INFORMATION AND DATA
The words, information and data, are used interchangeably in many contexts. However, they are not synonyms. It is necessary to make distinction between the two terms namely, data and information that are usually used interchangeably.
The interchange of the words data and information is widespread; following explanation should help to develop a clearer understanding of the differences between the two.
Data
Ø Facts, statistics used for reference or analysis.
Ø Numbers, characters, symbols, images etc., which can be processed by a computer.
Ø Data must be interpreted, by a human or machine, to derive meaning
Ø Data is a representation of information
Information
Ø Knowledge derived from study, experience (by the senses), or instruction.
Ø Communication of intelligence.
Ø Information is any kind of knowledge that is exchangeable amongst people, about
things, facts, concepts, etc., in some context."
Ø Information is interpreted data”
Data is the material on which computer programs work upon. It can be numbers, letters of the alphabet, words, special symbols but they themselves have no meaning. For example, the following sequence of digits 240343 is meaningless by itself since it could refer to date of birth, part number for a automobile, number of rupees spent on a project, population of a town, number of people employed in a large organisation etc. Once we know what the sequence refers to, then it becomes meaningful and can be called information. For example, when we write 24-03-43, it may mean date of birth as 24th March 1943.
In general terms, Data is any fact or number. It may have some meaning or not.
But Information is a data, which cannot be predicted with a probability of 1. It is always meaningful.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The editing and proofing tolls available in MS Word
EDITING TOOLS:
Following are the some common editing tools available in Ms Word
Spelling Check
This tool underlines words having spelling errors in red. Just Right click the red underlined word & Select proper corrective word
OR Click anywhere in the red, underlined word,
Grammar Check
Word underlines grammar errors in green. To correct it Right click the green, underlined error and Select correction
OR Click anywhere in the green ð underlined error ð Click Tools ð Spelling and Grammar ð Select corrective word, grammar and style.
Highlighter
Highlighter is the one of the editing tool which includes tools to select font type, size, color, alignment, etc.
We can change the color of the highlighted word by clicking the down arrow to the right of the Highlighter icon and selecting a new color.
Tracking Changes
If you are an editor, you now can add, delete, change words, etc. The changes will be marked in red. If you are a writer, you can see the changes made by the editor, and accept or reject those changes by clicking the appropriate icon. Click the arrows to move to the next or previous change, etc.
Inserting Comments
Comments tool help to insert the words, phrase, or section in a document where you want to add a comment
¯ PROOFING TOOLS
The Microsoft Proofing Tools for Ms Word are a collection of editing technologies that enable users to proof Office documents in more than 50 different languages.
The spelling checker identifies possible misspellings in a text file by comparing the contents of the file with a database of accepted spellings, and is one of the most frequently used features of Microsoft Word. But spellers can perform more sophisticated tasks than simply comparing terms from a database.
Grammar and Style Checker
The grammar checker corrects sentences using a system of rules that defines the grammatical structure of a language. Microsoft Word integrates this tool and runs it in the background, making corrections automatically.
Thesaurus
The basic function of a thesaurus is to look up synonyms for a particular word. But the thesauri in Proofing Tools perform more sophisticated tasks than simply retrieving direct synonyms for a given term from a database. Special algorithms in thesauri extract inflectional information (i.e. variations of a word) from a stem word (i.e. base word) to
provide a series of synonyms with the same inflection. For example, looking up the word running would yield the possible synonym jogging.
AutoCorrect
AutoCorrect automatically detects and corrects typos, misspelled words, grammatical errors, and incorrect capitalization. For example, if you type teh plus a space, then AutoCorrect replaces what you have typed with "the." You can also use AutoCorrect to quickly insert text, graphics, or symbols. For example, type (c) to insert "©", or type ac to insert "Acme Corporation."
Hyphenation
Hyphenation helps eliminate gaps or in justified text, and helps maintain even line lengths in narrow columns. The hyphenation tool allows a user to connect (as two words) or divide (as a word at the end of a line of print) two or more terms with a hyphen. Languages vary in their flexibility on hyphenation rules.
AutoSummarize
AutoSummarize identifies the key points in a document for you to share with others or quickly scan. The tool determines key points by analyzing a document and assigning a score to each sentence. Sentences that contain words used frequently in the document are given a higher score. You can then choose a percentage of the highest-scoring sentences to display in the summary.
Input Method EditorsAn Input Method Editor (IME) works with the operating system to allow you to enter Asian text in Windows and enabled applications - including Office 2003 - by converting your keystrokes into Asian characters.
Following are the some common editing tools available in Ms Word
Spelling Check
This tool underlines words having spelling errors in red. Just Right click the red underlined word & Select proper corrective word
OR Click anywhere in the red, underlined word,
Grammar Check
Word underlines grammar errors in green. To correct it Right click the green, underlined error and Select correction
OR Click anywhere in the green ð underlined error ð Click Tools ð Spelling and Grammar ð Select corrective word, grammar and style.
Highlighter
Highlighter is the one of the editing tool which includes tools to select font type, size, color, alignment, etc.
We can change the color of the highlighted word by clicking the down arrow to the right of the Highlighter icon and selecting a new color.
Tracking Changes
If you are an editor, you now can add, delete, change words, etc. The changes will be marked in red. If you are a writer, you can see the changes made by the editor, and accept or reject those changes by clicking the appropriate icon. Click the arrows to move to the next or previous change, etc.
