Technology Terms
102 flashcards by MentisLibrary
Everyday technology explained without jargon: processors and storage, how networks and the web actually work, security and privacy, cloud software, artificial intelligence, mobile and wireless, displays and media formats, for general readers.
- What is WiFi?
- A standard for connecting devices to a network by radio over short distances.
- What is Bluetooth?
- A short-range wireless standard for connecting devices directly to each other.
- What is a server?
- A computer, or program, that provides data or services to other computers on request.
- What is bandwidth?
- The maximum rate at which data can move across a connection, usually measured in megabits per second.
- What is encryption?
- Scrambling data with a key so that only someone holding the right key can read it.
- What is a firewall?
- A system that inspects network traffic and blocks anything that does not match its rules.
- What is malware?
- Any software written to damage, disrupt or gain unauthorised access to a system.
- What is phishing?
- A fraudulent message that imitates a trusted sender to trick someone into revealing credentials or installing malware.
- What is spam?
- Unsolicited bulk messages, usually advertising, sent to large numbers of recipients.
- What is RAM?
- Fast temporary memory that holds the data and programs currently in use, and empties when power is lost.
- What is ROM?
- Memory whose contents are written once and then only read, and which survives a power cut.
- What is an operating system?
- The software that manages a computer's hardware and resources and provides the environment applications run in.
- What is 5G?
- The fifth generation of mobile network technology, offering higher speeds, lower latency and more simultaneous connections.
- What is cryptocurrency?
- Digital money recorded on a blockchain rather than issued by a central bank.
- What is virtual reality?
- A computer-generated environment that replaces what you see and hear, usually through a headset.
- What is augmented reality?
- Technology that overlays computer-generated information on your view of the real world.
- What is a pixel?
- The smallest addressable element of a digital image or display, holding a single colour value.
- What is a CPU?
- The main processor that carries out a computer's instructions, doing the arithmetic, logic and control work.
- What is a GPU?
- A processor built to run thousands of simple calculations at once, originally for drawing graphics.
- What is an SSD?
- A storage drive that keeps data in flash memory chips, with no moving parts.
- What is an HDD?
- A storage drive that records data magnetically on spinning platters read by a moving head.
- What is a motherboard?
- The main circuit board that connects the processor, memory, storage and expansion cards and lets them communicate.
- What is a processor core?
- An independent processing unit inside a CPU, able to execute its own stream of instructions.
- What is clock speed?
- The rate at which a processor steps through its cycles, measured in gigahertz.
- What is USB?
- A standard for connecting devices and supplying power over a single cable.
- What is HDMI?
- A cable standard that carries high-definition video and audio over one connection.
- What is firmware?
- Low-level software stored on a device that controls the hardware itself, sitting between the hardware and the operating system.
- What is a bit?
- The smallest unit of digital information, holding either a zero or a one.
- What is a byte?
- A group of eight bits, the standard unit for measuring file size and storage.
- How do kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes relate?
- Each step multiplies by about a thousand: a thousand bytes make a kilobyte, a thousand of those a megabyte, and so on.