AI Headshot Generator

AI Headshot Generator — hands-on reviews, top picks, pricing, pros and cons and a practical how-to guide on Aizhi.

KoalaPad

The KoalaPad is a graphics tablet, released in 1983 by US company Koala Technologies Corporation, for the Apple II, TRS-80 Color Computer (as the TRS-80 Touch Pad), Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore 64, and IBM PC compatibles. Originally designed by Dr. David Thornburg as a low-cost computer drawing tool for schools, the Koala Pad and the bundled drawing program, KoalaPainter, was popular with home users as well. KoalaPainter was called KoalaPaint in some versions for the Apple II, and PC Design for the IBM PC. A program called Graphics Exhibitor was included for creating slideshow presentations from KoalaPainter drawings. == Description == The pad was four inches square (i.e. roughly 10×10 cm) and mounted on a slightly inclined base with the back of the pad higher than the front. At the top, "behind" the pad, were two buttons. The pad hooked into the computer using the analog signals of the joystick ports (the so-called paddle inputs), which meant that it had a low resolution and tended to jostle the cursor if moved during use. As an alternative to the drawing stylus, the pad could as easily be operated by the user's fingers for tasks that demanded less precision, such as selecting between menu items (thus using the pad as a kind of "indirect touch screen"). The top-mounted buttons tended to be somewhat frustrating to use, as the user had to "reach around" the stylus to push the buttons in order to start or stop drawing. A similar tablet from Atari, the Atari CX77 Touch Tablet, addressed this with a built-in button on the stylus, which some enterprising users adapted for use with their KoalaPad. == KoalaPainter == The pad shipped with a simple bitmap graphics editor developed by Audio Light called KoalaPainter, PC Design or Micro Illustrator depending on the target machine (see release history). Although bundled with the pad, KoalaPainter could also be operated using an ordinary digital joystick. One unique feature of the program, for its time, was that it held two pictures in the computer's memory, allowing the user to flip from one to the other—a function commonly used in order to study the differences between an original and a modified picture, and to copy and paste between two different pictures. Some third-party bitmap editors could also be used with the KoalaPad, such as Broderbund's Dazzle Draw for the Apple II. === Release history === KoalaPainter for Commodore 64 (1983) and Atari 8-bit computers (1983) PC Design for the IBM PC (1983) Micro Illustrator for the Apple II (1983), Atari 8-bit computers (1983) and Commodore Plus/4 (1984) KoalaPainter II for Commodore 64 (1984) === Reception === Ahoy! called KoalaPainter "a very powerful and effective color drawing package", and concluded that it and the KoalaPad were "excellent in ease of use, a fine choice for a beginner as well as young children". BYTE's reviewer stated in December 1984 that he made far fewer errors when using an Apple Mouse with MousePaint than with a KoalaPad and its software. He found that MousePaint was easier to use and more efficient, predicting that the mouse would receive more software support than the pad. Cassie Stahl in InfoWorld's Essential Guide to Atari Computers praised the tablet and its documentation, rating it "Excellent" among all categories and stating that "Playing with the KoalaPad becomes addictive. It does everything it claims to, and it does it well". She also liked Micro Illustrator, rating it "Excellent" except for "Good" for Performance. While criticizing the limited erase function, Stahl reported an undocumented feature enabling exporting pictures to other software. === File format === The Commodore 64 version of KoalaPainter used a fairly simple file format corresponding directly to the way bitmapped graphics are handled on the computer: A two-byte load address, followed immediately by 8,000 bytes of raw bitmap data, 1,000 bytes of raw "Video Matrix" data, 1,000 bytes of raw "Color RAM" data, and a one-byte Background Color field. == KoalaWare == Koala Technologies offered more software beyond the bundled KoalaPainter and Graphics Exhibitor for use with the pad. Among these applications, marketed under the moniker KoalaWare (like KoalaPainter itself), was educational software for use with customized keypads and overlays, such as spelling tools, music programs, and mathematics instruction software, as well as software for "translating" graphical designs into Logo programs.
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Personal cloud

A personal cloud is a collection of digital content and services that are accessible from any device through the Internet. It is not a tangible entity, but a place that gives users the ability to store, synchronize, stream and share content on a relative core, moving from one platform, screen and location to another. Created on connected services and applications, it reflects and sets consumer expectations for how next-generation computing services will work. The four primary types of personal cloud in use today are: Online cloud, NAS device cloud, server device cloud, and home-made clouds. == Online cloud == The online cloud is sometimes referred to as the public cloud. It is the cloud computing model where online resources like software and data storage are made available over the Internet. Typically, an individual or organization has little control over the ecosystem in which the online cloud is hosted, and the core infrastructure is shared between many individuals and organizations. The data and applications provided by the service provider are logically segregated so that only those authorized are allowed access. == NAS device cloud == A network-attached storage (NAS) device is a computer connected to a network that provides only file-based data storage services to other devices on the network. Although it may technically be possible to run other software on a NAS device, it is not designed to be a general purpose server. Cloud NAS is remote storage that is accessed over the Internet as if it were local. A cloud NAS is often used for backups and archiving. One of the benefits of NAS Cloud is that data in the cloud can be accessed at any time from anywhere. The main drawback, however, is that the speed of the transfer rate is only as fast as the network connection the data is accessed over and can therefore be fairly slow. == Server device cloud == In many ways cloud servers work in the same way as physical servers but the functions they perform can be very different. Typically, the cloud server is an on-premises device that is connected to the Internet and gives users the functions available on the online cloud but with the added benefit and security of the files being in their control on their premises. The server cloud has been historically enterprise-based deployed by businesses needing an in-house cloud. However, there are also in-house options available for individual users. == Home-made clouds == For the more technologically proficient user a common solution for using a personal cloud is to create a home-made cloud system by connecting an external USB hard drive to a Wi-Fi router. This enables both wired and wireless computers to access the USB hard drive and use it for storage or for retrieving files a user needs to share on the network thereby acting like a cloud. Setting up a personal cloud requires a user to have particular skills in technology and network setup. One of the risks associated with improper setup is security, and leaving the files accessible to anyone with technical knowledge. Not every router supports this type of access and modification.
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Distributed manufacturing