Inserting Comments
Comments tool help to insert the words, phrase, or section in a document where you want to add a comment
¯ PROOFING TOOLS
The Microsoft Proofing Tools for Ms Word are a collection of editing technologies that enable users to proof Office documents in more than 50 different languages.
The spelling checker identifies possible misspellings in a text file by comparing the contents of the file with a database of accepted spellings, and is one of the most frequently used features of Microsoft Word. But spellers can perform more sophisticated tasks than simply comparing terms from a database.
Grammar and Style Checker
The grammar checker corrects sentences using a system of rules that defines the grammatical structure of a language. Microsoft Word integrates this tool and runs it in the background, making corrections automatically.
Thesaurus
The basic function of a thesaurus is to look up synonyms for a particular word. But the thesauri in Proofing Tools perform more sophisticated tasks than simply retrieving direct synonyms for a given term from a database. Special algorithms in thesauri extract inflectional information (i.e. variations of a word) from a stem word (i.e. base word) to
provide a series of synonyms with the same inflection. For example, looking up the word running would yield the possible synonym jogging.
AutoCorrect
AutoCorrect automatically detects and corrects typos, misspelled words, grammatical errors, and incorrect capitalization. For example, if you type teh plus a space, then AutoCorrect replaces what you have typed with "the." You can also use AutoCorrect to quickly insert text, graphics, or symbols. For example, type (c) to insert "©", or type ac to insert "Acme Corporation."
Hyphenation
Hyphenation helps eliminate gaps or in justified text, and helps maintain even line lengths in narrow columns. The hyphenation tool allows a user to connect (as two words) or divide (as a word at the end of a line of print) two or more terms with a hyphen. Languages vary in their flexibility on hyphenation rules.
AutoSummarize
AutoSummarize identifies the key points in a document for you to share with others or quickly scan. The tool determines key points by analyzing a document and assigning a score to each sentence. Sentences that contain words used frequently in the document are given a higher score. You can then choose a percentage of the highest-scoring sentences to display in the summary.
Input Method EditorsAn Input Method Editor (IME) works with the operating system to allow you to enter Asian text in Windows and enabled applications - including Office 2003 - by converting your keystrokes into Asian characters.
Monday, July 14, 2008
( a) THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF WINDOWS DESKTOP, (b)Windows Explorer & (c) Main Features of Word Pad
( a) THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF WINDOWS DESKTOP
Once Windows is loaded into the memory of the computer, the focus is placed on the desktop. The desktop is designed to act just like an actual desktop. The desktop is a window that covers your entire computer screen. It is the interface through which all of the programs are accessed. All other programs run on the top of the Windows desktop.
The Windows desktop is comprised of three key elements:
1) Icons 2) Start menu & 3) Taskbar
1) Icons:
Icons can be further classified into five categories:
Ø Folder Icons: When a folder icon is double clicked, a folder window is opened displaying the contents of the folder.
Ø Program Icons: When a Program icon is double clicked, the corresponding program is loaded into the memory of the computer and the application starts running in a Window.
Ø Document Icons: When a document icon is double clicked, the document itself is opened. For e.g., (Word processing program, spreadsheet, database etc.
Ø Shortcut Icons: Shortcut icons provide an alternate way to open programs, documents, and folders
Ø System Icons: System icons are mandatory programs or files that are located on your desktop. User is not allowed to delete the system icon, since deleting the system icon would mean deleting the actual program from the hard drive of the computer. Examples of System Icons are Recycle Bin, My Computer, and Network Neighborhood etc.
? Recycle Bin: Any file that is deleted from the hard disk of the computer is moved to a separate folder called Recycle Bin. The files stored in the bin can be restored to their original location by using the 'Restore' option of Recycle Bin. To empty the Recycle Bin, simply right click on this icon and-select 'Empty Recycle Bin' option.
? My Computer: Double clicking the "My Computer" icon will open a window that displays the contents of the computer. All the files and folders available in the computer can be viewed here. It also allows you to display the system and hardware information.
? Network Neighborhood: "Network Neighborhood" icon displays windows from other computers and resources, like printer, connected to the network.
( b) WINDOWS EXPLORER
Windows Explorer is a utility that represents the contents of the computer in a graphical form. It allows you to do various file and disk management tasks like copy, rename, move and delete file(s) and create folder(s) and sub-folder(s), format floppies etc. It is the quickest way to get a complete view of the contents of computer.
Windows Explorer can be accessed:
Start -+ Programs -+ Windows Explorer
Ø Elements of window explorer:
Standard Toolbar: Gives access to the commonly used functions.
Address Bar: Displays the path of the selected document. Document could be a file, folder, sub-folder or a drive itself. The selected item is usually displayed in blue colour.
Tree View: Windows Explorer displays all the items in a tree view structure. Items can be expanded and contracted by clicking on the plus and minus signs that appear next to some of the icons. 'Plus' sign indicates that there are more items within the folder. 'Minus' sign represents the expanded view. Icons that have neither a plus sign nor a minus sign indicate that there are no additional items inside them.
Left/Right Pane: The left pane of the Windows Explorer is used to select a folder or drive so that its contents can be displayed in the right pane. The name of the selected folder is displayed in the window's title bar. As soon as you select a different folder in the left pane, the contents of the right pane change to reflect that folder's contents.
Ø Features of Windows Explorer
Following are the few features of Window Explorer
1) Creating Folders and Files: We can create various folders & files in the same explorer
2) Creating Sub-folders: Sub folders can be created within original folder.
3) Opening Folder: From the left pane, we can select any folder to explore further for sub-folders, files etc.
