USB

Universal Serial Bus capable of connecting a very large number of external devices on a computer eg printers, scanners, digital cameras , mice, keyboards, modems, joysticks, hard drives etc. Multiple USB’s can be added by using a USB hub which will add more ports (usually 4). 

URL

Uniform Resource Locator. Describes the location and access method of a resource on the Internet. This is also known as the “Web site address.” The URL contains four distinct parts, the protocol type, the machine name, the directory path and the file name. 

UPLOAD

To transfer data or files from a local or subordinate system to a larger or more central one. Eg from a personal computer to an Internet server.

VODCAST

Video podcast (sometimes shortened to vidcast or vodcast) is a term used for the online delivery of video on demand clip content via Atom or RSS enclosures. The term is an evolution specialised for video, coming from the generally audio-based podcast and referring to the distribution of video where the RSS feed is used as a non-linear TV channel to which consumers can subscribe using a PC, TV, set-top box, media center or mobile multimedia device.

 VECTOR GRAPHICS

Vector graphics describe images using lines and curves, called vectors, that also include colour and position properties. Each vector uses mathematical calculations, instead of bits, to describe the shape, which allows them to be scaled without degrading in quality.

VIDEO CARD

Video card (alternate terms include graphics card, display adapter, video card, video board and almost any combination of the words in these terms) is an integrated circuit card in a computer or in some cases, a monitor that provides digital-to-analog conversion, video RAM, and a video controller so that data can be sent to a computer’s display. Today, almost all displays and video cards adhere to a common denominator de facto standard, Video Graphics Array (VGA). VGA describes how data – essentially red, green, blue data streams – is passed between the computer and the display. It also describes the frame refresh rates in hertz. It also specifies the number and width of horizontal lines, which essentially amounts to specifying the resolution of the pixels that are created. VGA supports four different resolution settings and two related image refresh rates.

VIRTUAL MEMORY

Logically-assigned memory that may or may not exist physically. Through the use of paging and the swap area, more memory can be referenced and allocated than actually exists on the system.

SEARCH ENGINE

An application that seraches for and retrieves data based on selected criteria,  that’s stored on a computer system. 

The list of items that meet the criteria specified by the query is sorted, or ranked. Ranking items by relevance (from highest to lowest) reduces the time required to find the desired information. Probabilistic search engines rank items based on measures of similarity (between each item and the query, typically on a scale of 1 to 0, 1 being most similar) and sometimes popularity or authority (see Bibliometrics) or use relevant feedback. Boolean search engines typically only return items which match exactly without regard to order, although the term boolean search engine may simply refer to the use of boolean-style syntax (the use of operators AND, OR, NOT, and XOR) in a probabilistic context.To provide a set of matching items that are sorted according to some criteria quickly, a search engine will typically collect metadata the group of items under consideration beforehand through a process referred to as indexing. The index requires a smaller amount of computer storage, which is why some search engines only store the indexed information and not the full content of each item, and instead provide a method of navigating to the items in the  search enging result paage. Alternatively, the search engine may store a copy of each item in a cache so that users can see the state of the item at the time it was indexed or for archive purposes or to make repetitive processes work more efficiently and quickly.

Other types of search engines do not store an index. Crawler, or spider type search engines (a.k.a. real-time search engines) may collect and assess items at the time of the search query, dynamically considering additional items based on the contents of a starting item (known as a seed, or seed URL in the case of an Internet crawler). Meta search engines do not store an index nor a cache and instead simply reuse the index or results of one or more other search engines to provide an aggregated, final set of results.

The most popular web search engine is Google.

SCRIPTING LANGUAGES

Scripting languages are a type of programming language designed to increase the speed of coding by making code less difficult to use, for example, allowing loosely typed variables. Example scripting languages include PHP, Perl, and Ruby.

Types of scripting languages are:  Job control languages and shells, appliation-specific languages, web browsers, web servers, text processing lanugages, general-purpose dynamic languages, extension/embeddable languages, Linden scripting language (used in Second Life).

SPAM (stupid pointless annoyng messages)

Monty Python’s verson of spam on YouTube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE

Spamming is the abuse of electronic messaging systems to indiscriminately send unsolicited bulk messages. While the most widely recognized form of spam is email spam, the term is applied to similar abuses in other media: instant messaging spam, Usenet newsgroup spam, Web search engine spam, spam in blogs, wiki spam, mobile phone messaging spam, Internet forum spam and junk fax transmissions.

SSL (SECURE SOCKETS LAYER)

The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a commonly-used protocol for managing the security of a message transmission on the Internet. SSL has been succeeded by Transport Layer Security (TLS) which is based on SSL. SSL uses a program layer located between the Internet’s Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Transport Control Protocol (TCP) layers. SSL is included as part of both the Microsoft and Netscape browsers and most Web server products. Developed by Netscape, SSL also gained the support of Microsoft and other Internet client/server developers as well and became the de facto standard until evolving into Transport Layer Security. The “sockets” part of the term refers to the sockets method of passing data back and forth between a client and a server program in a network or between program layers in the same computer. SSL uses the public-and-private key encryption system from RSA, which also includes the use of a digital cedrtificate. TLS and SSL are an integral part of most Web browsers (clients) and Web servers. If a web site is on a server that supports SSL, SSL can be enabled and specific Web pages can be identified as requiring SSL access. Any Web server can be enabled by using Netscape’s SSLRef program library which can be downloaded for noncommercial use or licensed for commercial use.

STREAMING MEDIA

A method of delivering digital media across a network in a continuous flow.  The digital media is played by client software as it is received.  Typically, streaming makeds it unnecessary for users to download a file before playing it.  RealNetworks and QuickTime are currently the most popular streaming platforms.

SCANNER TYPES

There are many different types of scanners – handheld, flatbed, transparency, video digitizers, photo, drum, stand-alone oversize digitizers and a couple of miscellaneous scanners.  To find out more, check out this site –>

http://cui.unige.ch/db-research/pedsi/scanners/www.hsdesign.com/scanning/types/types.html

STOP FRAME ANIMATIONS

Stop-motion animation is animation produced by arranging real objects, taking a picture of them, repositioning the objects minutely, then taking another picture of them to create a sequence of consecutive images that create the illusion of motion. One of the most common forms of stop-motion animation is claymation (think Gumby). http://www.mediaspin.com/gumbymovie.html

STOCK PHOTOS

Stock photos are used by creative professionals in their designs. A stock photo isn’t shot for a particular ad or design – it’s purchased from an existing collection because it happens to suit the designer’s need. There are 2 types of images – Rights Managed (RM) and Royalty Free (RF).  Refer to Royalty Free earlier in my blogged. 

Rights-managed images (sometimes called “licensed images”  – The buyer must pay each time the image is used with a time limit on how long a buyer has exclusive use of an image. Fee is based on such things as exclusivity, distribution, length of time used, geographic location of use.  A Rights-managed image usually allows a much larger print run per image than a Royalty-free license.

Some stock photography sites offer low-resolution photography free for the purpose of preparing advertising comps to demonstrate a design. If the advertiser decides to use the image, the rights to use the high-resolution image then can be negotiated. 

My favourite site is gettyimages.com.au, however, there are many more stock photo sites available on the web.

SOFTWARE CALIBRATION

Calibration refers to the process of determining the relation between the output (or response) of a measuring instrument and the value fo the input quantity or attribute, a measurement standard.  In non-specialised use, calibration is often regarded as including the process of adjusting the output or indication on a measurement instrument to agree with value of the applied standard, within a specified accuracy.

