The Promise of Supercomputers
Technology Review (02/23/07) Greene, Kate
The announcement of Intel's project to create a programmable "terascale"
supercomputer on a chip signifies changes that present incredible
possibilities but will require a significant leap in software and hardware
development. Intel will use the chip to test techniques for improving the
programmability of multicore technology. Such technology could bring about
real-time voice translation on cell phones or real-time video search using
speech or images. Some computer engineers do not believe that consumer
computers with hundreds of cores are plausible. So far parallel
programming has been placed in the realm of high-performance computing
(HPC), which traditionally does not address consumer applications. One
difficulty in parallel processing lies in the fact that some applications
have components that cannot be separated, but HPC developers have now
compiled portfolios of algorithms that could be applied to consumer
parallel programs. Chips are being produced that have over a hundred cores
and are designed to run different general-purpose tasks, such as the
graphics used in video games. New approaches to both transactional memory
and chip architecture and code could let programmers think more
sequentially, while the system takes care of parallelism. Such a method
would require cooperation between hardware vendors and software engineers;
transactional memory will most likely combine different approaches.
Although the current lack of agreement on how multicore technology should
advance could delay its entrance into consumer computing by about five
years, "industry has a way, with its economic imperative, to settle on a
solution pretty quick," says Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory computer
scientist John Shalf.
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Court Takes on Software Patents
Washington Post (02/22/07) P. D1; Barnes, Robert; Sipress, Alan
The Supreme Court is hearing a case that asks whether or not the
distribution of computer code, separate from any hardware, can be subject
to patent laws. Microsoft is being tried for copyright infringement for
the global distribution of a system that translates speech into code, which
was patented by AT&T. Microsoft has admitted to infringing on the
copyright in computers sold in the United States, but claims that it is not
responsible for its programs being installed on computers by foreign
manufacturers. A patent law amendment passed by Congress in 1984 forbids
the shipping of components of patented inventions overseas for assembly in
the attempt to sidestep patent laws. What justices must decide is whether
code is a "component" of a patented invention, and whether it was
"supplied" from the United States. Software companies are worried that a
decision in favor of AT&T would make U.S. patent law apply to worldwide use
of U.S.-developed software, potentially making it more appealing to move
research and development operations overseas. "Facts resolve this case,"
says AT&T attorney Seth Waxman. "Microsoft has 'supplied' a 'component'
that when 'combined with hardware' enables the practice of AT&T's
invention." Microsoft attorney Theodore B. Olson claims the code is more
of a blueprint, as it can be used to produce programs that do not infringe
on the AT&T patent. The government sees the software that utilizes the
code as the component in question, not the code by itself, explains
Assistant Solicitor General Daryl Joessefer. He compares the code to the
ridges on a key and a program to the key itself, pointing out that "a key
has a series of ridges on it that enable it to open a lock. But the
component is the key that actually turns the lock, not the abstract
sequence of ridges on the key." Two lower courts have sided with AT&T, and
now the Supreme Court must make its decision by July.
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SIGGRAPH 2007 Announces 32-Hour Animation
Challenge
Business Wire (02/22/07)
SIGGRAPH 2007, which will be held August 5-9, 2007, in San Diego, will
include the inaugural FJORG! international computer graphics animation
competition. Sixteen three-person teams will be chosen to take part in the
32-hour competition that will be held before a live audience. The
challenge will be to develop a character-driven animated sequence that is
at least 15 seconds long and based on a theme supplied by the competition's
judges. Aside from animation abilities, teams must be able to deal with
staged distractions and show creativity and physical endurance. A panel of
judges made up of entertainment industry professionals will decide a winner
based on criteria set forth in the FJORG! Official Rules at
www.siggraph.org/s2007/presenters/fjorg/. "We encourage everyone from
throughout the international community to submit their reels for
consideration," says FJORG! chair Patricia Beckman Wells. "This is
expected to be the most challenging animation contest in the world."
Prospective teams must include three people and submit demo reels to
www.siggraph.org/s2007/presenters/forms between March 1 and May 1.