4) Opening files: Desired double clicking on that particular folder and files can open file of any application.
5) Copying files: We can copy folders files into the other folder by selecting & pasting it to the desires place. Copying can be done using various methods in Window explorer e.g. Click & Drag method, Copy & Paste method, Selecting range of files & pasting method, selecting selected files with the help of control key & pasting
6) Renaming files/Folders: Files and folders can be renamed using window explorer
7) Deleting files/Folders: Selected files & folders can be deleted.
8) Changing folder views: Folders in Windows Explorer can be viewed in different views. E.g. Large Icon View, Small Icon View, List View, Details View. Details view displays information like item name, size, type and the date item was last created or modified. We can sort all files and folders by date wise, type wise and name wise.
(C)MAIN FEATURES OF WORDPAD
WordPad is a simple word processor that is included with almost all versions of Microsoft Windows from Windows 95 upwards. It is more advanced than Notepad, but not as advanced as Microsoft Word.
WordPad is the one of the commonly used accessory. It is a the text based editor that supports more features than Notepad. WordPad can be for files larger than 64 KB. It supports all the features than Notepad. Some of the features of the WordPad are as under.
1) Allows formatting of text using different font style, colours and bullets.
2) Different alignment options (Left, Right, and Centre) are provided for the paragraphs.
3) Allows to set page margins and a preview of the page can be seen of how document would appear in print.
4) Toolbars are provided that provide quick access to commonly used functions. User has option to View/hide the toolbars.
5) Allows to embed/link an object into a WordPad document from the another file.
6) Find and replace can be used to locate a particular piece of text within a document.
7) It can be used to automatically replace a particular piece of text with something else.
WordPad can be accessed from:
Start Programs Accessories WordPad
Once Windows is loaded into the memory of the computer, the focus is placed on the desktop. The desktop is designed to act just like an actual desktop. The desktop is a window that covers your entire computer screen. It is the interface through which all of the programs are accessed. All other programs run on the top of the Windows desktop.
The Windows desktop is comprised of three key elements:
1) Icons 2) Start menu & 3) Taskbar
1) Icons:
Icons can be further classified into five categories:
Ø Folder Icons: When a folder icon is double clicked, a folder window is opened displaying the contents of the folder.
Ø Program Icons: When a Program icon is double clicked, the corresponding program is loaded into the memory of the computer and the application starts running in a Window.
Ø Document Icons: When a document icon is double clicked, the document itself is opened. For e.g., (Word processing program, spreadsheet, database etc.
Ø Shortcut Icons: Shortcut icons provide an alternate way to open programs, documents, and folders
Ø System Icons: System icons are mandatory programs or files that are located on your desktop. User is not allowed to delete the system icon, since deleting the system icon would mean deleting the actual program from the hard drive of the computer. Examples of System Icons are Recycle Bin, My Computer, and Network Neighborhood etc.
? Recycle Bin: Any file that is deleted from the hard disk of the computer is moved to a separate folder called Recycle Bin. The files stored in the bin can be restored to their original location by using the 'Restore' option of Recycle Bin. To empty the Recycle Bin, simply right click on this icon and-select 'Empty Recycle Bin' option.
? My Computer: Double clicking the "My Computer" icon will open a window that displays the contents of the computer. All the files and folders available in the computer can be viewed here. It also allows you to display the system and hardware information.
? Network Neighborhood: "Network Neighborhood" icon displays windows from other computers and resources, like printer, connected to the network.
( b) WINDOWS EXPLORER
Windows Explorer is a utility that represents the contents of the computer in a graphical form. It allows you to do various file and disk management tasks like copy, rename, move and delete file(s) and create folder(s) and sub-folder(s), format floppies etc. It is the quickest way to get a complete view of the contents of computer.
Windows Explorer can be accessed:
Start -+ Programs -+ Windows Explorer
Ø Elements of window explorer:
Standard Toolbar: Gives access to the commonly used functions.
Address Bar: Displays the path of the selected document. Document could be a file, folder, sub-folder or a drive itself. The selected item is usually displayed in blue colour.
Tree View: Windows Explorer displays all the items in a tree view structure. Items can be expanded and contracted by clicking on the plus and minus signs that appear next to some of the icons. 'Plus' sign indicates that there are more items within the folder. 'Minus' sign represents the expanded view. Icons that have neither a plus sign nor a minus sign indicate that there are no additional items inside them.
Left/Right Pane: The left pane of the Windows Explorer is used to select a folder or drive so that its contents can be displayed in the right pane. The name of the selected folder is displayed in the window's title bar. As soon as you select a different folder in the left pane, the contents of the right pane change to reflect that folder's contents.
Ø Features of Windows Explorer
Following are the few features of Window Explorer
1) Creating Folders and Files: We can create various folders & files in the same explorer
2) Creating Sub-folders: Sub folders can be created within original folder.
3) Opening Folder: From the left pane, we can select any folder to explore further for sub-folders, files etc.
4) Opening files: Desired double clicking on that particular folder and files can open file of any application.
5) Copying files: We can copy folders files into the other folder by selecting & pasting it to the desires place. Copying can be done using various methods in Window explorer e.g. Click & Drag method, Copy & Paste method, Selecting range of files & pasting method, selecting selected files with the help of control key & pasting
6) Renaming files/Folders: Files and folders can be renamed using window explorer
7) Deleting files/Folders: Selected files & folders can be deleted.
