Technology Now Chapter 1 – Flashcards
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Abacus
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A manual counting device that people used to add, subtract, multiply, and divide by moving beads along parallel rods.
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Address bus
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An electronic channel that transfers information to the CPU about where data exists in memory. See also Data bus.
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All-in-one desktop
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A desktop computer that combines the system unit with the monitor so the computer is a single unit.
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Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
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The part of the CPU that performs arithmetic operations, such as addition and subtraction, and comparison operations, such as comparing two numbers to see if they are the same. The ALU temporarily holds data, such as two numbers to add, in registers, or small storage locations within the CPU.
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ASCII
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An eight-bit coding scheme, with a binary code representing each uppercase letter, lowercase letter, mathematical operator, and logical operation.
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Benchmark
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A test run by a laboratory or other organization to determine processor speed and other computer performance factors.
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Binary number system
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A number system consisting of only two digits: 0 and 1.
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Biometric input device
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A data collection machine that creates a digital imprint of a physical characteristic and then transfers that information to a host system for review.
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Biometric technology
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A system that analyzes a person's unique physical characteristics, such as fingerprints or voice patterns, to confirm identity and grant access to restricted spaces or computer systems.
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BIOS
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The basic input/output system, which includes the instructions for starting a computer as it performs the power-on self-test (POST). See also Power-on self-test (POST).
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Bit
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Short for binary digit, the smallest unit of information handled by a computer and the basis of today's computer processing. A bit can have the value of 0 or 1.
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Boot
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To start a computer.
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Bus
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An electronic channel that allows the CPU and various devices inside or attached to a computer to communicate.
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Bus width
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A characteristic of a bus that determines the speed at which data travels. Bus width is measured in bits.
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Byte
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A group of 8 bits used in digital electronics to measure digital storage capacity; a byte can represent a letter, symbol, or number.
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Cache
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A storage space for recently or frequently used data that is quick and easy to access.
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Central processing unit (CPU)
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An integrated circuit that processes all computer instructions and makes it possible to operate a computer. Also called microprocessor. See also processor.
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Chip
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A set of electronic circuits on one small plate of semiconductor material such as silicon.
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Circuit board
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A thin rigid board containing an electric circuit.
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Clock speed
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The speed of the processor clock, which sets how fast the CPU executes instructions.
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Closed caption
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A subtitle that displays the text version of spoken words in a video or other presentation.
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Cloud storage
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A way of storing data remotely over the Internet. See also online storage.
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Control unit
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The part of a CPU that directs the flow of instructions throughout the processor.
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Convertible tablet
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A computer on which the display screen is attached by a hinge and can be opened like a laptop or used flat like a slate tablet.
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Core
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A processor unit in a CPU.
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Cycle
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The smallest unit of time a computer process can measure.
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Data bus
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An electronic channel that transfers data to the CPU. See also Address bus.
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Desktop computer
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A personal computer that consists of a system unit, a monitor, a keyboard, and a pointing device such as a mouse.
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Digital pen
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An input device that lets you write or draw on a tablet PC by pressing and dragging the tip of the pen on the screen and can include an electronic eraser or programmable buttons.
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Drag
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To use a pointing device to move a digital object on the screen.
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Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
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An inexpensive type of RAM that needs to be recharged constantly or it loses its data. See also Static RAM (SRAM) and Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM).
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Earbud
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A type of headphone providing speakers small enough to place in the ear.
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Electrically erasable programmable memory (EEPROM)
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A type of programmable memory that can be programmed more than once.
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External hard drive
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A hard drive residing in its own case and designed to be used outside of a computer's system unit; typically connects to a computer through a USB port and uses solid state storage technology.
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Facial recognition system
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A biometric input device that scans a person's face and then provides the scan to a database for identification.
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Fingerprint reader
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A biometric input device that scans a person's fingerprint and then provides the scan to a database for identification.
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Firmware
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Instructions stored on a ROM chip.
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Flash memory
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A type of programmable memory that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. Flash memory is faster and cheaper than traditional EEPROM. See also Electrically erasable programmable memory (EEPROM).
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Function key
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A key you press to enter a command.
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Game controller
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An input device used to control game interactions. Examples include joysticks, wheels, and gamepads, and devices that look like a steering wheel, a guitar, a TV remote, or many other forms.
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Gamepad
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A handheld console with buttons and other input mechanisms you typically press with your thumbs to play a game.
