Tech

Altibase Open-Sourced its Sharding Technology to Offer High-Scalability to big Enterprises

Published

6 years ago

July 22, 2019

Altibase announced about open-sourcing of sharding, a scale-out technology it offers. Paul Nahm, Altibase chairman shared that sharding has a unique design, adoptability, and cost-effectiveness, which is why it is a technological breakthrough. He said that Altibase open-sourced its sharding technology to ensure high scalability which is not the case with other relational databases.

Richard Nahm, the CMO of Altibase, added that due to the increasing data size of enterprises, it has become imperative for them to reduce the IT expenditures by ensuring high scalability. He also said that every database should provide a facility for increasing scalability in the time of big data and cloud computing.

Usually, sharding technologies requires coordinators which manage and administer the nodes between servers. However, the coordinators themselves reduce the performance of the entire system by acting as a bottleneck. But Altibase’s sharding technology solves this problem as it has been designed in such a fashion to reduce the use of coordinators to a large extent. This prevents the deterioration of a system’s performance which helps to speed-up its performance. This allows the users to add any number of servers as per the need without deteriorating the performance due to coordinators.

With the use of Altibase’s sharding technology, it has become possible for big enterprises to scale out their systems at a reasonable cost. This simply prevents the need to buy expensive and high-end servers to handle big data, said Paul Nahm. Various major enterprises have been adopting Altibase’s sharding technology and its popularity has increased significantly since Altibase made it available as an open-source technology.

Tech

How iAsk Visual Search Captures and Delivers Detailed Insights from the World You See

Published

2 weeks ago

December 19, 2025

Michelle Langton

Photo Courtesy of: iAsk.ai

Byline: Shem Albert

There are moments when the world around you sparks curiosity, yet you do not even know the word for what you are seeing. You describe it in painstaking detail, type and retype, scroll through search results, hoping something matches. Minutes pass, sometimes longer, just to uncover a simple answer. That experience of encountering something unfamiliar and struggling to put it into words is all too common, yet often goes unnoticed. With a single photo, however, everything changes. iAsk Visual Search bridges that gap. Suddenly, the mystery becomes an opportunity to learn, experiment, or act in the moment.

Turning Discovery into Action

Using iAsk Visual Search is simple, yet the possibilities it opens up are immediate. You open the app and snap a photo of the object, diagram, or scene that has caught your attention. Instantly, the app identifies what it sees and provides context, turning a moment of curiosity into a starting point for exploration. From there, you can ask follow-up questions to dig deeper, consider alternatives, or uncover how something works in practical terms.

This goes far beyond basic identification. Where traditional image recognition might simply name an object or offer a brief description, iAsk lets you continue the conversation. It remembers the image, so you can explore multiple layers of information without starting over. What begins as a single observation quickly expands into actionable insights you can apply immediately.

Real-World Applications in Everyday Life

The real test of significance for iAsk Visual Search is how it is used in a user’s everyday life. Novice cooks and experienced chefs can rely on it to identify an unfamiliar ingredient and ask follow-up questions, such as preparation tips, cooking methods, or possible substitutions. Users can experiment with complementary flavors or adapt recipes based on what is available in their pantry, reducing hesitation and encouraging culinary creativity.

A quick snapshot of a street sign, menu, or product label in a foreign language is another way iAsk Visual Search supports everyday tasks. Users can ask follow-up questions to clarify translations, understand cultural context, or receive practical guidance. This enables individuals to navigate unfamiliar environments with confidence and ease.

These examples illustrate how iAsk Visual Search can become a versatile companion in daily life. It can serve as a travel guide, a study aid, or a creative assistant. Artists, crafters, and curious hobbyists can explore materials, techniques, or designs with guidance that is immediate and interactive. Each interaction transforms curiosity into tangible results, empowering users to act on the knowledge they gain instantly.

A Tool That Stands Apart

iAsk Visual Search stands out for its interactive, context-sensitive design. Users can maintain an ongoing dialogue with the app, exploring details without losing sight of the original image. This makes it possible to investigate complex subjects and adapt the information to specific tasks.

Privacy and accessibility are central to the experience. Images are not stored, personal data is not tracked, and there are no ads to interrupt the workflow. The app is available across multiple platforms without subscription barriers, making it accessible to students, parents, hobbyists, and professionals alike.

Curiosity Translated into Results

iAsk Visual Search turns a simple photo into an understanding you can act on. Whether it’s decoding a diagram, identifying an object, or untangling a confusing concept, a snapshot instantly delivers context, explanations, and next steps. It doesn’t just show you — it teaches you, guiding each discovery into something useful.

Every question becomes a chance to learn, explore, or create. From the kitchen to the classroom, the trailhead to the studio, iAsk makes the world clearer and curiosity immediately productive.

Snap. Ask. Learn. Then act. The answers are there. All you need to do is iAsk.