Tower Bridge

Another series of pictures I took on my last visit to London. More pictures can be found here.

JavaCard 3 Specifications Released

After almost one year after the announcement of the Java Card 3.0, Sun finally releases it!
Java Card technology enables smart cards and other devices with very limited memory to run small applications, that employ Java technology. It provides smart card manufacturers with a secure and interoperable execution platform that can store and update multiple applications on a single device.

Deployed in markets as diverse as Telecommunications (SIM applications), Finance (EMV) and Citizen ID (Passports and ID Cards), Java Card technology is the most pervasive open platform for secure devices, with over 3.5 Billion Java Powered smart cards deployed worldwide.

Sun Microsystems has now released the latest specifications of its market leading Java Card technology, and industry experts believe it will revolutionize the way smart card services are conceived and deployed.

Next Generation Java Card technology will be available in two separate, yet coherent editions.

Java Card technology, Classic Edition is based on an evolution of the Java Card Platform, Version 2.2.2 and targets more resource-constrained devices that support traditional applet-based applications. It introduces several incremental changes to the previous version to ensure alignment with smart card and security standards.

Java Card technology, Connected Edition features a significantly enhanced execution environment and a new virtual machine. It includes new network-oriented features, such as support for web applications, and support for applets with extended and advanced capabilities.

Both Editions are compatible with applications written for previous versions. They also share key security features and build on the trust and expertise derived from ten years of deploying secure Java Card products.

The specifications can be downloaded from here.

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And it still snows in April

Thanks to global warming even in april there is quite a heavy snowfall in surrey. I took a few pictures in the campus today. You can see from the picture of my shoes how deep the snow is.

VMWare 6.5 Beta

Workstation 6.5 and ACE 2.5 beta are out and available for download. The most interesting feature added for me is the Support for Smart Cards and Smart Card Readers. Also an interesting new feature is the “Unity” that integrates applications on guest to be controlled from the host. Not sure at the moment how will it effect the debate on testing / debugging malware in a Virtual envrironment.

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Of Spring, Daffodils, Rain & Snow

Surrey’s climate is really unpredictable. It is shiny one day and the same night it snows. Yea even in late March when Founders is full of daffodils we got ocassional pour down of snow. Not to mention whenever Im out without my umbrella it starts raining. A took some pictures of a whole lovely bunch of daisy’s and daffodils at the back of Founders Building. One with an ancient touch is below.

Sun Labs, Sun SPOTs

If you are interested in robotics, wireless sensors, java, or embedded systems programming and you have not heard of SunSPOTs yet, you really live somewhere on Mars.

Sun SPOT (stands for Small Programmable Object Technology) are very powerful and sophisticated little devices, perfect for sensor-based applications, and pervasive computing.

It is a battery-operated (USB charged) platform for development of radio-controlled sensor networks, robotics, and personal consumer electronics. Each kit comes with a base station and two Spot devices, each of which, in turn, includes a processor, a radio, a sensor board, and battery. You can also add servo motors and your own sensors on top of the acceleration, temperature, and light sensors that come with each Spot. You program and build the Java VM-based Spots to do whatever it is you want to build; examples of Spot applications developed so far include microwave detection, robotic-arm control, and slot-car control.

Technically a Sun SPOT has the following:

• a 3-axis accelerometer (with two range settings: 2G or 6G)
• a temperature sensor
• a light sensor
• 8 tri-color LEDs
• 6 analog inputs readable by an ADC
• 2 momentary switches
• 5 general purpose I/O pins and 4 high current output pins

Sun has also introduced a Sun SPOT Open Grant Program and a Request for Proposal is currently open. For details go here.

Sun Labs staff engineer, David G. Simmons, has an extremely helpful Sun SPOT blog that is worth checking out. And even YouTube has some 40 Sun SPOT videos with slot cars, a pumpkin that screams and talks when shaken, video games and more to check out. Also, for more on Sun SPOTs check out Roger Meike’s blog; he’s senior director of area 51 and director of operations at Sun Labs.

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How to make portable apps.

Portable applications are useful. You do not need to install them, carry them along with all the settings, forget about platforms, configurations, settings and most important liscencing.

There are a number of techniques to make portable apps. Thinstall uses an Application Virtualization Technique to achive that purpose. VMWare recently acquired it and the application is now available as freeware (for the time being atleast) under the name of Project North Star.

The application usage is as simple as running the installer of an application first. NorthStar will trace all the exe’s, dlls, registry changes, filesystem changes, policy changes and package them all into one installer or exe with optional separate configuration that you could then run directly into any other platform.

If you also have some applications that are incompatible with Vista, you could install them under XP and using NorthStar you could run them under Vista (since it is virtualization).

A nice beginner tutorial is on youtube here.
Another video for how to run different versions of Internet Explorer on the same desktop machine can be found here.

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