There’s a place for everyone at ATEC

November 15, 2008

There’s a place for everyone at ATEC
If you’re an Alpha developer, you’ve no doubt heard about our yearly Alpha Technology and Education Conference (ATEC), and maybe even attended one yourself. This year’s conference took place in Atlanta from Sept. 4-6.

Every year, Alpha Five developers from around the world converge for a few days to share best practices, tools, tips, and techniques. But the conference emphasizes more than just theories and concepts of Alpha Five development. Rather, we show developers how to take full advantage of Alpha as both a desktop and Web database development program.

Sound good, but not sure if a full conference is the right place for you to learn more about Alpha Five? Our very own Jerry Brightbill attended this year, and wrote up a fairly detailed summary of his overall impressions of this year’s conference attendees. Here are his notes.

Most of the attendees were not full-time programmers. A significant portion were employees of companies where IT or application development was only a part of their jobs. The people in this category used Alpha Five mainly to fill a specific business need, and only learned enough about the product to meet that need. They had limited resources available to commit to a solution.

Nearly all of the application development was on the desktop using the built-in DBF data format, and most coding was limited to action scripting and simple Xbasic. Networked applications were common, but many were using terminal services or some type of VPN, rather than loading runtimes on users’ computers and using shadowed configurations.

Most of the small companies represented had some type of IT department, even if it was only one person working at it part time. This IT function typically limited the computer configurations allowed on the users’ computers, and was often tasked to do everything as cheaply as possible, which may be why few used runtimes loaded on multiple computers.

There were a few people there who could be considered full-time developers, but most were desktop only. Even the full-time developers used only limited parts of the capabilities of Alpha Five. Some had a commercial product, and limited their knowledge to the requirements of that product.

There were a couple developers who were doing Web development. Interestingly, these developers did almost no desktop development other than reports. A couple had worked on some hybrid solutions, but quickly moved to browser-based-only development.

A number of people were running most of their business processes using databases based on some version of Alpha Five, but very few of these systems could be considered “integrated.” Most were built piecemeal with little initial specification development or overall design.

Other data platforms, such as Excel, Lotus Notes, and paper-based processes, were common elements of the overall “system” in use. Most of the interest and focus appeared directed at solving a specific problem, and not on efficient overall design.

Since most of these systems were used by a limited number of users in a controlled environment, a number of elements considered critical in a commercial application were often not a concern. These limited interest areas included usability, scalable designs, limiting user access to program elements, etc.

Some people could be considered “dabblers” or “hobbyists.” Overall, the attendee makeup was heavily weighted to people using Alpha Five as a tool to solve a business problem. Previous conferences tended to have a larger proportion of the “hobbyist” element.

Many people expressed interest in alternative data platforms, but cost was a major concern. For that reason, many were looking at open source solutions, such as MySQL. Very few even considered more robust enterprise solutions as SQL Server or Oracle.

There was a lot of interest in Web development, primarily as an alternative to internal networked applications. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a large amount of interest in public Internet applications, but that may be because of the makeup of the attendees. Apparently some of the companies hired outside consultants to build limited public Web sites.

Most of the attendees recognized they have to learn new technologies, and the sessions on Web development and SQL were very well received. But there was a reluctance to move away from what they were doing now. As is common in small business, most were working on at least one generation old technology, and many were using Alpha Five Version 7 and Alpha Five Version 8.

A surprising number had not upgraded, as they felt they didn’t need Web capabilities or SQL support and the older versions worked adequately. There was some interest in future developments, but most wanted solutions they could use now.

The main reason given for not moving to Web or SQL was the learning curve. Many of the people were fairly new to database development in general, and had struggled to reach the knowledge levels they had achieved. The concept of learning any additional techniques was daunting.

The overall format of hands-on, two-hour training sessions was very popular. Approximately 50 to 60 percent of the people in each section actively participated, while others just watched the projection screens and followed the learning guides. In some sessions, the percentage was much higher, and some a little less. Each session included discussion periods that introduced a number of topics.

Most attendees expressed the importance of face to face discussion periods, such as question and answer periods, breaks, lunch, and even evening sessions. There was a lot of networking when sessions were not being held. All of the sessions seemed to have a lot of interaction between the instructors and the people in the session.

