10 compelling reasons to upgrade to Windows Server 2012

Windows Server 2012 is generating a significant buzz among IT pros. Deb Shinder highlights several notable enhancements and new capabilities. 

We've had a chance to play around a bit with the release preview of Windows Server 2012. Some have been put off by the interface-formerly-known-as-Metro, but with more emphasis on Server Core and the Minimal Server Interface, the UI is unlikely to be a "make it or break it" issue for most of those who are deciding whether to upgrade. More important are the big changes and new capabilities that make Server 2012 better able to handle your network's workloads and needs. That's what has many IT pros excited.

Here are 10 reasons to give serious consideration to upgrading to Server 2012 sooner rather than later.

1: Freedom of interface choice

A Server Core installation provides security and performance advantages, but in the past, you had to make a commitment: If you installed Server Core, you were stuck in the "dark place" with only the command line as your interface. Windows Server 2012 changes all that. Now we have choices.

The truth that Microsoft realized is that the command line is great for some tasks and the graphical interface is preferable for others. Server 2012 makes the GUI a "feature" -- one that can be turned on and off at will. You do it through the Remove Roles Or Features option in Server Manager.

2: Server Manager

Speaking of Server Manager (Figure A), even many of those who dislike the new tile-based interface overall have admitted that the design's implementation in the new Server Manager is excellent.

Figure A

Server Manager

One of the nicest things about the new Server Manager is the multi-server capabilities, which makes it easy to deploy roles and features remotely to physical and virtual servers. It's easy to create a server group -- a collection of servers that can be managed together. The remote administration improvements let you provision servers without having to make an RDP connection.

3: SMB 3.0

The Server Message Block (SMB) protocol has been significantly improved in Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8. The new version of SMB supports new file server features, such as SMB transparent failover , SMB Scale Out, SMB Multichannel, SMB Direct, SMB encryption, VSS for SMB file sharing, SMB directory leasing, and SMB PowerShell. That's a lot of bang for the buck. It works beautifully with Hyper-V, so that VHD files and virtual machine configuration files can be hosted on SMB 3.0 shares. A SQL system database can be stored on an SMB share, as well, with improvements to performance. For more details about what's new in SMB 3.0, see this blog post.

4: Dynamic Access Control (DAC)

Even though some say Microsoft has shifted the focus away from security in recent years, it would be more accurate to say it has shifted the focus from separate security products to a more "baked in" approach of integrating security into every part of the operating system.

Dynamic Access Control is one such example, helping IT pros create more centralized security models for access to network resources by tagging sensitive data both manually and automatically, based on factors such as the file content or the creator. Then claims based access controls can be applied. Read more about DAC in my "First Look" article over on Windowsecurity.com.

5: Storage Spaces

Storage is a hot -- and complex -- topic in the IT world these days. Despite the idea that we're all going to be storing everything in the public cloud one day, that day is a long way off (and for many organizations concerned about security and reliability, it may never happen). There are myriad solutions for storing data on your network in a way that provides better utilization of storage resources, centralized management, and better scalability, along with security and reliability. Storage area networks (SANs) and network attached storage (NAS) do that, but they can be expensive and difficult to set up.

Storage Spaces is a new feature in Server 2012 that lets you use inexpensive hard drives to create a storage pool, which can then be divided into spaces that are used like physical disks. They can include hot standby drives and use redundancy methods such as 2- or 3-way mirroring or parity. You can add new disks any time, and a space can be larger than the physical capacity of the pool. When you add new drives, the space automatically uses the extra capacity. Read more about Storage Spaces in this MSDN blog post.

6: Hyper-V Replica

Virtualization is the name of the game in the server world these days, and Hyper-V is Microsoft's answer to VMware. Although the latter had a big head start, Microsoft's virtualization platform has been working hard at catching up, and many IT pros now believe it has surpassed its rival in many key areas. With each iteration, the Windows hypervisor gets a little better, and Hyper-V in Windows Server 2012 brings a number of new features to the table. One of the most interesting is Hyper-V Replica.