Adobe Gamma is colour calibration software and installs with Photoshop. Pantone Huey is another program among many others that calibrates the RBG colours displayed on monitors to the CMYK colours used in printing.  The matching of colour to a base colour, such as Pantone colour is necessary to provide acccurate representation of colours within the printing and digital media industry.

SCRATCH DISC MEMORY

A scratch disk is any space set aside for temporary storage. This could be in the form of a single temporary file, (called a scratch file), a certain portion of a hard disk (called a scratch disk), or an entire hard disk (also called a scratch disk, or sometimes a scratch drive).The duration of storage can vary. Programs like Photoshop might use the storage for only a few seconds while performing a complex operation, and then clear the space again.When engineers repair important computer systems however, sometimes entire systems will be backed-up on a separate hard disk, in case anything goes wrong, and restored at the end if necessary. The main thing to remember is that scratch space is never used to permanently store files. The actual location of the space used is often different each time a program is run.

SATURATION

Saturation is the amount of grey in a particular colour. A colour with more grey is considered less saturated, while a bright colour, one with very little grey in it, is considered highly saturated. The amount of saturation does not affect the basic hue of a colour and it also is unrelated to the value (amount of light or darkness in a colour.) For example, if we take away the colours in an image, the tonal values will remain. However, taking away the colours themselves will make the image completely unsaturated. A more saturated colour is also called a more ‘pure’ colour because it is undisturbed by grey.

The four images below are the same watercolor of a frog reproduced at different saturations. The image on the left is fully sick oops I mean fully saturated, and the one on the right is completely unsaturated.

SLR CAMERA (Single lens reflex)

Single lens reflex camers uses an automatic moving mirror system which permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to non-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly different from what was captured on film.

A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that uses an automatic mirror system and pentaprism or pentamirror to direct light from the lens through the viewfinder eyepiece.

The basic operation of a DSLR is as follows: for viewing purposes, the mirror reflects the light coming through the attached lens upwards at an approximately 90 degree angle. It is then reflected by the pentaprism to the photographer’s eye. During exposure (when the photograph is taken), the mirror swings upward, and a shutter opens, allowing the lens to project light onto the image sensor.

I’ve asked Santa on numerous occasions for a Nikon D3 DSLR . . . . maybe I’ve been too naughty . . .  as it’s never arrived.

SCROLLING

How cool is this scroll bar!   http://www.theledge.com/micromoments/html/scrollbar.htm

Scrolling is the act of sliding a horizontal or vertical presentation of content, such as text, drawings or images across a screen or display window. Scrolling is oftern used to show large amounts of data that could not fit on the viewport all at the same time.  This is commonly used in window-based computer displays.  Smooth scrolling refers to a scrolling display where text appears smoothly, rather than appearing as a whole line at a time.  I still prefer the scroll bar above !   

THUMB NAIL

Thumbnails are reduced-size versions of images, used to make it easier to scan and recognise them, serving the same role for images as a normal text index does for words. Visual search engines and image-organising programs normally use them, as do most modern operating systems or desktop environments, such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, KDE, and GNOME.   

A thumbnail image is usually defined as one having 80 to 200 pixels in the long dimension like a thumb’s nail.

TIFF FILE

Tagged Image file Format (TIFF) is a variable-resolution bitmpapped image format.  TIFF is very common for transporting colour or grey-scale images into page layout applications, but is less suited to delivering web content.

TIFF files are large and of very high quality. Baseline TIFF images are highly portable; most graphics, desktop publishing and word processing applications understand them.  A number of methods may be used to compress TIFF files, including the Huffman and LZW algorithms.  (Even though these are my initials, surprisingly LZW is not named after me).  When compressed, TIFF files are usually much larger than similar GIF or JPEG files.  Because the files are so large and because there are so many possible variations of eaach TIFF file type, few web browsers can display them without plug-ins.

TONE

Just like me – his friends call him Tone.

 anyhooo …….

The darkness or lightness of a colour when placed into the greyscale.  How light or dark a tone or value appears also depends on what other tones are near it. The two vertical bands of tone in the image below are of a consistent tone, yet seem to get darker or lighter depending on how light or dark the background is.

TYPOGRAPHY  . . . .  . it’s everywhere !

Typography is the design and use of typefaces as a means of visual communication from calligraphy to the ever-developing use of digital type.  Typography is sometimes seen as encompassing many separate fields from the type designer who creates letterforms to the graphic designer who selects typefaces and arranged them on the page. 

Typography really is huge – my favourite font is Helvetica, however, check out this site for fabulous typography like Ryan Katrina’s design below.

TCP/IP

The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is one of the core protocols of the Internet protocal suite. TCP provides reliable, in-order delivery of a stream of bytes, making it suitable for applications like file transfer and email. It is so important in the Internet protocol suite that sometimes the entire suite is referred to as “TCP/IP.” TCP manages a large fraction of the individual conversations between Internet hosts, for example between web servers and web clients. It is also responsible for controlling the size and rate at which messages are exchanged between the server and the client.

TEXT FILE

A text file is a computer file that is structured as a sequence of lines. A text file exists within a computer file system. The end of a text file is often denoted by placing one or more special characters, known as an end-of-file marker, after the last line in a text file.

“Text file” refers to a type of container, while plain text refers to a type of content. Text files can contain plain text, but they are not limited to such. At a generic level of description, there are two kinds of computer files: text files and binary files.

QUICKTIME

QuickTime (.mov) is a media container format.  It functions as a multimedia container file that contains one or more tracks, each of which store a particular type of data, such as audio, video, effects, or text.

Each track contains track media, either the digitally-encoded media stream (using a specific codec such as Cinepak, Sorenson codec, MP3, JPEG, DivX, or PNG) or a data reference to the media stored in another file or elsewhere on a network. Quicktime is a closed source, propriety format that cannot be manipulated. It is considered suitable for editing 

QUICK MASK MODE

A screen display mode in Photoshop in which a translucent coloured mask covers selected or unselected areas of an image.

RGB

The RGB color model is an additive colour model in which  red, green and blue light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colours. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three additive primary colours, red, green, and blue.

The main purpose of the RGB colour model is for the sensing, representation, and display of images in electronic systems, such as televisions and computers, though it has also been used in conventional photography. Before the electronic age, the RGB colour model already had a solid theory behind it, based in human perception of colours.

RGB is a device-dependent colour space: different devices detect or reproduce a given RGB value differently, since the colour elements (such as phosphors or dyes) and their response to the individual R, G, and B levels vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, or even in the same device over time. Thus an RGB value does not define the same colour across devices without some kind of colour management.

Typical RGB input devices are colour TV and video cameras, image scanners and digital cameras. Typical RGB output devices are TV sets of various technologies (CRT, LCD, plasma), computer and mbile phone displays, vide projectors, multicolour LED displays, and large screens.

RESOLUTION

Resolution is the number of pixels (individual points of colour) contained on a display monitor, expressed in terms of the number of pixels on the horizontal axis and the number on the vertical axis. The sharpness of the image on a display depends on the resolution and the size of the monitor. The same pixel resolution will be sharper on a smaller monitor and gradually lose sharpness on larger monitors because the same number of pixels are being spread out over a larger number of inches.

A given computer display system will have a maximum resolution that depends on its physical ability to focus light (in which case the physical dot size – the dot pitch - matches the pixel size) and usually several lesser resolutions. For example, a display system that supports a maximum resolution of 1280 by 1023 pixels may also support 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 resolutions. Note that on a given size monitor, the maximum resolution may offer a sharper image but be spread across a space too small to read well.

