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Friday, August 29, 2008
World Building 101
World Building 101
You are the ultimate creator of your fictional world. No matter where or when your story is set, regardless of what events unfold, and despite the characters you introduce to your readers, they are all products of your unique imagination.
"But I write romance set in the present time," I hear you cry.
It doesn't matter whether your story is set in 16th century Middle Europe, or the 28th century Altarian star-system, your story still belongs in a world created entirely by you. So, even though it can be great fun to invent strange sounding planets in distant galaxies, complete with lethal atmospheres and budding alien life-forms, there are still writers out there who would much prefer to deal with Earth as we already know it.
The good news is you still get your chance to put on your megalomaniac's hat and play God!
Regardless of where (or when) your story is set, YOU have decided your characters' destinies for them. As their creator, you selected what they eat, where and how they live, what the weather is like around them and who their families are.
But there's a whole lot more to world-building than simply creating a nice backdrop for your characters to parade against. Your world must accomplish many things, but the most important is that your readers must be able to immerse themselves so deeply in the situations and the characters you've created that they'll willingly return for more.
In short, the fictional world your characters live in must seem plausible to your readers.
Ask yourself these things about your characters and your story: -
- Are the seasons consistent?
- Is the weather a factor?
- Does the scenery change consistently with the seasons?
- Is the air they breathe polluted?
- How do your characters travel?
- What mode of transport is usual? What is unusual?
- Does everyone travel the same way?
- Is there a political/hierarchical system governing them?
- Is there a religious/superstitious belief system among your characters?
- What unit of currency is predominant?
- How do they purchase or obtain necessary items?
- Is fashion an issue?
- What other creatures inhabit your world? (Pets, livestock, insects, birds etc)
These details do not play much of a part in the unfolding events of your story, but they will flesh out the world you are creating. Your readers will gain more insight into the times and places your characters must deal with, and this in turn gives your story a more believable platform to spring from.
You are the ultimate creator of your fictional world. No matter where or when your story is set, regardless of what events unfold, and despite the characters you introduce to your readers, they are all products of your unique imagination.
"But I write romance set in the present time," I hear you cry.
It doesn't matter whether your story is set in 16th century Middle Europe, or the 28th century Altarian star-system, your story still belongs in a world created entirely by you. So, even though it can be great fun to invent strange sounding planets in distant galaxies, complete with lethal atmospheres and budding alien life-forms, there are still writers out there who would much prefer to deal with Earth as we already know it.
The good news is you still get your chance to put on your megalomaniac's hat and play God!
Regardless of where (or when) your story is set, YOU have decided your characters' destinies for them. As their creator, you selected what they eat, where and how they live, what the weather is like around them and who their families are.
But there's a whole lot more to world-building than simply creating a nice backdrop for your characters to parade against. Your world must accomplish many things, but the most important is that your readers must be able to immerse themselves so deeply in the situations and the characters you've created that they'll willingly return for more.
In short, the fictional world your characters live in must seem plausible to your readers.
Ask yourself these things about your characters and your story: -
- Are the seasons consistent?
- Is the weather a factor?
- Does the scenery change consistently with the seasons?
- Is the air they breathe polluted?
- How do your characters travel?
- What mode of transport is usual? What is unusual?
- Does everyone travel the same way?
- Is there a political/hierarchical system governing them?
- Is there a religious/superstitious belief system among your characters?
- What unit of currency is predominant?
- How do they purchase or obtain necessary items?
- Is fashion an issue?
- What other creatures inhabit your world? (Pets, livestock, insects, birds etc)
These details do not play much of a part in the unfolding events of your story, but they will flesh out the world you are creating. Your readers will gain more insight into the times and places your characters must deal with, and this in turn gives your story a more believable platform to spring from.
Creating Animals for your Fictional World
Creating Animals for your Fictional World
Filling your fantasy or science fiction universe with creatures and plants can be a lot of fun but a little research is in order to keep your world from becoming a comic book.
Too many predators and too little prey is a common mistake for the beginning writer and one I confess to making in my first novel. Let's face it, vicious predators are more fun than goldfish in a sword and sorcery novel, but most medieval societies weren't vegetarian. Your inhabitants need some sort of livestock. Predators do NOT make good livestock and would have very specialized uses rather than being raised for food. Whatever the predator eats, your inhabitants will probably eat as well. Any society existing before the ability to can or refrigerate food lacked the ability to preserve food for an extended period of time unless it was dried, salted, smoked or they lived in a frozen tundra. Living in a cold climate is going to limit the amount of fruits and vegetables available and force your society to become meat eaters to survive.
Futuristic societies aren't necessarily going to follow our own current trends in animal rights and vegetarian diets. These decisions are up to you as a writer but if you chose to make your society a non-meat eating one, then you'll need natural predators to keep the herbivores from over running your farms and orchards.
A common statement I hear in a lot of crit groups is that if your animal "looks like a horse, acts like a horse then call it a horse". While this is a valid argument, it can be taken to extremes. One of the reasons I love reading fantasy is the variety of animals, creatures and humanoids that have been created by so many talented writers. If there are no basic differences between your creatures and those found on earth then use earth names. There's absolutely no "rule" that you have to create new animals to populate your world. However, if you're working with a setting that obviously isn't earth then take the time to create new creatures to compliment your unique world.
Follow a few simple guidelines and give your imagination free reign to run amok and play god/goddess/ultimate creator.
* Make certain your ecology can support the animal you're creating. (No cold-blooded creatures on an ice planet, though a warm-blooded dragon with fur instead of scales would be justifiable.)
* If there the plot doesn't support the invention and introduction of new creatures, think twice about including them.
* Give your characters a valid reason for interacting with these creatures. Do they use them for food? (Remember non-lethal use such as milk and eggs.) Do they use their coats to create clothing? Do they use them for transportation or beasts of burden? What about pets?
* If your creatures are sentient, give them hands/tentacles that can actually work the equipment they're interacting with…no large slug like creatures flying space ships please.
While you're creating those pets and food animals, don't forget the little critters either. While most books aren't going to mention insects and pests, if you're working with a society ravaged with plagues then include these vermin as part of the setting. These types of creatures can also create conflict for your characters if they infest food stores and spoil winter provisions.
Creating every aspect of your ecology isn't necessary when you're world building but there are basic rules you can't avoid when creating your own creatures:
* Everything eats – takes in sustenance.
* Everything produces waste products.
* Your predators have to be either smarter, faster and/or stronger than the prey they're hunting or they're not going to survive.
Doing a little research on our own world can give you an idea of how and what types of creatures you're world can support. There are several websites out there than can aid in your search for information.
Filling your fantasy or science fiction universe with creatures and plants can be a lot of fun but a little research is in order to keep your world from becoming a comic book.
Too many predators and too little prey is a common mistake for the beginning writer and one I confess to making in my first novel. Let's face it, vicious predators are more fun than goldfish in a sword and sorcery novel, but most medieval societies weren't vegetarian. Your inhabitants need some sort of livestock. Predators do NOT make good livestock and would have very specialized uses rather than being raised for food. Whatever the predator eats, your inhabitants will probably eat as well. Any society existing before the ability to can or refrigerate food lacked the ability to preserve food for an extended period of time unless it was dried, salted, smoked or they lived in a frozen tundra. Living in a cold climate is going to limit the amount of fruits and vegetables available and force your society to become meat eaters to survive.
Futuristic societies aren't necessarily going to follow our own current trends in animal rights and vegetarian diets. These decisions are up to you as a writer but if you chose to make your society a non-meat eating one, then you'll need natural predators to keep the herbivores from over running your farms and orchards.
A common statement I hear in a lot of crit groups is that if your animal "looks like a horse, acts like a horse then call it a horse". While this is a valid argument, it can be taken to extremes. One of the reasons I love reading fantasy is the variety of animals, creatures and humanoids that have been created by so many talented writers. If there are no basic differences between your creatures and those found on earth then use earth names. There's absolutely no "rule" that you have to create new animals to populate your world. However, if you're working with a setting that obviously isn't earth then take the time to create new creatures to compliment your unique world.
Follow a few simple guidelines and give your imagination free reign to run amok and play god/goddess/ultimate creator.
* Make certain your ecology can support the animal you're creating. (No cold-blooded creatures on an ice planet, though a warm-blooded dragon with fur instead of scales would be justifiable.)
* If there the plot doesn't support the invention and introduction of new creatures, think twice about including them.
* Give your characters a valid reason for interacting with these creatures. Do they use them for food? (Remember non-lethal use such as milk and eggs.) Do they use their coats to create clothing? Do they use them for transportation or beasts of burden? What about pets?
* If your creatures are sentient, give them hands/tentacles that can actually work the equipment they're interacting with…no large slug like creatures flying space ships please.
While you're creating those pets and food animals, don't forget the little critters either. While most books aren't going to mention insects and pests, if you're working with a society ravaged with plagues then include these vermin as part of the setting. These types of creatures can also create conflict for your characters if they infest food stores and spoil winter provisions.
Creating every aspect of your ecology isn't necessary when you're world building but there are basic rules you can't avoid when creating your own creatures:
* Everything eats – takes in sustenance.
* Everything produces waste products.
* Your predators have to be either smarter, faster and/or stronger than the prey they're hunting or they're not going to survive.
Doing a little research on our own world can give you an idea of how and what types of creatures you're world can support. There are several websites out there than can aid in your search for information.
Top Eight Rules For Writing Fantasy
Top Eight Rules For Writing Fantasy
So you want to write a fantasy novel? You love the work of so many fantasy writers and you have a partially formed idea about an elf, a dwarf, and an odd love triangle. Where to begin? The answer is the first of my eight rules for writing fantasy. Enjoy!
Begin with the world.
Creating the world where your fantasy novel is set is one of the most important parts of creating a successful fantasy novel. And this world must be pretty fleshed out before you move on to the next step. Why you ask? Because just as earth has specific rules that cannot be violated without explanation (for example, the law of gravity), your world will have laws too. It will also have its own geography, weather patterns, animals, and races of people and/or other fantasy creatures. If you jump right in and begin writing your fantasy novel without any consideration for these rules, you will find yourself in a situation where you will need to rewrite carefully to avoid any contradictions once your world has been fully created.
Create maps.
These can be very general except in the areas where the action will be taking place. Maps help lend depth to your story as you write. Your details will tend to be more grounded.
Magic
If your world is going to include any form of magic, then you must create the rules for its use before writing about it. You must decide its limits, its costs, its required actions, its possible uses, etc. Only by creating the rules of magic will its use make sense and seem believable.
History
If you are going to have different races living in your world, then you will need to create a history and a description for the characteristics of these races. You will also need to know how people of different races treat each other. If there are prejudices between races you will need to have an understanding of why these exist. The detail of your history and descriptions will be based on how much you will be using a person of that race in your story.
Characterizations
Characterizations must be made from the point of view of the fantasy world. You can’t take a person from 21st century earth and transplant them to the world unless that is the whole point of the story. Otherwise, the character will not be believable.
Theme
Your story will probably revolve around a theme. One of the most common themes is good vs. evil though there are many to choose from. Once you decide on your theme, try to avoid making overt statements concerning it at all costs. Let the reader learn about the theme and make conclusions on their own. Don’t make conclusions for them. You don’t want to be preachy – this is a huge turn off for readers.
Beware
Beware of deus ex machina. This term refers to an unexpected and improbable solution to a problem in your story. Think of it like the hand of God which suddenly shows up to fix the problems that you as a novelist created and can’t now resolve. These artificial resolutions are death to a fantasy novel.
