Tony Travis will describe and demonstrate Ubuntu Linux as used in the EU NuGO Black Box (NBX) project, which he leads. This aims to provide an easy way to deploy a network of 'lab-scale' bioinformatics servers as web-based 'appliances' pre-loaded with useful tools. They can all be accessed either using a web browser or remote desktop login, or via SOAP-based web services. The NBX can be installed easily from CD, and uses FLOSS (Free/Libre Open Source Software).

Gavin Henry is on the Executive Council of the Open Source Consortium representing Scotland. He is also part of the OpenLDAP Engineering Team and avid FLOSS contributor.

He will discuss real life Case Studies on the use of Open Source software for SMEs and other Enterprises, aiming to reassure new users.

more information >>

This is a recorded talk given recently to the Edinburgh Branch. We shall see slides and listen to extracts, with pauses for discussion, just as we did at last year's AGM, which worked well.
Please come and support your local branch at our AGM and give us feedback on the kinds of meetings and topics you like. We are looking particularly for a new YPG(Young Professionals Group) person on the Committee.

A Lunchtime Discussion for us all led by: Chair: Prof. Peter Gray, Aberdeen Univ.,Speaker: Oliver Vowinckel, K10 Solutions

Are you pestered by Unsolicited Bulk Email (S-P-A-M)? Something like 90 Billion such emails are sent daily by professional spammers, and it makes up 80-90% of all email! It started becoming a problem in 1994 and has exploded since.

WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT? Why are law enforcement bodies apparently helpless? What went wrong with the USA CAN-SPAM law? Should there be a Charge for bulk sending? How could this be enforced? Should the SMTP sending protocol require Sender Identity checks? How much would this slow down genuine messages?

How about techy solutions? Do you know about spam-filtering techniques, or how to spot spoofing? Like a mutating virus, spammers constantly improve techniques to get past filters.

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Speaker: Prof. Chris Johnson, Dept. of Computing Science, University of Glasgow

Over the last decade, Chris has worked with several groups inside NASA to develop techniques to improve the reporting and analysis of systems failures in space missions. In this talk he will present an overview of his work and identify the risks that are associated with future mission proposals being developed both by NASA and ESA. In particular, Chris will explain why software failures and human error have combined in several recent failures and why current techniques may not be sufficient to meet the ambitious targets that are being established for future space exploration.

If there is time, Chris will also describe related work to write software to diagnose mental illness in crews during the cruise phase to Mars... and will also explain why most of these proposed programs would probably induce mental illness in any crews that had to suffer them.

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James Provan is a talented film maker that has made a name for himself publishing on You Tube. His professional looking creations have caught the eye of the U.K. media and his ideas can be seen copied on television. Find out how these videos were made and the impact they have had.

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Enter a team into the annual pub quiz.

more information and bookings>>


Photos now uploaded

This is a chance to watch video highlights of Tim Berners Lee's BCS Annual Lovelace Lecture

Although we do not have the speaker in person, this is a chance to watch interesting clips chosen by committee members, pausing to have a longer and more general discussion than we usually have.

Minutes of AGM now uploaded

Justin Lowe, Process Control Security Consultant, PA Consulting

This presentation describes the security risks facing industrial control, SCADA and automation systems and how to protect against these risks.
Through the adoption of standard open technologies and increased network connectivity these traditionally isolated mission and safety critical control systems are now at risk from attack by viruses, worms hackers and terrorists. Owing to their historic isolation security has never been a real requirement for industrial control systems. Times have changed - organisations reliant on these systems now need to ensure these systems are adequately protected against these risks.

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Presentation now uploaded

This is Russell May's return visit to Aberdeen.

Russell's talk/demonstration will start with a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation outlining the legal requirements when gathering evidence from computer storage devices, the processes involved in data recovery and the subsequent analysis of captured data and presentation to court or tribunal. He will then demonstrate a 'live' forensic networked examination and some methods that can be employed to discover deliberately hidden file content and show how, 'live' forensics can be utilised to capture volatile data when responding to network intrusion incidents.

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Presentation now uploaded

James O'Neill, Microsoft UK

After five years and a budget reckoned to have neared $10 billion, Windows Vista is here. Come and find out how Vista can help you deploy applications faster, be more secure and much more...

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Presentation now uploaded

A social evening for anyone interested in bringing together women connected in any way with IT (BCS non-members welcome), to discuss what we would like the network to do for us in addition to networking and support.

Advance bookings by 16th November, limited spaces

AJAX, an acronym coined by Jesse James Garrett, is not a language but an approach to developing web-based applications. It utilises a set of technologies to enhance user experience on the Internet by allowing further information to be gathered from the server, asynchronously, without the page having to be reloaded.

Refreshments available from 18:00

The majority of software development projects, in particular the larger more complex ones, end in failure. There has been much discussion over the best approach to adopt in order to address this issue.

Proponents of both Agile and Plan-Driven methods have put forward arguments supporting their particular preference.

* incl free buffet lunch for members. Non members welcome, cost £5 to cover lunch

booking essential