As you can see, Alpha Conferences are excellent learning environments for developers of all stripes and skill sets. I encourage you to attend the next one. You’ll be glad you did, and smarter, too!

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Fireworks 8 Portable | 35.27 MB Macromedia created Fireworks as a complete graphics applications aimed towards Web designers.It offers more advanced image control than existing packages, such as Photoshop or CorelDraw, for work that specifically relates to the Internet. Fireworks enables web designers to produce high quality images, export them in a variety of file formats while retaining

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Computational Linguistics: PhD Student, University of Potsdam, Germany

November 14, 2008

Computational Linguistics: PhD Student, University of Potsdam, Germany
Institution/ Organization: University of Potsdam
Department: Department of Linguistics
Web Address: http://www.ling. uni-potsdam. de

Level: PhD

Specialty Areas: Computational Linguistics

Description:
We invite applications for the position of a Research Assistant / PhD student to work within the Dialogue Group at the Department of Linguistics, University of Potsdam, Germany. The position is initially for one year, with the possibility of extension for an additional two years.

The successful applicant will work in the context of the project “InPro: Incrementality and Projection in Dialogue Processing’, which aims to investigate incremental processing methods for spoken dialogue systems. The main resposibility for the incoming RA / PhD student will be in the area of dialogue management. The team comprises one other PhD student and one Post-Doc.

Ideal candidates for the RA / PhD position have an excellent degree in Computational Linguistics, Linguistics, or Computer Science, and have shown ability for conducting original research. Prior work on dialogue systems and especially dialogue management would be a definite plus. Good programming skills are important, a keen interest in problem solving and research is essential. The successful candidate is encouraged to work towards a PhD degree in Computational Linguistics from the University of Potsdam.

The working language of the project is English.

We offer
- a competitive salary with all benefits (German TV-L 13 / BAT IIa payscale * 3/4, the actual salaries vary depending on age and family situation, currently between 2000 and 2600 E per month)
- a dynamic and international working environment. (Computational Linguistics is a growing part of Linguistics in Potsdam, which already is one of the larger linguistics departments in Germany; there are also established inter-disciplinary connections to e.g. computer science and psychology.)
- a nice (and affordable) living environment (Potsdam is a beautiful mid-sized city just on the outskirts of Berlin, from where, if desired, Potsdam is in easy commuting distance).

The position is open from December 1st, 2008 (or earlier), so candidates are encouraged to apply ASAP and reviewing of applications begins immediately; however, we are looking for the best candidate, so later starting dates may be negotiable as well.

To apply, please send
- a statement of research interests;
- a cv, including details of research experience;
- if applicable, (links to) sample publications; and
- addresses of at least two referees to Dr. David Schlangen ( das@ling.uni- potsdam.de ).

If you need further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Web:http://www.ling. uni-potsdam. de/~das

Application Deadline: 27-Oct-2008

Mailing Address for Applications:
Attn: Dr David Schlangen
Institut fuer Linguistik, Uni Potsdam
Karl Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25
Potsdam 14476
Germany

Contact Information:
Dr David Schlangen
das@ling.uni- potsdam.de

Written by Aha Bloger · Filed Under University Scholarship

Portable ACDSee 9 Photo Manager

November 13, 2008

Portable ACDSee 9 Photo Manager
ACDSee 9 Photo Manager Portable | 19.32 MB ACDSee - the worlds #1 digital imaging software. ACDSee Photo Manager is a comprehensive application ideal for acquiring, organizing, viewing, enhancing and sharing your images. With the image browser, you can find, organize, and preview images and media files on your computer, and you can efficiently acquire images from digital cameras, scanners, and

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Portable FantasyDVD Platinum 9.40.1108

November 11, 2008

Portable FantasyDVD Platinum 9.40.1108
FantasyDVD Platinum 9.40.1108 Portable | 10.41 MB Whether watching DVD movies on your laptop as you travel, using your computer as a second DVD player for your kids or watching a movie on your desktop as you work, FantasyDVD lets you get the most out of any computer with a DVD drive. In addition to all the features you find in your home entertainment DVD player, FantasyDVD gives you advanced

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Science in the 21st Century: Science, Society, and Information Technology