This is a replication mechanism that will be a disaster recovery godsend to SMBs that may not be able to deploy complex and costly replication solutions. It logs changes to the disks in a VM and uses compression to save on bandwidth, replicating from a primary server to a replica server. You can store multiple snapshots of a VM on the replica server and then select the one you want to use. It works with both standalone hosts and clusters in any combination (standalone to standalone, cluster to cluster, standalone to cluster or cluster to standalone). To find out more about Hyper-V replica, see this TechNet article.

7: Improvements to VDI

Windows Terminal Services has come a long way, baby, since I first met it in Windows NT TS Edition. Renamed Remote Desktop Services, it has expanded to encompass much more than the ability to RDP into the desktop of a remote machine. Microsoft offered a centralized Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution in Windows Server 2008 R2, but it was still a little rough around the edges. Significant improvements have been made in Server 2012.

You no longer need a dedicated GPU graphics card in the server to use RemoteFX, which vastly improves the quality of graphics over RDP. Instead, you can use a virtualized GPU on standard server hardware. USB over RDP is much better, and the Fair Share feature can manage how CPU, memory, disk space, and bandwidth are allocated among users to thwart bandwidth hogs. Read more about Server 2012 VDI and RDP improvements here.

8: DirectAccess without the hassle factor

DirectAccess was designed to be Microsoft's "VPN replacement," a way to create a secure connection from client to corporate network without the performance drain and with a more transparent user experience than a traditional VPN. Not only do users not have to deal with making the VPN work, but administrators get more control over the machines, with the ability to manage them even before users log in. You apply group policy using the same tools you use to manage computers physically located on the corporate network.

So why hasn't everyone been using DirectAccess with Server 2008 R2 instead of VPNs? One big obstacle was the dependency on IPv6. Plus, it couldn't be virtualized. Those obstacles are gone now. In Windows Server 2012, DirectAccess works with IPv4 without having to fool with conversion technologies, and the server running DirectAccess at the network edge can now be a Hyper-V virtual machine. The Server 2012 version of DA is also easier to configure, thanks to the new wizard.

9: ReFS

Despite the many advantages NTFS offers over early FAT file systems, it's been around since 1993, and Windows aficionados have been longing for a new file system for quite some time. Way back in 2004, we were eagerly looking forward to WinFS, but Vista disappointed us by not including it. Likewise, there was speculation early on that a new file system would be introduced with Windows 7, but it didn't happen.

Windows Server 2012 brings us our long-awaited new file system, ReFS or the Resilient File System. It supports many of the same features as NTFS, although it leaves behind some others, perhaps most notably file compression, EFS, and disk quotas. In return, ReFS gives us data verification and auto correction, and it's designed to work with Storage Spaces to create shrinkable/expandable logical storage pools. The new file system is all about maximum scalability, supporting up to 16 exabytes in practice. (This is the theoretical maximum in the NTFS specifications, but in the real world, it's limited to 16 terabytes.) ReFS supports a theoretical limit of 256 zetabytes (more than 270 billion terabytes). That allows for a lot of scaling.

10: Simplified licensing

Anyone who has worked with server licenses might say the very term "simplified licensing" is an oxymoron. But Microsoft really has listened to customers who are confused and frustrated by the complexity involved in finding the right edition and figuring out what it's really going to cost. Windows Server 2012 is offered in only four editions: Datacenter, Standard, Essentials, and Foundation. The first two are licensed per-processor plus CAL, and the latter two (for small businesses) are licensed per-server with limits on the number of user accounts (15 for Foundation and 25 for Essentials). See the chart with licensing details for each edition on the Microsoft Web site.

The 10 best … Windows Server 2012 features

Server 2008 R2 is a great operating system, while Server 2012 bears the stigma of Metro and the Windows 8 controversy. But the answer to "why care" is simple: Server 2012 is as big a leap over 2008 R2 as 2008 R2 was over 2003.

Server 2012 comes with some great new features. It also refines previous versions of Server to bring it past the "never use version 1.0" stage and up to parity, in features and stability, with competing offerings.

In short Windows Server 2012 kicks ass. Here are the top 10 reasons why.

10. IIS 8

IIS 8 brings Internet Information Services up to feature parity with the rest of the world, and surpasses it in places. More than a decade's worth of "you use Windows as your web server" jokes officially end here.

