Ruby - An Introduction
Ytha Y. Yu, California State University East Bay, Hayward
03/12/2009
Ruby is an interpreted object oriented programming language that has become popular recently. The Ruby on Rails framework is designed for fast and easy development of websites. This talk is a quick tour of some of the features of this language.
Computing With Cells: Membrane Systems
Oscar Ibarra, University of California, Santa Barbara
03/19/2009
Membrane computing is a part of the general research effort of describing and investigating computing models, ideas, architectures, and paradigms from the processes taking place in nature. It is a recent branch of molecular computing that aims to develop models and paradigms that are motivated by cell biology. Membrane computing models have great potential for implementing massively concurrent systems in an efficient way that would allow us to solve currently intractable problems once future biotechnology gives way to a practical bio-realization. This talk is a brief overview of the area and a report on recent results that answer some interesting and fundamental open questions in this new field.
Storage Class Memory Technology And Use
David Pease, IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose
03/26/2009
The dream of replacing the disk drive, with solid-state, nonvolatile random access memory is finally becoming a reality. There are several technologies under active research and development, such as advanced forms of FLASH, Phase Change Memory, Magnetic RAM and others. They are collectively called Storage Class Memory (SCM). The advent of this technology will likely have a significant impact on the design of both future storage and memory systems. The first part of this talk will give an overview of the SCM device technologies being developed and how they will impact the design of storage controllers and storage systems. The device overview will emphasize technology paths to very high bit densities, which will enable low cost storage devices, ultimately becoming cost competitive with enterprise disks. In addition, SCM is fast enough to be used as (non-volatile) main memory, complementing DRAM. Eventually, the availability of such storage will both enable and demand profound changes in file system architecture and implementation. This talk also explores some ways in which file systems could adapt to this new storage environment.
Diagnostic Tools, Case Tools, Modern Apps
Thomas Poff, Micromat, Santa Rosa
04/02/2009
Micromat is an Objective-C shop. C++ is not allowed. We write diagnostics tools. This may sound mundane. However, there are always bright spots, largely because we have to do a little of everything. We often use Quartz Composer now, which allows you to link a visual representation of OpenGL+other Apple UI/audio abstractions easy to code. You can think of it as a CASE tool. It is being quietly integrated into the finder and modern apps. Pizza after talk.
Rootkits
Bill Blunden, San Francisco State University, San Francisco
04/09/2009
With the emergence of the online economy, rootkit technology has taken center stage in the ongoing battle between White Hats and Black Hats. Adopting an approach that favors full disclosure, the speaker will guide the audience through the murky back alleys of the Internet, shedding light on material that has traditionally been poorly documented, partially documented, or intentionally undocumented. He will also examine the role that rootkits play on the "grand chessboard" and briefly comment on analogies in the political arena.