Six DIGs and one Senior DIG for Anuradhapura district and two for Polonnaruwa district have been deployed to monitor the elections.
The arrangement was discussed at a special meeting by IGP Jayantha Wickramaratne to brief the party representative on the Police security network on the Provincial Council elections.
Threats of possible LTTE attacks were also brought to the notice and instructions were issued in that regard as well, a release by the Police Headquarters said.
Four operation rooms in addition to the one in the Police Headquarters have been installed.
Mobile patrols, small riot squads, road blocks, security for polling station and also larger riot squads have been deployed, it said.
Pre and post-election security arrangements were also explained. Instructions have been issued against liquor and drug-based violence, post-election rallies or loitering on roads, it said.
Action would be taken with the Army to deal with post election violence.
Telephone numbers of high police officials were provided to contact them in case of any violence-related incidents. Such a mega security plan has to be enforced due to violence, the release said.
The Police appeal to the public to make way for a peaceful and violence-free election and equally enjoy the fruits of defeat and victory alike.
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Guidelines for voters
* Cast your vote early at the polling station mentioned in the poll card.
* Your National ID, an alternative identity document or a temporary ID issued by the Grama Niladhari is mandatory to cast your vote.
* Do not take cellular phones into the polling station
* Leave the polling station and surrounding areas immediately after voting.
* Mark a cross in front of the symbol of the party/independent group you prefer, before marking preferential votes for up to three candidates of your choice. Do not mark the preferences only without marking a party/ind. group.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Mac and PC cloud sync and mobile push
Bonjour, you have new messages
Once updates arrive at the cloud, either from MobileMe sync or from entries made directly in MobileMe web apps, the cloud pushes those updates down to any registered iPhones or iPod touches connected to the account. On Mac OS X Tiger or Leopard, Apple also triggers push updates from the cloud that should show up immediately in Address Book and iCal, or “generally within a minute” according to Apple's site.
Updates made on the Mac desktop are not immediately pushed up to the cloud unless you manually initiate a sync (or wait for the system to trigger an update sync itself). However, updates are pushed down to Leopard desktop apps, typically within around ten to fifteen seconds of making changes from the web or on the iPhone. Updates pushed to the mobile are similarly fast.
This unique desktop push feature uses the same Wide-Area Bonjour mechanism used by MobileMe's Back to My Mac for remote file and screen sharing. For this to work, the Mac desktop must first be securely registered into Apple's Dynamic DNS server by simply turning BTMM on (which happens when you install the MobileMe update, if it's not already on). This then allows the MobileMe cloud servers to target updates to the machine as required without the desktop system needing to initiate the transactions. BTMM also automatically configures an encrypted, point to point IPSec connection to secure transactions over the Internet.
Other push messaging alternatives either use an expensive mobile network to keep track of mobile devices (as RIM's BlackBerry service does), or require a team of administrators to configure and maintain a Local Area Network supplying DNS and directory services (as Exchange Server does). Exchange can not remotely update desktop client machines unless they connect to the corporate network over a VPN or dialup networking link themselves. Thanks to the automatic Wide-Area Bonjour configuration of MobileMe's BTMM, none of that is needed.
MobileMe on Windows
Apple's BTMM push updating service does not update Windows desktop apps, which must sync on a regular interval to be kept up to date with the cloud. Rather than using Microsoft's own desktop ActiveSync in Windows XP (not to be confused with Exchange Server's unrelated push messaging component of the same name), or its successor in Windows Vista, the “Windows Mobile Device Center,” Apple brought over its own sync technology, bundled within iTunes.
This is not new to MobileMe; iTunes for Windows has long provided iPod, iPhone, and .Mac data sync with Outlook on the PC. This fact didn't prevent conspiracy theorists from complaining that iTunes 7.7 was “sneaking MobileMe onto Windows” after discovering optional new sync options in the latest version of iTunes.
During the iTunes install, Apple includes a MobileMe Control Panel that behaves identically with its Mac OS X counterpart, although on Windows there is no support for syncing anything apart from calendar, contacts, and bookmarks with the MobileMe cloud (below). Again, on Windows, there is currently no support for Back to My Mac or push updates, only sync.