IIS 8 sports script precompilation, granular process throttling, SNI support and centralised certificate management. Add in a FTP server that finally, mercifully, doesn't suck (it even has functional login restrictions) and IIS 8 becomes worth the cost of the operating system on its own.

9. PowerShell

PowerShell 3.0 is an evolution rather than a revolution. Having more PowerShell scriptlets is not normally something I would care about. That said, the 2012 line of products marks a revolution in Microsoft's approach to server management.

Every element of the operating system and virtually every other companion server, such as SQL, Exchange or Lync, are completely manageable through PowerShell. This is so ingrained that the GUIs are just buttons that call PowerShell scripts underneath.

PowerShell should be tops on this list but to make proper use of it, your Google-fu has to be strong. The official documentation is incomplete, Bing is still worthless for searching Microsoft's web estate and the golden examples for making use of PowerShell lie in the blogs maintained by Microsoft's staff.

Once you have assembled the list of scriptlets you need – printed, laminated and guarded by a fire elemental as in days of old – you can make the 2012 stack of Microsoft software sing. Thanks to PowerShell, Microsoft is ready to take on all comers at any scale.

8. DirectAccess

DirectAccess was a neat idea but it was poorly implemented in previous versions of Windows. Server 2012 makes it easier to use, with SSL as the default configuration and IPSec as an option. The rigid dependence on IPv6 has also been removed.

DirectAccess has evolved into a reasonable, reliable and easy-to-use replacement for virtual private networks.

7. Cluster Shared Volumes

With Server 2012 Cluster Shared Volumes are officially supported for use beyond hosting virtual hard disks for Hyper-V. You may now roll your own highly available multi-node replicated storage cluster and do so with a proper fistful of best-practice documentation.

6. Deduplication

For years now, storage demand has been growing faster than hard drive density. Meeting our voracious appetite for data storage has meant more and more spindles, and more controllers, chassis, power supplies, electricity and cooling to keep those spindles spinning.

Deduplication has moved from nice to have to absolute must in recent years and Microsoft has taken notice. Server 2012 supports deduplication on NTFS volumes – though tragically it does not work with CSV – and deeply integrates it with BranchCache to save on WAN bandwidth.

5. Hyper-V 3.0

Server 2012 sees Hyper-V catch up with VMware's mainstream. While objectively I would have to say that VMware retains the feature lead at the top end, when combined with System Center 2012, Hyper-V 3.0 will cheerfully handle two-sigma worth of use cases.

Microsoft is no longer an also-ran in the virtualisation space; it is a capable and voracious predator stalking the wilds of the data centre for new prey.

Microsoft's Hyper-V Server – a free Windows Core version of Hyper-V – is feature complete. If you have a yen to dive into PowerShell then you can run a complete 64-node, 8,000 virtual machine Hyper-V cluster without paying Microsoft a dime.

It takes a very special kind of masochist to do so – Microsoft is betting you will spend the money on System Center 2012 and it is probably right. System Center 2012 is amazing, even more so with the newly launched Service Pack 1.

Microsoft's focus on PowerShell and its decision to put price pressure on VMware with Hyper-V server has opened up a market for third-party management tools such as 5Nine. These are not nearly as capable as System Center, but offer a great mid-point between free and impossible to manage and awesome but too expensive. This emerging ecosystem should see Hyper-V's market share explode.

4. Hyper-V Replica

Hyper-V Replica is a storage technology designed to continuously replicate your virtual machines across to a backup cluster. It ensures that snapshots no more than 15 minutes old of your critical virtual machines are available over any network link, including the internet.

It replicates the initial snapshot in full – after that it sends only change blocks – and it fully supports versioning of your virtual machines.

3. iSCSI

With Windows Storage Server 2008, Microsoft first made an iSCSI target available. It eventually became an optional download from Microsoft's website for Server 2008 R2 and is now finally integrated into Server 2012 as a core component.

2. NFS 4.1

Microsoft's NFS 4.1 server is good code. Designed from the ground up it is is fast, stable and reliable. It makes a great storage system for heterogenous environments and a wonderful network storage point for VMware servers.

