http://www.tracking-hackers.com/

Honeypots are a relatively new technology in computer security. They are formally defined as "an information system resource whose value lies in unauthorized or illicit use of that resource." This is an intentionally broad definition, as honeypots can detect network intrusions, track online credit card fraud, and do almost everything in between. A good collection of research papers and technical articles dealing with honeypots can be found at this site. The papers come from some of the pioneers of the technology as well as authors who proposed more recent innovations like honeytokens. [CL]

http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/research/projects/how-much-info-2003/

The research study documented on this site is a continuation of a study conducted in 2000 that estimated "how much new information is created each year." The results of the most recent study, which were published on October 27, 2003, show the approximate amount of new information stored on film, magnetic, optical, and print media in the year 2002. This figure totaled five exabytes, or five billion gigabytes. Different kinds of information streams are also analyzed, consisting of radio, television, telephone, and the Internet. These electronic data flows accounted for nearly eighteen exabytes. Comparisons to the previous study are also drawn. The full report of the study can be downloaded as a 112-page document or viewed online. [CL]

http://www.hitl.washington.edu/people/hunter/magnetbrenda.pdf

As part of a project involving the Human Interface Technology Laboratory at the University of Washington, the feasibility of using virtual reality devices during brain scans was tested. The fMRI brain scan measures brain activity when the subject is engaging in different mental activities, which are usually prompted by exposing the subject to video stimuli. The authors of this paper attempted to employ virtual reality goggles, in order to give the subject the feeling that he or she is actually immersed in the environment rather than simply viewing it on a distant television. This would, in theory, result in more accurate and representative brain scans, because immersive virtual reality gives users the illusion "that they are inside the computer-generated environment, as if it is a place they have gone." The paper shows that virtual reality has strong applications in fMRI brain scans. [CL]

http://www.lassp.cornell.edu/lassp_data/mceuen/homepage/Publications/Wiring.pdf

In recent years, circuit design has advanced to achieve extremely small feature sizes -- literally tens of millions of transistors can be integrated in a single chip. This progress has given rise to molecular electronics, the notion of creating electronic devices with single molecules as circuit elements. In this paper, the authors "discuss transistors, where electrons flow through discrete quantum states of a single molecule." Fabrication considerations are outlined, and the current-voltage responses of several such transistors that were fabricated by the authors are shown. The paper concludes by looking ahead to future possibilities of chemically-tailored transistors that could be designed with specific properties. [CL]

http://cva.stanford.edu/imagine/

Programmable processors have advantages and disadvantages when compared to their non-programmable counterparts: They have added functionality, but they typically are not as fast or efficient. The goal of the Imagine project at Stanford University is "to develop a programmable architecture that achieves the performance of special purpose hardware on graphics and image/signal processing." The Imagine homepage provides a very detailed explanation of the main components and implementation methodologies used in the stream processor design. Additionally, several papers related to various aspects of the project from 2003 and before are available for download. [CL]

http://www.jhuapl.edu/ott/technologies/featuredtech/DVA/index.html

The Digital Video Authenticator (DVA) system "can be used to prove that a digital video has not been modified since it was first recorded." This technology is especially applicable in court cases to verify the legitimacy of any digital video entered as evidence. The DVA system is described in detail on this site. Beginning with a discussion of the DVA implementation and how it analyzes the signatures of the digital video to verify its integrity; the site proceeds to outline the system's applications and benefits. A ten-page research paper written by the developers of the system provides more technical information about the DVA. [CL]

http://www.bitconjurer.org/BitTorrent/bittorrentecon.pdf

This paper describes BitTorrent, a free software system that attempts to solve bandwidth problems inherent in hosting one or more large files from a single server. In a traditional setup, a bottleneck is created when many users try to download from a server, and download rates can be slowed to a crawl. According to the author and the software's creator, BitTorrent relieves this congestion by allowing the downloaders to act as servers themselves. Each downloader can retrieve a portion of the file from the main server, and then re-distribute that portion to others. The BitTorrent software and documentation are available on this site as well. [CL]

http://www.hpcc.gov/pubs/hci-im_research_needs_final.pdf

This report was prepared by the Human-Computer Interaction and Information Management (HCI&IM) Coordinating Group and released in October 2003. It identifies the main challenges facing research and development in HCI&IM and provides motivation for greater U.S. government efforts in this area. The report highlights some of the benefits for HCI&IM advancement, including revolutionizing scientific research, "expanding the science and engineering knowledge base," and adding to the efficiency and productivity of the workforce. Existing research and development endeavors are discussed and the need for additional investment is asserted. [CL]