Teams can only submit one reel, and individuals cannot be in more than one
team. SIGGRAPH is expected to host about 25,000 computer graphics and
technology professionals from six continents, and showcase over 250
exhibits. For more information on SIGGRAPH 07, visit
http://www.siggraph.org/s2007/
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Security Experts Draw Bead on How Malware Targets and
Dupes Internet Users
Indiana University (02/19/07)
As cyber crooks focus more of their attention on consumers, security
experts are questioning what role Internet users play in becoming victims
of malware attacks. Security researchers and practitioners addressed the
issue during the symposium, "Malware: The Next Big Internet Threat," during
the recent annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement
of Science. "It's only recently that researchers and security
practitioners have recognized the human factor of Internet security, and
criminals already have established an advantage," says Markus Jakobsson,
associate professor at the Indiana University School of Informatics. They
now realize that programs are not always configured correctly, consumers do
not always use programs the right way, and users do not always heed
securities warnings, says Jakobsson, who is also associate director of the
Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at IU. He also says the
emergence of phishing shows that cyber criminals are focusing on tricking
consumers. Jakobsson participated in the Feb. 18 panel that discussed the
economic forces behind malware, how cyber criminals launch the attacks, and
how to guard against them.
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$490,000 NSF Grant Will 'INSPIRE' Future Computing
Professionals
Lamar University (02/21/07)
Lamar University hopes that its program to encourage women and minorities
to join the field of computing will serve as a model for other schools to
follow. The NSF funded program, known as INSPIRED, is based on the idea
that "Engaging students in applied research at an early stage lets students
experience the thrill of discovery and gives them a chance to apply the
principles that they learn in the classroom to real-world problems," says
program leader Peggy Doerschuk. She adds that computing jobs are some of
the fastest growing in the country, and such efforts are needed to fill
them. The program will focus on mentoring, tutoring, helping students
enter advanced study or careers in computing, and dispelling myths
concerning women and minorities in the field. The grant will also help pay
for research and outreach programs. A research seminar will be held every
year where the students will be exposed to current themes in research.
They will also be exposed to the amount of opportunities open to them and
to the diversity of computing professionals through various activities.
Summer camps will be held to encourage interest in computing among middle
and high school students.
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Darpa Chief Speaks
Wired News (02/20/07) Shachtman, Noah
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) director Tony Tether
says in an interview that his organization is working on or has developed
several technologies that contribute to the war on terror in Iraq and
Afghanistan. One is the Wasp, a small, battery-powered drone aircraft that
can help facilitate situational awareness for small squads of troops, and
another is a two-way translator that is suited for checkpoints and other
specific functions. The DARPA director describes the agency's cognitive
program as "game changing" in fulfilling its goal of raising the ratio of
combat troops to support troops by giving computers the ability to learn
user preferences. With such an innovation, a command post computer could
be augmented so that shift changes can proceed seamlessly, without
requiring personnel to prepare briefings for whoever takes over. Tether
explains that DARPA's mission to avoid technological surprise equally
applies to low and high technological surprises, and points out that
quantum computing is a particular area of concern. He says the development
of a quantum computer, which can enable incredible parallel processing and
have a revolutionary impact, is just as high a concern as the development
of biological weapons. Tether notes that events such as the Grand
Challenge to create autonomous vehicles, where prizes are offered to
winning teams, are not only useful as a force for driving research closer
to DARPA's goals, but as something to nurture interest in science and
engineering among young people. He believes one of the effects of the
Grand Challenge is that "we now have tens of thousands of people interested
in autonomous robots ... that weren't." Though Tether foresees more
competitions in the future, he insists that there would have to be a
specific motivation for doing so.
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Crime Fighting Potential for Computerised
Lip-Reading
University of East Anglia (02/21/07)
University of East Anglia researchers will begin a project next month that
seeks to create a program that can read lips, possibly for use in law
enforcement. Although nearly everyone has some ability to read lips,
little is known as to the amount of visual information that is needed for
the process. The Surrey University Center for Vision, Speech, and Signal
Processing has created accurate face and lip trackers, and will collaborate
on the project; so will the Home Office Scientific Development Branch,
which plans to use the technology for fighting crime. "To be effective the
systems must accurately track the head over a variety of poses, extract
numbers, or features, that describe the lips and then learn what features
correspond to what text," explains UEA project leader Dr. Richard Harvey.
After collecting data for lip-reading, the goal will be to create a system
that can turn video of lip motion into text. "This project will also
investigate how to use the extensive information known about audio speech
to recognize visual speech," says Richards. The number of trained lip
readers is currently decreasing as the use of sign language is
increasing.