8) Changing folder views: Folders in Windows Explorer can be viewed in different views. E.g. Large Icon View, Small Icon View, List View, Details View. Details view displays information like item name, size, type and the date item was last created or modified. We can sort all files and folders by date wise, type wise and name wise.
(C)MAIN FEATURES OF WORDPAD
WordPad is a simple word processor that is included with almost all versions of Microsoft Windows from Windows 95 upwards. It is more advanced than Notepad, but not as advanced as Microsoft Word.
WordPad is the one of the commonly used accessory. It is a the text based editor that supports more features than Notepad. WordPad can be for files larger than 64 KB. It supports all the features than Notepad. Some of the features of the WordPad are as under.
1) Allows formatting of text using different font style, colours and bullets.
2) Different alignment options (Left, Right, and Centre) are provided for the paragraphs.
3) Allows to set page margins and a preview of the page can be seen of how document would appear in print.
4) Toolbars are provided that provide quick access to commonly used functions. User has option to View/hide the toolbars.
5) Allows to embed/link an object into a WordPad document from the another file.
6) Find and replace can be used to locate a particular piece of text within a document.
7) It can be used to automatically replace a particular piece of text with something else.
WordPad can be accessed from:
Start Programs Accessories WordPad
Friday, July 11, 2008
STEPS FOR INSTALLING LINUX
To explain the steps involved in the installation of Linux, RED HAT LINUX 8.0 has been chosen. The following information represents the minimum hardware requirements necessary to successfully install Red Hat Linux:
CPU:
(1) Minimum: Pentium-class, (2) Recommended for text-mode: 200 MHz Pentium-class or better (3) Recommended for graphical: 400 MHz Pentium II or better
Hard Disk Space :
1) Custom Installation (minimum): 475MB, 2) Server (minimum): 850MB 3) Personal Desktop: 1.7GB, 4) Workstation: 2.1GB, 5) Custom Installation (everything): 5.0GB
Memory:
1) Minimum for text-mode: 64MB, 2) Minimum for graphical: 128MB, 3)Recommended for graphical: 192MB
Ø INSTALLATION STEPS:
1. Insert the Linux install CD into the CD-ROM drive and reboot your system. The computer will automatically boot from the CD and a text-based menu will be displayed.
2. You will then need to choose an installation environment. The default is the graphical installation (GUI). If you prefer a text-based install, type "text" at the prompt and hit the Enter key.
3. Next step is to select the Language for installation programmer. Default language is English.
4. Select your keyboard layout and Mouse type. Accepting the default (US English) should work in most cases.
5. Select the type of installation (Workstation /Server/Custom). If you have a previous installation, the option of updating it will also be provided.
6. Choose Disk Druid or fdisk. Partition sizes and numbers may vary with your set up, but as a bare minimum, you will need to create a ‘/’ (root) and a swap partition.
7. Enter the details of configuration of your network interfaces.
8. The firewall configuration screen offers a choice of firewall configurations. Choose 'Medium Firewall' for the time being without worrying too much as this stage about the concept of a firewall.
9. For time zone selection for India, choose "Asia/Calcutta". There is also option of setting the UTC to +5.
10. Enter a root password when prompted. Do not forget it. You should create a user account here, which you will be using to work on your machine. It is not advisable to work as root at all times.
11. Select the packages that you want to install. You get to choose from installing KDE, GNOME and a collection of other utilities.
12. Select the video card that you have, the installer would try to auto detect the card for you, failing which you can select it manually.
13. If your monitor type is not listed, select custom and enter your monitor specifications manually. Select the colour depth and the screen resolution that you wish to run the X Window system in, after installation. Choose your default desktop environment and whether you want a graphical or a text-based login. You can test the X Window configuration after installation and then switch to graphics based login.
14. The installer will now format the Linux partitions and will install the required packages. You can watch the progress of the formatting by switching to the virtual terminals using Alt+ 1 to Alt+5 (if you are doing a text based install) or by using Ctrl+Alt+2 to Ctrl+Alt+5 (for graphics based install).
15. After some time you would be prompted to insert other CD’s one - by - one. Insert this as prompted by the installation.
16. Once all the packages are installed, you will be given the opportunity create a book disk. It is strongly recommended that you create one at this stage.
17. At this point, the installation is completed. Remove the CD – ROM from drive and reboot using the Linux system that you have just installed.
CPU:
(1) Minimum: Pentium-class, (2) Recommended for text-mode: 200 MHz Pentium-class or better (3) Recommended for graphical: 400 MHz Pentium II or better
Hard Disk Space :
1) Custom Installation (minimum): 475MB, 2) Server (minimum): 850MB 3) Personal Desktop: 1.7GB, 4) Workstation: 2.1GB, 5) Custom Installation (everything): 5.0GB
Memory:
1) Minimum for text-mode: 64MB, 2) Minimum for graphical: 128MB, 3)Recommended for graphical: 192MB
Ø INSTALLATION STEPS:
1. Insert the Linux install CD into the CD-ROM drive and reboot your system. The computer will automatically boot from the CD and a text-based menu will be displayed.
2. You will then need to choose an installation environment. The default is the graphical installation (GUI). If you prefer a text-based install, type "text" at the prompt and hit the Enter key.
3. Next step is to select the Language for installation programmer. Default language is English.
4. Select your keyboard layout and Mouse type. Accepting the default (US English) should work in most cases.
5. Select the type of installation (Workstation /Server/Custom). If you have a previous installation, the option of updating it will also be provided.
