Emerging Trends in Computer Engineering and Information Technology

A collection of flashcards covering key vocabulary and definitions related to Emerging Trends topics including: Artificial Intelligence, Data Visualization, The Internet Of Things (IoT), Blockchains, and Cyber Security.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

A branch of Computer Science creating computers/machines as intelligent as human beings.

Data

Symbols that represent properties of objects events and their environment.

Information

A message that contains relevant meaning, implication, or input for decision and/or action.

Knowledge

The (1) cognition or recognition (know-what), (2) capacity to act(know-how), and (3) understanding (know-why) that resides or is contained within the mind or in the brain.

Intelligence

Requires ability to sense the environment, to make decisions, and to control action.

Scope of AI

The ultimate goal is to create computer programs that can solve problems and achieve goals like humans would.

Heuristic

Is a rule of thumb, strategy, trick, simplification, or any other kind of device which drastically limits search for solutions in large problem spaces.

Think like humans. Cognitive science approach

Focus not just on behavior and I/O but also look at reasoning process.

Act like humans. Behaviorist approach

Not interested in how you get results, just the similarity to what human results is.

Neural networks

Computer programs that mimic the way the human brain processes information.

Neural networks

Consists of computer programs that mimic the way the human brain processes information.

Components of AI: Coarse components

Knowledge-based systems, Heuristic search, Automatic theorem proving, Multi-agent systems, Al languages such as PROLOG and LISP, Natural language processing (NLP)

Components of AI: Logic

Propositional logic, tautology, predicate calculus, model and temporal logic.

Components of AI: Cognitive Science

Learning, adaptation and self-organization, and the other is memory and perception which are physical entities.

Weak AI or Narrow AI

Is a type of AI which is able to perform a dedicated task with intelligence. Narrow AI cannot perform beyond its field or limitations, as it is only trained for one specific task. Hence it is also termed as weak AI.

General AI

Is a type of intelligence which could perform any intellectual task with efficiency like a human.

Super AI

Is a level of Intelligence of Systems at which machines could surpass human intelligence, and can perform any task better than human with cognitive properties. It is an outcome of general AI.

Reactive Machines

These machines only focus on current scenarios and react on it as per possible best action. Such AI systems do not store memories or past experiences for future actions.

Limited Memory

Limited memory machines can store past experiences or some data for a short period of time.

Theory of Mind

AI should understand the human emotions, people, beliefs, and be able to interact socially like humans.

Self-Awareness

These machines will be super intelligent, and will have their own consciousness, sentiments, and self-awareness. Self-awareness AI does not exist in reality still and it is a hypothetical concept.

Application of AI: Gaming

AI plays crucial role in strategic games such as chess, poker, tic-tac-toe, etc., where machine can think of large number of possible positions based on heuristic knowledge.

Application of AI: Natural Language Processing

It is possible to interact with the computer that understands natural language spoken by humans.

Application of AI:Vision Systems

These systems understand, interpret, and comprehend visual input on the computer.

Application of AI:Speech Recognition

Some intelligent systems are capable of hearing and comprehending the language in terms of sentences and their meanings while a human talks to it.

Application of AI: Handwriting Recognition

The handwriting recognition software reads the text written on paper by a pen or on screen by a stylus.

Application of AI: Intelligent Robots

Robots are able to perform the tasks given by a human.

Data Visualization

Data visualization tools provide an accessible way to see and understand trends, outliers, and patterns in data by using visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps.

Aesthetics

Describe every aspect of a given graphical element.

Continuous data values

Are values for which arbitrarily fine intermediates exist.

Most widely used coordinate system for data visualization

Is the 2D Cartesian coordinate system, where each location is uniquely specified by an x and a y value.

Linear scales

Grid lines along an axis are spaced evenly both in data units and in the resulting visualization.

Nonlinear scales

Even spacing in data units corresponds to uneven spacing in the visualization, or conversely even spacing in the visualization corresponds to uneven spacing in data units.

Qualitative color scale

Contains a finite set of specific colors that are chosen to look clearly distinct from each other while also being equivalent to each other.

Sequential color scale

Contains a sequence of colors that clearly indicate which values are larger or smaller than which other ones, and how distant two specific values are from each other.

