Entertainment Technology

Archive for the ‘Electronics’ Category

 

In a move towards creating a suitable environment for secure electronic transactions, the Sultanate of Oman has issued the e-Transactions Law formalised by the Royal Decree 69/2008.

This is the first law for legalising electronic transactions in Oman which can be defined as any contract, agreement or communication in this regard to be fully or partially implemented by electronic means as electronic messages.

The formulation of this law begins a new era for Oman, where a truly e-enabled society evolves in the realisation of the digital society of Sultanate. It is a major milestone in the implementation of the national IT strategy by the Information Technology Authority (ITA) of Oman.

The e-transactions law consists of nine sections and combines 54 articles, developed and refined over a period of three years. ITA along with a few other government entities and a private law firm have compiled this law based on studies about the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Trans-border Flows of Personal Data, and e-laws of several countries like the USA, Europe, France, Ireland, Malaysia and Tunisia.

The e-transactions law of Oman legalises the use of digital signatures in electronic commerce and communications through letters, emails, etc. Organisations wishing to introduce digital signatures for their use must be approved by the Information Technology Authority through a formal process.

Dr. Salim Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of Information Technology Authority (ITA) has pointed out that one of the main purpose of this law is to facilitate electronic transactions which are vital to e-government and e-commerce applications in Oman. In order to support such transactions, any contract, agreement or communication carried by electronic means as electronic messages is considered legally valid through this law. It regulates the transfer of electronic data and messages through various electronic channels such as the Internet and control changes made to data.

For creating the regulatory environment, the law has strict penalties for anyone misusing electronic systems, the applications and the data resident in them by punishing criminal acts using electronic systems and data like hacking into computer systems, unauthorised capture or tampering of data, etc.

ITA is saying that through this law it aims to consolidate public trust in the safe use of e-transaction, messages and records while assuring adequate protection for privacy of data of individuals involved in such e-transactions.

Promotion of this law sets up unified rules, regulations, and standards of authenticating electronic messages and records. By building trust and security, it will reinforce the development of the e-transaction at the national, Gulf, and Arabic domain by using the

e-signature and e-transactions. The use of electronic signatures in electronic commerce set forth a common legal framework for electronic authentication over the Internet or other electronic media. It also will play a pivotal role in forming contracts, carrying out business; assisting people work together co-operatively and underpin many forms of electronic collaboration.

As a comprehensive law it gives credibility to electronic information sharing, while taking the issue of information and communication security to higher levels of authentication, integrity and privacy.

The law provides for encryption as a means to protect e-transactions in order to ensure confidentiality of information or data of the message, to verify the originator, and to prevent others from getting information or data messages so as not to reach the addressee or to corrupt them.

Government entities can now use electronic records and digital signatures in tendering systems; license request processing and taxation systems can also accept fees or any payments electronically.

Protection for adequate privacy in matters related to personal data held in computer systems and processes for enabling electronic transactions is assured by the new e-transactions law of Oman. The law rests the responsibility of protecting electronic systems and data on the entities that manage these electronic systems and the authorised entity that issues valid digital signatures.

The necessary regulations and decisions for the law, which will come into effect three months after its publication in the Government Gazette, would be issued by the Minister of Commerce and Industry.

Electronic typewriters were developed in the early part of the twentieth century. Both individuals and businesses used electronic typewriters for their writing needs. These electronic typewriters underwent many changes throughout their history, but by the 1980’s, electronic typewriters were overshadowed by the advent of the personal computer and word processors.

 Many people still rely on electronic typewriters for their written needs. Writers who might be superstitious often will only type on a certain type of electric typewriter. Many office workers use electronic typewriters to fill out forms that are not digitized. Older electronic typewriters are not as widely available as they once were, but electronic typewriters can still be found. There are also many places that will stock supplies for electronic typewriters and many places that will service electronic typewriters as well.