Clichés
Stay away from fantasy clichés unless that is something that you require for your novel (i.e., you are writing a fantasy spoof). You don’t want to have readers groaning over something you’ve written. Dwarves with long beards who love mithril and hate elves, elves who are long, willowy, and haughty, and short-lived humans who just want to fight and have fun – it seems I’ve read all of that before….
I wish you the best of luck as you create the next great fantasy novel. I can’t wait to read it!!!
So you want to write a fantasy novel? You love the work of so many fantasy writers and you have a partially formed idea about an elf, a dwarf, and an odd love triangle. Where to begin? The answer is the first of my eight rules for writing fantasy. Enjoy!
Begin with the world.
Creating the world where your fantasy novel is set is one of the most important parts of creating a successful fantasy novel. And this world must be pretty fleshed out before you move on to the next step. Why you ask? Because just as earth has specific rules that cannot be violated without explanation (for example, the law of gravity), your world will have laws too. It will also have its own geography, weather patterns, animals, and races of people and/or other fantasy creatures. If you jump right in and begin writing your fantasy novel without any consideration for these rules, you will find yourself in a situation where you will need to rewrite carefully to avoid any contradictions once your world has been fully created.
Create maps.
These can be very general except in the areas where the action will be taking place. Maps help lend depth to your story as you write. Your details will tend to be more grounded.
Magic
If your world is going to include any form of magic, then you must create the rules for its use before writing about it. You must decide its limits, its costs, its required actions, its possible uses, etc. Only by creating the rules of magic will its use make sense and seem believable.
History
If you are going to have different races living in your world, then you will need to create a history and a description for the characteristics of these races. You will also need to know how people of different races treat each other. If there are prejudices between races you will need to have an understanding of why these exist. The detail of your history and descriptions will be based on how much you will be using a person of that race in your story.
Characterizations
Characterizations must be made from the point of view of the fantasy world. You can’t take a person from 21st century earth and transplant them to the world unless that is the whole point of the story. Otherwise, the character will not be believable.
Theme
Your story will probably revolve around a theme. One of the most common themes is good vs. evil though there are many to choose from. Once you decide on your theme, try to avoid making overt statements concerning it at all costs. Let the reader learn about the theme and make conclusions on their own. Don’t make conclusions for them. You don’t want to be preachy – this is a huge turn off for readers.
Beware
Beware of deus ex machina. This term refers to an unexpected and improbable solution to a problem in your story. Think of it like the hand of God which suddenly shows up to fix the problems that you as a novelist created and can’t now resolve. These artificial resolutions are death to a fantasy novel.
Clichés
Stay away from fantasy clichés unless that is something that you require for your novel (i.e., you are writing a fantasy spoof). You don’t want to have readers groaning over something you’ve written. Dwarves with long beards who love mithril and hate elves, elves who are long, willowy, and haughty, and short-lived humans who just want to fight and have fun – it seems I’ve read all of that before….
I wish you the best of luck as you create the next great fantasy novel. I can’t wait to read it!!!
Fantasy Sub-Genres
Fantasy Sub-Genres
Speculative fiction is a difficult genre to categorize neatly. For example, some authors might argue that most speculative fiction is pure fantasy - and yet a fantastical tale set in a far distant future would be more likely classified as 'science fiction'.
In recent times, the term 'fantasy', when regarded as part of an individual genre, generally brings to mind tales of dragons and castles and knights in shining armor - but in truth, the genre as a whole encompasses so much more.
Below, I have tried to separate some purely 'fantasy' sub-genre listings.
Arthurian Fantasy = Encompasses stories about King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table or Merlin etc. Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Mists of Avalon" is a fine example of this sub-genre.
Comic Fantasy = Tales designed specifically as spoofs of other serious fantasies, or containing humorous elements to a light-hearted tale. Robert Asprin's 'Myth' series is a good example of this.
Dark Fantasy = Encompasses the nastier, grimmer side to the usual fun of the fantasy genre. Dark fantasy includes the nightmarish, darker side of magic, creatures, evil and demons
Epic Fantasy = Generally tales of a young nobody, thrown unexpectedly into a massive "Good vs. Evil" struggle, where he must learn to uncover his own latent heroism to save the day. Often also includes a "grail-finding" quest - regardless of whether the 'grail' is an icon, a person, a magical talisman or any other form of symbolic token. Usually involves a very large cast of characters and spans a vast area of a fantastical world. J.R.R. Tolkien is undoubtedly the father of this sub-genre, with his sweeping Lord of the Rings trilogy
Fairy Tales and Mythology = Fairy tales are not just for kids! The original versions of many fairy tales and myths were often violent stories set in mystical lands, sometimes with strange creatures and sometimes even stranger heroes
Heroic Fantasy = Fantastical worlds with an almost 'middle-ages' feel, peopled with wizards and sorcerers, communing with dragons and riding pet unicorns to tame a battalion of wild orcs and goblins. Heroes are generally muscle-bound sword-wielding types, determined to rescue a true damsel in distress. Magic is an accepted part of life, although the workings of such are usually left unexplained within this sub-genre.
High Fantasy = High Fantasy is the type of fantasy that most people expect when they regard 'fantasy' as a genre. Includes lords and ladies, medieval styles and settings, kingdoms and castles, and dragons and knights. High fantasy, while generally rooted in classical mythology and medieval European legends, focuses its themes on Good versus Evil. Sometimes called "Epic fantasy". Often plotted to encompass three or more books.
Magic Realism = Stories where magic is an accepted part of the system and of the culture. There must always be consequences to the use of magic, or involve some form of 'prop' to get the magic working, like an amulet, potion, talisman or incantation. Australian author, Ian Irvine, manages to combine several fantasy sub-genres into his massive four book series "The View From the Mirror". Most notably, though, his use of 'magic realism' and the nasty consequences that come from its use give his characters an extra dimension that makes the series truly worth reading.
Modern Fantasy = Tales of magic and wonder set in modern times
Sword and Sorcery = Good old-fashioned 'Sword & Sworcery'. Rollicking tales of high adventure in almost medieval settings. Designed to follow the exploits of the 'hero' as he battles to overcome all the bad guys by use of his trusty sword and some really huge muscles. Robert E. Howard brought about the rise in popularity of this sub-genre with his creation of 'Conan: The Barbarian
Speculative fiction is a difficult genre to categorize neatly. For example, some authors might argue that most speculative fiction is pure fantasy - and yet a fantastical tale set in a far distant future would be more likely classified as 'science fiction'.
In recent times, the term 'fantasy', when regarded as part of an individual genre, generally brings to mind tales of dragons and castles and knights in shining armor - but in truth, the genre as a whole encompasses so much more.
Below, I have tried to separate some purely 'fantasy' sub-genre listings.
Arthurian Fantasy = Encompasses stories about King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table or Merlin etc. Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Mists of Avalon" is a fine example of this sub-genre.
Comic Fantasy = Tales designed specifically as spoofs of other serious fantasies, or containing humorous elements to a light-hearted tale. Robert Asprin's 'Myth' series is a good example of this.
Dark Fantasy = Encompasses the nastier, grimmer side to the usual fun of the fantasy genre. Dark fantasy includes the nightmarish, darker side of magic, creatures, evil and demons
Epic Fantasy = Generally tales of a young nobody, thrown unexpectedly into a massive "Good vs. Evil" struggle, where he must learn to uncover his own latent heroism to save the day. Often also includes a "grail-finding" quest - regardless of whether the 'grail' is an icon, a person, a magical talisman or any other form of symbolic token. Usually involves a very large cast of characters and spans a vast area of a fantastical world. J.R.R. Tolkien is undoubtedly the father of this sub-genre, with his sweeping Lord of the Rings trilogy
Fairy Tales and Mythology = Fairy tales are not just for kids! The original versions of many fairy tales and myths were often violent stories set in mystical lands, sometimes with strange creatures and sometimes even stranger heroes
Heroic Fantasy = Fantastical worlds with an almost 'middle-ages' feel, peopled with wizards and sorcerers, communing with dragons and riding pet unicorns to tame a battalion of wild orcs and goblins. Heroes are generally muscle-bound sword-wielding types, determined to rescue a true damsel in distress. Magic is an accepted part of life, although the workings of such are usually left unexplained within this sub-genre.
High Fantasy = High Fantasy is the type of fantasy that most people expect when they regard 'fantasy' as a genre. Includes lords and ladies, medieval styles and settings, kingdoms and castles, and dragons and knights. High fantasy, while generally rooted in classical mythology and medieval European legends, focuses its themes on Good versus Evil. Sometimes called "Epic fantasy". Often plotted to encompass three or more books.
Magic Realism = Stories where magic is an accepted part of the system and of the culture. There must always be consequences to the use of magic, or involve some form of 'prop' to get the magic working, like an amulet, potion, talisman or incantation. Australian author, Ian Irvine, manages to combine several fantasy sub-genres into his massive four book series "The View From the Mirror". Most notably, though, his use of 'magic realism' and the nasty consequences that come from its use give his characters an extra dimension that makes the series truly worth reading.
Modern Fantasy = Tales of magic and wonder set in modern times
Sword and Sorcery = Good old-fashioned 'Sword & Sworcery'. Rollicking tales of high adventure in almost medieval settings. Designed to follow the exploits of the 'hero' as he battles to overcome all the bad guys by use of his trusty sword and some really huge muscles. Robert E. Howard brought about the rise in popularity of this sub-genre with his creation of 'Conan: The Barbarian
About i phone
Now it’s even better for business.
The best phone for business. Ever.
What makes iPhone a great business phone? Simple. The same features that make it a revolutionary mobile device. With iPhone 2.0 software, iPhone does even more for your enterprise. It supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, delivering push email, calendar, and contacts. And it gives mobile users secure access to corporate resources with Cisco IPSec VPN and wireless network services with WPA2 Enterprise and 802.1X authentication.
"With its intuitive UI and the 2.0 software, iPhone is really a game changing device."
Andrew D. Jurczyk, CIO
Sonnenshein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
* A
* B
* C
* D
The most advanced mobile email.
Best email on a mobile device.
Email on iPhone offers a viewing experience unlike any other mobile device. Its rich HTML format means email looks and acts like email on your computer. With support for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, PDF, JPEG, and now iWork, attachments can be viewed exactly as they were designed to be. Users can even zoom in on important information with the tap of a finger. And now that iPhone has built-in support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, users get all the benefits of push email.
A professional calendar.
Up-to-the-minute calendar.
With its Multi-Touch interface, no other mobile calendar application is as intuitive or simple to use. Tap to accept or decline a meeting invitation. Tap again to see who’s attending, check scheduling conflicts, review the agenda, or add alerts. Color coding makes calendar entries easy to organize and view at a glance. And push calendar and integrated support for time zones means users can stay up to date no matter where their business takes them.
Learn how to integrate iPhone into your enterprise.
Microsoft Exchange logo
Support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and industry-standard corporate security standards allows IT professionals to seamlessly integrate iPhone into their corporate environments.
Want to deploy iPhone in your enterprise? Learn more
Features include:
* Push email
* Push contacts
* Push calendar
* Global Address List (GAL) support
* Certificates and identities
* WPA2/802.1X
* Enforced security policies
* Cisco logo More VPN protocols
* Device configuration
* Remote wipe
The ultimate contacts list.
More powerful contacts.
