DEVELOPMENT IN ICT
Open Source Operating System is the most important program that runs on
a computer that is free to use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it
in modified or unmodified forms. Every general-purpose computer must have an
operating system to run other programs. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such
as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping
track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such
as disk drives and printers.
2.2.1: Window 7
Unlike its predecessor, Windows Vista, which introduced a large number of new features,
Windows 7 was intended to be a more focused, incremental upgrade to the Windows line, with
the goal of being compatible with applications and hardware with which Windows Vista is
already compatible. Presentations given by Microsoft in 2008 focused on multi-touch support, a
redesigned Windows Shell with a new taskbar, referred to as the Superbar, a home networking
system called HomeGroup, and performance improvements. Some standard applications that
have been included with prior releases of Microsoft Windows, including Windows Calendar,
Windows Mail, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Photo Gallery, are not included in
Windows 7; most are instead offered separately at no charge as part of the Windows Live
Essentials suite.
2.2.2: Mac OS X
The first version released was Mac OS X Server 1.0 in 1999, and a desktop-oriented version,
Mac OS X v10.0 "Cheetah" followed on March 24, 2001. Releases of Mac OS X are named after
big cats: for example, Mac OS X v10.6 is usually referred to by Apple and users as "Snow
Leopard". The server edition, Mac OS X Server, is architecturally identical to its desktop
counterpart, and includes tools to facilitate management of workgroups of Mac OS X machines,
and to provide access to network services. These tools include a mail transfer agent, a Samba
server, an LDAP server, a domain name server, and others. It is pre-loaded on Apple's Xserve
server hardware, but can be run on almost all of Apple's current selling computer models.
Apple also produces specialized versions of Mac OS X for use on four of its consumer devices:
the iOS for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, as well as an unnamed version for the Apple TV.
Mac OS X's core is a POSIX compliant operating system (OS) built on top of the XNU kernel,
with standard Unix facilities available from the command line interface. Apple has released this
family of software as a free and open source operating system named Darwin. On top of Darwin,
Apple layered a number of components, including the Aqua interface and the Finder, to complete
the GUI-based operating system which is Mac OS X.
Mac OS X introduced a number of new capabilities to provide a more stable and reliable
platform than its predecessor, Mac OS 9. For example, pre-emptive multitasking and memory
protection improved the system's ability to run multiple applications simultaneously without
them interrupting or corrupting each other.Many aspects of Mac OS X's architecture are derived
from Openstep, which was designed to be portable, to ease the transition from one platform to
another. For example, Nextstep was ported from the original 68k-based NeXT workstations to
x86 and other architectures before NeXT was purchased by Apple,and OpenStep was later ported
to the PowerPC architecture as part of the Rhapsody project.
The most visible change was the Aqua theme. The use of soft edges, translucent colors, and
pinstripes – similar to the hardware design of the first iMacs – brought more texture and color to
the user interface when compared to what OS 9 and OS X Server 1.0's "Platinum" appearance
had offered. According to John Siracusa, an editor of Ars Technica, the introduction of Aqua and
its departure from the then conventional look "hit like a ton of bricks." Bruce Tognazzini (who
founded the original Apple Human Interface Group) said that the Aqua interface in Mac OS X
v10.0 represented a step backwards in usability compared with the original Mac OS
interface.Third-party developers started producing skins for customizable applications for Mac
and other operating systems which mimicked the Aqua appearance. To some extent, Apple has
used the successful transition to this new design as leverage, at various times threatening legal
action against people who make or distribute software with an interface the company claims is
derived from its copyrighted design.
3.0: THE LATEST OPEN SOURCE APPLICATION SOFTWARE
3.1: Meaning of open source application software.
In addition to its modeling and animation tools, the latest version of 3ds Max also features
shaders (such as ambient occlusion and subsurface scattering), dynamic simulation, particle
systems, radiosity, normal map creation and rendering, global illumination, an intuitive and
fully-customizable user interface, and its own scripting language.
