A small list of Small Real Time Operating Systems!

The art of making a real time operating system continues to flourish, although currently the focus of innovation is on how small and efficient the RTOS can be made. These small-footprint RTOSs provide only the minimal OS support, including task management, inter-process communication, and memory management. File systems, graphics, and communication protocol stacks are usually available for an additional charge and can significantly increase a system's footprint. The following are the descriptions of a few of the RTOS which can be categorized as small (other RTOS like RTLinux, KURT etc have not been included, as they have not been considered as a small RTOS):

1. eCos is an RTOS that is dependable, license free, and truly open-source. It has been tested and ported on multiple platforms and is highly configurable in architecture. It supports processors based on ARM7, ARM9, ColdFire, IA32, MIPS, PowerPC, SuperH, Xscale, among others. Website: www.ecoscentric.com

2. CMX Systems has moved its CMX-RTX from CMX's usual 8- and 16-bit realm into the 32- and 64-bit world. The functionality is the same, and its footprint is on the order of 3.5 to 20 kbytes. CMX-Tiny+ is an even smaller, more limited RTOS. CMXRTX is only part of the puzzle, though. CMX's other protocol stacks and file systems also are available. Many of these can be used without an operating system. Royalty-free licenses start at $2200. Website: www.cmx.com

3. Green Hills Software's u-VelOSity is the little brother of VelOSity, which in turn is the basis for the high-end Integrity RTOS. u-VelOSity has a very small footprint, starting at 1.6 kbytes of flash and about 1 kbyte of SRAM. Its application programming interface (API) is upward-compatible with its siblings. Contact Green Hills Software for royalty-free pricing. Website: www.ghs.com

4. FreeRTOS is a portable, open source, mini Real Time Kernel - a free to download and royalty free RTOS that can be used in commercial applications. It is both preemptive and cooperative and has been ported on to ARM CORTEX M3, ARM7, HCS12, MSP430, AVR, PIC, and several other 8/16/32 bit processors. Website: www.freertos.org

5. ChorusOS operating system was developed by Sun Microsystems. It is a highly scalable and reliable embedded operating system that has established itself among top telecom suppliers. The ChorusOS operating system is used in public switches and PBXs, as well as within access networks, cross-connect switches, voice-mail systems, cellular base stations, cellular phones. Its features include component-based architecture for high configurability, allowing a high degree of scalability (requires 10KB RAM to run), multiple OS personalities and Inter-Process communication. Website: www.sun.com/chorusos

6. Express Logic's Threadx V5 offers a starting footprint that's under 6 kbytes of flash. It adds real-time performance metrics, run-time stack analysis, and built-in software trace support. A simplified timer interrupt and increased priority levels make the platform even more flexible. The new event-chaining feature allows a task to wait on a group of message queues. Royalty-free licenses start at $12,500. Website: www.rtos.com

7. Quadros' RTXC also targets a range of platforms. Its dual-mode version is optimized for RISC/DSP microcontrollers. A single-project license starts at $15,500. Website: www.quadros.com

8. Coyotos is a secure, microkernel-based operating system that builds on the ideas and experiences of the EROS project. Much of the code developed for EROS will migrate directly to Coyotos. The Coyotos project’s objectives include correcting the shortcomings of the earlier EROS design, demonstrate that an atomic kernel design scales up as well as down, bring up versions of Coyotos on large-scale multiprocessors, provide an efficient linux compatibility environment for use as a transitional runtime system, so that it is possible to explore adapting applications to a more secure API foundation, construct the kernel and key utilities in a new systems programming language (BitC) with a well-defined, mechanically-specified semantics (which will allow formal verification of security and correctness properties of the system and its key utilities). It is also one of the few RTOS which is being targeted at AMD-64, and multi-core processors. Website: http://www.coyotos.org

9. embOS is a very efficient and small OS, which features the entire palette of communication mechanisms such as mailboxes, events and different kinds of semaphores. All tasks and communication instances can be dynamically created, deleted and configured. It is fully priority controlled : out of the tasks in READY-state, the one with the highest priority is active. Tasks that have identical priorities are executed "quasi-simultaneously" in round robin. If no task is ready, embOS automatically puts the CPU in to a power-saving mode in the idle-task. Website: www.segger.com

10. L4 microkernel is a high-performance RTOS and extremely suitable for secure, highly reliable, embedded applications. Its design philosophy is based on the following: Trustworthiness of a system has a lot to do with its size, even well-engineered code has of the order of several defects per thousand lines of code (loc). Hence, a bigger system has inherently more bugs than a small system. This is particularly relevant for the kernel, as it is not subject to protection mechanisms. Therefore any kernel bug is potentially fatal for the system (which is the same as saying that the kernel is part of the trusted computing base (TCB). Minimising the exposure to faults means minimising the TCB. As the kernel is always part of the TCB, a small TCB requires a small kernel. L4 is one of the smallest kernels in existence and is known for its excellent performance. Website: http://ertos.nicta.com.au/research/l4

11. eQip is a community project to develop QNX on handheld devices. It is a public extension of the QNX\'s iPAQ reference platform. eQip stands for "embedded QNX for information appliance". Website: http://eqip.openqnx.com/

12. RxDOS is a fast industrial strength DOS compatible RTOS, supports huge disk drives, FAT32 volumes, Windows 95/98 long filenames, coded in Assembly, and is open source with GPL license. Website: http://sourceforge.net/projects/rxdos/

13. Fusion RTOS is a priority based, preemptive, multitasking real-time operating system designed and optimized for next generation DSP architectures. Many DSP applications operate under tight memory requirements. The Fusion RTOS kernel can be configured to operate with as little as 1 - 1.5 K of DSP code space. The kernel uses less than 30 words of ram. Each task control block uses only 15 words of ram. The memory requirements of Fusion RTOS are miniscule. The Fusion RTOS kernel is extremely fast and is capable of a higher level of performance than any microcontroller based OS can deliver. Minimum context switch times can be as fast as 190 Cycles (4.75 usec @ 40 MIPs). Website: www.unicoi.com

