Desktop Publishing: Changing the (Type)Face of Computing

Users of desktop publishing systems save more time and money than do users of traditional methods of processing documents such as word processors, computer printers, or photo typesetters. Moreover, desktop users have complete control over the input, processing, and output of their work, and can enhance the appearance of documents for improved readability and communications power. No wonder desktop publishing is expected to become one of the leading PC-based applications of the decade.     

Desktop Publishing: Changing the (Type)Face of Computing

Users of desktop publishing systems save more time and money than do users of traditional methods of processing documents such as word processors, computer printers, or photo typesetters. Moreover, desktop users have complete control over the input, processing, and output of their work, and can enhance the appearance of documents for improved readability and communications power. No wonder desktop publishing is expected to become one of the leading PC-based applications of the decade.     

Automatic outline capture of Arabic fonts

This paper presents an algorithm for automatic outline capture of digital character images, particularly suitable for non-Roman languages like Arabic. In most of the desktop publishing systems, the shapes of the characters are stored in the computer memory in terms of their outlines, and the outlines are expressed as cubic Bezier curves. The process of producing outlines includes various steps, detection of boundary, discovering corner points and break points and fitting the curve. This process becomes slow and inaccurate if there is any involvement of humans in any of the above steps. The work done, in this paper, fully automates the process and produces the best optimal results     

全数字化地图出版系统的研制与应用

随着计算机技术的飞速发展,地图出版已经由传统的手工作业进入全数字化生产阶段、文章针对地图出版的要求,概述了适于地图出版的数字制图系统的基本组成,并着重介绍了独立开发的面向专业化地图出版的数字制图系统的设计思想及主要技术特点。     

A geoscience perspective on immersive 3D gridded data visualization

We describe visualization software, Visualizer, that was developed specifically for interactive, visual exploration in immersive virtual reality (VR) environments. Visualizer uses carefully optimized algorithms and data structures to support the high frame rates required for immersion and the real-time feedback required for interactivity. As an application developed for VR from the ground up, Visualizer realizes benefits that usually cannot be achieved by software initially developed for the desktop and later ported to VR. However, Visualizer can also be used on desktop systems (unix/linux-based operating systems including Mac OS X) with a similar level of real-time interactivity, bridging the “software gap” between desktop and VR that has been an obstacle for the adoption of VR methods in the Geosciences. While many of the capabilities of Visualizer are already available in other software packages used in a desktop environment, the features that distinguish Visualizer are: (1) Visualizer can be used in any VR environment including the desktop, GeoWall, or CAVE, (2) in non-desktop environments the user interacts with the data set directly using a wand or other input devices instead of working indirectly via dialog boxes or text input, (3) on the desktop, Visualizer provides real-time interaction with very large data sets that cannot easily be viewed or manipulated in other software packages. Three case studies are presented that illustrate the direct scientific benefits realized by analyzing data or simulation results with Visualizer in a VR environment. We also address some of the main obstacles to widespread use of VR environments in scientific research with a user study that shows Visualizer is easy to learn and to use in a VR environment and can be as effective on desktop systems as native desktop applications.     

Workforce readiness: A study of university students’ fluency with information technology

This study with data collected from a large sample of freshmen in 2001 and a random stratified sample of seniors in 2005 examined students perceived FITness (fluency with Information Technology). In the fall of 2001 freshmen at a medium sized research-one institution completed a survey and in spring 2005 a random sample of graduating seniors completed a similar survey. The surveys measured the student’s self-reported proficiency in basic information technology knowledge and skills such as word processing and presentation software as well as more complex applications such as digital audio. We found a significant increase in perception of skills in presentation software and browsers and although both groups reported low skill levels, a significant decrease in perception of skills in database, web animation, programming, desktop publishing, digital video, and video audio. Although one might assume an undergraduate would indicate an increase in information and communication technology skills, this study found that often student’s perceptions of ability decline. However this decrease may be due to their increased awareness of the skills needed in the workforce.     

