Top 10 Bogus technology patents

Remember the application filed by the University of Mississippi Medical Centre for a patent over the use of turmeric (haldi) powder as a wound-healing agent? Think the patent claim could not have been more absurd?

Though a patent claim over turmeric was surely among the weirdest ones, there are many more egregious patents filed in the technology space. US-based Electronic Frontier Foundation (EEF) has launched a drive against what it calls bogus patents that suppress non-commercial and small-business innovation and limit free expression online.

Here's looking into EEF's list of top 10 bogus patents.

Acacia Technologies
Patent covers the sending and receiving of streaming audio and video over the Internet.

EFF says: "Laughably broad patent would cover everything from online distribution of home movies to scanned documents and MP3s. Threatening dozens of small companies, including many home-grown adult Websites. Infringement campaign threatens to chill freedom of expression by limiting small companies' and individuals' ability to stream their content online."

Acceris
In combination, the patents cover hardware, software, and processes for implementing voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) using analog telephones as endpoints. Put simply, these patents cover telephone calls over the Internet.

EFF says: "Overbroad patents cover nearly all current implementations of VOIP, an emerging technology, thus stifling innovation and use of VOIP as a tool of free speech. Crippling the progress of small VOIP developers could undermine ease of communication online."

Ideaflood (Hoshiko)
This is a system for allowing users of a network to create and retrieve information from a personally-named subdomain, such as "action.eff.org."

EFF says: "Ideaflood built their entire business model on bullying smaller companies into paying licensing fees for overbroad software patents. Threatened many small Website hosting companies. Threatened community site LiveJournal, whose 3 million users each have their own subdomain, and thus standing in the way of LJ users' ability to speak freely in groups."

Test.com
A method for administering tests, lessons, assessments, and surveys on the Internet, scoring them, and maintaining records of test scores online.

EFF says: "Overbroad patent threatens to chill market for distance learning, online books that include tests, online certification tests and software testing done via the Internet. Company reps have told the press that Test.com wants to license or sell its patent to a large company who can wrestle more licensing fees out of groups who do online testing."

Firepond/Polaris
A system that uses natural language processing to respond to customers' online inquiries by email.

EFF says: "Patent uses basic natural language processing techniques taught in introductory computer science courses. ... Firepond is aggressively threatening and filing suit against companies in the natural language processing software space.

Filed suit against California company Banter for infringement, eventually strong-arming Banter into licensing Firepond's patents."

Clear Channel/Live Nation
A system and method for recording live performances (eg music concerts), editing them into tracks during the performance, and recording them to media (eg CDs) within minutes of the performance ending.

EFF says: "Claiming to own a monopoly on all-in-one technologies that produce post-concert live recordings on digital media. Forcing bands to use Clear Channel's CD-burning systems instead of their own or those of small startup companies. Threatening to sue anyone who produces post-show live recordings at any of its 100+ venues in the US, inhibiting investment and innovation in the post-event content distribution market."

Sheldon F Goldberg
Real-time multi-player online games, including card games. Claim 92 of the patent alleges to cover real-time updates to ladder rankings for multi-player online games.

EFF says: "Threatening small online gaming Websites. ... Claiming to own basic online gaming architecture."





NeoMedia Technologies
A system and method for using identification codes to access particular computers on a network, including the use of bar codes to lookup information about products via a network.

EFF says: "Threatening small info-aggregating companies such as ScanBuy, AirClic and LScan Technologies. Also, a potential threat to Barcr, an open-source, alpha quality bar-code scanner for Nokia's 60 series camera phones."


Nintendo
A software emulator for emulating a handheld video game platform such as the Game Boy.

EFF says: "Threatens reverse-engineering of video games to promote interoperability and emulation by hobbyists and entrepreneurs like Crimson Fire Entertainment and Gambit Studios."

Seer Systems
A system for joining different musical data types together in a file, distributing them over the internet, and then playing that file.

EFF says: "Currently threatening small companies trying to innovate in this field, like Beatnik. Threatening to compromise at least two public media standards-MPEG4 and XMF."






For the original article, refer: http://infotech.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/5310956.cms

Why CAT crashed online

The trouble with the computer-aided CAT exam was diagnosed as ‘Conflicer’ and ‘W32 Nimda’, the two viruses that attacked the system display of the test, causing it to slow it down.

Efforts are now on to quarantine the systems from these viruses to ensure smooth conduct in the remaining days. Tests at 47 labs were called off on the first two days and 33 labs on Monday, on account of this problem affecting nearly 8,000 aspirants who will be rescheduled.