The original 3D Studio product was created for the DOS platform by the Yost Group and
published by Autodesk. After 3D Studio Release 4, the product was rewritten for the Windows
NT platform, and re-named "3D Studio MAX." This version was also originally created by the
Yost Group. It was released by Kinetix, which was at that time Autodesk's division of media and
entertainment. Autodesk purchased the product at the second release mark of the 3D Studio
MAX version and internalized development entirely over the next two releases. Later, the
product name was changed to "3ds max" (all lower case) to better comply with the naming
conventions of Discreet, a Montreal-based software company which Autodesk had purchased. At
release 8, the product was again branded with the Autodesk logo, and the name was again
changed to "3ds Max" (upper and lower case). At release 2009, the product name changed to
"Autodesk 3ds Max".
3.2.2: Pro Tools
Fundamentally, Pro Tools, like all Digital Audio Workstation software, is similar to a multi-track
tape recorder and mixer, with additional features that can only be performed in the digital
domain. The high-end version supports sample rates of up to 192 kHz and bit depths of 16 and
24 bit, opens WAV, AIFF, mp3, SDII audio files and QuickTime video files. It features time
code, tempo maps, automation and surround sound capabilities. Order of products from lowest to
highest are as follows: Essential, M-Powered, LE, HD, HD2 & HD3.
Pro Tools was developed by UC Berkeley graduates Peter Gotcher and Evan Brooks. Both
majored in electrical engineering and computer science at Berkeley. The first incarnation of Pro
Tools started life in 1984 as Sound Designer, while the pair were creating and selling drum
sound chips under their Digidrums label. Sound Designer was originally designed to edit sounds
for the E-MU Emulator sampling keyboard . Gotcher and Brooks discussed with E-MU Systems
the possibility of integrating their renamed 'Sound Tools' software into the Emulator III keyboard
released in 1987. E-MU rejected this offer and Gotcher and Brooks started Digidesign.
Sound Tools was debuted on January 20, 1989 at NAMM (National Association of Music
Merchandisers). At this stage Sound Tools was a simple computer based stereo audio editor.
Although the software had the possibility to do far more it was limited by the hard drive
technology, which was used to stream the audio and allow for the non-destructive editing that
Sound Tools offered.
The first version of Pro Tools was launched in 1991, offering 4 tracks and selling for $6000USD.
Digidesign continued to improve Pro Tools, adding a sequencer and more tracks, with the system
offering recording at 16bit 44.1 kHz. In 1997 Pro Tools reached 24bit, 48 track versions. It was
at this point that the migration from more conventional studio technology to the Pro Tools
platform took place within the industry.
4.0: THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN ICT
4.1: Hardware
4.1.1: Radeon
At current, ATI names each card by generation, series, and by performance. The first number is
the generation number, for example, 5000, and this is related to the chipset used by the video
card. The second number indicates the series quality in the generation, starting from 0400 to
0600 at entry level, for media and home theatre, 0700 for low intensity video games (typically
using older graphics engines, or widespread games, such as Starcraft and World of Warcraft) or
high-intensity games with lowered settings, and 0800 for high-intensity games, such as Crysis or
Far Cry 2. 0900 is a special denotation, first used on the Radeon 5970, relating to a dual chip or
internal Crossfire card. The third digit is the relative quality, within a series- a 5850 is less
powerful than a 5870. Typically, a card of a higher series will always have more processing
power than a card in a lower series, even if the relative quality is better (a 5770 will be trumped
by a 5850).
Since ATI's first DirectX 9-class GPU, the company has followed a naming scheme that relates
each product to a market segment.
4.2: Software
successor to Adobe Creative Suite 3. It was officially released on October 15, 2008.
CS4 features additions such as the ability to paint directly on 3D models, wrap 2D
images around 3D shapes, convert gradient maps to 3D objects, add depth to layers
and text, get print-quality output with the new ray-tracing rendering engine, and enjoy
exporting to supported common 3D formats, the new Adjustment and Mask Panels,
content-aware scaling, and Fluid Canvas Rotation and File display options. On 30
April, Adobe released Photoshop CS4 Extended, which includes all the same features
of Adobe Photoshop CS4 with the addition of capabilities for scientific imaging, 3D,
and high end film and video users. The successor to Photoshop CS3, Photoshop CS4,
is the first 64-bit Photoshop on consumer computers.
