Micro
Burst
BETWEEN THE LINES
By John Klossner
APPLE ADVANCES
Corporate spending
on Macs and iPads is
projected to rise
58%
to $19 million in 2012,
suggesting that Apple
has found a place in
the enterprise.
SOURCE: FORRES TER RESEARCH
E-VOTING
U.S. Finds Flaws
In ES&S DS200
Voting Machine
OPERATING SYSTEMS
Upstart Mobile OS Tizen Previews Code
AN ALPHA RELEASE of the source code for the Tizen open-source operating system, aimed at giving Android and iOS a run for their
money, is now available for download.
Backed by Intel, Samsung and other
vendors, Tizen is a Linux-based platform. It includes an HTML5 application framework and a
customizable user interface, in addition to the
operating system. The interface, also called a
“user experience,” will be able to move among
the different devices that Tizen supports.
The software is to be included in a variety
of devices, from smartphones and tablets to
smart TVs, netbooks and in-vehicle information systems. Intel said in September that it
planned to back the project, after deciding to
cut support for the MeeGo operating system.
Tizen’s alpha release is targeted at smart-
phones and tablets, and it “runs on the PC
emulator,” according to the project’s website.
“We will have full source code for smart-
phones, tablets and additional device[s], with
a reference user experience, available in the
coming weeks and months,” the site said.
– John Ribeiro,
IDG News Service
A ballot-scanning device slated for
use in the upcoming presidential
elections misreads ballots, fails to
log critical events and is prone to
sudden lockups, the U. S. Election
Assistance Commission found.
An EAC report on the Election
Systems & Software (ES&S) DS200
Precinct Count Optical Scanner in
the Unity 3. 2.0.0 voting system cites
multiple “substantial anomalies” in
the DS200, including screen freezes, system lockups and shutdowns,
and a failure to log all normal and
abnormal system events.
For example, the 141-page
Formal Investigative Report released late last month notes that
the DS200 sometimes failed to
log events, such as a vote being
cast, when its touchscreen was
calibrated or when the system was
powered on or off.
Though the EAC concluded that
the DS200 doesn’t currently meet
federal standards, it stopped short
of decertifying the system.
Instead, the EAC issued a “notice
of noncompliance,” which gives
ES&S an opportunity to remediate
the problems.
In a statement, ES&S said it has
worked in good faith with the EAC
and contends that the flaws wouldn’t
compromise election results.