Distributed manufacturing, also known as distributed production, cloud producing, distributed digital manufacturing, and local manufacturing, is a form of decentralized manufacturing practiced by enterprises using a network of geographically dispersed manufacturing facilities that are coordinated using information technology. It can also refer to local manufacture via the historic cottage industry model, or manufacturing that takes place in the homes of consumers. == Enterprise == In enterprise environments, the primary attribute of distributed manufacturing is the ability to create value at geographically dispersed locations. For example, shipping costs could be minimized when products are built geographically close to their intended markets. Also, products manufactured in a number of small facilities distributed over a wide area can be customized with details adapted to individual or regional tastes. Manufacturing components in different physical locations and then managing the supply chain to bring them together for final assembly of a product is also considered a form of distributed manufacturing. Digital networks combined with additive manufacturing allow companies a decentralized and geographically independent distributed production (cloud manufacturing). == Consumer == Within the maker movement and DIY culture, small scale production by consumers often using peer-to-peer resources is being referred to as distributed manufacturing. Consumers download digital designs from an open design repository website like Youmagine or Thingiverse and produce a product for low costs through a distributed network of 3D printing services such as 3D Hubs, Geomiq. In the most distributed form of distributed manufacturing the consumer becomes a prosumer and manufacturers products at home with an open-source 3-D printer such as the RepRap. In 2013 a desktop 3-D printer could be economically justified as a personal product fabricator and the number of free and open hardware designs were growing exponentially. Today there are millions of open hardware product designs at hundreds of repositories and there is some evidence consumers are 3-D printing to save money. For example, 2017 case studies probed the quality of: (1) six common complex toys; (2) Lego blocks; and (3) the customizability of open source board games and found that all filaments analyzed saved the prosumer over 75% of the cost of commercially available true alternative toys and over 90% for recyclebot filament. Overall, these results indicate a single 3D printing repository, MyMiniFactory, is saving consumers well over $60 million/year in offset purchases of only toys. These 3-D printers can now be used to make sophisticated high-value products like scientific instruments. Similarly, a study in 2022 found that 81% of open source designs provided economic savings and the total savings for the 3D printing community is more than $35 million from downloading only the top 100 products at YouMagine. In general, the savings are largest when compared to conventional products when prosumers use recycled materials in 'distributed recycling and additive manufacturing' (DRAM). == Emergency Distributed Manufacturing During COVID-19 Pandemic == Distributed manufacturing became far more visible during the COVID-19 pandemic because it offered a practical response to the breakdown of centralized global supply chains. As lock downs, border restrictions, and factory shutdowns disrupted conventional production, decentralized networks using local facilities such as Open Source Medical Supplies stepped in and manufactured over 48 million products. Additive manufacturing /3D printing were used to produce urgently needed items such as face shields, ventilators and their components, nasopharyngeal swabs, and other personal protective equipment. This demonstrated that distributed manufacturing could reduce lead times, improve responsiveness, and lessen dependence on distant suppliers during crisis conditions for a wide range of products. Peer-reviewed studies on pandemic-era manufacturing note that additive manufacturing was especially valuable because digital design files could be shared rapidly and produced close to the point of need, enabling hospitals, universities, small firms, and maker communities to supplement strained medical supply chains. The pandemic also helped shift distributed manufacturing from being seen as a niche or experimental model to a credible strategy for resilience, flexibility, and emergency response. At the same time, scholars caution that its wider adoption depends on solving issues related to quality assurance, regulation, material consistency, and coordination across distributed production sites. Overall, COVID-19 popularized distributed manufacturing by showing that localized, digitally enabled production could complement traditional manufacturing systems when speed, adaptability, and supply-chain resilience were critical. == Social change == Some call attention to the conjunction of commons-based peer production with distributed manufacturing techniques. The self-reinforced fantasy of a system of eternal growth can be overcome with the development of economies of scope, and here, the civil society can play an important role contributing to the raising of the whole productive structure to a higher plateau of more sustainable and customised productivity. Further, it is true that many issues, problems and threats rise due to the large democratization of the means of production, and especially regarding the physical ones. For instance, the recyclability of advanced nanomaterials is still questioned; weapons manufacturing could become easier; not to mention the implications on counterfeiting and on "intellectual property". It might be maintained that in contrast to the industrial paradigm whose competitive dynamics were about economies of scale, commons-based peer production and distributed manufacturing could develop economies of scope. While the advantages of scale rest on cheap global transportation, the economies of scope share infrastructure costs (intangible and tangible productive resources), taking advantage of the capabilities of the fabrication tools. And following Neil Gershenfeld in that "some of the least developed parts of the world need some of the most advanced technologies", commons-based peer production and distributed manufacturing may offer the necessary tools for thinking globally but act locally in response to certain problems and needs. As well as supporting individual personal manufacturing social and economic benefits are expected to result from the development of local production economies. In particular, the humanitarian and development sector are becoming increasingly interested in how distributed manufacturing can overcome the supply chain challenges of last mile distribution. Further, distributed manufacturing has been proposed as a key element in the Cosmopolitan localism or cosmolocalism framework to reconfigure production by prioritizing socio-ecological well-being over corporate profits, over-production and excess consumption. == Technology == By localizing manufacturing, distributed manufacturing may enable a balance between two opposite extreme qualities in technology development: Low technology and High tech. This balance is understood as an inclusive middle, a "mid-tech", that may go beyond the two polarities, incorporating them into a higher synthesis. Thus, in such an approach, low-tech and high-tech stop being mutually exclusive. They instead become a dialectic totality. Mid-tech may be abbreviated to "both…and…" instead of "neither…nor…". Mid-tech combines the efficiency and versatility of digital/automated technology with low-tech's potential for autonomy and resilience. == Contracting in Distributed Manufacturing == Research into contracting and order processing models tailored for distributed manufacturing has highlighted the need for flexible, role-based frameworks and advanced digital tools. These tools and frameworks are essential for addressing issues related to quality assurance, payment structures, legal compliance, and coordination among multiple actors. By addressing these challenges, contracting models for distributed manufacturing can unlock its potential for more localized, efficient, and sustainable production systems. A system prototype has been developed to simplify contracting for distributed manufacturing. This tool allows buyers to manage orders across multiple manufacturers using a single interface, automating workflows to ensure clarity and accountability for everyone involved. This research was led by the Internet of Production, as part of the mAkE project (African European Maker Innovation Ecosystem), funded by the European Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
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30 Boxes