1. SMB 3.0

SMB 3.0 is the crown jewel of Server 2012. It is far removed from its laughingstock predecessor CIFS. It supports multiple simultaneous network interfaces – including the ability to hot-plug new interfaces on the fly to increase bandwidth for large or complex transfers – and supports MPIO, thin provisioning of volumes and deduplication (assuming the underlying storage is NTFS).

SMB 3.0 also supports SMB Direct and remote direct memory access, the ability for appropriately kitted systems to move SMB data directly from one system's memory to the other, bypassing the SMB stack. This has enabled Microsoft to hit 16GBps transfer rates for SMB 3.0, a weighty gauntlet for any potential challenger to raise.

I have found Server 2012 to be worth the cost of the upgrade, even where I have the excellent Server 2008 R2 deployed. Given that I work with very limited IT budgets, that is a strong endorsement.

If you have also taken the plunge, please share your take in the comments below. ®

Java- difference between String object and user defined objects

This is a simple java program. It contains a class "Student" and we are making its two objects stud,stud1. Similarly I have also made a String object "a" whose value is "Hello".

class Student{

  int age;

  public void setAge(int age){
    this.age=age;
  }

  public int getAge(){
    return age;
  }
}


class Hello{

  public static void main(String args[]){

    Student stud= new Student();
    Student stud1= new Student();
    stud.setAge(15);
    int i=stud.getAge();
    String a=new String("Hello");
    System.out.println(stud);
    System.out.println(stud1);
    System.out.println(a);
  }

}

As we know when we create a class object, it just holds a reference values for that object.That's why when I tried to print stud and stud1 I am getting two reference values.But since "a" is an object of class String we should expect a reference value instead of value "Hello".Why its happening?

New Android Kitkat ver 4.4 .. Have A Break with your OS

For a long time we were expecting Google to announce Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie but it threw a spanner in the works and revealed 4.4 KitKat instead. It has now arrived on the Nexus 5 smartphone so here's what you need to know about the new Android version.

Android 4.4 KitKat: Release date

Various rumoured release dates for KitKat, and the Nexus 5, came and went but Google announced both on 31 October. Surprisingly, it did so without a launch event; deciding that a blog post was sufficient.

The Nexus 5 is on sale now so Android 4.4 KitKat has been released. However, if you're not planning on splashing out on a Nexus 5 then you're probably asking the question 'when will I get Android 4.4 KitKat?'. Read on to find out more.

Android 4.4 KitKat: Devices and upgrades

Details are limited at the moment so we'll update this article as and when we find out more. However, Google has given some information for Nexus owners.

Starting on 13 November Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 owners can upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat. Owners of Nexus 7 models with mobile data will get the update 'soon'. As will the Nexus 4 and Google Play editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One.

See also: Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 owners can upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat from today.

This does mean, sadly, that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has been left out of the upgrade. We believe this is down to its Texas Instruments chipset.

Sony is the first of Google's partners to announce its KitKat upgrade plans with the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1 set to get it first. However, the firm has given no timing for when the update will arrive.

See also: Sony Xperia smartphones to get Android Jelly Bean and KitKat upgrades.

Android 4.4 KitKat: New features

The update from Android 4.2 Jelly Bean to 4.3 Jelly Bean was small only bringing a handful of improvements. Android 4.4 KitKat on the other hand is loaded with new features and tweaks.

See also: Google I/O announcement roundup: Android, Google Play, Google+, Chrome and Maps.