Finding contacts on iPhone is as simple as scrolling through your contact list or using the search feature. Add or change a contact and it updates everywhere automatically. But what really makes Contacts ideal for business is its seamless integration with features such as Maps, Safari, and SMS. Find customer offices using Maps with GPS. Get directions and call directly from map listings to confirm. Add vCards received via email. Look up contacts faster with search support for companywide Global Address Lists (GAL). And with push contacts on iPhone, contact lists are always up to date.
Desktop-class web browsing.
Desktop-class web browsing.
iPhone uses Safari — the most advanced browser on a mobile device — and displays the web the way it was designed to be seen. With support for web standards, SSL, and Cisco IPSec VPN, iPhone delivers secure access to corporate intranets so users can access their company’s resources wherever they are. Web Clips give quick, one-tap access from the Home screen to important websites and web applications. And the fastest available connection to the web is always ensured, whether it’s EDGE, 3G, or Wi-Fi.
Enterprise applications.
Enterprise applications.
With support for custom-designed enterprise applications, iPhone becomes a must-have mobile device for businesses. Using the iPhone SDK, an enterprise can easily create applications customized to its business needs and even take advantage of key iPhone technologies such as Multi-Touch, the accelerometer, fast wireless connectivity, and GPS. To deploy their in-house applications, companies can securely sync the applications via iTunes to authorized iPhones. Once installed, enterprise applications live side by side with all the other applications that come with every iPhone.
Smarter phone features.
Smarter phone features.
iPhone is a revolutionary phone that also helps manage daily work calls. Visual Voicemail allows users to prioritize which messages to listen to first and fast-track through a message to get to key information. Swapping and merging calls and even initiating conference calls is easy. To add an attendee, just tap a name from a contact list or company GAL.
More for business.
More for business.
iPhone has even more great features for business users. Find a customer’s address and get directions with GPS-powered Maps. Send SMS messages to multiple recipients. Get a one-tap weather report before your next business trip. Check stocks at a glance. Write notes to save or email. Even perform complex calculations with the built-in
The best phone for business. Ever.
What makes iPhone a great business phone? Simple. The same features that make it a revolutionary mobile device. With iPhone 2.0 software, iPhone does even more for your enterprise. It supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, delivering push email, calendar, and contacts. And it gives mobile users secure access to corporate resources with Cisco IPSec VPN and wireless network services with WPA2 Enterprise and 802.1X authentication.
"With its intuitive UI and the 2.0 software, iPhone is really a game changing device."
Andrew D. Jurczyk, CIO
Sonnenshein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
* A
* B
* C
* D
The most advanced mobile email.
Best email on a mobile device.
Email on iPhone offers a viewing experience unlike any other mobile device. Its rich HTML format means email looks and acts like email on your computer. With support for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, PDF, JPEG, and now iWork, attachments can be viewed exactly as they were designed to be. Users can even zoom in on important information with the tap of a finger. And now that iPhone has built-in support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, users get all the benefits of push email.
A professional calendar.
Up-to-the-minute calendar.
With its Multi-Touch interface, no other mobile calendar application is as intuitive or simple to use. Tap to accept or decline a meeting invitation. Tap again to see who’s attending, check scheduling conflicts, review the agenda, or add alerts. Color coding makes calendar entries easy to organize and view at a glance. And push calendar and integrated support for time zones means users can stay up to date no matter where their business takes them.
Learn how to integrate iPhone into your enterprise.
Microsoft Exchange logo
Support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and industry-standard corporate security standards allows IT professionals to seamlessly integrate iPhone into their corporate environments.
Want to deploy iPhone in your enterprise? Learn more
Features include:
* Push email
* Push contacts
* Push calendar
* Global Address List (GAL) support
* Certificates and identities
* WPA2/802.1X
* Enforced security policies
* Cisco logo More VPN protocols
* Device configuration
* Remote wipe
The ultimate contacts list.
More powerful contacts.
Finding contacts on iPhone is as simple as scrolling through your contact list or using the search feature. Add or change a contact and it updates everywhere automatically. But what really makes Contacts ideal for business is its seamless integration with features such as Maps, Safari, and SMS. Find customer offices using Maps with GPS. Get directions and call directly from map listings to confirm. Add vCards received via email. Look up contacts faster with search support for companywide Global Address Lists (GAL). And with push contacts on iPhone, contact lists are always up to date.
Desktop-class web browsing.
Desktop-class web browsing.
iPhone uses Safari — the most advanced browser on a mobile device — and displays the web the way it was designed to be seen. With support for web standards, SSL, and Cisco IPSec VPN, iPhone delivers secure access to corporate intranets so users can access their company’s resources wherever they are. Web Clips give quick, one-tap access from the Home screen to important websites and web applications. And the fastest available connection to the web is always ensured, whether it’s EDGE, 3G, or Wi-Fi.
Enterprise applications.
Enterprise applications.
With support for custom-designed enterprise applications, iPhone becomes a must-have mobile device for businesses. Using the iPhone SDK, an enterprise can easily create applications customized to its business needs and even take advantage of key iPhone technologies such as Multi-Touch, the accelerometer, fast wireless connectivity, and GPS. To deploy their in-house applications, companies can securely sync the applications via iTunes to authorized iPhones. Once installed, enterprise applications live side by side with all the other applications that come with every iPhone.
Smarter phone features.
Smarter phone features.
iPhone is a revolutionary phone that also helps manage daily work calls. Visual Voicemail allows users to prioritize which messages to listen to first and fast-track through a message to get to key information. Swapping and merging calls and even initiating conference calls is easy. To add an attendee, just tap a name from a contact list or company GAL.
More for business.
More for business.
iPhone has even more great features for business users. Find a customer’s address and get directions with GPS-powered Maps. Send SMS messages to multiple recipients. Get a one-tap weather report before your next business trip. Check stocks at a glance. Write notes to save or email. Even perform complex calculations with the built-in
Edge On Motorcycling- The BMW HP2 Sport
Edge On Motorcycling- The BMW HP2 Sport
The BWM HP2 Sport is the latest iteration of the Bavarian Motor Company's foray into producing performance driven motorcycles. The quiet, staid, and lets just admit it boring motorcycles that came out of BMW in years past is history.
The HP line is BMW's new high performance, cutting edge line up. It's the motorcycle equivalent of their M line of performance cars.
The HP2 Sport is the third motorcycle in the HP line following the releases of the HP2 Enduro and the HP2 Megamoto.
The HP-2 Sport is based on the R1200S but is out and out designed for sports riders who are looking for a machine that has performance as well as endurance.
The HP2 Sport keeps some of the concepts that BMW motorcycles have become known for such as the BMW Motorrad Telelever front suspension and the EVO Paralever rear suspension. Other components have been newly developed or highly modified for use in the motorcycle.
The HP-2 Sport is powered by a twin Boxer motor that has a capacity of 1170 cc. The engine's cylinder heads were completely redesigned which allows the engine to rev as high as 9500 rpm. The engine has a 101 mm bore and a 73 mm stroke and produces a maximum of 130 hp at 8,750 rpm and 85 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm.
The bike has a close ratio six speed gear box, with first and second gear having higher ratios. This puts the gear increments closer to each other and results in less of a rev drop when progressing up through the gears.
The bike also has a gear shift assistant which allows the rider to shift gears without using the clutch. It works by sensing when the gear lever is activated. If it senses gear lever activation without the use of the clutch, it electronically reduces power to the engine which puts the engine in a low load state and makes it possible to shift without the clutch. If the rider uses the clutch, the system becomes inactive.
The riding position of the HP-2 sport can be described as relaxed. BMW has extensive experience with endurance racing and knows that for racers to be fast over a long period staying power is more important than a full racer's tuck.
The dashboard was developed by 2D Systems, which also provides analytic recording systems to Moto GP racing.
The dashboard has two modes and is switched by two controls on the left handlebar. In road mode, typical information such as speed, rpm, time, and distance are displayed. In race mode data such as top speed, circuit times, number of gearshifts and rpm is shown.
The HP2 Sport will push BMW further into the world of performance motorcycling.
The BWM HP2 Sport is the latest iteration of the Bavarian Motor Company's foray into producing performance driven motorcycles. The quiet, staid, and lets just admit it boring motorcycles that came out of BMW in years past is history.
The HP line is BMW's new high performance, cutting edge line up. It's the motorcycle equivalent of their M line of performance cars.
The HP2 Sport is the third motorcycle in the HP line following the releases of the HP2 Enduro and the HP2 Megamoto.
The HP-2 Sport is based on the R1200S but is out and out designed for sports riders who are looking for a machine that has performance as well as endurance.
The HP2 Sport keeps some of the concepts that BMW motorcycles have become known for such as the BMW Motorrad Telelever front suspension and the EVO Paralever rear suspension. Other components have been newly developed or highly modified for use in the motorcycle.
The HP-2 Sport is powered by a twin Boxer motor that has a capacity of 1170 cc. The engine's cylinder heads were completely redesigned which allows the engine to rev as high as 9500 rpm. The engine has a 101 mm bore and a 73 mm stroke and produces a maximum of 130 hp at 8,750 rpm and 85 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm.
The bike has a close ratio six speed gear box, with first and second gear having higher ratios. This puts the gear increments closer to each other and results in less of a rev drop when progressing up through the gears.
The bike also has a gear shift assistant which allows the rider to shift gears without using the clutch. It works by sensing when the gear lever is activated. If it senses gear lever activation without the use of the clutch, it electronically reduces power to the engine which puts the engine in a low load state and makes it possible to shift without the clutch. If the rider uses the clutch, the system becomes inactive.
The riding position of the HP-2 sport can be described as relaxed. BMW has extensive experience with endurance racing and knows that for racers to be fast over a long period staying power is more important than a full racer's tuck.
The dashboard was developed by 2D Systems, which also provides analytic recording systems to Moto GP racing.
The dashboard has two modes and is switched by two controls on the left handlebar. In road mode, typical information such as speed, rpm, time, and distance are displayed. In race mode data such as top speed, circuit times, number of gearshifts and rpm is shown.
The HP2 Sport will push BMW further into the world of performance motorcycling.
A Guide on RSS Tool
A Guide on RSS Tool
RSS is an abbreviation that has evolved into the following, depending on their versions:
• RDF Site Summary (also known as RSS 0.9; the first version of RSS)
• Rich Site Summary (also known as RSS 0.91; a prototype)
• Really Simple Syndication (also known as RSS 2.0)
Today, RSS stands for 'Really Simple Syndication', and it has the following 7 existing formats or versions:
• 0.90
• 0.91
• 0.92
• 0.93
• 0.94
• 1.0
• 2.0
RSS tools refer to a group of file formats that are designed to share headlines and other web content (this may be a summary or simply 1 to 2 lines of the article), links to the full versions of the content (the full article or post), and even file attachments such as multimedia files. All of these data is delivered in the form of an XML file (XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language), which has the following common names:
• RSS feed
• Webfeed
• RSS stream
• RSS channel
They are typically shown on web pages as an orange rectangle that usually has the letters XML or RSS in it.
RSS feeds can be used to deliver any kind of information. Some of these 'feeds' include:
• Blogs feed - each blog entry is summarized as a feed item. This makes blog posts easier to scan, enabling 'visitors' to zoom in on their items of interest.
• Article feed - this alerts readers whenever there are new articles and web contents available.
• Forum feed - this allows users to receive forum posts and latest discussion topics.
• Schedule feed - this allows users (such as schools, clubs, and other organizations) to broadcast events and announce schedule changes or meeting agendas.
• Discounts or Special feed - this is used to enable users (such as retail and online stores) to 'deliver' latest specials and discounted offers.