Once updates arrive at the cloud, either from MobileMe sync or from entries made directly in MobileMe web apps, the cloud pushes those updates down to any registered iPhones or iPod touches connected to the account. On Mac OS X Tiger or Leopard, Apple also triggers push updates from the cloud that should show up immediately in Address Book and iCal, or “generally within a minute” according to Apple's site.
Updates made on the Mac desktop are not immediately pushed up to the cloud unless you manually initiate a sync (or wait for the system to trigger an update sync itself). However, updates are pushed down to Leopard desktop apps, typically within around ten to fifteen seconds of making changes from the web or on the iPhone. Updates pushed to the mobile are similarly fast.
This unique desktop push feature uses the same Wide-Area Bonjour mechanism used by MobileMe's Back to My Mac for remote file and screen sharing. For this to work, the Mac desktop must first be securely registered into Apple's Dynamic DNS server by simply turning BTMM on (which happens when you install the MobileMe update, if it's not already on). This then allows the MobileMe cloud servers to target updates to the machine as required without the desktop system needing to initiate the transactions. BTMM also automatically configures an encrypted, point to point IPSec connection to secure transactions over the Internet.
Other push messaging alternatives either use an expensive mobile network to keep track of mobile devices (as RIM's BlackBerry service does), or require a team of administrators to configure and maintain a Local Area Network supplying DNS and directory services (as Exchange Server does). Exchange can not remotely update desktop client machines unless they connect to the corporate network over a VPN or dialup networking link themselves. Thanks to the automatic Wide-Area Bonjour configuration of MobileMe's BTMM, none of that is needed.
MobileMe on Windows
Apple's BTMM push updating service does not update Windows desktop apps, which must sync on a regular interval to be kept up to date with the cloud. Rather than using Microsoft's own desktop ActiveSync in Windows XP (not to be confused with Exchange Server's unrelated push messaging component of the same name), or its successor in Windows Vista, the “Windows Mobile Device Center,” Apple brought over its own sync technology, bundled within iTunes.
This is not new to MobileMe; iTunes for Windows has long provided iPod, iPhone, and .Mac data sync with Outlook on the PC. This fact didn't prevent conspiracy theorists from complaining that iTunes 7.7 was “sneaking MobileMe onto Windows” after discovering optional new sync options in the latest version of iTunes.
During the iTunes install, Apple includes a MobileMe Control Panel that behaves identically with its Mac OS X counterpart, although on Windows there is no support for syncing anything apart from calendar, contacts, and bookmarks with the MobileMe cloud (below). Again, on Windows, there is currently no support for Back to My Mac or push updates, only sync.
Sonnet announces 2-Port Gigabit Ethernet network adapter cards
Sonnet Technologies Inc., a provider of upgrades and accessories for Apple Mac desktop, server, and notebook computers, announced this week the introduction of the Presto Gigabit PCIe Server PCI Express network adapter card and the Presto Gigabit PCI-X Server network adapter card.
These Sonnet cards add two GbE (Gigabit Ethernet) ports to any compatible computer, offer enhanced performance through support for jumbo packet data transfers and link aggregation, and deliver improved reliability with transparent failover protection, in case a cable gets disconnected or a port fails.
Sonnet Technologies, headquartered in Irvine, California, provides local storage systems for professional users of Macintosh, Windows, and Unix systems in the film, video, and broadcast industries, Sonnet's continued success is due in part to a superior staff of engineers and personnel committed to excellence.
Since its founding in 1986, Sonnet offers product solutions that enhance the storage, performance, and connectivity of Macintosh, PC, and industry-standard computers. The company is a computer hardware upgrade company with a product line featuring a range of high-performance, cost-effective, and reliable storage solutions, as well as a variety of performance-extending upgrade cards.
Presto Gigabit PCIe Server features a native PCI Express x4 host bus interface for maximum performance in most recent computers, while Presto Gigabit PCI-X Server features a 64-bit, 133 MHz PCI-X host bus interface for maximum performance and even wider compatibility in older computers. Both Presto Gigabit Server network adapter cards deliver enhanced networking support in compatible computers and gigabit speeds over common CAT-5 cabling, so costly cable replacement is unnecessary to support the higher performance. Presto Gigabit Server network adapter cards’ 1000/100/10BaseT auto-negotiation and full/half duplex communication support allow them to be used in most networks.