Display resolution is not measured in dots per inch as it usually is with printers. However, the resolution and the physical monitor size together do let you determine the pixels per inch. Typically, PC monitors have somewhere between 50 and 100 pixels per inch. For example, a 15-inch VGA monitor has a resolution of 640 pixels along a 12-inch horizontal line or about 53 pixels per inch. A smaller VGA display would have more pixels per inch.

RELATIVE AND ABSOLUTE URLS

A relative URL points to a file/directory in relation to the present file/directory. In most cases a relative link will only give the name of a file that’s in the same location as the file currently being edited.

An Absolute URL is independent or free from any relationship. When you use an absolute URL, you point directly to a file.  Hence, an absolute URL specifies the exact location of a file/directory on the internet.  It also follows that each absolute URL is unique, which means that if two URLs are identical, they point to the same file.

RASTOR GRAPHICS

There are two kinds of computer graphics - raster (composed of pixels) and vector (composed of paths). Raster images are more commonly called bitmap images.A bitmap image uses a grid of individual pixels where each pixel can be a different color or shade. Bitmaps are composed of pixels.Vector graphics use mathematical relationships between points and the paths connecting them to describe an image. Vector graphics are composed of paths.The image to the left below is representative of a bitmap and the image to the right is representative of a vector graphic. They are shown at four times actual size to exaggerate the fact that the edges of a bitmap become jagged as it is scaled up:

Bitmap Image:

Vector Graphic:

With Adobe® Systems’ introduction of the PostScript® page-description language computers could display fonts and images using point-to-point math rather than by pixels alone. The advantage to using a page-description language such as PostScript becomes clear when you scale an image up. The larger you display a bitmap, the more jagged it appears, while a vector image remains smooth at any size. That is why PostScript and TrueType® fonts always appear smooth – they are vector-based.The jagged appearance of bitmap images can be partially overcome with the use of “anti-aliasing”. Anti-aliasing is the application of subtle transitions in the pixels along the edges of images to minimize the jagged effect (below left). A scalable vector image will always appear smooth (below right):

Anti-Aliased Bitmap Image:

Smooth Vector Image:

Bitmap images require higher resolutions and anti-aliasing for a smooth appearance. Vector-based graphics on the other hand are mathematically described and appear smooth at any size or resolution.

Bitmaps are best used for photographs and images with subtle shading. Graphics best suited for the vector format are page layout, type, line art or illustrations.Wherever possible use the vector format for all your type, line art and illustrations and only use bitmaps for photos or images with complex or non-uniform shading. If the graphics application recognizes native vector files such as those created by Deneba Canvas™ (a filename with an extension of .CNV-  for versions 6 and 7), Adobe Illustrator® (a filename with an extension of .AI), CorelDRAW® (a filename with an extension of .CDR), or Macromedia® FreeHand® (a filename with an extension of .FH8 -  for version 8), then use them first.ROLLOVER BUTTON

In Rollovers,  a button or image or image swaps itself for another image when the mouse rollsover it and reverts back to the original image on rolling out of the web object . The on-rollover images are preloaded into the page when it is loading, this ensures that the rollovers are displayed quickly.

RAM

Random Access Memory – computer memory that dynamically stores program and data values during operation and in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed.

ROOT FOLDER

The root folder of any partition is the “highest” folder in the hierarchy. The root folder contains all other folders and can also contain files. For example, the root folder of the main partition on your computer is probably C:\. The root folder of your DVD or CD drive might be D:\.

ROYALTY FREE WEBSITE

Websites where clip art, images, graphics, photographs, art, music and other created content is available to the public or individuals (normally for a specified amount of money) to be used in specified ways (terms of usage). The creator retains all copyrights and publishing rights. You may use and publish the clip art, images, music per the specified terms of usage but may not sell or distributed to a 3rd party. Royalty free packages, collections, images or photos are not public domain. The creator retains copyright and all terms of usage must be followed when using these royalty free packages, collections, images, photos, music, etc.  e.g. A one-time fee or subscription give the right to use an image in a publication accroding to the terms agreed apon, with no license fees being paid for further use.

IMAGE CAPTURE

The process of using a device such as a scanner or digital camera to convert images into digitized data.

iTUNES

iTunes is adigital media player application, introduced by Apple Inc. on 9 January 2001. The application is used for playing and organizing digital music and video files. The program is also an interface to manage the contents on Apple’s popular iPod digital media players as well as the iPhone.  Additionally,  iTunes can connect to the itunes store via the iternet to purchase and download music, music videos, television show, iPod games, audiobooks, podcasts, feature length films, movie rentals and ringtones.

INTERNET

The shared global computing network. A network based on standards including Internet Protocol (IP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and the Domain Name System (DNS), which enables global communications between all connected computing devices. It provides the platform for web services and the World Wide Web.

INDEX PAGE

The first web page of a web site (always containing “index.html” in its file name) which appears to the user in the browser. Can be a home page with navigation links or a splash screen, sometimes with animated graphics.

ISDN (INTEGRATED SERVICES DIGITAL NETWORK)

ISDN is a type of bandwidth Internet connection that provides digital service from the customer’s premises to the dial-up telephone network. ISDN uses standard telephone service copper wiring to deliver voice, data or video.

ISP (INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER)

A business that provides access to the internet. Its services are available to either individuals or companies and include a dial-in interface with the Internet, software supply and often website and intranet design.

IP ADDRESS

(Internet Protocol address) – The standard way of identifying a computer that is connected to the Internet, much the way a telephone number identifies a telephone on a telephone network. The IP address is a string of four numbers separated by periods, and each number is less than 256, for example, 192.200.44.69. Your system administrator or Internet service provider will assign your machine an IP address.

IMAGE MAP

An image containing one or more invisible regions, called hotspots, which are assigned hyperlinks. Typically, an image map gives users visual cues about the information made available by clicking on each part of the image. For example, a geographical map could be made into an image map by assigning hotspots to each region of interest on the map.

JAVASCRIPT

A cross-platform, World Wide Web scripting language developed by Netscape Communications. JavaScript code is inserted directly into the HTML page.

JPEG FILE

JPEG is a standardised image compression mechanism.  JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, the original name of the committee that wrote the standard. JPEG is designed for compressing either full-colour or gray-scale images of natural, real-world scenes.  It works well on photgraphs, naturalistic artwork and similar material, but not so well on lettering, simple cartoons or line drawings.  JPEG handles only still images.

JAVA APPLETS

A short program written in Java that is attached to a World Wide Web page and executed by the browser machine.

JUXTAPOSE

Juxtapose is the fifth album of English rapper/producer Tricky.

However …. Juxtapose is in fact the placement oftwo objects close together or side by side for comparison or contrast. This is used to illustrate the scale in an image, or to contrast old and new, tall and short, unexpected combinations of colours, shapes or ideas.

 KAI’S POWER TOOLS

Often abbreviated to KPT are a set of application programming interface (API)  plugins created by Kai Krause that were designed for use with Adobe Photoshop and Corel Photo=Paint. 

KPT  plug-in filters greatly extend the capabilities of image-editing software such as Adobe Photoshop. From realistic to artistic to surprising, it offers a new – and extremely fast – range of image transformations and effects, so you can create impressive effects that would ordinarily be impossible or too time-consuming to create from scratch.

KILOBYTE

Computers and storage mechanisms (CD-ROMs, hard drives, USB flash drives, DVD-ROMs, etc.) need to hold much larger values than what a byte can hold (0-255). Thus, the terms kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, and terabyte were created to represent such large amounts of information.
The definition of a kilobyte is 1,024 bytes; however many people think of it as 1,000 bytes.
A megabyte is 1,024 kilobytes. A gigabyte is 1,024 megabytes. A terabyte is 1,024 gigabytes

KBPS (KILOBITS PER SECOND)

In telecommunications, bit rate or data transfer rate is the average number of bits,  characters, or blocks per unit time passing between equipment in a data transmission system. This is typically measured in multiples of the units bit per second or byte per second.

