A career in IT

Information Technology (IT) includes everything from website design to advanced telecomunications. London is a major centre for all things to do with IT, and many of its key businesses rely on it.

London is a centre for many companies involved in the Internet, IT, business to business trading and providing information networks.

The UK has been uniquely placed in the development of the Internet, pioneering much of the technology as well speaking the language that has come to dominate it.

Companies in this area include Internet service providers, digital marketing companies and firms specialising in designing and constructing websites like this one. There are many other companies that offer traditional services such as banking and financial products, travel and flight bookings, over the Internet.

London and the surrounding region is also a centre for software design and development. This includes everything from creating operating systems for handheld and wireless computers to computer games and special effects for Hollywood films. London is also constantly improving and investing in its network of cables, optic fibres, mobile masts and telephone wires as businesses and consumers demand more all the time.

There are also many jobs that involve specialised computer use such as maintaining databases and administering networks, as well as companies building and servicing computers.

There are many opportunities for trained IT workers in this industry and whichever part of it interests you, there are colleges offering courses in every area of the subject.

Source:Hindustanis.org

Careers in Computer Science and Computer Engineering

Why Computing?

Today, computers are used in almost every aspect of our lives: in car engines, microwave ovens, video games, watches, telephones, desktops at home and work, mainframe computers in government and industry, and supercomputers expanding the frontiers of science and technology. The computer industry is one of the fastest growing segments of our economy and that growth promises to continue well into the next century.

To maintain a competitive edge, industry and commerce must continue to make creative scientific and engineering advances as well as produce high quality products. More than ever, there is a demand for a prepared work force with the scientific and technical training necessary to perform effectively on the job. Now is the time to plan your future in computing.

Preparing for College

Academic Preparation

Most professionals in the computing industry have at least an undergraduate degree in mathematics, computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, information systems, or electrical engineering. Many have advanced degrees. They, however, all started preparing for their careers long before they began their undergraduate degrees.

You can start investigating a career in computing as early as four years before you enter college, but certainly no later than the year before. The different degrees mentioned in the paragraph above each have different requirements and you could get a head start on them by finding out what they are. For example, some of the degrees require a lot of math and science; so, it would be to your advantage to take up to four years of math courses (including Calculus) and up to two years of science courses prior to entering college. Taking courses in programming would be helpful as well. In addition, some secondary or prep schools may allow students to take college courses if there is a college located nearby during their last year. You could have some college hours completed before you even graduate!

You should also make a plan for applying to different colleges with computing degrees and locations that interest you. Be sure to check on things like financial aid, how competitive it s to get into that particular college or university, entrance tests and scores required, student housing expense, tuition, degree requirements, and courses available. If you have the money and time, it is always helpful to make a campus visit and meet the professors and students.

Enhancing Academics

A great way to boost knowledge and understanding of computing careers is by teaming up students with working professionals. Selecting any of the activities below for individual or class development, can prove invaluable for career and technical education. The exposure will provide insight into computing careers, and prove a valuable life experience. Contact your school's administrators or career education office to see how you can start a program.

• Classroom Demonstrations and Presentations -- Professionals speak about careers and technical topics.
• Club Sponsorship -- Start a computer science club, or join the chapter of an existing organization.
• Field Trips -- Plan field trips to places of employment.
• Mentor Programs -- Match students with working professionals and plan work site visits, personal and career advice sessions.
• Internships -- Plan work experiences (paid or volunteer) at places of employment, or observations during summer or spring breaks.
• Student Fairs -- Enter computer science categories in local student fairs and other competitions.
• Pre-College Programs

Pre-college programs help boost your technical expertise and supplement your educational experience before you embark on a full-time computing curriculum. There are many pre-college education activities and programs that take place in many cities. Contact the sponsors of these programs for information on the activities in your area and how you can get involved. Below are a few examples:

International engineering and national fair:
The Computer Society presents awards in the Computer Science category. Each winner receives a plaque, and $500, $300, or $150 for first, second, and third place winners, plus $300, $200, and $100 for first, second, and third place team award winners. The ISEF is held annually in May.

National Engineers week
Each year the IEEE works in cooperation with other organizations to promote engineers and engineering during National Engineers Week. As many as 50,000 engineers will volunteer their time in schools as part of this effort.

