[The famous "Halfway Tree" of the Prairies, between Winnipeg and Brandon]

Technologies to Watch

Here are some ideas to keep an eye on

		Last Update
	Understanding the Windows EAL4 Evaluation, Jonathan S. Shapiro, Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute Microsoft has received a Common Criteria certification for Windows 2000 (with service pack 3) at Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 4. This article explains some of the subtler points of this evaluation. http://eros.cs.jhu.edu/~shap/NT-EAL4.html	August 11, 2003
	The programmable Web is gaining currency as major IT vendors agree on Web services standards. At the same time, a much less structured Web services effort is going on in the developer community, where individual programmers are using free applications programming interfaces (APIs) released by online services such as Google and Amazon.com. Whether from entrenched IT powerhouses or from grass-roots developments, the trend is enabling the programmable Web, where users do not have to actively search for online services or information themselves. The idea is to allow other applications and devices besides a traditional browser and PC to use the Web. In the future, cars with on-board computers could hook up to Microsoft's MapPoint site and find out where the nearest gas station is, based on GPS data; the location of the nearest service station and other relevant information would be automatically beamed to the driver when the gas tank runs low. Working through industry consortiums, Microsoft, IBM, and others are working on the standard identifiers and directories that would make this type of integration possible. At the same time, developers are making use of free APIs issued by Google, eBay, and Amazon.com to create new Web services such as Google Alerts. Forrester Research analyst Paul Sonderegger says the Amazon.com API is especially intriguing because it allows developers to access deeper functions than the simple search engine access allowed by Google. Amazon.com held a crowded workshop session at the recent O'Reilly Emerging Technologies conference to show programmers how to use its free programming tools and software tokens. http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,965532,00.html	June 3, 2003
	Poser over Ethernet. The IEEE task force on Power Over Ethernet (POE) technology has released a draft standard supporting what analysts say will become the first international power standard ever. Besides the potential to eliminate portable conversion devices for power outlets, POE also promises easier and less costly network setups because a certified electrician is not required for Ethernet deployment. POE, or IEEE 802.3af, adds 20 percent or more to the cost of an Ethernet switch, but support in end devices is cheap. The IEEE's 802.3af task force chairman, Steven Carlson, says a range of devices can be powered with the 12.95 watts delivered via POE, including IP security cameras, IP phones, and wireless LAN access points. "POE is going to be one of those things where people won't even remember when you couldn't get power from an Ethernet jack," he says. Vendors have been offering in-line power via Ethernet for some time, but adoption often meant subscribing to proprietary technology. Even 3Com's Doug Hyde expects the POE standard to have some glitches at first simply because manufacturers read specifications differently. Burton Group analyst David Passmore says the first POE devices should be safe to buy as long as vendors guarantee they are upgradeable, and Gartner's Rachna Ahlawat says that within a year POE will "just become another standard feature." Click Here to View Full Article	June 3, 2003
	Sensors. The Sensors Expo 2003 show in early June will showcase offerings from 128 companies and demonstrate the full range of sensor technologies. Products on display will include a line of low-g accelerometers from Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector that can measure linear acceleration, deceleration, tilting, and other small force fluctuations; National Instruments' NI 6120 multifunction data acquisition devices for PXI and PCI, which can interface with multiple programming environments and languages, offer more resolution and accuracy, and boast 54 million samples of onboard memory; and Phoenix Contact's Variosub RJ-45/IP67 industrial Ethernet connector, which can support 100 Mbps transmissions and has a high tolerance to vibration, dirt, moisture, corrosive substances, and tough industrial installations. Sensors Expo 2003 will host sessions covering numerous topics, such as design issues, sensors' ubiquity, nanotechnology and other emerging sensor applications, and industry trends. A notable session in the category of Putting Sensors to Work is "Commercialization of Nanotechnology, MEMS [microelectromechanical systems], MST [microsystem technologies], and Micromachines--A Global Perspective," chaired by Roger Grace Associates President Roger Grace. Topics of papers to be presented at the session will include infrastructure technologies and devices, while Grace himself will deliver an "Overview on Barriers to Commercialization." The session will also include panel discussions with an emphasis on manufacturing issues, particularly the part that standards play in MEMS industries. Featured speakers at the expo will include Dean Kamen, and the "International Robots and Vision Show & Conference" will take place as an adjunct show running concurrently with the expo. Click Here to View Full Article	June 3, 2003