RPA(Robotic Process Automation)

What is RPA?

Robotic Process Automation consists of 3 major components:

1. Robotic – An entity which is capable of being programmed by a computer for doing complex tasks is known as a Robot. In terms of RPA, this task would be to mimic human actions.
2. Process – A process is a sequence of actions/activities or steps/tasks taken in order to achieve a particular end.
3. Automation – When a task/an activity happens automatically, i.e. without human intervention.

Hence, RPA is the process of automating tasks or workflows that don’t require inference or insight, eliminating simpler types of tasks from humans. These tasks are usually the responsibilities that can be performed through business rules or codified logic and are usually represented as scripts or “bots.” Any task that can be automated with business logic or a programming language can be considered an application of RPA.

Benefits of RPA-

Image credits- http://www.mantralabsglobal.com

Applications of RPA-

• Process Automation- Process automation consists of various tasks in finance, procurement, supply chain management, accounting, customer service and human resources, including data entry, purchase order issuing, creation of online access credentials and various other business processes.
• Reconciliation
• Data Extraction
• Data Management
• Virtual System Integration
• Gap Solutions
• Quality Assurance
• Revenue Forecasting
• Data Migration

RPA Tools available-

• Another Monday
• UiPath
• Automation Anywhere
• Blue Prism
• Wokrfusion
• Jacada
• Kyron
• Redwood
• Automation Edge
• Etc

Future of RPA

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

While Artificial Intelligence is different from RPA, the both can’t be separated. It is believed that the next transitional phase to RPA will be AI. The next stage of RPA will move beyond rule-based technology and start to include AI aspects.

3. SPA (Smart Process Automation)

SPA or Smart Process Automation is believed to be an extension of RPA. The purpose of SPA is to automate the unstructured data work that robotics is incapable of managing all by itself. SPA uses Machine Learning that is an alternative to scripting the if/then rules. There’s a combination of machine learning, big data, AI and cloud that is used to improve processes and create models and refine models.

4. Integration with other tools

RPA when integrated with human workforce and tools will make a complete and evolved workforce.

5. RPA 2.0

The next big change of RPA will see more of AI, Digital Employees, Total Workforce, and Digital Transformation. The digital workforce encompasses digitally empowered employees who can contribute to innovation, creativity and collaboration. The digital workplace can breakdown communication barriers and promote productivity, efficiency and innovation.

Blockchain Technology and Bitcoin

What is a ‘Blockchain’?

A blockchain is a digitized, decentralized, public ledger of all cryptocurrency transactions. It allows participants in the market to keep track of digital currency transactions. Blockchain can only be updated by consensus between participants in the system, and when new data is entered, it can never be erased. The blockchain contains a true and verifiable record of each and every transaction ever made in the system.

Originally developed as the accounting method for the virtual currency Bitcoin which uses what’s known as distributed ledger technology (DLT) The technology is primarily used to verify transactions, within digital currencies though it is possible to digitize, code and insert practically any document into the blockchain. Doing so creates an indelible record that cannot be changed; furthermore, the record’s authenticity can be verified by the entire community using the blockchain instead of a single centralized authority.

Similar to a relational database – that can be openly shared among disparate users and that creates an unchangeable record of their transactions, each transaction is one time-stamped and linked to the previous one. Each digital record or transaction in the thread is called a block (hence the name), and it allows either an open or controlled set of users to participate in the electronic ledger. Each block is linked to a specific participant.

Process-

Image Credits- www.blockgeeks.com

• Advantages of Blockchain

1. Greater transparency.
2. Fewer Error and less repetitive process of approving.
3. Minimizing the processing delay also means less capital being held against the risks of pending transactions.
4. Electronic ledgers are much cheaper to maintain.

• Applications of Blockchain technologies

The applications of blockchain technology are numerous and has a great scope of expansion as its underlying technology can be leveraged in virtually any field like

• Contract Executions.
• Property buying and selling.
• Used in medical information distribution.
• Can also be used in polls.

Bitcoins

Bitcoin is a form of cryptocurrency, which is decentralized and allows users to exchange money without the need for a third-party. This was invented as a peer-to-peer(P2P) network, which allows the user to do the transactions without any financial authority in between. All bitcoin transactions are logged and made available in a public ledger, helping ensure their authenticity and preventing fraud. The underlying technology that facilitates these transactions and eliminates the need for an intermediary is the blockchain.

Steps Credits- WallStreetMojo

Ever Wondered How to Buy Bitcoins?