The idea that technology is moving beyond the personal computer to everyday
devices with embedded technology and connectivity as computing devices become
progressively smaller and more powerful. Also called ubiquitous computing,
pervasive computing is the result of computer technology advancing at exponential
speeds - a trend toward all man-made and some natural products having hardware and
software. Pervasive computing goes beyond the realm of personal computers.
It is the idea that almost any device, from clothing to tools to appliances to
cars to homes to the human body to your coffee mug, can be imbedded with chips to
connect the device to an infinite network of other devices. The goal of pervasive
computing, which combines current network technologies with wireless
computing, voice recognition, Internet capability and artificial intelligence, is to
create an environment where the connectivity of devices is embedded in such a way
that the connectivity is unobtrusive and always available.
5.2: Example of pervasive computing
5.2.1: Smartphone
The name Blu-ray Disc derives from the "blue laser" used
to read the disc. While a standard DVD uses a
650 nanometer red laser, Blu-ray Disc uses a shorter
wavelength 405 nm laser, and allows for almost ten times more data storage than a DVD. The
laser color is called "blue," but is violet (purple) to the eye, and is very close to ultraviolet
("blacklight").
During the high definition optical disc format war, Blu-ray Disc competed with the HD DVD
format. Toshiba, the main company that supported HD DVD, conceded in February 2008, and
the format war came to an end. In late 2009, Toshiba released its own Blu-ray Disc player.
Blu-ray Disc was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association, a group representing makers of
consumer electronics, computer hardware, and motion pictures. As of June 2009, more than
1,500 Blu-ray Disc titles were available in Australia and the United Kingdom, with 2,500 in
Japan, the United States and Canada.
Blu-Ray Discs can be clustered together in systems such as optical jukeboxes to increase data
storage. This increase of storage can span multiple terabytes and utilize hundreds of Blu-Ray
Discs. These systems are currently the largest storage units using Blu-Ray technology.
Commercial HDTV sets began to appear in the consumer market around 1998, but there was no
commonly accepted, inexpensive way to record or play HD content. In fact, there was no
medium with the storage required to accommodate HD codecs, except for JVC's Digital VHS
and Sony's HDCAM. Nevertheless, it was well known that using lasers with shorter wavelengths
would enable optical storage with higher density. Shuji Nakamura invented the practical blue
laser diode; it was a sensation among the computer storage-medium community, although a
lengthy patent lawsuit delayed commercial introduction.
Sony/Philips started two projects applying the new diodes: UDO (Ultra Density Optical), and
DVR Blue (together with Pioneer), a format of rewritable discs that would eventually become
Blu-ray Disc (more specifically, BD-RE). The core technologies of the formats are essentially
similar.
The first DVR Blue prototypes were unveiled at the CEATEC exhibition in October 2000. On
February 19, 2002, the project was officially announced as Blu-ray Disc, and Blu-ray Disc
Founders was founded by the nine initial members.
The first consumer device was in stores on April 10, 2003. This device was the Sony BDZ-S77, a
BD-RE recorder that was made available only in Japan. The recommended price was US$3800;
however, there was no standard for prerecorded video, and no movies were released for this
player. The Blu-ray Disc standard was still years away, as a newer, more secure Digital Rights
Management (DRM) system was needed before Hollywood studios would accept it—not
wanting to repeat the failure of the Content Scramble System used on standard DVDs. On
October 4, 2004, the Blu-ray Disc Founders was officially changed to the Blu-ray Disc
Association (BDA), and 20th Century Fox joined the BDA's Board of Directors.
6.0: CONCLUSION
Open Source can be used by anyone and because it has no copyright claims, so users
are free to use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or
unmodified forms. Pervasive Computing is to make our lives easier because we can interact
with computers. Besides that, we can easily give the computer commands and the computer
will grant your wish.