Samir Barua, director of IIM-A, which is the nodal agency for conducting CAT in the country, told reporters, "Though there were precautions taken, with so much of technology involved, it is hard to keep the system foolproof. The 47 centres which reported problems on Day one, were kept shut on Day 2 so that they could be checked. On Day 3, 33 were shut, which include some new centres also," said Barua.

"All efforts are right now diverted to further isolate and quarantine the individual servers, increase virus protection and control accessibility so that the test can be conducted smoothly on the remaining days. These security measures are being taken not only in the centres that have experienced problems but all the others that were operating smoothly," added Barua.

Charles Karnan, COO, Prometric, the US agency given the contract for CAT 2009 along with NIIT, said, "All the students who have suffered any difficulty in the taking the test will be accommodated, as all the centres were asked to keep a buffer in case of any such problem, right in the beginning. Of the 8,000 odd candidates that have faced problem, 62% have been rescheduled." "This is the biggest test we have conducted. Usually these many students take tests like GRE, GMAT or Toefl across the year, but here we had to complete the process in 10 days," he said.

Students facing problems at individual levels, have been asked to report to the Candidates Care Service at each centre. “Once their credentials are confirmed, they will be given a new test date and slot when they can appear for the test," Satish Deodhar, convenor of CAT Centre said.

Asked how the three centres at Ahmedabad were glitch-free, Prof Deodhar, said, "The centres here were able to keep their servers quarantined better."

Virus claim may trigger litigation
With the online CAT to the IIMs turning chaotic — admission tests were cancelled at nearly 14% centres across the country owing to technical glitches — cyber experts say pinning of the blame on a virus attack may have worsened things for applicants.

Cyber guru Vijay Mukhi said the official explanation of a virus would open the doors for students to question the exams and approach courts to have it cancelled. ‘‘It could set a dangerous precedent if anyone goes to the court and court grants a stay,’’ he told, even as he questioned the virus claim. Cyber law advocates said a technical glitch is one thing, but admitting to a virus attack shows the online system may be tough to handle for authorities. Rajiv Kumar, a well-know lawyer, said the cancelled exams would give rise not only to question of inequality, but also denial of equal opportunity.

How can you test your antivirus software...??

Creating A Test Virus:
Have you ever wondered if your anti-virus software is really working? Would you like to see what happens when it detects a virus? Here's a safe way to test your computer's virus protection that doesn't require you to have a real virus.

First, open Notepad. Then copy and paste into it the text on the line below. (It should all be on one line.)

X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*

Then select File, Save, select All Files for the file type, then save the file as eicar.com

Your anti-virus software may prevent you from saving the file as eicar.com, which is a sign that it is working effectively. If it doesn't raise an alert, try scanning the folder where you saved eicar.com. To see what happens if you try to run a file containing a virus, double-click eicar.com to open it.

Explanation:
The file eicar.com you have created is completely safe. It is not a virus. It is a standard test file developed by the European Institute for Computer Anti-virus Research (EICAR). All anti-virus products are programmed to detect this file as if it was a real virus. Therefore you can safely use it to test whether your anti-virus software works, without fear of infecting your computer.

Conclusion:
If your anti-virus product should fail to prevent you from running the file, it will simply display the text "EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE" in a DOS box. No harm will have been done, but you should probably consider using a better anti-virus product, because if it had been a real virus, your computer would by now be infected!

Fun Trivia

1) Mathematical Magic

259*(your age)*39=?

Try it. You will be surprised to see the result.
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2) Neurological Test

This is a REAL neurological test. Sit comfortably and be calm.

(i)- Find the C below. Do not use any cursor help.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O


(ii)- If y ou already found the C, now find the 6 below.

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999
99996999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999


(iii)- Now find the N below. It's a little more difficult..

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! MM! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM


This is NOT a joke.
If you were able to pass these 3 tests, you can cancel your
annual visit to your neurologist.
Your brain is great and you're far from having Alzheimer
Disease. Congratulations!
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3) Hey! How long can u last here... Be honest...

http://members.iinet.net.au/~pontipak/redsquare.html

Put ur best time here as a comment...
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4) Small Magic

1. Go to Google

2. Click images

3. Type 'flowers' or any other word.

4. You will get a page which is having full of images

5. Then delete the URL from the address bar and paste the below script:

Javascript

Note : If u r using Firefox then right click on the above link and then select copy link location. Then paste it in the address bar of the page where u did the image search.
If u use Internet Explorer then right click on the above link and then select copy shortcut. Then paste it in the address bar of the page where u did the image search.
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5) Tic - Tac - Toe

Try this game and win me...

Here http://stuff.pyzam.com/toys/tictacscare.swf
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