First step: To be able to purchase a bitcoin, first you need to install a “virtual wallet” onto your smart device – your mobile phone or your laptop. This wallet is the software that helps you track all of your transactions and bitcoin balance. Example- Copay, Electrum, Mycelium, etc

Hearing a lot about IoT? Know it here!

What is IoT(Internet of Things)?

Internet of Things (IoT) is an environment of connected physical objects that are accessible through the internet. The ‘thing’ in IoT has the capability to collect and exchange data. This could be a person with object having built-in-sensors, i.e. objects that have been assigned an IP address and have the ability to collect and transfer data over a network without manual assistance or intervention. The vast network of devices connected to the Internet, including smart phones and tablets and almost anything with a sensor on it – cars, machines in production plants, jet engines, oil drills, wearable devices, and more.

How dose the IoT work?

The Internet of Things (IoT), also sometimes referred to as the Internet of Everything (IoE), consists of all the web-enabled devices that collect, send and act on data they acquire from their surrounding environments using embedded sensors, processors and communication hardware. These devices, often called “connected” or “smart” devices, 
can sometimes talk to other related devices, a process called machine-to-machine(M2M) communication, and act on the information they get from one another. Humans can interact with the gadgets to set them up, give them instructions or access the data, but the devices do most of the work on their own without human intervention. The user can assess, analyse and control the functioning of his ‘Things’. The User’s objects communicate with each other. Billions of connected devices are part of the Internet of Things. They use built-in hardware and software to send and receive data via various communication protocols. They might use our smartphones as their gateway to the Internet, connect to some other piece of hardware in our homes that’s acting as a hub or connect directly through our home Internet service. They often send data to cloud-computing servers where it’s then analyzed.

Connected devices also generate massive amounts of Internet traffic, including loads of data that can be used to make the devices useful, but can also be mined for other purposes. All this new data, and the Internet-accessible nature of the devices, raises both privacy and security concerns.

Some Real World Applications of IoT!

1. Smart Home
2. Connected Cars
3. Smart Cities
4. Wearables(Example – Fitbit)
5. IoT in Agriculture
6. IoT in Healthcare
7. Asset Tracking
8. Smart Grid
9. Industrial Internet
10. Smart Retail

You name it and it’s there.

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The Future of IoT…

Pic Courtesy – IDC,Intel and VisionMobile Estimates.

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The IoT (Internet of Things) is growing at a significant pace as consumers, businesses, and governments are recognizing the benefits of connecting inert devices to the internet.Research firm IDC’s report confirms that the worldwide IoT market is poised to grow to $1.7 trillion by 2020 with a CAGR of 16.9%. A recent report titled ‘The Internet of Things Ecosystem Research’ from Business Insider (BI) states that the number of devices connected to the internet will increase from 10 billion in 2015 to 34 billion by 2020. BI’s report foresees that global market will witness an investment of nearly $6 trillion in IoT solutions over the next five years and investments made in the next five years are projected to generate $13 trillion in revenue by 2025.

In an article by John Greenough and Jonathan Camhi in Business Insider –

• In total, we project there will be 34 billion devices connected to the internet by 2020, up from 10 billion in 2015. IoT devices will account for 24 billion, while traditional computing devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, etc.) will comprise 10 billion.
• Nearly $6 trillion will be spent on IoT solutions over the next five years.
• Businesses will be the top adopter of IoT solutions. They see three ways the IoT can improve their bottom line by 1) lowering operating costs; 2) increasing productivity; and 3) expanding to new markets or developing new product offerings.
• Governments are focused on increasing productivity, decreasing costs, and improving their citizens’ quality of life. We believe they will be the second-largest adopters of IoT ecosystems.
• Consumers will lag behind businesses and governments in IoT adoption. Still, they will purchase a massive number of devices and invest a significant amount of money in IoT ecosystems.

Not enough?  IoT is being labelled as the “Next Industrial Revolution”.

 

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What is an IP Address?

An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label that is assigned to any device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication between its nodes. An IP address serves two principal functions; host or network interface identification and location addressing. Its role has been characterized as follows: “A Hostname indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A route indicates how to get there.”

Although IP addresses are stored as binary numbers, they are usually displayed in human-readable notations, such as 208.77.188.166 (for IPv4), and 2001:db8:0:1234:0:567:1:1 (for IPv6).

The Internet Protocol is used to route data packets between networks; IP addresses specify the locations of the source and destination nodes in the topology of the routing system. For this purpose, some of the bits in an IP address are used to designate a subnetwork. The number of these bits is indicated in CIDR notation, appended to the IP address; e.g., 208.77.188.166/24.