Accent color scales

Scales that contain both a set of subdued colors and a matching set of stronger, darker, and/or more saturated colors.

Data storytelling

Is a methodology for communicating information, tailored to a specific audience, with a compelling narrative.

Explanatory Analysis:Action

This is the point where you think through how to make what you communicate relevant for your audience and form a clear understanding of why they should care about what you say.

Machine learning

Is a branch of science that deals with programming the systems in such a way that they automatically learn and improve with experience.

Supervised Learning

Deals with learning a function from available training data.

Unsupervised Learning

Makes sense of unlabeled data without having any predefined dataset for its training.

Deep Learning

Each algorithm goes through the same process. It includes a hierarchy of nonlinear transformation of input that can be used to generate a statistical model as output.

Internet of Things (IoT) Definition

The internet of things (IoT) is a computing concept that describes the idea of everyday physical objects being connected to the internet and being able to identify themselves to other devices.

Characteristics of IoT: Dynamic & Self-Adapting

IoT devices and systems may have the capability to dynamically adapt with the changing contexts and take actions based on their operating conditions, user's context, or sensed environment.

Characteristics of IoT: Self-Configuring

IoT devices may have self-configuring capability, allowing a large number of devices to work together to provide certain functionality (such as weather monitoring).

Characteristics of IoT: Unique Identity

Each IoT device has a unique identity and a unique identifier (such as an IP address or a URI). IoT device interfaces allow users to query the devices, monitor their status, and control them remotely, in association with the control, configuration and management infrastructure.

Characteristics of IoT: Integrated into Information Network

IoT devices are usually integrated into the information network that allows them to communicate and exchange data with other devices and systems.

Features of IoT: Connectivity

Connectivity refers to establish a proper connection between all the things of IoT to IoT platform it may be server or cloud.

Features of IoT: Analyzing

After connecting all the relevant things, it comes to real-time analyzing the data collected and use them to build effective business intelligence.

Features of IoT: Integrating

IoT integrating the various models to improve the user experience as well.

Features of IoT: Artificial Intelligence

IoT makes things smart and enhances life through the use of data.

Features of IoT: Sensing

The sensor devices used in IoT technologies detect and measure any change in the environment and report on their status.

Features of IoT: Active Engagement

IoT makes the connected technology, product, or services to active engagement between each other.

Features of IoT: Endpoint Management

It is important to be the endpoint management of all the IoT system otherwise; it makes the complete failure of the system.

Applications of IoTs: Home Automation: Smart Lighting

Helps in saving energy by adapting the lighting to the ambient conditions and switching on/off or diming the light when needed.

Applications of IoTs: Home Automation: Smart Appliances

Make the management easier and also provide status information to the users remotely.

Applications of IoTs: Home Automation: Intrusion Detection

Use security cameras and sensors (PIR sensors and door sensors) to detect intrusion and raise alerts.

Applications of IoTs: Home Automation: Smoke/Gas Detectors

Smoke detectors are installed in homes and buildings to detect smoke that is typically an early sign of fire.

Applications of IoTs: Cities: Smart Parking

Make the search for parking space easier and convenient for drivers. Smart parking are powered by IoT systems that detect the no. of empty parking slots and send information over internet to smart application back ends.

Applications of IoTs: Environment: Weather Monitoring

Systems collect data from a no. of sensors attached and send the data to cloud based applications and storage back ends. The data collected in cloud can then be analyzed and visualized by cloud based applications…

IoT integrating the various models to improve the user experience as well

IoT integrating the various models to improve the user experience as well.

Advantages of IoT : Reduced Waste

IoT makes areas of improvement clear.

Advantages of IoT: Enhanced Data Collection

It allows an accurate picture of everything.

Disadvantages of IoT: Security

The system offers little control despite any security measures, and it can be lead the various kinds of network attacks.

Disadvantages of IoT: Privacy

Even without the active participation on the user, the IoT system provides substantial personal data in maximum detail.

Disadvantages of IoT: Complexity

The designing, developing, and maintaining and enabling the large technology to IoT system is quite complicated.

Physical design of IoT

The 'Things' in IoT usually refers to IoT devices which have unique identities and can perform remote sensing, actuating and monitoring capabilities.

Logical design of IoT

Refers to an abstract representation of the entities and processes without going into the low-level specifics of the implementation.