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Gesture
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A motion made to enter a command.
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Gigahertz (GHz)
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One billion cycles per second.
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Hard disk
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The main storage medium on a personal computer.
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Hard drive
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A storage device containing the hard disk.
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Headphone
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A device with a pair of earphones joined by a band placed over the head; designed for listening to audio output such as music or speech.
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Headset
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A device that includes one or more headphones (for output) and a microphone (for input).
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High definition multimedia interface (HDMI)
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A port used for used for transferring digital video and audio data.
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Ink-jet printer
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A type of printer that produces output by spraying small dots of colored ink onto paper.
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Integrated circuit
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A set of electronic circuits on a small plate of semiconductor material such as silicon.
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Internet control key
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A key on a physical keyboard that lets you access Web sites, Web pages, or perform other activities on the Internet.
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Joystick
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An input device in the form of a vertical stick or lever that pivots in a 360 degree range of motion and is used as a game controller. See also Game controller.
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Keyboard
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An input device used by pressing keys for letters, numbers, and symbols to enter data into the computer.
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Laptop
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A lightweight, small, and portable computer that can run on a rechargeable battery and includes the system unit, the monitor, and the keyboard in a foldable case.
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Laser mouse
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An optical mouse that uses laser light.
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Laser printer
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A type of printer that uses a laser beam and toner to print on paper.
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Level 1 (L1) cache
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A type of processor cache built into the processor chip; the CPU can retrieve data from the L1 cache faster than it can from other caches.
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Level 2 (L2) cache
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A type of processor cache built into the processor chip, though not as close to the core as the L1 cache.
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Level 3 (L3) cache
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A type of processor cache residing on a chip separate from the processor.
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Light-emitting diode (LED)
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A light source that emits infrared or visible light when charged with an electric current.
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Liquid crystal display (LCD)
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A visual display technology in which a layer of a liquid crystal is sandwiched between two transparent electrodes.
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Machine cycle
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The four-step process that every instruction to the computer goes through in the CPU to fetch, decode, execute, and store data.
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Magnetic hard drive
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A storage device made up of one or more disks (or platters) that spin on a spindle, and read/write heads that move over the surface of the disks to save and retrieve data. The disks use magnetized particles to store data as bits.
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Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM)
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A type of RAM that uses magnetic charges instead of electrical charges to store data and has greater storage capacity and uses less power than other forms of RAM. See also Dynamic RAM (DRAM) and Static RAM (SRAM).
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Mechanical mouse
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A mouse with moving parts.
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Media control key
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A key that lets you play, pause, stop, rewind, and fast forward through digital music or a video.
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Megahertz (MHz)
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One million cycles per second.
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Memory chip
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A small circuit board that slides into a slot on the motherboard and contains RAM.
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Memory module
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A small circuit board that slides into a slot on the motherboard and contains RAM.
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Microphone
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An input device you use to enter voice or other sounds into a computer.
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Microprocessor
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An integrated circuit that processes all the instructions that make it possible to operate a computer.
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MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
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A system for creating and storing synthesized music; MIDI files do not contain sound, but instead contain instructions for generating specific sounds, including pitch, volume, and note duration.
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Mobile device
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A portable computer that weighs up to 2 pounds and can accept input through a touch screen, voice, or keyboard.
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Mobile printer
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A small, lightweight printer that you can attach to a mobile device for on-the-go printing.
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Monitor
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An output device that includes a screen and displays the operating system and the software applications on a computer.
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Motherboard
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The main circuit board that houses much of a computer's electronics.
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Mouse
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A pointing device that fits under your hand. As you move the mouse, its movements are mirrored by the pointer on the screen. You click a mouse button to enter a command.
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Multicore processor
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A processor containing more than one core, making it faster and more powerful than a single-core processor.
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Multifunction device (MFD)
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A device that can function as an input device by copying and scanning documents and as an output device by sending faxes and printing. Also called an all-in-one printer.
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Navigation keypad
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The part of a keyboard that lets you move around a document and scroll up and down.
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Nonvolatile
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A characteristic of memory that keeps its contents even if the computer is powered off.
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Notebook
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A laptop computer that weighs less than 6 pounds.
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Numeric keypad
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The part of a keyboard that includes keys for numbers and symbols for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
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Optical media
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Storage media that saves data as light and dark spots on a disc, and includes CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs (BDs).