14. MQX RTOS provides proven performance, with blazing real-time speed within a tiny footprint. The MQX RTOS is designed to be easy to configure to balance code size with performance requirements; alternative settings can be selected, benchmarked and iterated to optimize cost and performance. Depending on platform and options chosen, the MQX RTOS can be configured to take as little as 6K bytes of ROM, including kernel, interrupts, semaphores, queues and memory manager. The MQX RTOS delivers the performance that demanding customer have come to expect in leading RTOS solutions as well, on a 200 MHz PowerPC® MPC8248, interrupt latency came in at 0.331 μsec and context switch time was benchmarked at 0.558 μsec. Website: http://www.psti.com/products/mqx

15. On Time RTOS-32 is a royalty-free hard real-time embedded operating system for protected mode 32-bit x86 CPUs implements a Windows subset kernel in only 16k of memory. It provides about 250 Win32 API functions and can load Windows DLLs. Website: www.on-time.com/rtos-32.htm

16. Salvo RTOS is designed expressly for very-low-cost embedded systems with severely limited ROM and RAM. Typical applications use 1-2K ROM and 50-100 bytes of RAM. Salvo can be used for 8051 family and its derivatives, ARClite microRISC synthesizeable 8-bit core, ARM ARM7TDMI and Cortex-M3, Atmel AVR and MegaAVR, Motorola M68HC11, TI's MSP430 Ultra-Low Power Microcontroller, Microchip PIC12|14000|16|17|18 PICmicro MCUs, Microchip PIC24 MCUs and dsPIC DSCs and TI's TMS320C2000 DSPs. Website: www.pumpkininc.com/

17. SMX is a no royalty, full featured, fast, preemptive kernel. Unlike generic C kernels, it exploits strengths of x86 architecture and makes them easily used by programmers. Optimal mix of speed, compactness, functions. Supports ColdFire, PowerPC, x86. Website: www.smxrtos.com

18. Tics RTOS is a powerful real-time operating system with an easy to understand API. Tics is distributed under the GPL license. Tics can run on virtually any microprocessor; you only need to create a hardware support file for your particular processor. A sample hardware support file is provided that allows Tics to run under DOS. This sample hardware support file can be used as a template to create hardware support files for other processors. Website: www.concentric.net/~Tics/

19. Turbo Task is a tiny but full-featured and royalty-free real time operating system for the Rabbit and Z-80/Z180 microprocessors. TurboTask ranges in size from 1k to 2.5k, depending on the features that are used. TurboTask is written in 100% assembly code making it as small and as fast as possible. An economical and royalty-free binary license is available. Website: www.softools.com/turbotask.htm

20. Jbed is embedded Java RTOS with hard realtime capability, unique technology combines small footprint, high speed, and the safety and productivity of Java. It is a component-based, safe run-time system, for Java and Component Pascal. It allows remote reconfiguration with no down-time. Website: www.esmertec.com

21. µC/OS-II RTOS is a highly portable, ROMable, very scalable, preemptive real-time, multitasking kernel (RTOS) for microprocessors and microcontrollers. µC/OS-II runs on a large number of processor architectures. A Validation Suite developed for µC/OS-II provides all of the documentation necessary to deliver µC/OS-II as a pre-certifiable software component for safety critical systems, including avionics RTCA DO-178B and EUROCAE ED-12B, medical FDA 510(k), and IEC 61058 standard for transportation and nuclear systems. Website: www.ucos-ii.com/products/rtos/kernel/rtos.html

The Transparent IC ! - Now you see it ! Now you dont!

(source: Electronic Design )

John Wager, a professor of electrical engineering at Oregon State University, has to squint hard when he looks at his research team's latest invention, a transparent integrated-circuit. "You can put it in a window and not even know it's there," he says.

The experimental five-stage circuit, a ring oscillator, promises to open the door to a new generation of see-through electronics. One possible application would be transparent backplane displays that appear to hang invisibly in space

Besides fancy desktop and group presentation screens, the technology also could lead to enhanced "heads-up" information systems based on displayintegrated "smart windshields" rather than expensive and finicky projection systems in automobiles and other vehicles.

Transparent chips additionally could serve as the foundation for more efficient solar cells and enhanced LCDs, Wager says. The technology promises to help electronics manufacturers cram more circuitry into small spaces as well. "You can save a lot of space, particularly in portable devices, when the circuit board is also the screen," says Wager.

The chip is made from indium gallium oxide, a compound that offers high electron mobility, chemical stability, and physical stability. All of these characteristics, plus the ability to manufacture the chips at low temperatures, ultimately should help make the technology relatively inexpensive to produce in large quantities.

Wager believes his technology will give organic and polymer devices a run for their money in applications like large-area, flexible, disposable, and printed electronics. "After just a couple years of work, we're actually seeing better performance than organics and polymers," he says. "We're seeing mobilities, for example, that are higher than the theoretical limit of organic and polymer materials."

Although the prototype IC was constructed on a glass substrate, Wager is confident that he can build a version of the chip on a flexible plastic substrate that will still outperform its organic and polymer counterparts. Wager also foresees no problems in scaling the current prototype into larger, more complex circuits.

"A ring oscillator provides the proof that we can do a circuit," he says. "It also gives us a means of predicting what operating speeds we can achieve."

The IC can be produced with conventional photolithography techniques. Wager claims that his technology, produced by sputtering, is more manufacturable than organic or polymer devices, which are typically made by either vacuum evaporation or spin-coating processing. "Most industries would prefer to go into high-volume manufacturing using sputtering," he says.

Although Wager is hesitant to predict when transparent chips may be a commercial mainstay, he's encouraged by how quickly his research has progressed. It took less than three years to move from a discrete transparent transistor to the fivestage oscillator. "I don't see any technological or scientific show stoppers in the way," he says. "A lot of it is going to depend on whether a killer app appears that can make someone a lot of money."

oh kewl! Sliding-clamshell mobile !