• Ego or News Monitoring - this enables users to receive 'filtered' headlines or news that are based on a specific phrase or keyword.
• Industry-specific feed - used by technical professionals in order to market, promote, or communicate with current (and prospective) customers and clients within their specific industries.
RSS feeds enable people to track numerous blogs and news sources at the same time. To produce an RSS feed, all you need is the content or the article that you want to publicize and a validated RSS text file. Once your text file is registered at various aggregators (or 'news readers'), any external site can then capture and display your RSS feed, automatically updating them whenever you update your RSS file.
RSS tools are useful for sites that add or modify their contents on a regular basis. They are especially used for 'web syndication' or activities that involve regular updates and/or publications, such as the following:
• News websites - as used by major news organizations such as Reuters, CNN, and the BBC.
• Marketing
• Bug reports
• Personal weblogs
There are many benefits to using RSS feeds. Aside from being a great supplemental communication method that streamlines the communication needs of various sectors, RSS tools and feeds can also have tremendous benefits in your business, particularly in the field of internet marketing.
RSS tools and feeds provide Internet users with a free (or cheap) and easy advertising or online marketing opportunity for their businesses. Below are some of the RSS features that can help make your internet marketing strategies more effective.
1. Ease in content distribution services. With RSS, your business can be captured and displayed by virtually any external site, giving you an easy way to 'spread out' and advertise them.
2. Ease in regular content updates. With RSS, web contents concerning your business can now be automatically updated on a daily (and even hourly) basis. Internet users will be able to experience 'real time' updates as information in your own file (such as new products and other business-related releases) is changed and modified simultaneously with that of the RSS feeds that people are subscribed to.
3. Custom-made content services. With RSS, visitors can have personalized content services, allowing them total control of the flow and type of information that they receive. Depending on their interests and needs, visitors can subscribe to only those contents that they are looking for (such as real estate or job listings).
4. Increase in (and targeted) traffic. With RSS, traffic will be directed to your site as readers of your content summary (or 1 to 2 lines of your article) who find them interesting are 'forced' to click on a link back to your site.
These are just several of the many things that you can do with RSS. The possibilities are endless, and they are all aimed at providing you with an effective internet marketing strategy for your business.
In the mean time, Good Luck on your journey to success…
OR if you would like to succeed immediately to create financial freedom working only 4 hours a week, check out www.secrets2internetfortunes.com.
AND for a Limited Time, you will also receive a FREE copy of a limited number of the amazing 60 page eBook “52 Highly Profitable Instant Online Business Ideas That You Can Steal As Your Own And Start Today On A Very Tight Budget!”, which is jam packed with so many ideas you can use to instantly create an automated income for life! That’s my GIFT to You as a way of saying thank you for reading my articles.
RSS is an abbreviation that has evolved into the following, depending on their versions:
• RDF Site Summary (also known as RSS 0.9; the first version of RSS)
• Rich Site Summary (also known as RSS 0.91; a prototype)
• Really Simple Syndication (also known as RSS 2.0)
Today, RSS stands for 'Really Simple Syndication', and it has the following 7 existing formats or versions:
• 0.90
• 0.91
• 0.92
• 0.93
• 0.94
• 1.0
• 2.0
RSS tools refer to a group of file formats that are designed to share headlines and other web content (this may be a summary or simply 1 to 2 lines of the article), links to the full versions of the content (the full article or post), and even file attachments such as multimedia files. All of these data is delivered in the form of an XML file (XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language), which has the following common names:
• RSS feed
• Webfeed
• RSS stream
• RSS channel
They are typically shown on web pages as an orange rectangle that usually has the letters XML or RSS in it.
RSS feeds can be used to deliver any kind of information. Some of these 'feeds' include:
• Blogs feed - each blog entry is summarized as a feed item. This makes blog posts easier to scan, enabling 'visitors' to zoom in on their items of interest.
• Article feed - this alerts readers whenever there are new articles and web contents available.
• Forum feed - this allows users to receive forum posts and latest discussion topics.
• Schedule feed - this allows users (such as schools, clubs, and other organizations) to broadcast events and announce schedule changes or meeting agendas.
• Discounts or Special feed - this is used to enable users (such as retail and online stores) to 'deliver' latest specials and discounted offers.
• Ego or News Monitoring - this enables users to receive 'filtered' headlines or news that are based on a specific phrase or keyword.
• Industry-specific feed - used by technical professionals in order to market, promote, or communicate with current (and prospective) customers and clients within their specific industries.
RSS feeds enable people to track numerous blogs and news sources at the same time. To produce an RSS feed, all you need is the content or the article that you want to publicize and a validated RSS text file. Once your text file is registered at various aggregators (or 'news readers'), any external site can then capture and display your RSS feed, automatically updating them whenever you update your RSS file.
RSS tools are useful for sites that add or modify their contents on a regular basis. They are especially used for 'web syndication' or activities that involve regular updates and/or publications, such as the following:
• News websites - as used by major news organizations such as Reuters, CNN, and the BBC.
• Marketing
• Bug reports
• Personal weblogs
There are many benefits to using RSS feeds. Aside from being a great supplemental communication method that streamlines the communication needs of various sectors, RSS tools and feeds can also have tremendous benefits in your business, particularly in the field of internet marketing.
RSS tools and feeds provide Internet users with a free (or cheap) and easy advertising or online marketing opportunity for their businesses. Below are some of the RSS features that can help make your internet marketing strategies more effective.
1. Ease in content distribution services. With RSS, your business can be captured and displayed by virtually any external site, giving you an easy way to 'spread out' and advertise them.
2. Ease in regular content updates. With RSS, web contents concerning your business can now be automatically updated on a daily (and even hourly) basis. Internet users will be able to experience 'real time' updates as information in your own file (such as new products and other business-related releases) is changed and modified simultaneously with that of the RSS feeds that people are subscribed to.
3. Custom-made content services. With RSS, visitors can have personalized content services, allowing them total control of the flow and type of information that they receive. Depending on their interests and needs, visitors can subscribe to only those contents that they are looking for (such as real estate or job listings).
4. Increase in (and targeted) traffic. With RSS, traffic will be directed to your site as readers of your content summary (or 1 to 2 lines of your article) who find them interesting are 'forced' to click on a link back to your site.
These are just several of the many things that you can do with RSS. The possibilities are endless, and they are all aimed at providing you with an effective internet marketing strategy for your business.
In the mean time, Good Luck on your journey to success…
OR if you would like to succeed immediately to create financial freedom working only 4 hours a week, check out www.secrets2internetfortunes.com.
AND for a Limited Time, you will also receive a FREE copy of a limited number of the amazing 60 page eBook “52 Highly Profitable Instant Online Business Ideas That You Can Steal As Your Own And Start Today On A Very Tight Budget!”, which is jam packed with so many ideas you can use to instantly create an automated income for life! That’s my GIFT to You as a way of saying thank you for reading my articles.
Web Development And The Big Time Out
Web Development And The Big Time Out
One of the great debilitators in online business is simply the perceived (or real) lack of time. Business owners are used to moving forward. An online web presence can make them feel tied to an office chair learning skills they aren’t sure they want to know.
It’s not uncommon for those who deal in full time web design to have individuals contact them for a site design, but have absolutely no idea what they want. Furthermore when the designer questions them the response might be, “I don’t know, just make it look nice.”
Let’s not forget the core values or mission of the business. Many business owners have no idea how to answer those kinds of questions. They may stare blankly for a moment or two and there’s no more time for further deep thought so they go back to action – without answers.
In many cases it is possible to answer some of the questions needed, but it may require taking time away from a familiar setting. It may also require more time than you think you want to give.
If you can get to a place of concentrated contemplation you are likely to find yourself stripping ideas to their core to find out what your business is trying to accomplish and what your ultimate goals might be.
As with almost any project you can turn frustration around if you will just take the time to come to terms with your vision.
Sometimes we spend so much time ‘doing’ we never stop to ask the question, “Why?”
This process can be a bit like taking a bus that drives around the park. You keep looking at the flowers and the park bench and long to sit in the quiet shade of a tree and just absorb the calming atmosphere. You know they will have a positive effect on you, but for some reason you just can’t seem to find the energy to get off the bus.
It seems to me there are some sites that are misguided or rarely guided that could benefit from the process of self-evaluation. These sites may look nice, but there is a sense of disconnection that may not be easy to identify, but it’s fairly obvious to visitors.
Creative energy is at a minimum while business owners simply tackle what seem to be the most urgent details.
As more people gravitate to online business there needs to be a shift in the thinking of how one goes about doing business online. In many ways it can’t be approached in the same way a traditional business is developed, yet that is typically the way many new web commerce ventures choose to tackle the subject.
You may discover your business will be more successful if you take some time for rigorous reflection. The time set aside can be a bit like an architect that takes the time to develop plans for a new building. You wouldn’t expect the architect to simply tell a construction crew to, “Go out there and build – something.”
Work at ‘building’ your online business in a comprehensive way. Your effort can develop a firm foundation for long-term success
One of the great debilitators in online business is simply the perceived (or real) lack of time. Business owners are used to moving forward. An online web presence can make them feel tied to an office chair learning skills they aren’t sure they want to know.
It’s not uncommon for those who deal in full time web design to have individuals contact them for a site design, but have absolutely no idea what they want. Furthermore when the designer questions them the response might be, “I don’t know, just make it look nice.”
Let’s not forget the core values or mission of the business. Many business owners have no idea how to answer those kinds of questions. They may stare blankly for a moment or two and there’s no more time for further deep thought so they go back to action – without answers.
In many cases it is possible to answer some of the questions needed, but it may require taking time away from a familiar setting. It may also require more time than you think you want to give.
If you can get to a place of concentrated contemplation you are likely to find yourself stripping ideas to their core to find out what your business is trying to accomplish and what your ultimate goals might be.
As with almost any project you can turn frustration around if you will just take the time to come to terms with your vision.
Sometimes we spend so much time ‘doing’ we never stop to ask the question, “Why?”
This process can be a bit like taking a bus that drives around the park. You keep looking at the flowers and the park bench and long to sit in the quiet shade of a tree and just absorb the calming atmosphere. You know they will have a positive effect on you, but for some reason you just can’t seem to find the energy to get off the bus.
It seems to me there are some sites that are misguided or rarely guided that could benefit from the process of self-evaluation. These sites may look nice, but there is a sense of disconnection that may not be easy to identify, but it’s fairly obvious to visitors.
Creative energy is at a minimum while business owners simply tackle what seem to be the most urgent details.
As more people gravitate to online business there needs to be a shift in the thinking of how one goes about doing business online. In many ways it can’t be approached in the same way a traditional business is developed, yet that is typically the way many new web commerce ventures choose to tackle the subject.
You may discover your business will be more successful if you take some time for rigorous reflection. The time set aside can be a bit like an architect that takes the time to develop plans for a new building. You wouldn’t expect the architect to simply tell a construction crew to, “Go out there and build – something.”
Work at ‘building’ your online business in a comprehensive way. Your effort can develop a firm foundation for long-term success
Agents for Telecommunications
Back to Back User Agents for Telecommunications
Today’s telecommunications networks are a delicate blend of clients and servers that together offer virtually endless possibilities when it comes to services and applications. For every new client developed, there seems to be a score more on the way — from mobile handsets, PDAs, terminals, telephones, video phones, IP set-top-boxes, and so on.