The benefits of these Sonnet cards include a simple way to add two ports of GbE connectivity to any compatible computer, supports gigabit speeds on common CAT-5 cabling with no need for costly cable replacement, supports link aggregation on its own and with onboard GbE ports, and supports transparent failover. It also features full/half duplex, 1000/100/10BaseT auto-negotiation, and fast host bus interfaces for maximum performance.
The Presto Gigabit PCIe Server is compatible with Xserve (with PCI Express 1.1 slots), Mac Pro, Power Mac G5 (with PCI Express slots), Server with PCI Express slot, PC with PCI Express slot, Mac OS X Version 10.4.11+, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and Windows XP with SP2.
The Presto Gigabit PCI-X Server is compatible with Xserve (with PCI or PCI-X slots), Power Mac G5 (with PCI or PCI-X slots only), Power Mac G4 (all models except Cube), Power Macintosh G3 Server, Blue & White, Server with PCI or PCI-X slots, PC with PCI or PCI-X slots, Mac OS X Version 10.4.11+, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and Windows XP with SP2.
The Presto Gigabit PCIe Server with part number GE1000LA2X-E is available for the retail price of US$ 199.95. The Presto Gigabit PCI-X Server with part number GE1000LA2X will be available this month for the retail price of US$ 199.95.
These Sonnet cards add two GbE (Gigabit Ethernet) ports to any compatible computer, offer enhanced performance through support for jumbo packet data transfers and link aggregation, and deliver improved reliability with transparent failover protection, in case a cable gets disconnected or a port fails.
Sonnet Technologies, headquartered in Irvine, California, provides local storage systems for professional users of Macintosh, Windows, and Unix systems in the film, video, and broadcast industries, Sonnet's continued success is due in part to a superior staff of engineers and personnel committed to excellence.
Since its founding in 1986, Sonnet offers product solutions that enhance the storage, performance, and connectivity of Macintosh, PC, and industry-standard computers. The company is a computer hardware upgrade company with a product line featuring a range of high-performance, cost-effective, and reliable storage solutions, as well as a variety of performance-extending upgrade cards.
Presto Gigabit PCIe Server features a native PCI Express x4 host bus interface for maximum performance in most recent computers, while Presto Gigabit PCI-X Server features a 64-bit, 133 MHz PCI-X host bus interface for maximum performance and even wider compatibility in older computers. Both Presto Gigabit Server network adapter cards deliver enhanced networking support in compatible computers and gigabit speeds over common CAT-5 cabling, so costly cable replacement is unnecessary to support the higher performance. Presto Gigabit Server network adapter cards’ 1000/100/10BaseT auto-negotiation and full/half duplex communication support allow them to be used in most networks.
The benefits of these Sonnet cards include a simple way to add two ports of GbE connectivity to any compatible computer, supports gigabit speeds on common CAT-5 cabling with no need for costly cable replacement, supports link aggregation on its own and with onboard GbE ports, and supports transparent failover. It also features full/half duplex, 1000/100/10BaseT auto-negotiation, and fast host bus interfaces for maximum performance.
The Presto Gigabit PCIe Server is compatible with Xserve (with PCI Express 1.1 slots), Mac Pro, Power Mac G5 (with PCI Express slots), Server with PCI Express slot, PC with PCI Express slot, Mac OS X Version 10.4.11+, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and Windows XP with SP2.
The Presto Gigabit PCI-X Server is compatible with Xserve (with PCI or PCI-X slots), Power Mac G5 (with PCI or PCI-X slots only), Power Mac G4 (all models except Cube), Power Macintosh G3 Server, Blue & White, Server with PCI or PCI-X slots, PC with PCI or PCI-X slots, Mac OS X Version 10.4.11+, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and Windows XP with SP2.
The Presto Gigabit PCIe Server with part number GE1000LA2X-E is available for the retail price of US$ 199.95. The Presto Gigabit PCI-X Server with part number GE1000LA2X will be available this month for the retail price of US$ 199.95.