Two versions of the Internet Protocol (IP) are in use:

• IP Version 4
• IP Version 6.

Each version defines an IP address differently. Because of its prevalence, the generic term IP address typically still refers to the addresses defined by IPv4.

Let’s Learn what IPv4 address is and how it looks!

Decomposition of an IPv4 address from dot-decimal notation to its binary value.

In IPv4 an address consists of 32 bits which limit the address space to 4294967296 (2³²) possible unique addresses. IPv4 reserves some addresses for special purposes such as private networks (~18 million addresses) or multicast addresses (~270 million addresses).IPv4 addresses are usually represented in dot-decimal notation (four numbers, each ranging from 0 to 255, separated by dots, e.g. 208.77.188.166). Each part represents 8 bits of the address and is therefore called an octet. In less common cases of technical writing, IPv4 addresses may be presented in hexadecimal, octal, or binary representations. In most representations, each octet is converted individually.

What is IPv6 and how is it represented?

The rapid exhaustion of IPv4 address space, despite conservation techniques, prompted the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to explore new technologies to expand the Internet’s addressing capability. The permanent solution was deemed to be a redesign of the Internet Protocol itself. This next generation of the Internet Protocol, aimed to replace IPv4 on the Internet, was eventually named Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) in 1995The address size was increased from 32 to 128 bits or 16 octets, which, even with a generous assignment of network blocks, is deemed sufficient for the foreseeable future. Mathematically, the new address space provides the potential for a maximum of 2¹²⁸ or about 3.403×10³⁸ unique addresses.

Decomposition of an IPv6 address from hexadecimal representation to its binary value.

The new design is not based on the goal to provide a sufficient quantity of addresses alone, but rather to allow efficient aggregation of subnet routing prefixes to occur at routing nodes. As a result, routing table sizes are smaller, and the smallest possible individual allocation is a subnet for 2⁶⁴ hosts, which is the square of the size of the entire IPv4 Internet. At these levels, actual address utilization rates will be small in any IPv6 network segment. The new design also provides the opportunity to separate the addressing infrastructure of a network segment—that is the local administration of the segment’s available space—from the addressing prefix used to route external traffic to a network. IPv6 has facilities that automatically change the routing prefix of entire networks should the global connectivity or the routing policy change without requiring internal redesign or renumbering.

All modern desktop and enterprise server operating systems include native support for the IPv6 protocol, but it is not yet widely deployed in other devices, such as home networking routers, voice over IP (VoIP) and multimedia equipment, and network peripherals.

 

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Li-Fi

Li-Fi is the new stepping stone towards a technological revolution of the 21^st Century. Li-Fi uses household LED(Light Emitting Diode) light bulbs to the data transfer.

Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is a Visible Light Communications which runs wireless communications at very high speed. It is estimated to be 100 times more faster than some Wi-Fi implementations by reaching the speed of 224 Gbps in tests.

The Working

The infrared technology is the key for working of the Li-Fi.Knowing about the infrared is quite easy in terms – The input command is given and this input is converted into some binary codes . These binary codes are then transmitted over the frequency of the infrared light waves which when received by the sensor are decoded and the input is peformed.

The above image representation by PureLiFi gives the users a workaround of the technology. Being a visible light communication system, it uses a photo-detector to capture the signals and a signal processing unit for the conversion of data. the data is passed from the internet to the LED bulb that transmits the data over the modulating signal while a photo-detector that may be attached with a cellular device or a laptop, picks up the signal and decodes it giving us the web, video, audio, and other internet related service.

This goes as the mechanism that in the range of LED bulb light where the photo-detectors can capture the signals, will provide the internet access at faster speeds.

The Standards

The Wi-Fi and the Li-Fi uses the similar 802.11 protocols but with a difference that Wi-Fi uses radio frequency waves and the Li-Fi uses the visible light communication which provides a wider bandwidth.

The IEEE 802.15.7 standard defines the Physical Layer(PHY) and Media Access Control(MAC) layer. This standard helps in delivering the audio, videos, and other multimedia services at a high rate keeping in account the light frequencies compatibility. The MAC layer gives the permission to be linked with other layers such as the TCP/IP protocol layers.

3 PHY Layers are defined by the standard which works at different rates –

• PHY I – 11.67 kbit/s to 267.6 kbit/s.
• PHY II – 1.25 mbit/s to 96 mbit/s.
• PHY III – 12 mbit/s to 96 mbit/s

Li-Fi over Wi-Fi

• No wireless dead zones.
• A lot faster than what speeds are provided in the present by Wi-Fi.
• Li-Fi is considerably cheaper.
• More secure.
• It is a point to point network topology.

