What are intranets & extranets?

An intranet is a private network, operated by a large company or other organisation, which uses internet technologies, but is insulated from the global internet.

An extranet is an intranet that is accessible to some people from outside the company, or possibly shared by more than one organisation.

For decades, many organisations have used in-house networks to connect their computers and make applications available to their staff. These networks were often expensive and could be hard to use. When the internet became popular, its networking software became widely available and, usually, free. It therefore made sense for organisations to adopt the same software for internal use.
What Intranets do?

Intranets typically start by publishing web pages about company events, health and safety policies, and staff newsletters. Popular applications follow, such as forms to reclaim expenses or request holidays. All these help eliminate paperwork and speed up workflows.

As more features are added, an intranet can become essential to the operation of an organisation. It becomes a portal that provides access to all the things workers need.

The intranet is protected from the global internet by firewalls and by the need to log on with a secure password. Staff working outside the organisation may be able to access the intranet by using a VPN (virtual private network). This means all communications between the intranet and the user’s personal computer are encrypted.

What Extranets do?                                           

Extranets take this process a step further, by providing access to people who work for different organizations. For example, a company could provide access to a supplier for online ordering, order tracking and inventory management. Instead of sending information to suppliers, it lets them fetch it on a self-service basis. Another example would be a hospital providing local GPs with access to a booking system so they can make appointments for their patients.

An extranet should be more efficient because everyone has access to the same data in the same format. Because all extranet communications can be encrypted over a VPN, it should also be more secure than sending data over the public internet.

Effects of Internet on Our Daily Lives

The maximum effect of the internet is actually on the daily life of the individuals because indeed there is no aspect of life which is not influenced by the internet and its uses.

Life has become drastically smooth and easy over the internet, while in the previous years seeking for a job required several visits to the offices and companies and interviews, these days all what is required is you detail resume emailed to the company's analysis division which assures you of any possibilities for getting the job instead of waiting and getting rejected in the end.

Even in the minor daily life activities like traveling and planning is also related to the internet in some way or the other. Internet can now be used to inquire about the flight timings and delays which make it easier to plan for the departure time.

Any piece of information regarding anything at all in our daily lives, may it be a cosmetic technique for the ladies or the men health problems, the cooking recipes for trying the new dishes or the home decoration tips, the information on the latest appliance or product you are going to buy or the search for the new house, it is all there ready for you on the internet.

The most interesting aspect of the internet influencing our daily lives is the factor of entertainment. Entertainment no longer demands your money or expense, today you can just log on the internet in your free time and get involved talking to people of similar interests, or watch movies or play games, its all there in the internet.

Because of the so many opportunities on the internet it is also said to have become an addiction for some people, which makes them more lazy and inconsistent in much more important works in life.

What is Internet?

iThe internet in simple terms is a network of the interlinked computer networking worldwide, which is accessible to the general public. These interconnected computers work by transmitting data through a special type of packet switching which is known as the IP or the internet protocol.

Internet is such a huge network of several different interlinked networks relating to the business, government, academic, and even smaller domestic networks, therefore internet is known as the network of all the other networks. These networks enable the internet to be used for various important functions which include the several means of communications like the file transfer, the online chat and even the sharing of the documents and web sites on the WWW, or the World Wide Web.

It is always mistaken said that the internet and the World Wide Web are both the same terms, or are synonymous. Actually there is a very significant difference between the two which has to be clear to understand both the terms. The internet and World Wide Web are both the networks yet; the internet is the network of the several different computers which are connected through the linkage of the accessories like the copper wires, the fiber optics and even the latest wireless connections. However, the World Wide Web consists of the interlinked collection of the information and documents which are taken as the resource by the general public. These are then linked by the website URLs and the hyperlinks. Therefore World Wide Web is one of the services offered by the whole complicated and huge network of the internet.

The use of IP in the Internet is the integral part of the network, as they provide the services of the internet, through different layers organization through the IP data packets. There are other protocols that are the sub-classes of the IP itself, like the TCP, and the HTTP.

What is ISP?

