Ece Project

SECURITY SYSTEM USING RFID A PROJECT REPORT Submitted by ANISH ANTONY (080107117005) JISU JOHN ISAC (080107117039) KRISHNA PRABHA R(080107117055) KUNAL BHARDWAJ (080107117056) In partial fulfilment for the award of the degree of BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING in ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING PARK COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TEKHNOLOGY, KANIYUR, COIMBATORE-641659. ANNA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY COIMBATORE 641 047 APRIL 2012 ANNA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY COIMBATORE-641047 BONAFIDE CERTIFICATECertified that this project report â€Å"SECURITY SYSTEM USING RFID† is the bonafide work of â€Å"ANISH ANTONY, JISU JOHN ISAC, KRISHNA PRABHA R, KUNAL BHARDWAJ† who carried out the project work under my supervision. SIGNATURESIGNATURE Mr. MARIA ANTONY M. E Mrs. K. MUTHULAKSHMI. M. E. (PhD) SUPERVISOR HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT Department of Electronics and Department of Electronics andCommunication Engineering, Communication Engineering, Park College of Engineering Park College of En gineering and Technology, and Technology, Coimbatore – 641659. Coimbatore – 641659. INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINER CONTENTS CHAPTER TITLE PAGE NO ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION 2. OBJECTIVE 3. SYSTEM ANALYSIS 3. 1 Existing System 3. Proposed System 4. SYSTEM SPECIFICATION 4. 1Hardware requirements 4. 2 Software requirements 5. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION 5. 1 Software description 5. 2 Hardware description 6. BLOCK DIAGRAM 6. 1 block diagram description 7. MERITS 8. CONCLUSION 9. REFERENCES ABSTRACT RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is the quintessential pervasive computing technology. The heart of the utility is that RFID makes gathering information about physical objects easy.Information about RFID tagged objects can be read through physical barriers, and from a distance. Our project utilized these RFID tags to improve the security system of a building by introducing a system that could read the RFID tagged smart cards that are placed in proximity to an antenna. Our project comes with option of finger print system, GSM system and camera system attached with the main RFID system. This help in making the security full proof and reduce the possibility of breaches. RFID devices have three primary elements: a chip, an antenna, and a reader.A fourth important part of any RFID system is the database where information about tagged smart card is stored. For wireless data transmission and networking between sensor nodes, the project uses ZigBee modules. The modules require minimal power and provide reliable delivery of data between devices with efficient security measures. This project is implemented in real time system. INTRODUCTION The major problem faced by organizations in security breach is related with doors without proper security system on them for their protection. Our project is going to solve these problems by using RFID technology.For wireless data transmission between tag and sensor nodes, the project uses ZigBee modules. Radio Frequency Identifica tion (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. So the RFID is a wireless identification. Normally the RFID system comprises of two main parts: RFID Reader and RFID Tag. RFID Reader is an integrated or passive network which is used to interrogate information from RFID tag (contains antennas to enable them to receive and respond to radiofrequency queries from an RFID transceiver).The RFID Reader may consist of antenna, filters, modulator, demodulator, coupler and a micro processor. We try to enhance the security up to a very effective level so that there are minimum possibilities in the security breach. For this purpose we are introducing a multilevel security system which consists of finger print impression, camera and GSM module along with RFID system. The system also creates a log containing check-in and check-out of each user along with basic information of user. OBJECTIVEThe aim of the project is to design a system that have a small coverage area and can be use for authentication or identification purposes. â€Å"Security System Using RFID† is a system that uses RFID technology to maintain the security of the different rooms in same structure which can be monitored on real-time bases using the Database server (PC). This system prevents unauthorized entry in rooms. For this purpose we are introducing a multilevel security system which consists of finger print impression, camera and GSM module along with RFID system. This ensures the reliability of the system and makes it difficult to breach.SYSTEM ANALYSIS EXISTING SYSTEM In the existing system, Information is sent to and read from RFID tags by a reader using radio waves. In passive systems, which are the most common, an RFID reader transmits an energy field that â€Å"wakes up† the tag and provides the power for the tag to respond to the reader. Data collected from tags is then passed through co mmunication interfaces (cable or wireless) to host computer systems in the same manner that data scanned from bar code labels is captured and passed to computer systems for interpretation, storage, and action.The drawback in this system is the lack of security option available for the user. One can easily use others RFID tag to gain access in the desired place without their prior knowledge. This breach cannot be easily accounted as there is no record other then the RFID tag used which can mislead to undesirable situation. PROPOSED SYSTEM This system is of new kind in which finger print recognition system along with GSM and camera is newly added. In this system RFID along with ZigBee, microcontroller, biometric system, GSM, amplifier circuit, power supply, camera and database server (PC) is used.Different circuits work together to form an unreachable system so that the security can be enhanced to the maximum level possible. When RFID tag is sensed by the RFID receiver and finger prin t impression is given, the camera is activated which clicks the image of the user trying to access the system. This information is stored in the database along with time and date when the system was accessed and the GSM technology used in the system make sure that the concerned authority is notified about the activation of the system along with result. SYSTEM SPECIFICATION HARDWARE REQUIREMENTSMODULESCOMPONENTNAME OF THE IC Power supplyVoltage RegulatorsLM7805, L7812, MC7912 Miscellaneous componentRS23225 PIN PORT CameraUSB Type Biometric scanner Optical Processing unitPIC ControllerPIC16F877A Data TransmissionDual Driver/ReceiverMAX 232 RFID Zigbee TransceiverX-BEE GSM Modem- SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS Visual basics 6. 0 (Front end Design) Mikro basic SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION Visual Basic (VB) is the third-generation event-driven programming language and integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft for its COM programming model. Visual Basic is relatively easy to learn and use.Vi sual Basic was derived from BASIC and enables the rapid application development (RAD) of graphical user interface (GUI) applications, access to databases using Data Access Objects, Remote Data Objects, or ActiveX Data Objects, and creation of ActiveX controls and objects. Scripting languages such as VBA and VBScript are syntactically similar to Visual Basic, but perform differently. A programmer can put together an application using the components provided with Visual Basic itself. Programs written in Visual Basic can also use the Windows API, but doing so requires external function declarations.Visual basic is used to provide a simple interface about the program between user and system software. This is also used for storing the data and act as database for the system. MIKRO BASIC MikroBasic is a powerful, feature rich development tool for PIC microcontrollers. It is designed to provide the customer with the easiest possible solution for developing applications for embedded systems , without compromising performance or control. Highly advanced IDE, broad set of hardware libraries, comprehensive documentation, and plenty of ready to run example programs should be more than enough to get you started in programming microcontrollers.FEATURES MikroBasic allows you to quickly develop and deploy complex applications: †¢Write your BASIC source code using the built-in Code Editor (Code and Parameter Assistants, Syntax Highlighting, Auto Correct, Code Templates, and more†¦) †¢Use the included mikroBasic libraries to dramatically speed up the development: data acquisition, memory, displays, conversions, communications†¦ Practically all P12, P16, and P18 chips are supported. †¢Monitor your program structure, variables, and functions in the Code Explorer. Generate commented, human-readable assembly, and standard HEX compatible with all programmers. †¢Inspect program flow and debug executable logic with the integrated Debugger. †¢Get detai led reports and graphs: RAM and ROM map, code statistics, assembly listing, calling tree, and more†¦ †¢We have provided plenty of examples for you to expand, develop, and use as building bricks in your projects. Copy them entirely if you deem fit – that’s why we included them with the compiler. HARDWARE DESCRIPTION RFID TAGS Tags also sometimes are called â€Å"transponders†. RFID tags can come in many forms and sizes.Some can be as small as a grain of rice. Data is stored in the IC and transmitted through the antenna to a reader. The two commonly used RFID Transponders [2] are Active (that do contain an internal battery power source that powers the tags chip) and passive (that does not have an internal power source, but are externally powered typical from the reader) RFID Transponders. RFID READER A reader (now more typically referred to as an RFID interrogator) is basically a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and receiver, controlled by a microprocess or or digital signal processor.The reader, using an attached antenna, captures data from tags, then passes the data to a computer for processing. The reader decodes the data encoded in the tag(s) integrated circuit (silicon chip) and the data is passed to the host computer for processing. WORKING OF RFID Information is sent to and read from RFID tags by a reader using radio waves. In passive systems, which are the most common, an RFID reader transmits an energy field that â€Å"wakes up† the tag and provides the power for the tag to respond to the reader.Data collected from tags is then passed through communication interfaces (cable or wireless) to host computer systems in the same manner that data scanned from bar code labels is captured and passed to computer systems for interpretation, storage, and action. FREQUENCIES OF RFID RFID deployments tend to use unlicensed frequencies for their obvious cost benefits. There are four commonly used frequencies: †¢ Low frequency (LF) 125/134. 2 KHz. †¢ High frequency (HF) 13. 56 MHz. †¢ Ultra high frequency (UHF) (including 869 and 915 MHz). Microwave (at 2450 MHz, a band familiar to ISPs). A tag's read range performance is usually considered the primary gauge of its suitability for a particular application. It is important to remember that not all applications require maximum range. Tags in the LF-HF band have a range of 1 to 18 inches, while passive UHF tags can reach up to 20 feet, and microwave tags can reach 1 to 6 feet. The ranges greatly depend upon the surface on which the tag is mounted. BLOCK DIAGRAM BIOMETRIC SYSTEM In today’s world, the need for effective security is evident.Without effective security, many everyday activities are compromised. Specific security concerns include: †¢Protecting computer systems, PDAs, mobile phones, Internet appliances and similar devices from unauthorized access or use †¢Protecting motor vehicles and other valuable items from unauthorize d access or use preventing theft and fraud in financial transactions, in particular electronic transactions, including credit card payments and payments via the Internet. †¢ Restricting access to workplaces, warehouses and secures areas, such as military installations, to authorized personnel. Screening access to public transportation, in particular air travel. †¢ Authenticating the identity of an individual in drivers’ licenses, health cards, ID cards, and similar administrative documents. A major factor in ensuring security is the unique identification of individuals, or the authentication that a person is who he or she claims to be. This must be done reliably, rapidly, non-intrusively and at reasonable cost. In the past, this has been done by methods such as security tokens (passports, badges, etc. ), secure knowledge (passwords PIN codes, signature, etc. or recognition by a guardian (doorkeeper). These traditional approaches are all limited with respect to the a bove criteria. A promising approach for the future is biometrics. Biometrics offers a convenient, reliable and low-cost means of identifying or authenticating individuals, and can be implemented in unsupervised and remote situations. Biometrics seeks to identify individuals uniquely by measuring certain physical and behavioural characteristics and extracting a sample (also called a sampled template or live template) from these measurements in a standard data format.This sample is compared with a template (also called an enrolled template or signature), based on the same characteristics, that has been established as the unique identity of that individual and stored in the security system. A close match between sample and template confirms the identity of the individual. Attention has been focused on a small number of physical characteristics that can identify individuals uniquely, notably voice, gait, face, iris and retina patterns, palm prints and fingerprints. (DNA is excluded from this list because DNA sampling is intrusive and slow. Work is proceeding to develop electronic recognition systems based on all of these. This article focuses on fingerprints as the most advanced, mature and well-developed option. Based on centuries of experience and extensive research, fingerprints are at present considered to be the most reliable biometric for uniquely identifying an individual. In spite of some recent legal challenges in the USA, they are still regarded as giving proof of identity beyond reasonable doubt in almost all cases. The majority of the biometric-based security systems in operation today are based on fingerprint recognition.Thumb Impression FINGERCHIP TECHNOLOGY Finger Chip IC for fingerprint image capture combines detection and data conversion circuitry in a single rectangular CMOS die. It captures the image of a fingerprint as the finger is swept vertically over the sensor window. It requires no external heat, light or radio source. FINGERCHIP SENSOR T he Finger Chip sensor comprises an array of 8 rows by 280 columns, giving 2240 temperature-sensitive pixels. An additional dummy column is used for calibration and frame identification. The pixel pitch of 50 _m by 50 _m provides a resolution of 500 dpi over an image zone of 0. mm by 14 mm. This is adequate to capture a frame of the central portion of a fingerprint at an acceptable image resolution. This resolution also complies with the Image Quality Specification (IQS) from the IAFIS (Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System) of the U. S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The pixel clock is programmable at up to 2 MHz, giving an output of 1780 frames per second. This is more than adequate for a typical sweeping velocity. An image of the entire fingerprint is re-constructed from successive frames using software provided. Biometric sensor ZIGBEEZigBee is a low-cost, low-power, wireless mesh network standard. The low cost allows the technology to be widely deployed in wireless control and monitoring applications. Low power-usage allows longer life with smaller batteries. Mesh networking provides high reliability and more extensive range. The technology is intended to be simpler and less expensive than other WPANs such as Bluetooth. ZigBee chip vendors typically sell integrated radios and microcontrollers with between 60 KB and 256 KB flash memory. ZigBee operates in the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio bands; 868 MHz in Europe, 915 MHz in the USA and Australia, and 2. GHz in most jurisdictions worldwide. Data transmission rates vary from 20 to 250 kilobits/second. The ZigBee network layer natively supports both star and tree typical networks, and generic mesh networks. Every network must have one coordinator device, tasked with its creation, the control of its parameters and basic maintenance. Within star networks, the coordinator must be the central node. Both trees and meshes allow the use of ZigBee routers to extend communicat ion at the network level. ZIGBEE STACK ZigBee builds upon the physical layer and medium access control defined in IEEE standard 802. 