November 10, 2008

Science in the 21st Century: Science, Society, and Information Technology
Science in the 21st Century: Science, Society, and Information Technology
September 8th-12th 2008, Perimeter Institute, Waterloo, Ontario

Times are changing. In the earlier days, we used to go to the library, today we search and archive our papers online. We have collaborations per email, hold telephone seminars, organize virtual networks, write blogs, and make our seminars available on the internet. Without any doubt, these technological developments influence the way science is done, and they also redefine our relation to the society we live in. Information exchange and management, the scientific community, and the society as a whole can be thought of as a triangle of relationships, the mutual interactions in which are becoming increasingly important.

[http://www.science21stcentury.org/]

TOPICS

Web/Web 2.0.

Communication, Social and Information Networks, Wikis, Blogs, Information Overflow, and the Illusion of Knowledge

Globalization

Collaboration and Competition in the Scientific Community, the Global Village, the Limits of Growth, Science and Democracy

Open Access

Scientific Publishing, Science Journalism, Framing, and the ‘Marketplace of Ideas’

Sociology

Ethics, Morals, Trends, and Their Impact on Scientific Directions, Organization of Our Communities, Fragmentation, Feedback, Selection, and the Ivory Tower.

Miscellaneous and Other

Teaching, Information Storage, Resilience and the Next Generation

PROGRAM

Preliminary Schedule (July 11st)

MONDAY / SEPTEMBER 8 2008

9:15 / REGISTRATION

9:45 / Hossenfelder, Sabine / Opening/

10:00 / Hossenfelder, Sabine / Introduction

11:00 / Orzel, Chad / Talking to My Dog about Science: Weblogs and Public Outreach

12:00 / LUNCH

14:00 / Distler, Jacques / Blogs, Wikis, MathML: Scientific Communication

15:00 / COFFEE BREAK

15:30 / Willinsky, John / Open Access Is Public Access

16:30 / Discussion / The Fall of the Ivory Tower: Science Gets Closer to the Public

18:00 / RECEPTION

19:00 / Pang, Alex / Mapping Science in the 21st Century

TUESDAY / SEPTEMBER 9 2008

10:00 / Hannay, Timo / TBA

11:00 / Ginsparg, Paul / Next-Generation Implications of Open Access

12:00 / LUNCH

14:00 / Nielsen, Michael / Cultural Openness and Its Connection to Online Innovation in Science

15:00 / COFFEE BREAK

15:30 / Odlyzko, Andrew / The Evolution of Scholarly Communication and the Supreme Power of Inertia

16:30 / Discussion / The Future of Scientific Collaboration

18:00 / Meeting (Alice Room) / IT Tools for Science

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2008

10:00 / Collins, Harry / TBA

11:00 / Fuller, Steve (per video) / TBA

12:00 /LUNCH

14:00 / Kaiser, David / Toil, Trouble, and the Cold War Bubble: Physics and the Academy since World War II

15:00 / COFFEE BREAK

15:30 / Smolin, Lee / Science as an Ethical Community

16:30 / Discussion /Power and Progress: Democracy and Ethics in Science

19:00 /CONFERENCE DINNER

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 2008

10:00 / Noveck, Beth / TBA

11:00 / Weinstein, Eric / TBA

12:00 / LUNCH

14:00 / Wellman, Barry / Networked Individualism and the Triple Revolution: Networks, Internet and Mobility

15:00 / COFFEE BREAK

15:30 / Börner, Katy / 21st Century Science Maps

16:30 / Discussion / Information Flow and Overflow: How the Internet Changes Our Lives

19:00 / Discussion / Scientific Utopia: Alternative Forms of Scientific Institutions

FRIDAY / SEPTEMBER 12 2008

10:00 / Wilson, Greg / Can the Web Make Scientists Brush Their Teeth?

