Visualization

Visualization is any technique for creating images, diagrams, or animations to communicate a message. Visualization through visual imagery has been an effective way to communicate both abstract and concrete ideas since the dawn of man.

The use of visualization to present information is not a new phenomenon. It has been used in maps, scientific drawings, and data plots for over a thousand years. Examples from cartography include Ptolemy's Geographia (2nd Century AD), a map of China (1137 AD), and Minard's map (1861) of Napoleon's invasion of Russia a century and a half ago. Most of the concepts learned in devising these images carry over in a straight forward manner to computer visualization.

As a subject in computer science, scientific visualization is the use of interactive, sensory representations, typically visual, of abstract data to reinforce cognition, hypothesis building, and reasoning. Data visualization is a related subcategory of visualization dealing with statistical graphics and geographic or spatial data (as in thematic cartography) that is abstracted in schematic form.

 

Scientific visualization

 

Scientific visualization is the transformation, selection, or representation of data from simulations or experiments, with an implicit or explicit geometric structure, to allow the exploration, analysis, and understanding of the data. Scientific visualization focuses and emphasizes the representation of higher order data using primarily graphics and animation techniques. It is a very important part of visualization and maybe the first one, as the visualization of experiments and phenomena is as old as science itself. Traditional areas of scientific visualization are flow visualization, medical visualization, astrophysical visualization, and chemical visualization. There are several different techniques to visualize scientific data, with isosurface reconstruction and direct volume rendering being the more common.

 

Educational visualization

 

Educational visualization is using a simulation not usually normally created on a computer to create an image of something so it can be taught about. This is very useful when teaching about a topic that is difficult to otherwise see, for example, atomic structure, because atoms are far too small to be studied easily without expensive and difficult to use scientific equipment.

 

Information visualization

 

Information visualization concentrates on the use of computer-supported tools to explore large amount of abstract data. The term "information visualization" was originally coined by the User Interface Research Group at Xerox PARC and included Dr. Jock Mackinlay. Practical application of information visualization in computer programs involves selecting, transforming, and representing abstract data in a form that facilitates human interaction for exploration and understanding. Important aspects of information visualization are dynamics of visual representation and the interactivity. Strong techniques enable the user to modify the visualization in real-time, thus affording unparalleled perception of patterns and structural relations in the abstract data in question.

 

Knowledge visualization

 

The use of visual representations to transfer knowledge between at least two persons aims to improve the transfer of knowledge by using computer and non-computer-based visualization methods complementarily. Examples of such visual formats are sketches, diagrams, images, objects, interactive visualizations, information visualization applications, and imaginary visualizations as in stories. ^[9][10][11] While information visualization concentrates on the use of computer-supported tools to derive new insights, knowledge visualization focuses on transferring insights and creating new knowledge in groups. Beyond the mere transfer of facts, knowledge visualization aims to further transfer insights, experiences, attitudes, values, expectations, perspectives, opinions, and predictions by using various complementary visualizations. See also: picture dictionary, visual dictionary

 

Product visualization

 

Product visualization involves visualization software technology for the viewing and manipulation of 3D models, technical drawing and other related documentation of manufactured components and large assemblies of products. It is a key part of product lifecycle management. Product visualization software typically provides high levels of photorealism so that a product can be viewed before it is actually manufactured. This supports functions ranging from design and styling to sales and marketing. Technical visualization is an important aspect of product development. Originally technical drawings were made by hand, but with the rise of advanced computer graphics the drawing board has been replaced by computer-aided design (CAD). CAD-drawings and models have several advantages over hand-made drawings such as the possibility of 3-D modeling, rapid prototyping, and simulation.

 

Visual communication

 

Visual communication is the communication of ideas through the visual display of information. Primarily associated with two dimensional images, it includes: alphanumerics, art, signs, and electronic resources. Recent research in the field has focused on web design and graphically-oriented usability.

 

Visual analytics

 

Visual analytics focuses on human interaction with visualization systems as part of a larger process of data analysis. Visual analytics has been defined as "the science of analytical reasoning supported by the interactive visual interface".

Its focus is on human information discourse (interaction) within massive, dynamically changing information spaces. Visual analytics research concentrates on support for perceptual and cognitive operations that enable users to detect the expected and discover the unexpected in complex information spaces.

Technologies resulting from visual analytics find their application in almost all fields, but are being driven by critical needs (and funding) in biology and national security.

Context- Rich Systems

Context rich systems deals with eye, facial, gestures and body recognition. The meaning of context rich systems is to further advance software and systems in the technology world. They bring in new and exciting context to users from websites, weather or even their location. Some of the main examples of these systems are the software are usually found in our phones and computers. Technologies like finger scanning bank accounts, thumb recognition and voice recognition excite the consumers who are fans of the latest technology.

