Glossary

active matrix display

A type of flat-panel display found on most of today's laptop computers. Active matrix technology differs from "passive matrix" only in that the screen is refreshed more frequently, creating much better picture quality with better viewing angles. The most common type of active matrix screen is called TFT (or "thin film transfer"). The two terms are often used synonymously.

AGP

(abbreviation for "Accelerated Graphics Port") A new type of dedicated PC graphics bus designed by Intel Corp to more efficiently render 3D graphics. The AGP can transfer data at a rate up to 528MB/sec. By comparison, the more common PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, used in Pentium and Mac machines, has a maximum transfer rate of 132MB/sec. AGP's big bandwidth allows games and 3D apps to use more realistically-rendered textures and faster frame rates and to store this data in system, instead of video, memory. This reduces the performance hit to the system as graphics are presented. See also bus and PCI.

all-in-one

Increasingly popular office machines that combine a printer, scanner, photocopier and fax machine in one unit.

Alpha Channel

In computer graphics, a portion of each pixel's data that is reserved for transparency information. 32-bit graphics systems contain four channels -- three 8-bit channels for red, green, and blue (RGB) and one 8-bit alpha channel. The alpha channel is really a mask -- it specifies how the pixel's colors should be merged with another pixel when the two are overlaid, one on top of the other.

AMR

[Abbreviation for "Audio Modem Riser"] An Intel specification for analog I/O (Input/Output) functions on motherboards. An AMR card removes analog I/O functions from the motherboard, relegating them to a plug-in "riser card" (a.k.a. a "daughter board"). By doing this, motherboard manufacturing is not restrained by the FCC and International Telecom certification processes which can often get bogged down in red tape.

AMPS

[Abbreviated as "Advanced Mobile Phone Service"] The analog cellular phone standard first introduced by AT&T in 1983. AMPS phones operate in the 800 to 900 Megahertz (MHz) radio spectrum. The term is "cell" phone because the signals are sent from radio transmitters that cover a broadcast area known as a cell.

API

[abbreviation for "Application Program Interface"] A series of software routines and development tools that comprise an interface between a computer application and lower-level services and functions (e.g. the operating system, device drivers, and other low-level software). APIs serve as building blocks for programmers putting together software applications. Sometimes "Application Programming Interface."

ASP

[Abbreviation for "Application Service Provider"] A growing number of "apps-on-tap" websites where applications are available for rent. Asps allow small businesses to have access to programs and services that they might not otherwise be able to afford on their local area network.

ATA

[Abbreviation for "for "Advanced Technology Attachment"] ATA is the common disk drive technology that puts the drive controller right on the drive itself. The are a number of ATA versions, from the original a.k.a. IDE) to the 33MBps ATA-33 (a.k.a. Ultra-ATA) to the newest standard, ATA-66 which operates at 66MBps.

Athlon

The name of AMD's new chip intended to compete with Intel's Pentium III. The Athlon was formerly referred to as the K7. The September '99 issue of PC World claims that the 600MHz Athlon is on average 9% faster than a 600MHz PIII. In graphics tests, the Athlon was 21% faster running 3D modeling software. For comparisons and benchmarks, see AMD's Athlon page.

ATVEF

[Abbreviation for "Advanced Television Enhancement Forum"] A consortium of computer, cable and television companies that are developing an HTML-like standard for the delivery of computer data via TV signals. Right now, services like IBM's Intercast use the "Vertical Blanking Interval" on an analog TV signal. This is the part of the signal that's used to transmit closed captioning and emergency data. VBI has proven too limited for all but the most basic Internet content delivery. ATVEF hopes to develop a more high-bandwidth solution.

audio homesteading

Using a free audio website (such as www.live365.com) and web casting tools to set up your own Net radio station.

backhoe-induced Deep Fade

[Slang] One of many terms used in the wired world to refer to a day when the network is down (think: digital age snow day). Other terms are "backhoe day" and the verb "backhoed" (as in "the network has been backhoed.") Probably based on one or more real situations where a backhoe sliced through a network trunk.

backplane

A backplane is a printed circuit board in an electronics device with sockets into which other circuit boards can be plugged. In your PC, the backplane is the large board that contains the ISA, PCI and other sockets for modem, video, sound and other expansion cards. Sometimes used synonymously with motherboard.

bid shielding

[slang] On an online auction, when two bidders pull the following scam: one bids low, the other very high, which discourages other bidders. Seconds before the auction ends, the high bid is retracted and the low bidder wins by default.

