Agnostos Theos

THEOS

2012-02-08T22:43:00.001-08:00

THEOS, which transcribes to "God" in Greek, is an operating system which started out as OASIS, a microcomputer operating system for small computers that use the Z80 processor. Originally written in the late 1970s by Timothy S. Williams as a low-cost alternative to the more expensive mini- and mainframe- computers that were popular in the day, OASIS provided time-sharing multiuser facilities to allow several users to utilise the resources of one computer. Similar in concept to MP/M or UNIX, THEOS uses external device drivers rather than a kernel, allowing it to be more portable to other environments, though support has been primarily directed towards industry-standard hardware (i.e. PC's). THEOS is specifically aimed at small business users, with a wide range of vertical-market applications packages being developed and supported by individuals and companies.

The languages distributed with THEOS include THEOS Multi-User Basic and C. A powerful EXEC shell language can be used for task automation or to produce a turnkey system.

When the operating system was launched for the IBM Personal Computer/AT in 1982, the decision was taken to change the name from OASIS to THEOS, short for THE Operating System.

A number of security features exist, including dynamic passwords (where the password includes part of the date or time, or client IP address, or other dynamic elements), allow/deny security, a comprehensive inbound and outbound firewall, and an option to require a certain level of encryption in the workstation connection. In addition, the object file format is proprietary, and the operating system uses Intel "protected mode" to further increase defence against buffer over-run attacks.

THEOS was introduced in Europe by Fujitsu and other hardware manufacturers 30 years ago, and is distributed by a number of distributors in Great Britain, Spain, Portgual, Germany, Italy and more. The 'current' version is THEOS Corona Commercial Release 6, which was released in December 2008, and a number of updates have been released since that time. The current Windows Workstation Client (as of May 2009) is version 3.16 from July 2003.

Anatinae

2011-12-15T23:33:00.000-08:00

The Anatinae is a subfamily of the family Anatidae (swans, geese and ducks). Its surviving members are the dabbling ducks, which feed mainly at the surface rather than by diving. The other members of the Anatinae are the extinct moa-nalo, a young but highly apomorphic lineage derived from the dabbling ducks.

There has been much debate about the dabbling ducks' systematical status and what ducks belong to the Anatinae. As understood here, the subfamily contains only the dabbling ducks and their close relatives, the extinct moa-nalos. Alternatively, the Anatinae are considered to include most "ducks" and the dabbling ducks form a tribe Anatini within these. The classification as presented here more appropriately reflects the remaining uncertainty about the interrelationships of the major lineages of Anatidae (waterfowl).

Garganey

2011-07-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

The Garganey, Anas querquedula, is a small dabbling duck. It breeds in much of Europe and western Asia, but is strictly migratory, with the entire population moving to southern Africa and Australasia in winter, where large flocks can occur. This species was first described by Linnaeus in 1758 under its current scientific name. Like other small ducks such as the Common Teal, this species rises easily from the water with a fast twisting wader-like flight.

Their breeding habitat is grassland adjacent to shallow marshes and steppe lakes.