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Carnegie Mellon Folds Open Source Into New Degree
Offering
TechNewsWorld (02/21/07) Mello, John P. Jr.
Carnegie Mellon West will offer a new degree program known as the Master
of Science in Software Management that aims to incorporate business and
organizational components into software development. Building on the
school's software engineering curriculum, the program "breaks with
tradition by giving students the broader perspective needed to collaborate
with and lead the global, distributed teams that are defining
next-generation software organizations," according to the school. Carnegie
Mellon says the program is not simply an MBA labeled as an MS, but a
response to the changing economics in the realm of software, resulting from
open source software, globalization, and outsourcing. "The software
management program aligns with the changing employment demands of typical
software companies, where the business of software and the management of
development teams are becoming paramount to success," explains Kleiner
Perkins & Byers. Students who choose can study open source software and
ways it influences development tactics. One such activity would be looking
for open source components that could be applied to new products and
analyzing the effect on cost. As today's developers have an increasing
need to understand their company's business, the program aims to "balance
management, organization, business, and technology," says CMW Associate
Dean of Education Martin Griss.
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Grand Challenges Free Researchers to Explore What Can Be
Imagined
Daily Yomiuri (Japan) (02/20/07) Jernery, John
British researchers are investigating a broad range of grand challenges,
an example of which is the Architecture Brain and Mind project, whose goal
is to create a single demonstrable system that marries the fields of
artificial intelligence, robotics, and cognitive science. Meeting this
challenge entails addressing tough problems focusing on natural
intelligence, perception, learning, problem solving, and reasoning; one
potential result of this project would be an autonomous robotic aide to
disabled people that can get around the house without explicit
environment-related programming. Another U.K. grand challenge is the
Dependable Systems Evolution project, which seeks to create a model and set
of associated technologies that aid in the engineering of more dependable
products. This project could be especially important as computers and
software systems are placed in increasingly critical societal roles. The
Learning for Life project seeks to determine the meaning of learning in the
coming era of ubiquitous machines, with researchers stressing the
comprehension of the "co-evolutionary nature of learning and computer
systems." At the heart of this goal is the process in which increasing
knowledge of computers raises understanding of learning mechanisms, and
potentially expedites development in both domains. A fourth grand
challenge project is Journeys in Nonclassical Computation, which delves
into the fields of biology and physics to unearth new insights on computing
to make increasingly complex systems manageable and scalable from a
theoretical and engineering standpoint.
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That's No Transformer: It's SuperBot
USC Today (02/22/07) Mankin, Eric
Video of autonomous robotic modules that are able to self-assemble
themselves into various systems to address a specific task is available
online. The posting of the video follows a recent presentation that
University of Southern California researcher Wei-Min Shen gave on the
progress of the development of the Lego-like "SuperBot" during the Space
Technology and Applications International Forum 2007 (STAIF) in
Albuquerque, N.M. Shen, a researcher at the university's Information
Sciences Institute, showed video of the identical modular units, which can
flexibly connect to form a robot that can crawl, wiggle, roll, climb, move
like a snake, use long arms, and fly. "Each module is a complete robotic
system and has a power supply, micro-controllers, sensors, communication,
three degrees of freedom, and six connecting faces [front, back, left,
right, up and down] to dynamically connect to other modules," said Shen.
There is totally distributed control, and self-status and environmental
parameters monitoring. "They can form arbitrary configurations [graphs]
and can control these configurations for different functionality such as
locomotion, manipulation, and self-repair," Shen added.
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Biologically Inspired Sensors Can Augment Sonar, Vision
System in Submarines
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (02/21/07) Kloeppel, James E.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne researchers are developing a
system of sensors that mimic fish's sensory organs in hopes of improving
the ability of artificial devices to navigate marine environments. Known
as the lateral line, a row of sensory organs allows fish to find food and
avoid predators, among other things. The synthetic lateral line the
project has produced is an integrated array of microfabricated flow
sensors, with sizes and spacing corresponding to their biological
counterparts. "By detecting changes in water pressure and movement, the
device can supplement sonar and vision systems in submarines and underwater
robots," allowing devices to detect and track moving objects and avoid
collisions, says project leader Chang Liu. To build the tiny sensors,
individual parts are cast in place in sacrificial layers using
photolithography and planar deposition techniques; a small amount of
magnetic material is then electroplated onto each component, which are then
etched out of the substrate. The sensors have metal-oxide-superconductor
circuitry that provides on-chip signal processing, noise reduction, and
data acquisition. So far, the largest array created had 16 sensors spaced
1 millimeter apart. Tests have shown that the synthetic lateral line
allows a device to place itself near a vibrating source and detect a
hydrodynamic wake, which could allow tracking at long distances. Liu
thinks that vehicles could eventually create images of hydrodynamic events
autonomously.