The Future of Internet

This technology is surely going to offer a very fast and reliable internet communication to the users. Using the light as a medium to communicate will allow the most eccentric places to be in the connectivity with wireless internet systems.

Efficient Use of LED

This takes us to the usage of the LED bulbs that will be twice more efficient then today. The LED and various photon detector technologies assures the availability of suitable light transmitters and detectors. Advancement in the signal processing does provide use with techniques like Multiple input and Multiple Output(MIMO).

Bottom Line

The innovative step of the technology of wireless communications looks cool and profitable. This leads us to a question whether Li-Fi is a good technological solution to faster data rates and more efficient & convenient internet communication?

 

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

 

Project Fi

The anxiety about the latest attempt by google in the area of networking is finally over and here is what Google is offering the T-Mobile and Sprint Operators.

Project Fi is a cellular network service owned by Google which offers “intelligent switching”.  It makes calls and sends text messages via WiFi network whenever available. The service will automatically switch between networks depending on the signal strength and the speed

It is also a cheaper and a more reliable way to connect to the mobile network. It is a complete Prepaid project.

It is like a web of deceit by the companies to overcharge the users for the service and that’s the time we need to concentrate on Project Fi and make the correct switch.

Here is a video that explains the Project

“Project Fi is a program to deliver fast, easy wireless experience in close partnership with leading carriers, Hardware makers, and our Users..” – Project Fi

• Billing Made Easy and Profitable

Google has made a convenient pricing system which the users will love. Monthly plans are listed as $20 for 2 Gigabytes which includes unlimited voice and messaging with extending rate of $10 for a Gigabyte more. But the thing to look at is that the unused data is credited at the rate of $0.01/MB on the next invoice

Project Fi subscribers will pay for Megabytes of usage which means that if a subscriber uses 201 MB then it would just cost the subscriber $2.01, having signed for the 2 GB in the start the remaining will be credited for the next invoice.

• Device accessing

Google Data Center will store the subscriber phone numbers allowing them to access to others devices else than smartphones. This brings us to a convenient access of our text messages transfers and calls on personal computers, Tablets and other smartphones being Logged in.

• Seamless Wi-Fi

When browsing while connected to the Wi-Fi network Google collects the data about the Wi-Fi and the signal strength you are connect to. The Project Fi uses this intelligent technique to switch its users to a Wi-Fi System strong enough to at least load a video and music. The smartphone will automatically switch to a Wi-Fi network over the Mobile network irrespective of the speed. The switching will happen in the following way –If a Wi-Fi network is providing a speed of 10 Mbps and the T-Mobile or Sprint network is providing a speed of 20 Mbps, the smartphone switches to the Wi-Fi hence saving up some money.

Everything comes with at least One Limitation to it and so does the Project fi.
If you are a user of smartphones belonging to companies like Samsung or Apple there arrives a limitation. Google, at present allows the service at only three of its latest android smartphones NEXUS 6, NEXUS 5X, and NEXUS 6P on the Project Fi network.

How Do You Get The Service?
To get the Project Fi service you can request and invite by clicking Here and hence be a part of the Project Fi.

Not using a NEXUS?
Google, When you are selected from the invite ships the Sim to you and if you are not a NEXUS owner then it allows you to buy a new variant right from Google itself which comes with a financing option of 24 Months.

Subscribe to the Project Fi, use the carrier along with the NEXUS , If you do not find it good then just return the NEXUS and cancel the subscription.  Try it and have your own reviews in the comment section .  

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

 

All about Internet.org

The project aims on bringing the efficiency to the access of various internet services . This makes the services affordable to the countries .

The Internet.org is a partnership between Facebook and 6 other companies which includes Samsung, Ericsson, MediaTek, Opera Software, Nokia and Qualcomm . The app delivering these services is known as Free Basics(re-branded).

The users around the world can submit their services/website to participate in the organization.

You can submit your service Here .

Some Free Basic services includes news, jobs, sports, communication, and information.

The Free Basics provides a platform which makes it easier for any developer to create a service with integration of Free Basics. Various organizations are a part of the Free Basics like education, health, economics, and information.

The ambition of the programme  is to connect the “next 5 Billion people” to the internet.

This year saw the release of 360-degree videos, new advertising tools, and native news products. This helps brands and publishers to connect with audiences in connected and emerging markets.

Reasons to list your services on free basics –                                                                                                

• Reaching internet users around the world : Providing the service to various existing users of Free Basics around the world .
• Providing useful Tools and Information : Providing free service for health, jobs, education, etc.
• Optimizing/adapting your service or application : Optimizing your service for browsing and smartphones and in limited bandwidth.
• Sharing local content with local communities.