In simple words an Internet service provider (ISP), is a company that offers its customers access to the world of  Internet. The ISP connects to its customers to the internet or WWW WORLD WIDE WEB  using Various data transmission technology such as dial-up, DSL, cable modem, wireless or dedicated high-speed interconnects. Whenever we need an internet connection we need an ISP .ISPs may provide services such as

·                     Internet e-mail accounts to users

·                     remotely storing data Files etc

Dial-up - Dial-up Internet access is a Internet access that uses the facilities of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to establish a dialed connection to an Internet service provider (ISP) with the help of  telephone lines. The computer or router of the internet user uses an attached modem to encode and decode Internet Protocol packets and control the information which is coming in and going out from the system.

DSL- DSL Digital Subscriber Line is a family of technologies that provides digital data transmission over the wires of a local telephone network.

Cable Modem- A cable modem is a type of Network Bridge and modem that provides bi-directional data communication with the help of radio frequency channels on a HFC and RFoG infrastructure. Cable modems are primarily used to deliver broadband Internet access in the form of cable Internet. They are mostly used in following countries  in Australia, Europe, and America.

Wireless-Wireless communication is the transfer of information without the use of wires.The distance can be few meters as in television remote control or long as much as thousands or millions of kilometers for radio communications.Other stuffs  which use wireless technology include GPS(Global Positioning System),wireless mouse keybord headphone etc.

How to choose your ISP?

Many  ISP provides  services which is unique to each particular ISP. First step is to choose what type of service you want, then you can check Google for various reviews about the particular ISP whom service you want to use, Then you can do deals for  your ISP  according to your need and which best fit to you...

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The Bus

The CPU has to be able to send various data values, instructions, and information to all the devices and components inside your computer as well as the different peripherals and devices attached. If you look at the bottom of a motherboard you'll see a whole network of lines or electronic pathways that join the different components together. These electronic pathways are nothing more than tiny wires that carry information, data and different signals throughout the computer between the different components. This network of wires or electronic pathways is called the 'Bus'.

That's not that difficult to comprehend, but you've probably heard mention of the internal bus, the external bus, expansion bus, data bus, memory bus, PCI bus, ISA bus, address bus, control bus,… it really can get quite confusing.

A computer's bus can be divided into two different types, Internal and External.

The Internal Bus connects the different components inside the case: The CPU, system memory, and all other components on the motherboard. It's also referred to as the System Bus.

The External Bus connects the different external devices, peripherals, expansion slots, I/O ports and drive connections to the rest of the computer. In other words, the External Bus allows various devices to be added to the computer. It allows for the expansion of the computer's capabilities. It is generally slower than the system bus. Another name for the External Bus, is the Expansion Bus.

So now we know the bus is just a bunch of tiny wires (traces and electronic pathways). One bunch carries info around to the different components on the motherboard, and another bunch of wires connects these components to the various devices attached to the computer.

What kind of stuff travels on the bus? For one thing, data. Data has to be exchanged between devices. Some of the electronic pathways or wires of the Internal Bus or the External Bus are dedicated to moving data. These dedicated pathways are called the Data Bus.

Data is stored, manipulated and processed in system memory. System memory is like a vast sea of information full of fish (data). Your computer has to move information in and out of memory, and it has to keep track of which data is stored where. The computer knows where all the fishes are, but it has to transmit that information to the CPU and other devices. It has to keep a map of the different address locations in memory, and it has to be able to transmit and describe those memory locations to the other components so that they can access the data stored there. The info used to describe the memory locations travels along the address bus. The size, or width of the address bus directly corresponds to the number of address locations that can be accessed. This simply means that the more memory address locations that a processor can address, the more RAM it has the capability of using. It makes sense, right?

A 286 with a 16 bit address bus can access over 16 million locations, or 16 Mb of RAM. A 386 CPU with a 32 bit address bus can access up to 4 GB of RAM. Of course, at the present time, due to space and cost limitations associated with the average home computer, 4GB of RAM is not practical. But, the address bus could handle it if it wanted to! Another name for the address bus is the memory bus.

Top Picks:Travel Gadgets

Going somewhere this holiday? If you are hitting the beach or hiking up mountains, it is best to pack light and bring only the essentials. Siti Syameen Md Khalili suggests 10 packable and portable gadgets and gizmos that will not weigh you down

Amazon Kindle Fire (WiFi)

1 / 10

Amazon Kindle Fire (WiFi)
1 While waiting for the bus or flight, Amazon’s latest e-reader with 7-inch in-plane switching display, can give you books, music, games, apps and more of Internet browsing to kill time. Available at www.youbeli.com.my for RM849.