(source: Mobiledia - Samsung invents sliding-clamshell design)

According to Samsung's patent application, clamshell phones have an advantage in portability due to their compact size; however the screen is typically very small. By contrast, sliding phones have large screens, but are often large. Additionally, LCDs on sliders are typically exposed without a protective cover, making them more susceptible to damage. Samsung's sliding-clamshell invention attempts to solve these problems by having a large, protected display while keeping a compact size.

The sliding-clamshell is similar in compactness to typical folding phones, with the addition of a transparent window protecting the screen beneath.

Opening the device, the soft external cover unfolds to become a track for the body, with a corrugated hinge linking the track in place. Sliding the body upwards, the phone unveils two keypad sections, reminiscent in layout to Nokia's 6800-series clamshells. Allowing consumers to use both hands in a horizontal view, the design is ideal for mobile gaming.

How to negotiate with the Americans

(source: Rediff Guest Column, article by: Anirban Dutta works with the IBM Software Group)

How many times have you felt that you were being pushed around, pointed at and critically judged at a business meeting involving American customers? You wanted to convey your thoughts, explain why it is unrealistic to expect a service request completion by certain date, only to realise that your entire plea to negotiate fell on deaf years.

Welcome to the world of cross-cultural negotiation. If this makes you feel any better, your American customers are constantly feeling the same level of desperation on not being able to communicate and come to conclusions while negotiating with you.

We are constantly negotiating whether we call it negotiation or not. In business environments, negotiation ranges from a request on when one can go on vacation to pricing on complex sales.

Due to the nature of today's flat business world, many times we work with customers, partners etc who live across the globe from us who we never see face to face. Our means of successful communication depend on our ability to understand cultural differences and present our thoughts accordingly.

I have seen from close quarters how many of my American and Indian business associates struggle culturally while negotiating. If you are aware of what the person across the table is expecting, you will handle the situation much better than other others who are not prepared.

In this article, I have provided a few business culture tips for negotiating with the Americans. My thoughts on this topic are not based on any thorough academic research, but comprise of what I have observed time and time again while doing business in India and the US. But before we go any further, here is a true case study that is close to heart on how culture affects business negotiation.

Case Study

I have been a loyal Friday lunch customer at an Indian restaurant in Dallas for eight years. Ravi, (real name withheld) the owner of the restaurant, is a very enterprising young man full of passion who has recently ventured into real estate in Hyderabad.

About three weeks back, he sought a meeting with me to invest in one of his land deals in India. Over a two-hour lunch, Ravi provided me a lot of details about the people he is working with and the reason behind why he is going through with the deal.

We talked about politics, business environment and, of course, cricket. He promised a very handsome expected ROI (return on interest) with an approximate investment time frame.

There was only one problem; his business pitch lacked any substantial hard metrics that backs up the merits of the deal. I knew Ravi very well and am well aware of his sound management capabilities.

Instead of making a judgment on the spot, I set a date to have another meeting where I brought in an American friend and a mentor Bob (real name not used again for privacy), a person who is proficient in carving out high end complex real estate deals in North America.

Below were some of the things Bob was looking for:

• Documented customer success stories
• Proof of current fiscal health for all partners scheduled to be part of this deal
• Foreword looking financial statements

The list goes on and on, all questions basically screaming one thing; show me some facts.

Instead of providing the hard measurable facts about this opportunity, Ravi was constantly reminding us about the executive backing he had for his project from top politicians, government officials etc. Ravi's approach was to provide us credible sources who can give us their opinion about this deal rather than supplying the core metrics.

While this may be an extreme case of two different mind frames and ways of doing business, I have seen many times that Indian businesses provide a lot of emphasis on situation and feelings coupled with some facts versus providing pure facts without any seasoning.

As a culture, traditionally we have always liked mingling with people and getting engaged in detailed discussions about everything under the sun. This approach described above puts the prime focus on relationship building and trust creation.

Although a lot of the bigger organisations that are doing more business with Americans have moved on to a pure fact based pitch to make their presentation more American mainstream, there are still many small to mid size Indian businesses who pitch purely from a relationship seeking detailed discussion approach.

Unless you are dealing with an American counterpart who is familiar with Indian ways and understand this type of Indo centric negotiation, I recommend you to focus mainly on providing your views from primarily a fact based approach with maybe a little bit of seasoning.

A few lessons

Articulation of fact based information: I should have known better that Ravi and Bob have two different ways of going about business. Before I engaged Bob, one thing I could have done was to send a proposal template to Ravi asking him to fill it up with facts about this project.

Ravi might have had to go and dig them up, but it would have provided him a strong business case to convince Bob and me about this land deal.

When you are dealing with an American, it may work to your best interest if you send a simple proposal with information about your agenda prior to your meeting, and make a list of things you want to know from the other person.

You should keep this document as simple as possible for clarity. Jeanne Brett, a distinguished professor from Northwestern University who specialises in cross-cultural negotiations, suggests this approach of applying proposals to gather information as very effective.

I have personally used this approach in other occasions where I have seen a lot of success via this method of understanding.

Setting up the right expectation to reach true discovery: In my current sales role in IBM, I have to meet many people from different cultures from all over the world. One thing that I have started doing has provided me good help in bridging the business culture gap while negotiating. Typically all of us are proficient in going over the meeting agenda before the meeting starts.

What we do not do is acknowledge the fact that there are many people from different cultures and their ways of deducing information may be completely different. I acknowledge upfront the fact that there is a lot of cultural diversity in the group and suggest everybody to ask more questions for clarity.

Throughout the meeting I provide little nudges to ask more leading questions related to the topic. This approach leaves little to interpretation and more to the problem discovery aspect of negotiation.