A Resource Selection System for Cycle Stealing in GPU Grids

This paper presents a resource selection system for exploiting graphics processing units (GPUs) as general-purpose computational resources in desktop Grid environments. Our system allows Grid users to share remote GPUs, which are traditionally dedicated to local users who directly see the display output. The key contribution of the paper is to develop this novel system for non-dedicated environments. We first show criteria for defining idle GPUs from the Grid users’ point of view. Based on these criteria, our system uses a screensaver approach with some sensors that detect idle resources at a low overhead. The idea for this lower overhead is to avoid GPU intervention during resource monitoring. Detected idle GPUs are then selected according to a matchmaking service, making the system adaptive to the rapid advance of GPU architecture. Though the system itself is not yet interoperable with current desktop Grid systems, our idea can be applied to screensaver-based systems such as BOINC. We evaluate the system using Windows PCs with three generations of nVIDIA GPUs. The experimental results show that our system achieves a low overhead of at most 267 ms, minimizing interference to local users while maximizing the performance delivered to Grid users. Some case studies are also performed in an office environment to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system in terms of the amount of detected idle time.     

Preparing Malaysian vocational and technology teachers to integrate computer technology in teaching vocational and technology subjects

A study was conducted in three selected states in Malaysia to determine the preparedness of vocational and technology teachers to integrate computer technology in their classrooms. The study showed that teachers did not have a high level of general knowledge about computers (mean=6.3, sd.=2.97). They were not very knowledgeable in some computer software. They thought that they were not skillful in using computer software such as electronic spreadsheet (57.1%), word-processing and desktop publishing (50.8%), and database management (67.9%). Almost two-thirds of the respondents cannot do programming. Realizing that they did not have the necessary knowledge and skills, the majority of the teachers would like to attend training in using computers for instruction.     

构建结合入侵检测的桌面防御系统

详细分析了桌面系统的安全问题 ,指出了将入侵检测结合到桌面防御系统的必要性。通过比较现有的防火墙和入侵检测技术的各自优缺点 ,结合桌面系统的应用环境与安全要求 ,提出了应用于桌面系统的安全技术方案 ,并进一步指出了今后桌面防御系统的发展趋势。     

支持多应用的桌面网格关键技术研究

针对基于多应用的计算需求及桌面网格设计中的主要技术问题,设计了桌面网格架构六层模型,并介绍了关键技术以及具体的实现方法,目的是解决在设计桌面网格架构时所面临的应用部署慢、整合异构计算资源难、作业调度模型少及扩展性差等问题,具体的实现方法包括采用多种通信模块,能够整合不同的计算资源访问系统;通过使用代理作业模块实现作业实例的转换的方法;采用文件系统及镜像服务,实现面向不同应用的作业环境及镜像需求;基于虚拟化技术实现异构计算资源的整合;针对不同应用类型的差异性,开发了通用控制程序组件;面向不同应用类型需求,实现的多种调度模型。基于这些方法实现了支持多应用的桌面网格系统,分析测试结果表明,这些方法可行并具备通用性。     

Automatic detection of users’ skill levels using high-frequency user interface events

Computer users have different levels of system skills. Moreover, each user has different levels of skill across different applications and even in different portions of the same application. Additionally, users’ skill levels change dynamically as users gain more experience in a user interface. In order to adapt user interfaces to the different needs of user groups with different levels of skills, automatic methods of skill detection are required. In this paper, we present our experiments and methods, which are used to build automatic skill classifiers for desktop applications. Machine learning algorithms were used to build statistical predictive models of skill. Attribute values were extracted from high frequency user interface events, such as mouse motions and menu interactions, and were used as inputs to our models. We have built both task-independent and task-dependent classifiers with promising results.     

Linux桌面操作系统稳定性测试

稳定性测试是可信性测试中一个重要的部分，传统的稳定性测试方法不适用于桌面和交互式系统。提出了一个新的基于Linux桌面操作系统的稳定性测试框架，探讨了测试过程中存在的一些技术难点和相应解决问题的关键技术。以这个测试框架为基础开发了一个集成测试平台，结合测试实例揭露了当前Linux桌面操作系统存在的稳定性问题。     

Courseware review

Jeanie C. Crain is an associate professor in English at Missouri Western State College. She directs the computer assisted laboratory for writing instruction and teaches composition, literature, technical writing, and desktop publishing.     

From desktop to mobile: Examining the security experience

The use of mobile devices is becoming more commonplace, with data regularly able to make the transition from desktop systems to pocket and handheld devices such as smartphones and PDAs. However, although these devices may consequently contain or manipulate the same data, their security capabilities are not as mature as those offered in fully-fledged desktop operating systems. This paper explores the availability of security mechanisms from the perspective of a user who is security-aware in the desktop environment and wishes to consider utilising similar protection in a mobile context. Key issues of concern are whether analogous functionality can be found, and if so, whether it is offered in a manner that parallels the desktop experience (i.e. to ensure understanding and usability). The discussion is supported by an examination of the Windows XP and Windows Mobile environments, with specific consideration given to the facilities available for user authentication, secure connectivity, and content protection on the devices. It is concluded that although security aspects receive some attention, the provided means generally suffer from usability issues or limitations that would prevent a user from achieving the same level of protection that they might enjoy in the desktop environment.     