6. Choose Disk Druid or fdisk. Partition sizes and numbers may vary with your set up, but as a bare minimum, you will need to create a ‘/’ (root) and a swap partition.
7. Enter the details of configuration of your network interfaces.
8. The firewall configuration screen offers a choice of firewall configurations. Choose 'Medium Firewall' for the time being without worrying too much as this stage about the concept of a firewall.
9. For time zone selection for India, choose "Asia/Calcutta". There is also option of setting the UTC to +5.
10. Enter a root password when prompted. Do not forget it. You should create a user account here, which you will be using to work on your machine. It is not advisable to work as root at all times.
11. Select the packages that you want to install. You get to choose from installing KDE, GNOME and a collection of other utilities.
12. Select the video card that you have, the installer would try to auto detect the card for you, failing which you can select it manually.
13. If your monitor type is not listed, select custom and enter your monitor specifications manually. Select the colour depth and the screen resolution that you wish to run the X Window system in, after installation. Choose your default desktop environment and whether you want a graphical or a text-based login. You can test the X Window configuration after installation and then switch to graphics based login.
14. The installer will now format the Linux partitions and will install the required packages. You can watch the progress of the formatting by switching to the virtual terminals using Alt+ 1 to Alt+5 (if you are doing a text based install) or by using Ctrl+Alt+2 to Ctrl+Alt+5 (for graphics based install).
15. After some time you would be prompted to insert other CD’s one - by - one. Insert this as prompted by the installation.
16. Once all the packages are installed, you will be given the opportunity create a book disk. It is strongly recommended that you create one at this stage.
17. At this point, the installation is completed. Remove the CD – ROM from drive and reboot using the Linux system that you have just installed.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The various features of Linux. What are the steps for installing Linux
¯ FEATURES OF LINUX:
Linux is a UNIX like operating system originally developed by Linus Torvalds, a student of University of Helsinki. Linux was developed by thousands of developers and is available for free on the Internet. Linux is written and distributed under the GNU General Public License. Technically Linux is strictly an OS kernel (Kernel is the core of an Operating System.). Linux come with a collection of software including desktop, server programs, networking suites, compilers, and many more utilities make it a complete operating system. For example, the recent version of Linux includes the XFree86 version of the X Window System, the GNU C compiler GCC and code from quite a lot of other sources.
Following are the various features of Linux
1) Multi tasking: Linux is a multi-tasking system, allowing multiple users to run multiple programs on the same system at the same time.
2) Multi-user: It is multi-user operating system, allowing multiple users to use the computer and run programs at the same time.
3) Hardware support: Runs on a variety of computer architectures, including ARM, SP ARC, Alpha, PowerPC, M68k, MIPS and Intel.
4) Reliable: Highly reliable and stable operating system, it can run for months, even years, without having to be rebooted.
5) Multiple processor support: Supports the use of multiple processors. More processors can be added without disturbing the existing hardware set up. Software dependencies: Implements shared libraries. For example, if Program A and Program B share a common piece of code then the common code is placed in a separate file so that any program requiring this common routine can refer to this file rather than including the code in each program. This saves a large amount of space on your system.
6) Graphical User Interface (GUI): Linux provides the freedom to use any user interface-programming library you choose. KDE (K Desktop Environment, K does not have an expansion) and GNOME are the two main graphical user interfaces aiming to make Linux easy for computer users to operate. They are free softwares coming under the GNU General Public License.
7) KDE: is a powerful Open Source graphical desktop environment that combines ease of use, contemporary functionality and outstanding graphical design. KDE desktop is very similar to the Windows 98/NT environment. It provides a complete desktop environment by including:
(i) Standardised menus and toolbars, key bindings, colour-schemes and many more. (ii)Dialog driven desktop configuration. (iii) File Manager for easy management of files and directories. (iv) KDEPrint for administration of various printing engines and management of enterprise networked printing systems. (v) An integrated help system allowing for convenient, consistent access to help on the use of the KDE desktop and its applications. (vi) Browser Support including support for Java Script and DHTML. (vii) Innumerable utilities and applications like:
8) KDE-Network: KMail, KNode, Knewsticker etc.
9) KDE-Graphics: Graphics applications such as KDVI, KGhostview, KPaint, Kfax
10) KDE-Utilities: KEdit, KCalc, KHexEdit, Knotes
11) KDE-Edu: Edutainment related programs
12) KDE-Games: KAsteroids, KPat, KTetris
13) KDE-Admin: Various tools to aid system administration
14) KOffice: Integrated office suite
15) TCP/IP networking support: Linux supports most Internet protocols. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is built into the kernel itself. TCPIIP is the communication protocol that binds the Internet.
16) High level security: It has many built in security features to protect your system from unauthorised users. It stores the passwords in encrypted form which cannot be decrypted.
17) Web server: It can be used to run web servers like Apache, serving various application protocols such as HTTP, FTP, SMTP and many more. It can also be used as an email server or a file server.
18) Database support: All major brands like Sybase, Informix and Oracle run well on Linux.
19) Programming support: It provides programming support for various languages like Fortan, Pascal, C, C++ and many web technologies.
20) Free: It can be downloaded for free from the Internet and its source code is freely available to everyone. Since the source code is open, bugs can be fixed easily without having to wait for proprietary vendors to fix the encountered problems.
21) GNU software support: Linux supports a wide range of free software written by the GNU Project, including utilities such as the GNU C and C++ compiler, and so on. Many of the essential system utilities used by Linux are GNU software.