36,000 public servants deployed for PC polls
The Elections Secretariat will also mobilise the services of retired Government drivers to maintain the election transport network at the highest level.
Over 500 Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) who have been appointed to supervise the elections will attend a pre-election workshop at the Rajagiriya Election Secretariat from August 18-20.
Accordingly, 300 AROs will be sent from Colombo and over 200 will be sent from the outstations.
Deshapriya said that Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake had informed party Secretaries on Friday about the decisions taken by the Elections Secretariat to conduct the election in a free and fair manner.
The discussions were held with the participation of UPFA Secretary Susil Premajayantha, UNP Secretary Tissa Attanayaka, JVP Secretary Tilvin Silva and CWC Secretary R. Yogarajan. Senior DIG (Elections) Gamini Nawaratna and senior Police Officials from the NCP and Sabaragamuwa were also present.
Meanwhile a spokesman for the Elections Secretariat said in addition to the National Identity Card (NIC), voters could produce their passports, postal NICs, driving licences and railway season ticket folders to vote at the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Elections on August 23. Deshapriya said that voters could also produce their temporary NICs by the Divisional Secretariats, Bhikkhu NICs and Senior Citizen NICs, issued by the Social Services Department.
"However, we have instructed all Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) and Senior Presiding Officers at polling booths not to allow any person who does not hold an authorised identity card to vote under any circumstances". Deshapriya also said if any person or a group of people makes an attempt to vote in an irregular manner, the SPOs were instructed to seek the assistance of the police.
The Elections Secretariat has also instructed officials manning polling booths to retain the temporary issued NICs in their custody after the voters cast their vote.
Over 500 Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) who have been appointed to supervise the elections will attend a pre-election workshop at the Rajagiriya Election Secretariat from August 18-20.
Accordingly, 300 AROs will be sent from Colombo and over 200 will be sent from the outstations.
Deshapriya said that Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake had informed party Secretaries on Friday about the decisions taken by the Elections Secretariat to conduct the election in a free and fair manner.
The discussions were held with the participation of UPFA Secretary Susil Premajayantha, UNP Secretary Tissa Attanayaka, JVP Secretary Tilvin Silva and CWC Secretary R. Yogarajan. Senior DIG (Elections) Gamini Nawaratna and senior Police Officials from the NCP and Sabaragamuwa were also present.
Meanwhile a spokesman for the Elections Secretariat said in addition to the National Identity Card (NIC), voters could produce their passports, postal NICs, driving licences and railway season ticket folders to vote at the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Elections on August 23. Deshapriya said that voters could also produce their temporary NICs by the Divisional Secretariats, Bhikkhu NICs and Senior Citizen NICs, issued by the Social Services Department.
"However, we have instructed all Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) and Senior Presiding Officers at polling booths not to allow any person who does not hold an authorised identity card to vote under any circumstances". Deshapriya also said if any person or a group of people makes an attempt to vote in an irregular manner, the SPOs were instructed to seek the assistance of the police.
The Elections Secretariat has also instructed officials manning polling booths to retain the temporary issued NICs in their custody after the voters cast their vote.
SIMI network in many States exposed
The July 26 serial bomb blasts here that killed 53 people and injured over 200 were carried out by SIMI activists from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka with local support from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Broach.
Gujarat Director-General of Police P.C. Pandey told journalists here on Saturday that so far the police had not been able to establish the militants’ direct links with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba or the Bangladesh-based HUJI. “But we all know that somewhere at the top the local terror groups are actively linked with the LeT, HUJI as well as Pakistan’s ISI. It is only a matter of time before the external hand behind the bomb blasts in Ahmedabad and possibly some other parts of the country is established,” he said.
Besides Mr. Pandey, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner O.P. Mathur, Vadodara Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana and Crime Branch Joint Police Commissioner Ashish Bhatia, who played an active role in cracking the entire terror network, were present at the press conference.
Mr. Pandey and Mr. Bhatia said the arrest of Javed Sheikh, a resident of Juhapura locality in the city, led to the arrest of eight more, four each in Ahmedabad and Vadodara, who were actively involved in the planning, and execution of the serial blasts in Ahmedabad and the planting of bombs in Surat.