The College Experience

Curriculum

Colleges offer a variety of programs in computing. Depending upon the country, your program may be three years of concentrated work in your major field or four years where 35% of your work will be in your major field of science or engineering, 25% in math or science (outside your major field), 25% in arts and humanities, and about 15% in electives. The computing course work will usually include abstract or theoretical material as well as hands-on programming exercises or engineering labs, often with state-of-the-art systems.

Accredited Programs

Many undergraduate computing programs are accredited in their respective countries. For example, in the U.S., the accrediting body is the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Accreditation ensures that a program meets a defined standard in instruction and physical facilities. Go to your country's accreditation web site for a list of accredited undergraduate computing programs.

Join the IEEE and Computer Society

Joining a professional organization, such as the IEEE Computer Society, provides many beneifts. The IEEE Computer Society offers reduced fees for student membership.

Student Chapters of the Computer Society

The IEEE Computer Society has over 150 student branch chapter throughout the U.S. and the world. Joining your local chapter provides many opportunities including a way to network with working professionals, expand technical education, and build leadership skills. Visit the student activites Web site for further chapter information.

Career Opportunities

Computing Careers

Computing professionals might find themselves in a variety of environments in academia, research, industry, government, private and business organizations -- analyzing problems for solutions, formulating and testing, using advanced communications or multi-media equipment, or working in teams for product development. Here's a short list of research and vocational areas in computing.

• Artificial Intelligence -- Develop computers that simulate human learning and reasoning ability.
• Computer Design and Engineering -- Design new computer circuits, microchips, and other electronic components.
• Computer Architecture -- Design new computer instruction sets, and combine electronic or optical components to provide powerful but cost-effective computing.
• Information Technology -- Develop and manage information systems that support a business or organization.
• Software Engineering -- Develop methods for the production of software systems on time, within budget, and with few or no defects.
• Computer Theory -- Investigate the fundamental theories of how computers solve problems, and apply the results to other areas of computer science.
• Operating Systems and Networks -- Develop the basic software computers use to supervise themselves or to communicate with other computers.
• Software Applications -- Apply computing and technology to solving problems outside the computer field - in education or medicine, for example.

Source:Hindustanis.org

Tracking new computer technologies

CISL tracks emerging computer technologies to ensure the efficient use of current computing resources and the selection of the most appropriate computers for NCAR/UCAR's future computational needs. To meet the objectives of the institution, CISL works with the scientific community to formulate and evaluate the system requirements.

CISL assesses capabilities of new systems available from vendors and plays an active role in evaluating programming languages and paradigms. Keeping up with the latest developments, CISL staff review computer literature, attend technical conferences and vendor presentations, run benchmarks, and research experimental systems.

Periodically CISL executes open, competitive procurements, soliciting vendor proposals and evaluating them on a best-value basis—taking into account technical, business, and price factors to maximize the benefit to the researchers who will utilize the system.












Stan McLaughlin, a CISL computing facility technician, and George Fuentes, head of CISL's Supercomputer Systems Group, speak with IBM site engineer Bob Wood about a component of BlueGene/L during installation of the new system.















Aaron Andersen, manager of CISL's Enterprise Services Section, monitors progress during delivery of pegasus, an IBM e1350 supercomputer used to support Antarctic weather forecasts.














A look inside BlueGene/L, a low-power, densely packaged, massively parallel computer system from IBM. CISL is using BlueGene/L for experimental computational research.



Source:Hindustanis.org

Computer Software Engineer

What is this job like?

The impact of computers on our lives means there is a need to develop new software. Computer software engineers apply computer science, engineering, and math to design, develop, and test software. (computers hardware engineers) design computer chips, boards, systems, modems, and printers.

Software engineers first analyze users' needs. Then they design, construct, test, and maintain the needed software or systems. In programming, or coding, they tell a computer, line by line, how to function. They also solve any problems that arise. They must possess strong coding skills, but are more likely to develop algorithms and solve problems than write code.

Software engineers often work as part of a team that designs new hardware, software, and systems. A core team may have engineering, marketing, factory, and design people who work together until the product is done.

Computer applications software engineers design, construct, and maintain computer programs based on what people need. They can develop a program for just one person or for many people to use separately.

