Thee Specialist

11/10/2017

COMING SOON... WE ARE CHANGING THE WAY YOU USE TECHNOLOGY

21/03/2016

The most important quality of successful people is their willingness to change..dont wait to be CHANGED be the GAME CHANGER, #

17/08/2015

A group of concerned scientists, researchers and academics, including Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking, have warned that a military artificial intelligence arms race could soon develop if preventative measures are not taken.
A global arms race is "virtually inevitable" if any major military power pushes ahead with AI weapons development, the group cautioned in an open letter presented at the International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence in Buenos Aires.
"The stakes are high," the letter said. "Autonomous weapons have been described as the third revolution in warfare, after gunpowder and nuclear arms."
Other notable tech figures, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, are also signatories to the letter.
Autonomous weapons -- think pistol-toting Terminators, smart vehicles with mounted machine guns, and self-piloted bomber drones -- aren't just the stuff of science fiction. As the letter notes, some weapons systems are "feasible within years, not decades."
"[The weapons] require no costly or hard-to-obtain raw materials, so they will become ubiquitous and cheap for all significant military powers to mass-produce," the letter states.
"Autonomous weapons are ideal for tasks such as assassinations, destabilizing nations, subduing populations and selectively killing a particular ethnic group," it continues. "We therefore believe that a military AI arms race would not be beneficial for humanity."
Today's high tech warfare is mostly waged via remote control machines. The U.S. military currently has MADSS, a 1,400-pound rover that carries gear and shoots a machine gun. It also has the Protector, a 1,000-pound rover that scans for bombs and fires a bazooka.
But militaries are already experimenting with automated systems. The Israeli "Iron Dome" system detects and shoots down incoming rockets. The "Phalanx CIWS" system used by U.S. naval combat ships does that with a swiveling Gattling gun. The C-RAM system does the same on land using a truck.
In April, Harvard Law School and Human Rights Watch jointly published a report calling for a ban on autonomous weapons.

30/06/2015

LENOVO THINKSERVER TS440 QUAD-CORE SERVER FOR $300

If you’re considering building your own server, take a look at this barebones Lenovo ThinkServer TS440. For one low price, you can get most of the hardware already assembled, and still have plenty of space to customize your server as you see fit. The best part? It’s currently on sale for 63% off.

So, what exactly are the internals like? It sports a quad-core 3.2GHz Intel Xeon E3-1225 v3 CPU, integrated Intel HD Graphics P4600, 4GB of DDR3 RAM (1600MHz), a DVD burner, and a network card capable of gigabit ethernet. Mind you, it doesn’t ship with a hard drive or an operating system, but since this barebones system is being sold at such a massive discount, that’s a relatively minor expense.

1TB and 2TB drives are dirt cheap these days, and there’s room inside of this server for four 3.5-inch drives at a time. For about $232, you could pack this model with four 2TB drives — giving you a massive 8TB of storage. Alternately, you can snag a single 3TB drive for about $89, and call it a day. Because you’re in control, you can easily mold this server to fit whatever budget you’re working with.

Since the TS440 is basically a blank slate, this is a perfect opportunity to broaden your horizons. Sure, you could simply buy a Windows 8.1 OEM license for about 90 bucks, or stick with the ever-popular Ubuntu, but why not try out a host of other OS options through virtualization? CentOS, Arch, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD are all outstanding open source operating systems, and they each have unique benefits and quirks. And since this server can fit so much storage, it’s trivial to keep multiple virtual machines installed for testing purposes. It’s simple, educational, low-risk, and it’s actually surprisingly fun for some of us.

Additionally, the ThinkServer TS440 comes with one PCI slot, three PCIe slots, four 240-pin DIMM slots (maximum of 32GB of RAM), and six USB 3.0 ports. And since the 450W power supply is 80 Plus Gold certified, you can rest assured that it won’t be needlessly burning electricity (and money). It’s powerful, but not wasteful.

Typically, this configuration sells for $829.99, but why pay retail prices when you don’t have to? If you buy from TigerDirect, you’ll instantly save a whopping $530 off of your order. And if you use the free shipping option, you’re only left paying $299.99 (plus any applicable taxes).

22/06/2015

DID you KNOW?

14/01/2015

KCB foundation is offering 238 secondary school scholarships for 2014 KCPE candidates.
38 slots have been set aside for bright students with disabilities.
Parents can obtain application forms from any KCB branch.
Interviews will be held on 24/01/2015
Spread the word n lets educate our young generation

