Sunday, September 23, 2012

FCC Part 15

The Federal Code Of Regulation (CFR) FCC Part 15 is a common testing standard for most electronic equipment. FCC Part 15 covers the regulations under which an intentional, unintentional, or incidental radiator that can be operated without an individual license. FCC Part 15 covers as well the technical specifications, administrative requirements and other conditions relating to the marketing of FCC Part 15 devices. Depending on the type of the equipment, verification, declaration of conformity, or certification is the process for FCC Part 15 compliance.
Verification is a procedure where the manufacturer makes measurements or takes the necessary steps to insure that the equipment complies with the appropriate technical standards. Submittal of a sample unit or representative data to the Commission demonstrating compliance is not required unless specifically requested the Commission. Verification attached to the equipment a label showing that compliance is met.
Declaration of Conformity is a procedure where the responsible party makes measurements or takes other necessary steps to ensure that the equipment complies with the appropriate technical standards. Submittal of a sample unit or representative data to the Commissions demonstrating compliance is not required unless specifically requested. The Declaration of Conformity attaches to the equipment a label showing that the sample has been tested and found acceptable by the responsible party.
Certification is an equipment authorization issued by the Commission, based on representations and test data submitted by eh applicant. Certification attaches to the units subsequently marketed by the grantee which are identical to the sample tested an FCC ID number to show compliance.
FCC Part 15 Subpart A contains specific information regarding testing and certification. Information like, scope of the rules and legal implications, definitions, prohibition against eavesdropping, labeling, and other sections.
Some more interesting descriptions used in the FCC Part 15 as listed in Subpart A.
Digital Device. “An unintentional radiator (device or system) that generates and uses timing signals or pulses at a rate in excess of 9,000 pulses (cycles) per second and uses digital techniques; inclusive of telephone equipment that uses digital techniques or any device or system that generates and uses radio frequency energy for the purpose of performing data processing functions such as electronics computations, operations, transformations, recording, filing, sorting, storage, retrieval, or transfer. A radio frequency device that is specifically subject to an emanation requirement in any other FCC Rule part or an intentional radiator subject to Subpart C of this part that contains a digital device is not subject to the standards for digital devices, provided the digital device is used only the enable operation of the radio frequency device and the digital device does not control additional functions or capabilities.”
Intentional radiator. “A device that intentionally generates and emits radio frequency energy by radiation or induction.”
Class A Digital Device. “A digital device that is marketed for use in a commercial, industrial or business environment, exclusive of a device which is marketed for use by the general public or is intended to be used in the home.”
Class B Digital Device. “A digital device that is marketed for use in a residential environment notwithstanding use in commercial, business and industrial environments. Examples of such devices included, but are not limited to, personal computers, calculators, and similar electronics devices that are marketed for use by the general public.
FCC Part 15 Subpart B is for unintentional radiators. The category of unintentional radiators includes a wide variety of devices that contain clocks or oscillators and logic circuitry but that do not deliberately generate radio frequencies emissions. Among the common unintentional radiators are personal computers, peripherals, receivers, radios, TV sets, and cable TV home terminals. FCC Part 15 Section 15.101 has a very informative table for unintentional radiators. Two levels of radiation and conducted emissions limits for unintentional radiators are specified in FCC Part 15 Subpart B. The two levels are Class A digital devices, the higher less strict limits, and Class B digital devices, the lower more strict limits. Manufacturers are encouraged to meet the Class B digital device limits.
FCC Part 15 Subpart C is for intentional radiators. The carious types of intentional radiators covered by Subpart C include cable-locating equipment, cordless telephones, remote control and alarm transmitters, field-disturbance sensors for opening doors, and spread-spectrum systems for wideband data transmission. Intentional radiators governed by FCC Part 15 Subpart C must either have a permanently attached antenna or provide a unique coupler to prevent the use of unauthorized antennas. The FCC Part 15 Subpart C rules for operation of radio transmitters for the most part are very detailed regarding fundamental field strength, power and/or power density, frequency accuracy, and permitted harmonic and spurious emissions.
FCC Part 15 Subpart D outlines the regulations for unlicensed personal communication service (UPCS) devices operating in the 1910 – 1930 MHz frequencies bands.
FCC Part 15 Subpart E sets out the regulations for unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) devices operating in the 5.15 – 5.35 GHz, 5.47 – 5.725 GHz, and 5.725 – 5.825 GHz bands.
FCC Part 15 Subpart G sets out the regulations for Access Broadband over Power Line (Access BPL) devices operating in the 1.705-80 MHz band over medium or low voltage lines. This section outlines the geographical area within which Access BPS operations are not permitted in certain frequencies bands.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Biometric Scanning and Your Privacy



Look at the whorls on your index finger. Every fingerprint is almost entirely unique – that’s why they’ve been dusted for crime detection for more than a century. Technology is moving on. Biometric scanning is the process of checking a fingerprint, iris, or face pattern with a technological device. But what does the mass introduction of Biometrics mean for your privacy?