There are essentially two types of servers that connect between clients on large networks: Proxy servers and Back-to-Back User Agent (B2BUA) servers. The more prevalent Proxy servers feature predictable behavior — simply connecting between clients. Effectively, B2BUA servers are much stronger and intelligent entities that perform actions which Proxy servers cannot. Moreover, B2BUA servers provide a flexible solution for a wide range of applications and services and are becoming the primary engine for more and more SIP servers in NGN and IMS networks.
The difference between Proxy servers and B2BUA servers is sometimes not fully understood. In this article, we will explore what makes B2BUA servers such an appealing alternative to standard Proxy servers. Better understanding of B2BUA servers can help managers understand the value, and the tradeoffs, of choosing a B2BUA server, as well as the frameworks needed to develop a wide range of SIP applications and SIP services using it.
Figure 1 - Architectural difference between Proxy servers and B2BUA servers
B2BUA Server Defined
B2BUA servers are used to provide value added features for point-to-point calls and manage multi-point calls. The power behind a B2BUA server is derived mostly from the fact that it has a very generic definition, which gives it almost unlimited power. However, this same characteristic is the root of the controversy surrounding it.
IETF standard (RFC 3261) defines a back-to-back user agent as “a logical entity that receives a request and processes it as a user agent server (UAS). In order to determine how the request should be answered, it acts as a user agent client (UAC) and generates requests. Unlike a Proxy server, it maintains a dialogue state and must participate in all requests sent on the dialogues it has established.”
B2BUA servers have capabilities that far exceed those of other types of SIP servers, and answer the need for developing sophisticated value added SIP applications that cannot be implemented as Proxy applications.
Some of these capabilities, which are unique to B2BUA servers, are outlined below:
3rd Party Call Control (3PCC) Features
3rd Party Call Control (3PCC) is the ability of an entity (usually a controller) to set up and manage communication between two or more parties. 3PCC is often used for operator services and conferencing.
3PCC actions are important capabilities, exclusive to B2BUA servers since “passive” non call-stateful elements, such as Proxy servers, cannot initiate these types of activities. Some examples of 3PCC services are online billing, QoS, resource prioritization, call transfer, click-to-dial, mid-call announcement and more.
3PCC actions can be initiated automatically by B2BUA server applications, like disconnecting a call following credit expiration in an online-billing system. Or they can be initiated by remote administrative control (OSS), e.g. invite parties to a multi-point conferencing session.
Figure 2 - Schematic outline of B2BUA server offering 3PCC functionality
Inter-working Function (IWF) for Interoperability
SIP was designed as a highly flexible and extendible protocol. The very strength of this flexibility is also an inherent weakness, since the vast array of client types in the market still need to connect.
B2BUA Inter-working Functions (IWF) defines a wide range of powerful SIP servers that connect SIP clients that “speak” in different protocol dialects, or support different capabilities. This Inter-working function is very important in enabling connectivity between clients with different capabilities and/or protocol dialects. Or even between clients and networks – where the B2BUA server actually acts as an access device.
Examples of what IWF can do include:
• Connecting SIP clients to IMS networks by adding and removing IMS SIP protocol extensions (AKA P-Headers) that are essential for connecting to the IMS network
• Connecting clients with different Session Timers settings
• Connecting clients with different media capabilities and with distinct Session Description Protocol (SDP) messages by relaying between the two types of control sessions
• Connecting to different types of networks (e.g. IPv4, IPv6) and support for different transport types, such as TCP/UDP/SCTP/TLS
Figure 3 - Schematic outline of a B2BUA Inter-Working Function
Multi-point Call Management
B2BUA servers an also implement multi-point call scenarios where multiple CPE devices connect to the B2BUA, and the B2BUA provides services to all CPE.
Due to these unique capabilities, B2BUA servers are widely used in the communications industry. A few examples are listed below:
• Online-billing/prepaid functions
• Servers supporting Resource Prioritization (RP) and/or Quality of Service (QoS) features
• Multi Point Conferencing servers
• IVR servers
• PBX Applications and Softswitches
• Application Layer Gateways (ALG)
• FW/NAT Traversal applications
• Privacy servers
• 3rd-Party Call Control Applications (3PCC)
• Service Creation Environment (SCE) runtime engines
• Session Boarder Controller (SBC)
• IMS S-CSCF, P-CSCF, I-CSCF
• SIP Inter-work Function (IWF) Gateway
• Security Gateway (SEG)
• Voice Call Continuity (VCC) servers
In addition, B2BUA servers play an important role in emerging IMS networks. Recent releases of 3GPP IMS specifications (3GPP TS 24.229 V8.0.0) indicate that an increasing number of IMS network element servers, such as P-CSCF, IBCF,SBC etc., are B2BUA servers. The reason for this is that value added services are usually session stateful, and feature capabilities that go beyond basic call proxying. Applications written on top of B2BUA Application servers fulfill several roles, such as SIP User Agents, SIP Proxy servers and SIP Registrars.
B2BUA Server Challenges
B2BUA application developers face many challenges, such as achieving rapid time-to-market, conformance and interoperability, offering customization for proprietary services and support for High Availability (HA) and redundancy. A comprehensive B2BUA framework can help developers overcome these challenges.
A solid B2BUA framework should have modular application building block architecture for increased flexibility, abstraction and short delivery time. Traditional architecture, which features a single configurable state machine, is not flexible enough. Also, a B2BUA framework should facilitate developing B2BUA applications by flexibly linking “pluggable” high-level Modular Application Building Blocks (MABB). Developers should have the ability to combine these MABBs and they should be designed in a way that allows developers to further customize their behavior if needed. This type of architecture complies with contemporary Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) concepts, and is suitable for powering flexible business communication platforms. This modular architecture can save months of work. With a set of MABBs in hand, developing the application is a matter of combining existing MABBs to produce the required business logic. In addition, this architecture enhances efficiency; development of new MABBs can be done concurrently.
A B2BUA framework should facilitate developing applications that fully conform to standards and are interoperable; without restricting developers from customizing protocol behavior for special cases. Moreover, it should conform for non-standard implementations, as well as to mediate between two versions of the same standard. This type of framework allows developers to focus on their proprietary application with the confidence that their final application will be fully interoperable.
And finally, a B2BUA framework should provide the ability to configure, amend and replace application building blocks to create proprietary features. With this ability, developers can maximize existing code – significantly reducing development time, shortening testing cycles, and reducing overall time-to-market.
Figure 4 - Traditional architecture of a B2BUA framework
RADVISION’s B2BUA Application Framework http://www.radvision.com/Products/Developer/SIPServer delivers these capabilities and more. The B2BUA Application Framework module is a part of the RADVISION SIP server Platform, a software framework that offers the essential building blocks for the development of a wide variety of high performance SIP and IMS servers. The rich set of components and modules can be flexibly combined to match customers’ requirements for developing SIP servers that offer both standard and advanced SIP services.
Applications written on top of RADVISION’s B2BUA framework are developed by combining customizable modular application building blocks. This is effectively large chunks of functionality that can be strung together to form ad-hoc applications, enabling developers to focus on the high-level business logic and use building blocks that hide low-level details.
As one of the most popular IM applications, Yahoo! Messenger was the first large consumer player that adopted B2B UA. Yahoo! Messenger combined its backend scalable platform with RADVISION’s B2B UA to serve millions of monthly unique messaging users around the world. Yahoo selected RADVISION’s B2BUA due to its robust performance and scalability features.
Figure 5 - The architecture of RADVISION B2BUA Application Framework
RADVISION also offers automatic High Availability (HA) and Redundancy support. The B2BUA framework automatically replicates the run-time state of the different Services and B2BUA framework core. In the event of a server outage, a redundant server takes over seamlessly and provides uninterrupted service continuity.
B2BUA framework benefits in a nutshell
• Significantly reduces time to market developing proprietary B2B applications and services.
• Allows adding advanced services easily to retain competitive advantage and evolve to meet growing customer demands.
• Focuses on the business logic and hides low level operator communication intricacies.
• Delivers off-the-shelf conformance and interoperability.
• Enables rapid development of applications that can interoperate with different vendors.
• Enables adding high-availability features easily.
Today’s telecommunications networks are a delicate blend of clients and servers that together offer virtually endless possibilities when it comes to services and applications. For every new client developed, there seems to be a score more on the way — from mobile handsets, PDAs, terminals, telephones, video phones, IP set-top-boxes, and so on.
There are essentially two types of servers that connect between clients on large networks: Proxy servers and Back-to-Back User Agent (B2BUA) servers. The more prevalent Proxy servers feature predictable behavior — simply connecting between clients. Effectively, B2BUA servers are much stronger and intelligent entities that perform actions which Proxy servers cannot. Moreover, B2BUA servers provide a flexible solution for a wide range of applications and services and are becoming the primary engine for more and more SIP servers in NGN and IMS networks.
The difference between Proxy servers and B2BUA servers is sometimes not fully understood. In this article, we will explore what makes B2BUA servers such an appealing alternative to standard Proxy servers. Better understanding of B2BUA servers can help managers understand the value, and the tradeoffs, of choosing a B2BUA server, as well as the frameworks needed to develop a wide range of SIP applications and SIP services using it.
Figure 1 - Architectural difference between Proxy servers and B2BUA servers
B2BUA Server Defined
B2BUA servers are used to provide value added features for point-to-point calls and manage multi-point calls. The power behind a B2BUA server is derived mostly from the fact that it has a very generic definition, which gives it almost unlimited power. However, this same characteristic is the root of the controversy surrounding it.
IETF standard (RFC 3261) defines a back-to-back user agent as “a logical entity that receives a request and processes it as a user agent server (UAS). In order to determine how the request should be answered, it acts as a user agent client (UAC) and generates requests. Unlike a Proxy server, it maintains a dialogue state and must participate in all requests sent on the dialogues it has established.”
B2BUA servers have capabilities that far exceed those of other types of SIP servers, and answer the need for developing sophisticated value added SIP applications that cannot be implemented as Proxy applications.
Some of these capabilities, which are unique to B2BUA servers, are outlined below:
3rd Party Call Control (3PCC) Features
3rd Party Call Control (3PCC) is the ability of an entity (usually a controller) to set up and manage communication between two or more parties. 3PCC is often used for operator services and conferencing.
3PCC actions are important capabilities, exclusive to B2BUA servers since “passive” non call-stateful elements, such as Proxy servers, cannot initiate these types of activities. Some examples of 3PCC services are online billing, QoS, resource prioritization, call transfer, click-to-dial, mid-call announcement and more.
3PCC actions can be initiated automatically by B2BUA server applications, like disconnecting a call following credit expiration in an online-billing system. Or they can be initiated by remote administrative control (OSS), e.g. invite parties to a multi-point conferencing session.
Figure 2 - Schematic outline of B2BUA server offering 3PCC functionality
Inter-working Function (IWF) for Interoperability
SIP was designed as a highly flexible and extendible protocol. The very strength of this flexibility is also an inherent weakness, since the vast array of client types in the market still need to connect.
B2BUA Inter-working Functions (IWF) defines a wide range of powerful SIP servers that connect SIP clients that “speak” in different protocol dialects, or support different capabilities. This Inter-working function is very important in enabling connectivity between clients with different capabilities and/or protocol dialects. Or even between clients and networks – where the B2BUA server actually acts as an access device.