Integration at a Glance

 

The main idea behind context-rich system is combining the collection of raw data with deep analytics, an integration that both reflects awareness of the surrounding environment and responds to the user actions. However, the biggest issue in the technology is dealing with this raw data. Such systems rely on users connecting and computing from anywhere in order to gather the constant data required to build its context. What can cause complications is that these large quantities of crude data have a number of random variables such as diversity, speed, and quantity. To overcome these variables, something called “intelligent inferencing” is required, in which the system must make educated guesses, bridging factors between raw data collection and intelligent, contextually aware computing systems.

 

A Preview of the Future

 

There is no doubt that context-rich systems will lead the upcoming strategic technology trends, since contextually relevant data sharing is the ultimate goal of modern technology, with user convenience being the ultimate outcome. Meanwhile, beyond user experience, businesses stand to see overall improvement with almost real-time, context-rich results becoming of extreme importance when it comes to ensuring swift decision making and better operations control. For example, picture a system that can track foot traffic in and out of a store and then automatically recruit more floor workers to open up registers at a major retailer, freeing up lines and moving people through the store more quickly.

Moving towards context-rich systems means evolving from the point where all people and their data are expected to be connected and available all the time, to a place where we are not only constantly interconnected, but we expect that every object, place, and environment, will gain awareness of who is there, what is happening in the context, and how to interact with its surroundings.

 

Firewall

In computing, a firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. A firewall typically establishes a barrier between a trusted, secure internal network and another outside network, such as the Internet, that is assumed to not be secure or trusted. Firewalls are often categorized as either network firewalls or host-based firewalls. Network firewalls are a software appliance running on general purpose hardware or hardware-based firewall computer appliances that filter traffic between two or more networks.

 

Host-based firewalls provide a layer of software on one host that controls network traffic in and out of that single machine. Routers that pass data between networks contain firewall components and can often perform basic routing functions as well, Firewall appliances may also offer other functionality to the internal network they protect such as acting as a DHCP or VPN server for that network.

 

Filter Mechanisms

 

Firewalls use 3 types of filtering mechanisms:

• Packet filtering or packet purity
  Data flow consists of packets of information and firewalls analyze these packets to sniff out offensive or unwanted packets depending on what you have defined as unwanted packets.
• Proxy
  Firewalls in this case assume the role of a recipient & in turn sends it to the node that has requested the information & vice versa.
  
• Inspection
  In this case Firewalls instead of sifting through all of the information in the packets, mark key features in all outgoing requests & check for the same matching characteristics in the inflow to decide if it relevant information that is coming through.

Types of Firewall

• Software firewalls
  New generation Operating systems come with built in firewalls or you can buy a firewall software for the computer that accesses the internet or acts as the gateway to your home network.
• Hardware firewalls
  Hardware firewalls are usually routers with a built in Ethernet card and hub. Your computer or computers on your network connect to this router & access the web.

Wearable Computers

Wearable computers, also known as body-borne computers or wearables are miniature electronic devices that are worn by the bearer under, with or on top of clothing. This class of wearable technology has been developed for general or special purpose information technologies and media development.
In many applications, user's skin, hands, voice, eyes, arms as well as motion or attention are actively engaged as the physical environment.

Wearable computer items have been initially developed for and applied with e.g. sensory integration, to help people see better (whether in task-specific applications like camera-based welding helmets, or for everyday use like computerized "digital eyeglass") or to help people understand the world better.

• behavioral modeling
• health care monitoring systems
• service management
• mobile phones
• smartphones
• electronic textiles
• fashion design

Today still "wearable computing" is a topic of active research, with areas of study including user interface design, augmented reality, pattern recognition. The use of wearables for specific applications or for compensating disabilities as well as supporting elderly people steadily increases. The application of wearable computers into fashion design is evident through Microsoft's prototype of "The Printing Dress" at the International Symposium on Wearable Computers in June 2011.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is defined as a type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than having local servers or personal devices to handle applications.

Agility
      Agility  improves with users' ability to re-provision technological infrastructure resources.

Cost
     cost reductions claimed by cloud providers. A public-cloud delivery model converts capital expenditure to operational expenditure. This purportedly lowers barriers to entry, as infrastructure is typically provided by a third party and does not need to be purchased for one-time or infrequent intensive computing tasks. Pricing on a utility computing basis is fine-grained, with usage-based options and fewer IT skills are required for implementation (in-house). The e-FISCAL project's state-of-the-art repository contains several articles looking into cost aspects in more detail, most of them concluding that costs savings depend on the type of activities supported and the type of infrastructure available in-house.

Device and location independence
     Device and location independance enable users to access systems using a web browser regardless of their location or what device they use (e.g., PC, mobile phone). As infrastructure is off-site (typically provided by a third-party) and accessed via the Internet, users can connect from anywhere.

Maintenance
     Maintenance of cloud computing applications is easier, because they do not need to be installed on each user's computer and can be accessed from different places.