 New lines of electronic typewriters are more sophisticated than the ones developed in the last century. These new electronic typewriters have LCD screens and word processing tools such as spell check. Electronic typewriters are often an economical choice for word processing needs. Many people prefer electronic typewriters to word processing on a computer. For some people, staring at a computer screen is difficult and can cause eyestrain. Electronic typewriters don’t cause eyestrain. Some people find that using a word processor annoying with tools such as automatic spell check popping up and needing to be dealt with. Electronic typewriters don’t have those tools. Many people find the sound of an electronic typewriter soothing. Electronic typewriters can stimulate creativity. People find the current demands of technology too demanding. It is much less complicated to learn the technology employed by an electronic typewriter than it is to use the ever-changing computer word processing technology.

 There are a few options when looking to buy a new electronic typewriter. The Nakajima WPT-160 Electronic Portable Typewriter is an example of an economical electronic typewriter that offers many features.  This is a lightweight, portable electronic typewriter with the ability to store fifty files in its 16K byte memory. It has a twenty-character display with features such as “search”, “insert”, and “recall” This is an affordably priced electronic typewriter.

 Another electronic typewriter option is the Royal PowerWriterMD Electronic Typewriter with display. This electronic typewriter has a 100 -character daisy-printing element and a 17” maximum paper width. This electronic typewriter can store up to 48K and includes a 300-word dictionary. This electronic typewriter has an LCD display with a forty-character display capacity.

 Electric typewriters make many small jobs easier. Popping an envelope into an electronic typewriter and typing an address is a quick way to get the job done. Electronic typewriters bring a certain satisfaction to creating a document. There is something special and perhaps a bit nostalgic about rolling a piece of paper into an electronic typewriter and typing until you’ve finished the paper. Then you can gently yank it out. It is often useful

Overview of An Electronic Whiteboard

 Electronic whiteboards are becoming the new standard in classrooms and meeting rooms, in the 21st century. They take presenting, teaching and learning to new levels of interactivity.

 What is an Electronic Whiteboard?

An electronic whiteboard allows material to be presented or displayed from a computer. Images, slides, text and even video can be displayed on an electronic whiteboard. Electronic whiteboard technology then allows for the teacher or presenter to interact with that image. For example, notes can be written on the electronic whiteboard adding information to the image presented. Electronic whiteboard technology can then capture that information and store it. Electronic whiteboards provide many useful applications in both business and classroom settings.

 Thermal Electronic Whiteboard

Thermal electronic whiteboards allow the user to write, and print in black and white only. Each thermal electronic whiteboard comes with a printer attached and the images captured on this electronic whiteboard are then printed on thermal paper. This provides ease of use, but presentations on thermal electronic whiteboards often lack flair as they can only be seen in black and white. The PLUS BF-041S Electronic Whiteboard is a good example of a thermal electronic whiteboard. It is a freestanding electronic whiteboard unit with the ability to be mounted and contains a printer.

 Color Electronic Whiteboard

Color electronic whiteboards can add pizzazz to presentations by introducing color. These electronic whiteboards can also be called copy boards. Using this technology, images are captured on the electronic whiteboard in color. These images can then be stored and either printed or distributed electronically. The PLUS M11s Electronic Whiteboard is a good choice for a color electronic whiteboard. It can be connected directly to a PC and images can be stored there or printed and distributed. Images stored on the computer from the electronic whiteboard can be further edited.

 Portable Electronic Whiteboards

A portable electronic whiteboard is an alternative solution to a standard electronic whiteboard. Using a system such as eBeam, it is possible to turn any whiteboard into an electronic whiteboard. Simply attach the eBeam receiver to the whiteboard and connect the receiver with a USB cable to your computer. This system is quick and easy to set up on any whiteboard and it is easy to transport. The Quarter IdeaShare Q8000 Portable Whiteboard Capture System includes a receiver, mounting systems, electronic pens, dry-erasure markers, software and USB cable. These come with a carry bag for ease in portability. Portable electronic whiteboard systems are an economical alternative to standard electronic whiteboard systems.

 Electronic whiteboards are setting the standard in presenting in both business and classroom settings. New schools being built include electronic whiteboards in each