Examples of what IWF can do include:
• Connecting SIP clients to IMS networks by adding and removing IMS SIP protocol extensions (AKA P-Headers) that are essential for connecting to the IMS network
• Connecting clients with different Session Timers settings
• Connecting clients with different media capabilities and with distinct Session Description Protocol (SDP) messages by relaying between the two types of control sessions
• Connecting to different types of networks (e.g. IPv4, IPv6) and support for different transport types, such as TCP/UDP/SCTP/TLS
Figure 3 - Schematic outline of a B2BUA Inter-Working Function
Multi-point Call Management
B2BUA servers an also implement multi-point call scenarios where multiple CPE devices connect to the B2BUA, and the B2BUA provides services to all CPE.
Due to these unique capabilities, B2BUA servers are widely used in the communications industry. A few examples are listed below:
• Online-billing/prepaid functions
• Servers supporting Resource Prioritization (RP) and/or Quality of Service (QoS) features
• Multi Point Conferencing servers
• IVR servers
• PBX Applications and Softswitches
• Application Layer Gateways (ALG)
• FW/NAT Traversal applications
• Privacy servers
• 3rd-Party Call Control Applications (3PCC)
• Service Creation Environment (SCE) runtime engines
• Session Boarder Controller (SBC)
• IMS S-CSCF, P-CSCF, I-CSCF
• SIP Inter-work Function (IWF) Gateway
• Security Gateway (SEG)
• Voice Call Continuity (VCC) servers
In addition, B2BUA servers play an important role in emerging IMS networks. Recent releases of 3GPP IMS specifications (3GPP TS 24.229 V8.0.0) indicate that an increasing number of IMS network element servers, such as P-CSCF, IBCF,SBC etc., are B2BUA servers. The reason for this is that value added services are usually session stateful, and feature capabilities that go beyond basic call proxying. Applications written on top of B2BUA Application servers fulfill several roles, such as SIP User Agents, SIP Proxy servers and SIP Registrars.
B2BUA Server Challenges
B2BUA application developers face many challenges, such as achieving rapid time-to-market, conformance and interoperability, offering customization for proprietary services and support for High Availability (HA) and redundancy. A comprehensive B2BUA framework can help developers overcome these challenges.
A solid B2BUA framework should have modular application building block architecture for increased flexibility, abstraction and short delivery time. Traditional architecture, which features a single configurable state machine, is not flexible enough. Also, a B2BUA framework should facilitate developing B2BUA applications by flexibly linking “pluggable” high-level Modular Application Building Blocks (MABB). Developers should have the ability to combine these MABBs and they should be designed in a way that allows developers to further customize their behavior if needed. This type of architecture complies with contemporary Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) concepts, and is suitable for powering flexible business communication platforms. This modular architecture can save months of work. With a set of MABBs in hand, developing the application is a matter of combining existing MABBs to produce the required business logic. In addition, this architecture enhances efficiency; development of new MABBs can be done concurrently.
A B2BUA framework should facilitate developing applications that fully conform to standards and are interoperable; without restricting developers from customizing protocol behavior for special cases. Moreover, it should conform for non-standard implementations, as well as to mediate between two versions of the same standard. This type of framework allows developers to focus on their proprietary application with the confidence that their final application will be fully interoperable.
And finally, a B2BUA framework should provide the ability to configure, amend and replace application building blocks to create proprietary features. With this ability, developers can maximize existing code – significantly reducing development time, shortening testing cycles, and reducing overall time-to-market.
Figure 4 - Traditional architecture of a B2BUA framework
RADVISION’s B2BUA Application Framework http://www.radvision.com/Products/Developer/SIPServer delivers these capabilities and more. The B2BUA Application Framework module is a part of the RADVISION SIP server Platform, a software framework that offers the essential building blocks for the development of a wide variety of high performance SIP and IMS servers. The rich set of components and modules can be flexibly combined to match customers’ requirements for developing SIP servers that offer both standard and advanced SIP services.
Applications written on top of RADVISION’s B2BUA framework are developed by combining customizable modular application building blocks. This is effectively large chunks of functionality that can be strung together to form ad-hoc applications, enabling developers to focus on the high-level business logic and use building blocks that hide low-level details.
As one of the most popular IM applications, Yahoo! Messenger was the first large consumer player that adopted B2B UA. Yahoo! Messenger combined its backend scalable platform with RADVISION’s B2B UA to serve millions of monthly unique messaging users around the world. Yahoo selected RADVISION’s B2BUA due to its robust performance and scalability features.
Figure 5 - The architecture of RADVISION B2BUA Application Framework
RADVISION also offers automatic High Availability (HA) and Redundancy support. The B2BUA framework automatically replicates the run-time state of the different Services and B2BUA framework core. In the event of a server outage, a redundant server takes over seamlessly and provides uninterrupted service continuity.
B2BUA framework benefits in a nutshell
• Significantly reduces time to market developing proprietary B2B applications and services.
• Allows adding advanced services easily to retain competitive advantage and evolve to meet growing customer demands.
• Focuses on the business logic and hides low level operator communication intricacies.
• Delivers off-the-shelf conformance and interoperability.
• Enables rapid development of applications that can interoperate with different vendors.
• Enables adding high-availability features easily.
The History and the Future of Internet Browsers
The Battle of the Browsers – The History and the Future of Internet Browsers
With Internet Explorer 8 now available, can Microsoft hope to retain market dominance over fierce open source rivals such as Mozilla's Firefox or the feature packed Opera web browser. Can history give us a clue to what the future of web browsers/browsing might hold? How did Netscape Navigator go from having a dominant 89.36% market share of all web browsers in 1996 and yet only 3.76% by mid 1999?
Let us take a journey that will begin long before even the intellectual conception of Internet Explorer, that will glance at its long defeated rivals, examine the current browsers available and will end with a prediction of what the future of browsing will offer us – and which browser(s) will still be around to offer it.
People often think that Internet Explorer has been the dominant web browser since the golden age of the internet began. Well for a very long time now it has indeed been the most popular browser and at times been almost totally unrivalled. This was mainly a result of it being packaged free with Microsoft Windows, in what some would later call a brutal monopolisation attempt by Microsoft. The last few years however have heralded the arrival of new, possibly superior browsers. Mozilla's Firefox has been particularly successful at chipping away at Explorers market dominance. So where did it all begin, and why were Microsoft ever allowed to have a hundred percent market dominance?
Origins
The truth is they never did have total dominance, but at times they have come very close. Microsoft actually entered the Browser Battle quite late on. Infact a man named Neil Larson is credited to be one of the originators of internet browsers, when in 1977 he created a program – The TRS-80 - that allowed browsing between “sites” via hypertext jumps. This was a DOS program and the basis of much to come. Slowly other browsers powered by DOS and inspired by the TRS 80 were developed. Unfortunately they were often constricted by the limitations of the still fairly young internet itself.
In 1988, Peter Scott and Earle Fogel created a simple, fast browser called Hytelnet, which by 1990 offered users instant logon and access to the online catalogues of over five thousand libraries around the world – an exhilarating taste of what the internet, and web browsers, would soon be able to offer.
In 1989 the original World Wide Web was born. Using a NeXTcube computer, Tim Berners-Lee created a web browser that would change how people used the internet forever. He called his browser the WorldWideWeb(http://www., which is still likely to sound familiar to internet users today. It was a windowed browser capable of displaying simple style sheet, capable of editing sites and able to download and open any file type supported by the NeXTcube.
In 1993 the first popular graphical browser was released. Its name was Mosaic and it was created by Marc Andreessen and Eric Bina. Mosaic could be run on both Unix, and very importantly, on the highly popular Microsoft Windows operating system (incidentally it could also be used on Amiga and Apple computers). It was the first browser on Windows that could display graphics/pictures on a page where there was also textual content. It is often cited as being responsible for triggering the internet boom due to it making the internet bearable for the masses. (It should be noted that the web browser Cello was the first browser to be used on Windows – but it was non graphical and made very little impact compared to Mosaic).
The Browser Wars - Netscape Navigator versus Internet Explorer
Mosaic's decline began almost as soon as Netscape Navigator was released (1994). Netscape Navigator was a browser created by Marc Andreessen, one of the men behind Mosaic and co-founder of Netscape Communications Corporation. Netscape was unrivalled in terms of features and usability at the time. For example, one major change from previous browsers was that it allowed surfers to see parts of a website before the whole site was downloaded. This meant that people did not have to wait for minutes simply to see if the site they were loading was the actual one the were after, whilst also allowing them to read information on the site as the rest of it downloaded. By 1996 Netscape had almost 90% market dominance, as shown below.
Market Share Comparisons of Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer from 1996 to 1998
....................Netscape.......IE
October 1998..........64%.........32.2%
April 1998............70%.........22.7%
October 1997..........59.67%......15.13%
April 1997............81.13%......12.13%
October 1996..........80.45%......12.18%
April 1996............89.36%.......3.76%
In these two years Netscape clearly dominated the internet browser market, but a new browser named Internet Explorer was quickly gaining ground on it.
Microsoft released their own browser (ironically based on the earlier Mosaic browser which was created by one of the men now running Netscape), clearly worried about Netscape's dominance. It was not so much the worry that it would have a 100% market share of internet browsers on their Windows operating system, but more the worry that browsers would soon be capable of running all types programs on them. That would mean foregoing the need for an actual operating system, or at the most only a very basic one would be needed. This in turn would mean Netscape would soon be able to dictate terms to Microsoft, and Microsoft were not going to let that happen easily. Thus in August 1995, Internet Explorer was released.
By 1999 Internet explorer had captured an 89.03% market share, whilst Netscape was down to 10.47%. How could Internet Explorer make this much ground in just two years? Well this was down to two things really. The first, and by far the most important was that Microsoft bundled Internet Explorer in with every new copy of Windows, and as Windows was used by about 90% of the computer using population it clearly gave them a huge advantage. Internet Explorer had one other ace it held over Netscape – it was much better. Netscape Navigator was stagnant and had been for some time. The only new features it ever seemed to introduce were often perceived by the public as beneficial for Netscape's parent company rather than Netscape's user base. (i.e., features that would help it monopolise the market). Explorer, on the other hand, was given much attention by Microsoft. Regular updates and excellent usability plus a hundred million dollar investment would prove too much for Netscape Explorer.
2000 – 2005
These years were fairly quiet in the Battle of the Browsers. It seemed as if Internet Explorer had won the war and that nobody could even hope to compete with it. In 2002/2003 it had attained about 95% of the market share – about the time of IE 5/6. With over 1000 people working on it and millions of dollars being poured in, few people had the resources to compete. Then again, who wanted to compete? It was clearly a volatile market, and besides that everybody was content with Internet Explorer. Or were they? Some people saw faults with IE – security issues, incompatibility issues or simply bad programming. Not only that, it was being shoved down peoples throats. There was almost no competition to keep it in line or to turn to as an alternative. Something had to change. The only people with the ability and the power to compete with Microsoft took matters into their own hands.
Netscape was now supported by AOL. A few years prior, just after they had lost the Browser Wars to Microsoft, they had released the coding for Netscape into the public domain. This meant anybody could develop their own browser using the Netscape skeleton. And people did. Epiphany, Galeon and Camino, amongst others, were born out of Netscape's ashes. However the two most popular newcomers were called Mozilla and Firefox.
Mozilla was originally an open sourced project aimed to improve the Netscape browser. Eventually it was released as Netscape Navigator 7 and then 8. Later it was released as Mozilla 1.0.
Mozilla was almost an early version on another open source browser, Firefox. With it being an open source the public were able to contribute to it - adding in what features it needed, the programming it required and the support it deserved. The problems people saw in Internet Explorer were being fixed by members of the open sourced browser community via Firefox. For instance, the many security issues IE 6 had were almost entirely fixed in the very first release of Firefox. Microsoft had another fight on their hands.