Full-screen Immersive Mode
One of the biggest features to arrive with 4.4 KitKat is the immersive mode. Previously, the navigation buttons and status bar would take up real estate when browsing the web, reading a book or playing games.
Now, you can switch to full-screen to see more and simply swipe from the top or bottom edge of the screen to get the buttons back.
NFC
For those with NFC, Android 4.4 introduces a new, open architecture for NFC payments that works with any mobile operator. With host card emulation (HCE) means that any app on an Android device can emulate an NFC smart card. The system also lets apps manage your payment information in the cloud or on your device.
Ok Google
If you're familiar with Google Glass then you'll know saying 'Ok Glass' will activate voice control. Well the same is now true for your smartphone except you say 'Ok Google'. This will let you voice search, send a text, get directions or play a song - as long as you're on the homescreen on in Google Now.
Improved multi-tasking
Multi-tasking is pretty good in Android already but Google says it's even better in KatKat thanks to memory optimisation and "improving your touchscreen so that it responds faster and more accurately than ever before".
Low-power audio playback
Android 4.4 allows for more hours of audio playback, up to 60 hours on Nexus 5, according to Google. This is thanks to audio tunneling to a digital signal processor (DSP) in the device chipset. This means audio decoding and effects are off-loaded to the DSP, therefore waking the application processor less and using less battery.
Calls and messages
The new phone app orders your contacts based on the ones to interact with most and you can also search for contacts or nearby places in the search bar.
Caller ID has been tweaked so that if someone rings you and the number is not saved in your contacts, your phone will look for matches from businesses with a local listing on Google Maps so you know who it is.
The new Hangouts app combines all your text messages and MMS in one place with conversations and video calls.
Printing
Now you can print photos, documents, and web pages directly from your phone or tablet. You can print to any printer connected to Google Cloud Print, HP ePrint printers and others that have apps in the Google Play Store.

Google Drive
A handy new feature is the ability to save files, from apps like Quickoffice, to Google Drive (or other cloud storage providers). "And with quick access to recently used files, it's easier than ever to send the file you were just working on." said Google.
Bluetooth MAP support
Android 4.4 KitKat now supports the Message Access Profile (MAP) so cars with Bluetooth can exchange messages with your device.
Chromecast support
Google's Chromecast HDMI dongle is supported in 4.4 KitKat for wireless streaming of content such as Netflix and YouTube.
Chrome web view
Applications that embed web content now use Chrome to render web components accurately and quickly.
Device management built-in
If should lose your precious smartphone or tablet, you can find or remote wipe it with Google's Android Device Manager.
Downloads app redesign
Google has given the Downloads app a redesigned, adding a new sorting options plus list and grid views for all the files you've, er, downloaded.
Easy home screen switching
If you love customising to the extent that you have installed one or more home screen replacements, you can switch between them easily in 'Home' section of the settings menu.
Email app refresh
The Email app has also had a makeover with a new look, nested folders, contact photos and better navigation.
Full-screen wallpapers with preview
Wallpapers now display through the status bar and navigation bar. When picking a new wallpaper, you can preview what it will look like.
HDR+ photography
If you're getting the Nexus 5, its HDR+ mode snaps a burst of photos and combines them to give you the best possible single shot.

Infrared blasting
Android now supports applications for remote control of TVs and other nearby devices if you have an infrared (IR) transmitter.
Location in Quick Settings
There is now a new tile for location settings in the Quick Settings drop down menu.
Location modes and monitoring
If you make your battery last longer by constantly switching GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile data on and off then there's an easier way in KitKat. You can choose between 'high accuracy' and 'battery-saving' location modes in the settings menu. You can also see which apps have recently requested your location.
Music and movie-seeking and artwork on the lock screen
From the lock screen you can jump to a specific part of a song or video with a long press on the play or pause buttons. Artwork is now fills the lockscreen, too.
Secure app sandboxes
Application sandboxes have been hardened with Security-Enhanced Linux.
Step counting built-in
If you don't want to spend money on a fitness gadget then the Nexus 5 can act as a pedometer to count your steps. Google says updated hardware and software make this a more battery-friendly way to measure your activity.

Android Police has noted in its server logs a group of IP addresses belonging to known Google employees. All are running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, not Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie (or KitKat), on either the Google Nexus 4 smartphone or Google Nexus 7 tablet. 

Adding fuel to the rumours that Android 5.0 has been delayed, in July Gadgetronica cited "trusty internal sources" in its claim that Key Lime Pie would be another two- to four months in the oven, with Google hoping to give device manufacturers more time to roll out Jelly Bean. This would make sense, given that a major criticism of Android has always been that many devices ship with outdated operating systems and are never updated. Whether this means that Android 4.4 is a separate product to Android 5.0 remains to be seen, although because of Google's alphabetical naming system we'd expect that KitKat is what was once meant to be Key Lime Pie.

