Topic Review
Information and Communication Technologies for Development
Information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) refers to the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) toward social, economic, and political development, with a particular emphasis on helping poor and marginalized people and communities. It aims to help in international development by bridging the digital divide and providing equitable access to technologies. ICT4D is grounded in the notions of "development", "growth", "progress" and "globalization" and is often interpreted as the use of technology to deliver a greater good. Another similar term used in the literature is "digital development". ICT4D draws on theories and frameworks from many disciplines, including sociology, economics, development studies, library, information science, and communication studies.
  • 20.8K
  • 24 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Blockchain Oracle Problem
The Blockchain Oracle Problem refers to the inability of confirming the veracity of the data collected by oracles. Also, depending on the type, the chances of malfunction, and deliberate tampering. 
  • 18.5K
  • 23 Mar 2023
Topic Review
TCP-based Congestion Control Algorithms
In today’s data networks, the main protocol used to ensure reliable communications is the transmission control protocol (TCP). The TCP performance is largely determined by the used congestion control (CC) algorithm, which main purpose is to avoid the congestion of the network that can be caused by a large burst of data traffic. TCP CC algorithms have evolved over the past three decades and a large number of CC algorithm variations have been developed to accommodate various communication network environments. Considering the importance of CC in communication networks, the fundamentals of the TCP as the main transport layer protocol and CC process have been explained in detail. Also, an encyclopedic overview of the most popular single-flow and multi-flow TCP CC algorithms with corresponding alternatives has been present. Future directions in the possible improvement of CC algorithms for implementation in complex heterogeneous networks composed of wired and wireless elements are lastly discussed in this encyclopedic work. 
  • 18.2K
  • 21 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Solaris (Operating System)
Solaris is a proprietary Unix operating system originally developed by Sun Microsystems. It superseded the company's earlier SunOS in 1993. In 2010, after the Sun acquisition by Oracle, it was renamed Oracle Solaris. Solaris is known for its scalability, especially on SPARC systems, and for originating many innovative features such as DTrace, ZFS and Time Slider. Solaris supports SPARC and x86-64 workstations and servers from Oracle and other vendors. Solaris is registered as compliant with the Single UNIX Specification. Historically, Solaris was developed as proprietary software. In June 2005, Sun Microsystems released most of the codebase under the CDDL license, and founded the OpenSolaris open-source project. With OpenSolaris, Sun wanted to build a developer and user community around the software. After the acquisition of Sun Microsystems in January 2010, Oracle decided to discontinue the OpenSolaris distribution and the development model. In August 2010, Oracle discontinued providing public updates to the source code of the Solaris kernel, effectively turning Solaris 11 back into a closed source proprietary operating system. Following that, OpenSolaris was forked as illumos and is alive through several illumos distributions. In 2011, the Solaris 11 kernel source code leaked to BitTorrent. However, through the Oracle Technology Network (OTN), industry partners can still gain access to the in-development Solaris source code. Solaris is developed under a proprietary development model, and only the source for open-source components of Solaris 11 is available for download from Oracle.
  • 12.7K
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Free-Space Optical Communication
Fast communication is of high importance. Recently, increased data demand and crowded radio frequency spectrum have become crucial issues. Free-Space Optical Communication (FSOC) has diametrically changed the way people exchange information. As an alternative to wire communication systems, it allows efficient voice, video, and data transmission using a medium like air. Due to its large bandwidth, FSOC can be used in various applications and has therefore become an important part of our everyday life. The main advantages of FSOC are a high speed, cost savings, compact structures, low power, energy efficiency, a maximal transfer capacity, and applicability. The rapid development of the high-speed connection technology allows one to reduce the repair downtime and gives the ability to quickly establish a backup network in an emergency. Unfortunately, FSOC is susceptible to disruption due to atmospheric conditions or direct sunlight. Here, we briefly discuss Free-Space Optical Communication from mirrors and optical telegraphs to modern wireless systems and outline the future development directions of optical communication.
  • 6.9K
  • 11 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Performance Comparison of SQL and Graph Databases
In developing NoSQL databases, a major motivation is to achieve better efficient query performance compared with relational databases. The graph database is a NoSQL paradigm where navigation is based on links instead of joining tables. Links can be implemented as pointers, and following a pointer is a constant time operation, whereas joining tables is more complicated and slower, even in the presence of foreign keys. Therefore, link-based navigation has been seen as a more efficient query approach than using join operations on tables. Existing studies strongly support this assumption. Query complexity has received less attention. For example, in enterprise information systems, queries are usually complex so data need to be collected from several tables or by traversing paths of graph nodes of different types.
  • 6.1K
  • 15 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Security and Privacy in Cloud Computing
Advances in the usage of information and communication technologies (ICT) has given rise to the popularity and success of cloud computing. Cloud computing offers advantages and opportunities for business users to migrate and leverage the scalability of the pay-as-you-go price model. However, outsourcing information and business applications to the cloud or a third party raises security and privacy concerns, which have become critical in adopting cloud implementation and services. Researchers and affected organisations have proposed different security approaches in the literature to tackle the present security flaws. The literature also provides an extensive review of security and privacy issues in cloud computing. Unfortunately, the works provided in the literature lack the flexibility in mitigating multiple threats without conflicting with cloud security objectives. The literature has further focused on only highlighting security and privacy issues without providing adequate technical approaches to mitigate such security and privacy threats. Conversely, studies that offer technical solutions to security threats have failed to explain how such security threats exist.
  • 5.9K
  • 11 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Information and Communications Technology
Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals) and computers, as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage and audiovisual, that enable users to access, store, transmit, understand and manipulate information. ICT is also used to refer to the convergence of audiovisuals and telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling or link system. There are large economic incentives to merge the telephone networks with the computer network system using a single unified system of cabling, signal distribution, and management. ICT is an umbrella term that includes any communication device, encompassing radio, televiision, cell phones, computer and network hardware, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and appliances with them such as video conferencing and distance learning. ICT also includes analog technology, such as paper communication, and any mode that transmits communication. ICT is a broad subject and the concepts are evolving. It covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit, or receive information electronically in a digital form (e.g., personal computers including smartphones, digital television, email, or robots). Skills Framework for the Information Age is one of many models for describing and managing competencies for ICT professionals for the 21st century.
  • 5.8K
  • 27 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Big Data Mining
Big data mining (BDM) is an approach that uses the cumulative data mining or extraction techniques on large datasets / volumes of data. It is mainly focused on retrieving relevant and demanded information (or patterns) and thus extracting value hidden in data of an immense volume. BDM draws from the conventional data mining notation but also combines the aspects of big data, i.e. it enables to acquire useful information from databases or data streams that are huge in terms of “big data V’s”, like volume, velocity, and variety.
  • 5.6K
  • 05 Aug 2021
Topic Review
ICO (File Format)
The ICO file format is an image file format for computer icons in Microsoft Windows. ICO files contain one or more small images at multiple sizes and color depths, such that they may be scaled appropriately. In Windows, all executables that display an icon to the user, on the desktop, in the Start Menu, or in Windows Explorer, must carry the icon in ICO format. The CUR file format is an almost identical image file format for non-animated cursors in Microsoft Windows. The only differences between these two file formats are the bytes used to identify them and the addition of a hotspot in the CUR format header; the hotspot is defined as the pixel offset (in x,y coordinates) from the top-left corner of the cursor image where the user is actually pointing the mouse.
  • 5.6K
  • 04 Nov 2022
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