Samsung Galaxy Note
2 This 5.3-inch device comes with Super AMOLED screen features Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, 1.4GHz Dual Core Processor, 8-megapixel camera and a slew of features for surfing, working and multimedia handling. Its A-GPS feature will also keep you from getting lost in your holiday destination. Priced at RM2,299, details at www.samsung.com.my.

XTG Solar Charger
3 Running out of juice in the middle of a tour? This mobile charger can help, as its 1500 mAH Li-poly battery can charge phones, personal players and other portable devices via USB connectivity. In dark, switch on its twistable built-in LED flashlight. Priced at US$27.99 (RM89.20) at www.amazon.com.

Sony Alpha NEX-5ND/W
4 This compact system camera is equipped with 16.1-megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor combined with SEL1855 or SEL16F28 Lens (white) deliver great shots and AVCHD Full HD movie recording. The two-lens package is priced at RM2,999. Details at store.sony.com.my.

EGO Waterproof Sound Case for iPod
5 Works with most iPod models, this waterproof, shockproof and floating device lets you have a bit of music while you’re lounging at the pool or bob around in the calm waters. You can even enjoy music while taking a shower. Priced at RM645 at www.moresales.com.my.

Garmin Nuvi 2575R
6 Preloaded with Singapore and Malaysia maps, this GPS personal navigation device also packs in an analogue television. Priced at RM1,110, this product is available at www.mygpstalk.com.

SunPlug Hiker’s Backpack
7 With padded shoulder strap, back cushion and waist belt for proper lifting, this backpack is your portable solar cell panel with battery box and adapters for charging your devices. Available at www.amazon.com for US$99.99.

Suunto Lumi Wrist-Top Computer Watch
8 Altimeter, barometer, compass, weather indicator, and it is a watch too. This stylish wrist companion is perfect for outdoor activities. Priced at US$349 at www.amazon.com.

Seagate GoFlex Satellite
9 If you plan to do work on-the-go along the way or simply need your collection of music or movies with you, the 500GB GoFlex Satellite external hard disk drive can help you access and stream your files by connecting with your WiFi capable tablet or smartphone. The drive comes with internal battery so you need not have to plug it into a computer or power outlet to use it.

Panasonic Portable
Blu-ray DMP-B200 player

10 Offering 8.9-inch SVGA screen, this portable HDMI-ready Blu-ray player, fits in your luggage as well as your car (DC adapter included). Also accepts SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card, this RM1,499 model is available via direct.panasonic.com.my

Facebook faces lawsuit over facial-recognition feature

Facebook is facing legal action in Germany over its controversial facial-recognition feature.

The state data protection authority in Hamburg is preparing to sue the social-networking giant over the feature, which automatically recognizes and tags photos in Facebook users' networks, according to a report in Deutsche Welle.

"This requires storing a comprehensive database of the biometric features of all users," the organization reportedly wrote in a German-language statement published on its Web site. "Facebook has introduced this feature in Europe, without informing the user and without obtaining the required consent. Unequivocal consent of the parties is required by both European and national data protection law."

The organization said it has had conversations with Facebook in which the company promised it would inform users of the feature, adding that "further negotiations are pointless."

"The Tag Suggestions feature on Facebook is fully compliant with EU data protection laws," Facebook representative Andrew Noyes said in a statement. "On top of that, we have given comprehensive notice and education to our users about Tag Suggestions and we provide very simple tools for people to opt out if they do not want to use this feature. We have considered carefully different options for making people even more aware of our privacy policies and are disappointed that the Hamburg DPA has not accepted these."

The feature was quietly rolled out in June and immediately attracted the regulatory attention of the European Union, which announced it would study the feature for possible rule violations. Authorities in the U.K. and Ireland have also said they are reviewing the photo-tagging feature.

U.S. lawmakers criticized the company for making the requiring users to opt out of the feature rather than opt in. "Requiring users to disable this feature after they've already been included by Facebook is no substitute for an opt-in process," Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-chairman of the Congressional Privacy Caucus, said in a statement in June.

Even though Facebook allows users who don't want to be identified by the feature to disable it, the company conceded at the time that it could have done a better job explaining how the feature works.

"We should have been clearer with people during the roll-out process when this became available to them," the company said in a statement in June.