Computer systems software engineers construct and maintain computer programs for companies. For example, they might develop programs that do recordkeeping and payroll. They might also set up an "intranet"—an internal and secure computer network—for a company. Many software engineers work for companies that make or install new and more advanced computer systems.

Software engineers normally work in well-lighted offices or labs. Most work at least 40 hours a week. If a big project is due, they may have to work nights or weekends to meet deadlines. Like other workers who sit for hours at a computer, they are susceptible to eyestrain, back ache, and hand and wrist syndromes.

Software engineers who are employed by vendors and consulting firms spend time away from their offices to meet with customers. As networks expand, they may be able to use modems, laptops, e-mail, and the Internet to identify and fix problems from their own office.
How do you get ready?

Most employers prefer to hire people who have at least a bachelor's degree and experience with a variety of computer systems. The most common degrees are computer science, software engineering, or computer systems. Some of the more complex jobs require graduate degrees.

Students seeking software engineering jobs enhance their opportunities by signing up as interns to get some experience. Large firms that can train new hires may take new grads with no experience.

Persons looking at jobs in this field must have strong problem-solving and analytical skills. They also must be able to work effectively with team members, other staff, and customers. Because they often deal with many tasks at the same time, they must be able to focus and pay close attention to detail.

As technology advances in the computer field, employers want workers to keep up. Software engineers must learn new skills if they wish to remain in this very dynamic field. To help them keep up, employers, vendors, private training schools, and others offer a large number of courses.
How much does this job pay?

The middle 50 percent of computer applications software engineers earned between $59,130 and $92,130 in 2004. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $46,520, and the highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $113,830.

The middle 50 percent of computer systems software engineers earned between $63,150 and $98,220 in 2004. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $50,420, and the highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $118,350.
How many jobs are there?

Computer software engineers held about 800,000 jobs in 2004. Although they have jobs in most industries, about 30 percent work in computer systems design and related services. Employers range from startups to well-known industry leaders. A growing number of these workers get jobs on a temporary basis, or work as consultants.
What about the future?

Software engineers are projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations from 2004 to 2014. Rapid growth in the computer systems design industry should mean good opportunities for college grads with a degree and some experience. Employers will look for software engineers with a strong background in programming and systems analysis, along with business and interpersonal skills.

The number of computer software engineers is expected to rise much faster than the average, as businesses are looking for new ways to get ahead of competition and make their computer systems the most efficient. Also, increasing concerns over "cyber security"—making sure only certain people can see private information—will mean more jobs for these engineers. Job growth will not be as rapid as during the last decade however, as the industry matures and some work is outsourced to foreign countries.

Source:Hindustanis.org

Intel’s next-gen transistors to hit shops by 2008

Intel Corporation, the world’s largest computer chip maker has announced its next generation level of transistors; and the surprising element is that they will have metal and not silicon grade electrodes.
The chips will have insulating walls made of a "high-K" hafnium compound, which is transparent to electric fields, instead of silicon dioxide, Intel said in a statement.
According to New Scientist, the changes mean that the 45-nanometre transistors on Intel's next suite of computer processors will not only be faster and smaller than today's 65-nanometre ones, but will also be more power efficient.
"The implementation of high-k and metal materials marks the biggest change in transistor technology since the introduction of polysilicon gate transistors in the late 1960s," said Intel co-founder Gordon Moore.
The new transistors will make their way into Intel's next generation products, currently codenamed "Penryn", which include the Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad and Xeon processors. These will run Windows Vista, Mac OS X, Windows XP and Linux, he said.
The manufacturing will begin later in 2007 and the products will be available in 2008.
Dan Hutcheson, an analyst with VLSI Research in California, US said: "It's no longer a research project, it's real. This is a really big breakthrough".
A transistor consists of an electrode that switches the current on and off within a "channel" using an electric field.
In the past, to make the transistor switch faster, and thereby up its performance, chipmakers shortened the electrode and thinned the insulating wall that separated it from the channel, but this was not very suitable, as thinning the wall often caused current to leak from the channel into the electrode, wasting heat and electricity.
Now, in an effort to continue shrinking and speeding up its transistors, Intel has come up with an insulator that transmits a fast-switching electric field even at a relatively large size.
Though the exact composition of this "high-K" material is a secret, Intel has said it contains hafnium, which increases transistor-switching speed by 20 percent and leaks five times less current.
According to Intel, the new 45-nanometre transistors dual-core processors will contain 400 million transistors, while quad-core will contain 800 million.