5. 4 (2003 version) for low-rate WPAN's. The specification goes on to complete the standard by adding four main components: network layer, application layer, ZigBee device objects (ZDO's) and manufacturer-defined application objects which allow for customization and favour total integration. Besides adding two high-level network layers to the underlying structure, the most significant improvement is the introduction of ZDO's. These are responsible for a number of tasks, which include keeping of device roles, management of requests to join a network, device discovery and security.ZigBee is not intended to support power line networking but to interface with it at least for smart metering and smart appliance purposes. Because ZigBee nodes can go from sleep to active mode in 30msec or less, the latency can be low and devices can be responsive, particularly compared to Bluetooth wake-up delays, which are typically around three seconds. Because ZigBee nodes can sleep most of the time, average power consumption can be low, resulting in long battery life. PIC MICRO CONTROLLER FEATURES OF PIC (16F877A) †¢High-performance RISC CPU †¢Only 35 single word instructions to learn Direct, indirect and relative addressing modes †¢Power-on Reset (POR) †¢Power-up Timer (PWRT) and †¢Oscillator Start-up Timer (OST) †¢Programmable code-protection †¢Low-power, high-speed CMOS FLASH/EEPROM technology †¢In-Circuit Debugging via two pins †¢Single 5V In-Circuit Serial Programming capability †¢Wide operating voltage range: 2. 0V to 5. 5V †¢Commercial and Industrial temperature ranges †¢Low-power consumption. PIC micro controller-16F877A High-performance RISC CPU: †¢Only 35 single–word instruction to learn Operating speed: †¢DC-20MHz clock input †¢DC-200ns instruction cyclePerip heral features: †¢Universal synchronous asynchronous receiver transmitter (USAT/SCI) with 9-bit address deduction. †¢Parallel slave port (PSP)-8 bits wide with external RD, WR and CS controls. PIN DETAIL FOR MICROCONTROLLER Analog features: †¢10-bit, up to 8-channel analog –to- digital converter (A/D) †¢Analog Comparator module with two analog comparators †¢Programmable on – chip voltage reference (VREF) module †¢Programmable input multiplexing from device inputs and internal voltage reference †¢Comparator outputs are externally accessible Special Micro controller Features: 100,000 erase/write cycle Enhanced Flash program memory typical †¢1,000,000 erase/write cycle Data EEPROM memory typical †¢Data EEPROM Retention > 40 years †¢Self-reprogram able under software control †¢Single-supply 5v In-Circuit Serial Programming Tm (ICSPTm) Via two pins †¢Watching Timer (WDT) with its own on-chip RC oscillator for relia ble operation †¢Programmable code protection †¢Power saving Sleep mode †¢Selectable oscillator options In-Circuit Debug (ICD) via two pins CMOS Technology: †¢Low power, high-speed Flash/EEPROM technology †¢Wide operating voltage range (2. 0v to 5. 5v) RS 232PC in general cannot directly communicate with peripherals that are available. The reason behind this is the difference in their working logic. PC generally works in positive logic. The microcontroller that actually acts as the peripheral here works in negative logic. It becomes important to change the logic between them when they communicate with each other. RS232 is very important for standard serial interfacing with PC where change of logic is achieved. PC communicates with peripherals through serial com1 or com2, which communicates the data in terms of pulse form as follows. GSM MODULERFID security system is based on GSM network technology for transmission of SMS from sender to receiver. SMS sending a nd receiving is used for ubiquitous access of information and allowing breach control at secured area. The system provide a sub-systems which gives us a control subsystem that enables the user to control area security remotely whereas the security alert subsystem provides the remote security monitoring. The main aspect of the security alert is to achieve detection on intrusion in the system and allow an automatic generation of SMS thus alerting the user against security risk.PC: This unit contains the software components such as the server and security System through which the area security can be controlled and monitored. GSM Modem: It is a hardware component that allows the capability to send and receive SMS to and from the system. The communication with the system takes place via RS232 serial port. Cell phone can be attached at the place of GSM hardware but it limits the hardware functionality such as sending or receiving of SMS. Mobile Device: Cellular phone containing SIM card has a specific number through which communication takes place.The device communicates with the GSM Modem via radio frequency. Mobile user transmits SMS using GSM technology. GSM Modem: GSM modem is a plug and play device and is attached to the PC which then communicates with the PC via RS232 port. GSM modem is a bridge responsible for enabling/ disabling of SMS capability. Cell Phone: Mobile device communicates with the GSM Modem via radio waves. The mode of communication is wireless and mechanism works on the GSM technology. Cell phone has a SIM card and a GSM subscription. This cell phone number is configured on the system.User transmits instructions via SMS and the system takes action against those instructions. WORKING OF GSM MODULE GSM hardware tests are run in order to check the hardware support. The system will call GSM modem and it will get activated. After activation the Modem will check for hardware support. If the hardware is missing or some other hardware problem there w ill be error, resulting in communication failure and the application will be terminated. If hardware responds then the serial port will be opened for communication and GSM hardware will allow transmission of SMS.The system will then connect and after connection establishment the system will be able to detect intrusion and will alert user about the breach and similarly the system will update status of appliances by receiving SMS from the pre-defined cell number. SMS will be silently ignored if cell number is unauthorized. The system uses GSM technology thus providing ubiquitous access to the system for security and automated appliance control. Therefore this paper proposes a system that allows user to be control and provide security on detection of intrusion via SMS using GSM technology.POWER SUPPLY Power supply is the basic unit that provides corresponding operating voltage to each circuit. In this 12V power supply is used in the project. 7805 represents the IC which works on the op erating voltage of +5V. 7905 represents the IC works on the operating voltage of -5V. 7812 represents the IC which works on the operating voltage of +12V. 7912 represents the IC works on the operating voltage of -12V. BLOCK DIAGRAM Power supply unit consists of following units i) Step down transformer ii) Rectifier unit iii) Input filter iv) Regulator unit v) Output filter STEPDOWN TRANSFORMERUsing step down uses it to step down the main supply voltage transformer. It consists of primary and secondary coils. The output from the Secondary coil is also AC waveforms we have to convert AC voltage into DC voltage by using Rectifier Unit. RECTIFIER UNIT We have to convert AC voltage into DC voltage by using rectifier. Bridge Rectifier is used to convert into DC voltage. This output voltage of the rectifier is in rippled forms we have to remove the ripples from DC voltage. INPUT FILTER Capacitor acts as filter. The principle of the capacitor is charging and discharging.It charges in positi ve half cycle of the AC voltage and it will Discharge in negative half cycles, it allows only AC voltage and doesn’t allow the DC voltage. This filter is fixed before the regulator. REGULATOR UNIT Regulator regulates the output voltage constant depends upon the regulator. it classifieds as follows i) Positive regulator 1—> input pin 2—> ground pin 3—> output pin It regulates the positive voltage. ii) Negative regulator 1—> ground pin 2—> input pin 3—> output pin It regulates the negative voltage. OUTPUT FILTER Capacitor acts as filter.The principle of the capacitor is charging and Discharging. it charges in positive half cycle of the AC voltage and it will Discharge in negative half cycles, it allows only AC voltage and doesn’t allow the DC voltage. This fiter is fixed after the regulator. MERITS It is an advanced technology used for security purpose The main advantage is that its easy to use Comparing to all other technology i t has high memory capacity The size of the RFID is small, therefore its compact CONCLUSION AND FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION RFID is one of the best technology used for barcode system , tags and transfer information.RFID adorns the management with a new idea and usher for a bright future. In the near future the RFID tag system will be replaced with NFC(near field communication) because of its high sensitivity Due to its customizable feature and continuing improvement the library communities are beginning to get involved in its development REFERENCES www. microchip. com www. dallas. com www. gsmfavorites. com http://www. shepherdcentre. com. au/ www. myprojects. com SECURITY SYSTEM USING RFID A PROJECT REPORT Submitted by ANISH ANTONY (080107117005) JISU JOHN ISAC (080107117039)KRISHNA PRABHA R(080107117055) KUNAL BHARDWAJ (080107117056) In partial fulfilment for the award of the degree of BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING in ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING PARK COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TE KHNOLOGY, KANIYUR, COIMBATORE-641659. ANNA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY COIMBATORE 641 047 APRIL 2012 ANNA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY COIMBATORE-641047 BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE Certified that this project report â€Å"SECURITY SYSTEM USING RFID† is the bonafide work of â€Å"ANISH ANTONY, JISU JOHN ISAC, KRISHNA PRABHA R, KUNAL BHARDWAJ† who carried out the project work under my supervision.SIGNATURESIGNATURE Mr. MARIA ANTONY M. E Mrs. K. MUTHULAKSHMI. M. E. (PhD) SUPERVISOR HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT Department of Electronics and Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Communication Engineering, Park College of Engineering Park College of Engineering and Technology, and Technology, Coimbatore – 641659. Coimbatore – 641659. INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINERCONTENTS CHAPTER TITLE PAGE NO ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION 2. OBJECTIVE 3. SYSTEM ANALYSIS 3. 1 Existing System 3. 2 Proposed System 4. SYSTEM SPECIFICATION 4. 1Hardware requirements 4. 2 Software req uirements 5. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION 5. 1 Software description 5. Hardware description 6. BLOCK DIAGRAM 6. 1 block diagram description 7. MERITS 8. CONCLUSION 9. REFERENCES ABSTRACT RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is the quintessential pervasive computing technology. The heart of the utility is that RFID makes gathering information about physical objects easy. Information about RFID tagged objects can be read through physical barriers, and from a distance. Our project utilized these RFID tags to improve the security system of a building by introducing a system that could read the RFID tagged smart cards that are placed in proximity to an antenna.Our project comes with option of finger print system, GSM system and camera system attached with the main RFID system. This help in making the security full proof and reduce the possibility of breaches. RFID devices have three primary elements: a chip, an antenna, and a reader. A fourth important part of any RFID system is the database wher e information about tagged smart card is stored. For wireless data transmission and networking between sensor nodes, the project uses ZigBee modules. The modules require minimal power and provide reliable delivery of data between devices with efficient security measures.This project is implemented in real time system. INTRODUCTION The major problem faced by organizations in security breach is related with doors without proper security system on them for their protection. Our project is going to solve these problems by using RFID technology. For wireless data transmission between tag and sensor nodes, the project uses ZigBee modules. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders.So the RFID is a wireless identification. Normally the RFID system comprises of two main parts: RFID Reader and RFID Tag. RFID Reader is an integrated or passive network which is used to interrogate information from RFID tag (contains antennas to enable them to receive and respond to radiofrequency queries from an RFID transceiver). The RFID Reader may consist of antenna, filters, modulator, demodulator, coupler and a micro processor. We try to enhance the security up to a very effective level so that there are minimum possibilities in the security breach.For this purpose we are introducing a multilevel security system which consists of finger print impression, camera and GSM module along with RFID system. The system also creates a log containing check-in and check-out of each user along with basic information of user. OBJECTIVE The aim of the project is to design a system that have a small coverage area and can be use for authentication or identification purposes. â€Å"Security System Using RFID† is a system that uses RFID technology to maintain the security of the different rooms in same structure which can be monitored on real-time bases using the Data base server (PC).This system prevents unauthorized entry in rooms. For this purpose we are introducing a multilevel security system which consists of finger print impression, camera and GSM module along with RFID system. This ensures the reliability of the system and makes it difficult to breach. SYSTEM ANALYSIS EXISTING SYSTEM In the existing system, Information is sent to and read from RFID tags by a reader using radio waves. In passive systems, which are the most common, an RFID reader transmits an energy field that â€Å"wakes up† the tag and provides the power for the tag to respond to the reader.Data collected from tags is then passed through communication interfaces (cable or wireless) to host computer systems in the same manner that data scanned from bar code labels is captured and passed to computer systems for interpretation, storage, and action. The drawback in this system is the lack of security option available for the user. One can easily use others RFID tag to gain access in the desired place without their prior knowledge. This breach cannot be easily accounted as there is no record other then the RFID tag used which can mislead to undesirable situation.PROPOSED SYSTEM This system is of new kind in which finger print recognition system along with GSM and camera is newly added. In this system RFID along with ZigBee, microcontroller, biometric system, GSM, amplifier circuit, power supply, camera and database server (PC) is used. Different circuits work together to form an unreachable system so that the security can be enhanced to the maximum level possible. When RFID tag is sensed by the RFID receiver and finger print impression is given, the camera is activated which clicks the image of the user trying to access the system.This information is stored in the database along with time and date when the system was accessed and the GSM technology used in the system make sure that the concerned authority is notified about the activation of the sy stem along with result. SYSTEM SPECIFICATION HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS MODULESCOMPONENTNAME OF THE IC Power supplyVoltage RegulatorsLM7805, L7812, MC7912 Miscellaneous componentRS23225 PIN PORT CameraUSB Type Biometric scanner Optical Processing unitPIC ControllerPIC16F877A Data TransmissionDual Driver/ReceiverMAX 232 RFID Zigbee TransceiverX-BEE GSM Modem-SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS Visual basics 6. 0 (Front end Design) Mikro basic SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION Visual Basic (VB) is the third-generation event-driven programming language and integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft for its COM programming model. Visual Basic is relatively easy to learn and use. Visual Basic was derived from BASIC and enables the rapid application development (RAD) of graphical user interface (GUI) applications, access to databases using Data Access Objects, Remote Data Objects, or ActiveX Data Objects, and creation of ActiveX controls and objects.Scripting languages such as VBA and VBScript are syntactic ally similar to Visual Basic, but perform differently. A programmer can put together an application using the components provided with Visual Basic itself. Programs written in Visual Basic can also use the Windows API, but doing so requires external function declarations. Visual basic is used to provide a simple interface about the program between user and system software. This is also used for storing the data and act as database for the system.MIKRO BASIC MikroBasic is a powerful, feature rich development tool for PIC microcontrollers. It is designed to provide the customer with the easiest possible solution for developing applications for embedded systems, without compromising performance or control. Highly advanced IDE, broad set of hardware libraries, comprehensive documentation, and plenty of ready to run example programs should be more than enough to get you started in programming microcontrollers. FEATURESMikroBasic allows you to quickly develop and deploy complex applicatio ns: †¢Write your BASIC source code using the built-in Code Editor (Code and Parameter Assistants, Syntax Highlighting, Auto Correct, Code Templates, and more†¦) †¢Use the included mikroBasic libraries to dramatically speed up the development: data acquisition, memory, displays, conversions, communications†¦ Practically all P12, P16, and P18 chips are supported. †¢Monitor your program structure, variables, and functions in the Code Explorer. †¢Generate commented, human-readable assembly, and standard HEX compatible with all programmers. Inspect program flow and debug executable logic with the integrated Debugger. †¢Get detailed reports and graphs: RAM and ROM map, code statistics, assembly listing, calling tree, and more†¦ †¢We have provided plenty of examples for you to expand, develop, and use as building bricks in your projects. Copy them entirely if you deem fit – that’s why we included them with the compiler. HARDWARE DE SCRIPTION RFID TAGS Tags also sometimes are called â€Å"transponders†. RFID tags can come in many forms and sizes. Some can be as small as a grain of rice.Data is stored in the IC and transmitted through the antenna to a reader. The two commonly used RFID Transponders [2] are Active (that do contain an internal battery power source that powers the tags chip) and passive (that does not have an internal power source, but are externally powered typical from the reader) RFID Transponders. RFID READER A reader (now more typically referred to as an RFID interrogator) is basically a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and receiver, controlled by a microprocessor or digital signal processor.The reader, using an attached antenna, captures data from tags, then passes the data to a computer for processing. The reader decodes the data encoded in the tag(s) integrated circuit (silicon chip) and the data is passed to the host computer for processing. WORKING OF RFID Information is sent to an d read from RFID tags by a reader using radio waves. In passive systems, which are the most common, an RFID reader transmits an energy field that â€Å"wakes up† the tag and provides the power for the tag to respond to the reader.Data collected from tags is then passed through communication interfaces (cable or wireless) to host computer systems in the same manner that data scanned from bar code labels is captured and passed to computer systems for interpretation, storage, and action. FREQUENCIES OF RFID RFID deployments tend to use unlicensed frequencies for their obvious cost benefits. There are four commonly used frequencies: †¢ Low frequency (LF) 125/134. 2 KHz. †¢ High frequency (HF) 13. 56 MHz. †¢ Ultra high frequency (UHF) (including 869 and 915 MHz). †¢ Microwave (at 2450 MHz, a band familiar to ISPs).A tag's read range performance is usually considered the primary gauge of its suitability for a particular application. It is important to remember t hat not all applications require maximum range. Tags in the LF-HF band have a range of 1 to 18 inches, while passive UHF tags can reach up to 20 feet, and microwave tags can reach 1 to 6 feet. The ranges greatly depend upon the surface on which the tag is mounted. BLOCK DIAGRAM BIOMETRIC SYSTEM In today’s world, the need for effective security is evident. Without effective security, many everyday activities are compromised.Specific security concerns include: †¢Protecting computer systems, PDAs, mobile phones, Internet appliances and similar devices from unauthorized access or use †¢Protecting motor vehicles and other valuable items from unauthorized access or use preventing theft and fraud in financial transactions, in particular electronic transactions, including credit card payments and payments via the Internet. †¢ Restricting access to workplaces, warehouses and secures areas, such as military installations, to authorized personnel. †¢ Screening access to public transportation, in particular air travel. Authenticating the identity of an individual in drivers’ licenses, health cards, ID cards, and similar administrative documents. A major factor in ensuring security is the unique identification of individuals, or the authentication that a person is who he or she claims to be. This must be done reliably, rapidly, non-intrusively and at reasonable cost. In the past, this has been done by methods such as security tokens (passports, badges, etc. ), secure knowledge (passwords PIN codes, signature, etc. ) or recognition by a guardian (doorkeeper). These traditional approaches are all limited with respect to the above criteria.A promising approach for the future is biometrics. Biometrics offers a convenient, reliable and low-cost means of identifying or authenticating individuals, and can be implemented in unsupervised and remote situations. Biometrics seeks to identify individuals uniquely by measuring certain physical and behav ioural characteristics and extracting a sample (also called a sampled template or live template) from these measurements in a standard data format. This sample is compared with a template (also called an enrolled template or signature), based on the same characteristics, that has been established as he unique identity of that individual and stored in the security system. A close match between sample and template confirms the identity of the individual. Attention has been focused on a small number of physical characteristics that can identify individuals uniquely, notably voice, gait, face, iris and retina patterns, palm prints and fingerprints. (DNA is excluded from this list because DNA sampling is intrusive and slow. ) Work is proceeding to develop electronic recognition systems based on all of these. This article focuses on fingerprints as the most advanced, mature and well-developed option.Based on centuries of experience and extensive research, fingerprints are at present consi dered to be the most reliable biometric for uniquely identifying an individual. In spite of some recent legal challenges in the USA, they are still regarded as giving proof of identity beyond reasonable doubt in almost all cases. The majority of the biometric-based security systems in operation today are based on fingerprint recognition. Thumb Impression FINGERCHIP TECHNOLOGY Finger Chip IC for fingerprint image capture combines detection and data conversion circuitry in a single rectangular CMOS die.It captures the image of a fingerprint as the finger is swept vertically over the sensor window. It requires no external heat, light or radio source. FINGERCHIP SENSOR The Finger Chip sensor comprises an array of 8 rows by 280 columns, giving 2240 temperature-sensitive pixels. An additional dummy column is used for calibration and frame identification. The pixel pitch of 50 _m by 50 _m provides a resolution of 500 dpi over an image zone of 0. 4 mm by 14 mm. This is adequate to capture a frame of the central portion of a fingerprint at an acceptable image resolution.This resolution also complies with the Image Quality Specification (IQS) from the IAFIS (Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System) of the U. S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The pixel clock is programmable at up to 2 MHz, giving an output of 1780 frames per second. This is more than adequate for a typical sweeping velocity. An image of the entire fingerprint is re-constructed from successive frames using software provided. Biometric sensor ZIGBEE ZigBee is a low-cost, low-power, wireless mesh network standard.The low cost allows the technology to be widely deployed in wireless control and monitoring applications. Low power-usage allows longer life with smaller batteries. Mesh networking provides high reliability and more extensive range. The technology is intended to be simpler and less expensive than other WPANs such as Bluetooth. ZigBee chip vendors typically sell integrated rad ios and microcontrollers with between 60 KB and 256 KB flash memory. ZigBee operates in the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio bands; 868 MHz in Europe, 915 MHz in the USA and Australia, and 2. GHz in most jurisdictions worldwide. Data transmission rates vary from 20 to 250 kilobits/second. The ZigBee network layer natively supports both star and tree typical networks, and generic mesh networks. Every network must have one coordinator device, tasked with its creation, the control of its parameters and basic maintenance. Within star networks, the coordinator must be the central node. Both trees and meshes allow the use of ZigBee routers to extend communication at the network level. ZIGBEE STACK ZigBee builds upon the physical layer and medium access control defined in IEEE standard 802. 5. 4 (2003 version) for low-rate WPAN's. The specification goes on to complete the standard by adding four main components: network layer, application layer, ZigBee device objects (ZDO's) and manufacturer-defined application objects which allow for customization and favour total integration. Besides adding two high-level network layers to the underlying structure, the most significant improvement is the introduction of ZDO's. These are responsible for a number of tasks, which include keeping of device roles, management of requests to join a network, device discovery and security.ZigBee is not intended to support power line networking but to interface with it at least for smart metering and smart appliance purposes. Because ZigBee nodes can go from sleep to active mode in 30msec or less, the latency can be low and devices can be responsive, particularly compared to Bluetooth wake-up delays, which are typically around three seconds. Because ZigBee nodes can sleep most of the time, average power consumption can be low, resulting in long battery life. PIC MICRO CONTROLLER FEATURES OF PIC (16F877A) †¢High-performance RISC CPU †¢Only 35 single word instructions t o learn Direct, indirect and relative addressing modes †¢Power-on Reset (POR) †¢Power-up Timer (PWRT) and †¢Oscillator Start-up Timer (OST) †¢Programmable code-protection †¢Low-power, high-speed CMOS FLASH/EEPROM technology †¢In-Circuit Debugging via two pins †¢Single 5V In-Circuit Serial Programming capability †¢Wide operating voltage range: 2. 0V to 5. 