Understanding status-based persuasion versus reference based persuasion: Americans by nature value independence and self-dependence more than hierarchy and status. Indians, like most Asians, put a lot of focus on hierarchy and standing of an individual.

We grow up in a society where we learn to respect and listen to adults, in many cases even if they are wrong. We address our neighbours by calling them uncle or aunts from early childhood.

When we move into business, we tend to show a lot of respect and value to the folks who are higher up in the organisation or higher up in society. So, when they endorse something, it really means a lot to us.

In our story, Ravi was trying to convince Bob with a status based persuasion approach. Bob on the other hand was constantly asking if these ministers, senior officials were engaged in similar real estate deals. Bob was trying to understand if Ravi was providing these names as credible references who 'has been there, done that' with Ravi. The fact that these guys did not participate in a deal like this but were willing to vow for success criterion regarding this effort did not go well with Bob.

Again, if you are negotiating with an American who is not prone to Indian ways, it may be better to provide credible reference that may not be big names rather than using big names to receive status based concession.

Above were a few observations and suggestions that helped me bridge the business negotiation gap between Indians and Americans. I wish you all the best in your business negotiations with the Americans.

Employee Retention (What's your People's Policy?)

(Source: The Economic Times, the authors are owners of San Diego Consulting Group -- Kevin & Jackie Freiberg)

Okay, so here’s the pointed question: how many of your employees do you think are interested in leaving their jobs? Well the shocking truth is based on national surveys conducted by the Saratoga Institute, Spherion and Randstad Staffing agencies. Believe it or not, more than half, 51% of the US workers surveyed are interested in leaving their jobs and 75% of them want to make the change within the next year.

Different Set of Expectations:

In the aftermath of 9/11 and with the increasing number of corporate ethics scandals being brought to light, people are continually re-evaluating life/work priorities. The rules have changed and employees are bringing a different set of expectations to work. Again, national surveys show that people in general are placing a huge priority on other things. Less people are willing to put family on hold for career goals. At the end of the day people want to feel like the gifts and talents they offer to the company actually make a difference. They want to engage in work that matters.

People want to live life:

People also want the freedom to take care of life’s issues and challenges when they happen. Guess what, life doesn’t just happen before 8 am, after 5 pm and on the weekends. Life happens when it happens. People want to work for a boss who is willing to give them the flexibility to live it. Employees want the opportunity to participate in things like flextime, telecomuting, onsite day-care and community service projects. Unfortunately, 75% of those surveyed said their companies do not offer them.

Good relationships have become a priority at work:

With as much time as people are spending at work these days, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. People want to like their work team. They also want and need information. They want to know the good, the bad, and they want to know what you don’t know. So don’t hold back, communicate like crazy!

What do we know about the key retention factors in light of the heightened expectations people are bringing with them into the work environment ? In other words, what will help you hang on to the talent you’ve currently got? Once again we lean on the survey data. Traditionally, money and earning potential are not top motivators. They are not the top retention factors either. Compensation falls to fourth place.

The top three retention factors are:

1. Relationship with the immediate supervisor,
2. Culture,
3. Training and continuing education.

This is powerful information for any company that wants to give its people a compelling reason to want to return to work each day. It should come as no surprise that the most important factor influencing an employee’s satisfaction at work is their relationship with their immediate supervisor. Leadership is critical. But, if leadership is first, why is it that when you conduct your exit interviews people will typically tell you they are leaving for more money, or a better compensation package? Hey, it’s a whole lot easier to talk about money than it is to say, “I’m leaving because I don’t like you!”

Culture is vitally important. But, if you have created a great work environment that tries to meet current day employee expectations, it isn’t enough. You can have a great corporate culture, an impressive corporate reputation, and be on the best or most admired lists, but if you hire a person who is a lousy leader, it can be disastrous. Remember, talented people will go to work for great companies but they will always leave because of a bad boss. The only reason to be a leader (to hire a leader) is to serve and if you are not good at serving then you should not be in a leadership position.

Training and education are also key. Employees want to continually stretch, grow and develop. When you provide opportunities for this to happen, you are accomplishing some very powerful things: Honing talent, building confidence and gaining loyalty. Isn’t that what your company needs too?

SAS Institute is one of the companies highlighted heavily in our book, GUTS! It is one of the most successful privately held software companies in the world. They have taken gusty leadership to a new level when it comes to hanging on tight to talent and preparing for the future. Most IT companies have either downsized, right-sized or frozen hiring all together. But SAS Institute did the GUTSY thing, they’re hiring like crazy. SAS has been bulking up on talent and taking advantage of the talented people who have, for one reason or another, been left out on the streets. SAS has increased its staff by about 17% in the last three years and attrition has never exceeded 5% in its 27-year history.

Be gutsy, surround yourself with gifted talent, do whatever you can to give them a compelling reason to stay and get the heck out of their way.

Doing (lot) more with your iPod! - 2

As a follow up to the previous blog (Doing (lot) more with your iPod!) I am posting the step-by-step guide for running Skype from your iPod. Haven't still tried it on my own, but you go ahead, and let me know if it works out!

(source: forums.makezine.com)

Portable Skype: Run Skype from your iPod

There has been quite a bit of buzz recently surrounding so-called "portable apps". Portable storage devices such as USB flash sticks (and to a lesser extend, micro HD drives) are dropping rapidly in price/GB, so why just store stuff on them? There's even an industry consortium to promote a standard (U3, see www.u3.com ) to facilitate running apps off portable storage devices. Turns out, you don't actually need a "U3 smart drive" to do this.

There are a number of reasons for not wanting to install a particular piece of software directly onto your computer's hard disk (be it privacy, portability etc), but instead carry it around with you wherever you go and have it ready when you need it. Enter the "Skyppod" (sort of).