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Optical mouse
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A mouse that uses LEDs to detect movement.
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Page
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The amount of data and instructions that can be swapped between RAM and virtual memory at any given time.
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Pixel
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Short for picture element; a dot of light or color in an image or screen display.
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Platter
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A single disk in a magnetic hard drive.
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Plotter
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A large-format printer that can print on very large sheets of paper.
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Pointing stick
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A pressure-sensitive pointing device the size and shape of a pencil eraser.
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Power-on self-test (POST)
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A test the computer performs at startup to check crucial system components.
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Printer
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An output device that creates hard copy output on paper, film, photo paper, and other media.
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Processor
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An integrated circuit that processes all the instructions that make it possible to operate a computer.
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Processor cache
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A space in the CPU next to the processor itself that stores frequently used data and instructions.
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Programmable read-only memory (PROM)
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A memory chip on which a programmer can write code.
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Projector
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An output device that displays computer output on a wall or projection screen.
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Random access memory (RAM)
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Temporary, or volatile, memory; an area where the operating system stores data until the computer loses power.
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Read-only memory (ROM)
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Nonvolatile memory installed in a computer system when it is manufactured.
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Register
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A small storage location within the CPU.
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Sampling
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To take samples of sound waves a specified number of times per second.
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Scanner
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An input device that converts printed material into digital format.
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Scroll wheel
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A wheel built into a mouse for scrolling the computer display.
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Slate
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A one-piece rigid tablet with a display built into the top of the tablet case.
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Slide rule
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A ruler-like device with a sliding strip in its center that lets users perform calculations.
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Smartphone
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A cell phone that includes many features of a computer, allowing it to run general-purpose computing applications.
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Solid state drive (SSD)
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A type of hard drive that stores data as electrical charges and has no moving parts, making it more durable than a magnetic drive.
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Solid state storage
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A nonmagnetic technology for storage media that are often removable, such as flash drives and memory cards, or can be contained in a device, such as solid state hard drives.
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Speech recognition software
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A program that analyzes speech sounds and converts them into phonemes, which are then matched to words in a digital dictionary and written as text on a computer screen or accepted as voice input and interpreted as computer commands.
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Static RAM (SRAM)
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A type of RAM that is faster and more reliable than DRAM and doesn't need to be recharged as frequently, but that is also more expensive than DRAM. See also Dynamic RAM (DRAM) and Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM).
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Stylus
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A pen-like input device you use to make selections and enter text on a touch-sensitive display screen.
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Swap file
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The virtual memory area of the hard drive; it contains overflow data from RAM.
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System unit
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The part of a desktop computer that contains most of the electronic circuitry.
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Tablet
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A small flat computer with a touch-sensitive screen that accepts input from a digital pen, a stylus, or your fingertips.
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Text-to-speech technology
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A technology for devices that accept text as input and provide digitized voice files as output.
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Toner
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A fine powder that is sealed when heated on a page.
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Touch screen
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A visual display that responds to the touch of a finger, hand, stylus, or digital pen to enter data and commands.
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Touchpad
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A pointing device in the form of a flat surface often found on laptops.
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Trackball
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A pointing device with a ball anchored inside a casing.
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Transistor
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A semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and electrical power.
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Typing keypad
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The part of a keyboard that includes numbers, letters, punctuation marks, and symbols.
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Ultrabook
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A laptop that includes an Intel processor, weighs less than 4 pounds, uses solid state drives, and provides a long-term battery.
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Unicode
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A 16-bit coding scheme; it is an extension of ASCII that can be used to create over 65,000 symbols and characters in many languages.
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Vacuum tube
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A cylindrical glass tube that controls the flow of electrons and can be set to one of two states: on or off.
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Virtual memory
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A part of a hard disk used to store overflow data from RAM.
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Voice input
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A type of input that uses the human voice to give commands to a computer.
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Voice recognition software
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A program necessary for translating speech to text or commands.
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Voice synthesizer
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An audio output device that converts text to speech.
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Volatile
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A characteristic of RAM, which stores data only temporarily. When a computer is shut down, the information in volatile memory is erased.
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Web cam
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A digital video camera that captures video and sends it directly to a computer; often built into laptops, tablets, and smartphones, they can also be attached through a USB or FireWire port.
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Word size
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Determines the speed at which data travels in a bus and is measured in bits.