BIOS

[Abbreviation for "Basic Input/Output System"] The BIOS is the root software in a PC that contains all of the basic code for controlling drives, keyboard, monitor, mouse, comm ports, etc. The BIOS acts as a bridge between the hardware and the operating system. The BIOS resides on a ROM chip so that your computer can continue to function even after a disk failure. To learn more, see PC Guide's BIOS reference page.

blog

[slang] Short for "WeBLOG." A Weblog is a type of website that uses a dated log format for the building its content. Weblogs (or blogs) are usually moderated by a single person who creates the material themselves, edits submissions from contributors, gleans material from elsewhere on the Net, or a combination of all three. One of the most common blog sites is the news for nerds Mecca Slash Dot.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is an open standard for short-range wireless communications being developed by a cooperative of mobile phone, computer and PDA manufacturers. The standard would allow all of your (Bluetooth-compliant) personal tech devices to talk to each other. The first Bluetooth-compliant products are supposed to make their appearance by the end of 1999. For more info, see the Bluetooth website.

brain fart

[Slang] 1. The result of mental indigestion (a "braino" in hacker slang) when switching from one activity to another that causes one to make an embarrassing mistake. Trying to fast-forward a real-time TV program after watching a videotape would be an example of a brain fart. 2. A burst of useful information that's the byproduct of a bloated mind. "Can you give me a brain fart on the theory of the Big Crunch?"

browser safe colors

There are only 216 colors in the common 256-color display palette that are rendered the exact same way on both Mac and PC operating systems. These are called "browser safe colors" (or the "browser safe palette"). You need to use these colors if you want your Web graphics and colored elements to look consistent on both platforms. Read a Street Tech review on a cool browser safe palette mouse pad.

bus

Think of a computer bus as sort of a highway (to mix a metaphor) through your computer on which data travels. Buses carry data between the microprocessor, disk drive controllers, memory and peripheral ports. Buses have several sets of "lanes" (if you will), one for carrying data, another for carrying memory addresses on where to find the data, and another for carrying control signals for regulating the devices and processes connected to the bus.

B2B

[Abbreviation for "Business to Business"] The term "B2B" is showing up a lot these says, as business to business ecommerce is touted as the next great Net revolution. "B2C" stands for "business to consumers."

cache

[pronounced "cash"] A form of high-speed storage that can be either a section of main memory (as in "memory caching") or an independent storage device ("disk caching"). Memory caching is effective because most programs access the same data or instructions over and over again. By storing this information in cache memory, overall data processing speed is improved. Level 2 (L2) cache, which is common in many of today's computers, is usually located on a second chip between the main computer processor and the DRAM.

CDPD

[abbreviation for "Cellular Digital Packet Data"] A wireless radio frequency (RF) communication service that can deliver data packets over existing cellular phone networks that have been upgrading for CDPD. CDPD is capable of transfer speeds of up to 19.2 KBPS. The CDPD packets are actually sent between pauses in the cellular phone conversations. CDPD cellular modem service is currently available in about 65 US cities.

chatterbot

A chatterbot is a software program that runs in a chat room or on a Web page and is designed to simulate a human conversant. Chatterbots are common in the online text-based gaming environments known as Tinymuds. A nice chatterbot fan page can be found here.

Circuit-Switched Cellular

A system for transferring modem data over a conventional analog cellular network that has not been updated for CDPD communication. See CDPD.

