TorPark - mobile anonymous browsing

Torpark, a variant of the Portable Firefox web browser, uses a system called Tor that enables its users to communicate anonymously on the Internet. Torpark was created by Steve Topletz, with help from John T. Haller, developer of Portable Firefox. It can operate on both portable media devices, such as a USB flash drive and on any hard disk drive. The Torpark browser comes pre-configured and requires no installation.

When a user logs onto the internet then a unique IP address is assigned to manage the computer's identity. Each website the user visits, the user's IP address gets stored. The Torpark program works by routing Internet traffic through several servers, obscuring the originating address. The Tor network causes the IP address seen by the website to change every few minutes to mask the requesting source.Some examples of where Torpark can be used include bypassing paying for internet access at a wifi café or at school computers so you can get full access to the internet.

Download Torpark:

http://torpark.nfshost.com/

Sources:

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2164698/hackers-fire-anonymous-torpark

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpark

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/09/torpark_anonymizing_.html

Fourth-generation (4G) and VR

The following article has been published by http://www.4g.co.uk/ and provides interesting views on the future of 4G as well as it's relation to VR.

Title: Fast Forward to 4G?
Date: 13th April, 2004
URL: http://www.4g.co.uk/PR2004/April2004/2018.htm

US Network Magazine : Here's something we don't see often: a wireless technology that could actually arrive earlier than predicted. Fourth-generation (4G) cellular services, intended to provide mobile data at rates of 100Mbits/sec or more, were originally scheduled for 2010. Some cell phone companies have moved the target up to 2006, while rival wireless systems could bring similar bandwidth to a few fortunate networkers a lot sooner.

Alas, the enthusiasm for 4G isn't due to accelerated progress; it's because third-generation (3G) services have proven so disappointing. Instead of one standard worldwide, there are three incompatible systems in the United States alone. Voice is carried over the circuit-switched infrastructure inherited from second-generation (2G), not the promised IP. The touted streaming video is just a low-resolution slideshow. Most importantly, the data rates are closer to dial up than DSL.

This is partially due to the technology's immaturity: 3G systems rolled out so far could be considered beta versions, with the real thing still in the future. But 3G will never live up to its creators' promises. Despite early excitement about data, the main economic incentive for 3G is increased capacity for narrowband voice. Though data rates will increase, there isn't enough bandwidth to transfer large e-mail attachments quickly, let alone stream audio or video at broadcast quality as the cell phone vendors first claimed.

If you believe the industry, 4G will enable all this and more: Many companies talk of holophones, remote-controlled cars, and mobile virtual reality. Given their past record of hype, there are good reasons not to believe the more outlandish predictions, but there are also reasons to think that some aspects of 4G could be real.

According to the Fourth-Generation Mobile Forum (www.4gmobile.com), companies will have invested more than $30 billion in 4G by the end of 2002. And unlike previous generations, 4G won't be a product of the cellular industry alone. While the most advanced plans have come from Japanese and European mobile operators, fixed wireless carriers in the United States are beating a separate path to mobility. Most exciting, new types of wireless LAN technology already offer speeds approaching those of 4G.

Read more

Relative Links

4G Mobile Via Stratellite
In addition to the Company's National Wireless Broadband Network, proposed telecommunications uses include cellular, 3G/4G mobile.

4G Mobile PC Capabilities
3G and 4G Mobile operators have demanded products that will offer PC capabilities in a PDA form factor. Miniaturized or folding keyboards are not fully functional or portable.

OFDM Technology and (4G) Cellular Systems
Practical confirmation that the OFDM technology being supported by the WiMAX Forum(1) is a contender for future fourth generation (4G) cellular systems.

DoCoMo's 4G Reseach
It may not be the Central Intelligence Agency, but NTT DoCoMo also operates its research and development center as if it were a top-secret facility.

802.16 Application at 4G Speeds
Engineers are currently developing an 802.16 application that will provide next generation (4G) high-speed Internet services from the SatCell IP base station.

4G Wireless Letter Of Intent
The LOI calls for Mitec to supply a range of RF products and subsystems for fourth generation (4G) broadband data networks.

4G Wireless Trial
Participants in the trial will include employees from select Nextel enterprise customers, including Cisco Systems. . They will be able to take full advantage of average downlink speeds of up to 1.5 megabits per second.

4GEN Mobile Broadband Wireless
4G mobile broadband wireless system provides data, video, audio, and voice services to subscribers on the move, at highway speeds.

4G Wireless Causing A Buzz
The year being targeted for a 4G trial to kick off in the Far East is 2007. Why 4G ? What can 4G do and why.

PRAM

PRAM (Phase-change Random Access Memory) is the next generation of nonvolatile memory and was introduced by Samsung Co., Ltd., on 11, Sep 2006. The company announced that it has completed the first PRAM working prototype of what is expected to be the main memory device to replace high density NOR flash within the next decade.

PRAM features the fast processing speed of RAM for its operating functions combined with the non-volatile features of flash memory for storage, giving it the nickname: perfect RAM. Moreover, PRAM can rewrite data without having to first erase data previously accumulated, it is effectively 30-times faster than conventional flash memory. Incredibly durable, PRAM is also expected to have at least 10-times the life span of flash memory.

PRAM will be a highly competitive choice over NOR flash but will be available commercially in 2008. Samsung designed the cell size of its PRAM to be only half the size of NOR flash. Furthermore, it requires 20 percent fewer process steps to produce than those used in the manufacturing of NOR flash memory.

PRAM was developed by adopting the use of vertical diodes with the three–dimensional transistor structure that it now uses to produce DRAM. The new PRAM has the smallest 0.0467um 2 cell size of any working memory that is free of inter-cell noise, allowing virtually unlimited scalability.

Adoption of PRAM is expected to be especially popular in the future designs of multi-function handsets and for other mobile applications, where faster speeds translate into immediately noticeable boosts in performance. High-density versions will be produced first, starting with 512 Mb.

For more details the full article can be found in:

http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/PressRelease/PressRelease.asp?seq=20060911_0000286481

University Guide 2006

The Sunday Times perform every year an unofficial assessment of UK universities called 'University Guide'. This year's ‘University Guide 2006' can be found at:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,8403,00.html

The assessment contains of useful information for academics, researchers and students such as league tables (including research and teaching) as well brief summaries of university profiles.

Welcome

The purpose of this blog is to inform and keep up to date researchers and professionals on a variety of scientific issues related to computing.

From time to time, I will post my personal opinion about research issues which I find interesting and challenging. Some of them will be related to my research interests including computer graphics and visualisation, virtual and augmented reality, human computer interaction, interactive applications, mobile applications, tangible interfaces, information science and educational and learning systems.

This blog will also host views and ideas covering anything else that is related to the broader field of science and in particular computer science.

I hope that the discussions will be exciting.