Podding Skype HOW TO (the quick and dirty way, here for Win XP):

1) Download a stable version of Skype that doesn't need to be installed on a PC first. Version 1.4.14.84 from the U3.com site works well for that purpose and supports /datapath /removable parameters to be passed to the app:

http://software.u3.com/Product_Details.aspx?ProductId=56

2) Rename the downloaded file .u3p (which is as a matter of fact, a zip file) to .zip and extract it to a folder.

3) Enable disk/manual mode in iTunes- so the iPod doesn't try to sync and enables disk mode ( iPod Options > manually manage ... ). The experience reported here is with an iPod mini 4GB (2nd generation model), which actually has a Hitachi MicroDrive inside, not flash memory; this might be the better choice for using Skype in conjunction with portable storage devices, given the fact that the app itself accesses the storage device several times per minute (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype ) and flash is known to have limited re-write capability.

4) Create a folder eg, "skype14" on the iPod.

5) Copy the Skype.exe file from the "host" folder (located in the downloaded/extracted folder) to the "skype14" folder on the iPod.

6) Copy the "data" folder (located in the downloaded/extracted folder) to the "skype14" folder on the iPod.

7) Create the following 2 lines in a batchfile "StartSkype.bat" with Notepad:
@echo off
start Skype.exe /datapath:"data" /removable
(save as StartSkype.bat to "skype14" folder on the iPod).

8) Optional cosmetics: In "skype14" create a shortcut of StartSkype.bat and move it to where you'd like to have it, eg, on the desktop. Rename to something like "StartSkype" from "Shortcut to StartSkype.bat". In Right mouse click > Properties: Change Run to Minimized (so you don't see the command promt) and click Change Icon to select something appropriate like the little telephone icon. Click on the little icon and run Skype from your iPod!

Note: Remember to log out from Skype when you're done and quitting Skype in the task bar before unmounting/ejecting the iPod.

The problem with Netgear Skype Phones!

(source: http://andyabramson.blogs.com)

Back in January at CES I pointed out to the lovely and witty Lisa Hempel, CEO of Spark PR-the agency that handles Skype, that the press release around the announcement of the Netgear Skype wireless handset had one big hole. It wouldn't work in places that are Boingo or The Cloud like (both are Skype Zone partners.)

At the press conference I posed the question to Patrick Lo, the head honcho over at Netgear when he was up on stage. Needless to say his repsonse then which was aimed in the direction of needing to work things out with partners was the type of answer I halfway expected.

Well finally, now five months later, it seems that Netgear is now admitting what I pointed out to Lisa and them. It won't work if you have to authenticate onto a network, beyond WEP.

I really like Netgear products but the fact that they licensed the Skype marks and software, without getting access to the Skype Zones of Boingo and The Cloud is equal to not having HLR access and trying to claim you have a Fixed Mobile Convergence service related offering. The HLR is the Home Location Register (HLR) is the main database of permanent subscriber information for a mobile network and is what allows seamless handover between mobile and fixed IP addresses.

To me this is like selling half a loaf of bread, and taking away the crust.

MVNO in India (Fully possible?) - Just a thought

The MVNO business model has gained in popularity over the past few years. Across the world, companies are using the MVNO model as a Trojan horse to penetrate the lucrative mobile sector. In Europe alone, the number of MVNOs and service providers has leaped from about 40 to more than 100. Meanwhile, emerging markets have remained relatively immune to the MVNO hoopla. Countries like India, Brazil, Russia – each in their own unique way offer tremendous opportunities to potential MVNOs.

Key Issues to ponder over:

- Can the MVNO model work in emerging markets?

- What are the key criteria of success for an emerging market MVNO?

- Should an emerging market MVNO compete on price?

- Can an MVNO survive in a low-ARPU market?

- Given income distribution levels and the importance of the high-end consumer base and the business market for existing operators, how effective would strong segmentation be?

- Are MVNOs good-or bad for emerging markets network operators? Should existing operators open up their networks?

- Is there room for an MVNO in the extremely competitive Indian market?

If we ignore the economics of the whole thing, then what kind of a MVNO would we like to see in India? I am sure an MVNO for the movie lovers would be extremely popular! Just a possible talk with your fav movie start be it Sharukh or Aish, should be enough incentive to keep a whole lot of people, hooked to a particular mobile connection!

Rapid IO (Latest in inter-connection technology)

RapidIO is an open, standards-based interconnection technology for midsize and large embedded systems. It enables packet-switched, peer-to-peer connections among ASICs, DSPs, FPGAs, microprocessors, network processors and backplanes with speeds of up to 60Gbps, depending on how it's implemented.

Here are eight tips for designers working with RapidIO for the first time:

1. Port where possible. RapidIO can be implemented on existing backplanes without significantly modifying hardware. It works with existing technologies, such as 0.18 and 0.25 CMOS systems. RapidIO also supports parallel and serial connections, so designers can quickly and easily port their parallel RapidIO products to a serial environment to produce a new line of ICs and ASICs.

2. Bridge with caution. RapidIO includes bridging functions so that it can work with other bus technologies—such as PCI and PCI Express—and with system-area networks such as Infiniband. But be aware of potential trade-offs.

3. Consider DC coupling. The serial RapidIO spec supports AC coupling, but doesn't rule out DC coupling as an option. Designers can save the cost of coupling capacitors and biasing resistors in many cases by opting for DC coupling.

4. Watch the clock. To meet the RapidIO spec's BER goals, most Serdes vendors have stringent requirements for the reference clocks. These aren't basic clock sources—supported reference clock frequencies will vary, depending on the vendor.

5. Design for speed. To avoid bottlenecks, overprovision the fabric/link speed. A lot of work has been done on implementing congestion control in fabrics.

6. Know your devices' limits. Not all devices support all of RapidIO's data rates. Also, the link rates aren't automatically negotiated—the system integrator must program them at boot time.

7. Deactivate retry. Some applications are more tolerant of packet loss, so they prefer that method over packet retries. RapidIO gives designers the option of deactivating the retry mechanism in applications involving time-sensitive data. Just check to make sure that the devices support the retry-deactivation feature.