Multitenancy
     Multitenancy enables sharing of resources and costs across a large pool of users thus allowing for:

• centralization of infrastructure in locations with lower costs (such as real estate, electricity, etc.)
• peak-load capacity increases (users need not engineer for highest possible load-levels)
• utilisation and efficiency improvements for systems that are often only 10–20% utilised.

Performance
     Performance is monitored, and consistent and loosely coupled architectures are constructed using web services as the system interface.

Productivity
     Productivity may be increased when multiple users can work on the same data simultaneously, rather than waiting for it to be saved and emailed. Time may be saved as information does not need to be re-entered when fields are matched, nor do users need to install application software upgrades to their computer.

Reliability
      Reliability improves with the use of multiple redundant sites, which makes well-designed cloud computing suitable for business continuity and disaster recovery.

Scalability and elasticity
     Scalability and elasticity via dynamic ("on-demand") provisioning of resources on a fine-grained, self-service basis in near real-time (Note, the VM startup time varies by VM type, location, OS and cloud providers), without users having to engineer for peak loads. This gives the ability to scale up when the usage need increases or down if resources are not being used.

Security
       Security can improve due to centralization of data, increased security-focused resources, etc., but concerns can persist about loss of control over certain sensitive data, and the lack of security for stored kernels. Security is often as good as or better than other traditional systems, in part because providers are able to devote resources to solving security issues that many customers cannot afford to tackle. However, the complexity of security is greatly increased when data is distributed over a wider area or over a greater number of devices, as well as in multi-tenant systems shared by unrelated users. In addition, user access to security audit logs may be difficult or impossible. Private cloud installations are in part motivated by users' desire to retain control over the infrastructure and avoid losing control of information security

New Features Coming to Microsoft’s Office 2016 for Mac

When Office 2016 for Mac comes out, you can expect updates and a much more modernized user experience with the following applications:

 

Word:
 The updated design tab allows you to co-author documents, manage layout colors and fonts, and take advantage of threaded comments to collaborate with colleagues when you’re editing documents.
Excel: Improvements can be found in graphs and charts, keyboard shortcuts, and data entry features; and many of the keyboard shortcuts used in Excel 2013 for Windows will work.

PowerPoint:
A new presenter view (click slide show, then click presenter view) allows you to view your notes on one monitor while viewing the slide on another; which means you can see your notes while presenting your slides on a big screen.

Outlook:
Many new features have been added – from push mail support to improved conversation view with threading to a much more advanced preview capability, which allows you to check out previews of emails before opening.

OneNote:
As this app has always been regularly updated, and it’s free on the app store, there are not a lot of updates this time around; however, the user interface has been updated to be more modern.

Apple Pay

Apple Pay is a mobile payment and digital wallet service by Apple Inc. that lets users make payments using the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, and later, Apple Watch-compatible devices (iPhone 5 and later models), iPad Air 2, iPad Pro and iPad Mini 3 and later.



Secure, simple, and even more useful

Paying in stores or within apps has never been easier or safer. Gone are the days of searching for your wallet. The wasted moments finding the right card. Now you can use your credit cards, store credit cards, and rewards cards with just a touch.
Apple Pay is simple to use and works with the cards you already have on the devices you use every day. And because your card details are never shared when you use Apple Pay.

An easier way to pay in stores

iPhone
One touch to pay with Touch ID. Now paying in stores happens in one natural motion — there’s no need to open an app or even wake your display thanks to the innovative Near Field Communication antenna in iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s. To pay, just hold your iPhone near the contactless reader with your finger on Touch ID. Or you can double-click the Home button when your iPhone is locked to access Wallet and quickly make your purchases.

Apple Watch
Double-click to pay and go. To pay with Apple Watch, just double-click the side button and hold the display of Apple Watch up to the contactless reader. A gentle tap and beep confirm that your payment information was sent.

The safer way to pay with your fingerprint

Every time you hand over your credit or debit card to pay, your card number and identity are visible, and swiping your card triggers an exchange of information. With Apple Pay, instead of using your actual credit and debit card numbers when you add your card, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted, and securely stored in the Secure Element, a dedicated chip in iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. When you make a purchase, the Device Account Number, along with a transaction-specific dynamic security code, is used to process your payment. So your actual credit or debit card numbers are never shared by Apple with merchants or transmitted with payment. And unlike credit cards, on iPhone and iPad every payment requires Touch ID or a passcode, and Apple Watch must be unlocked — so only you can make payments from your device.




Keep your purchases private

Apple doesn’t save your transaction information. With Apple Pay, your payments are private. Apple Pay doesn’t store the details of your transactions so they can’t be tied back to you. Your most recent purchases are kept in Wallet for your convenience, but that’s as far as it goes.

Leave your cards in your pocket. Since you don’t have to show your credit or debit card, you never reveal your name, card number, or security code to the cashier when you pay in a store. This additional layer of privacy helps ensure that your information stays where it belongs. With you.