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Technology Glossary

Have you always wonder what TWAIN meant? What is the difference between a bit and a byte? Look no further, the answers are here!

Have a tech term you'd like to see here? Let us know.

AMPS | ASCII | BIT | BYTE | CD-R | CD-ROM | CD-RW | CPU | DSL | DSL | DVD | DVD-ROM | DVD-RW | EDTV | FTP | Gb | GB | GHz | GIF | GPS | Hz | HDTV | HTML | ISP | JPEG (JPG) | MB | Mb | MHz | Cerclage | NIC | OS | PC | PCS | PDA | PDF | SDTV | TIFF | TWAIN | USB | URL | VCR
AMPS If you are looking to buy or already own a cellular phone, then this acronym should mean something to you. The letters AMPS, otherwise known as analogue, stand for Advanced Mobile Phone System. This is older cell phone technology, dating back to the early 1980s. The AMPS uses radio wavelengths to transmit telephone calls.
ASCII Whether you want to know how to write a cent symbol or you are interested in producing fancy graphic art in your signature line, American Standard Code for Information Interchange holds the answer. ASCII is a code. In the code, every character in the English language, mathematical symbols and various other graphics are assigned a number from 0 to 255. If you are looking for an ASCII character map, check out the MSDN Library.
BIT The binary digit is the smallest component of computer storage. When lumped together, bits make characters, bytes, or words. Eight bits make one byte and equals one alphanumeric character.
BYTE Eight bits make one byte. One byte represents an alphanumeric character.
CD-R You’re right if you guessed that the CD in CD-R stands for compact disk. It’s the “R” that has you wondering, right? Well, wonder no more. The “R” refers to “recordable.” CD-R disks can be written once, but they can never be erased. They are cheaper and more often compatible than their upgraded counterpart, CD-RW.
CD-ROM The compact disk read only memory can contain graphics, text and sound. It holds 650MB of data. CD-ROMs cannot be played in conventional CD players, but CD-ROM players can play audio CDs.
CD-RW If you want to write on a disk, erase the disk and write some more, then you want a compact disk -- rewritable (CD-RW). These disks can be written hundreds of times. They are more expensive and less compatible than their simpler counterpart, the CD-R.
CPU The central processing unit of a computer is the brain of the outfit. In other words, CPU is the mainframe. Many people refer to the entire case of the computer as the CPU, when in actuality it is a single chip.
DSL Is your dial-up Internet connection frustrating you? Then it might be time for a digital subscriber line from your local phone company. DSL works on regular phone lines, transferring data and voice at the same time, using different frequencies. The data comes in a continuous stream, eliminating the need for connection and increasing the speed at which you will receive information. DSL costs roughly twice what you would pay for a premium dial-up Internet Service Provider (ISP).
DVD Need a new VCR? Try looking for a digital versatile disk player, instead. This is the future of VCR, CD-ROM and even audio CDs. Able to hold a full 133 min. movie on just one of its two sides, the DVD can hold up to 28 times more information than a CD-ROM. Images produced by the DVD are four times sharper than the current video images and can be delivered twice as fast.
DVD-ROM Your CD-ROM’s days are numbered. The digital versatile disk – read only memory will soon be in every new computer, able to play both CD-ROM disks and DVD disks.
DVD-RW If you use or want to use digital versatile disc (DVD) technology and you want to write your own DVD discs, then make sure you have a DVD-RW, a digital versatile disc – rewriteable.
EDTV Enhanced Definition Televisions are digital TVs with a performance level that’s a step above a Standard Definition Television (SDTV) and a step below a High Definition Television (HDTV).
FTP A file transfer protocol is the set of rules used to successfully transmit files of all types, including binary and ASCII text files.
Gb A gigabit is equal to one billion bits.
GB A gigabyte is equal to one billion bytes.
GHz A gigahertz equals one billion electrical vibrations per second.
GIF Whether you're sending pictures of the kids to relatives around the world or building your own web page, Graphics Interchange Format is something you should be familiar with. The GIF is a file format used to store images. Because GIFs display only 256 colors, they are best used for line art, icons and logos. (Photographs look best when they are displayed in thousands of colors – JPEG – and can be blotchy when displayed as GIFs.)
GPS The U.S. Department of Defense created the global positioning system. Comprised of 24 satellites, the system is used to identify locations around the earth and can find a signal’s location within a few meters. GBS navigation systems are often standard options with luxury vehicles. These systems can guide users to specific street addresses and even the nearest gas stations.
Hz Hertz refers to the number of electrical vibrations or cycles per second. One Hertz is equal to one cycle per second.
HDTV High definition television is high-resolution digital television that broadcasts a picture similar to that of a 35mm movie with compact disc-quality sound.
HTML Hyper text markup language is the communication of the World Wide Web. Pages, like the one you’re viewing now, are built with HTML codes embedded in the text.
ISP An Internet service provider is an organization that supplies Internet access, most often through a dial-up, modem connection.
JPEG (JPG) Joint Photographic Experts Group is arguably the best file format for storing and displaying photographs on the Web. That's because there's no limit to the number of colors you can display. Generally speaking, JPEGs are also smaller than GIF files. A JPEG usually has the suffix .jpg.
MB A megabyte equals one million bytes.
Mb A megabit equals one million bits.
MHz A megahertz is one million electrical vibrations per second.
NIC A network interface card is a circuit board that plugs into a client and a server so as to control the data exchanged between the two.
OS The operating system is the program that runs your computer. The OS determines what applications can be successfully run on your system.
PC A personal computer serves one user. The phrase refers to desktop and laptop computers used in the home or the office.
PCS Personal communications services are similar to cellular telephones. Sometimes referred to as digital cellular, PCS enables users to enjoy greater mobility, offering fewer blind spots and transmission errors than cellular technology, which emphasizes coverage on highways and major roadways.
PDA If you’re using or looking to buy a personal digital assistant, then you want a handheld computer that works with the help of a stylus, or pen, to keep track of personal and/or business obligations. Most include an address database, to-do list and a place to record notes. Data can be transferred from PDA to PC via USB or wireless transmission.
PDF The Portable Document File was developed by Adobe Systems. This file format enables documents to leave the desk of their creator and arrive on the recipients computer with exactly the same layout. To view the PDF, you need to download a free application from Adobe Systems, Adobe Acrobat Reader.
SDTV Standard definition television is digital television that broadcasts a picture similar to that of a DVD. SDTV operates at a lower resolution than HDTV.
TIFF If you're working with desktop publishing software or scanning images, chances are you've noticed the file extension .tif. Tagged Image File Format is one of the most common image file formats and is used to transfer bitmap images between applications. TIFF images can be black and white, grayscale or color.
TWAIN If you have a scanner or digital camera, you’re probably familiar with the acronym for Technology Without An Interesting Name. TWAIN refers to the programming that allows a desktop publishing or editing program to launch a scanner or other image-transferring device.
USB Universal Serial Bus refers to the hardware interface that allows low-powered devices to be powered via cables rather than separate AC adapters. Devices such as keyboards, mouse, joysticks, scanners and printers plug into a four-pin socket on the PC.
URL The uniform resource locator refers to the address that identifies the path to a file on the Internet. Users type URLs into Web browsers in order to access Web pages.
VCR A video cassette recorder is a video tape player and recorder that connects to a television to play or record tapes. VCRs cannot play DVDs and current VCRs cannot record wide-screen, high-definition signals.

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