2005 – Present
Firefox was the browser that grew and grew in these years. Every year capturing an even larger market share percentage than before. More user friendly than most of its rivals along with high security levels and arguably more intelligent programming helped its popularity. With such a large programming community behind it, updates have always been regular and add on programs/features are often released. It prides itself on being the peoples browser. It currently has a 28.38% market share.
Apple computers have had their own browser since the mid 1990's – Safari - complete with its own problems, such as (until recently) the inability to run Java scripts. However most Apple users seemed happy with it and a version capable of running on Windows has been released. It has had no major competitor on Apple Macs, and as such has largely been out of the Browser Wars. It currently holds a 2.54% market share and is slowly increasing.
Internet Explorer's market share has dropped from over 90% to around 75%, and is falling. It will be interesting to see what Microsoft will attempt to regain such a high market share.
Opera currently holds 1.07%.
Mozilla itself only has a 0.6% market share these days.
The Future of Web Browsing
Web browsers come and go. It is the nature of technology (if such a term can be used), to supplant inferior software in very short periods of time. It is almost impossible for a single company to stay ahead of the competition for long. Microsoft have the advantage of being able to release IE with any Windows using PC. That covers over 90% of the market. They also have the advantage of unprecedented resources. They can compete how they wish for as long as they wish. So there is no counting IE out of the future of web browsing.
Safari is in a similar position, being easily the most popular Mac web browser. Its long term survival is dependant upon Apple and the sale of their computers.
These are the only two browsers that are almost guaranteed another five years of life, at least. Firefox may seem like another candidate, but the public is fickle, and one bad release, or if it seriously lags behind the new Internet Explorer 8 for long, could easily see its popularity quickly descend into virtual oblivion.
However, it seems likely community driven browsers, such as Mozilla and Firefox, will be the only types of browser capable of competing with the wealthy internet arm of Microsoft in the near future.
As for web browsing itself, will it change any time soon? Well it already has for some online communities. For example, if you want to buy clothes you could try entering an online 'world' creating an online virtual You to go from 'shop to shop' with, looking at products and trying/buying what you see. Some 'worlds' allow you to recreate yourself accurately including weight and height and then try on things apparel such as jeans to give you an idea of how you would look in that particular item.
Will 'worlds' like this destroy normal web browsers such as IE ? - It seems unlikely. Traditional web browsers provide such freedom and ease of access that it is hard to see any other alternative taking over. However they are part of the new, 'thinking out of the box' wave of alternatives that some people will find attractive, and really who knows what the future will bring.
With Internet Explorer 8 now available, can Microsoft hope to retain market dominance over fierce open source rivals such as Mozilla's Firefox or the feature packed Opera web browser. Can history give us a clue to what the future of web browsers/browsing might hold? How did Netscape Navigator go from having a dominant 89.36% market share of all web browsers in 1996 and yet only 3.76% by mid 1999?
Let us take a journey that will begin long before even the intellectual conception of Internet Explorer, that will glance at its long defeated rivals, examine the current browsers available and will end with a prediction of what the future of browsing will offer us – and which browser(s) will still be around to offer it.
People often think that Internet Explorer has been the dominant web browser since the golden age of the internet began. Well for a very long time now it has indeed been the most popular browser and at times been almost totally unrivalled. This was mainly a result of it being packaged free with Microsoft Windows, in what some would later call a brutal monopolisation attempt by Microsoft. The last few years however have heralded the arrival of new, possibly superior browsers. Mozilla's Firefox has been particularly successful at chipping away at Explorers market dominance. So where did it all begin, and why were Microsoft ever allowed to have a hundred percent market dominance?
Origins
The truth is they never did have total dominance, but at times they have come very close. Microsoft actually entered the Browser Battle quite late on. Infact a man named Neil Larson is credited to be one of the originators of internet browsers, when in 1977 he created a program – The TRS-80 - that allowed browsing between “sites” via hypertext jumps. This was a DOS program and the basis of much to come. Slowly other browsers powered by DOS and inspired by the TRS 80 were developed. Unfortunately they were often constricted by the limitations of the still fairly young internet itself.
In 1988, Peter Scott and Earle Fogel created a simple, fast browser called Hytelnet, which by 1990 offered users instant logon and access to the online catalogues of over five thousand libraries around the world – an exhilarating taste of what the internet, and web browsers, would soon be able to offer.
In 1989 the original World Wide Web was born. Using a NeXTcube computer, Tim Berners-Lee created a web browser that would change how people used the internet forever. He called his browser the WorldWideWeb(http://www., which is still likely to sound familiar to internet users today. It was a windowed browser capable of displaying simple style sheet, capable of editing sites and able to download and open any file type supported by the NeXTcube.
In 1993 the first popular graphical browser was released. Its name was Mosaic and it was created by Marc Andreessen and Eric Bina. Mosaic could be run on both Unix, and very importantly, on the highly popular Microsoft Windows operating system (incidentally it could also be used on Amiga and Apple computers). It was the first browser on Windows that could display graphics/pictures on a page where there was also textual content. It is often cited as being responsible for triggering the internet boom due to it making the internet bearable for the masses. (It should be noted that the web browser Cello was the first browser to be used on Windows – but it was non graphical and made very little impact compared to Mosaic).
The Browser Wars - Netscape Navigator versus Internet Explorer
Mosaic's decline began almost as soon as Netscape Navigator was released (1994). Netscape Navigator was a browser created by Marc Andreessen, one of the men behind Mosaic and co-founder of Netscape Communications Corporation. Netscape was unrivalled in terms of features and usability at the time. For example, one major change from previous browsers was that it allowed surfers to see parts of a website before the whole site was downloaded. This meant that people did not have to wait for minutes simply to see if the site they were loading was the actual one the were after, whilst also allowing them to read information on the site as the rest of it downloaded. By 1996 Netscape had almost 90% market dominance, as shown below.
Market Share Comparisons of Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer from 1996 to 1998
....................Netscape.......IE
October 1998..........64%.........32.2%
April 1998............70%.........22.7%
October 1997..........59.67%......15.13%
April 1997............81.13%......12.13%
October 1996..........80.45%......12.18%
April 1996............89.36%.......3.76%
In these two years Netscape clearly dominated the internet browser market, but a new browser named Internet Explorer was quickly gaining ground on it.
Microsoft released their own browser (ironically based on the earlier Mosaic browser which was created by one of the men now running Netscape), clearly worried about Netscape's dominance. It was not so much the worry that it would have a 100% market share of internet browsers on their Windows operating system, but more the worry that browsers would soon be capable of running all types programs on them. That would mean foregoing the need for an actual operating system, or at the most only a very basic one would be needed. This in turn would mean Netscape would soon be able to dictate terms to Microsoft, and Microsoft were not going to let that happen easily. Thus in August 1995, Internet Explorer was released.
By 1999 Internet explorer had captured an 89.03% market share, whilst Netscape was down to 10.47%. How could Internet Explorer make this much ground in just two years? Well this was down to two things really. The first, and by far the most important was that Microsoft bundled Internet Explorer in with every new copy of Windows, and as Windows was used by about 90% of the computer using population it clearly gave them a huge advantage. Internet Explorer had one other ace it held over Netscape – it was much better. Netscape Navigator was stagnant and had been for some time. The only new features it ever seemed to introduce were often perceived by the public as beneficial for Netscape's parent company rather than Netscape's user base. (i.e., features that would help it monopolise the market). Explorer, on the other hand, was given much attention by Microsoft. Regular updates and excellent usability plus a hundred million dollar investment would prove too much for Netscape Explorer.
2000 – 2005
These years were fairly quiet in the Battle of the Browsers. It seemed as if Internet Explorer had won the war and that nobody could even hope to compete with it. In 2002/2003 it had attained about 95% of the market share – about the time of IE 5/6. With over 1000 people working on it and millions of dollars being poured in, few people had the resources to compete. Then again, who wanted to compete? It was clearly a volatile market, and besides that everybody was content with Internet Explorer. Or were they? Some people saw faults with IE – security issues, incompatibility issues or simply bad programming. Not only that, it was being shoved down peoples throats. There was almost no competition to keep it in line or to turn to as an alternative. Something had to change. The only people with the ability and the power to compete with Microsoft took matters into their own hands.
Netscape was now supported by AOL. A few years prior, just after they had lost the Browser Wars to Microsoft, they had released the coding for Netscape into the public domain. This meant anybody could develop their own browser using the Netscape skeleton. And people did. Epiphany, Galeon and Camino, amongst others, were born out of Netscape's ashes. However the two most popular newcomers were called Mozilla and Firefox.
Mozilla was originally an open sourced project aimed to improve the Netscape browser. Eventually it was released as Netscape Navigator 7 and then 8. Later it was released as Mozilla 1.0.
Mozilla was almost an early version on another open source browser, Firefox. With it being an open source the public were able to contribute to it - adding in what features it needed, the programming it required and the support it deserved. The problems people saw in Internet Explorer were being fixed by members of the open sourced browser community via Firefox. For instance, the many security issues IE 6 had were almost entirely fixed in the very first release of Firefox. Microsoft had another fight on their hands.
2005 – Present
Firefox was the browser that grew and grew in these years. Every year capturing an even larger market share percentage than before. More user friendly than most of its rivals along with high security levels and arguably more intelligent programming helped its popularity. With such a large programming community behind it, updates have always been regular and add on programs/features are often released. It prides itself on being the peoples browser. It currently has a 28.38% market share.
Apple computers have had their own browser since the mid 1990's – Safari - complete with its own problems, such as (until recently) the inability to run Java scripts. However most Apple users seemed happy with it and a version capable of running on Windows has been released. It has had no major competitor on Apple Macs, and as such has largely been out of the Browser Wars. It currently holds a 2.54% market share and is slowly increasing.
Internet Explorer's market share has dropped from over 90% to around 75%, and is falling. It will be interesting to see what Microsoft will attempt to regain such a high market share.
Opera currently holds 1.07%.
Mozilla itself only has a 0.6% market share these days.
The Future of Web Browsing
Web browsers come and go. It is the nature of technology (if such a term can be used), to supplant inferior software in very short periods of time. It is almost impossible for a single company to stay ahead of the competition for long. Microsoft have the advantage of being able to release IE with any Windows using PC. That covers over 90% of the market. They also have the advantage of unprecedented resources. They can compete how they wish for as long as they wish. So there is no counting IE out of the future of web browsing.
Safari is in a similar position, being easily the most popular Mac web browser. Its long term survival is dependant upon Apple and the sale of their computers.
These are the only two browsers that are almost guaranteed another five years of life, at least. Firefox may seem like another candidate, but the public is fickle, and one bad release, or if it seriously lags behind the new Internet Explorer 8 for long, could easily see its popularity quickly descend into virtual oblivion.
However, it seems likely community driven browsers, such as Mozilla and Firefox, will be the only types of browser capable of competing with the wealthy internet arm of Microsoft in the near future.
As for web browsing itself, will it change any time soon? Well it already has for some online communities. For example, if you want to buy clothes you could try entering an online 'world' creating an online virtual You to go from 'shop to shop' with, looking at products and trying/buying what you see. Some 'worlds' allow you to recreate yourself accurately including weight and height and then try on things apparel such as jeans to give you an idea of how you would look in that particular item.
Will 'worlds' like this destroy normal web browsers such as IE ? - It seems unlikely. Traditional web browsers provide such freedom and ease of access that it is hard to see any other alternative taking over. However they are part of the new, 'thinking out of the box' wave of alternatives that some people will find attractive, and really who knows what the future will bring.