22) The X Window system: X Windows is the de facto industry standard graphics system for UNIX machines. A free version of The X Window System, known as 'Xfree86' is available for Linux. The X Window System is a very powerful graphics interface that allows multiple login sessions in different windows on the screen at the same time.
Linux is a UNIX like operating system originally developed by Linus Torvalds, a student of University of Helsinki. Linux was developed by thousands of developers and is available for free on the Internet. Linux is written and distributed under the GNU General Public License. Technically Linux is strictly an OS kernel (Kernel is the core of an Operating System.). Linux come with a collection of software including desktop, server programs, networking suites, compilers, and many more utilities make it a complete operating system. For example, the recent version of Linux includes the XFree86 version of the X Window System, the GNU C compiler GCC and code from quite a lot of other sources.
Following are the various features of Linux
1) Multi tasking: Linux is a multi-tasking system, allowing multiple users to run multiple programs on the same system at the same time.
2) Multi-user: It is multi-user operating system, allowing multiple users to use the computer and run programs at the same time.
3) Hardware support: Runs on a variety of computer architectures, including ARM, SP ARC, Alpha, PowerPC, M68k, MIPS and Intel.
4) Reliable: Highly reliable and stable operating system, it can run for months, even years, without having to be rebooted.
5) Multiple processor support: Supports the use of multiple processors. More processors can be added without disturbing the existing hardware set up. Software dependencies: Implements shared libraries. For example, if Program A and Program B share a common piece of code then the common code is placed in a separate file so that any program requiring this common routine can refer to this file rather than including the code in each program. This saves a large amount of space on your system.
6) Graphical User Interface (GUI): Linux provides the freedom to use any user interface-programming library you choose. KDE (K Desktop Environment, K does not have an expansion) and GNOME are the two main graphical user interfaces aiming to make Linux easy for computer users to operate. They are free softwares coming under the GNU General Public License.
7) KDE: is a powerful Open Source graphical desktop environment that combines ease of use, contemporary functionality and outstanding graphical design. KDE desktop is very similar to the Windows 98/NT environment. It provides a complete desktop environment by including:
(i) Standardised menus and toolbars, key bindings, colour-schemes and many more. (ii)Dialog driven desktop configuration. (iii) File Manager for easy management of files and directories. (iv) KDEPrint for administration of various printing engines and management of enterprise networked printing systems. (v) An integrated help system allowing for convenient, consistent access to help on the use of the KDE desktop and its applications. (vi) Browser Support including support for Java Script and DHTML. (vii) Innumerable utilities and applications like:
8) KDE-Network: KMail, KNode, Knewsticker etc.
9) KDE-Graphics: Graphics applications such as KDVI, KGhostview, KPaint, Kfax
10) KDE-Utilities: KEdit, KCalc, KHexEdit, Knotes
11) KDE-Edu: Edutainment related programs
12) KDE-Games: KAsteroids, KPat, KTetris
13) KDE-Admin: Various tools to aid system administration
14) KOffice: Integrated office suite
15) TCP/IP networking support: Linux supports most Internet protocols. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is built into the kernel itself. TCPIIP is the communication protocol that binds the Internet.
16) High level security: It has many built in security features to protect your system from unauthorised users. It stores the passwords in encrypted form which cannot be decrypted.
17) Web server: It can be used to run web servers like Apache, serving various application protocols such as HTTP, FTP, SMTP and many more. It can also be used as an email server or a file server.
18) Database support: All major brands like Sybase, Informix and Oracle run well on Linux.
19) Programming support: It provides programming support for various languages like Fortan, Pascal, C, C++ and many web technologies.
20) Free: It can be downloaded for free from the Internet and its source code is freely available to everyone. Since the source code is open, bugs can be fixed easily without having to wait for proprietary vendors to fix the encountered problems.
21) GNU software support: Linux supports a wide range of free software written by the GNU Project, including utilities such as the GNU C and C++ compiler, and so on. Many of the essential system utilities used by Linux are GNU software.
22) The X Window system: X Windows is the de facto industry standard graphics system for UNIX machines. A free version of The X Window System, known as 'Xfree86' is available for Linux. The X Window System is a very powerful graphics interface that allows multiple login sessions in different windows on the screen at the same time.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The various elements of multimedia. Discuss the applications of multimedia in the field of education.
¬ ELEMENTS OF MULTIMEDIA:
Multimedia means multi (many) and media refers to communication/transfer medium. Multimedia is comprised of several elements including text, graphics, sound, video, and animation. Kiosks and CD-ROM applications are excellent vehicles for presenting information with the dynamics of multimedia. Multimedia is characterized by an Audio-Visual interface, which provides an excellent instruction medium for user interactivity.
Following are brief explanations of each multimedia element and how they can be used:
Text:
Text is perhaps the most fundamental element of any multimedia project. Text-based information can also be gathered from resource CDs and the Internet. Words are vital elements of multimedia that can appear in the titles, menus, navigation aids and in the content of a multimedia application or project. It is most essential to use words that have the most precise, legible, powerful meanings and visible size to express what you need to convey..
Hyperlinks:
Hypertext is the organization of information units into connected associations that a user can choose to make. An instance of such an association is called a Hyperlink. When a user clicks on such a cross-link words, images, videos or sound files, more information on the particular topic is displayed. It, therefore, provides the user an option of reading as much information as required.
Graphics:
Graphics can be incorporated into a multimedia project in the form of photographs or designs. Original graphic designs can be created with applications such as Hyper Studio, Movie Works, and Photoshop LE. Generally Image files are compressed to save memory and disk space of computer. GIF (Graphics Interchange Format), JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) and PNG (Portable Network Graphics) are examples of compressed image file.