5V †¢Commercial and Industrial temperature ranges †¢Low-power consumption. PIC micro controller-16F877A High-performance RISC CPU: †¢Only 35 single–word instruction to learn Operating speed: †¢DC-20MHz clock input †¢DC-200ns instruction cyclePeripheral features: †¢Universal synchronous asynchronous receiver transmitter (USAT/SCI) with 9-bit address deduction. †¢Parallel slave port (PSP)-8 bits wide with external RD, WR and CS controls. PIN DETAIL FOR MICROCONTROLLER Analog features: †¢10-bit, up to 8-channel analog –to- digital converter (A /D) †¢Analog Comparator module with two analog comparators †¢Programmable on – chip voltage reference (VREF) module †¢Programmable input multiplexing from device inputs and internal voltage reference †¢Comparator outputs are externally accessible Special Micro controller Features: 100,000 erase/write cycle Enhanced Flash program memory typical †¢1,000,000 erase/write cycle Data EEPROM memory typical †¢Data EEPROM Retention > 40 years †¢Self-reprogram able under software control †¢Single-supply 5v In-Circuit Serial Programming Tm (ICSPTm) Via two pins †¢Watching Timer (WDT) with its own on-chip RC oscillator for reliable operation †¢Programmable code protection †¢Power saving Sleep mode †¢Selectable oscillator options In-Circuit Debug (ICD) via two pins CMOS Technology: †¢Low power, high-speed Flash/EEPROM technology †¢Wide operating voltage range (2. 0v to 5. 5v) RS 232PC in general cannot directly communic ate with peripherals that are available. The reason behind this is the difference in their working logic. PC generally works in positive logic. The microcontroller that actually acts as the peripheral here works in negative logic. It becomes important to change the logic between them when they communicate with each other. RS232 is very important for standard serial interfacing with PC where change of logic is achieved. PC communicates with peripherals through serial com1 or com2, which communicates the data in terms of pulse form as follows. GSM MODULERFID security system is based on GSM network technology for transmission of SMS from sender to receiver. SMS sending and receiving is used for ubiquitous access of information and allowing breach control at secured area. The system provide a sub-systems which gives us a control subsystem that enables the user to control area security remotely whereas the security alert subsystem provides the remote security monitoring. The main aspect of the security alert is to achieve detection on intrusion in the system and allow an automatic generation of SMS thus alerting the user against security risk.PC: This unit contains the software components such as the server and security System through which the area security can be controlled and monitored. GSM Modem: It is a hardware component that allows the capability to send and receive SMS to and from the system. The communication with the system takes place via RS232 serial port. Cell phone can be attached at the place of GSM hardware but it limits the hardware functionality such as sending or receiving of SMS. Mobile Device: Cellular phone containing SIM card has a specific number through which communication takes place.The device communicates with the GSM Modem via radio frequency. Mobile user transmits SMS using GSM technology. GSM Modem: GSM modem is a plug and play device and is attached to the PC which then communicates with the PC via RS232 port. GSM modem is a bridge responsible for enabling/ disabling of SMS capability. Cell Phone: Mobile device communicates with the GSM Modem via radio waves. The mode of communication is wireless and mechanism works on the GSM technology. Cell phone has a SIM card and a GSM subscription. This cell phone number is configured on the system.User transmits instructions via SMS and the system takes action against those instructions. WORKING OF GSM MODULE GSM hardware tests are run in order to check the hardware support. The system will call GSM modem and it will get activated. After activation the Modem will check for hardware support. If the hardware is missing or some other hardware problem there will be error, resulting in communication failure and the application will be terminated. If hardware responds then the serial port will be opened for communication and GSM hardware will allow transmission of SMS.The system will then connect and after connection establishment the system will be able to detect intrusion a nd will alert user about the breach and similarly the system will update status of appliances by receiving SMS from the pre-defined cell number. SMS will be silently ignored if cell number is unauthorized. The system uses GSM technology thus providing ubiquitous access to the system for security and automated appliance control. Therefore this paper proposes a system that allows user to be control and provide security on detection of intrusion via SMS using GSM technology.POWER SUPPLY Power supply is the basic unit that provides corresponding operating voltage to each circuit. In this 12V power supply is used in the project. 7805 represents the IC which works on the operating voltage of +5V. 7905 represents the IC works on the operating voltage of -5V. 7812 represents the IC which works on the operating voltage of +12V. 7912 represents the IC works on the operating voltage of -12V. BLOCK DIAGRAM Power supply unit consists of following units i) Step down transformer ii) Rectifier unit iii) Input filter iv) Regulator unit v) Output filter STEPDOWN TRANSFORMERUsing step down uses it to step down the main supply voltage transformer. It consists of primary and secondary coils. The output from the Secondary coil is also AC waveforms we have to convert AC voltage into DC voltage by using Rectifier Unit. RECTIFIER UNIT We have to convert AC voltage into DC voltage by using rectifier. Bridge Rectifier is used to convert into DC voltage. This output voltage of the rectifier is in rippled forms we have to remove the ripples from DC voltage. INPUT FILTER Capacitor acts as filter. The principle of the capacitor is charging and discharging.It charges in positive half cycle of the AC voltage and it will Discharge in negative half cycles, it allows only AC voltage and doesn’t allow the DC voltage. This filter is fixed before the regulator. REGULATOR UNIT Regulator regulates the output voltage constant depends upon the regulator. it classifieds as follows i) Positive reg ulator 1—> input pin 2—> ground pin 3—> output pin It regulates the positive voltage. ii) Negative regulator 1—> ground pin 2—> input pin 3—> output pin It regulates the negative voltage. OUTPUT FILTER Capacitor acts as filter.The principle of the capacitor is charging and Discharging. it charges in positive half cycle of the AC voltage and it will Discharge in negative half cycles, it allows only AC voltage and doesn’t allow the DC voltage. This fiter is fixed after the regulator. MERITS It is an advanced technology used for security purpose The main advantage is that its easy to use Comparing to all other technology it has high memory capacity The size of the RFID is small, therefore its compact CONCLUSION AND FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION RFID is one of the best technology used for barcode system , tags and transfer information.RFID adorns the management with a new idea and usher for a bright future. In the near future the RFID tag system will be replaced with NFC(near field communication) because of its high sensitivity Due to its customizable feature and continuing improvement the library communities are beginning to get involved in its development REFERENCES www. microchip. com www. dallas. com www. gsmfavorites. com http://www. shepherdcentre. com. au/ www. myprojects. com SECURITY SYSTEM USING RFID A PROJECT REPORT Submitted by ANISH ANTONY (080107117005) JISU JOHN ISAC (080107117039)KRISHNA PRABHA R(080107117055) KUNAL BHARDWAJ (080107117056) In partial fulfilment for the award of the degree of BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING in ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING PARK COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TEKHNOLOGY, KANIYUR, COIMBATORE-641659. ANNA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY COIMBATORE 641 047 APRIL 2012 ANNA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY COIMBATORE-641047 BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE Certified that this project report â€Å"SECURITY SYSTEM USING RFID† is the bonafide work of â€Å"ANISH ANTONY, JISU JOHN ISAC, KRISHNA PRABHA R, KUNAL BHARDWAJ† who carried out the project work under my supervision.SIGNATURESIGNATURE Mr. MARIA ANTONY M. E Mrs. K. MUTHULAKSHMI. M. E. (PhD) SUPERVISOR HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT Department of Electronics and Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Communication Engineering, Park College of Engineering Park College of Engineering and Technology, and Technology, Coimbatore – 641659. Coimbatore – 641659. INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINERCONTENTS CHAPTER TITLE PAGE NO ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION 2. OBJECTIVE 3. SYSTEM ANALYSIS 3. 1 Existing System 3. 2 Proposed System 4. SYSTEM SPECIFICATION 4. 1Hardware requirements 4. 2 Software requirements 5. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION 5. 1 Software description 5. Hardware description 6. BLOCK DIAGRAM 6. 1 block diagram description 7. MERITS 8. CONCLUSION 9. REFERENCES ABSTRACT RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is the quintessential pervasive computing technology. The heart of the utility is that RFID makes gatherin g information about physical objects easy. Information about RFID tagged objects can be read through physical barriers, and from a distance. Our project utilized these RFID tags to improve the security system of a building by introducing a system that could read the RFID tagged smart cards that are placed in proximity to an antenna.Our project comes with option of finger print system, GSM system and camera system attached with the main RFID system. This help in making the security full proof and reduce the possibility of breaches. RFID devices have three primary elements: a chip, an antenna, and a reader. A fourth important part of any RFID system is the database where information about tagged smart card is stored. For wireless data transmission and networking between sensor nodes, the project uses ZigBee modules. The modules require minimal power and provide reliable delivery of data between devices with efficient security measures.This project is implemented in real time system. I NTRODUCTION The major problem faced by organizations in security breach is related with doors without proper security system on them for their protection. Our project is going to solve these problems by using RFID technology. For wireless data transmission between tag and sensor nodes, the project uses ZigBee modules. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders.So the RFID is a wireless identification. Normally the RFID system comprises of two main parts: RFID Reader and RFID Tag. RFID Reader is an integrated or passive network which is used to interrogate information from RFID tag (contains antennas to enable them to receive and respond to radiofrequency queries from an RFID transceiver). The RFID Reader may consist of antenna, filters, modulator, demodulator, coupler and a micro processor. We try to enhance the security up to a very effective level so tha t there are minimum possibilities in the security breach.For this purpose we are introducing a multilevel security system which consists of finger print impression, camera and GSM module along with RFID system. The system also creates a log containing check-in and check-out of each user along with basic information of user. OBJECTIVE The aim of the project is to design a system that have a small coverage area and can be use for authentication or identification purposes. â€Å"Security System Using RFID† is a system that uses RFID technology to maintain the security of the different rooms in same structure which can be monitored on real-time bases using the Database server (PC).This system prevents unauthorized entry in rooms. For this purpose we are introducing a multilevel security system which consists of finger print impression, camera and GSM module along with RFID system. This ensures the reliability of the system and makes it difficult to breach. SYSTEM ANALYSIS EXISTIN G SYSTEM In the existing system, Information is sent to and read from RFID tags by a reader using radio waves. In passive systems, which are the most common, an RFID reader transmits an energy field that â€Å"wakes up† the tag and provides the power for the tag to respond to the reader.Data collected from tags is then passed through communication interfaces (cable or wireless) to host computer systems in the same manner that data scanned from bar code labels is captured and passed to computer systems for interpretation, storage, and action. The drawback in this system is the lack of security option available for the user. One can easily use others RFID tag to gain access in the desired place without their prior knowledge. This breach cannot be easily accounted as there is no record other then the RFID tag used which can mislead to undesirable situation.PROPOSED SYSTEM This system is of new kind in which finger print recognition system along with GSM and camera is newly added . In this system RFID along with ZigBee, microcontroller, biometric system, GSM, amplifier circuit, power supply, camera and database server (PC) is used. Different circuits work together to form an unreachable system so that the security can be enhanced to the maximum level possible. When RFID tag is sensed by the RFID receiver and finger print impression is given, the camera is activated which clicks the image of the user trying to access the system.This information is stored in the database along with time and date when the system was accessed and the GSM technology used in the system make sure that the concerned authority is notified about the activation of the system along with result. SYSTEM SPECIFICATION HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS MODULESCOMPONENTNAME OF THE IC Power supplyVoltage RegulatorsLM7805, L7812, MC7912 Miscellaneous componentRS23225 PIN PORT CameraUSB Type Biometric scanner Optical Processing unitPIC ControllerPIC16F877A Data TransmissionDual Driver/ReceiverMAX 232 RFID Zigbee TransceiverX-BEE GSM Modem-SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS Visual basics 6. 0 (Front end Design) Mikro basic SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION Visual Basic (VB) is the third-generation event-driven programming language and integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft for its COM programming model. Visual Basic is relatively easy to learn and use. Visual Basic was derived from BASIC and enables the rapid application development (RAD) of graphical user interface (GUI) applications, access to databases using Data Access Objects, Remote Data Objects, or ActiveX Data Objects, and creation of ActiveX controls and objects.Scripting languages such as VBA and VBScript are syntactically similar to Visual Basic, but perform differently. A programmer can put together an application using the components provided with Visual Basic itself. Programs written in Visual Basic can also use the Windows API, but doing so requires external function declarations. Visual basic is used to provide a simple interfa ce about the program between user and system software. This is also used for storing the data and act as database for the system.MIKRO BASIC MikroBasic is a powerful, feature rich development tool for PIC m

