Software testing is the process used to help identify the correctness, completeness, security and quality of developed computer software.Testing is a process of executing a program or application in the intent of finding errors. With that in mind, testing can never completely establish the correctness of arbitrary computer software. In other words, testing is criticism or comparison, that is comparing the actual value with an expected one.

There are many approaches to software testing, but effective testing of complex products is essentially a process of investigation, not merely a matter of creating and following rote procedure. One definition of testing is "the process of questioning a product in order to evaluate it", where the "questions" are things the tester tries to do with the product, and the product answers with its behavior in reaction to the probing of the tester. Although most of the intellectual processes of testing are nearly identical to that of review or inspection, the word testing is connoted to mean the dynamic analysis of the product—putting the product through its paces. The quality of the application can, and normally does, vary widely from system to system but some of the common quality attributes include reliability, stability, portability, maintainability and usability.A good test is the one which finds an as yet undiscovered error. Refer to the ISO standard ISO 9126 for a more complete list of attributes and criteria.

Introduction

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In general, software engineers distinguish software faults from software failures. In case of a failure, the software does not do what the user expects. A fault is a programming error that may or may not actually manifest as a failure. A fault can also be described as an error in the correctness of the semantic of a computer program. A fault will become a failure if the exact computation conditions are met, one of them being that the faulty portion of computer software executes on the CPU . A fault can also turn into a failure when the software is ported to a different hardware platform or a different compiler, or when the software gets extended.

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Intel Touches on Mobility, Notebook Security at IDF
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:20:06 -0400
While most of the 2008 Intel Developer Forum focused on Intel processors that will use the upcoming Nehalem microarchitecture, part of the forum also looked ahead to what Intel would offer for both laptops and notebook security. Intel also introduced its first quad-core processors for laptops called the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 and the Core 2 Quad Q9100. Intel is also expected to offer an anti-theft device for notebooks. - SAN FRANCISCO While the majority of the 2008 Intel Developer Forum here has focused on Intels Nehalem microarchitecture, the chip makers top executives also took time to emphasize Intels focus on consumer and business notebooks. During his keynote address Aug. 19, Dadi Perlmutter, an Intel executi...
Intel Shines Spotlight on Upcoming Nehalem Processors
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:51:50 -0400
At the Intel Developer Forum, Intel's top executives focused on an upcoming series of Intel processors built on the new Nehalem microarchitecture, which will scale up from two to eight processing cores. These new Intel processors, which will eventually find their way into servers, notebooks and desktops, add new power management and virtualization capabilities. The Intel processors will also offer an integrated memory controller, which will rival what AMD has offered with its Opteron processors. - SAN FRANCISCO Intel lifted the curtain a little more on its upcoming lineup of processors based on the quot;Nehalem quot; microarchitecture, which will include new power management features and enhanced capabilities for virtualization. While the chip maker held back some critical information on...
Intel Unveils Its First Solid-State SATA Storage Drives
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:31:22 -0400
Intel has been putting a great deal of R D into developing flash memory SSDs that will withstand the rigors of 24/7 data center server usage, heavy-duty client/server desktop and laptop use, and embedded applications. Intel is convinced that it has added enough storage capacity up to 160GB on these SSDs to more than handle enterprise duty. - SAN FRANCISCO Intel has been developing solid-state flash memory processors for as long as flash has been around (20 years). But only on Aug. 19 at the Intel Developer Forum here did the world's largest chip maker announce its first-ever flash-based SATA drives for data storage. Intel's High...
Judge Backs Hackers in Boston Subway Dispute
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:47:18 -0400
Three students from MIT who found a way to hack into Boston's transit system to get free rides can talk publicly about the security flaw, a judge rules Aug. 19. The MIT students raised the ire of the MBTA with a paper demonstrating how someone could work around flaws in Boston's Charlie Card automated fare system. The MIT students had planned to present the paper, which showed how anyone could take thousands of free rides on subways and buses, at the Defcon hackers conference in Las Vegas earlier in August. - BOSTON (Reuters) Three students from the elite Massachusetts Institute of Technology who found a way to hack into Boston's transit system to get free rides can talk publicly about the security flaw, a court ruled on Tuesday in a decision hailed as a victory for academic freedom. The students fr...
SEC Drops EDGAR for IDEA Database
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:42:43 -0400
EDGAR, the computer database for filing documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, is giving way to a new system that aims to let investors more easily analyze corporate reports and other financial information. SEC Chairman Christopher Cox unveiled IDEA, short for Interactive Data Electronic Applications, saying it would give investors faster, more accurate and more useful information about public companies and mutual funds. - WASHINGTON (Reuters) EDGAR, the computer database for filing documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, is giving way to a new system that aims to let investors more easily analyze corporate reports and other financial information. SEC Chairman Christopher Cox unveiled IDEA, sho...
HP Profit Rises on Overseas Sales of Desktop and Laptop Computer and Printers
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:35:59 -0400
Hewlett-Packard, the world's biggest desktop and laptop computer maker, reports higher quarterly profit Aug. 19 on solid international sales in its desktop and laptop computer and printer businesses, which overcame pockets of weak technology spending. HP's revenue from outside the United States counted for 68 percent of the total. HP and other desktop and laptop PC makers, such as Dell, Lenovo and Acer, have been depending on strong overseas growth as U.S. performance has lagged because of wider economic troubles. - SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 19 (Reuters) Hewlett-Packard Co results beat Wall Street targets, overcoming fears that slowing global economies and a stronger dollar would substantially weaken the world's biggest computer and printer maker. Shares rose 3.2 percent in after-hours trading on Tuesday afte...