Saturday’s arrest of Abul Bashar Qasmi, the mastermind behind the Ahmedabad blasts, from his native village in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, was expected to facilitate the arrests of several others known to be involved.
He said the “Indian Mujahideen,” in whose name the warning e-mail was sent minutes before the Ahmedabad serial blasts, was nothing but another name of the SIMI. After the SIMI was banned, its activists were operating under the name of Indian Mujahideen and were mainly carrying out bomb blasts, kidnapping or hijacking to get some of its key leaders released.
Mr. Bhatia said the planning for the Ahmedabad blasts and in some other centres started in Kerala, where a secret training camp was organised in the Wagamon forests last December.
The camp was attended by about 50 youth members of the SIMI from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, U.P., Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka and some other States. In the four-day camp, the participants were given preliminary training in rock climbing, map reading, air pistol firing, guerilla warfare and other such activities. They were also trained in misleading the police, and in raising a hue and cry over human rights violations in case of arrests and other fringe issues. Among the leaders who delivered fiery “jehadi” speeches to instigate youth to terror activities were Safdar Nagori, who was arrested in Indore in March, and Karimuddin Nagori.
After the Kerala camp, Safdar, Karimuddin and Hafiz Hussain visited Ahmedabad and Vadodara to net in more young SIMI activists in the State. Another training camp, mainly to train the youth participants from Gujarat to participate in terror operations, was held in the Pavagadh hills in Halol, about 50 km from Vadodara, in January this year. After the arrest of Safdar Nagori in March, Mufti Abu Bashir, Vadodara-based Kayamuddin, and a Mumbai-based top official of a software company, all SIMI activists, took charge.
Gujarat Director-General of Police P.C. Pandey told journalists here on Saturday that so far the police had not been able to establish the militants’ direct links with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba or the Bangladesh-based HUJI. “But we all know that somewhere at the top the local terror groups are actively linked with the LeT, HUJI as well as Pakistan’s ISI. It is only a matter of time before the external hand behind the bomb blasts in Ahmedabad and possibly some other parts of the country is established,” he said.
Besides Mr. Pandey, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner O.P. Mathur, Vadodara Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana and Crime Branch Joint Police Commissioner Ashish Bhatia, who played an active role in cracking the entire terror network, were present at the press conference.
Mr. Pandey and Mr. Bhatia said the arrest of Javed Sheikh, a resident of Juhapura locality in the city, led to the arrest of eight more, four each in Ahmedabad and Vadodara, who were actively involved in the planning, and execution of the serial blasts in Ahmedabad and the planting of bombs in Surat.
Saturday’s arrest of Abul Bashar Qasmi, the mastermind behind the Ahmedabad blasts, from his native village in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, was expected to facilitate the arrests of several others known to be involved.
He said the “Indian Mujahideen,” in whose name the warning e-mail was sent minutes before the Ahmedabad serial blasts, was nothing but another name of the SIMI. After the SIMI was banned, its activists were operating under the name of Indian Mujahideen and were mainly carrying out bomb blasts, kidnapping or hijacking to get some of its key leaders released.
Mr. Bhatia said the planning for the Ahmedabad blasts and in some other centres started in Kerala, where a secret training camp was organised in the Wagamon forests last December.
The camp was attended by about 50 youth members of the SIMI from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, U.P., Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka and some other States. In the four-day camp, the participants were given preliminary training in rock climbing, map reading, air pistol firing, guerilla warfare and other such activities. They were also trained in misleading the police, and in raising a hue and cry over human rights violations in case of arrests and other fringe issues. Among the leaders who delivered fiery “jehadi” speeches to instigate youth to terror activities were Safdar Nagori, who was arrested in Indore in March, and Karimuddin Nagori.
After the Kerala camp, Safdar, Karimuddin and Hafiz Hussain visited Ahmedabad and Vadodara to net in more young SIMI activists in the State. Another training camp, mainly to train the youth participants from Gujarat to participate in terror operations, was held in the Pavagadh hills in Halol, about 50 km from Vadodara, in January this year. After the arrest of Safdar Nagori in March, Mufti Abu Bashir, Vadodara-based Kayamuddin, and a Mumbai-based top official of a software company, all SIMI activists, took charge.
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