The Great Controversy of Newton and Leibniz

The great controversy as to who discovered the Calculus first, either Isaac Newton or Gottfried Leibniz, is indeed a sordid affair, which has sullied the arena of science. Boyer speaks the truth when he says that no invention in science or mathematics can be said to be the accomplishment of one or two persons (1959, p. 187). Newton himself admitted â€Å"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants† (qtd. in Rees 2006, p. 340). Such self-effacement is part of the magnanimity that we expect from a true genius. But did Leibniz conduct himself similarly? This, I believe, is the crux of the debate. Scientists not only stand on the shoulders of the giants of the past, but they also collaborate with each other. The very greatness of science stems from the fact that it is practiced in broad daylight. There should be no place for pride and vanity here. And yet the great controversy involves nothing but vanity. In the first instant it involved the vanities of two personalities, and then embroiled the vanities of two nations. If the accolade of the â€Å"inventor of the Calculus† must go to one among the two, I believe it must go to him who has conducted himself with most honor. And in this duel Newton emerges the winner. I first catalogue all that can be said in favor of Leibniz. He was truly a philosopher, in contrast to the scientific genius that Newton was. If we examine his philosophy we will find that it is in complete harmony with what the science of the calculus describes. He postulated a theory of â€Å"monads†, which are infinitesimal units of reality in which the microcosm contains the macrocosm. Calculus is the analysis of infinitesimals, and we are able to see in it a reflection of the Monadology. Therefore it is very likely that he came to an independent discovery. Calculus was on the verge of being discovered in any case, which the works of Huygens, Barrow and Fermat attest to. It is recorded that Leibniz began work on the Calculus in 1674, independently of Newton (?), and was the first to publish in 1684 (Stillwell 2002, p. 159). His unique approach (the dy/dx notation) demonstrates clearly his originality. And because he starts from a philosophical point of view, his analysis is more intuitive and suitable to demonstration. This is why the Leibnizean notation and approach that has become the norm. But the fact remains that Newton was the first to come a thorough formulation of the Calculus. In a note to a paper written in 1666 we find him deriving a tangent to a curve using his â€Å"method of fluxions†. In this note there is as aside that reads â€Å"This is only a special case of a general method whereby I can calculate curves and determine maxima, minima, and centers of gravity† (Boyer 1959, p. 207). This clearly indicates that Newton had come to a complete formulation. But he has no regard for the vanity of publication, being the consummate scientist that he was. In the height of the controversy Newton is reported to have said, â€Å"I have never grasped at fame among foreign nations, but I am very desirous to preserve my character for honesty† (Brewster 2004, p. 72). Calculus to Newton was merely a tool that he required to come to his universal theory of gravitation and motion, and not something that should be flouted separately. He was even reluctant to publish the revolutionary Principia, and did so only after the prodding of Edmund Halley. Leibniz, on the other hand, was eager to publish and propagate his findings. While we admit to his originality to a large extent, the conduct of Leibniz is highly suspicious in the proceedings. He makes no defense of his integrity, as Newton does, but instead seem entirely intent on pushing the evidence alone, as if defending himself in a court of law, and this makes us feel that he is hiding something. Subsequent scholarship does indeed reveal that he manipulated documents before being released. He is also found to have possessed crucial papers of Newton which he fails to admit of, which C J Gerhardt unearthed in 1849, even though he did make such an admission shortly before his death (Cajori 1898, p. 240). We must judge by circumstantial evidence, because it is all that we have at this distance. When we focus on the conduct of the two disputants, Leibniz is certainly the suspect one. There is no doubt that they both collaborated with each other. But plagiarism must be construed when any one among them fails to be completely honest and forthcoming. From this point of view the accusation falls on Leibniz, who has surely acted suspiciously. Even by his own admission he was aided by Newton’s papers, yet he failed to acknowledge his debt in time. This amounts to plagiarism. And since it is Newton that he plagiarized from, it is fair to name Newton as the inventor of the Calculus. Reference List Boyer C B. (1959). The History of the Calculus and Its Conceptual Development. Chelmsford, MA: Courier Dover Publications. Brewster D. (2004). Memoirs of the Life, Writings and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton Part 2. Whitefish MT: Kessinger Publishing. Cajori F. (1898). A History of Elementary Mathematics. London: Macmillan. Rees N. (2006). Brewer's Famous Quotations: 5000 Quotations and the Stories. New York: Sterling Publishing Company. Stillwell J. (2002). Mathematics and Its History. New York: Springer Publishing Company.   