26/08/2014

GOING FOR FUN? DON’T DAMAGE YOUR PRICED DEVICES, SAFEGUARD YOUR ELECTRONICS
The Holidays are here, camp fires, swimming , family retreats, Masaku Sevens and so are millions of smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and laptops will also be taking the trip. But after the festive season you will still need your devices, right?
But how safe are your gadgets from damage? Here are some tips to help you keep your gadgets safe and secure from some common summer, winter or those fun filling vacation happy times.
Theft
• Don't leave expensive electronics unguarded while you have fun. You can have them in a secured place or have one of your friends or family members look after them.
• Back up your DATA before you go, just in case the phone is lost, stolen, or damaged.
• Use your phone's security options, which can protect your data if stolen.
• Install a “Find my phone” app that uses GPS to help track a missing device.
Sand and dirt
• Protect your devices from sand and fine dust that can scratch glass panels. Use a case that covers the device completely, or zip it inside a plastic bag for safekeeping and easy access.
• Keep air holes covered near sand, dirt, and dust that can enter and clog cooling systems.
• If you do get sand or dirt in the crevices of your device, clean it carefully following the manufacturer's instructions.
Sunscreen and oils
• Clean up smears of suntan lotion, oil, and grimy fingerprints with gentle screen cleaning products. Don't use harsh chemicals.
• Be careful not to scratch the glass with sand when you're wiping it down.
• Avoid getting cleaning fluid into camera lens, microphones, or buttons.
Temperature damage
• Check what temperature your device can tolerate. Mobile devices are not meant to operate at temperatures higher than 35º C (95º F). Laptops may start to overheat at 30º C (86º F).
• Watch for signs of overheating; a device may start behaving erratically, display an error message, or just shut off.
• Don't spend a lot of time using graphics-intensive, heat-generating applications, like GPS and video games, in hot conditions.
• Store the device in a shady spot and don't let it get hotter than its recommended storage temperature; for an Apple phone or tablet, that's 45º C (113º F). Parked cars and sunny beach towels can get even hotter than that.


Water damage
• If moisture gets inside your device, it could void some warranties.
• Salt water poses a greater risk than fresh water. If you drop your device in salt water, turn it off, pat it dry, and remove the battery and any SD cards or charger cords. With a moist cloth, gently wipe off salt and let your device dry out. If you cannot remove the battery or SD card or your device was fully immersed in water, you can try putting the wet device into a large bag of uncooked white rice to absorb the moisture.
• Your smartphone can't swim, so while boating, be sure to secure it to your body or clothing with a strap or clip.
Remember you are still important and needed after the holidays,Keep safe and always Remember to thank the big Man up there. God bless.
CBS Interactive Inc & Thee Specialist
www.theespecialist.co.ke

We are not just another group of specialists, we are not just about software, Thee specialist are about people, innovative technology that makes a difference, transforming the world and making the world a better place

25/08/2014

HOW SAFE IS YOUR BROWSING
DID YOU KNOW..?? A NEW, SINISTER web tracking tech fingerprints your computer by making it draw?
A new, persistent web-tracking technology developed has been used to track web users across many of the world's most popular websites.
The canvas fingerprinting technique was described as a means to silently track the web sites users visit. Surveilled users watched over by canvas attacks cannot defend themselves by clearing the tracking mechanism by normal browser flushing nor guard against infection using apps like AdBlock Plus.

Canvas fingerprinting works by making user web browsers draw unique images using the canvas API which was then converted into an identification number. the browser uses the Canvas API to draw invisible images and extract a persistent, long-term fingerprint without the user’s knowledge. The tracking mechanisms used are advanced in that they are hard to control, hard to detect and resilient to blocking or removing
Easy or stable blocking mechanisms have not yet been developed, however users could test the chameleon experimental browser, run Tor or blacklist AddThis via NoScript or NotScript.
A frequent argument in online privacy debates is that individuals should take control of their own privacy online [but] our results suggest that even sophisticated users may not be able to do so without significant trade-offs," so next time you are posting sinister materials or going through sinister webpages know that someone is watching.
For more additional information and insight into these technology readers can find technical details of the research in the report by Gunes Acar; Christian Eubank; Steven Englehardt; Marc Juarez; Arvind Narayanan, and Claudia Diaz. They could also opt out of AddThis personalised tracking if they disagreed with the company's claims that targeted ads "enhances your internet experience"
Regards,
Thee Specialist

www.theespecialist.co.ke

22/08/2014

GOOD NEWS, NEW TECHNOLOGY COULD HELP FARSIGHTED COMPUTER USERS SEE WITHOUT GLASSES....

UC Berkley professor Brian Barsky's experiments could solve a common modern problem. He's developing software designed to help anyone who has to wear glasses every time they look at a computer or smartphone.
Commonly known as farsightedness, hyperopia affects nearly 20 percent of the world’s eyesight problems. Barsky's solution could also someday provide help for people with even more serious vision problems.