 

Below is a list of various participating countries and their mobile networks.

• Zambia
• Tanzania
• Kenya
• Colombia
• Ghana with Airtel
• India with Reliance Communications
• Philippines with Smart Communications
• Guatemala with Tigo
• Indonesia with Indosat
• Bangladesh with Robi
• Malawi with TNM and Airtel
• Pakistan with Telenor Pakistan
• Senegal with Tigo
• Bolivia with VIVA
• South Africa with Cell C   

Credits – developer.facebook.com

 

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Windows vs Linux

Topic	LINUX	WINDOWS
Preceded By	Basic Terminal (CLI)	MS-DOS
User Interface	KDE or GNOME	Windows Aero / Windows Shell
Price	Linux is available for free. You can download for free and can be distributed for free. The prices versions are cheaper than Windows.	Windows is a paid software and can often prove to be costly. Windows 10 is available for free to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users for a term of a year.
License	GNU / Free	Proprietary .
Users and Ease	Used by everyone. For technical users, Linux goods a good ease .	Used by everyone. The Windows OS can be considered easier to use for non technical users like that in schools ,workplaces etc.
Reliability	Most of the LINUX versions are highly Reliable and will run for months and years without the need of updates .	Windows has made great changes and improvements in reliability in previous versions but it still cannot match the reliability of LINUX.
Manufacturer	The kernel is developed by community and Linus Torvalds Keeps track of the things.	It is done my Microsoft.
File System Support	ext2 , ext3 , ext4 , Jfs , Reiser fs , Xfs , Btrfs , FAT , FAT32 , NTFS.	FAT , FAT32 , NTFS , exFAT.
Source Model	Open Source . Many of the Linux OS are open source with open source applications which allows to modifications in the codes.	Shared source / Closed .
Supported Platforms	All . Each and every platform supports  LINUX.	ARM , IA-32 , Itanium , x86-64 b , PowerPC
Kernel Type	Monolithic ( Linux Kernel)	Windows NT family , Hybrid Windows 9x , Monolithic
Written in	C and Assembly.	C , C++ and Assembly.
Security	Linux has always been one of the most secure OS . Although it can be attacked but is safer and more secure than Windows.	Windows is the most vulnerable OS to Viruses , Malwares , and other attacks.
Marketing Targets	Mobile Devices , Personal Computers , Embedded Devices , Servers , Mainframes , Supercomputers .	Personal Computing.

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Windows 10

System Requirements –

Processor – Minimum 1 GHz (gigahertz) processor or System on chip (SOC or SoC) RAM – Minimum 1 GB for 32 bit version and 2 GB for 64 bit version.                                   Hard Disk Space – Minimum 16 GB for 32 bit OS and 20 GB for 64 bit OS .           Graphics- DirectX 9 and later.                                                                                                                   Display – Minimum 800 x 600.

What’s New in Windows 10 !

1. Start Menu is back with two different modes !                                                                                        All the users who previously got Windows 8 on their desktops , laptops and tablets and were discontented , here is your gift! The start menu is back in Windows 10 with a new UI . There are two Setting options where you can have a full screen Start Menu or a Normal Start Menu .    

Normal Start Menu

Full Screen Start Menu

                                                                                                   

   There are 2 columns where the left column consists of the recently used task,Settings , All apps and a Power Button. Right column consists of various Windows  Tiles like that of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 version which can be adjusted, resized and reorganized.

2. Cortana                                                                                                                                                                                This is one of best new features introduced by Windows . After Siri by Apple,Google now by Android/Google , Windows has come up with Cortana.                     Cortana is the clever personal assistant . Lazy will get more Lazier with this !

           

You can search for files on the drive and on the internet , find your pictures by date ,launch Powerpoint Presentations just by asking cortana to do. No need to life your finger now. Cortana even sends mails when on spreadsheet. Cortana talks with you, cracks jokes and make multitasking more easier. Cortana sets reminders , tells you the scores , allows to put events on the calendar .

3. Project Spartan Browser (Edge Browser)                                                                                        Gone is the slower and older Internet Explorer . Project Spartan is the new next

Tricks and Uses of Google

1. Google translate.

    This feature allows you to translate any word/phrase to any language. 

2. Compare foods on google with inserting ‘vs‘ between the two food items.

3. Want some meaning of a word? Use “define:[your word]” and search .

4.Recursion. Google takes recursion seriously . Try it and it is stuck into recursion itself.