What is Biometric Scanning?

Biometric scanning is the process of ‘reading’ a physical feature such as fingerprint, iris, face, vein, or voice. When you present your fingerprint or iris, the biometric reader creates a digitized template which will be used to recognize you in the future. The template is stored, either in a central system, or on your card.

Where is Biometric Scanning Used?

Biometric scanning is already used in many workplaces, high-tech laptops, and on passports in some European countries. It is also being proposed for the new Identity Cards which could soon be compulsory in the UK.
Biometric scanners are currently used to register asylum seekers and monitor travellers passing through major airports. The UK and USA are in discussions about sharing their biometric information in the anti-terror campaign. In Europe, the sharing of information between police and immigration officials is being orchestrated. The Home Secretary recently remarked that the UK could not hope to improve its security systems by remaining inside a “bubble”, insisting that this sharing of personal biometric data is crucial to a safe future.

Is Biometric Scanning Foolproof?

Ever since a secondary school tested out a top-notch Biometrics system for dishing out school dinners, then declared it too slow, and worth another try in 12 months, biometric testing has been something of a laughing matter. Will it really be good enough for our national security?

The National Physical Laboratory carried out tests on behalf of the Home Office, which is looking for two methods (a primary and a back-up) to use on the new Identity Cards. The report indicated that minor factors such as a cut finger, poor light, bad positioning, watery eyes or contact lenses influence the success of scanning. 98% of fingerprint scans resulted in the successful acquisition of an image and 100% of facial scans produced a usable image. The report also showed that, once an image was produced, the number of false matches was quite high.

What Are The Risks To Your Privacy From Biometric Scanning?

In terms of privacy, the main concern with biometric scanning is the storage and handling of any data acquired by biometric systems.
Storing Your Biometric Data
The UK government does not have a reputation for handling information securely. It’s already tentatively proposed sharing biometric data from the National Identity Register with banks and supermarkets, and is in talks to give out more information to other countries, resulting in a lack of privacy. An ex-MI6 operative said that the National Identity Register is a “present” for terrorists – a fantastic target for misuse or destruction.
Using Your Biometric Data
The privacy concerns here are international. Although we’re protected by the European Convention on Human Rights, and by the Data Protection Act, other countries have different laws. Critics are already worried that the new biometric passports will be too easy to read, record, and pass on.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

DDNS – Free Dynamic DNS Providers


We maintain the list of Dynamic DNS (DDNS) providers online. Dynamic DNS is a method that allows you to notify a Domain Name Server (DNS) to change in your active DNS configuration on a device such as a router or computer of its configured hostname and address. It is most useful when your computer or network obtains a new IP address lease and you would like to dynamically associate a hostname with that address, without having to manually enter the change every time. Since there are situations where an IP address can change, it helps to have a way of automatically updating hostnames that point to the new address every time. Enter DDNS to the rescue.
We are proud to be considered the top resource online for information on dynamic dns providers. This is a gentle, not-too-technical introduction on it, how it works, and a comprehensive list of mostly free providers. We have also provided some dynamic dns reviews on various hosting companies to help you better decide who to choose!

If you like this list, please link to it will help others find this free list more easily!
Name
URL and domain selection
Subdomains?
Domains?
dnsdynamic.org
(June 2011)

http://www.dnsdynamic.org/
Domains: *.user32.com, *.tftpd.net, *.wow64, etc (12+)
Free VPN Also Available
Free
Free
changeIP.com
(June 2011)

http://www.changeip.com/
Domains: *.dumb1.com, *.wikababa.com, *.dynamic-dns.net, etc (100+)
Free
$3/mo
$6/qr
$15/yr
No IP
(June 2011)

http://www.no-ip.com/
Domains: *.no-ip.com, *.servequake.com, *.sytes.net, etc. (21 domains)
Free (5 domain limit)
$15/yr
afraid.org
(June 2011)