‘k’ vs ‘Ki’     -    ‘k’ and ‘Ki’ stand for ‘kilo‘ and kibi respectively. They are prefixes to units where ‘k’ stands for 1,000 and ‘Ki’ stands for 1,024, because ‘Ki’ comes from its use in computing where 2¹⁰ = 1,024. Unfortunately, ‘K’ is often incorrectly used instead of ‘Ki’. Furthermore, the broad public not being necessarily aware of this subtle difference, usually uses ‘Kbps’ and ‘Kibps’ indiscriminately, creating confusion. Whenever ‘Kibps’ is used, it is usually accurate.

‘b’ vs ‘B’  -  ‘b’ stands for ‘bit’ and ‘B’ stands for ‘byte’, where one byte refers to 8 bits. This can lead to confusion, as when a “1 Mega” connection is advertised, it usually means 1 Mibit/s (mebibit per second) or 1.049 Mbit/s (megabit per second), meaning the maximum achievable download speed is actually about 128 KiB/s (kibibyte per second) or 131 kB/s (kilobyte per second).

KERBEROS

Kerberos is the name of a computer network authentication protocol, which allows individuals communicating over a non-secure network to prove their identity to one another in a secure manner.  Kerberos builds on symmetric key cryptography and requires a trusted third party. Extensions to Kerberos can provide for the use of public-key cryptography during certain phases of authentication.

LAPTOP

A laptop computer or simply laptop (also notebook computer, notebook and notepad) is a small mobile computer. Laptops usually run on a single main battery or from an external AC/DC adapter that charges the battery while also supplying power to the computer itself even in the event of a power failure. This very powerful main battery should not be confused with smaller 3 volt cell battery that is built in nearly every computer. This small battery is intended to run the real-time clock and backup memory during the time the computer is not powered on and/or is not connected to the external power.

Laptops contain components that are similar to their desktop counterparts and perform the same functions, but are miniaturised and optimised for mobile use and efficient power consumption. Laptops usually have liquid crystal displays and most of them use different memory modules for their random access memory (RAM). In addition to a built-in keyboard, they may utilise a touchpad (also known as a trackpad) or a pointing stick for input, though an external keyboard or mouse can be attached.

LOWSRC ATTRIBUTE

The lowsrc attribute is used in an <img src> tag in order to provide the browser with a much smaller, much faster loading, lower resolution graphic than the primary graphic specified in the <img src> tag.  

The reason for this is to decrease the amount of time it takes for a page to load sufficiently for someone to use it. If one is on a slow link, a page with several large graphic files may take several minutes to load. If those graphic files are accompanied by a lowsrc image, the browser will first load the lowsrc images and display them. These should be simplified pictures, either with a lower resolution, fewer colors (black and white, with no greys, works well for photograps), or some other concession to image quality that results in a physically smaller file. After the lowsrc images and the rest of the page is loaded, the browser will then go back and load the primary graphics over the top of the lowsrc graphics.

This dramatically decreases the amount of time it takes to load a page that uses a lot of graphics. It also gives the viewer an idea of what the final image(s) are going to look like, allowing that person to determine if it is worth their time to wait for the primary image to load.

LAB MODE

In Photoshop, the Lab mode consists of three color channels. The first channel is Lightness (L). The Lightness component, also called luminance, can range from 0 to 100. A Lightness value of 0 equals black and a value of 100 equals white. The higher the value, the more vivid the color. The other two channels, a and b, represent color ranges. The a channel contains colors ranging from green to red and the b channel contains colors ranging from blue to yellow.When working in Lab mode you’re provided with a wide range of color values to choose from. The Lab color model actually includes all of the colors that you can create in both RGB and CMYK modes.
Working in Lab mode is just as fast as working in RGB mode Photoshop has only three channels to work with when processing information, but working with CMYK images can be much slower. Remember even though you’re working in CMYK mode, your monitor is RGB so Photoshop is converting these values continuously.Because Lab mode is device-independent, you can use it to edit any image and your colors won’t undergo major tonal changes when converted to CMYK for final output. This is one reason many of the high-end users prefer to work in Lab mode.LASSO TOOL Photoshop’s Lasso tool is a selection tool that makes it easy to select objects in your images by clicking and dragging around them.

The Lasso tool is most commonly used for two tasks:

• Selecting specific parts of an image: The Lasso tool lets you create selections by hand, which means that you can make precise selections that target specific parts of an image. For instance, if you’re working with an image of a tree and you want to select just one specific branch on the tree, the Lasso tool could help you make that selection quickly and accurately. Other selection tools, such as the Rectangular Marquee tool, would not enable you to select among the nooks and crannies of the various branches. Though the Lasso tool works particularly well with odd-shaped elements, such as tree branches, it can work just as well in selecting more conventionally shaped objects.
• Creating odd shapes: The Lasso tool also makes it possible to create shapes of your own design. Though tools such as the Rectangular Marquee tool and the Elliptical Marquee tool make it easy to create rectangles and ellipses, the Lasso tool lets you create any shape you need by hand. If you’re using Photoshop CS2 or later, you’d likely use the Polygonal Lasso tool to create shapes rather than the standard Lasso tool.

LAYER MASK

Layer masks are special layers in Photoshop that are only 8 bits deep and represent the alpha channel  of an image layer. The main difference between channel and layer masks is that the layer mask represents the alpha channel of the layer it is linked to, whereas channel masks represent selections and exist independently of any particular layer.

If you’d like to know more than click on this link   . . . . http://gimp-savvy.com/BOOK/index.html?node44.html

LAN – LOCAL AREA NETWORK

A LAN supplies networking capability to a group of computers in close proximity to each other such as in an office building, a school, or a home. A LAN is useful for sharing resources like files, printers, games or other applications. A LAN in turn often connects to other LANs, and to the Internet or other Wide Area Networks (WAN).  WAN’s connect multiple smaller networks, such as local area networks (LANs) or metro area networks (MANs).  The world’s most popular WAN is the Internet.

LCD (LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY)

A LCD is a thin, flat display device made up of any number of color or monochrome pixels arrayed in front of a light source or reflector. It is often utilised in battery-powered electronic devices because it uses very small amounts of electric power.

Below is the LCD display on the iPhone.   When I grow up I’m going to buy one of these! 

LED (LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE)

Light emitting diodes can be found in many devices. Among other things, they form the numbers on digital clocks, transmit information from remote controls, light up watches and tell you when your appliances are turned on. Collected together, they can form images on a jumbo television screen (below) or illuminate a traffice light.

LEDs are just tiny light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. But unlike ordinary incandescent bulbs, they don’t have a filament that will burn out, and they don’t get especially hot. They are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material, and they last just as long as a standard transistor.

    1 or 1 million tiny bulbs !        

LMS (LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM)

A Learning Management System is a set of software tools designed to manage user learning interventions. LMS’s go far beyond conventional training records management and reporting. The value-add for LMSs is the extensive range of complementary functionality they offer. Learner self-service (e.g. self-registration on instructor-led training), training workflow (e.g. user notification, manager approval, waitlist management), the provision of on-line learning and assessment, management of continous professional education (CPE), collaborative learning (e.g. application sharing, discussion threads), and training resource management, are some of the additional dimensions to leading Learning Management Systems.