ClearType

ClearType is a new font technology that Microsoft is developing. Mr. Bill and Bill Hill (the creator of ClearType) claim that it will make future screens as easy to read as print books and will spark a revolution in e-books. ClearType works by using complicated algorithms to render characters more sharply by adding red, green and blue sub elements. For more info see MS's ClearType page

CLEC

[Abbreviation for "Competitive Local Exchange Carrier"] A telecom company that is in competition with the local Bell (or other) telephone company. The term was coined after the 1996 Telecommunications Act which deregulated the telecom industry. CLECS include cable companies, ISPs, cellular providers and others.

coaxial cable

Type of cable used for cable TV, UHF/VHF TV antennas, ham and scanner radio hook-ups. Coax was also the standard for data networks such as Ethernet and IBM's 3270 terminals (now being replaced by fiber optics). Coax is a round two-conductor cable with a single solid center wire (or stranded conductor) surrounded by a braided or foil conductor (which is usually grounded). Both conductors share the same axis, thus the name coaxial. Coax has a characteristic impedance (expressed in Ohms). Coax cable is rate with an RG prefix (old military jargon for "Radio Guide" and followed by the cable type (expressed in a number) and the suffix "/U" if it's a general utility cable (as opposed to special application coax made of different material, designed for shorter runs, etc.). RG-6/U coax is a 75 Ohms cable designed for internal wiring of cable and antenna television. RG-59/U coax is a 75 Ohms cable commonly used in video transmission, and CB, Ham radio and TV antennas.

Compact Flash Card

Compact Flash cards are smaller, more durable and can hold more data than other types of flash memory cards. Compact Flash cards are also about one-third the size of a PC card and can be used by Type I & II PC card slots with an adapter. One thing that distinguishes Compact Flash cards is that they have their own controller onboard so that cameras, PDAs and other devices that use the cards are not burdened with the controller software. Compact Flash cards comes is sizes from 2MB to 64MB. See PC Card and Smart Media Card.

content-aware switches

A new generation of network switching technology that can actually make decisions about prioritizing net traffic. This technology, also called "smart switches," are especially useful on intranets and extranets where real-time decisions can be made about getting mission-critical apps and data through the pipeline faster.

convergence networks

Internet-based networks that deliver voice, data and video over the same network. Cisco's Voice, Video and Integrated Data system (AVVID) is already on the market, but so far, adoption is slow (given some industry reluctance and the money already invested in separate voice and data nets).

copyleft

One of the backbone concepts of the open source software movement is the idea of copyleft. Coined by the Free Software Foundation, copyleft stipulates that a piece of software can be freely distributed and modified as long as a copyleft statement travels with it that tells others they can freely distribute and modify the software code as long as they keep it open to distribution and modification (and keep the copyleft statement on it).

culprit zero

The person responsible for initiating an online media prank, phony virus warning or email chain letter. As you might imagine, tracking down culprit zero can be next to impossible.

data coolie

[Slang] A third world programmer who will work for much less money than an equivalent US programmer.

daughter window

A smaller browser window that pops up when you hit a Web page. Daughter windows are used to present ads, news, special promotions and site indexes. They first became popular with adult websites, but can now be found everywhere.

dead media

Cyberpunk hero Bruce Sterling began the Dead Media Project in 1995 to catalog all of media's dodo birds, those technologies that have fallen by the wayside. He and fellow sci-fi author Richard Kadrey moderate a mailing list of "dead media necronauts" who collective research and catalog lost but not forgotten media tech. Sterling is writing a book on his findings. Check one of the Dead Media archives.

deep linking

The practice of hyper linking to pages on a site other than the front page of a site. Deep linking has become a controversial practice, thanks to the hyper-greedy Ticket master, who says deep linking bypasses the front page advertising on their site, cutting into their ad revenue. They are pushing for the practice of "consensual linking" only.

Dell

[Slang] To beat a competitor by eliminating the middleman and selling directly to customers. "Some analysts have warned that "Delling" could spread to the car, chemicals and banking sectors."

digital video recorders

A new breed of digital recording technology that compresses and records TV programming onto a hard disk. The first two manufacturers of DVRs are TiVo and ReplayTV. One unique feature of DVRs allows you to save a show you're watching from the beginning even if you decide to record it mid-way. DVR recordings are meant to be watched and then erased or transferred to a VCR for later playback.

