An operation within a larger dynamic system is called a real-time operation if the combined reaction- and operation-time of a task operating on current events or input, is no longer than the maximum delay allowed, in view of circumstances outside the operation. The task must also occur before the system to be controlled becomes unstable. A real-time operation is not necessarily fast, as slow systems can allow slow real-time operations. This applies for all types of dynamically changing systems. The polar opposite of a real-time operation is a batch job with interactive timesharing falling somewhere in between the two extremes.

Alternately, a system is said to be hard real-time if the correctness of an operation depends not only upon the logical correctness of the operation but also upon the time at which it is performed. An operation performed after the deadline is, by definition, incorrect, and usually has no value. In a soft real-time system the value of an operation declines steadily after the deadline expires.

A typical example could be a computer-controlled braking system in a car. If the driver can stop a car before it hits a wall, the operation was in real-time; if the car hits the wall it was not. Many machines require real-time controllers to avoid "instability", which could lead to the accidental damage or destruction of the system, people, or objects.

More on [ Real-time ]

MarketWatch.com - MarketPulse

U.S. stock futures surge; Dow industrials up over 400 points
Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:43:30 -0000
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stock futures surge early Monday after efforts by governments around the world to guarantee bank debt and lend dollars to banks. S&P 500 futures rose 53.6 points to 944.60, Nasdaq 100 futures rose 64.25 points to 1,346.70 and Dow industrial futures rose 412 points to 8,872.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
U.K. agrees cash injections for RBS, HBOS, Lloyds TSB
Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:37:43 -0000
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- The U.K. Treasury said Monday that it's agreed to make capital investments in Royal Bank of Scotland and, upon a sucessfull merger, HBOS and Lloyds TSB totalling 37 billion pounds ($63 billion). The Treasury said it doesn't expect board members at bank supported by the recapitalization scheme to receive any cash bonus in 2008. It's also requiring banks to maintain the availability of competitively-priced lending to homeowners and has the right to appoint new independent non-executive directors.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
Royal Bank of Scotland to raise $34 billion as CEO quits
Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:26:34 -0000
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Royal Bank of Scotland said Monday that it will raise 20 billion pounds ($34 billion) through share issues as it also said its CEO Fred Goodwin will step down. The bank said it will raise 15 billion pounds through an offer of ordinary shares underwritten by the U.K. government. In addition the government will subscribe for 5 billion pounds of preference shares. Existing shareholders will be able to subscribe to the share issue and new institutional shareholders may also be permitted to subscribe. The bank said Goodwin will be replaced by Stephen Hester, currently CEO of British Land. It added that Chairman Tom McKillop will retire in April. No dividend will be paid again until the preference shares have been repaid.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

Elliott Wave International NewsWire

Government "Interventions" - A.K.A. Redefining Insanity
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:06:12 -0500
This is such a lunatic idea that I hardly know what to say about it. You may not want to buy stocks right now, I know I don't. But, if the Fed buys stocks, then whatever you and I and anybody else "wants" ceases to matter. All Americans own equities. Period. Will they have to notify all of the 110 million U.S. households about the date and location of shareholder meetings?
Euro Vs. Dollar: In a Freefall
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:17:28 -0500
You can't look at this week's action in the U.S. dollar without having your jaw drop. We've already commented on the greenback's stunning strength recently despite several major "fundamental" factors that should have sent it crashing. Here's just a quick list:
What Were You Reading at Dow 14,000?
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:43:12 -0500
Today, six years after its launch, Robert Prechter's New York Times and Amazon best-selling book, Conquer the Crash, reads like a script. Bob says, "We're about a third of the way through CTC. There are two-thirds left. There is still time for people to get ready, but not much." Here are some highlights of the story Bob foretold in Conquer the Crash.

FT.com - Commodities News and Market Data

Rush to put private commodities contracts on exchanges
Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:34:47 +0100
Commodities traders are rushing their private bilateral contracts into exchanges and clearing houses as they race to reduce their counterparty risk amid a deepening financial crisis
Fervour for commodities wanes as gains vanish
Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:03:13 +0100
Recent declines are making the case for commodities as an asset class more difficult to make (PDF)
Oil price falls below $80 a barrel
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:52:34 +0100
Nymex and key global commodities index decline 17% and 10% respectively on the week as investors sell assets on fears that the world economy was heading into recession

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