30 Boxes is a minimalist calendaring IOS application created by 83 Degrees. Originating as a web application in March 2006, 30 Boxes was founded by Webshots cofounder Narendra Rocherolle. The website shut down some time in 2020, but relaunched for the IOS in February 2021. The original website was tailored towards "social media junkies". == Reception == Barry Collins of The Sunday Times appreciated the website's plain-language event adding feature, but did not appreciate that he was unable to see more than one month of events at a time. Collins was also unhappy that the website was not capable of warning him when he had two events scheduled at the same time. In a list of the best web-based calendar software for small businesses, Forbes ranked 30 Boxes second, after Google Calendar. They described 30 Boxes like “buying a new car with manual transmission and lots of extras—you don't just want to drive it, you want to fool around with it to see what it can do”.
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Autonomic networking

Autonomic networking follows the concept of Autonomic Computing, an initiative started by IBM in 2001. Its ultimate aim is to create self-managing networks to overcome the rapidly growing complexity of the Internet and other networks and to enable their further growth, far beyond the size of today. == Increasing size and complexity == The ever-growing management complexity of the Internet caused by its rapid growth is seen by some experts as a major problem that limits its usability in the future. What's more, increasingly popular smartphones, PDAs, networked audio and video equipment, and game consoles need to be interconnected. Pervasive Computing not only adds features, but also burdens existing networking infrastructure with more and more tasks that sooner or later will not be manageable by human intervention alone. Another important aspect is the price of manually controlling huge numbers of vitally important devices of current network infrastructures. == Autonomic nervous system == The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the part of complex biological nervous systems that is not consciously controlled. It regulates bodily functions and the activity of specific organs. As proposed by IBM, future communication systems might be designed in a similar way to the ANS. == Components of autonomic networking == As autonomics conceptually derives from biological entities such as the human autonomic nervous system, each of the areas can be metaphorically related to functional and structural aspects of a living being. In the human body, the autonomic system facilitates and regulates a variety of functions including respiration, blood pressure and circulation, and emotive response. The autonomic nervous system is the interconnecting fabric that supports feedback loops between internal states and various sources by which internal and external conditions are monitored. === Autognostics === Autognostics includes a range of self-discovery, awareness, and analysis capabilities that provide the autonomic system with a view on high-level state. In metaphor, this represents the perceptual sub-systems that gather, analyze, and report on internal and external states and conditions – for example, this might be viewed as the eyes, visual cortex and perceptual organs of the system. Autognostics, or literally "self-knowledge", provides the autonomic system with a basis for response and validation. A rich autognostic capability may include many different "perceptual senses". For example, the human body gathers information via the usual five senses, the so-called sixth sense of proprioception (sense of body position and orientation), and through emotive states that represent the gross wellness of the body. As conditions and states change, they are detected by the sensory monitors and provide the basis for adaptation of related systems. Implicit in such a system are imbedded models of both internal and external environments such that relative value can be assigned to any perceived state - perceived physical threat (e.g. a snake) can result in rapid shallow breathing related to fight-flight response, a phylogenetically effective model of interaction with recognizable threats. In the case of autonomic networking, the state of the network may be defined by inputs from: individual network elements such as switches and network interfaces including specification and configuration historical records and current state traffic flows end-hosts application performance data logical diagrams and design specifications Most of these sources represent relatively raw and unprocessed views that have limited relevance. Post-processing and various forms of analysis must be applied to generate meaningful measurements and assessments against which current state can be derived. The autognostic system interoperates with: configuration management - to control network elements and interfaces policy management - to define performance objectives and constraints autodefense - to identify attacks and accommodate the impact of defensive responses === Configuration management === Configuration management is responsible for the interaction with network elements and interfaces. It includes an accounting capability with historical perspective that provides for the tracking of configurations over time, with respect to various circumstances. In the biological metaphor, these are the hands and, to some degree, the memory of the autonomic system. On a network, remediation and provisioning are applied via configuration setting of specific devices. Implementation affecting access and selective performance with respect to role and relationship are also applied. Almost all the "actions" that are currently taken by human engineers fall under this area. With only a few exceptions, interfaces are set by hand, or by extension of the hand, through automated scripts. Implicit in the configuration process is the maintenance of a dynamic population of devices under management, a historical record of changes and the directives which invoked change. Typical to many accounting functions, configuration management should be capable of operating on devices and then rolling back changes to recover previous configurations. Where change may lead to unrecoverable states, the sub-system should be able to qualify the consequences of changes prior to issuing them. As directives for change must originate from other sub-systems, the shared language for such directives must be abstracted from the details of the devices involved. The configuration management sub-system must be able to translate unambiguously between directives and hard actions or to be able to signal the need for further detail on a directive. An inferential capacity may be appropriate to support sufficient flexibility (i.e. configuration never takes place because there is no unique one-to-one mapping between directive and configuration settings). Where standards are not sufficient, a learning capacity may also be required to acquire new knowledge of devices and their configuration. Configuration management interoperates with all of the other sub-systems including: autognostics - receives direction for and validation of changes policy management - implements policy models through mapping to underlying resources security - applies access and authorization constraints for particular policy targets autodefense - receives direction for changes === Policy management === Policy management includes policy specification, deployment, reasoning over policies, updating and maintaining policies, and enforcement. Policy-based management is required for: constraining different kinds of behavior including security, privacy, resource access, and collaboration configuration management describing business processes and defining performance defining role and relationship, and establishing trust and reputation It provides the models of environment and behavior that represent effective interaction according to specific goals. In the human nervous system metaphor, these models are implicit in the evolutionary "design" of biological entities and specific to the goals of survival and procreation. Definition of what constitutes a policy is necessary to consider what is involved in managing it. A relatively flexible and abstract framework of values, relationships, roles, interactions, resources, and other components of the network environment is required. This sub-system extends far beyond the physical network to the applications in use and the processes and end-users that employ the network to achieve specific goals. It must express the relative values of various resources, outcomes, and processes and include a basis for assessing states and conditions. Unless embodied in some system outside the autonomic network or implicit to the specific policy implementation, the framework must also accommodate the definition of process, objectives and goals. Business process definitions and descriptions are then an integral part of the policy implementation. Further, as policy management represents the ultimate basis for the operation of the autonomic system, it must be able to report on its operation with respect to the details of its implementation. The policy management sub-system interoperates (at least) indirectly with all other sub-systems but primarily interacts with: autognostics - providing the definition of performance and accepting reports on conditions configuration management - providing constraints on device configuration security - providing definitions of roles, access and permissions === Autodefense === Autodefense represents a dynamic and adaptive mechanism that responds to malicious and intentional attacks on the network infrastructure, or use of the network infrastructure to attack IT resources. As defensive measures tend to impede the operation of IT, it is optimally capable of balancing performance objectives with typically over-riding threat management actions. In the
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Anaconda (Python distribution)