Animation:
Graphics that contain movement are often referred to as animation. Animation gives visual impact to your multimedia application. Animation files can be downloaded from the Internet in the form of animated GIF files and can be viewed, edited & created with QuickTime Pro, Hyper Studio, and Movie Works. MS PowerPoint is a tool used for creating primitive animations. Visual effects like fly, wipes, dissolves, fades and zooms can be added to any object. You can create complex animations using tools like Director, 3D Studio Max, CompuServe and Shockwave.
Sound:
Sound is used to set the rhythm or a mood in a package. Sound can be added to a multimedia presentation from a variety of sources. Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is a communication standard developed in early 1980's for electronic musical instruments and computers.
Video:
Moving images or video can be incorporated into a multimedia project as QuickTime movies. QuickTime Pro, Hyper Studio, and Movie Works can be used with a camcorder or VCR to create and edit QuickTime movies for playback
¬ APPLICATIONS OF MULTIMEDIA IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION:
Multimedia. is a term frequently heard and discussed among educational technologists today. Unless clearly defined, the term can alternately mean a judicious mix of various mass media such as print, audio and video computer-based hardware and software packages produced on a mass scale for sake of better understanding in education.
Multimedia plays a vital role in all the fields of real life.
As compared to traditional 'Stand and Deliver' teaching methodology, training imparted using animated, interactive and instructional multimedia applications has proven to be more useful. Apart from making the subject interesting, it increases information retention and learning capacity of the users. The potential for students of all ages to author as part of a creative educational programme that focuses on achievement of goals and competencies rather than time served, will help educators to shift from teacher to facilitator and mentor. Some applications of multimedia in education are stated below:
Computer encyclopedias have gained considerable popularity in recent years as they allow the user a non-linear navigation of text; user can quickly access the desired topic.
The web can be thought of as a global digital multimedia library. The concept of e-learning or online learning using interactive communication tools has grown tremendously with the popularity of www. It is accessible to a large number of people, can be accessed from anywhere and everywhere and promotes the quality of learning experiences and outcomes.
Multimedia can be used for "stimulating different types of environments used for training purposes. For example: flight attendants can be trained to manage terrorism and security by artificially simulating such an environment.
Libraries, arts and cultural centres, and learner support systems are already using interactive communication tools. Multimedia documents can also be designed to receive information from the reader and subsequently process it to provide individualized solutions. This has added a new dimension to the reading/writing process and the skills involved can be reinforced.
Multimedia means multi (many) and media refers to communication/transfer medium. Multimedia is comprised of several elements including text, graphics, sound, video, and animation. Kiosks and CD-ROM applications are excellent vehicles for presenting information with the dynamics of multimedia. Multimedia is characterized by an Audio-Visual interface, which provides an excellent instruction medium for user interactivity.
Following are brief explanations of each multimedia element and how they can be used:
Text:
Text is perhaps the most fundamental element of any multimedia project. Text-based information can also be gathered from resource CDs and the Internet. Words are vital elements of multimedia that can appear in the titles, menus, navigation aids and in the content of a multimedia application or project. It is most essential to use words that have the most precise, legible, powerful meanings and visible size to express what you need to convey..
Hyperlinks:
Hypertext is the organization of information units into connected associations that a user can choose to make. An instance of such an association is called a Hyperlink. When a user clicks on such a cross-link words, images, videos or sound files, more information on the particular topic is displayed. It, therefore, provides the user an option of reading as much information as required.
Graphics:
Graphics can be incorporated into a multimedia project in the form of photographs or designs. Original graphic designs can be created with applications such as Hyper Studio, Movie Works, and Photoshop LE. Generally Image files are compressed to save memory and disk space of computer. GIF (Graphics Interchange Format), JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) and PNG (Portable Network Graphics) are examples of compressed image file.
Animation:
Graphics that contain movement are often referred to as animation. Animation gives visual impact to your multimedia application. Animation files can be downloaded from the Internet in the form of animated GIF files and can be viewed, edited & created with QuickTime Pro, Hyper Studio, and Movie Works. MS PowerPoint is a tool used for creating primitive animations. Visual effects like fly, wipes, dissolves, fades and zooms can be added to any object. You can create complex animations using tools like Director, 3D Studio Max, CompuServe and Shockwave.
Sound:
Sound is used to set the rhythm or a mood in a package. Sound can be added to a multimedia presentation from a variety of sources. Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is a communication standard developed in early 1980's for electronic musical instruments and computers.
Video:
Moving images or video can be incorporated into a multimedia project as QuickTime movies. QuickTime Pro, Hyper Studio, and Movie Works can be used with a camcorder or VCR to create and edit QuickTime movies for playback
¬ APPLICATIONS OF MULTIMEDIA IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION:
Multimedia. is a term frequently heard and discussed among educational technologists today. Unless clearly defined, the term can alternately mean a judicious mix of various mass media such as print, audio and video computer-based hardware and software packages produced on a mass scale for sake of better understanding in education.
Multimedia plays a vital role in all the fields of real life.
As compared to traditional 'Stand and Deliver' teaching methodology, training imparted using animated, interactive and instructional multimedia applications has proven to be more useful. Apart from making the subject interesting, it increases information retention and learning capacity of the users. The potential for students of all ages to author as part of a creative educational programme that focuses on achievement of goals and competencies rather than time served, will help educators to shift from teacher to facilitator and mentor. Some applications of multimedia in education are stated below:
Computer encyclopedias have gained considerable popularity in recent years as they allow the user a non-linear navigation of text; user can quickly access the desired topic.
