Student puts net surfing into top gear
January 28 2003
A computer browser that is said to at least quadruple surfing speeds on the
internet has won the top prize at an Irish exhibition for young scientists.
Adnan Osmani, 16, a student at St Finian's College in Mullingar, central
Ireland spent 18 months writing 780,000 lines of computer code to develop
the browser.
Known as "XWEBS", the system works with an ordinary internet connection
using a 56K modem on a normal telephone line.
The software was tested by scientists at University College, Dublin, and
they found it boosted surfing speeds by between 100 and 500 per cent
depending on the basic dial-up connection rate.
Adnan says a six-fold increase is about the maximum practical boost.
"At seven times, it actually crashes so I have limited it to six," he said.
Another aspect of his browser is the fact that access to certain features
of 120 internet search engines - such as music and video players - are
built in.
"It has got every single media player built in. It is the first internet
browser in the world to actually incorporate a DVD sidebar. So you can
watch a DVD movie in whatever screen size you want and browse the internet
at the same time," Adnan said.
To make the software more user friendly, it features a talking animated
figure called Phoebe.
"The character interacts the entire way through the software. It can also
read out web pages and email and I thought it would be really useful for
the blind and young children because they can't really experience the internet.
"Someone like parents or guardians can load up some webpages and it can
read out the pages to them," the young programmer said.
A number of communications and computer companies have visited Adnan's
stand at the Young Scientists exhibition in Dublin. He has patented his
invention to protect it.
"Five or six companies have approached me about it. I am keeping a lid on
it for the time being. I am just waiting until after the exhibition and
then I will try to get it all organised," he said.
He said he was still in a state of shock as he had not expected to win and
had only told three of his teachers recently about his competition entry.
"I thought I might get a good place," Adnan said.
He wants to study computer engineering at Harvard University and eventually
set up his own internet or computer company.
"Winning is a nice boost to my university application," he said.
http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/27/1043534005519.html