In a demonstration, an iPod showing an "E" is blurry by design. The image is calculated and displayed in such a way that once it reaches a farsighted eye, it looks perfectly in focus. The effect is not achieved with a special screen or attachment to the monitor, but through software which manipulates the image to counteract a person's specific vision problems.
Essentially what is being done is altering the light that comes out of each pixel in a very carefully controlled fashion.
This is not only thrilling but good news for the millions who have problems with their eyes that are not correctable by eyeglasses. So next time in the purchasing store you will be able to access an iPad, smart phone or computer device that will automatically correct the pixels on the screen to enable you have an easy time accessing what’s on the screen.
(Sources CBS Interactive Inc; Editing by Thee Specialist)

21/08/2014

COMPUTERS STILL VULNERABLE TO HACKERS OF START-UP CODES

A multi-year effort to prevent hackers from altering computers while they boot up has largely failed because of lax application of preventive steps despite disclosures that flaws are being exploited. This laxity is due to many of Intel Corp customers not adopting revised security designs Intel distributed in March after the MITRE team found new vulnerabilities in the start-up process, in the process exposing many newer Windows computers.
Computer manufacturers have been urged to do something about the boot-up procedure known as the Basic Input/Output System, or BIOS. BIOS relies on firmware, or permanent software that ships with computers.
Because the start-up code is given more authority than the operating system, hackers who break into that code can make major changes to programs and hide evidence of their presence. Lodging there also all but guarantees what the security industry calls persistence - the ability to remain inside even after a computer is turned off and rebooted.
Intel, Microsoft Corp and other companies have promoted a successor system known as the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface that includes a feature called “secure boot,” which checks for digital signatures before running code. Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system has embraced UEFI and secure boot, bringing the hardened approach to more than 60 million new computers.
For optimum software integrity and security, firms and individuals should exploit the new advanced security features found in the latest release of Windows 8 and remember to use Original Software.

(Reporting by Joseph Menn; Editing by Thee Specialist)

25/07/2014

HOW COMPUTERS 'REMEMBER' THINGS

How does your computer recall things and perform logical operations? It is all thanks to the "moving" metal particles in memory components, finds new research.

Researchers have shown that the metal particles in memristors and "resistive random access memory", or RRAM - computer components that combine logic and memory functions - do not stay put in one place as previously thought.

The finding has broad implications for the semiconductor industry and could pave the way for smaller, more efficient chips.

HOW THE MOVING METAL PARTICLES WORK

Most people have thought you can't move metal particles in a solid material, In a liquid and gas, it's mobile and people understand that, but in a solid we don't expect this behaviour. This results could lead to a new approach to chip design - one that involves using fine-tuned electrical signals to lay out integrated circuits after they are fabricated. And it could also advance memristor technology, which promises smaller, faster, cheaper chips and computers inspired by biological brains in that they could perform many tasks at the same time.

Researchers exposed the metal layer of their memristor to an electric field. They observed the metal atoms becoming charged ions, clustering with up to thousands of others into metal nanoparticles, and then migrating and forming a bridge between the electrodes at the opposite ends of the dielectric material. They demonstrated this process with several metals, including silver and platinum. And depending on the materials involved and the electric current, the bridge formed in different ways.

So from the above findings its evident that when we store data we simply charge ions electromagnetically, causing them to group into patterns with similar patterns. Deleting data simillary means distorting these ions. Next time you save or delete data, remember you are charging and discharging metal particles in memristors.

Source ianslive

for professional advice and maintainance on computer systems visit www.theespecialist.co.ke
[email protected]

24/07/2014

WOMEN TAKE CHARGE…..!!!!

GOOGLE WILL PAY ‘THOUSANDS’ OF WOMEN IN TECH TO TAKE CODING LESSONS

Google, Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) announced on Thursday at its annual developers conference, I/O 2014, that it would foot the bill for “thousands” of women to learn how to code with a new scholarship program.
Silicon Valley’s largest tech companies are dominated by white and Asian males, and only 18 percent of U.S. computer science graduates are female.
Google released employee data in May, which revealed that only 30 percent of its workforce is female, a figure that drops to 17 percent in its “tech” divisions, like software coding and engineering. The company held a discussion with female programmers at an Android conference later that month to discuss how it could improve gender diversity within the industry.
“We shouldn’t feel guilty about our biases, we should wake up and do something about them,” Google X Vice President Megan Smith said Thursday. The scholarships, she said, were part of Google’s $50 million “Made With Code” initiative.
Google will pay for 1,000 women to take three-month courses at Code School, a for-profit, Web-based program. The school's CEO, Gregg Pollack, said Google will distribute the scholarships “strategically at the conference and inside the community,” to women already already working in the tech industry. “But what this does mean is thousands of people interested in continuing their path with programming will have the ability to do so free of charge.”
After promotional codes for the initial 1,000 scholarships are given out, Google said it will issue “thousands” more on a promotional basis. Google set up an online form that women can use to apply for the program.
Google said it had some success at improving the gender diversity of attendees at this year's I/O conference, which in 2012 only had 300 female attendees. At I/O 2014, one out of every six attendees was female, Google said.
Fellow Silicon Valley titan Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB), unveiled its employee diversity figures for the first time on Wednesday. While it said 31 percent of its workforce is female, only 15 percent of high-tech positions were held by women.

Source international business times

for professional advice and maintainance on computer systems visit www.theespecialist.co.ke
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