DIP Switches

[abbreviation for "Dual Inline Package"] Small switches found on motherboards and other computer devices. By turning the switches on or off, the user can select different operating options. See also SIMM.

DirectX

An MS Windows program that allows applications to "talk" directly to graphics and audio hardware.

dot-com

[Slang] Previously used as a way of indicating the period (.) and top level (COMmercial) domain of a Web address, "dot-com" has suddenly become a way of describing Internet-based businesses. "Did you see how the dot-com stocks are going crazy?" Please, make it stop!

DRDRAM

[abbreviation for "Direct RAMbus Dynamic Random Access Memory"] The next generation of RAM technology debuting later this year ('99). DRDRAM draws less power (almost a third less than SDRAM), has clock speeds of up to a dizzying 800MHz, allows for multiple channels of memory for up to four parallel banks of RAM, and a data path that's twice as wide as existing SDRAM (two bytes instead of one). All this translates to RAM performance that should be at least three times faster than existing memory technology.

DSP

[Abbreviation for "Digital Signal Processor"] A microprocessor that specializes in calculations related to translating analog signals into digital ones. DSPs are used in audio and video compression, voice processing, modems, hearing aids, seismic sensors, anyplace where rapid analog to digital conversion and signal clarification is required.

DVD

[abbreviation for "Digital Video (or Versatile) Disc"] An improved CD-ROM-like technology that can fit between 4.7GB to 17GB of multimedia data on a single disc. DVD is "backwards compatible" with CD-ROMs so you can play your old audio CDs and CD-ROMs on DVD drives. The latest version of DVD, called DVD-2 (or DVDII), can also read CD-R (Recordable) and CD-RW (Re-Writable) discs.

e-cinema

The next generation of cinema will be digital, not analog. E-cinema films will be delivered over high-speed data networks or via removable media to movie theaters. While e-cinema is exciting from a technical standpoint (no data loss through printing, no scratches and pops, no print costs), it raises big questions: who will pay for the new digital theaters? what does it mean for independents? etc. Geo. Lucas says that Star Wars Episode II will likely be an all-digital film.

E-Factor

What cyberpundit Michael Wolf calls the new strategy, increasingly found in all forms of business, where regardless of the product or service, you have to use entertainment and show-biz antics to get your customer's attention.

EIDE

[abbreviation for "Enhanced Integrated Device Electronics"] Refers to a type of disk drive standard where the controller for the device is part of the device itself, eliminating the need for a separate adapter card. EIDE adds features onto the older IDE standard, such as larger capacity (up to 8.4GB), faster access times, and burst transfer (large chunks of data at once).

8-second Rule

Rule-of-thumb for the maximum amount of time it should take for a site's front page to load.

EPOC

If it's not the PalmOS and not WinCE, it's probably EPOC, an operating system developed in Europe for handheld computers. First used on the popular Psion H/PC's, EPOC is being adopted by a number of developers of other handheld devices, Net phones, Net appliances.

e-speak

Hewlett-Packard's answer to Java. E-speak actually sits on top of Java and is cross-platform compatible. Unlike Java, e-speak is designed to be easy to use so that non-programming Web developers can create applications and Web services via a graphical interface. For more info, check out HP's e-speak home page.

e-Stamp

An online postage service and stamp printing device recently approved for use by the US Postal Service. Users will have a small "electric vault" that attaches to their printer. Postage is purchased online, either as needed or in an amount to be stored in the vault for later use. So far, e-Stamps only work with a few envelope printing-capable programs, most of them Microsoft products (who, surprise, is one of e-Stamp's partners!). For more details, see the e-Stamp site.

e-support

The delivery of tech support services directly to a computer over the Internet. Dell recently rolled out its OpenManage Resolution Assistant, a technology that can monitor customer's PowerEdge servers and correct problems as they arise. If the program is successful, they will begin offering it to the desktop as well. One obvious hurdle for e-support is the significant security issues.