Most LMSs are web-based to facilitate “anytime, any place, any pace” access to learning content and administration. LMSs are favoured by regulated industries (e.g. financial services and biopharma) where compliance training is essential.

LMSs are based on a variety of development platforms, from Java EE based architectures to Microsoft . NET, and usually employ the use of a robust database back-end. While most systems are commercially developed and frequently have non-free software licences or restrict access to their source code, free and open-source models do exist. Other than the most simple, basic functionality, LMS’s cater to, and focus on, different educational, administrative, and deployment requirements. Open source and web-based LMS software solutions are increasingly important.

LITHIUM ION

Lithium-ion batteries are a type of rehargeable battery in which a lithium ion moves between the anode and cathode. The lithium ion moves from the anode to the cathode during discharge and from the cathode to the anode when charging.

Lithium ion batteries are commonly used in consumer electronics. They are currently one of the most popular types of battery for portable electronics, with one of the best energy-to-weight ratios, no memory effect, and a slow loss of charge when not in use. In addition to uses for consumer electronics, lithium-ion batteries are growing in popularity for defense, automotive, and aerospace applications due to their high energy density. However certain kinds of mistreatment may cause Li-ion batteries to explode.

LOSSY COMPRESSION

Lossless and lossy compression are terms that describe whether or not, in the compression of a file, all original data can be recovered when the file is uncompressed. With lossless compression, every single bit of data that was originally in the file remains after the file is uncompressed. All of the information is completely restored. This is generally the technique of choice for text or spreadsheet files, where losing words or financial data could pose a problem. The Graphics Interchange File (GIF) is an image format used on the Web that provides lossless compression.

On the other hand, lossy compression reduces a file by permanently eliminating certain information, especially redundant information. When the file is uncompressed, only a part of the original information is still there (although the user may not notice it). Lossy compression is generally used for video and sound, where a certain amount of information loss will not be detected by most users. The JPEG image file, commonly used for photographs and other complex still images on the Web, is an image that has lossy compression. Using JPEG compression, the creator can decide how much loss to introduce and make a trade-off between file size and image quality.

 OSP

Open Source Portfolio (OSP) is a robust, non-proprietary, open-source electronic portfolio application, developed by a community of individuals and organisations from around the world.

The OSPortfolio provides an environment where portfolio owners — typically, students — can exhibit their work.

• tools to collect items that best represent their accomplishments, their learning, or their work;
• tools to reflect upon these items and their connections;
• tools to design a portfolio that showcases the best selections of this work;
• and tools to publish the portfolio to designated audiences.

OPEN SOURCE

Open source software is a licensing model for software which gives free access to the source code of the software to allow interested parties to modify or contribute to the software as they see fit. Commonly created as collaborative projects and shared at no cost.

OUT OF GAMUT

The phrase “out of gamut” refers to a range of colours that cannot be reproduced within the CMYK colour space used for commercial printing. Graphics software is designed to work with images in the RGB colour space throughout the editing process. The RGB colour space has a much wider range of discernible colours than CMYK. When you print an image it must be reproduced with inks and these inks cannot reproduce the same range of colours that we can see with our eyes. Because the gamut of colour that can be reproduced with ink is much smaller than what we can see, any colour that cannot be reproduced with ink is referred to as “out of gamut.” In graphics software, you often will see an out of gamut warning when you select colours that will shift when an image is converted from the RGB colour space used in the editing process, to the CMYK space used for commercial printing.

OPACITY

Refers to being “opaque,” which means to prevent light from shining through. For example, in an image editing program, the opacity level for some function might range from completely transparent (0) to completely opaque (100).

PHOTOSHOP

A raster-based professional image-editing, manipulation and graphic creating software program from Adobe.

PDA (PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANT)

PDA  is a term for any small mobile hand-held device that provides computing and information storage and retrieval capabilities for personal or business use, often for keeping schedule calendars and address book information handy.

PORTAL

A portal consists of web pages that act as a starting point for using the Web or web-based services. The word was first used to describe the sites of popular Internet access providers or search engines such as AOL, MSN and Yahoo! Later on, it was extended into the world of work, where a corporate portal or enterprise information portal acts as a starting point for employees or associates of an organization to access corporate information and applications. Portal software has become a distinct class of web server software that acts as a platform for deploying portals.

PATH  (FILE/FOLDER PATH)

Files/ folder are identified by a sequence of symbols and names. Every file has a name (filename). The simplest type of pathname is a filename. If a filename is specified as a pathname, the operating system looks for that file in your current working directory. However, if the file resides in a different directory, you must tell the operating system how to find that directory. You do this by specifying a path that the operating system must follow. The pathname always starts from your working directory or from the root directory. Each operating system has its own rules for specifying paths. In DOS systems, the root directory is named \, and each subdirectory is separated by an additional backslash. In UNIX, the root directory is named /, and each subdirectory is followed by a slash. In Mac environments, directories are separated by a colon.

The location of the file as it is stored in a series of directories

PLUG IN

Software modules that add specific features or services to a larger program or system.

PODCAST

A podcast is a series of digital media files which are distributed over the internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and computers. The term podcast, like broadcast, can refer either to the series of content itself or to the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also called podcasting. The host orauthor of a podcast is often called a podcaster.

Podcasting Resources -Podcasting Tools – http://www.podcasting-tools.com
Podcast Alley – http://www.podcastalley.com
PodcastBunker – http://www.podcastbunker.com
Podcasting News – http://www.podcastingnews.com

PIXEL

A pixel (picture element) is a single point n a graphic image. Graphics monitors display pictures by dividing the display screen into thousands (or millions) of pixels, arranged in rows and columns. The pixels are so close together that they appear connected. The number of bits used to represent each pixel determines how many colors or shades of gray can be displayed. For example, in 8-bit color mode, the color monitor uses 8 bits for each pixel, making it possible to display 2 to the 8th power (256) different colors or shades of gray.

On color monitors, each pixel is actually composed of three dots — a red, a blue, and a green one. Ideally, the three dots should all converge at the same point, but all monitors have some convergence error that can make color pixels appear fuzzy.

The quality of a display system largely depends on its resolution, how many pixels it can display, and how many bits are used to represent each pixel. VGA systems display 640 by 480, or about 300,000 pixels. In contrast, SVGA systems display 800 by 600, or 480,000 pixels. True Color systems use 24 bits per pixel, allowing them to display more than 16 million different colors.

A digital picture is made of three fields of color intensity measurements, and a pixel is the mixture of red, green, and blue intensities at a location in the picture

PNG FILE

A compressed graphics file format which creates a smaller file size by only remembering a limited number of colors for use in the image.

PIXELLATED

Describes an image in which individual pixels are apparent to the naked eye. Typically, the separate square pixels in bitmapped images such as GÏFs do not appear individually. When the image is displayed too large or at a low resloution the image becomes pixelated (this is sometimes done purposely for special effect).

 Top image (original)  Bottom image (pixelated) 

PDF FILE

Portable Document Format, the cross-platform document format created by Adobe’s Acrobat application. Commonly used to capture, distribute, and store electronic documents, PDF preserves the fonts, images, graphics, and overall “look” of the original digital files. As with the GIF format, the PDF format is proprietary, although widely used. Files in PDF end with a .pdf extension.

PROXY SERVER

A server which caches information on a network to speed up acess for users by sending local copies of content instead of copies from remote servers.

AUDIO MP3

MPEG Audio Layer 3, an audio compression technology developed in Germany in 1991.