http://freedns.afraid.org/
Domains: *.afraid.org, many many others (they list about 300. no, really.)
Free (donations encouraged)
Free (donations encouraged)
dyndns.com
(December 2011)

http://www.dyndns.com/
18 Subdomains Available
No Longer Free
Free
(Pro: $15/yr)
zonomi.com
(June 2011)

http://www.zonomi.com/
Free
$10/yr
zoneedit.com
(June 2011)

http://www.zoneedit.com/
Free
Free
cjb.net
(June 2011)

http://www.cjb.net/
Domains: *.cjb.net
Free
N/A
Zerigo
(June 2011)

http://www.zerigo.com/managed-dns
Free (Pro: $19/yr)
Free
3322.org
(June 2011)

http://www.3322.org/
Chinese Domains: *.3322.org, *.8866.net, etc (quite a few, but seem to have trouble accessing their sites from US)
Free
N/A
oray.com
(June 2011)

http://www.oray.com/
Chinese Domains: *.xicp.net, etc (in Chinese)
Free
N/A
DarSite
(June 2011)

http://www.darsite.com/eng
Domains: *.darweb.com
$100/year
$100/year
ddns.nu
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.ddns.nu/
Domains: *.cable.nu, *.optus.nu, *.evangelion.nu, several others
Reg Disabled
Reg Disabled
Deerfield
(2 Nov 2002)

http://dns2go.deerfield.com/
Domains: *.dns2go.com, *.idleplay.net, *.dynamic-site.net, others
$9.95/year
$19.95/year
DHIS
(June 2011)

http://www.dhis.org/
Domains: *.net.dhis.org
Free
N/A
DHS
(9 Dec 2001)

http://www.dhs.org/
Domains: *.dhs.org
$5 (one-time charge?)
N/A
DNS 4 BIZ
(2 Nov 2002)

http://www.dns4biz.de/
Domains: Unknown
Free (also for-pay options available)
$4.99/month
DNS Exit
(2 Dec 2002)

http://www.dnsexit.com/
N/A
Free
DNS Made Easy
(2 Nov 2002)

http://www.dnsmadeeasy.com/
Domains: *.dnsmadeeasy.com, others
Free
$4.95/year (up to 5 domains)
DNS Park
(8 Dec 2005)

http://www.dnspark.com/services/dynamicDNS.php
N/A
$8.95/year
dnsd.be
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.dnsd.be/
Domains: *.dnsd.be
5 Euro per year for the first
hostname; 4 Euro for additional
hostnames mapped to the same IP.
N/A
DtDNS
(9 Dec 2001)

http://www.dtdns.com/
Domains: *.darktech.org, *.dtdns.net, *.etowns.com, others
Free
$20/year
dyn.ee
(9 Dec 2001)

http://www.dyn.ee/
Domains: *.dyn.ee, *.dynserv.[com/net/org]
Free
N/A
DynAccess
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.dynaccess.de
Domains: *.dyn-access.(com/net/org/de/info/biz),
several others
5 Euro/year (or more, depending on
name selected)

DynamIP
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.dynamip.com/
N/A
$3/month
Dynamx
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.dyn.ro/
Domains: *.dynam.ac, *.dyn.ro, *.my-ho.st, *.irc-chat.org
Free
N/A
dyndns.dk
(9 Dec 2001)

http://dyndns.dk/
Domains: *.dyndns.dk, *.kyed.com, *.lir.dk, *.yaboo.dk
Free
$10/year
dyndsl.com
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.dyndsl.com/
Domains: *.dyndsl.com, *.45z.com, *.au2000.com
Free
N/A
dynip.com
(9 Dec 2001)

http://www.dynip.com/
Domains: *.dynip.com, others
$35.95/year and up (based on domain name chosen)
$159.95/year
dyns.cx
(5 Dec 2001)

http://dyns.cx/
Domains: *.dyns.cx, *.dyns.net, *metadns.cx, others
Free
15 Euro/year
DynUp
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.dynup.net/
Domains: *.dynup.net
Free
N/A (“coming soon”)
Easy DNS
(5 Dec 2001)

https://web.easydns.com/
N/A
$19.95/year
Home PC
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.homepc.org/
Domains: *.homepc.org
Reg Disabled
N/A
Hotline DNS
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.hldns.com/
Domains: *.hldns.com
Free
N/A
Microtech Ltd.
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.microtech.co.gg/dns/
Domains: *.freelancedeveloper.com, *.ohflip.com, *.microtech.co.gg, *.easydns4u.com
Free
20 UKP/year
MiniDNS
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.minidns.net/
Domains: *.minidns.net
Free (“with quota”)
Free (“with quota”)
myserver.org
(9 Dec 2001)