Comparative Analysis of Two Teachers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Comparative Analysis of Two Teachers - Essay Example To begin with, this teacher, whose class was supposed to start after our lunch period, always started her class not on time, but 30 minutes early. Meaning that rather than having an hour to rest between classes, on the days that I had this particular science class, my classmates and I ended up wolfing down our lunches and running to class, sometimes while still chewing, in order not to miss the start of the session. I hated the days when I had this class specifically for this reason. It was bad enough that all she did was have us draw diagrams and jot down notes as she wrote it on the board, but she oftentimes failed to accurately explain the science lesson as well. To make matters even worse, this teacher warned us that if we failed 2 short quizzes and her single long exam, we could forget the quarterly exams, fail the standard quizzes and we got an automatic fail in her class.   This was in stark contrast to my teacher in English whom we all adored because of her compassion for h er students. She knew that our class could be boring because of all the text that we had to read and understand so she developed ways to keep us interested in her class. She used role-playing activities, student oral presentations, and film viewings to her advantage. There was not a student who did not love her because she treated her students as equals rather than subordinate students. She allowed us to have an opinion and she always encouraged open discussion of the class topic. She never said a student had a wrong answer.

Visual Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Visual Literacy - Essay Example Despite the high level of novelty of newly emerging media like Youtube, which first appeared in 2005, it cannot be denied that its characteristics still follow the pattern of older forms of motion picture technology. Media, indeed was to some extent, merely renewed or reintroduced in familiar forms (Peters as cited in Snelson & Ross, 2009, p. 2). Thus, as the authors assert, online videos found on the Web like those from Youtube, are undeniably part of the ever-changing educational motion picture technologies or in simple terms, Virtual Learning. Virtual learning particularly permeated the education sector mainly through sites and channels such as Youtube â„ ¢ EDU, a central hub for videos featuring the collaboration of leading colleges and universities. Moreover, other sites like SciVee--site containing video and audio for a community of scientists--and Teachertube--designed for K12 students--exist to specially cater academic institutions. In the midst of these arising motion picture technologies in the academe, the authors found it useful to demonstrate how such technologies aid in the learning process of users. Firstly, motion picture technologies provided teachers a ‘dynamic representational format’ that enabled them to bring the world closer to their students. As Thomas Edison (as cited in Snelson & Ross, 2009, p. 4) puts it, it is similar to taking the object before the student or taking the student to the object. Second, it sparks excitement among students in the classroom setting, bridging the gap of abstract ideas to reality (Amsden as cited in Snelson & Ross, 2009, p. 5). Thirdly, since videos have the ability to capture and preserve the past, they become the key archives of significant historical events. Next, as the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (as cited in Snelson & Ross, 2009, p. 6) puts it, film captures what are considered to be too slow or too fast to be caught by the human eye. Fifth, with the

Evidence based nursing coaching style management Article

Evidence based nursing coaching style management - Article Example This inadvertently has a number of employment policy implications. Replacing and recruiting people to make up for the older nurses who are near retirement age is infact a very significant problem for the health sector. Nursing itself is comprised of several smaller sub-divisons and there is much evidence to reveal that the ratio of the nursing work force is not equally divided within these sub groups. Careful analysis reveals that prison services, the armed forces, local authorities, occupational health nursing and emergency health services are some of the divisons that do not suffer from a shortfall with respect to the workforce number. Interestingly nursing homes for the elderly are increasingly being seen as having fewer and fewer trained nurse practitioners and in many cases even trained personnel. The reason for this anomalous distribution remains largely unclear and it is a problem the health sector is now grappling with. The UK nursing work force in particular provides a very complete picture in this respect. (Buchan 1999). It is a problem which infact has become the subject of much research and study over the last decade. Demographics reveal that the UK population in general is ageing, and the nursing workforce in the region is no exception. It is a growing population with a greater number of elderly people, which is ensured by advances in medical practice and technology which has resulted in increased life span of the population. Consequently a growing challenge for the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK is providing adequate nursing facility for its population. The key element of effective nursing coaching in the present scenario is to develop appropriate workforce planning mechanisms that take into account the supply and demand for nursing staff. Quite evidently these should take into account the demographics (i.e the age and type) of the client population and the workforce, and aim to reach a balance of demand and supply as may be the requirement of the market. Infact it can be safely said that the continued prevalence of the shortage of nursing workforce over the past decade could be considered a result of some shortcoming the coaching style for nurses. Both as educators or as nurse practitioners we need to look at the plausible shortcoming of the present coaching style since it is obviously unable to adequately address this problem! Some of the major reasons for people taking up nursing as a career option are because of the opportunities to care for people, to gain some autonomy at the work place and also to be fairly rewarded both financially and emotionally (Irvine and Evans 1995). This has to be taken into account for future training strategies in nursing if the present shortage particularly in geriatric (old age) wards is to be addressed. Coaching styles have to focus on increasing motivation for and clearly elucidating the potential incentives of nursing in general and geriatric nursing in particular. Intervention strategies Nursing and midwifery have traditionally relied on a fairly narrow defined group of school leavers (predominantly female) for recruitment purposes. This population in general is less inclined to work with the elderly population to begin with. In addition geriatric nursing does

Dada in the world war one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Dada in the world war one - Essay Example With the future of Germany an uncertainty, many avant-garde artists, including George Ehrenfried Grosz, were inspired by the Russian Revolution and formed the Berlin Dada Club (McCloskey 45). They believed classic Marxism was the best solution to the turmoil in Germany (McCloskey 46). They thought the major social, economic, and political turmoil in Germany stemmed from the bourgeoisies oppression of the proletariat and dedicated their art to ending the war and revolutionary change. George Ehrenfried Grosz (1893-1959) was born in Berlin, Germany, and emerged as one of the leading German political artists between World War I. His artwork during the 1920s reflected the appalling conditions in Berlin that resulted from the German loss of World War I, which included: food shortages, staggering inflation, the sight of war cripples begging in the streets, rampant prostitution, and widespread violence. As the German military began to accept the loss of the war, Grosz became increasingly involved with left wing activities and publishing his revolutionarily motivated art. His sentiments were fueled by a close relationship he developed with two brothers, Weiland Herzfelde and John Herzfelde (or John Heartfield as he called himself). Grosz had met Heartfield while in the infantry and they both decided to Americanize their names as protest against the German military (George Groszs given name was Georg Gross) (McCloskey 20). The Herzfelde brothers had been influenced by th eir parents to have strong socialist views and revolutionary attitudes. Their father was a socialist writer and their mother a textile union organizer. Grosz and the Herzfelde brothers, the historian Beth Lewis pointed out, "shared a common conviction that the war was not only despicable, but that it was lost" (Lewis 42). Grosz also believed that the common soldier had an interest in not wanting the war to end. He reasoned that the accepted violence in the

STRATEGIC REVIEW OF TESCO PLC UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

STRATEGIC REVIEW OF TESCO PLC UK - Essay Example By understanding the environment in which you operate (external to your company or department), you can take advantage of the opportunities and minimize the threats. (RAPIDBI) Specifically the PEST or PESTLE analysis is a useful tool for understanding risks associated with market growth or decline, and as such the position, potential and direction for a business or organization. Political Environment: Political forces influence the legislations and government rules and regulations under which the firm operates. Every company faces political constraints in the form of antitrust laws, fair trade decisions, and tax programs, minimum usage legislations, pollution and pricing policies, administrative activities and many other actions, aimed at protecting the consumers and the local environment. In 2001, The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) introduced a Supermarkets' Code of Practice to regulate trading relationships between the four largest UK supermarkets and their suppliers. Economic Environment: Economic factors clearly indicate the nature and direction of the economy in which a firm operates. Every market is unique and consumption patterns change along with the wealth of the consumers in various market segments. For strategic planning all the economic trends at national and international levels have to be considered. Tesco makes a significant contribution to economic activity in all the places in which it operates. Every week over 400,000 staff serves over 30 million customers in 13 countries. The company has to its credit a track record of providing value for customers, creating jobs and training, providing opportunities for suppliers and regenerating deprived areas. The business relationship of Tesco is with nearly 2,000 own-brand primary suppliers in 98 countries. Social Environment: The social environment is an important factor as changes in the values, beliefs, attitudes, opinions and lifestyles in society create potential opportunities for an organization. For a company to grow, it is necessary to take advantage of societal changes. The cultural, demographic, religious, educational and ethnic conditioning of individuals in society affects the social environment. One of the most important values in which Tesco believes is to treat people how it would like to be treated. The company strives hard to achieve this by being a good employer and by playing its part in local communities. People believe that they the company can use its size and success to be a force for good. This challenge is indeed accepted by Tesco with enthusiasm and commitment. Technological Environment: Technological environment means the trends and developments in the technological field that might: improve production, create new product opportunities, and render the existing ones.