MICROSOFT

Microsoft is the world’s leading producer of computer software. Microsoft develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices. Microsoft’s best-selling products are the Micorsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in 1976 with the name coming from microcomputer and software. 

http://www.microsoft.com/about/companyinformation/timeline/indexFlash.html

MEMORY STICK

Memory sticks or USB flash drives have a flash memory ( can be electrically erased and reprogrammed) data storage device integrated with a universal serial bus connector (USB).  Memory sticks are typically removable and rewritable with  storage capacities ranging from 64 MB to 32 GB or more.  Some allow 1 million write or erase cycles and have 10-year data retention. 

A memory stick offers advantages over other portable storage devices, as they are more compact, faster, hold much more data, are more reliable for lack of moving parts, and have a more durable design. A memory stick consists of a small printed circuit board,  typically in a plastic or metal casing and more recently in rubber casings to increase their robustness. This makes the drive sturdy enough to be carried about in a pocket, for example as a key fob, on a lanyard or in ones handbag/manbag ! Only the USB connector protrudes, and it is typically protected either by a removable cap or by retracting into the body of the drive. Most flash drives use a standard type-A USB connection allowing them to be connected directly to a port on a personal computer.

MOUSE

A mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of a small case, held under one of the user’s hands, with one or more buttons. It sometimes features other elements, such as “wheels”, which allow the user to perform various system-dependent operations, or extra buttons or features can add more control or dimensional input. The mouse’s motion typically translates into the motion of a pointer on a display, which allows for fine control of a graphical user interface.

The name mouse originated at the Stanford Research Institute, derives from the resemblance of early models (which had a cord attached to the rear part of the device, suggesting the idea of a tail) to the common rodent.

MASH UP

A digital mashup is a digital media file containing any or all of text, graphics, audio, video and animation drawn from pre-existing sources, to create a new derivative work. Digital text mashups, for example, appear by the thousands every day as users of blogs and online forums copy and paste digital text in juxtaposition to comment on topics of interest, while fan-created video/audio mashups juxtaposing commercially produced video clips with favorite pop songs constitute a major portion of YouTube content. Digital mashups represent a new phase in the re-use of existing works not so much conceptually as in ease of use. The creation of digital media formats such as ASCII text, Redbook audio, JPEG images and MPEG video has made it far easier for potential mashup creators to create derivative works, than was the case in the past, when significant technical equipment and knowledge was required to manipulate analog content. The internet is a major contributing factor to the spread of digital mashups by providing channels both for acquiring source material and for distributing derivative works, both often at negligible cost.  Check out this site !   http://jokay.wikispaces.com/mashups08

META TAGS

Meta tags are sections of HTML code in a webpage that search engine spiders scan and analyse to assess the page’s relevance for a given query. Originally very important in search engine optimisation (SEO), meta tags have declined somewhat in SEO importance, with the keywords meta tag being considered virtually redundant.

MIRROR

In computing, a mirror is an exact copy of a data set. On the internet, a mirror site is an exact copy of another Internet site. Mirror sites are most commonly used to provide multiple sources of the same information, and are of particular value as a way of providing reliable access to large downloads. Mirroring is a type of file synchronisation.

A live mirror is automatically updated as soon as the original is changed.

Mirroring of sites occurs for a variety of reasons.

• To preserve a website or page, especially when it is closed or is about to be closed.
• To allow faster downloads for users at a specific geographical location. For example, a US server could be mirrored in Japan, allowing Japanese Internet users to download content faster from the local Japanese server than from the original American one. This may be viewed as caching on a worldwide scale.

Wikipedia is mirrored at numerous locations.

MEDIA FILE

Media files are as follows:

MONITOR (1)

A visual display unit which displays images generated from the video output of devices such as a computer without producing a permanent record.  A newer monitor typically consists of a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), with most older monitors based around a cathode ray tube (CRT). The monitor comprises the display device, simple circuitry to generate and format a picture from video sent by the signals source, and usually an enclosure.

MONITOR (2)

A monitor is an approach to synchronize two or more computer tasks that use a shared resource, usually a hardware device or a set of variables (an attribute of a physical or an abstract system which may change it’s value)

MEDIA PLAYER

A program that allows you to play and manage audio and video files. Some programs also offer ripping, burning, and visual effects. Examples include: iTunes, Winamp, Windows Media Player, Sonique, Quintessential, Musicmatch Jukebox.

MELBOURNE IT

Melbourne IT is a world leader in domain name registrations and related online business solutions. Established in 1996, and listed on the ASX in 1999, the company has experienced rapid growth through the delivery of high value online solutions and outstanding customer service.

Melbourne IT began registering .com.au domain names in 1996 and in April 1999 was accredited by ICANN to provide registrar services in the .com, .net and .org domain spaces. In 2006, Melbourne IT manages more than 4 million domain names and is a truly global domain name registrar which supplies more than 40 different domain name types to customers across the globe.

In addition to its strong organic growth, Melbourne IT has also expanded its business through strategic acquisitions. In 2003, it purchased New Zealand-based domain name registrar, Domainz, which offers corporate domain management, reseller and direct domain services into the fast growing New Zealand market.

In April 2004, Melbourne IT acquired Cogent IPC, a European-based online brand protection company which specialises in providing services to high profile internet based brands such as those in the airline, automotive, clothing, banking & finance, electrical, IT, furniture and food and beverage industries.

In September 2006, Melbourne IT cemented its position in the online services market with the acquisition of WebCentral Group, incorporating Australia’s largest web and application hosting company, WebCentral. This acquisition has given Melbourne IT a significant sales capability within the developing Software as a Service (SaaS) market which provides customers with access to software via the Internet as an alternative to purchasing, installing and maintaining software on local computers.

In January 2007, Melbourne IT enhanced its UK market presence with the acquisition of IDR Management Services, a pioneer in the UK corporate domain management space with an impressive client base of FTSE 100 companies and trademark attorney firms.

MEGABYTE

A measure of computer processor storage and real and virtual memory, a megabyte (abbreviated MB) is 2 to the 20th power bytes, or 1,048,576 bytes in decimal notation.

MOTHERBOARD

The motherboard of a typical desktop consists of a large printed circuit board. It holds electronic components and interconnects, as well as physical connectors (sockets, slots, and headers) into which other computer components may be inserted or attached.

Most motherboards include, at a minimum:

• sockets (or slots) in which one or more microprocessors (CPUs) are installed
• slots into which the system’s main memory is installed (typically in the form of DIMM modules containing DRAM chips)
• a chipset which forms an interface between the CPU’s front-side bus, main memory, and peripheral buses
• non-volatile memory chips (usually Flash ROM in modern motherboards) containing the system’s firmware or BIOS
• a clock generator which produces the system clock signal to synchronize the various components
• slots for expansion cards (these interface to the system via the buses supported by the chipset)
• power connectors and circuits, which receive electrical power from the computer power supply and distribute it to the CPU, chipset, main memory, and expansion cards.

NANO TECHNOLOGY

A branch of science and engineering devoted to the design and production of extremely small electronic devices and circuits built from individual atoms and molecules.  The unit of measurement is the nanometre (one thousand-millionth of a metre)

NOTEBOOK (aghhh I’m confused)

    nahhh . . . . maybe . . . .

Notebook is software that can be used as a personal information notebook. Text formatting is done in a markup language similar to MediaWiki (the same system used by Wikipedia), and the software has the capability of exporting notebook contents to a variety of formats, including MediaWiki’s markup and HTMLL.   . . . . . . . or maybe  . . . . 

Google Notebook. . . . .    or  maybe it’s just   . . . . . .

one of those cute little computers. Laptop computers began to be called Notebooks when they reached a relatively small size in the 1990′s.