Of course, a big new software release deserves some great hardware on which to deliver it with a bang. With a Google Nexus 5 smartphone and a Google Nexus 11 tablet rumoured to be in development, it is increasingly likely that Google will use these new devices on which to peddle Android 4.4 KitKat. We suspect that these will arrive around the end of October or early November. So expect KitKat then.

Hot contenders are 14 and 31 October, when the Nexus 5 is rumoured to be announced.

Android 4.4 KitKat: Google Nexus 5

Google's Nexus 4 has been plagued with stock shortages, but this high-end smartphone with a mid-range price tag has proven incredibly popular with consumers. Rumours of a new Nexus smartphone, the Nexus 5, have been doing the rounds for a while now, with LG once again expected to manufacture the device.

Rumoured specifications include a 5- or 5.2in full-HD screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz, and 3GB of RAM. Either 16-, 32- or 64GB of storage may be included, along with a 16Mp Nikon camera and - we reckon - Android 4.4 KitKat.  

Should Google announce Android 4.4 KitKat on its forthcoming Nexus 5, the mobile operating system will also be rolled out to its Nexus 4 smartphone and other Nexus devices.

Android 4.4 KitKat: Google Nexus 11

Earlier this year SamMobile reported Samsung's tablet plans for 2013. As maker of the Google Nexus 10, the first tablet to outdo the iPad not only in performance but in its much admired Retina display, it's believable that the firm will also manufacture its successor, the Nexus 11. 

The Nexus 11 is rumoured to be the world's first octa-core tablet, running an Exynos 5410 processor. It may also have an 11in Super PLS TFT touchscreen, 8Mp rear and 2Mp front cameras, and support microSDXC for additional storage (up to 64GB). 

We also think the Nexus 11 will be the first tablet to ship with Android 4.4 KitKat, at which point Google will also roll out the update to its Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets, plus other Nexus devices. 

With the Nexus 10 unveiled at the end of October 2012, it seems likely that Google will announce the Nexus 11 toward the latter part of 2013, along with the Nexus 5 smartphone and Android 4.4 KitKat. 

Android 4.4 KitKat: Features & performance 

In February Android Central reported that Google is working on the Linux 3.8 kernel for Android (it currently uses 3.4). Should that make its debut it will offer a lower memory footprint (yet the Nexus 5 is rumoured to come with 3GB of RAM), with better multitasking support.

NenaMark2 benchmarking results posted on the Nena website last November claim to show Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie running on a LT30i (a variation of the Sony Xperia T). The phone in question reportedly has a 1.6GHz processor and Adreno 220 graphics, whereas the Xperia T we reviewed is listed with Adreno 225 graphics and a 1.5GHz processor, running Android 4.1.2. 

Although Google gave several manufacturers the opportunity to build its Nexus devices, and Sony could well become a future hardware partner, we're not buying into this one. On the slim chance that it is genuine, however, a notable difference in performance is apparent, and that's something that will likely increase with the improved hardware of the Nexus 5 and Nexus 11. 

Although Google has announced the name of Android 4.4, it hasn't given any detail on what changes and features KitKat will bring.

Fortunately, the internet means that we don't always need official announcements to find out. Android 4.4 KitKat has been photographed running on a Nexus 4 (under the old name of Key Lime Pie). They come via Android Authority and are unconfirmed, so remember it's just rumours.

Small interface tweaks include smoother transitions and lot more use of white, in icons and text. Printing and Payments have been added to the settings menu and users can images as a PDF file.
However, it's the camera app which has had the biggest overhaul. The KitKat camera app has Instagram-style filters and borders which can be applied to photos after they're taken. They can also be cropped, rotated and colour corrected. See below.

Ajax Modal Popup Control

ASP.NET AJAX is a free framework for building a new generation of richer, more interactive, highly personalized cross-browser web applications. This new web development technology from Microsoft integrates cross-browser client script libraries with the ASP.NET 2.0 server-based development framework. In addition, ASP.NET AJAX offers you the same type of development platform for client-based web pages that ASP.NET offers for server-based pages. And because ASP.NET AJAX is an extension of ASP.NET, it is fully integrated with server-based services. ASP.NET AJAX makes it possible to easily take advantage of AJAX techniques on the web and enables you to create ASP.NET pages with a rich, responsive UI and server communication. However, AJAX isn't just for ASP.NET. You can take advantage of the rich client framework to easily build client-centric web applications that integrate with any backend data provider and run on most modern browsers.

