According to a new report from research firm comScore, Google's YouTube continues to rank as the top US online video property, drawing the most unique video viewers and most videos.
Wikipedia
The biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia on the Internet was the second most searched word on Yahoo in 2007. The foundation that runs Wikipedia recently agreed to pay contributors to the online encyclopedia a modest fee for their work.
However, it won't pay the thousands of people who participate in creating the wiki pages -- just artists who create “key illustrations” for the site.
The year 2007 was also full of controversies for one of the biggest online brands with reports of companies including Microsoft trying to edit wiki entries. The site was also banned in some US schools.
Facebook
Corporate stakes accelerated the growth of social networking and the biggest example of it is Facebook.
The social networking site which has been giving tough competition to the Internet giant google recently got support from its biggest rival Microsoft. Microsoft paid $240 million for a 1.6 per cent stake in the company this October.
Facebook has also raised $60 million from Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, adding to its list of financial heavyweights backing the online hangout's rapid growth.
The second largest social network on the Web behind News Corp's MySpace.com launched a marketing initiative called Beacon last month. The marketing tool agitated thousands of Facebook users because it circulated potentially sensitive information about their online purchases and other activity
iTunes
The digital media player application introduced by Apple in January 2001 once again showed its popularity: the music app is fourth on the Yahoo tech search trends for 2007.
Now users can turn songs from the iTunes Store into custom ringtones for their iPhone and download music from the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store on their iPod touch or iPhone.
Also, following a dispute over pricing issues in August, NBC has now officially ended its deal with Apple and their content has been removed from the iTunes Store, despite the company being the largest supplier of video downloads.
Some shows that are broadcasted on NBC are still available at the iTunes Store, however, as they are produced by other studios, rather than NBC Universal.
iPod
The portable media player leader iPod comes was the fifth most tech searched word on Yahoo. iPod which was launched by Apple in 2001 again revamped its line-up this year.
Apple unleashed a slew of new iPods, including its all new iPod, the iPod Touch. Also dubbed as 'the God machine', the new iPod seems to have borrowed interface technology from iPhone -- except that it is no phone.
Apple also reduced the price of its best-selling 8 GB iPhone model from $599 to $399, barely two months after it started selling them. The smaller 4 GB phone, which had sold for $399, was discontinued. Apple executives said that the revamped and expanded iPod line -- which recasts the iPhone as the top model -- is the company’s most robust lineup ever for the holiday season.
iPhone
Apple seems to be in a habit of ruling the charts, iPhone is third offering from the company in the Yahoo's most searched tech words list.
The phone which made its international debut in June gave a new lease of life to smartphones and compelled phone manufacturers to rethink their strategies after their products look shadowed in iPhone halo.
In fact, the iPhone success seems to have claimed its first victim with many analysts believing that iPhone success contributed to Motorola's CEO Ed Zander exit. Many feel that RAZR 2 was released too late and has been overshadowed by iPhone.
However, iPhone too has its share of controversies, after initial network glitches on AT&T, the iPhone is now facing a lawsuit from Klausner Technologies over its voicemail. New York-based Klausner has filed a $360 million suit against Apple and AT&T Inc over voicemail patents that Klausner claims the Apple iPhone infringes.
Nintendo Wii
Nintendo Wii debuted in late 2006, amidst predictions of a stiff competition from the Sony PlayStation 3 and the new Xbox, however, Wii sales gained on both the 360 and the PS3. Little doubt then that it was among the Yahoo's 10 hottest search words for 2007.
The company's 2007 releases include "Super Mario Galaxy" and "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption" (for the Wii) and “The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass” and “Brain Age 2” (for the DS).
The company also announced that it will let individuals and outside game studios create and sell downloadable Wii games with a tool called WiiWare. Gamers will be able to purchase the games through the console's Wii Shop channel starting in early 2008.
Xbox
Giving competition to Nintendo's Wii is Microsoft's Xbox 360. While Wii racked up 350,000 unit sales during Thanksgiving week in the US, Xbox 360 wasn't very far behind with 310,000 units sold during the same period.
Based on these figures, analysts believe that it will be a fairly tight battle between the Wii and 360 during December, with the Wii having a slight edge.
In this, Nintendo seems to be taking a page from Microsoft Corp's play book. The Redmond, Washington-based software maker's XNA Game Studio tools let developers design video games for its Xbox 360 console.
Recently, Microsoft is said to have issued a warning about a one of the features of the new dashboard update for the Xbox 360. The update allows users to change the email account (Live ID) associated with their Xbox Live Gamertag and one that has been requested since the consoles launched.
Sony PlayStation 3
Ninth on the Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3) games console sold 183,217 units in November in Japan, outselling Nintendo's Wii's 159,193 units for the first time, according to media reports.
This may be a turning point for Sony's struggling games division. The PS3 has lagged the Wii in sales since the devices were launched late last year due to the Sony machine's high price and scarcity of strong game titles.
Sony Computer Entertainment America reported similar success in the United States, where PlayStation 3 hardware sales have increased by nearly 300 per cent.
Sony launched a 40 GB model for Y40,000 ($361) in Japan in November and cut prices on 20 GB models, which ignited sales and could provide the next-generation console with the momentum it needs through the holiday shopping season.
Analysts said this year's Christmas season is crucial for Sony's PS3 in terms of winning the “perception wars.”
Guitar Hero
Tenth on the Yahoo list is the popular game Guitar Hero, one of the hottest and most surprising hit.
Musical games have long had their niche in the video-game industry. Fans of “Dance Dance Revolution” or “Pump It Up” like to show off their footwork; “SingStar” and “Karaoke Revolution” attract “American Idol” wannabes. Such games can be fun at parties and they've always had a devoted audience, but they never really attracted the masses.
That changed with the 2005 release of RedOctane's “Guitar Hero.” Suddenly, every gamer had a fake Gibson connected to his PlayStation, and plenty of music lovers who don't usually play games got hooked as well.
The creators of “Guitar Hero” are now developing “Rock Band” -- which adds drums and vocals to the formula -- for Electronic Arts and MTV Games. Activision is preparing “Guitar Hero III” for the holidays.
And plenty of other studios have music games in the works. Fans of the genre are no longer a cult today it seems every gamer wants to be a pop star.
Activision Blizzard recently announced plans to "exploit" its successful franchises like Guitar Hero by bringing out titles on an annual basis.
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