Anaconda is an open source data science and artificial intelligence distribution platform for the Python programming language. Developed by Anaconda, Inc., an American company founded in 2012, the platform is used to develop and manage data science and AI projects. In 2024, Anaconda Inc. has about 300 employees and 45 million users. == History == Co-founded in Austin, Texas in 2012 as Continuum Analytics by Peter Wang and Travis Oliphant, Anaconda Inc. operates from the United States and Europe. Anaconda Inc. developed Conda, a cross-platform, language-agnostic binary package manager. It also launched PyData community workshops and the Jupyter Cloud Notebook service (Wakari.io). In 2013, it received funding from DARPA. In 2015, the company had two million users including 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and raised $24 million in a Series A funding round led by General Catalyst and BuildGroup. Anaconda secured an additional $30 million in funding in 2021. Continuum Analytics rebranded as Anaconda in 2017. That year, it announced the release of Anaconda Enterprise 5, an integration with Microsoft Azure, and had over 13 million users by year's end. In 2022, it released Anaconda Business; new integrations with Snowflake and others; and the open-source PyScript. It also acquired PythonAnywhere, while Anaconda's user base exceeded 30 million in 2022. In 2023, Anaconda released Python in Excel, a new integration with Microsoft Excel, and launched PyScript.com. The company made a series of investments in AI during 2024. That February, Anaconda partnered with IBM to import its repository of Python packages into Watsonx, IBM's generative AI platform. The same year, Anaconda joined IBM's AI Alliance and released an integration with Teradata and Lenovo. In 2024, Anaconda's user base reached 45 million users and Barry Libert was named company CEO, after serving on Anaconda's board of directors. He was succeeded as CEO in October 2025 by David DeSanto, who also became a company director. In May 2025, the company introduced the first unified AI platform for Open Source, Anaconda AI Platform, a central control for AI workflows that enables customization in Python-based enterprise AI development. That July, after reaching over $150 million in a Series C funding round, Anaconda was evaluated at about $1.5 billion. == Overview == Anaconda distribution comes with over 300 packages automatically installed, and over 7,500 additional open-source packages can be installed from the Anaconda repository as well as the Conda package and virtual environment manager. It also includes a GUI, Anaconda Navigator, as a graphical alternative to the command-line interface (CLI). Conda was developed to address dependency conflicts native to the pip package manager, which would automatically install any dependent Python packages without checking for conflicts with previously installed packages (until its version 20.3, which later implemented consistent dependency resolution). The Conda package manager's historical differentiation analyzed and resolved these installation conflicts. Anaconda is a distribution of the Python programming language (and previously also R) for scientific computing (data science, machine learning applications, large-scale data processing, predictive analytics, etc.), that aims to simplify package management and deployment. Anaconda distribution includes data-science packages suitable for Windows, Linux, and macOS. Other company products include Anaconda Free, and subscription-based Starter, Business and Enterprise. Anaconda's business tier offers Package Security Manager. Package versions in Anaconda are managed by the package management system Conda, which was spun out as a separate open-source package as useful both independently and for applications other than Python. There is also a small, bootstrap version of Anaconda called Miniconda, which includes only Conda, Python, the packages they depend on, and a small number of other packages. Open source packages can be individually installed from the Anaconda repository, Anaconda Cloud (anaconda.org), or the user's own private repository or mirror, using the conda install command. Anaconda, Inc. compiles and builds the packages available in the Anaconda repository itself, and provides binaries for Windows 32/64 bit, Linux 64 bit and MacOS 64-bit (Intel, Apple Silicon). Anything available on PyPI may be installed into a Conda environment using pip, and Conda will keep track of what it has installed and what pip has installed. Custom packages can be made using the conda build command, and can be shared with others by uploading them to Anaconda Cloud, PyPI or other repositories. The default installation of Anaconda2 includes Python 2.7 and Anaconda3 includes Python 3.7. However, it is possible to create new environments that include any version of Python packaged with Conda. === Anaconda Navigator === Anaconda Navigator is a desktop graphical user interface (GUI) included in Anaconda distribution that allows users to launch applications and manage Conda packages, environments and channels without using command-line commands. Navigator can search for packages on Anaconda Cloud or in a local Anaconda Repository, install them in an environment, run the packages and update them. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. The following applications are available by default in Navigator: JupyterLab Jupyter Notebook QtConsole Spyder Glue Orange RStudio Visual Studio Code === Conda === Conda is an open source, cross-platform, language-agnostic package manager and environment management system that installs, runs, and updates packages and their dependencies. It was created for Python programs, but it can package and distribute software for any language, including multi-language projects. The Conda package and environment manager is included in all versions of Anaconda, Miniconda, and Anaconda Repository. == Anaconda.org == Anaconda Cloud is a package management service by Anaconda where users can find, access, store and share public and private notebooks, environments, and Conda and PyPI packages. Cloud hosts useful Python packages, notebooks and environments for a wide variety of applications. Users do not need to log in or to have a Cloud account, to search for public packages, download and install them. Users can build new Conda packages using Conda-build and then use the Anaconda Client CLI to upload packages to Anaconda.org. Notebooks users can be aided with writing and debugging code with Anaconda's AI Assistant.
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Elements (toolchain)