Learn Speak French Free
Learn To Speak French Free
by: Jane Morgan
Do you know that you can now learn to speak French free online? All you have to do is know where to look. I have put a list of the four best places to start looking. If you follow my simple ideas you could start learning French for free online - today!
Do you ever come across French words and have no way of finding out their accurate English translation? If so, the Google language tool may just the thing that you've been looking for. It so simple to use and best of all it's absolutely free! Go to the Google search engine and type – “google language tool”. Click on the link and you will be taken to the translation page. Type in the word, choose the language (in this case it will be French), then choose the language you want it translated into (this will be English), hit enter and you'll have instant translation. Remember this can work the other way too.
There are hundreds if not thousands of online companies that will try and sell you all kinds of online French courses. Because there is so much competition, these sites will often offer freebies as incentives. Some will even offer free trails of their products with no obligation to buy. Why not take advantage of this? All you would need to do is sample a handful of these courses and you'll have enough French tuition to last you the next couple of months. When you eventually run out, all you would need to do is sign up for some more free courses. It's so simple and you'll never have to spend a dime!
I am sure you have heard about the new craze of streaming video sights such as youtube.com and Google video. You can literally find clips on any subject you search for. Have you ever thought about searching for French tuition? Give it a try. You'll be amazed at how many free video clips there are available. You don't have to stop there, you could even check out some current French TV and music Videos – the possibilities are endless.
There are numerous websites such as the UK site bbc.co.uk that simply offer free tuition. All you have to do is know where to look for these sites. Fortunately, there are search engines that can do all the hard work for you. All you need to do is type “learn to speak French free online” and hit enter. This search will instantly return one and a half million sites for you to choose from (depending on your internet connection). You don't have to look at all of them out (that would take forever), just check out a handful from the first page and you will bound to find some great information - free of charge.
Most people underestimate the amount of free information that is available to them via the internet. I hope my handy hints have helped you realise just how easy it can be to learn to speak French free online.
by: Jane Morgan
Do you know that you can now learn to speak French free online? All you have to do is know where to look. I have put a list of the four best places to start looking. If you follow my simple ideas you could start learning French for free online - today!
Do you ever come across French words and have no way of finding out their accurate English translation? If so, the Google language tool may just the thing that you've been looking for. It so simple to use and best of all it's absolutely free! Go to the Google search engine and type – “google language tool”. Click on the link and you will be taken to the translation page. Type in the word, choose the language (in this case it will be French), then choose the language you want it translated into (this will be English), hit enter and you'll have instant translation. Remember this can work the other way too.
There are hundreds if not thousands of online companies that will try and sell you all kinds of online French courses. Because there is so much competition, these sites will often offer freebies as incentives. Some will even offer free trails of their products with no obligation to buy. Why not take advantage of this? All you would need to do is sample a handful of these courses and you'll have enough French tuition to last you the next couple of months. When you eventually run out, all you would need to do is sign up for some more free courses. It's so simple and you'll never have to spend a dime!
I am sure you have heard about the new craze of streaming video sights such as youtube.com and Google video. You can literally find clips on any subject you search for. Have you ever thought about searching for French tuition? Give it a try. You'll be amazed at how many free video clips there are available. You don't have to stop there, you could even check out some current French TV and music Videos – the possibilities are endless.
There are numerous websites such as the UK site bbc.co.uk that simply offer free tuition. All you have to do is know where to look for these sites. Fortunately, there are search engines that can do all the hard work for you. All you need to do is type “learn to speak French free online” and hit enter. This search will instantly return one and a half million sites for you to choose from (depending on your internet connection). You don't have to look at all of them out (that would take forever), just check out a handful from the first page and you will bound to find some great information - free of charge.
Most people underestimate the amount of free information that is available to them via the internet. I hope my handy hints have helped you realise just how easy it can be to learn to speak French free online.
Creating Believable Magic
Creating Believable Magic
What sets fantasy apart from other genres?
It can use the same setting as a modern day mystery or a historical romance so why isn't it either of these things? First, the tone or emphasis of a fantasy story isn't on romance or mystery though it can contain strong elements of both. The majority of fantasy works are going to contain some element of magic, be it inherent to the setting or the characters or something that can be manipulated.
The first step in deciding how to add magic to your world is who or what will have or use it. Will it be everyone or just a select few? Will it be accepted and commonplace or feared and outlawed? Will it be part of the inhabitants themselves?
Who uses or possesses magic in your world will greatly affect your plot and characterization. If magic is limited to a select few (Harry Potter) how will the rest of the world respond? Will a magic user be ostracized or persecuted? Consider the opposite extreme. In the first Xanth book, Bink was exiled for not possessing a magical talent. Your world can hold either view or be anywhere in between. The Harry Potter series is actually a mix of the two: in the "real" world, few hold magical talents and those talents are kept secret, but in the magical community, those who are born without magic are treated with pity and/or contempt.
Most fantasy stories limit the magic available to the characters for a very important reason: conflict. If everyone possesses unlimited magic then where is the potential for conflict? If a wizard can blast all of his enemies into dust at the first sign of trouble then it becomes next to impossible to build tension. The wizard (good or bad) needs the potential to lose or the suspense is lost.
Consistency is a major concern when developing magical systems. If Wizard Ickabette suddenly remembers on page 400 that she can annihilate her enemies with a thought then the world you've created loses its believability.
Many writers mistake consistency with inflexibility and feel there's no room for growth or change. This isn't true. A character that on page 3 has problems lighting a candle can still incinerate an entire city on page 300 IF the story supports that change by giving the reader the impression that the character is growing in power and ability. At no time should a character's abilities miraculously change to solve the story's final conflict.
In Lois Bujold's Curse of Chalion the main character does perform a miracle, but Bujold has built her world around the five god/goddesses and their history of granting their chosen few miraculous powers. The story builds masterfully to this conclusion and the reader isn't left feeling that the writer "cheated".
Source:
Where the magic in your world comes from can be vitally important. It can be a universal power (the Force), God/deity given (myths from around the world often use this form), nature based (Tolkien's elves), or life force derived (Holly Lisle's Secret Text Trilogy is an excellent example).
Technique:
If your wizards, mages or sorceresses need special ingredients and herbs to work their magic then where will they find these ingredients? If magic is openly used can they find what they need in shops and in the market? If magic is feared or outlawed what lengths will they have to go to in order to obtain the required components?
Katherine Kurtz uses ritual magic in her Deryni series with the Catholic church as her inspiration. The amount of detail you use to show your reader how the magic works in your world will depend on your style of writing. Kurtz builds tension slowly and a good deal of the conflict in the first trilogy takes place within the characters and not externally. While Tolkien also moves the Lord of the Rings trilogy at a slower pace than some fantasy novels, he does not spend a lot of time explaining how his wizards use their power. Occasionally there are words spoken (ie: Gandalf on the bridge opposing the balrog) but often the magic is as simple as a wave of a staff.
Power:
The amount of power a wizard possesses will depend a great deal on the plot of your story and your wizard's role in that plot. Many stories favor puberty as being the moment of 'awakening' for magical talents or a time of extreme growth in talent. The reason for this is the inability of a young child or baby to understand the consequences of their actions (This is the reason we don't give pre-teens the right to drive cars in our own world).
No matter how your characters use their magic or how it interacts with other creatures and forces, it needs to follow a set of rules. Consistency is invaluable in the magical universe. Without that, magic becomes the miracle elixir that rives wounded plots and rescues poorly developed worlds.
Patricia Wrede has an excellent list of questions to consider when building your world and deciding how magic will work in your story. The list of questions is quite extensive but you do not have to answer every single one before beginning your story. The questions are there to guide and inspire
What sets fantasy apart from other genres?
It can use the same setting as a modern day mystery or a historical romance so why isn't it either of these things? First, the tone or emphasis of a fantasy story isn't on romance or mystery though it can contain strong elements of both. The majority of fantasy works are going to contain some element of magic, be it inherent to the setting or the characters or something that can be manipulated.
The first step in deciding how to add magic to your world is who or what will have or use it. Will it be everyone or just a select few? Will it be accepted and commonplace or feared and outlawed? Will it be part of the inhabitants themselves?
Who uses or possesses magic in your world will greatly affect your plot and characterization. If magic is limited to a select few (Harry Potter) how will the rest of the world respond? Will a magic user be ostracized or persecuted? Consider the opposite extreme. In the first Xanth book, Bink was exiled for not possessing a magical talent. Your world can hold either view or be anywhere in between. The Harry Potter series is actually a mix of the two: in the "real" world, few hold magical talents and those talents are kept secret, but in the magical community, those who are born without magic are treated with pity and/or contempt.
Most fantasy stories limit the magic available to the characters for a very important reason: conflict. If everyone possesses unlimited magic then where is the potential for conflict? If a wizard can blast all of his enemies into dust at the first sign of trouble then it becomes next to impossible to build tension. The wizard (good or bad) needs the potential to lose or the suspense is lost.
Consistency is a major concern when developing magical systems. If Wizard Ickabette suddenly remembers on page 400 that she can annihilate her enemies with a thought then the world you've created loses its believability.
Many writers mistake consistency with inflexibility and feel there's no room for growth or change. This isn't true. A character that on page 3 has problems lighting a candle can still incinerate an entire city on page 300 IF the story supports that change by giving the reader the impression that the character is growing in power and ability. At no time should a character's abilities miraculously change to solve the story's final conflict.
In Lois Bujold's Curse of Chalion the main character does perform a miracle, but Bujold has built her world around the five god/goddesses and their history of granting their chosen few miraculous powers. The story builds masterfully to this conclusion and the reader isn't left feeling that the writer "cheated".
Source:
Where the magic in your world comes from can be vitally important. It can be a universal power (the Force), God/deity given (myths from around the world often use this form), nature based (Tolkien's elves), or life force derived (Holly Lisle's Secret Text Trilogy is an excellent example).
Technique:
If your wizards, mages or sorceresses need special ingredients and herbs to work their magic then where will they find these ingredients? If magic is openly used can they find what they need in shops and in the market? If magic is feared or outlawed what lengths will they have to go to in order to obtain the required components?
Katherine Kurtz uses ritual magic in her Deryni series with the Catholic church as her inspiration. The amount of detail you use to show your reader how the magic works in your world will depend on your style of writing. Kurtz builds tension slowly and a good deal of the conflict in the first trilogy takes place within the characters and not externally. While Tolkien also moves the Lord of the Rings trilogy at a slower pace than some fantasy novels, he does not spend a lot of time explaining how his wizards use their power. Occasionally there are words spoken (ie: Gandalf on the bridge opposing the balrog) but often the magic is as simple as a wave of a staff.
Power:
The amount of power a wizard possesses will depend a great deal on the plot of your story and your wizard's role in that plot. Many stories favor puberty as being the moment of 'awakening' for magical talents or a time of extreme growth in talent. The reason for this is the inability of a young child or baby to understand the consequences of their actions (This is the reason we don't give pre-teens the right to drive cars in our own world).
No matter how your characters use their magic or how it interacts with other creatures and forces, it needs to follow a set of rules. Consistency is invaluable in the magical universe. Without that, magic becomes the miracle elixir that rives wounded plots and rescues poorly developed worlds.
Patricia Wrede has an excellent list of questions to consider when building your world and deciding how magic will work in your story. The list of questions is quite extensive but you do not have to answer every single one before beginning your story. The questions are there to guide and inspire
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