The web can be thought of as a global digital multimedia library. The concept of e-learning or online learning using interactive communication tools has grown tremendously with the popularity of www. It is accessible to a large number of people, can be accessed from anywhere and everywhere and promotes the quality of learning experiences and outcomes.
Multimedia can be used for "stimulating different types of environments used for training purposes. For example: flight attendants can be trained to manage terrorism and security by artificially simulating such an environment.
Libraries, arts and cultural centres, and learner support systems are already using interactive communication tools. Multimedia documents can also be designed to receive information from the reader and subsequently process it to provide individualized solutions. This has added a new dimension to the reading/writing process and the skills involved can be reinforced.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Video Input or Capture Process
Writing a thorough Video Capture guide is impossible due to the large amount of devices that are available on the market.
The way Digital Video editing has been done in the past was to take a video capture card, hook up VCR or LD player to it, and then capture clips to your hard drive. This is still a very viable method (and indeed the only good option open to you if you don't have DVDs).
A Video Capture card will usually have a video-in connector - either Composite video (the yellow plug with one prong that usually comes in a set of 3 along with a left and right audio connector) or S-Video (usually a black cable where the plug has four or six pins coming out of it). There are some with Component but if you have a card that does Component you don't need to be reading this guide.
Install Virtual Dub and then run it and select Capture AVI from the file-menu. If it comes up and says there is no capture device, most likely your capture card is not supported.
When you go to capture your video, change the color format to be YUV, YUY2, UYVY or something similar if the option is available. This will give you better compression later. Then select a video compressor.
Then select your capture resolution. First try 720x480 or 704x480 if it is available. If you try capturing with these and you get dropped frames, try lowering your resolution to 360x480 or 352x480 if you can. This will maintain all the vertical resolution and scan lines and simply drop half your horizontal resolution.
If you start to get dropped frames, make sure that "preview" is off, and you are either capturing with Overlay or blind since this will save CPU cycles. Also, obviously close all other programs and make sure you aren't doing anything else. Capturing video is very processor intensive. It's also recommended to have a lot of free space handy on whatever drive you're capturing too, as well as decrementing the drive. Defragmentation can give HUGE speed increases (in the neighborhood of 3x speed increase) when it comes to working with large files.
Tips: The video you capture will only be as good as the source it came from. If the tapes are worn, the captured footage will reflect that. Try and store your old tapes in a cool, dry place. Before recording, "pack" your videotape by fast-forwarding to the end of the tape and then rewinding back to the beginning before playing. This will allow for smooth playback while capturing the video.
If your source device has S-Video output, make sure you use that instead of composite (RCA) video output. S-Video delivers a much higher picture quality than composite video.
If you want to capture lots of video to burn to DVD, make sure you have a large hard drive, or better yet, use a separate hard drive for storing video.
Devices Required:
A Computer
A Video Capture Device
Video Capture Software
If you want to edit your video, you will need Video Editing Software
If you want to record your video to DVD you will need DVD Recording software
You will need a DVD Burner to physically record the DVD
The way Digital Video editing has been done in the past was to take a video capture card, hook up VCR or LD player to it, and then capture clips to your hard drive. This is still a very viable method (and indeed the only good option open to you if you don't have DVDs).
A Video Capture card will usually have a video-in connector - either Composite video (the yellow plug with one prong that usually comes in a set of 3 along with a left and right audio connector) or S-Video (usually a black cable where the plug has four or six pins coming out of it). There are some with Component but if you have a card that does Component you don't need to be reading this guide.
Install Virtual Dub and then run it and select Capture AVI from the file-menu. If it comes up and says there is no capture device, most likely your capture card is not supported.
When you go to capture your video, change the color format to be YUV, YUY2, UYVY or something similar if the option is available. This will give you better compression later. Then select a video compressor.
Then select your capture resolution. First try 720x480 or 704x480 if it is available. If you try capturing with these and you get dropped frames, try lowering your resolution to 360x480 or 352x480 if you can. This will maintain all the vertical resolution and scan lines and simply drop half your horizontal resolution.
If you start to get dropped frames, make sure that "preview" is off, and you are either capturing with Overlay or blind since this will save CPU cycles. Also, obviously close all other programs and make sure you aren't doing anything else. Capturing video is very processor intensive. It's also recommended to have a lot of free space handy on whatever drive you're capturing too, as well as decrementing the drive. Defragmentation can give HUGE speed increases (in the neighborhood of 3x speed increase) when it comes to working with large files.
Tips: The video you capture will only be as good as the source it came from. If the tapes are worn, the captured footage will reflect that. Try and store your old tapes in a cool, dry place. Before recording, "pack" your videotape by fast-forwarding to the end of the tape and then rewinding back to the beginning before playing. This will allow for smooth playback while capturing the video.
If your source device has S-Video output, make sure you use that instead of composite (RCA) video output. S-Video delivers a much higher picture quality than composite video.
If you want to capture lots of video to burn to DVD, make sure you have a large hard drive, or better yet, use a separate hard drive for storing video.
Devices Required:
A Computer
A Video Capture Device
Video Capture Software
If you want to edit your video, you will need Video Editing Software
If you want to record your video to DVD you will need DVD Recording software
You will need a DVD Burner to physically record the DVD
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