This ModalPopup will be spawned programmatically. The ModalPopupExtender that this popup is attached to has a hidden TargetControl. The popup can be shown via server in code behind and on the client in script by calling the ModalPopupExtender methods to show and hide.

Quiz Contest launch by D-Link Academy for all students - Its Free

Dear all Faculties

This is to inform you that D-Link Academy has organized an online campus quiz contest 2013 for all students so you need to inform your all students and get it registered on D-Link Web site its free for all students and they can win fabulous prizes.

This contest will run on every week Saturday (10.00 AM to Monday 5.00 PM) and winners name will be announced on every Tuesday.

Procedure for the same is given below:

1.       Students & faculties can participate in this Quiz Program but they must have to join D-link community.

2.       Join D-Link Academy Community Click on http://academycommunity.dlink.com/ and register yourself (Sign in)

3.       After registration it will display the following screen.

4.       Click on Campus quiz on the top to start the quiz.

So start it with your students and the take the advantage of quiz.

Building a simple antweight R/C combat robot

Building a simple antweight R/C combat robot

In this guide we will show you how to make a simple antweight R/C combat robot using a Sabertooth 2X5 R/C. The 'bot doesn't necessarily have to be used in combat - it is a pretty fun toy to drive around the office too! There is a certain satisfaction you get from driving your own homemade vehicle that you can't get from an imported Walmart toy. The Sabertooth 2X5 R/C will be used to interpret signals from a radio control system, and vary the motor speed so you can drive the robot around. The project requires basic knowledge of electronics (Volts, amps, battery polarity and wiring) and intermediate soldering skills. The project can be completed in a day, with most of the time spent waiting for glue to dry.

Parts list:
Sabertooth 2X5 R/C motor driver 
Motors, wheels and chassis
Hobby radio control transmitter and receiver
Battery (at least 6V)
Ceramic capacitors
Misc wire and soldering tools

Overview

As you can see, power will go from the battery in to the Sabertooth motor driver. The Sabertooth has an internal 5V regulator that it will use to power the receiver. The receiver will pick up your control info i.e. the direction you want to drive in, and it will signal that information back to the Sabertooth. The Sabertooth will then process this information, and vary the voltage and direction going to the motors. By varying the voltage going to the motors, you will be able to drive the robot at different speeds and turn it left and right like a tank. In this kit, we are using 4 motors - 2 on each side. We will wire the 2 motors in parallel on each side so they will appear as one motor to the Sabertooth. The 'flip' channel is purely optional - it just reverses left and right steering if your robot gets flipped upside down so you don't have to think backwards.

The chassisOne of the most time consuming things in building robots is constructing the chassis. If you do not have metalworking machinery available to you, you might want to check out Inertia Labs' website. They offer a package where you can get a CNC machined aluminum chassis and 4 geared motors for $99. It will allow you to start work on your robot right away without having to deal with metal shavings embedded in your eyes.

This is everything you get in the Inertia Labs kit - the gearmotors are tiny!

Setting up the motorsThis is the only part where you will have to do some soldering. Out of the box, the motors do not come with any suppression capacitors. With a DC brushed motor, if you do not have suppression capacitors the commutator will produce small sparks which will cause radio interference. Adding 0.1uF or 10nF ceramic capacitors to the motor terminals will solve this problem. You can find such capacitors at radio shack or any electronic component store. Digikeypart # 399-4264-ND "CAP .1UF 50V 10% CER RADIAL" is also a good choice. You will need two caps for each motor. Solder one capacitor lead to a motor terminal, and the other lead to the motor's casing. Next, cut and strip some wire to solder to the motor terminals. Put the tires on the wheels and glue the wheels onto the motor's shaft.

While waiting for the glue to dry, I was reminded of Don King.

Once the glue is dry, you need to put the motors into the chassis. To hold the motors in place, I used Loctite 415 adhesive. It is similar to superglue, but does a better job bonding metal to metal. It takes a long time to cure though so be patient.