Ethernet

A popular type of local area network (LAN) developed by Xerox in 1976 and common in many of today's office networks. Two popular Ethernet configurations are 10Base-T (carrying 10 megabits per second) and 100Base-T (at 100Mbps). Ethernet networks can be connected by coaxial, fiber optic and twisted-pair cabling.

FastWireless

The sexier name for IEEE 802.11 (see, we told you), a wireless local area network (LAN) standard being promoted by WECA. WECA, or the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, is a consortium of networking companies who are trying to promote FastWireless. Where wireless LANS in the past were slow (at 2 megabits/second), IEEE 802.11 is rated at speeds up to 11 megabits per second. WECA players include Lucent, 3COM and Nokia.

File Allocation Table

[abbreviated as "FAT"] You probably already know that the data in your computer --the files and programs-- are not all stored in one continuous block on a disk drive. Files are stored as space allows in fixed groups of bytes. Think of the file allocation table as the phone book that keeps track of where everything is. The two most common FATs are FAT16 and FAT32 for MS-DOS/Windows. FAT16 (as in 16-bits) was created back in the bad ol' days before hard drives and is therefore not very efficient (and limits drives to 2.6GB in size). FAT32 (32-bits), introduced with Win98, does a much more efficient job of file allocation and does not have the 2.6GB size restriction. Your computer always keeps two copies of the FAT in case one gets corrupted. If both become corrupted, you're in deep do-do.

firmware

Software that's stored in Read-Only Memory (ROM) and stays intact even if the device has no power. Boot routines and other low-level instructions are stored in firmware. Some firmware can be upgraded, some can't.

flash ROM

[also called "flash memory"] A type of nonvolatile (i.e. it stays intact when power is off) memory commonly used as a replacement for or supplement to a hard disk drive in a portable computer (laptop, handheld, PDA, etc.)

FPU

[abbreviation for "Floating-point Unit"] A computer circuit that performs arithmetic functions called "floating point operations." Floating point math is used whenever an operation involves fractional numbers or irrational parts used in spreadsheets and graphics rendering.

Frankenpants

Slang used in Britain for a line of pants being sold that are made out of GM (genetically-modified) cotton.

Friday night pizza maker

[Slang] Japanese term for a salary man who gets drunk on payday and ends up leaving a puddle of vomit somewhere along his way home.

GNOME

[abbreviation for "GNU Network Object Model Environment"] The GNOME project (pronounced with a hard "G") is a collaborative software project building a complete user-friendly graphic user interface (GUI) entirely with free software components. GNOME is a GUI for GNU/Linux/Unix systems. Find out more at the GNOME project page. GNU is the open source OS project that Linux is partially built from. GNU stands for the recursive "GNU is not Unix." The "G" is hard so that the term is not confused with "new."

gopod

[Slang] The Supreme Being of cyberspace. Legend has it that gopod started out as a typo (for god) on the Well BBS and the term stuck. "I swear to gopod I'll open a topic to make fun of you!"

GPS

[abbreviation for "Global Positioning System"] GPS is a U.S. Department of Defense network of 24 low-power radio satellites that constantly broadcast their position and the time. Ground-based GPS receivers use these satellite signals to determine their location. Location accuracy for civilian use is between 100 and 10 meters depending on equipment. Accuracy of within one meter is possible with special military-approved equipment and clearance.

GUIX

[Pronounced "Gwicks"] Derogatory tech support slang for Unix/Linux newbies who are used to GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces) and don't know their way around a command line interface. Hardcore Linux user are sometimes called Penguinheads.

headless clients

Term for the virtual clients used in "test load" software on ecommerce sites to make sure the site can handle high traffic numbers. Analysts say that many "e-tailers" have not done adequate load testing for the projected holiday onslaught.

HomePNA

[abbreviation for "Home Phoneline Networking Alliance"] The standard being developed by a consortium of computer companies for home networking hardware and software that uses your home's phone wiring to send data between multiple PCs.

hoteling

Hoteling is a form of Internet service hosting where the customer houses their own server box at their ISP's physical location. Street Tech almost sent one of its Micron boxes to our provider, Virtualscape, for hoteling Shop Talk, our conferencing area (so it could have its own dedicated server).