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Rover and Pals Help Troops Tell Friend From Foe
New Scientist (02/24/07) Marks, Paul
The portion of U.S. troops killed by friendly fire during the first Iraq
war was higher than that of both the Vietnam War and World War II, but new
systems are being developed that will allow troops to better identify their
allies on the ground. An aircraft system currently being used in Iraq and
Afghanistan, known as Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver (Rover),
sends a signal from a camera mounted on a fighter or bomber to the laptop
of an air controller on the ground, who can circle objects on his screen
and have the same thing appear on a pilot's cockpit screen. The laptops
can even use wireless Internet connections to allow troops to send instant
messages or access video from aircraft using portable devices. Beyond air
support for ground activity, NATO is seeking a wider-ranging technology,
and has narrowed its search down to two "combat ID" systems. The first is
the Battlefield Target Identification Device (BTID), a millimeter-wave
radio transceiver in ground vehicles that sends out an ID code containing
GPS coordinates that can be picked up by friendly vehicles that
"interrogate" it. The second system being considered, Radio Based Combat
ID, utilizes existing GPS-equipped radios in ground vehicles and aircraft
to transmit the location and ID of all proximate vehicles. While this
system has proven effective, many nations have not implemented such radios
into their vehicles. NATO is currently using a non-standard version of
radio ID technology, the Friendly Force Tracking System (FFTS), which uses
on-board GPS receivers to report the location of each vehicle via radio; a
central control center then retransmits the information from friendly
vehicles to all units in the network.
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Cerf: Internet Is a Reflection of Society
IDG News Service (02/21/07) Ribeiro, John
Cybercrime and Internet fraud are problems that are socioeconomic in
nature, not technical problems, says Google VP and ICANN Chairman Vinton
Cerf. He says the problems that plague the Internet are a reflection of
society itself. "If you stand in front of a mirror and you don't like what
you see, it does not help to fix the mirror." Cerf predicts that the next
big Internet growth area will be sparked by mobile applications. In
support of this prediction, Cerf points to the IP packet layer
architecture, which separates applications from the communications medium,
which can be wireless and wireline. Cerf says it does not matter how the
IP packet is carried or what it is carrying. There are 2.5 billion mobile
phone users across the globe, and this number will grow with increasing
development in India and China. Cerf explains that people do not have to
get permission from ISPs to run applications on the edge of the Internet
system because the architecture of the Internet keeps intelligence at the
outer edge, thereby sparking an outburst of creativity, such as the
founding of Yahoo and Google.
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Algorithm Helps Computers Beat Human Go Players
Reuters (02/21/07) Gergely, Andras
The board game "Go" has long been a challenge for computers because
numerical values cannot be assigned to pieces, as they can in chess, but a
combination of dual processors and software that uses a method gleaned from
slot machine strategy has almost allowed computers to reach the level of
professional players. Chess programs can use numerical values to calculate
the value of a position, but Go programs must evaluate each move by playing
out an entire game resulting from that move, with possible results
increasing exponentially with each resulting potential move. Researchers
at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences have applied the philosophy that a
slot machine that has paid out less than others has the best potential for
holding a jackpot, but a balance should ideally be found between these
machines and those that have paid out the most. When deciding each move,
the Go software they developed, known as UCT, uses this concept to find the
best sample of scenarios resulting from each move to play out. Previous
programs had to choose a sample at random and choose the best of these
moves. UCT decides which routes, similar to branches on a tree, are most
worth testing based on a consistent record of beating other machines. The
19 by 19 board used by the world's best Go players was once beyond the
reach of computers, but "programs using this method immediately improve if
you use two processors instead of one," says Hungarian Academy of sciences
computer researcher Levente Kocsis.