http://www.myserver.org/
Domains: *.myserver.org, *.USArmyReserve.com, *.WidescreenHD.tv, several others
Free
$24.95/year
Nettica
(2 Nov 2002)

http://www.nettica.com/
N/A
$25/year, $45 for 2 years
Open Domain Server
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.ods.org/
Domains: *.ods.org
Free
$20/year for up to 5 domains
Planet DNS
(9 Dec 2001)

http://www.planetdns.net/
Domains: *.planetdns.[net/org/biz/ca]
$19.95/year
$49.95/year
PowerDNS
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.powerdns.com/
N/A
Free for up to five domains, per email from site admin.
Prout
(2 Nov 2002)

http://www.prout.be/dns/
Domains: *.prout.be, *.dyn.prout.be
Free
N/A
Sitelutions
(2 Nov 2002)

http://www.sitelutions.com/info/sldns
N/A
Free
Static Cling
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.staticcling.org/
Domains: *.staticcling.org
Free
N/A
That IP
(2 Nov 2002)

http://www.thatip.com/
Domains: *.thatip.com
$10 for up to 5 names
$10 for up to 5 names
Turnkey Hub
(June 2011)

https://hub.turnkeylinux.org/
Domains *. TKLAPP.com
Cloud Services with Turnkey Hub, but pricing based on Amazon EC3
Free
Free
TZO Internet
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.tzo.com/
Domains: *.tzo.com, *.tzo.net, *.tzo.org, *.tzo.cc
$24.95/year
$59.95/year
$99.95/2 years
whyI
(9 Dec 2001)

http://www.whyi.org/
Domains: *.yi.org,*.whyi.org,*.weedns.com,*.b0b.org
Free
N/A
Xname
(June 2011)

http://www.xname.org/
Domains: *.xname.org
Free
N/A
Widge DNS
(3 Dec 2002)

http://dns.widge.net/
N/A
Free
World Wide DNS
(5 Dec 2001)

http://www.worldwidedns.net/
N/A
$39/year

Friday, August 10, 2012

Choosing Between Wireless and Wired Home Security System


There are many types of security devices that can be used as per an individual’s requirements. The primary classification for security systems is the wired and wireless category. Most devices in the security systems come with wired as well as wireless models. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Let us understand some basic differences that will help you to decide in favour of wireless or wired home security systems.

Differences between Wireless and Wired Home Security Systems

The most obvious and the biggest difference in both systems is that of wires. However, it is not as easy as it appears. The presence or absence of wires in a security difference makes changes in its installation, maintenance, hardware and software. Wired systems involve running a wire from the control panel individually to all the components of the security system.
Wired home security systems need an expertise in installation. A number of holes need to be drilled and a bunch of wires need adjustment without damaging the electric wires and the plumbing lines. It is best to make a pre-wiring plan when your house is still under construction. Other than additional wiring, make extra electric sockets at places that might need protection like doors, windows, staircases, etc. Install electric sockets outside your house as well.
In case, you are buying an already constructed house, it is best to take the help of a professional. You can call an electrician to do the wiring or take help from a handyman if your DIY skills can be applied. However, do not cause additional damage to your wirings in an over enthusiasm to install the system yourself. Also, opt for wired systems if you are engaging a dealer to do the job as they will in any case charge installation fees.
On the cost front, wired systems win hands down as the components are cheaper. However, installation is a very labour intensive process and needs sufficient expertise. The cost of installation is generally very high in these systems. Add to this the additional cost incurred if anything goes wrong during the wiring process. Wireless components are expensive but you can save by installing them yourself.
Wired systems are easy to maintain and easy to expand. Updating and upgrading is also easier in case of wired security systems. Wireless systems are generally restricted in terms of maintenance and become obsolete faster but they offer the latest in terms of technology. Wireless systems, though easy to install, are generally bigger in size and need to be constantly monitored for batteries.
However, is you want to have a less intrusive addition to neatly fit into your home decor, wireless devices are the best option for you. Owners of antique homes might also prefer wireless system to prevent any damage to the property. Wireless systems are also good for areas where wiring cannot be fitted easily like the lawn or external gates.
Both systems have their own advantages and disadvantages. Some people use a combination of wired and wireless devices to take the best out of both.