HotSync

[and HotSyncing] The process of automatically synchronizing data between a personal digital assistant (such as the PalmPilot) and its corresponding program on a desktop computer. Changes you make on the PDA or corresponding desktop program will be reflected on both platforms after a HotSync. 3COM/US Robotics holds the trademark to the term HotSync, but the process of synchronizing between a PDA and a desktop computer is common.

ICANN

[Acronym for "Internet Corporation for Names and Numbers"] ICANN is the non-governmental, non-profit organization set up earlier this year ('99) to administrate the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS). So far, things have not been going so well. ICANN is currently dangerously low on cash, and so far, its efforts have been widely criticized.

I-commerce

[Abbreviation for "Individual Commerce"] A term coined by Interactive Week to refer to the growing meta-affiliate programs cropping up online. I-commerce sites aggregate affiliate programs offered by such sites as Amazon, CDNOW, Reel.Com and Magazine Mall. Some I-commerce sites are moving into email affiliate programs where your email messages will contain ads for products that you can get a commission on (turning us all into junior spammers).

IEEE 1394

[a.k.a. FireWire, i.LINK] A new standard for a high performance data transfer bus developed by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). IEEE 1394 connects devices to your computer via a single port on which up to 63 devices can be attached with data transfer speeds of up to 400 Mbps (megabits per second). The first products taking advantage of this technology are digital camcorders and external hard drives. Apple uses the trademarked name FireWire, Sony uses i.Link. Everyone else uses oh-so-sexy IEEE 1394. Can't we all just get along?

IPv6

[Abbreviation for "Internet Protocol version 6"] The long-awaited new version of the Internet Protocol (the Net's addressing system). IPv6 lengthens IP addresses from 32 to 128 bits. This change will allow for tremendous expansion of IP addresses -- for handheld, embedded and other next generation Internet devices -- without fear of running out of IP numbers. Also known as IPng (or "Internet Protocol next generation"]. For more info, see Yahoo's IPv6 Page.

IRQ

[abbreviation for "Interupt ReQuests"] IRQs are a means by which the computer's data bus alerts the CPU to the fact that it needs attention. The IRQ signals tell the CPU to temporarily suspend normal operation and handle the interrupt request. Devices that use hardware interrupts include modems, printers, interface cards and other add-ons and peripherals. The currently-common PCI bus allows devices to share IRQs and USB does away with them altogether.

ISA

[abbreviation for "Industry Standard Architecture"] An older bus standard that is being replaced on newer machines by PCI, although at least one ISA slot is still found on even the newest motherboards to handle legacy cards and peripherals. This will likely changed by the end of 1999.

ISDN

(abbreviation for "Integrated Services Digital Network") A digital telephone standard that provides both voice and data services over the same connection. ISDN can offer high-speed access up to 64Kbps (1 channel) and 128Kbps (2 channel).

Joule

A unit of measurement of the amount of energy delivered by one watt of power in one second. A "Joule rating" is the sum of a device's internal components' ability to absorb and dissipate a surge of energy. In surge protectors, the more important rating is the "let-through voltage," or the amount of voltage that a surge protector will actually pass to the equipment after being blasted by a 6000v spike of electricity.

jumpers

On a motherboard, jumpers are a set of pins that, by adding and subtracting little plastic connectors over them, allow the user to turn on or off certain operations.

Ku-Band

The 11.7 to 12.7 GHz (Gigahertz) frequency band used by Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) and Broadcasting Satellite Services (BSS).

logging off

[Slang] Rather disgusting techie slang for going to the bathroom. Other terms for toiletry include the equally descriptive "downloading" and the less offensive "bio-break."

Linux

Linux (pronounced "Lee-nooks") is a freely-distributed, open operating system (OS) based on Unix, the multi-user, multi-tasking OS created by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs in the late '60s. Linux was written by Linus Torvalds of Finland and has been built upon by many computer scientists