RemObjects Elements is a toolchain for software development, comprising six programming languages: C#, Swift, Go, Java, Oxygene (a form of modern Object Pascal), and Visual Basic .NET. All languages interoperate, meaning a single project can use any combination of languages, and they can all be compiled to .NET, the JVM, native, or WebAssembly. Elements supports Microsoft Windows, all Apple Inc. platforms (including iOS, visionOS and watchOS), Android, and Linux. Elements also supports language conversion, allowing source code in one language to be rewritten in another. Elements is supported in Visual Studio, but RemObjects also makes their own IDEs, Fire (on MacOS) and Water (on Windows.) == Background == RemObjects began in 2002, creating software for Delphi, but in 2005 in response to the growth of .NET and that Delphi was targeting only native Windows, they released Oxygene (known as Chrome at the time) as a new version of Object Pascal, with more modern syntax as well as being .NET-native. Since then, five other languages have been added to the suite, as well as compiling for the web via WebAssembly and to native architectures (eg Intel 32/64 or ARM64). Elements is primarily intended for developers who want to pull together libraries and codebases written in multiple languages, including legacy codebases in older languages while modernizing either with newer syntax and features or by adding in the use of newer or more popular languages. Because of the Oxygene flavour of Object Pascal, supporting Delphi apps is a primary focus, including allowing Pascal to be compiled for other architectures or providing language features that match other prominent languages. == Approach == New versions of the Elements come out approximately every week. RemObjects names its programming languages after chemical elements, sometimes with poetic or musical spelling, rather than referring to them directly. They are: C#: Hydrogene Object Pascal: Oxygene Java: Iodine Visual Basic: Mercury Go: Gold Swift: Silver == History == The Elements compiler was first introduced with version 1.0 in 2005 under the name "Chrome", with support for only the Oxygene language on the .NET platform, primarily as a response to the then-new and not well-received Delphi .NET compiler from Embarcadero. Chrome saw updates to version 1.5 'Floorshow' and Chrome 2.0 'Joyride' over the next few years, moving in parallel with major advancements on the .NET platform for .NET 2.0 (Generics) and .NET 3.x (LINQ), respectively. With the release of version 3.0 (code-named Oxygène after the Jean-Michel Jarre album of the same name) Chrome was rebranded to Oxygene in 2008, and also shipped co-branded by Embarcadero as Delphi Prism (later just Prism) as part of RAD Studio, replacing Embarcadero's own and now-defunct Delphi.NET compiler. 2010 saw the release of Oxygene 4 ("Echoes"), the last version to focus on just a single language and platform. With Oxygene 5 in 2011 and Oxygene 6 in 2013, RemObjects introduced new platform support for Java/Android (code-name "Cooper") and then Cocoa, the Apple development platform (code-name "Toffee"). Elements 7.0 was released at the beginning of 2014, adding the second programming language, C# to the compiler, and delegating Oxygene from the product name to merely branding the Object Pascal-based language. Over the subsequent years, Elements gained support for additional languages, with Apple Swift in 2015, Java in 2017, and subsequently Google's Go and Mercury, a revitalized Visual Basic.NET. Elements also gained support for its fourth target platform, "Island", for CPU-native compilation for Windows, Linux, and WebAssembly. In addition to the chemical elements-based names for the different languages, the "Elements" concept was carried on with the introduction of dedicated development environments alchemically named Fire (for the Mac, in 2015) and Water (for Windows, in 2018). == Fire and Water (IDEs) == Fire and Water are integrated development environments developed by RemObjects Software. They are designed specifically for use with the Elements Compiler. Fire is the version developed for macOS, while Water is intended for Microsoft Windows. Both IDEs are designed to work closely with the Elements compiler and are primarily intended for developers using the RemObjects language ecosystem. They support software development across multiple platforms, including .NET, Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, and WebAssembly. The IDEs include standard development tools such as syntax highlighting, code completion, debugging, and project navigation. Build operations are managed using a custom system known as EBuild, which is part of the broader Elements toolchain. The IDEs are distributed as part of the RemObjects Elements package and are updated in coordination with the compiler itself. == In media == Oxygene has been mentioned several times by Verity Stob in their Chronicles of Delphi series, currently living at The Register.
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Protocol Builder

Protocol Builder is a tool in programming languages to generate code to build protocols in a fast and reliable way. Network programming for all kinds of protocols (such as TCP, UDP, and SNMP) includes converting data to be transferred to raw bytes in the sending side and parsing these bytes in the receiving side. Protocol builders facilitate this stage, usually by automatically generating the code. Protocol Programming has many components to be developed, these are: server listener, server connection, client connection, packets, and loggers. Most protocol builders implement these components automatically so developers save time and money. Currently, there are two Protocol Builders in the market, one for C++ from UpRedSun which is for TCP and UDP protocols. The second one is for .Net languages which generates the code in C# for TCP Protocols, this tool is called .Net Protocol Builder.
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List of Ruby software and tools

This is a list of software and programming tools for the Ruby programming language, which includes libraries, web frameworks, implementations, tools, and related projects. == Web tools == Capistrano (software) – remote server automation tool Mongrel – Ruby web server Rack – interface between web servers and web applications Ruby on Rails – full-stack web application framework Sinatra – lightweight Ruby web application framework Spree Commerce – e-commerce platform WEBrick – Ruby HTTP server toolkit == Libraries == BioRuby – bioinformatics and computational biology library for Ruby Bogus – Ruby library for creating reliable test doubles with contract verification ERuby – embedded Ruby templating EventMachine – event-driven I/O library Factory Bot – test fixtures library Fat comma – Ruby library for JSON-like hash syntax Geocoder – Ruby library for geocoding and reverse geocoding addresses Haml – HTML templating engine Markaby – HTML generation via Ruby Nokogiri – XML/HTML parsing library RSpec – behavior-driven testing framework for Ruby RubyGems – package manager for Ruby libraries and applications Sass – CSS preprocessor Sidekiq – background job framework for Ruby, used to handle asynchronous tasks. Uconv – Unicode text conversion library Watir – web application testing framework == Ruby implementations == HotRuby – Ruby interpreter implemented in JavaScript, enabling Ruby code to run in web browsers. IronRuby – Ruby for .NET platform JRuby – Ruby on the Java Virtual Machine MacRuby – Ruby implementation for macOS Mod ruby – Apache module that embeds the Ruby interpreter to improve performance of Ruby web applications Mruby – lightweight Ruby interpreter Rubinius – alternative Ruby implementation, based loosely on the Smalltalk-80 Blue Book design. Ruby MRI – the standard Ruby interpreter YARV – "Yet Another Ruby VM," the bytecode interpreter used in modern Ruby implementations == Tools == Homebrew – package manager for macOS and Linux written in Ruby Pry – interactive Ruby shell Rake – build and task management Ruby Version Manager – environment manager RubyCocoa – bridge between Ruby and Cocoa RubyForge – project hosting site RubyMotion – for iOS/macOS development RubySpec – language specification tests == Integrated Development Environments == Aptana Studio — integrated RadRails plugin for Ruby on Rails development Eclipse DLTK Ruby Plugin — Ruby development plugin for Eclipse Eric — open-source Python-based IDE with Ruby support Komodo IDE — commercial cross-platform IDE with Ruby support RubyMine — commercial IDE for Ruby and Rails by JetBrains SlickEdit — commercial cross-platform IDE with Ruby support == List of websites using Ruby on Rails == Airbnb Basecamp Diaspora – decentralized social network application built with Ruby on Rails Discourse – open-source discussion platform built with Ruby on Rails Fiverr GitHub Hulu Shopify SoundCloud Twitch Zendesk
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Plug computer