The battery
Next up, you need a power source i.e. a battery. To keep things really small and light we used an 800mAh 2s lithium pack. A Sabertooth will run at any voltage above 6V, so you could also use a cheap 7.2V NiMH pack, or even 6 alkaline AAA batteries if you think you can make them fit. Just don't go crazy and dump 18V into these tiny motors else you will burn them out. Remember to get an appropriate charger for the battery chemistry you use. We used aCommon Sense R/C brand pack here, which came with a JST battery connector. These connectors are also sometimes known as P connectors or BEC connectors. Battery connectors are important because they allow you to quickly and safely connect/disconnect power to the robot. Depending on where you buy your battery pack from, you might find this connector already soldered on there for you.

BEC/P/JST battery connectors are available from Maxx Products here . Part number 2832 is the female connector (goes on the battery) and part number 2830 is the male connector (will screw into the Sabertooth). You can also find them at your local hobby shop. Other battery connectors will work, but JST ones are nice and small.
Radio and receiver

To remotely control the robot, you will need a hobby radio control transmitter and receiver. These pieces of equipment can be expensive - anywhere from $80 to several hundred dollars. They are an investment that will last many years though, and if you get a good system you will be able to create many radio controlled vehicles down the line. Remember that the radio and receiver must both operate on the same channel, and for ground applications in the USA you should technically use a 75Mhz system not a 72Mhz system. For the purposes of a simple bot like this, a 4 channel transmitter and receiver will suffice. Inertia sells some low end ones. If you can afford it, the absolute best system to get is the 2.4 Ghz Spektrum DX6 or DX7 system with a BR6000 receiver. I used a 6 channel Hitec Optic 6 transmitter and a GWS Naro receiver because that's what we had lying around at the DE office.

Motor driver configurationTo set up the motor driver, use this guide to the DIP switches:

For this particular robot and transmitter, we used the following settings for the following reasons:
Enable mixed mode (for easy steering on one stick)
Disable exponential (the robot was easy enough to control without exponential)
Lithium mode (because we were using a 2s Lithium Polymer battery)
R/C flip mode (so we could use a switch on the transmitter to reverse left/right if the robot flipped upside down)
Enable autocalibrate (quicker and easier than setting the trim on the transmitter)
Enable signal timeout (Helps prevent the robot driving away when there is a loss of signal, and is required for events)

Once everything is wired up as shown in the earlier diagram, it is a good idea to turn on your radio, plug in the battery and do a test run. Make sure up, down, left and right all behave as you want them to. Make sure all motors are turning in the correct direction. When I got to this stage, I found out that 3 of the motors were going one way, and one was going backwards! So I just swapped the two wires on the odd motor and it solved the problem. Other common problems would be having up/down being controlled by left/right on your radio - in which case just swap the receiver channels the servo pigtails are going into. Also check the DIP switch settings on Sabertooth are correct.

Now the most annoying part of all: getting everything to fit in that tiny space! Pretend you are playing Tetris and you will be motivated to do a better job. I managed to pull it off with the arrangement shown here.

The final touches (and weapons!) 
By now you should have a fully functioning 'bot that you can drive around. You might notice however, that the 'bot jerks around and occasionally goes crazy. This would be due to glitches in radio reception. On a 75Mhz system, antenna placement and orientation is very important! Simply coiling up your antenna and shoving it inside the chassis will not give good results at all. Ideally you want the antenna wire as far away as possible from the motor driver and mounted vertically in parallel with your radio transmitter. Although it would be more rigid, it is important that you do not wrap the antenna around a metal rod. The metal rod will act as a shield, and will absorb the radio waves instead of allowing them to resonate in the antenna. Instead, use a non conductive rigid tube, such as a nylon rod. Cheaper solutions can also work!

Antenna optimization on the cheap

Attaching the antenna holder

The most basic of all weapons is a wedge. You can make a wedge out of a scrap sheet of aluminum, using a vise to bend it. Mark out a strip 2-3" wide and 6" long, and use the vise to hold it in place as you put some kinks in it. You can also chop off the end at an angle to create a spike.

You will want to create a very strong bond between the wedge and the chassis, so superglue won't be enough. Screw it down, or a use a strong epoxy.

Done!