The Seattle Times: Business & Technology

Retailers' profit reports reflect stress on consumers
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
From affluent shoppers at Saks to bargain-hunters at Target, from Home Depot to office supplier Staples, consumers are pulling back and...
Wholesale prices rising at fastest pace since 1981
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Wholesale inflation surged in July, leaving prices for the past year rising at the fastest pace in 27 years, according to government data...
CellCyte stops paying its remaining employees
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:04:06 -0700
CellCyte Genetics has fired some employees and stopped paying salaries to those who remain, the Bothell-based stem cell research company said Tuesday.

NYT > Technology

Overseas Sales Help Hewlett-Packard
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:01:19 -0000
The world’s biggest computer maker reported a higher quarterly profit on strong international sales in its notebook computer and printer businesses.
Bits: Four Reasons Our Printers Are Getting Dusty
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:13:10 -0000
Consumer printer sales are flat. Are home printers just not as necessary any more?
Verizon’s FiOS: A Smart Bet or a Big Mistake?
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:53:01 -0000
As Verizon begins to roll out FiOS in its hometown, New York, the company argues that the service is proving to be more successful than it promised when it started the project.

CNN.com - Technology

Coming soon: 'wallet phones' from Japan
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:43:23 -0400
Read full story for latest details.
Experts: video games can help kids learn
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:42:50 -0400
Read full story for latest details.
U.S. at risk of cyberattacks, experts say
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:47:55 -0400
The next military or terrorist attack on the United States may be carried out in cyberspace by shadowy hackers half a world a way. Experts say last week's computer attacks on the former Soviet republic of Georgia signal a new kind of cyberwar for which the U.S. is not fully prepared.

NPR Topics: Technology

'Marketplace' Report: Fun Gadgets In Rough Times
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:00:00 -0400
Rather than going out in the evenings, Americans appear to be spending time and money on new gadgets. The U.S. government says consumer electronic sales were up 4.8 percent in July.
Clockwatcher Explains Phelps' Win
Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:00:00 -0400
Michael Phelps won his record-tying seventh gold medal by a fraction of a fingernail, just 0.01 second. Even when you study the photos and the video, it's tough to tell who came in first. Christophe Berthaud, the director of Olympic timekeeping for Omega, the official timekeeper at the games, explains the system used to time swimmers.
Guerrilla Ad Campaign Pushes Boundaries
Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:25:00 -0400
Troy Hitch talks about You Suck at Photoshop, a hit series of Web videos created to explore viral marketing concepts. Hitch is the creative director for the agency Big Fat Brain.

BBC News | Technology | UK Edition

Game sharers face legal crackdown
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:05:19 -0000
Thousands of video game pirates could face legal action after a developer wins damages from a file-sharer.
Call to tackle UK business waste
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000
The government should do more to curb waste using tax as an incentive, a House of Lords committee has said.
Intel cites US education 'crisis'
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:09:35 -0000
Intel's chairman tells developers a better education system is vital to the economic well-being and future of the US.

Reuters Video: Technology

A fix for iPhone?
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:50:25 -0400
Aug 19 - Apple releases a software update for its new IPhone 3G
Alternatives to Google
Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:49:06 -0400
Aug 15 - New search engines try to provide better answers to online queries by using humans or different technology to vet information.
Reuters Technology Week
Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:55:30 -0400
Aug. 15 - Le disposable cell phone, the Sphinx's facelift, and Sesame Street.org goes live action.

AP Top Technology News At 11:40 p.m. EDT

Hewlett-Packard 3Q profit jumps 14 pct
By JORDAN ROBERTSON Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:50:04 -0000
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Hewlett-Packard Co.'s fiscal third-quarter profit jumped 14 percent, beating Wall Street's expectations, as strong laptop sales and a robust international presence lifted the technology bellwether....
Intel unveils new chip design to challenge AMD
By JORDAN ROBERTSON Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:33:48 -0000
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Intel Corp. cracked the lid Tuesday on a new chip design that is at once a big challenge to smaller rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and an admission that AMD nailed a key design feature before it slipped into a severe financial slump....
Apple releases fix for iPhone 3G connectivity woes
By JESSICA MINTZ Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:37:17 -0000
SEATTLE (AP) -- Apple Inc. has released an iPhone software update it says improves communication between the smart phone and wireless networks....

CNET News.com

Salesforce broadens platform with call center buy
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:01:00 -0700
The company acquires InStranet, a call center software provider, and plans a new offering for its software-as-a-service platform.
Intel plans to deliver Atom processor next month
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:15:00 -0700
Chipmaker reveals during the Intel Developer Forum that it is set to deliver the new power-efficient mobile processor next month.
Google outpaces search market growth
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:02:00 -0700
In July, U.S. searches rose 3 percent to 8 billion over the last year, according to Nielsen. But Google's searches in the U.S. increased faster at 16 percent.

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