8. Check the extensions. The RapidIO spec includes several extensions that designers should study to maximize their applications.

How the SME segment looks at VoIP (inputs for product companies)

(source: TMCNet)

Here’s how the decision to go with VoIP for a small family-owned business looks from the ground up, concentrating on what’s important to that crucial SMB market:

A family owned business launched in 1938, Pacific Lumber is one of the four companies owned by the Morse family. The family has eight locations including lumber yards, truss plants, door and mill work manufacturing and sales offices. Their 300 employees cater to large and small home builders in Oregon and Washington.

About three years ago, after opening a new lumber yard in Bend, Oregon, the costs to operate and maintain their legacy phone system soon escalated beyond what they could tolerate. Though the telephone equipment was all paid for and worked as advertised, even small changes were complex, expensive and time-consuming.

Lesson: Without an extensive in-house IT department, SMBs love products that are anything but complex, expensive or time-consuming. And yes, they're out there.

Alan Churchill, Director of MIS at Pacific Lumber, began looking at possible system replacements. He hoped that moving to an IP (Internet Protocol) telephony product could save money. Key to the project was the need to connect all locations on a single IP network. “We wanted one person answering the phone for all yards at Pacific,” said Churchill. “Plus we needed a system that was cost-effective and easy to manage. We were looking for a phone system that we could simply plug into our existing WAN.”

Lesson: SMBs don’t like having to invest in things like new WANs if they don’t have to, they don’t believe in upgrading just to have the newest, fastest or whateverest.

Churchill contacted several major VoIP product vendors, as well as Zultys Technologies, in search of a system that was low cost, simple to administer and easy to use. “We almost didn’t pursue Zultys, mainly because it was half the cost of the others. It just seemed to good to be true,” he said. “But when we contacted other users and tested it in our own lab, we discovered that it really did outshine the others.”

Lesson: Watch your price point. This reporter needed his house painted a few years ago, and got quotes of $7,500, $6,000, $10,000 and $2,500. Honest. Guess which two guys didn’t get call backs.

Pacific Lumber installed an MX250 IP PBX system from Zultys and their ZIP 4x4 IP business phones. The implementation took a total of two days. “We especially liked the way we could administer the entire system remotely from a web site. Our old phone systems required a ‘truck roll’ for every single little issue,” Churchill said.

The Zultys end user client interface (MXIE) one button conferencing, a key consideration for Pacific Lumber. “MXIE ensures that our customers can reach us at all times, since calls can automatically be routed to our cell phones. Plus, any employee can reach another employee at any location simply by using their four-digit extension,” Churchill says.

One major consideration was that Zultys integrated into their existing IT infrastructure: “Every other vendor wanted us to change our switches and routers.”

Lesson: See Lesson Two above. Other companies looked at Pacific Lumber from their point of view. Zultys looked at Pacific Lumber from Pacific Lumber's point of view.

Overall, it’s “a system that was simple to implement, easy to use, worked with our existing switches and routers and cost less than we were paying.”

Ultra-WideBand Antenna Array Systems

(source: Novel planar design enables ultra wideband phased array antennas, by Ashok Bindra, Editorial Director )

Conventional phased array antennas used in military systems are large and bulky. To alleviate this problem, researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a new approach to phased-array antenna design. As a result, a single ultra-wideband antenna is now capable of doing the job of five conventional antennas. For that, the GTRI researchers have combined the benefits of fragmented aperture antennas in a computer-designed planar system with mutual coupling between antenna elements. As a result, the researchers have demonstrated a 300 MHz to 10 GHz (33-to-1) bandwidth - well beyond the 10-to-1 ratio achieved by conventional designs. But, the ultimate goal is to extend that range to 100-to-1 for use in radar and communication applications.

"Instead of trying to avoid mutual coupling, we designed it into the antenna where it actually provides a lot of benefits – including allowing us to have an extremely wide bandwidth," explained Jim Maloney, a principal research engineer at GTRI’s Signature Technology Lab (STL) principal research engineer. "What everybody used to avoid was actually the silver bullet that makes this work."

"Phased array antennas take up space, and if you must have a different antenna for every function - communications, radar and other tasks - the space required can be considerable," noted Paul Friederich, a principal research engineer in STL. "On any military platform, space is at a premium.” Current ships must carry dozens of antennas - a problem for all ships, especially submarines. Aircraft have limited surface area for antennas, with weight always a concern. Ground vehicles and even individual soldiers could benefit from reducing the number of antennas they must carry, Friederich noted.

Because it is flat and can be conformed to surfaces, the new antenna design could also have commercial applications, added Friederich.

Beyond potential use on military aircraft, ships and ground vehicles, the technology developed in STL could also have applications for devices that would not need broad bandwidth - such as wearable antennas that could be incorporated into military uniforms or even tents. The conformal nature of the devices could also open up commercial applications, though cost could be an obstacle, according to the researchers..

"Now that we have shown the antenna works, we are in a consolidation phase of work in which we're trying to figure out which bandwidths make sense for particular applications, and we working with corporate partners to the design the electronics that will be needed," added Friederich. "It's just a matter of time before we see these antennas begin appearing on military platforms."

The 33-to-1 antennas are flat and include three layers of metal foil fabricated in computer-designed patterns using printed circuit board technology. A prototype that works down to 300 MHz is 16 inches square and about three inches thick - providing a substantial size, weight and volume savings over conventional "egg crate" antennas.

Beyond their circuitry pattern, the antennas also need a backplane to reflect electromagnetic energy - and protect the electronic control equipment behind the antenna. The new antenna also relies on computer-designed innovations: a broadband screen "backplane" made up of foam and partially-conductive films.

"We had to make a new backplane that would be compatible with the extreme bandwidths so it wouldn't degrade the antenna performance, so we developed a laminate of foam and partially-conducting layers to do that in an optimal way, explained Friederich."