A plug computer is a small-form-factor computer whose chassis contains the AC power plug, and thus plugs directly into the wall. Alternatively, the computer may resemble an AC adapter or a similarly small device. Plug computers are often configured for use in the home or office as compact computer. == Description == Plug computers consist of a high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip processor, with several I/O hardware ports (USB ports, Ethernet connectors, etc.). Most versions do not have provisions for connecting a display and are best suited to running media servers, back-up services, or file sharing and remote access functions; thus acting as a bridge between in-home protocols (such as Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) and Server Message Block (SMB)) and cloud-based services. There are, however, plug computer offerings that have analog VGA monitor and/or HDMI connectors, which, along with multiple USB ports, permit the use of a display, keyboard, and mouse, thus making them full-fledged, low-power alternatives to desktop and laptop computers. They typically run any of a number of Linux distributions. Plug computers typically consume little power and are inexpensive. == History == A number of other devices of this type began to appear at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show. On January 6, 2009 CTERA Networks launched a device called CloudPlug that provides online backup at local disk speeds and overlays a file sharing service. The device also transforms any external USB hard drive into a network-attached storage device. On January 7, 2009, Cloud Engines unveiled the Pogoplug network access server. On January 8, 2009, Axentra announced availability of their HipServ platform. On February 23, 2009, Marvell Technology Group announced its plans to build a mini-industry around plug computers. On August 19, 2009, CodeLathe announced availability of their TonidoPlug network access server. On November 13, 2009 QuadAxis launched its plug computing device product line and development platform, featuring the QuadPlug and QuadPC and running QuadMix, a modified Linux. On January 5, 2010, Iomega announced their iConnect network access server. On January 7, 2010 Pbxnsip launched its plug computing device the sipJack running pbxnsip: an IP Communications platform.
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Pocket (service)

Pocket, formerly known as Read It Later, was a social bookmarking service for storing, sharing and discovering web bookmarks, first released in 2007. Mozilla, the developer of Pocket, announced in May 2025 that it was discontinuing the service and would shut it down in July of that year. == History == Pocket was introduced in August 2007 as a Mozilla Firefox browser extension named Read It Later by Nathan (Nate) Weiner. Once his product was used by millions of people, he moved his office to Silicon Valley and four other people joined the Read It Later team. Weiner's intention was for the application to be like a TiVo directory for web content and to give users access to that content on any device. Read It Later obtained venture capital investments of US$2.5 million in 2011 and $5.0 million in 2012. The 2011 funding came from Foundation Capital, Baseline Ventures, Google Ventures, Founder Collective and unnamed angel investors. The company rejected an acquisition offer by Evernote after showing concerns that Evernote intended to shut down the Read It Later service and amalgamate its functionality into Evernote's main service. Initially, the Read It Later app was available in a free version and a paid version that included additional features. After the rebranding to Pocket, all paid features were made available in a free and advertisement-free app. In May 2014, a paid subscription service called Pocket Premium was introduced, adding server-side storage of articles and more powerful search tools. In June 2015, Pocket was included in Firefox, via a toolbar button and link to a user's Pocket list in the bookmark's menu. The integration was controversial, as users displayed concerns for the direct integration of a proprietary service into an open source application, and that it could not be completely disabled without editing advanced settings, unlike other third-party extensions. A Mozilla spokesperson stated that the feature was meant to leverage the service's popularity among Firefox users and clarified that all code related to the integration was open source. The spokesperson added that "[Mozilla had] gotten lots of positive feedback about the integration from users". On February 27, 2017, Pocket announced that it had been acquired by Mozilla Corporation, the commercial arm of Firefox's non-profit development group. Mozilla staff stated that Pocket would continue to operate as an independent subsidiary but that it would be leveraged as part of an ongoing "Context Graph" project. There were plans to open-source the server-side code of Pocket, though only parts of the project had been open-sourced as of 2024. On May 22, 2025, Mozilla announced that it would shut down Pocket on July 8, 2025. Exports of user data would be available until October 8, 2025, when accounts would be deleted. The email newsletter Pocket Hits was rebranded as Ten Tabs on June 12 as part of the closure, with it being changed to release only on weekdays. == Functions == The application allows the user to save an article or web page to remote servers for later reading. The article is sent to the user's Pocket list (synced to all of their devices) for offline reading. Pocket makes the article more readable by removing clutter and enabling the user to add tags and adjust text settings. == User base == The application had 17 million users and 1 billion saves, as of September 2015. Pocket was listed among Time magazine's 50 Best Android Applications for 2013. == Reception == Kent German of CNET said that "Read It Later is oh so incredibly useful for saving all the articles and news stories I find while commuting or waiting in line." Erez Zukerman of PC World said that supporting the developer is enough reason to buy what he deemed a "handy app". Bill Barol of Forbes said that although Read It Later works less well than Instapaper, "it makes my beloved Instapaper look and feel a little stodgy." In 2015, Pocket was awarded a Material Design Award for Adaptive Layout by Google for their Android application.
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SIP (software)