Gilamesh and Eygptian poetry Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gilamesh and Eygptian poetry - Coursework Example These attributes soften Gilgamesh and they become fast friends. Gilgamesh lives to conquer, preferably in the limelight so everyone can see his strength. As he matures throughout the story, this tendency fades as he becomes aware of the mortality of all living things. The three themes weave together to add flow to the epic poem. 3. Enkidu is the foil for Gilgamesh because he does not esteem worldly riches or favor. He does appreciate the advantages of civilization, having once been a wild man, but he does not seek for self-aggrandizement as does Gilgamesh. Where Gilgamesh is brazen, Enkidu is cautious and humble. The ultimate foil provided by Enkidu is his death in opposition to Gilgamesh’s seemingly indestructible nature. 4. Gilgamesh encounters stone scorpions and a ferryman on his quest to obtain immortality. He is also challenged to stay awake for seven days and six nights. To varying degrees, Gilgamesh fails to overcome each of these obstacles. 5. Gilgamesh’s destruction of the ferryman’s boat is typical behavior for him. He is used to just shouting and bullying to get his way. In the process, he destroys the very thing he needs to accomplish his quest. He seems like the type of character that is given to taking action before he thinks through all of the consequences of the action. 6. The gods took council against the humans they destroyed because their service no longer pleased them. Humans were created to serve the gods and do their will, but the gods were not appeased. They regretted their council after they destroyed all the living things of the earth except Utnapishtim, his wife and all the animals, gold, silver etc. Luckily one of the gods told the walls of Utnapistim’s house (not actually the human) that he should build a huge boat to hold all of these things because a flood was coming. 7. Gilgamesh fails to stay awake in paradise for six days and seven nights. He also fails to eat the magical plant that he retrieved

Service operation management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Service operation management - Assignment Example r Distribution Centre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Darwin 18 15 15 13 12 12 14 13 13 13 12 10 11 11.8 11.56 11.27 Brisbane 22 25 20 22 21 20 23 20 20 21 23 20 21 21 21.2 21.24 Sydney 48 47 49 52 53 53 55 56 58 61 63 66 68 63.2 64.24 64.89 Adelaide 36 38 39 42 38 41 42 44 45 47 47 51 52 48.4 49.08 49.5 Hobart 18 20 22 18 22 19 18 20 21 19 21 20 18 19.8 19.56 19.67 b. Demand Forecasting using Exponential Smoothing Model is shown below. Table1.3 shows the forecasting model for alpha as .2 while Table 1.4 shows the forecasting model for alpha as .4. ...    Week Number Distribution Centre    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Darwin Actual 18 15 15 13 12 12 14 13 13 13 12 10 11          Forecast 16 16.8 16.08 15.65 14.59 13.55 12.93 13.36 13.22 13.13 13.08 12.65 11.59 11.35 11.21 11.13 Brisbane Actual 22 25 20 22 21 20 23 20 20 21 23 20 21          Forecast 22.33 22.2 23.32 21.99 22 21.6 20.96 21.77 21.06 20.64 20.78 21.67 21 21 21 21 Sydney Actual 48 47 49 52 53 53 55 56 58 61 63 66 68          Forecast 48 48 47.8 48.04 48.83 49.67 50.33 51.27 52.21 53.37 54.9 56.52 58.41 62.25 64.55 65.93 Adelaide Actual 36 38 39 42 38 41 42 44 45 47 47 51 52          Forecast 37.67 37.33 37.47 37.77 38.62 38.49 39 39.6 40.48 41.38 42.51 43.4 44.92 47.75 49.45 50.47 Hobart Actual 18 20 22 18 22 19 18 20 21 19 21 20 18          Forecast 20 19.6 19.68 20.14 19.72 20.17 19.94 19.55 19.64 19.91 19.73 19.98 19.99 19.19 18.72 18.43 c. Exponential smoothing is generally preferred over moving average forecasting method because it takes into account both the actual values and the previous forecasts. Also the mean square error received in the case of exponential smoothing is generally less as compared to moving average method. Between the two moving average methods, the 5 week moving average forecasting generally proves to be more accurate than the 3 period moving average forecasting because it takes into account large historical data. Among the exponential smoothing methods, the optimal value of alpha is generally found out by minimizing the mean square error through excel solver. d. Besides past demand several other factors might come into play in forecasting future demand. These factors could range from local to global. Local factors may include current market share of SB Coffee in each distribution centre, population of each geography,

Prevention of Violence in American Society Assignment

Prevention of Violence in American Society - Assignment Example Chante seems to regret her decision. It is because she confessed to the jury that she tampered with the evidence and did not commit murder. It gets also seen that after she had pulled into her garage, she lowered the door and sat down and then began crying and apologizing to Biggs who was moaning. Therefore, even though she made a call to help herself, we see her crying and regretting her decisions and apologizing to Biggs. She also blabbed, â€Å"Lord, I’m sorry, what do I do?† (MSNBC 2). Thus, it is evident that she regretted her decisions. First, once she hit the man, she could call 911 and ask for help from the police or any ambulance in order to save. Biggs could have survived because as she drove into her garage he continued to lose some blood; hence, making it more difficult to save his life. Alternatively, she could have driven to a nearby fire station, hospital or police station instead of driving towards her garage where she could not find any help. Therefore, the only step that Chante could have taken in that situation involves the police or other parties like health officers and not involving her friends who have no idea on handling the case. In this case, she could have saved Biggs’s life and get pardon on the jury for trying to save the Biggs’s life that got lost due to excess bleeding. The today’s technology could have changed the situation. The presence of CCTV in town makes it easier to monitor what went on in a certain event. The police could have easily identified the incident and follow her before she could do anything to tamper the evidence. The CCTV will also show the footage and determine how she reacted all that time after she hit the man and determine her real intentions in the event. Thus, the jury would have heard more evidence and change the verdict in the case, and the jury could have taken less time to determine the truth of the case.

