Some Java news:
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 26, 1997--Dallas Semiconductor
(NYSE:DS) Tuesday announced new software development tools and demonstration programs for all iButtons to communicate over the Internet using Java-enabled browsers.
The familiar graphical interface supplied by browsers lets
anyone, regardless of platform, reach beyond the online network to a vast offline network of mobile iButtons. The Java language provides networking facilities to merge the offline iButton data carriers with the universal accessibility of the World Wide Web. Even handheld PCs' browsers can give the iButton an Internet connection using a Java applet.
Michael Bolan, vice president of product development at Dallas
Semiconductor, said, "We chose Java as the language of the iButton because it runs on any computer. It's a language that was invented in the era of the Internet rather than one created earlier that didn't foresee how computers would become part of a global network."
Bolan continued, "iButtons travel with physical objects to bring
information to the point of use. Now the Java and iButton combination gives Internet connectivity to these everyday objects."
The cornerstone of the Internet is that every online computer
has its own unique address known at its IP address. Likewise, the cornerstone of the offline network of roaming iButton data carriers is a globally unique address for each iButton so that innumerable physical objects can have a specific digital name both online and offline. With a Java-enabled browser, information can now be sent out of an online computer all the way to an iButton that then travels offline with a physical object. Those offline experiences are collected in the iButton memory to feed the Web when an online connection becomes available.
Either a thick (Windows 95) or thin (NC -- network computer)
client computer can access an iButton by running an applet. When a browser looks at that Web page, the applet is downloaded onto the client and executes on the client's system. This means the applet is using local computing resources, and all the server needs to do is serve up the page containing the applet. Java applets can interact with the user in real time and draw on native code resources to control the input/output ports.
The iButton is connected to a host UNIX workstation or a PC by
an inexpensive ($15) reader called a Blue Dot Receptor that plugs into the serial or parallel port. The user simply touches the iButton to the Blue Dot to establish communications with the host.
In the near future, chips will be worn by Internet users -- in
the form of a badge, a key fob, a ring, etc. -- to safely conduct electronic commerce. The Cryptographic iButton, a very personal computer, provides both the strong authentication and point-to-point encryption needed for the safe exchange of information with otherwise untrusted communication links, software and computers. This involves the use of mathematics to encrypt files and messages so only those with the matching keys are able to read them. The physically secure Crypto iButton provides safe long-term storage of the keys and generates uncrackable codes using 1024-bit RSA Public Key Cryptography. An open architecture release of the Crypto iButton firmware (E-commerce Version 1.01) that ensures absolute isolation for different service providers in the same iButton, is
scheduled for release in November 1997. The beta version is available now for developers.
Said Bolan, "Dallas Semiconductor has licensed Sun Microsystems'
JCE 2.0 to make Public Key Cryptography more agile and interoperable with a multitude of evolving standards being written by service providers. Dallas engineers are busy writing JCE 2.0 firmware for mid-1998 release so the Java Virtual Machine can reside in the iButton as well as the browser for seamless integration."
Dallas Semiconductor supplies the Java classes and native code
that reside on the client computer and provide an iButton-to-Java interface. Once the native code is made resident on the client machine, iButtons can send and receive information over the network.
Dallas Semiconductor designs, manufactures and markets CMOS
chips and chip-based subsystems. In its 13-year history, the company has sold its products to more than 10,000 customers worldwide. These include Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in instrumentation, factory automation, personal computers, office equipment, telecommunications, medical equipment, and mainframe computers. Chips and subsystems are sold through a direct sales force, distributors and manufacturers' representatives worldwide. The company's Web site address is wwww.dalsemi.com .
NOTE TO EDITORS: What is an iButton? The iButton is a portable information carrier about the diameter of a dime (16mm) but thicker. Armored with stainless steel, the microchip in the iButton holds up under the daily wear and tear conditions of personal possession. It can be attached to an object or worn by a person in the form of a badge, key fob, or decoder ring. The iButton is widely used for access control and cash replacement transactions. Be sure to visit ibutton.com . The Cryptographic iButton is a very personal computer that uses Public Key Cryptography to generate uncrackable codes.
Java is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems. iButton is
a registered trademark of Dallas Semiconductor. Cryptographic iButton is a registered trademark of Dallas Semiconductor. Windows 95 is a registered trademark of Microsoft. RSA is a registered trademark of RSA Data Security.
Happy Investing!
Vanni |