11:00 / Neylon, Cameron / Science in the Open /or/ How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Blog

12:00 / LUNCH

14:00 / Zivkovic, Bora / Summary / Closing Discussion

15:00 END OF CONFERENCE

[http://www.science21stcentury.org/program.html]

ABSTRACTS

[http://www.science21stcentury.org/abstracts.html]

PARTICIPANTS

[http://www.science21stcentury.org/participants.html]

REGISTRATION

[http://www.science21stcentury.org/registration.html]

HOST

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

[http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/]

PhD in DSP for Digital Terrain Elevation Data-NLDA/Delft
Ph.D. Research Assistantship to Explore the Potential of DSP for Digital Terrain Elevation Data at the Netherlands Defense Academy and Delft University of Technology

With today’s digital signal processing capabilities, it becomes possible to optimize the performance parameters of a navigation system for a particular set of intended applications. The Netherlands Defense Academy and the Delft University of Technology are providing an opportunity of a Ph.D. research assistantship to explore opportunities in the field of Terrain Reference Navigation (TRN) by using digital signal processing techniques that were originally developed for the acquisition and tracking of GPS signals.

The goal of the research is to contribute to the creation of a design framework which can be used to match technology and processing concepts to a particular set of navigation system performance requirements. The focus lies on exploring the potential of various digital signal processing concepts for matching a set of distance measurements with a stored database of the environment.

The candidate should hold a Master’s degree in electrical engineering, computer science,
applied mathematics or any other relevant study with substantial knowledge on data
processing. Research will be conducted both at the Netherlands Defense Academy and at
Delft University of Technology. Leaders of the project are established researchers in the
field of applied mathematics, geomatics and electronics. Contact Prof. P.J. Oonincx, Netherlands Defense Academy, at [pj.oonincx AT nlda.nl]. More information about the Netherlands Defense Academy can be found here http://www.nlda. nl

Written by Aha Bloger · Filed Under University Scholarship

PhD in DSP for Digital Terrain Elevation Data-NLDA/Delft

November 9, 2008

Beasiswa S2 USA: Master Programme in Advance Management Studies at JAIMS
THE FUJITSU ASIA PACIFIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
A full-tuition Scholarship For Management Training in Hawaii.

Fujitsu is a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the global marketplace, established the Fujitsu Asia Pacific Scholarship Program in 1985. The Scholarship was established to enhance international understanding and cross-cultural communication through management education and training. Fujitsu is committed to promoting the development of both technology and human resources at global level.

East-West Knowledge Leader Program (EWKLP)
An intensive three-month Graduate diploma program at JAIMS in Honolulu, Hawaii. JAIMS is a nonprofit postgraduate institute that has been a pioneer in intercultural management education since 1972. Over 22,000 participants from 59 countries have come to JAIMS to learn skill essential for success in the international arena.
JAIMS

* Intercultural Business Leadership
* Global Marketing
* Cross-Cultural negotiation and Problem-solving
* Business Plan Development and Entrepreneurship
* Business Communication
* One-week field study in Japan

Program Information: www.jaims.org

Application Deadline: January 31st, 2009

Please send your application letter and CV to:
PT. FUJITSU INDONESIA
Wisma Kyoei Prince 10thFloor
Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav.3-4
Jakarta 10220
Indonesia
Attn: Mr. Raditya Padmawangsa
Ms. Ella Lamzia
E-mail: scholarship@id.fujitsu.com
Scholarship information: www.fujitsu.com/scholarship

Written by Aha Bloger · Filed Under University Scholarship

Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy

November 9, 2008

Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy
This fall [Lawrence Lessig is] coming out with his latest book,

Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy

which argues that the legal system is making criminals out of young people who produce entertaining or informative videos, music, and other art works through piecing together parts of others’ works. He advocates a new type of economy that allows both market competition and people to freely share their art.

Source

[http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/3220/in-a-new-book-lessig-says-society-is-turning-artists-into-criminals]

Amazon

The author of Free Culture shows how we harm our children—and almost anyone who creates, enjoys, or sells any art form—with a restrictive copyright system driven by corporate interests. Lessig reveals the solutions to this impasse offered by a collaborative yet profitable “hybrid economy”.

Lawrence Lessig, the reigning authority on intellectual property in the Internet age, spotlights the newest and possibly the most harmful culture war—a war waged against our kids and others who create and consume art. America’s copyright laws have ceased to perform their original, beneficial role: protecting artists’ creations while allowing them to build on previous creative works. In fact, our system now criminalizes those very actions.For many, new technologies have made it irresistible to flout these unreasonable and ultimately untenable laws.