Testing the antenna performance was also not a trivial task. Conventional antenna test systems were not sufficient. Hence, the researchers had to evaluate their 33-to-1 device in three different antenna test facilities to cover the entire frequency range.

GTRI has been working on the ultra wideband antenna for nearly a decade, building new technology on top of detailed computer models. “Nobody could really study the mutual coupling effects until computers became good enough to evaluate what would happen when you moved elements around and changed their shapes in the presence of other elements," stated Maloney. "One of our strengths is an ability to do very detailed and accurate numerical models of antenna performance. We can determine how antennas are going to perform without having to build them."

By simplifying construction of the radiating structures, the antenna electronics become the driver of the overall cost. Long term savings there will depend on advances in microelectronics fabrication, Friederich cautioned.

Essential VoIP Security Mechanism in SIP (RFC 3261)

(source: Secure SIP protects VoIP traffic)

Session Initiation Protocol has become the call control protocol of choice for VoIP networks because of its open and extensible nature. However, the integrity of call signaling between sites is of utmost importance, and SIP is vulnerable to attackers when left unprotected.

Secure SIP is a security mechanism defined by SIP RFC 3261 for sending SIP messages over a Transport Layer Security-encrypted channel. Originally used for securing HTTP sessions, TLS can be repurposed to protect SIP session communications from eavesdropping or tampering. By deploying SIP-based devices that support Secure SIP, network administrators benefit from these increased levels of security for their VoIP networks.

Thwarting threats

Companies are concerned about malicious parties eavesdropping on SIP signaling information, performing man-in-the-middle attacks that disrupt service or gaining unauthorized access to VoIP networks.

RFC 3261 defines mechanisms for providing increased security for a SIP session.

The most basic level of security, required to be implemented by all SIP user agents and SIP proxy servers, is Message Digest (MD5) authentication. This provides a basic level of authentication challenge between a SIP proxy server and SIP user agent. At the other end of the spectrum, Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) can be implemented to encrypt data directly within SIP messages.

SIP support for S/MIME has not been as widely deployed as HTTP because of the required public-key infrastructure support and the added complexity of managing the security certificates. Secure SIP, running SIP over TLS on a hop-by-hop basis, provides a more comprehensive level of security than that of basic MD5 authentication, without the additional overhead imposed by S/MIME.

One key difference between the SIP and HTTP protocols is that a SIP request may travel across several hops before reaching its destination. Running SIP over TLS can provide secure connections on a hop-by-hop basis.

For Secure SIP communications, RFC 3261 defines the SIPS Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), used as HTTPS is used for secure HTTP connections. The SIPS URI ensures that SIP over TLS is used between each pair of hops to validate and secure the connection, and provide a secure endpoint-to-endpoint connection.

Secure SIP is a security mechanism for sending SIP messages over a Transport Layer Security (TLS)-encrypted channel.

In a Secure SIP session, the SIP user agent client contacts the SIP proxy server requesting a TLS session. This SIP proxy server responds with a public certificate and the SIP user agent then validates the certificate. Next, the SIP user agent and the SIP proxy server exchange session keys to encrypt or decrypt data for a given session. From this point, the SIP proxy server contacts the next hop and similarly negotiates a TLS session, ensuring that SIP over TLS is used end-to-end.

One might ask why a security protocol such as IPsec is not used for a direct, secure, end-to-end connection between SIP endpoints. Because IPsec encrypts data end-to-end, the SIP proxy servers between the SIP endpoints would not be able to interpret and modify required information in the SIP messages. TLS is a lighter-weight and more easily managed protocol than IPsec, and thus more appropriate for SIP-based VoIP endpoints, which are often processing and resource constrained. The security mechanism between SIP proxy servers within a network may use TLS, IPsec or other security mechanisms, as long as the information is decrypted at each hop.

Secure SIP is an optional item for SIP user agents, but more SIP-based VoIP endpoints provide it. VoIP network administrators should take a look at implementing this technology within their SIP-based networks to gain from the added level of security that Secure SIP can provide.

Innovation Management

One of the issues which we face as a growing organisation, and which all start-ups eventually face when they become big, is managing its innovation! Innovation in organisations is all about imagination, creativity, idea sharing, and freedom to try your ideas out as and when they occur! More than this, there has to be a free-flowing culture within the organisation which promotes innovation. Some companies have specialized R&D centres, but innovation can happen in so many places that, it is perhaps restrictive to have these "Research Labs". One of the articles I came across, which talks about managing innovation in a large set-up is from MindTree Consulting's website . They refer it to as "Knowledge Management" however >>

(source: http://www.mindtree.com/kc/kc.html)

Mission: To establish systems, processes, and culture that helps us continuously build our Intellectual Capital.

Knowledge Management (KM) at MindTree allows MindTree Minds to tie together the collective experiences and knowledge towards better service delivery, organizational excellence and talent transformation. An established KM Corporate Function is responsible for globally overseeing all the activities related to KM systems, processes, structure, and policies.

MindTree’s Approach to KM

MindTree’s approach to KM is holistic, and unlike traditional approaches, it is not focused solely on a technology solution. Instead, we believe KM to be a socio-technical approach, powered by a knowledge culture. The key areas of KM in MindTree are innovation, sharing/collaboration, and reuse.

Our culture resonates with our goals to create an open and transparent organization in which knowledge is created and shared in a supportive environment where creativity and innovation are highly valued. MindTree Minds are encouraged to bring forward any idea for improvement or innovation. To create sparks of innovation, we encourage various means of self-expression such as blogging, creative writing, painting, poetry, etc.

The GALIS framework below illustrates the knowledge cycle that is supported by our KM approach. The knowledge cycle outlines how each MindTree Mind Gets, Applies, Learns, Innovates, and Shares knowledge through various socio-technical means.

Our people policies also are aligned with a robust reward and recognition program for key contributors, be it content generation, championing Knowledge Communities, or filing for a patent.

