Computer Glossary
anti-virus
software - a program that finds and removes viruses from a computer
Blog is another word for weblog. A blog is a
website that is like a diary or journal. Bloggers
(a word for people who write on blogs) often write about their opinions and
thoughts.
boot, boot up, boot disk - You boot (or
boot up) your computer when you switch it on and wait while it prepares itself.
Instructions for startup are given to the computer from the hard disk.
Browser Software
that allows you to "surf " the Internet. Internet Explorer, Firefox,
Opera, Chrome and Safari are examples of web browsers. A browser provides an
easy to use interface for accessing the information on the WWW.
bug - a (small) defect
or fault in a program.
cache - a kind of memory
used to make a computer work faster.
Clip Art: Graphic images that
can be inserted into documents.
Clipboard- is a section where your computer stores copied data.
Cloud- the many network
connections and computer systems involved in online services.
Cursor: a visual cue (as a
flashing slash) on a video display that indicates position
Desktop- is the primary user interface of a
computer. When you boot up your computer, the desktop is displayed once the
startup process is complete.
Digital footprints are traces left by someone's activity in a digital environment, e.g.
comments left on a blog, videos of a person posted on video sharing sites such
as YouTube, photos uploaded to Social Networking Sites etc.
data - usually means the information (text,
pictures, audio etc) that you create or share on a computer
Drag and Drop - is a common action performed within a graphical user
interface. It involves moving the cursor over an object, selecting it, and
moving it to a new location.
Edit: the process of
making changes or corrections to a document.
Emoticons- are the little text-based faces and
objects that you often see in e-mail and online chat. They help give the reader
a sense of the writer's feelings behind the text.
file - a specific computer record; it could contain
data such as text, or a program such as Paint.
Flash drive- is a small data storage device that uses
flash memory and has a built-in USB connection.
folder (directory) - a sub-division
of a computer's hard disk into which you put files.
font - a particular
sort of lettering (on the screen or on paper). Arial is a font. Times New Roman
is another.
hotspot - an area that has
an available wireless signal for Internet access (usually public).
icon - a small image or
picture on a computer screen that is a symbol for folders, disks, programs etc.
iTunes - iTunes is an audio playback program developed by Apple
Computer.
Landscape: page orientation in
which data prints across the wider portion of the page.
log on - the process of accessing a secure
computer system or website.
Margin: the blank space at the top, bottom,
left, and right sides of a document
Office software Office
software or office applications is a term used to describe a number of computer
programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
peripheral - any equipment
that is connected externally to a computer e.g. printers, scanners and modems
Podcast an
audio (or video) file that is made available online for download to a personal
computer and portable music player via subscription.
Portable Document Format (PDF) PDFs
are files for sharing documents independent of the word-processing software,
hardware, and operating system.
Server a
computer that provides services to other computers e.g.a web server provides
access to web pages.
smartphone - a mobile phone
that includes a palmtop computer and also gives access to Internet and email.
tablet - a tablet
computer; a mobile computer consisting of a screen, and controlled by touching
the screen.
Tag is a
keyword or term given to a piece of information (such as an Internet
bookmark, digital image, or computer file). This kind of information helps
describe an item and allows it to be found again by browsing or searching.
Template: a predefined
document format.
URL The
Uniform Resource Locator is the same as the web address on the Internet.
Wi-Fi - a system for communicating without wires
over a computer network
White Paper - a company may release a white paper to the public in
order to educate consumers about one of their products; the goal of a white paper is
usually to describe the technology or product in terms most people can
understand. That way nerds don't get to have all the fun each time a new
technology is invented.
Wiki is a collaborative website that can be edited
by its users. The most famous example of a wiki is Wikipedia. This course uses wiki technology to enable you to edit
content in certain sections of this course.
World Wide Web, WWW, the Web - WWW are initials
that stand for World Wide Web. The Web is one of the services available
"world-wide" on the Internet.
Podcast
The name
"podcast" combines the terms iPod and broadcast into a single catchy
word. As the name suggests, podcasts are audio and video broadcasts that can be
played on an iPod. However, because podcasts are downloaded using Apple iTunes
and can be played directly within the program, you don't actually need an iPod
to listen to a podcast.
Podcasts
are distributed by both professional organizations as well as amateur audio
producers who want to share their content with others. News organizations such
as NPR and CNN offer podcasts of their news stories, while other types of
podcasts can be downloaded from Comedy Central, G4 TV, VH1, and many other
broadcasting companies. Podcasts can be browsed within the iTunes Music Store
or found directly on an organization's website, which often provides links to
current podcasts.
Amateur
podcasts can be created by anyone who has a microphone or digital video camera
and a computer with recording software. In fact, recent versions of Apple's
GarageBand include special options for creating and exporting podcasts. Amateur
podcasts are not always available through the iTunes store, but can be
distributed on the Web. A simple link to the podcast will open the file in
iTunes, making it possible for anyone with a website to publish podcasts.
Podcasts
are often distributed in "episodes," meaning new podcasts are made
available on a regular basis. Users can subscribe to these podcasts, which
iTunes can automatically download as they become available. Once podcasts are
downloaded, the files are saved in the iTunes Library and can be viewed within
the Podcasts section. They can be played within iTunes or transferred to an
iPod, so users can watch or listen to podcasts while they are on the go.
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