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Computer Scientist Reveals the Math and Science Behind
Blockbuster Movies
EurekAlert (02/19/07) Levy, Dawn
The annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science held a symposium on Monday titled "Blockbuster Science: Math and
Science Behind Movies and Entertainment," where Stanford computer science
professor and Industrial Light and Magic consultant Ron Fedkiw spoke about
the computations that make solids and liquids look incredibly realistic in
the movies. "Since these motions are governed by physical processes, it
can be difficult to make these phenomena appear natural," Fedkiw said.
"Thus, physically based simulation has become quite popular in the special
effects industry." Computer graphics experts used to be limited to either
running optimal algorithms on a single processor or running inferior
algorithms on many processors, but Fedkiw developed a way to run the best
algorithms on many processors, allowing for advances in computational fluid
dynamics, solid mechanics, computer graphics, computer vision, and many
other fields. "The simulation of gases, liquids, and combustion for
scientific reasons quickly translates into the ability to make animations
of smoke, water, and fire," says Fedkiw. "Similar statements hold for soft
biological tissues, muscles, fractures and other solid material problems.
Once the scientific numerical simulations are worked out, interesting
animations can be made shortly thereafter." Once he joined Stanford's
computer science department in 2000, he submitted two papers to the 2001
ACM SIGGRAPH CG conference, and in 2005 ACM SIGGRAPH awarded him the
Significant New Researcher Award for his work in the CG community.
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CRA-W Cohort of Associate Professors
Computing Research News (01/07) Vol. 19, No. 1, P. 2; Irwin, Mary Jane;
Soffa, Mary Lou
America's global innovation leadership is threatened by a lack of
diversity--particularly women--in the IT workforce, according to Penn State
University computer science department chair Mary Jane Irwin and University
of Virginia computer science professor Mary Lou Soffa. The authors say the
disparity between the representation of women in computer science and
engineering and their representation in other scientific disciplines is
partly attributable to "the presence of senior women faculty in other
fields who serve as leaders for young girls and women." Only 27 percent of
professional computing-related positions and 15 percent of board and
executive seats in the leading IT-related companies are held by women. A
paucity of females in the highest levels of academia is especially
troubling, considering girls' desperate need for role models and mentors if
they are to become IT-proficient; boys also need female mentors and
instructors in order to get a fair and balanced perspective of female
colleagues, write Irwin and Soffa. A recent national study uncovered a
bias against females in academia, noting evidence of women being passed
over for promotion, assigned heavier workloads, and offered lower salaries
than men. CRA-W's Cohort of Associate Professors Project (CAPP) seeks to
create and mentor a cohort of female associate professors in an effort to
boost women's representation in the higher academic ranks of computer
science and engineering. The centerpiece of the initiative is the
participation of senior women, elevated to the position of CRA-W
Distinguished Professors, who are active role models, mentors, and
advisers. CAPP workshops feature two days of events, with a focus on
promotion and building a leadership role in the computing community on the
first day and a professional development seminar on the second.
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A Better Experience
SD Times (02/15/07)No. 168, Taft, Darryl K.
Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) is rapidly being adopted by the
enterprise because of its ability to facilitate a more fluid and less
fragmented user experience by turning HTML pages into Web applications,
according to Jakob Nielsen of the Nielsen Norman Group. He cautions that
AJAX could allow pop-ups to be employed to disseminate spam or irritating
advertising, while another shortcoming is the complexity of AJAX's
programming. Among AJAX's advantages is instant feedback and a greatly
improved degree of control, says Fog Creek Software CEO Joel Spolsky.
Because of this, many developers are attempting to incorporate AJAX into
every single Web application. Though AJAX's underlying technology has
existed for quite a while, "what's new is the growing consensus that Web
application user experiences can and should be improved, and an umbrella
term for the collection of techniques that Web developers can use to
incrementally improve Web applications," states Adobe Systems' Jeff
Whatcott. None of the AJAX technologies are vendor-controlled, and the
technologies can bring an open client that delivers a service-oriented
architecture model. Zimbra CTO Scott Dietzen says the two biggest
obstacles to the further mainstream penetration of AJAX are debugging and
ease of development, while the lack of a standard AJAX user interface
paradigm is also a problem, according to Canoo engineer Christian
Stettler.
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