NETWORK

A computer network is an interconnected group of computers. Networks may be classified by the network layer at which they operate according to basic reference models considered as standards in the industry, such as the five-layer Internet Protocol Suite model. While the seven-layer  Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model is better known in academia, the majority of networks use the Internet Protocol Suite (IP).

NETWORK SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR

• A Network Security Administrator evaluates network and internet security issues and design, and implements successful security policies and firewall strategies. In addition, they expose system and network vulnerabilities and defend against them.
• Network Security Administrator 1.72 is a program intended for checking the user’s work in the network. Hidden observation is done over the user’s pc and main moments of work are being observed. 
   

NON-GRAPHICAL DISPLAY BROWSER

The most popular non-graphical browser is called Lynx. Viewing web pages with Lynx means there are no graphics; just text.   An obvious advantage to this is it’s very quick to load up a website, which makes it suitable for users with limitations on their internet connection or bandwidth. All navigation is undertaken through the keyboard or some other input device (but not a mouse). The real benefactors of a text-based browser though are those with visual impairments (including blind users).

NAVIGATION

The act of moving from location to location within a web site, or between web sites. Navigation is accomplished by clicking on text links or navigation buttons.

NOISE

Image noise is a random fluctuation of pixel values in an image. Image noise can originate in film grain, or in electronic noise in the input device (scanner or digital camera) sensor and circuitry.  Image noise is most apparent in image areas with low signal level, such as shadow regions or underexposed images.

Much of today’s photo editing software offers tools for reducing noise in digital photos, as well as filters for adding noise for a film grain effect. There are many specialised tools for reducing noise in digital photos eg. Neat Image plugin for Photoshop and also a stand alone program.   Before and after noise reductions images below.

GOOGLE

Doesn’t everyone use this now? Check it our for yourself !   

http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en/about.html

GIF FILE

A standard computer file format for graphic images. GIF files use data compression to reduce the file size. The original version of the format was developed by CompuServe in 1987.  GIF and JPEG are the most commonly used graphics formats on the internet. GIF images display up to 256 colors. It supports animation and allows an individual palette of 256 color for each frame. The color limitation makes the GIF format inappropriate for reproducing color photographs and other images with consistent color. GIF images are compressed using the LZW lossless data compression method to decrease the size of the file without corrupting the visual quality.

GAUSSIAN BLUR

Gaussian blur, named after Carl Gauss, describes blurring an image by a Gaussian function. It is a widely used effect in graphics software, typically to reduce image noise and reduce detail. The visual effect of this blurring technique is a smooth blur resembling that of viewing the image through a translucent screen, distinctly different from the bokeh effect produced by an out-of-focus lens or the shadow of an object under usual illumination. Gaussian smoothing is also used as a pre-processing stage in computer vision algorithms in order to enhance image structures at different scales. Examples of gaussian blur below - Image 1 with no gaussian blur, image 2 with radius 1 pixel and image 3 with radius 2 pixel. 

GRAYSCALE

A bitmap image format that containing shades of grey values as opposed to only pure black and pure white. This format is used for single colour usually black photographs and images. There are 256 possible values of grey from white to pure black.

GIGABYTE

A gigabyte (GB) is a measure of computer data storage capacity and is “roughly” a billion bytes. A gigabyte is two to the 30th power, or 1,073,741,824 in decimal notation. The prefix, “giga” comes from a Greek word meaning “giant.”

HYPERLINK

HTML programming which redirects the user to a new URL when the individual clicks on hypertext.
A reference link from some point in one hypertext document to a point in another document or another place in the same document.  A browser usually displays a hyperlink in some distinguishing way, e.g. in a different colour, font or style.  When the user activates the link (e.g. by clicking on it with the mouse) the browser will display the target of the link.

HELPER APPLICATIONS

Small software programs linked to your browser that help you watch video and listen to audio.

HALO EFFECT

GIF files support a feature called transparency, in which one color out of the 256 colors is set to be transparent. If your GIF has a background that is much different from where it will appear on your page, making the background transparent after anti-aliasing will leave what is known as a “halo effect” around the object. The halo itself is called the fringe.

H.264 VIDEO

H.264 is a standard for video compression. It is also known as MPEG-4 Part 10, or MPEG-4 AVC (for Advanced Video Coding).

HARD DRIVE

The hard drive is what stores all your data. It houses the hard disk, where all your files and folders are physically located. A typical hard drive is only slightly larger than your hand, yet can hold over 100 GB of data. The data is stored on a stack of disks that are mounted inside a solid encasement. These disks spin extremely fast (typically at either 5400 or 7200 RPM) so that data can be accessed immediately from anywhere on the drive. The data is stored on the hard drive magnetically, so it stays on the drive even after the power supply is turned off. The term “hard drive” is actually short for “hard disk drive.” The term “hard disk” refers to the actual disks inside the drive. However, all three of these terms are usually seen as referring to the same thing – the place where your data is stored.

HISTOGRAM

A graphic representation of the distribution of tones within an image. The horizontal axis represents each pixel value possible from black to white. The vertical values indicate the number of pixels in the image that occur at each value level.

HUE

If only my excellent teacher knew how much we (tamtafe 16 and 17) like this Hugh!

Oh well… maybe it’s just this hue . . . .

The dominant wavelength of a color. A color system, or model, measures color by hue, saturation and luminance. The hue is the predominant color, the saturation is the color intensity, and the luminance is the brightness.

HOSTNAME

A name is the identifier of your computer on the network. A hostname is the Domain Name System (DNS) name of a computer on a network. Hostnames can be used for locating computers on the network. For the computer to contact another computer by using a hostname, the hostname will either appear in the DNS server or in the hosts file.

ENCRYPTION

Encryption is the conversion of data into a form, called a cipher text, that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized people. Simple ciphers include the substitution of letters for numbers, the rotation of letters in the alphabet, and the “scrambling” of voice signals by inverting the sideband  frequencies. More complex ciphers work according to sophisticated computer algorithms that rearrange the data bits in digital signals.Decryption is the process of converting encrypted data back into its original form, so it can be understood.

EMAIL

An application or program that runs on a personal computer or workstation and enables you to send, receive and organise electronic mail. Email systems are based on a client-server architecture. Mail is sent from many clients to a central server, which re-routes the mail to its intended destination. Microsft’s Outlook is one example.  Send me an email. lynwebster@optusnet.com.au  

HOME PAGE

This is the the main or first page of a Web site. 

eCOMMERCE

Business transactions that take place by computers, generally used to refer to transactions via the Internet. When you purchase or sell goods on a site, you are using e-commerce.
 

EDITABLE TEXT

Text and other text object components (including pictures and other attachments) that may be edited under program control. An interface is provided to the layout engine so that editable text can be displayed on screen, and commands and selections made from the screen. The two most important forms of editable text are rich text and global text.

ENCODING

To format (electronic data) according to a standard format.

FACEBOOK

Facebook is a social networking wesite. Mark  Zuckenberg first launched Facebook  in February 2004. The site was initially built only for the students of Harvard who where genuinely interested in keeping track of their friends and sharing their photos, views and news with them.
Though initially the site was for Harvard people only, within a month, more than half of the Harvard was a member of Facebook. Then Zuckenberg was joined by Dustin and Moscovitz and Chris Hughes and the site expanded to Stanford, Columbia and Yale Universities too. Gradually more universities and schools started coming under its umbrella. It started accepting all users who have a university e-mail id.
Finally, the overwhelming response to Facebook forced its founders to open up the forum to all. And from September 2006, Facebook opened registration to everyone with a valid e-mail address.