SIP is an open source software tool used to connect computer programs or libraries written in C or C++ with the scripting language Python. It is an alternative to SWIG. SIP was originally developed in 1998 for PyQt — the Python bindings for the Qt GUI toolkit — but is suitable for generating bindings for any C or C++ library. == Concept == SIP takes a set of specification (.sip) files describing the API and generates the required C++ code. This is then compiled to produce the Python extension modules. A .sip file is essentially the class header file with some things removed (because SIP does not include a full C++ parser) and some things added (because C++ does not always provide enough information about how the API works). For PyQt v4 I use an internal tool (written using PyQt of course) called metasip. This is sort of an IDE for SIP. It uses GCC-XML to parse the latest header files and saves the relevant data, as XML, in a metasip project. metasip then does the equivalent of a diff against the previous version of the API and flags up any changes that need to be looked at. Those changes are then made through the GUI and ticked off the TODO list. Generating the .sip files is just a button click. In my subversion repository, PyQt v4 is basically just a 20M XML file. Updating PyQt v4 for a minor release of Qt v4 is about half an hours work. In terms of how the generated code works then I don't think it's very different from how any other bindings generator works. Python has a very good C API for writing extension modules - it's one of the reasons why so many 3rd party tools have Python bindings. For every C++ class, the SIP generated code creates a corresponding Python class implemented in C. == Notable applications that use SIP == PyQt, a python port of the application framework and widget toolkit Qt QGIS, a free and open-source cross-platform desktop geographic information system (GIS) QtiPlot, a computer program to analyze and visualize scientific data calibre (software), a free and open-source cross-platform e-book manager Veusz, a free and open-source cross-platform program to visualize scientific data
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Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign is a desktop publishing and page layout designing software application produced by Adobe and first released in 1999. It can be used to create works such as posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers, presentations, books and ebooks. InDesign can also publish content suitable for tablet devices in conjunction with Adobe Digital Publishing Suite. Graphic designers and production artists are the principal users. InDesign is the successor to PageMaker, which Adobe acquired by buying Aldus Corporation in late 1994. (Freehand, Aldus's competitor to Adobe Illustrator, was licensed from Altsys, the maker of Fontographer.) By 1998, PageMaker had lost much of the professional market to the comparatively feature-rich QuarkXPress version 3.3, released in 1992, and version 4.0, released in 1996. In 1999, Quark announced its offer to buy Adobe and to divest the combined company of PageMaker to avoid problems under United States antitrust law. Adobe declined Quark's offer and continued to develop a new desktop publishing application. Aldus had begun developing a successor to PageMaker, code-named "Shuksan". Later, Adobe code-named the project "K2", and Adobe released InDesign 1.0 in 1999. InDesign exports documents in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) and supports multiple languages. It was the first DTP application to support Unicode character sets, advanced typography with OpenType fonts, advanced transparency features, layout styles, optical margin alignment, and cross-platform scripting with JavaScript. Later versions of the software introduced new file formats. To support the new features, especially typography, introduced with InDesign CS, the program and its document format are not backward-compatible. Instead, InDesign CS2 introduced the INX (.inx) format, an XML-based document representation, to allow backward compatibility with future versions. InDesign CS versions updated with the 3.1 April 2005 update can read InDesign CS2-saved files exported to the .inx format. The InDesign Interchange format does not support versions earlier than InDesign CS. With InDesign CS4, Adobe replaced INX with InDesign Markup Language (IDML), another XML-based document representation. InDesign was the first native Mac OS X publishing software. With the third major version, InDesign CS, Adobe increased InDesign's distribution by bundling it with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Acrobat in Adobe Creative Suite. Adobe developed InDesign CS3 (and Creative Suite 3) as universal binary software compatible with native Intel and PowerPC Macs in 2007, two years after the announced 2005 schedule, inconveniencing early adopters of Intel-based Macs. Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen said, "Adobe will be first with a complete line of universal applications." == File format == The MIME type is not official File Open formats: indd, indl, indt, indb, inx, idml, pmd, xqx New File formats: indd, indl, indb File Save As formats: indd, indt Save file format for InCopy: icma (Assignment file) icml (Content file, Exported file) icap (Package for InCopy) idap (Package for InDesign) File Export formats: pdf, idml, icml, eps, jpg, txt, XML, rtf == Versions == Newer versions can, as a rule, open files created by older versions, but the reverse is not true. Current versions can export the InDesign file as an IDML file (InDesign Markup Language), which can be opened by InDesign versions from CS4 upwards; older versions from CS4 down can export to an INX file (InDesign Interchange format). === Server version === In October 2005, Adobe released InDesign Server CS2, a modified version of InDesign (without a user interface) for Windows and Macintosh server platforms. It does not provide any editing client; rather, it is for use by developers in creating client-server solutions with the InDesign plug-in technology. In March 2007 Adobe officially announced Adobe InDesign CS3 Server as part of the Adobe InDesign family. == Features == Paragraph styles are an essential tool for designers when working with text in Adobe InDesign. Despite their menacing appearance, they are straightforward to operate. Other features that make InDesign a good tool for working with text and paragraphs include: Creating frames and shapes Aligning objects with grids and guides Manipulating objects Organizing objects Importing text Formatting text Spell checking Importing images Parent pages (formerly master pages) Paragraph styles == Internationalization and localization == InDesign Middle Eastern editions have unique settings for laying out Arabic or Hebrew text. They feature: Text settings: Special settings for laying out Arabic or Hebrew text, such as: Ability to use Arabic, Persian or Hindi digits; Use kashidas for letter spacing and full justification; Ligature option; Adjust the position of diacritics, such as vowels of the Arabic script; Justify text in three possible ways: Standard, Arabic, Naskh; Option to insert special characters, including Geresh, Gershayim, Maqaf for Hebrew and Kashida for Arabic texts; Apply standard, Arabic, or Hebrew styles for page, paragraph, and footnote numbering. Bi-directional text flow: Right-to-left behavior applies to several objects: Story, paragraph, character, and table. It allows mixing right-to-left and left-to-right words, paragraphs, and stories in a document. Changing the direction of neutral characters (e.g., / or ?) is possible according to the user's keyboard language. Table of contents: Provides a table of contents titles, one for each supported language. This table is sorted according to the chosen language. InDesign CS4 Middle Eastern versions allow users to select the language of the index title and cross-references. Indices: This allows the creation of a simple keyword index or a somewhat more detailed index of the information in the text using embedded indexing codes. Unlike more sophisticated programs, InDesign cannot insert character style information as part of an index entry (e.g., when indexing book, journal, or movie titles). Indices are limited to four levels (the top level and three sub-levels). Like tables of contents, indices can be sorted according to the selected language. Importing and exporting: Can import QuarkXPress files up to version 4.1 (1999), even using Arabic XT, Arabic Phonyx, or Hebrew XPressWay fonts, retaining the layout and content. Includes 50 import/export filters, including a Microsoft Word 97-98-2000 import filter and a plain text import filter. Exports IDML files can be read by QuarkXPress 2017. Reverse layout: Include a reverse layout feature to reverse the layout of a document when converting a left-to-right document to a right-to-left one or vice versa. Complex script rendering: InDesign supports Unicode character encoding, and Middle Eastern editions support complex text layouts for Arabic and Hebrew complex scripts. The underlying Arabic and Hebrew support is present in the Western editions of InDesign CS4, CS5, CS5.5, and CS6, but the user interface is not exposed, making it difficult to access.
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Application framework