Some of today’s most talented artists are felons, and so are our kids, who see no reason why they shouldn’t do what their computers and the Web let them do, from burning a copyrighted CD for a friend to “biting” riffs from films, videos, songs, etc and making new art from them.Criminalizing our children and others is exactly what our society should not do, and Lessig shows how we can and must end this conflict—a war as ill conceived and unwinnable as the war on drugs. By embracing “read-write culture,” which allows its users to create art as readily as they consume it, we can ensure that creators get the support—artistic, commercial, and ethical—that they deserve and need. Indeed, we can already see glimmers of a new hybrid economy that combines the profit motives of traditional business with the “sharing economy” evident in such Web sites as Wikipedia and YouTube.

The hybrid economy will become ever more prominent in every creative realm—from news to music—and Lessig shows how we can and should use it to benefit those who make and consume culture.Remix is an urgent, eloquent plea to end a war that harms our children and other intrepid creative users of new technologies. It also offers an inspiring vision of the post-war world where enormous opportunities await those who view art as a resource to be shared openly rather than a commodity to be hoarded.

[http://www.amazon.com/Remix-Making-Commerce-Thrive-Economy/dp/1594201722]

Written by Aha Bloger · Filed Under University Scholarship

Alpha Software ahora en Espanol!

November 8, 2008

Alpha Software ahora en Espanol!
We’re slicing the limes and passing the tequila here at Alpha Software today in honor of our newest Mexican partner, Serco Commercial. Just kidding, I’m just sitting alone in my office wearing a Sombrero eating a taco. Kidding again, I’m just alone in my office. But I am really excited!

Headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, with branches throughout the country, Serco has been in the software biz for more than 15 years. They specialize in designing, programming, and implementing desktop and Web-based software solutions tailored to their customers’ needs.

We recently sat down with Luis Rodriguez, software engineer and president of Serco Commercial, to talk about our promising new partnership. Please welcome Luis and his team to the Alpha community, and enjoy this introduction we put together.

Y ahora, una version en espanol. You like that? I’ve been practicing.

Portable Adobe Digital Edition
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PhD in DSP for Digital Terrain Elevation Data-NLDA/Delft

November 7, 2008

Written by Aha Bloger · Filed Under University Scholarship

Security 101: When e-commerce sites make epic flubs

November 6, 2008

Security 101: When e-commerce sites make epic flubs
See this Computerworld article about how credit card thieves have been helped by “well designed” software? Jeez Louise.

The Department of Justice is charging 11 people with fraud in what is considered one of the largest and most organized credit card theft operations ever, targeted at BJ’s Wholesale Club, TJX, DSW Shoe Warehouse, OfficeMax, Barnes & Noble, Boston Market, Sports Authority, and Forever 21.

The process these thieves used was a “packet sniffer” on wireless networks, which let them see customer logins or intercept transactions when they broke into the companies’ wireless network. Once they were logged in with the right access, they could probably see everything, including any stored credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, etc.

Since many login process don’t use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), they’re easy targets, and the obvious weak link. Even with encrypted passwords, if the login isn’t across SSL, the password is sent as clear text on the login request! Trying to encrypt on the client side is worthless, since the code is exposed and easy to crack. It’s even easier to capture real-time transaction requests with sensitive data that are made outside of SSL.

Once the thieves had the information, they decrypted PINs, made new cards, and then got cash from ATMs. The Department of Justice says the thieves sold credit card data on Web sites that specialize in trading that information. Millions of dollars were lost. And they operated globally, using offshore banks and other methods to turn stolen data into cash.

The solutions here are obvious. Most advanced e-commerce sites complete all of their checkouts across SSL to block that avenue of attack, but few run all logins across SSL. Even if the system doesn’t store credit card numbers or other sensitive data, getting login information could expose other valuable data a thief could use.

From my standpoint, it’s hard to believe that this stupid stuff is still going on. We’re talking absolute Security 101 here. But, then again, after the Wall Street shenanigans, anything is possible in the Wide World of Dumb.

There’s no question that it’s time for some of these negligent IT people — and their CEOs — to do the perp walk. The only way to get their attention is by gently squeezing their cajones … for three to five years.