Source:Hindustanis.org

Internet to revolutionise TV in 5 years: Gates

The Internet is set to revolutionize television within five years, due to an explosion of online video content and the merging of PCs and TV sets, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said on Saturday.
"I'm stunned how people aren't seeing that with TV, in five years from now, people will laugh at what we've had," he told business leaders and politicians at the World Economic Forum.
The rise of high-speed Internet and the popularity of video sites like Google Inc.'s YouTube has already led to a worldwide decline in the number hours spent by young people in front of a TV set.
In the years ahead, more and more viewers will hanker after the flexibility offered by online video and abandon conventional broadcast television, with its fixed program slots and advertisements that interrupt shows, Gates said.
"Certain things like elections or the Olympics really point out how TV is terrible. You have to wait for the guy to talk about the thing you care about or you miss the event and want to go back and see it," he said.
At the moment, watching video clips on a computer is a separate experience from watching sitcoms or documentaries on television.
But convergence is coming, posing new challenges for TV companies and advertisers.
YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley said the impact on advertising would be profound, with the future promising far more targeted ads tailored to each viewer's profile.



Source:Hindustanis.org

Make a Linux Home Data Server of an Old PC

So, how do you do it? Well, if it's already set up for Windows Networking, you've got the basics set up for a Windows file server, and can simply use your local area network for transfering/working with files, however, this article is going to show you the more effective, and more powerful way: setting up a Linux file server.
The first step is to pick a Linux distro, DistroWatch.com lists the most popular distributions, and reviews a range of distributions, we're going to use the Ubuntu [5.10] operating system, with a server installation, simply because it's the operating system this author uses for his desktop, and is quickly becoming the most popular distribution around.
Your old computer likely has enough memory, and a powerful enough CPU to run Ubuntu, however, if you intend to use this server as a major central file server, it will likely need a new hard-drive. You can deal with that on your own.
When you insert the Ubuntu CD, and boot to it, instead of just pressing [enter] at the boot screen, type 'server' then press enter - this will prevent it from installing any of the *-desktop packages, and not setting up any unneeded applications.
After following the steps of installation, you will be prompted with a logon screen - enter the username and password you provided during installation, and you are in your brand new Linux system. From here, you can do everything from browse the web, to set up the computer for various networking tasks, to play a range of Linux-based games.
Package management is a critical part of running a Linux system, luckily Ubuntu comes with two distinct and useful tools to aid in your package managing. Aptitude [which, is actually just a UI for apt-get] and apt-get.
A package called "samba" will allow you to set up proper networking between Linux and Windows computers (at least, we hope you've got your networking issues sorted out). Running "sudo apt-get install samba" in your new command line will tell the apt-get application to install the samba package, and set it up with default settings.
Once samba is installed, you'll want to set it up to share certain files/directories, and set them up on your network - samba networking is a massive topic of it's own, and way beyond the scope of this article, however, running "man samba" will give you the samba manual file, which lists off a series of other manuals to look at. Google's always helpful too.
Now, once you have networking and samba set up, you should be able to transfer files between Windows and Linux through Network Neighborhood/smbclient - you've now got a basic data server set up. That was easy, wasn't it?
For those who want to go further, Pure-FTPd will allow you to set up a fully featured FTP (file transfer protocol) server on this box, which you could use to access your files remotely from any computer set up with an FTP client (Windows Explorer has one built in!), setting up an Apache based web-server is fairly simple with Ubuntu's apt-get packages, and OpenSSH allows the user to remotely log in to the Linux shell from any computer equipped with an SSH client.
A slight advancement to this system could allow you to set up Bash scripts combined with cron would allow you to set up scripts which immediately backup files every X days, or scripts to do certain processing to files at certain times - the possibilities are effectively endless.
Adan X. Knife is a computer scientist, entrepreneur and web developer. He currently runs a network of websites including one about High Definition Technology and a Free Games Library. He also runs a range of communication related sites including his cellular phone reviews site.



Source:Hindustanis.org