基于ISO/IEC 10646标准的藏文编码转换的设计与实现

目前,国内少数民族地区的书报印刷行业大多使用北大方正、华光藏文排版系统。这些软件的编码各异,致使有限的藏文资源无法实现交换和共享,造成这种现象的原因是各种软件编码体系不一致。解决这个问题的根本途径是将各种不同体系的藏文编码转换为符合国际标准的编码。该文以华光Windows藏文字符编码为例,首先对每个藏文字符进行构字分析,然后采用分表分组技术构造出每个字符符合ISO/IEC 10646标准的编码序列,最后采用hash技术优化查询算法,实现非标准的藏文字符编码向标准编码序列转换。     

AbIx: An Approach to Content-Based Approximate Query Processing in Peer-to-Peer Data Systems

In recent years there has been a significant interest in peer-to-peer （P2P） environments in the community of data management. However, almost all work, so far, is focused on exact query processing in current P2P data systems. The autonomy of peers also is not considered enough. In addition, the system cost is very high because the information publishing method of shared data is based on each document instead of document set. In this paper, abstract indices （AbIx） are presented to implement content-based approximate queries in centralized, distributed and structured P2P data systems. It can be used to search as few peers as possible but get as many returns satisfying users＇ queries as possible on the guarantee of high autonomy of peers. Also, abstract indices have low system cost, can improve the query processing speed, and support very frequent updates and the set information publishing method. In order to verify the effectiveness of abstract indices, a simulator of 10,000 peers, over 3 million documents is made, and several metrics are proposed. The experimental results show that abstract indices work well in various P2P data systems.     

基于J2EE的电子政务发布系统的设计和实现

结合国家知识产权局电子政务CPEASY系统,给出了其中发布系统的设计与实现。重点介绍了电子支付子系统的设计以及基于J2EE平台的发布系统实现,为相关电子政务系统的设计提供了范例。     

A configurable cryptography subsystem in a middleware framework for embedded systems

Computer and network security is becoming increasingly important as both large systems and, increasingly small, embedded systems are networked. Middleware frameworks aid the system developer who must interconnect individual systems into larger interconnected, distributed systems. However, there exist very few middleware frameworks that have been designed for use with embedded systems, which constitute the vast majority of CPUs produced each year, and none offer the range of security mechanisms required by the wide range of embedded system applications. This paper describes MicroQoSCORBA, a highly configurable middleware framework for embedded systems, and its security subsystem. It first presents an analysis of security requirements for embedded applications and what can and should be done in middleware. It then presents the design of MicroQoSCORBA’s security subsystem and the wide range of mechanisms it supports. Experimental results for these mechanisms are presented for two different embedded systems and one desktop computer that collectively represent a wide range of computational capabilities.     

Group Decision Making on Urban Planning Using Desktop Multimedia Conferencing

Recent developments on multimedia systems and networking technology show that using desktop multimedia conferencing for group decision making on wide area networks such as the Internet is possible. In this paper we review the design, hardware and software requirements and organizational issues in a desktop multimedia conferencing system. We draw on our experiences from multiple multimedia conferences on the Internet and in particular we focus on a case study on urban planning using desktop multimedia conferencing on the Internet. Further we discuss implications for further research on desktop multimedia conferencing.     

Parallelism and Scalability in an Image Processing Application

The recent trends in processor architecture show that parallel processing is moving into new areas of computing in the form of many-core desktop processors and multi-processor system-on-chips. This means that parallel processing is required in application areas that traditionally have not used parallel programs. This paper investigates parallelism and scalability of an embedded image processing application. The major challenges faced when parallelizing the application were to extract enough parallelism from the application and to reduce load imbalance. The application has limited immediately available parallelism and further extraction of parallelism is limited by small data sets and a relatively high parallelization overhead. Load balance is difficult to obtain due to the limited parallelism and made worse by non-uniform memory latency. Three parallel OpenMP implementations of the application are discussed and evaluated. We show that with some modifications relative speedups in excess of 9 on a 16 CPU system can be reached.