How it has reshaped the World Essay Example for Free

How it has reshaped the World Essay The history of science is marked by discoveries or inventions, great or small, which have, as a characteristic feature, refined humanity’s existing understanding of the world. Though many of these discoveries were accessible, and appealing, to those that had the knowledge and expertise to comprehend them, ever so rarely came a discovery (or invention) which redefined the world as we understood it with their remarkable scope, explanatory power, functionality or clarity. As the process of scientific discovery and technological development progressed, such moments of redefinition became genuinely rare, and it necessitated that only an invention of unparalleled accessibility could have as profound an impact on human society as, for example, the invention of the telescope or the discovery of Cartesian coordinates. The invention of the internet was one such event in the history of science. During an address in September 1999, Jeffrey Cole, (the then) Director of the Center for Communication Policy at UCLA, remarked that in 1996 â€Å"[he] discovered that television viewing among kids under the age of 14 was down for the first time in the history of television. For the first time in the 51 years of television, since 1948, kids had found something they liked as much or more than television – computers and the Internet. † (Cole, 1996, p. 1) That the interest in television had waned in itself was a startling fact. But, there are greater ramifications of this observation; the television was a source of information and entertainment, not a primary medium of communicating or doing business. It operated along regional, national and international networks, with varying accessibility. The internet, on the other hand, is expressly a global gateway (albeit with some restrictions, which we shall encounter below), characterized by the free flow of information with hitherto unknown swiftness. The ‘World Wide Web’, as the internet is sometimes called, has been an irreplaceable tool of the process of globalization, while the globalizing world has increasingly depended on the internet for faster communication, spread of information and economic transactions. The upshot here is that this mutually reinforcing dynamic has had a deep and lasting effect on human society; while we have witnessed an economic and communications transformation, the emergence of a global, homogeneous culture along with a global polity and risk culture cannot be denied (Aronson, 2004). Also, partly due to the internet revolution, time and space seem to be collapsing (Harvey, 1990; Agnew, 2001). We shall continue, now, to survey these various effects that the internet has had in â€Å"reshaping† the world. II. The Internet, Culture and Our Daily Lives To assess the impact the internet has had on culture in general, and the habits and practices of our daily live in particular, we must start by making am important qualification: the rise of the internet has meant that a â€Å"digital divide† is created between those who are comfortable with using the new technology and those who are not (Aronson, p. 635). The sharing of information and ideas through virtual communities also gives rise to â€Å"smart mobs† (Rheingold, 2003), meaning that individuals now interact with institutions in novel ways. The growth of technology subjects culture to pulls in several directions. A positive aspect of the internet is that it provides an inexpensive medium of communication, allowing individuals the possibility of maintaining their familial, cultural, religious or ethnic ties across geographical spaces. Equally, however, the exposure the internet grants also develops shared affections for things such as movies, music, cuisine, etc. So, identities become increasingly cross-cutting rather than remaining segmented; global citizens today share multiple identities (Aronson, p. 635). This leads to urban cultures resembling one another, with differences between people diminishing. In our daily lives, the advent of the internet has had many penetrating effects. For instance, communication through â€Å"social utility† websites such as Facebook, a concept inconceivable in the past, has now become an everyday activity, supplanting postal mail and (even) e-mail. Things such as buying groceries and movie tickets to paying bills and looking for a new place to stay can all be done instantly through a computer with internet access. Without expending a great deal of physical effort, many routine tasks can be performed from the comfort of one’s home. The perceived benefits, or lack thereof, of these changes vary from person to person, though there is no denying the convenience of completing everyday jobs online. The impacts of internet use are even more pronounced in areas where communication was previously a challenge; a recent study shows the positive changes in the Shippagan Area in Canada by easing daily operations and improving access to required information (Selouani and Hamam, 2007). However, the use of internet technology depends a lot on context; a study based on micro-level sampling in the Pittsburgh, PA, led scholars to suggest that â€Å"[using] the Internet generally predicted better outcomes for extraverts and those with more social support – but worse outcomes for introverts and those with less support. The studies suggest that many people, especially those with good social resources, have integrated the Internet into their ordinary lives to their advantage. † (Kiesler et al. , 2002. ) This takes us back to the qualification of the digital divide we made at the beginning of this section. A cultural connotation of the same could engender a concept of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’, fueling the process of otherization between cultural perspectives. However, with the intermingling of cultures – meaning cross-cutting identities – as discussed above, such a turn of events looks unlikely in reality. III. The Internet and the Economy The biggest upshot of the internet is that it tends to promote economic growth, by way of increased trade, information on investment opportunities, expanding the range of options for consumers and providing an easy reach to products across the globe. Companies, as well as countries, that make use of the technological advantages of the internet may enjoy an â€Å"information edge as they compete and grow† (Aronson, p. 633). Locally, this means that any business can have instant global marketability, by setting up a website informing prospective customers of their products and employing an online transaction system. Globally, due in part to the proliferation of the above local phenomenon, and due also to the growing public awareness of the convenience of e-businesses, there is an increasing reliance on doing business through the internet. Over time, this inexpensive structure leads retailers and distributors to also take their businesses online. As this process intensified over the last (roughly) two decades, some sweeping expectations were fielded by analysts about the effects of the internet on specific industries in the economy. In a report published by Statistics Canada in November 2006, four key identified areas of change were analyzed: the paperless office, the end of postal mail, the demise of professional travel and the end of traditional retail. Upon surveying the facts, it was found that paper production and consumption in the world increased from 1983 to 2003, as did the volume of postal deliveries. So is the case with professional travelers and retailers in that time frame (Sciadas, 2006). This derives two important conclusions: firstly, the advent of the internet has had a great impact on the world, no doubt, but it is yet to supplant traditional means of conducting business totally; secondly, and more importantly, the changes in the economy effected by the internet shows the increase in the volume of transactions, business establishments and opportunities the world has experienced. Consumer adaptability to this new situation has also thrown up novel ideas. Online money transfer systems, such as PayPal, offer effective alternatives to traditional banking, especially for transactions online. The possibility of being cheated by fraudulent companies and retailers has spawned various kinds of consumer safety initiatives, like the Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Internet Fraud Watch. A study in 2001 showed that, among other things, internet users frequented retail stores more than non-users; they had access to a far greater range of products and services, and were more quality conscious (About. com, 2001). Importantly, the use of the internet does not guarantee an equitable distribution of growth within or among countries. In fact, global uneven development in a globalizing world is a recurrent theme in scholastic research; the gap between the rich and poorer countries has only widened after the internet revolution (Agnew, 2001), reflecting another facet of the â€Å"digital divide,† this time among countries. E-commerce may even go so far as to undermine national economic policies, while facilitating crime and corruption. Global networks, Aronson contends, are the glue which holds together transnational criminal activities, ranging from drug smuggling and weapons trafficking to the smuggling of nuclear weapons-grade material and human body parts, as well as human trafficking and money laundering (p. 635). IV. The Internet and Access to Information The internet revolution supplied a corresponding information revolution, which has meant that, on the whole, retrieving data and information on any subject is almost instantaneous. This virtual store of information, which is open to anyone interested enough to find things out, has been another great boon on the internet. Aside from the economic benefits of greater access to information, there are several socio-political benefits of such access. The distribution of public documents online has made it easier for people to use these resources and be more informed of public policies, legislations and the conduct of government. Due to this easy availability of information, the possibility of the emergence of a more aware civil society is greater than before. Individuals and groups, cutting across the political spectrum, can agitate administrations and influence decision-making precisely because they are armed with an increased access to vital information. However, some studies do suggest that this kind of political transformation still has a long way to go; though political mobilization has not grown as expected, while political balkanization has indeed risen (Cornfield and Rainie, 2006). In addition, the internet has had a huge impact on education and learning. The wealth of information online, along with the digitization of library resources, offers students the latest and most relevant information on any subject of study. Moreover, the utility of the internet in learning is valid vertically through K-12 education to graduate studies. The internet offers access to new methodologies in teaching and verbal communication in class, while for students there is a plethora of resources related to help them through their coursework, and aid preparations and strategies for tests. Students tend to use the internet to supplement their studies, using it for research, completing and submitting assignments and to find additional study materials (Machotka, Nedic and Nedic, 2002, p. 1). Of course, this increased access to information does not come without its disadvantages. Access does not equal internalization, and thus, having greater access does not mean a corresponding increase in knowledge. Gaining knowledge is a completely singular process, where the wealth of information can never be helpful without the ability to process and analyze the same. Further, the ready availability of much information, rare and treasured in earlier times, runs the danger of evaporating their value and depreciating their utility. For example, the excitement in encountering a classical text, of which libraries would carry few copies previously, is entirely lost when the same is available across the internet as a digital document. Though this enhances the possibility of a greater readership, it dramatically reduces the aura surrounding a great work. Apart from the more aesthetic perspective elaborated in the preceding paragraph the access to information also facilitates the dangers of which Aronson informs us above. Transnational crime feeds off the increasing web of information that is available, and uses the same to circumvent law enforcement agencies and employ new strategies of deception. V. The Internet and Social Interaction As briefly mentioned earlier, social communication websites (for example, Facebook, Orkut, Bebo, NetLog and many others) have redefined the way in which we keep in touch with our friends and family. These websites allow users to update personal information, upload pictures and moderate how much information they wish to make available about themselves online. These are not only popular among high-school and college-going students, but also among working professionals, providing an informal environment of communication. In fact, websites such as LinkedIn are now using similar architecture to create virtual networking portals where professionals can establish industry contacts. Craig’sList, on the other hand, is an effective tool which lists local classifieds. The global scale of such ventures is clearly evident in the increasing popularity of websites such as CouchSurfing, which allows registered users to offer or obtain free (or cheap) accommodation while traveling abroad. Another means of social interaction spawned by the internet has been the phenomenon of web-logging or â€Å"blogging† as it is more popularly known. There are literally millions of blogs on the internet, with many of them being sources of deep and insightful observation, commentary and analysis. Message boards are yet another means of communication, where individuals can anonymously socialize on the internet. With this expanding notion of social interaction, many believe that it is possible to involve and use technology strategically to bring about positive social changes. This argument is largely in view of the global civil society movement, in which the internet could be used as an effective tool for collaboration, mobilization, publishing reports and findings, and observation (Surman and Reilly, 2003). For researchers, the internet holds the key for the development of the social technology movement, and the differing views about the internet – the internet as an open network vis-a-vis the internet as a closed, commercial network – have stunted its growth. The variegated means of social interaction have also drawn detractors. Ru Guangrong, at the Chinese Information Center and Defense Science Technology, has a lengthy list of problems with the internet movement as a whole. (Though these issues pertain to all sections of discussion in this paper, we choose to highlight them here because they lead to the larger question of censorship on the internet. ) Guangrong claims that the internet: propagates Western beliefs and values; â€Å"degrades and repudiates† opposing viewpoints; can be used against national sovereignty; advocates Western lifestyles; assists â€Å"dominant cultures†; corrupts people’s minds and morals; is a waste of time and resources (1998, p. 5). As a remedy, Guangrong suggests, among others, a system of restrictive access and the moderation of available information. While this take on the World Wide Web may strike one as extreme, it does inform the reader on the climate of internet-related restrictions that prevail in the People’s Republic of China. It also poses the question of whether those in power should reserve the right of censoring information on the internet, however harmful or inappropriate they might consider the same. Indeed, there are compelling views on either side. On one hand, censorship on the internet encroaches upon the freedom of expression, a right which is universal in free societies. It makes no sense, for those sharing this view, for the internet to be censored, not least because it has no territorial underpinnings and is not governed across geographical spaces according to the laws of different countries. On the other hand, supporters of censorship argue that if there can be laws protecting consumers against internet fraud, the there could also be laws that restrict the flow of information online. The latter appears to be a paternal argument, claiming to secure internet users from unknown dangers; though it is difficult to support it, the jury is still out on the question of internet censorship. VI. Conclusion There are fears that because of the growing influence of the internet, an overwhelming commoditization of values, where one’s existence is measured in terms of possessions and acquisitions, shall tend to supplant societal values that have developed over centuries. A generalization of this, along with a rapid spread of the â€Å"demonstration effect† could mean the evaporation of cultures and cultural identities, which would only be preserved in nomenclature. However, such a view is unduly (and overly) pessimistic; it does not take the good of globalization, be it the advancement of scientific enquiry and discovery, empowerment of civil society, or greater accountability and transparency in governance. The internet, regardless of its detractors and many negative effects – as discussed above – remains a tool which carries the potential of bringing people together by making them more tolerant of different cultures and worldviews. Future generations will come to depend on the services of this great invention more heavily; indeed, there shall come a time when life without the internet would seem inconceivable. The use of internet technology has made life increasingly simpler; it is this aspect of the internet that one must focus on to contemplate the paths to the future, rather than magnifying its ill effects. References About. com. (March 12, 2001. ) Americas New Consumers: How Internet Use is Redefining the Marketplace. Retail Industry, About. com. Retrieved 28 May, 2008, from http://retailindustry. about. com/library/bl/bl_rsw0312. htm Agnew, J. (April 2001. ) The New Global Economy: Time-Space Compression, Geopolitics, and Global Uneven Development. Center for Globalization and Policy Research, School of Public Policy and Social Research, University of California at Los Angeles. Retrieved 28 May, 2008, from http://www. sppsr. ucla. edu/cgpr/docs/workingpaper3. doc Aronson, J. D. (2004. ) â€Å"Causes and Consequences of the Communications and Internet Revolution. † In Baylis, J. and Smith, S. (Eds. ). The Globalization of World Politics (3rd ed. ). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 621-644. Cole, J. (September 21st, 1999. ) Speech: How the Internet Is Changing Our Social, Political and Economic Lives. The Milken Institute Forum, 1-12. Cornfield, M. and Rainie, L. (November 5, 2006. ) â€Å"The Impact of the Internet on Politics. † Pew Internet American Life Project. Washington DC: The Pew Research Center. Guangron, R. (1998. ) â€Å"The Negative Impact of the Internet and Its Solutions. † The Chinese Defense Science and Technology Information Monthly, 121, 1-9. Harvey, D. (1990. ) â€Å"Pt. III: The Experience of Space and Time. † In The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 201-325. Kiesler, S. , Kraut, R. , Cummings, J. , Boneva, B. , Helgeson, V. , Cra