In computer programming, an application framework consists of a software framework used by software developers to implement the standard structure of application software. Application frameworks became popular with the rise of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), since these tended to promote a standard structure for applications. Programmers find it much simpler to create automatic GUI creation tools when using a standard framework, since this defines the underlying code structure of the application in advance. Developers usually use object-oriented programming (OOP) techniques to implement frameworks such that the unique parts of an application can simply inherit from classes extant in the framework. == Examples == Apple Computer developed one of the first commercial application frameworks, MacApp (first release 1985), for the Macintosh. Originally written in an extended (object-oriented) version of Pascal termed Object Pascal, it was later rewritten in C++. Another notable framework for the Mac is Metrowerks' PowerPlant, based on Carbon. Cocoa for macOS offers a different approach to an application framework, based on the OpenStep framework developed at NeXT. Since the 2010s, many apps have been created with the frameworks based on Google's Chromium project. The two prominent ones are Electron and the Chromium Embedded Framework. Free and open-source software frameworks exist as part of the Mozilla, LibreOffice, GNOME, KDE, NetBeans, and Eclipse projects. Microsoft markets a framework for developing Windows applications in C++ called the Microsoft Foundation Class Library, and a similar framework for developing applications with Visual Basic or C#, named .NET Framework. Several frameworks can build cross-platform applications for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows from common source code, such as Qt, wxWidgets, Juce, Fox toolkit, or Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP). Oracle Application Development Framework (Oracle ADF) aids in producing Java-oriented systems. Silicon Laboratories offers an embedded application framework for developing wireless applications on its series of wireless chips.
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Carrier cloud

In cloud computing, a carrier cloud is a class of cloud that integrates wide area networks (WAN) and other attributes of communications service providers’ carrier-grade networks to enable the deployment of highly-complex applications in the cloud. In contrast, classic cloud computing focuses on the data center and does not address the network connecting data centers and cloud users. This may result in unpredictable response times and security issues when business-critical data are transferred over the Internet. == History == The advent of virtualization technology, cost-effective computing hardware, and ubiquitous Internet connectivity have enabled the first wave of cloud services starting in the early years of the 21st century. But many businesses and other organizations hesitated to move to more demanding applications, from on-premises dedicated hardware to private or public clouds. As a response, communications service providers started in the 2010/2011 time frame to develop carrier clouds that address perceived weaknesses in existing cloud services. Cited weaknesses vary but often include possible downtime, security issues, high cost of custom software and data transfer, inflexibility of some cloud apps, poor customer and nonfulfillment of service level agreements (SLAs). == Characteristics == To enable the deployment of time-sensitive and business critical applications in the cloud, the carrier cloud is designed to match or even exceed the characteristics of on-premises deployments. Therefore, the carrier cloud is characterized by some or all of the following items: Configurable, elastic network performance: Typical cloud computing solutions use the best effort of the public Internet to connect cloud users and data centers. This approach provides instant connectivity but does not offer control over network capacities, latencies, and jitter. Carrier clouds address these gaps with content delivery networks and/or dedicated virtual private networks (VPN) at OSI layers 1 (optical wavelengths), 2 (data link layer), and 3 (network layer). These VPNs can be configured to offer the desired performance parameters and exhibit the same type of elasticity for the network that regular clouds provide for servers and storage. To achieve the requested performance parameters, such as low latency, cloud applications can be (automatically) allocated to distributed data centers that are close enough to the cloud users. Automatic resource placement: For a cloud with multiple data centers, information about both the data center and the connecting network is relevant for a decision of where to place cloud images and storage volumes. For this decision, carrier clouds can obtain relevant information about the network, e.g., using the Application-Layer Traffic Optimization (ALTO) protocol. High level of security and governance: Cloud application providers are subject to general and domain specific security, privacy, and governance requirements and regulations, such as the European Data Protection Directive and the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. For added security, the wide area network of the carrier cloud can provide segregated encrypted or unencrypted network links that are not accessible from the general Internet. At the data center, the carrier cloud provides e.g. virtual private servers, management processes, logs, and documentation to fulfill security and governance rules. Location control: Fundamentally, cloud users should not be concerned with the geographic location of their cloud resources. However, privacy and other regulations may mandate that certain types of data must not be sent outside a national jurisdiction or other geographical region. Open APIs: Carrier clouds provide graphical user interfaces and Web application programming interfaces that allow cloud application providers to set up, manage, and monitor both, the data center and the WAN, of their cloud services. == Architecture == Carrier clouds encompass data centers at different network tiers and wide area networks that connect multiple data centers to each other as well as to the cloud users. Links between data centers are used for failover, overflow, backup, and geographic diversity. Carrier clouds can be set up as public, private, or hybrid clouds. The carrier cloud federates these cloud entities by using a single management system to orchestrate, manage, and monitor data center and network resources as a single system.
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