In May 2007, Facebook allowed free posting of classified ads by its users. This feature is known as Facebook marketplace, users can post ads on lease, rent, vehicles, property etc. in ‘Available’ or ‘Wanted’ format. In the year 2007, Facebook has already added certain other features, that of Facebook platform being a unique one. Here users are encouraged to develop applications to be used on Facebook.

FIXED WIRELESS

Fixed wireless refers to the operation of wireless devices or systems in fixed locations such as homes and offices. Fixed wireless devices usually derive their electrical power from the utility mains, unlike mobile wireless or portable wireless which tend to be battery-powered.

FORMS

An electronically composed arrangement of predefined lines, boxes, text, logos, and embedded text that may be printed as is or merged with data during the printing process.

FTP APPLICATIONS

Acroynm for File Transfer Protocol. This is a standard way of transferring files from one computer to another on the Internet.  It is also used for uploading pages to a web site.

FTP ANONYMOUS SERVER

Using the Internet’s File Transfer Protocol (FTP), anonymous FTP is a method for giving users access to files so that they don’t need to identify themselves to the server. Using an FTP program or the FTP command interface, the user enters “anonymous” as a user ID. Usually, the password is defaulted or furnished by the FTP server. Anonymous FTP is a common way to get access to a server in order to view or download files that are publicly available.

FILE SIZE

The digital size of an image, measured in kilobytes (K), megabytes (MB), or gigabytes (GB). File size is proportional to the pixel dimensions of the image. Images with more pixels may produce more detail at a given printed size, but they require more disk space to store and may be slower to edit and print. For instance, a 1-by-1-inch, 200-ppi image contains four times as many pixels as a 1-by-1-inch, 100-ppi image and so has four times the file size. Image resolution thus becomes a compromise between image quality (capturing all the data you need) and file size.

FREEZE

What one does when my excellent teacher enquires if my blog is completed?

An unexpected halt of a computer while running an application program. A frozen or “hung” machine is characterised by a total lack of response from the mouse and keyboard. The user can almost never effect a recovery except by turning the computer off and restarting it. Control/alt/delete is always worth a try.Usually a good time for coffee before recreating what you’ve just lost!

FEATHER

A feather is one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on a bird.

OR

it would more likely be the process of blurring the edges of an image by building a transition boundary between the selection and it’s surrounding pixels.  The Photoshop feather tool is seen below,where you choose the radius of the feather effect that you require.

FILE EXTENSION

A file extension is the set of characters following the right-most period in a filename. It is  used to determine a file’s format which in turn assists the operating system in determining which application to use to open file.

FIREWALL

A firewall prevents unauthorised access to or from a private network.  A firewall can be installed either via hardware or software or a combination of both and it is designed to prevent and filter unauthorised access via the internet to a private network.

FORMAT

The structure that defines how data is organized in a software file used to store information about a particular file. A standardized file format makes it possible for different software programs to share the same information

CONVERGENCE

The ability of the three electron beams (red, blue and green) in a CRT monitor to meet at a single point and produce one dot.  If a monitor is mis-converging, the viewer will notice shadows of blue or red around any white images.

CONNECTIVITY

The ability to use an electronic network to send and receive information between any locations, devices or busness services.

CD

Acronym for compact disc – a flat, round optical medium made from polycarbonate, with one or more metal layers, capable of storing digital information. Developed by Philips and Sony in 1982, the CD remains the standard physical medium for commercial audio recordings. It is capable of storing up to 700 megabyte of digital data or 80 minutes of audio.  Once data is burnt to a CD, data cannot changed or erased and further data cannot be added.  CD’s are read by laser. 

CODECS

Codecs are any type of device or program capable of performing encoding and decoding on a digital data stream or signal. MP3 and WMA are examples of codecs.

CATV LINES

A broadband communications technology in which multiple television channels, as well as audio and data signals may be transmitted either one way or bidirectionally through a fibre/coaxial distribution system to a single or multiple specific locations.

CSS

An acronym for Cascading Style Sheets – an open standard developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which allows designers to describe how documents are presented on screen. The rules defined in a style sheet are read in sequence, cascading like a waterfall from the top down (first to last).   www.w3.org/Style/CSS

CONTENT WRITER/EDITOR

Someone who is responsible for the text, images, sounds, and videos that are found on a website.

CMYK

Short for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & Key (Black), commonly referred to as process colour or four colour. The CMYK model works by partially or entirely masking certain colours on the typically white background. Such a model is called subtractive because inks “subtract” brightness from white.  CMYK should always be used for printing.

COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEMS

The purpose of an operating system is to organise and control hardware and software so that the device it lives in behaves in a flexible but predictable way. All desktop computers have operating systems. The most common are the Windows family of operating systems developed by Microsoft, the Macintosh operating systems developed by Apple and the UNIX family of operating systems (developed by a whole history of individuals, corporations and collaborators). There are many other operating systems available for special-purpose applications, including specialisations for mainframes, robotics, manufacturing and real-time control systems.

CALIBRATION

The aim of colour calibration is to measure or adjust the colour response of a device (input or output) to establish a known relationship to a standard colour space. The device that is to be calibrated is sometimes known as calibration source; the colour space that serves as a standard is sometimes known as calibration target.

DESKTOP

A desktop computer is a personal computer (PC) in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a laptop which is considerably smaller and designed to be mobile.

DEFAULT

A default refers to a setting or assigned to a device,  computer program or software application outside of user intervention. Such settings are also called presets, especially for electronic devices. Default values are generally intended to make a device  usable “out of the box”. A common setting, or at least a usable setting, is typically assigned.

DVD

Acronym for Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc – the DVD is an optical disc storage media format. Úsed for the storage of video and data and offers more than six times the storage of a CD.                                                                               The variations of the DVD describes the way data is stored on the discs:

• DVD-ROM (can only be read and not written)
• DVD-R & DVD+R (can be written to once and then function as a DVD-ROM)
• DVD-RAM, DVD-RW and DVD+RW (hold data that can be erased and re-written multiple times)
• DVD-Video and DVD-Audio (properly formatted and structured for video and audio respectively)

DOWNLOAD

To transfer (data or programs) from a server or host computer to one’s own computer or device.

DOMAIN NAME

A unique address identifying each site on the Internet, usually of two or more segments separated by full stops.
 

DNS SERVER

The Domain Name Server resolves the name of the Web site typed into the location field of the browser with the IP address of the server that will send the requested information from that Web site.

DIGITAL MEDIA

Refers to any type of information in digital format including computer-generated text, graphics and animations, as well as photographic images.  The following are examples of digital media:

DREAMWEAVER

Adobe Dreamweaver is a web development application originally created by Macromedia and now owned by Adobe Systems.

DSL

The term domain-specific language (DSL) is a programming language or specific language dedicated to a particular problem domain, a particular problem representation technique, and/or a particular solution technique. The concept isn’t new – special-purpose programming language and all kinds of modelling/specification languages have always existed, but the term has become more popular due to the rise of domain-specific modelling. Domain-specific languages are 4GL (fourth generation programming language) programming languages.

DATABASE DEVELOPER

Database developers are responsible for planning, implementing, and configuring database systems, including the design of the structures used to store and relate data, as well as the forms and queries used as part of the overall system. Database developers are usually proficient with one or more database software tools, such as Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server, and with one or more database query languages, such as SQL or MySQL. Database developers should be able to communicate effectively with other technical personnel, as well as with users or other staff who may have little or no technical background.

DYNAMICALLY GENERATED CONTENT

Website content that is generated by various script including:   

-  asp (Active Server Page). This is an HTML page that includes one or more scripts processed on a Microsoft Web server before the page is sent to the user. 

-  php (hypertext preprocessor)