Logical design of IoT: Device

An IoT system comprises of devices that provide sensing, actuation, monitoring and control functions.

Logical design of IoT: Communication

The communication block handles the communication for the IoT system.

Logical design of IoT: Services

An IoT system uses various types of IoT services such as services for device monitoring, device control services, data publishing services and services for device discovery.

Logical design of IoT: Management

Management functional block provides various functions to govern the IoT system.

Logical design of IoT: Security

Security functional block secures the IoT system and by providing functions such as authentication, authorization, message and content integrity, and data security.

Logical design of IoT: Application

IoT applications provide an interface that the users can use to control and monitor various aspects of the IoT system.

IoT Protocols: Link Layer Protocols

Determine how the data is physically sent over the network's physical layer or medium e.g., copper wire, coaxial cable, or a radio wave.

IoT Protocols: Network/Internet Layer Protocols

The network layers are responsible for sending of IP datagrams from the source network to the destination network.

IoT Protocols: Transport Layer Protocols

The Transport layer protocols provide end-to-end message transfer capability independent of the underlying network.

IoT Protocols: Application Layer Protocols

Application layer protocols define how the applications interface with the lower layer protocols to send the data over the network.

Sensors

An electronic instrument that is able to measure the physical quantity and generate a considerate output. These output of the sensors are usually in the form of electrical signals.

Actuators

A device that alters the physical quantity as it can cause a mechanical component to move after getting some input from the sensor.

Sensors: Temperature sensors

These devices measure the amount of heat energy generated from an object or surrounding area.

Sensors : Image sensors

These sensors are found in digital cameras, medical imaging systems, night-vision equipment, thermal imaging devices, radars, sonars, media house and biometric systems.

Sensors: Accelerometer sensors

These sensors are used in smartphones, vehicles, aircrafts and other applications to detect orientation of an object, shake, tap, tilt, motion, positioning, shock or vibration.

Sensors: Proximity sensors

These sensors detect the presence or absence of a nearby object without any physical contact.

5G definition

5G is a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.

NGN (Next Generation Network) Definition

A packet-based network able to provide telecommunication services and able to make use of multiple broadband, Quality of service (QoS)-enabled transport technologies. It supports mobility.

Unlicensed radio bands

Unlicensed radio bands have been allocated to certain users by the government or any individual can use it, but to be able to use and broadcast on these bands, you do not need to have a license; you only need to create compliant devices that are to be used

NGN Core

MPLS (Multi-protocol label switching) is used at core transport layer in NGN network. MPLS provides faster switching, propagation delay is less.

Blockchain

A common, unchallengeable digital ledger that allows the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a business network.

Data Protection

Helps protect data and make it available under any circumstances. It covers operational data backup and business continuity/disaster recovery (BCDR) and involves implementing aspects of data management and data availability.

Backstory of Blockchain

Blockchain technology was defined in 1991 by the research scientist Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta. They wanted to introduce a computationally practical key for time-stamping digital documents so that they could not be backdated or tampered by any one.

The genesis block

The first block in any blockchain referred as Block 0 and there is no previous block for reference.

Centralized System

A centralized system has a centralized control with all administrative rights and are easy to design, maintain, enforce trust, and administrate

Decentralized System

A decentralized system does not have a centralized control and every node has equal authority. Such systems are difficult to design, maintain, govern, or impose trust.

Blockchain: Application Layer

In the application layer, you can find smart contracts, decentralized applications (DApps), user interfaces (UIs), and chain code, which is the fifth layer of the blockchain layers.

Blockchain: Execution Layer

The Execution Layer execute the instructions of application in the Application Layer on all the nodes in a blockchain network.

Blockchain: Semantic Layer

Semantic Layer layer also called as logical layer of blockchain layer and deals in validation of the transactions done in the blockchain network and also validating the blocks being created in the network.

Blockchain: Propagation Layer

A propagation layer is used in the peer-to-peer communications between the nodes that allow them to discover each other and get synchronized with another node in a network.

Blockchain: Consensus Layer

Consensus layer is the first layer for most of the blockchain systems and main purpose is to make sure that all the nodes must get approve on a common state of the shared ledger.

Digital Evidence

It is safe to use to use such information as evidence during an investigation.