Knowledge Communities

MindTree currently has over 25 Knowledge Communities covering various technical, non-technical, and business domains. These Communities provide a platform for knowledge sharing at a practitioner level and in the long run building overall organizational capability. An average of 35 Community events take place each month.

Technical Infrastructure

To support the knowledge needs of each MindTree Mind, we have internally developed and deployed various systems to enable collaboration between MindTree Minds and give them quick access to knowledge. This includes a centralized knowledge repository, a collaboration platform used for Community-specific and project-specific collaboration, and a platform for collaboratively creating MindTree Intellectual Property and enabling software reuse.

Knowledge Workplace

Our internal physical environment creates a vibrant and dynamic ethos where self-expression is encouraged. The interiors are richly splashed with the colors of our visual identity, with each color representing a DNA element (Imagination, Action, and Joy). Digitized images conceived by the children from the Spastic Society of Karnataka adorn the walls and enough attention is given to community space. In our Bangalore West Campus, proximity to nature is intended to spark original creative thinking.

Innovation

Innovation at MindTree starts with our DNA element of imagination. MindTree Minds are trained in a variety of lateral thinking and creativity techniques such as DeBono’s Six Thinking Hats, Mindmapping, TRIZ, etc. There are regular drives for ideas from MindTree Minds with awards for the best ideas and best implementations. MindTree’s knowledge culture and knowledge workplace are all meant to cultivate the creativity in each Mind. Even a Knowledge Community focused on innovation exists within MindTree, which regularly practices, experiments and endorses various creativity tools and techniques.

Skype-WiFi phones coming to town soon!

One of the first companies to talk about it is SMC, whoose WSKP100 Skype Wi-Fi phone is compatible with most standard 802.11b/g access points and provides constant connectivity without slowing down network connections while running in a pure 802.11g wireless environment. In a shared wireless and data network, the SMC WSKP100 Skype Wi-Fi phone with Quality-of-Service (QoS) function, it maintains exceptional quality by prioritising voice over data packets.

With the embedded Skype software, the user-friendly phone incorporates most Skype features such as voice mail, as well as Skype-In or Skype-Out services, which allow users to make low-cost calls to other phone networks.

As long as users have a valid Skype account, they can access both PSTN and Skype networks. Within any free wireless environment, Skype account holders can use the compact SMCWSKP100 device to make calls in different scenarios; Skype-to-Skype calls, Skype Phone to PC, PC to Skype Phone, Skype-Out to cell phone or fixed line and Skype-In from cell phone or fixed line, the WSKP100 is a perfect fit for business traveler, expatriates and foreign students who wish to enjoy the full Skype experience while on the move.

The SMC WSKP100 Skype Wi-Fi retails at S$369 and will be made available at all Singapore retail outlets in May 2006.

Additionally Netgear has also announced a Skype-WiFi phone similar to the SMC offering and has a pic on its website.

Wireless Networks Could Be Useful in Weather Forecasting

(source: www.teleclick.ca)
Ever since the invention of cellular networks, weather systems, including rain, snow, hail, and fog have impeded wireless signals, forcing network operators to monitor their signals closely, and strengthen them when bad weather gets in the way.

Some researchers are now eyeing the technology being used to detect signal strength as an accurate gauge and forecasting tool for the weather itself.

Monitoring the status of cellular networks, which are now widespread in most of the world could bring up to the minute climate data to meteorologists, much faster than the methods currently used. The weather affects the signal strength dramatically and if better real-time data can be collected, the accuracy of weather forecasts could potentially improve.

This is an interesting idea at the very least, and could provide people with the elusive reality of a truly accurate forecast. Allowing meteorologists to use their wireless signals could also prove to be another profitable business for wireless carriers around the world.

Finger Writing

motorola has been working on a technology they call finger writing. letting the user input characters (from a 19,000 strong set of chinese characters) by simply running their fingers on the keypad. check it out here.

the idea is simple, use a normal keypad for digits but add capacitive touch sensors coupled with character mapping/recognition softwares to allow punching in sms's in chinese script a whole lot faster!

pretty neat!

Questions to ponder over, when figuring out how to start-off

This is an email I wrote to a few interns who had worked with me in the past, and wanted to get-together and figure out how to start a software company >>

 

Hi Abhinav,

I do have a few ideas, about what you could start-out in, and we could discuss those.. but lets do one short exercise first.... just you and your friends answer the questions below without discussing between yourselves and send me your answers....

1. Name & brief profile, with regards to previous projects and current job profile.

2. Reasons for wanting to set-up a start-up.

3 Are you open to leaving your jobs immediately? How long can you survive on your own, in case leaving your job is an option for you...

4. What was your facourite subject in college?

5. Name one area of work you like to do

6. What role do you see yourself doing in the start-up... e.g. technical development, managing people, meeting clients, handling finances etc

7. What do you think makes you suitable for setting up a start-up successfully

8. State 5 different ideas for what your start-up could possibly do. Rank each of these ideas in order of your preference, and state your reasons for the ranking.

9. For the top three ideas in your list, write one short paragraph each about a) Idea description b) who is your target market/customer c) why will someone want the product/service you wish to offer c) how much will someone pay for it? d) who will you be competing against e) how will you reach out to your customers, what will be the method of sales / marketing / advertising channels ? f) what are the difficulties in offering the service or developing the product you have in mind g) what additional features can be provided to improve the service/product (try and list out atleast 5 additional features) h) what will be the financial model? Income: do customers directly pay, or revenues are based on advertising etc.  Expenditure: What will be your expenses?  Try and make a 3-year plan for finances. i) what can possibly be your strength against your competitors (current and future ones too...)

Take some time.... perhaps start this weekend (take as long as it takes... and spend at least one week thinking abt these things..) and answer these questions individually. This will help you to think and appreciate the process/some of the issues related to starting a company.

Regards,

Vishal