Sunday, October 23, 2016

Raspberry Pi

Eben Upton - Founder Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi  is the awesome, amazing credit card sized computer aimed to promote the teaching of basic computer science in schools and developing countries.Many thanks to Eben Upton, the founder and the team Raspberry Foundation behind Raspberry Pi. The important people in the raspberry foundation were group of academics and technicians—Eben Upton, Rob Mulins, Jack Lang, Alan Mycroft, Pete Lomas, and David Braben. Thank you all...


The Official book.

The first commercially available Raspberry Pi unit was launched on February 19, 2012, and sales started ten days later. This version could run Linux-based desktop operating systems, and featured 256MB of RAM, one USB port, and no Ethernet port. This was named the Model A.

Flashback - It was during a Sept in 2000, I sat more than one hour in front of a computer.(And still a newbie ;-)) I still remember the ways we friends tried to explore - both software and hardware of so called machine - computer. Balancing the mouse for first time, then slowly becoming a pro unknowingly by playing some mouse-click games in Flash. Exploring the windows OS, Microsoft paint - drawing pictures, making presentations, loved those days. When we get into deeper in the subject - we all loved to have one for our own - both to learn more and play more. And you know the big hurdle was the cost - it was around 32,000 Rupees that time. Now you can buy the same device with just 3000 rupees and it comes in the size of a credit card!!! And you don't need to buy specially designed computer desks!!!... You can use your own at home :) Thanks to Eben Upton and Raspberry Foundation for this.

I tried two different versions of this, and the latest one i tried is Raspberry 3. Its good - it uses Linux as its OS base. You can install the OS in a memory card and insert into the pi. Raspberry 3 will detect your wifi and connects to internet, that gives you more easy to start with a new Raspberry Pi setup. You can buy it from Amazon India - Rasperry Pi 3. The full kit from here.

Buy it today, and try creating your own home web server, or buy some pi cameras and create your on home security system, or you can create entertainment systems (music, other wall displays) and its endless, Hope you will try one soon...

Picture courtesy - https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/author/eben/

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Blockchain Technology


It was interesting fact that the man(or a group) who introduced bitcoin system hides behind the name Satoshi Nakamoto. You can search internet for different view related this. Coming back to the bitcoin system. The paper you can read here - Bitcoin White Paper in PDF - Satoshi Nakamoto

In general, Bitcoin system aims to avoid all intermediary (can be banks), which can act between a transaction - to make it direct from the sender to the receiver through a network with using amazing new technology named blockchain. Bitcoin was the first decentralized digital currency using peer-to-peer technology to function without an intermediary, such as a financial institution.The block chain is a shared public ledger on which the entire Bitcoin network relies. The integrity and the chronological order of the block chain are enforced with cryptography. Short words - entire sysytem relies on the network and certain algorithms to keep the transaction secure as well as public to verify its credibility. And all based on the revolutionary technology called blockchain.

Based on the latest new microsoft is working with bank of america - building up their own block chain facility/network and all the major information technology companies are researching on its potential, focusing it in various domains like retail, finance etc.

And last day news came - ICICI Bank executes India’s first banking transactions on blockchain in partnership with Emirates NBD. And ICICI becomes the first bank in india to apply this awesome technolgy, and below is the aticle published in icici portal after the transaction.

October 12, 2016

  • Undertakes pilot transactions in international trade finance and remittance on blockchain 
Mumbai: ICICI Bank, India’s largest private sector bank by consolidated assets, announced that it has successfully executed transactions in international trade finance and remittance using blockchain technology in partnership with Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the Middle East.

ICICI Bank is the first bank in the country and among the first few globally to exchange and authenticate remittance transaction messages as well as original international trade documents related to purchase order, invoice, shipping & insurance, among others, electronically on blockchain in real time. The usage of blockchain technology simplifies the process and makes it almost instant—to only a few minutes. Typically, this process takes a few days.

ICICI Bank executed these pilot transactions via its blockchain network with Emirates NBD on a custom-made blockchain application, co-created with EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Infosys.

Ms. Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank said, “ICICI Bank has a rich legacy of leveraging the latest technology to bring in new paradigms in banking. Akin to pioneering new technologies in the country like software robotics, mobility and near-field communication among others, I am delighted that we are the first bank in India and among few globally to set up a blockchain application. We have also marked a milestone by piloting a blockchain network with Emirates NBD as a partner and have successfully executed cross-border open account trade finance and remittance transactions. I envision that the emerging technology of blockchain will play a significant role in banking in the coming years by making complex bilateral and multi-lateral banking transactions seamless, quick and more secure.


Hope this technology will boost the popularity of bitcoin. Also improve the applications in the other domains - predictions are the like this will increase the second hand resale market - where the credebility of the product is more visible and cannot be tampered because of the powerful blockchain technology backed with good network and cryptographic algorithms to keep track of each transaction happened to a product. Hope we can experience this technology in some of our real life scenarios soon!!!