CHAPTER 7 PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY THE FUTURE IS YOU

Convergence, Portability, & Personalization

Convergence

How can I evaluate whether a hybrid convergence device is good or bad?

Convergence or digital convergence, describes the combining of several industries−computers, communications, consumer electronics, entertainment, and mass media−through various devices that exchange data in digital form. The coming together of two or more disparate disciplines or technologies. For example, the so-called fax revolution was produced by a convergence of telecommunications technology, optical scanning technology, and printing technology. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/convergence.html

• CONVERGENCE: THE UPSIDE
• CONVERGENCE: THE DOWNSIDE

Portability

• PORTABILITY: THE UPSIDE
• PORTABILITY: THE DOWNSIDE
  • Caller ID a feature that shows the name and/or number of the calling party on the phone’s display when you receive an incoming call. A telephone service, available in analog and digital phone systems and most voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications, that transmits a caller’s number to the called party’s telephone equipment during the ringing signal, or when the call is being set up but before the call is answered. Where available, caller ID can also provide a name associated with the calling telephone number. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_ID

Personalization

What are the pluses and minuses of personalization?

• Branch telecommunications model a centralized information provider sends out messages through many channels to thousands of consumers
• Switched-network telecommunications model a common carrier provides circuit switching among public users; that is, a temporary connection is established by a closing a circuit

PERSONALIZATION: THE UPSIDE

PERSONALIZATION: THE DOWNSIDE

• • Regret: People are more likely regret their decisions. A negative conscious and emotional reaction to personal past acts and behaviors. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regret
  • Inaction: People are more likely to anticipate regretting decisions, and the anticipated regret prevents people from actually deciding
  • Excessive expectations: Expectations about how good the decision will be go up. Thus, reality has a hard time living up to the expectations
  • Self-blame: When decisions have disappointing result, people tend to blame themselves, because they feel the unsatisfying result must be their fault. Self-blame is one of the most toxic forms of emotional abuse. It amplifies our perceived inadequacies, whether real or imagined, and paralyzes us before we can even begin to move forward. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/enlightened-living/201304/self-blame-the-ultimate-emotional-abuse
• Multitasking – performing several tasks at once. The ability to execute more than one task at the same time, a taskbeing a program. The terms multitasking and multiprocessing are often used interchangeably, although multiprocessing implies that more than one CPUis involved. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/multitasking.html

Popular Personal Technologies

What personal technologies am I familiar with?

• MP3 audio players
• Satellite, high-definition, and internet radios
• Digital cameras
• Personal digital assistants and tablets PCs
• The new television
• Smartphones
• Videogame systems

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MP3 Players

What should I know about digital audio players?

• MP3 digital audio players are portable devices that enable you to play MP3 digital audio files. A portable consumer electronic device that allows you to store and plays music files in MP3 format. MP3 players are small handheld devices and often use flash memory for storing MP3 files. While frequently called an MP3 player, it fits under the broader category of digital audio players and often an MP3 players can use other file types such as Windows Media Audio (WMA). http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MP3_player.html
• MP3 is a format that allows audio files to be compressed so they are small enough to be sent over the internet or stored as digital files. an audio coding format for digital audio which uses a form of lossy data compression. It is a common audio format for consumer audio streaming or storage, as well as a de facto standard of digital audio compression for the transfer and playback of music on most digital audio players. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3

How MP3 Players Work

• DATA STORAGE−HARD DRIVE
• DATA STORAGE−FLASH MEMORY
• SAMPLING RATE
  • Sampling rate, the number of times, expressed in kilobits per second, that a song is measured (sampled) and converted to a digital value. Sample rate is the number of samples of audio carried per second, measured in Hz or kHz (one kHz being 1 000 Hz). For example, 44 100 samples per second can be expressed as either 44 100 Hz, or 44.1 kHz. Bandwidth is the difference between the highest and lowest frequencies carried in an audio stream. wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Sample_Rates
• TRANSFERRING FILES
• BATTERY LIFE
• COLOR SCREENS & PHOTO VIEWING
• OTHER FEATURES
• MP3 IN YOUR CAR

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High-Tech Radio: Satellite, High Definition & Internet

Satellite Radio

How would satellite radio be different for me?

• • Satellite radio also called digital radio service in which digital signals are sent from satellites in orbit around the Earth to subscribers owning special radios that can decode the encrypted signal. Satellite radio is a radio service broadcast from satellites primarily to cars, with the signal broadcast nationwide, across a much wider geographical area than terrestrial radio stations. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_radio
• TWO PROVIDERS
• ADVANTAGES OF SATELLITE RADIO

High-Definition Radio

How does high-definition radio differ from traditional radio?

• High-definition (HD) radio which provides CD-quality sound and allows broadcasters to squeeze two digital and one analog station on the same frequency. The trademark for iBiquity’s in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data by using a digital signal embedded “on-frequency” immediately above and below a station’s standard analog signal, providing the means to listen to the same program in either HD (digital radio with less noise) or as a standard broadcast (analog radio with standard sound quality). The HD format also provides the means for a single radio station to simultaneously broadcast one or more different programs in addition to the program being transmitted on the radio station’s analog channel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_Radio

Podcasting

How could I get involved in podcasting?

• Podcasting involves the recording of internet radio or similar internet audio programs. Podcasting is the preparation and distribution of audio files using RSS to the computers of subscribed users. These files may then be uploaded to digital music or multimedia players like the iPod. A podcast can be easily created from a digital audio file. The podcaster first saves the file as an MP3 and then uploads it to the Web site of a service provider. The MP3 file gets its own URL, which is inserted into an RSS XML document as an enclosure within an XML tag. http://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/definition/podcasting

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Digital Cameras: Changing Photography

How Digital Cameras Work

What would motivate me to buy a digital camera?

• POINT-AND-SHOOT VERSUS SINGLES-LENS REFLEX (SLR)
  • Point-and-shoot: A point-and-shoot camera, either film or digital, that automatically adjusts settings such as exposure and focus. A type of digital camera (or camera setting) that offers users no additional manual settings or options. With point and shoot the camera focus, flash and all settings are automatically set by the camera enabling users to simply point the camera at the subject and press the shutter button. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/point_and_shoot.html
  • Single-lens reflex: A single-lens reflex (SLR) camera is a camera, either film or digital, that has a reflecting mirror that reflects the incoming light in such a way that the scene viewed by the viewer through the viewfinder is the same as what’s framed by the lens. Short for single lens reflex, is a term associated with cameras anddigital cameras. SLR cameras use a mirror between the lens and the film, or image sensor, to provide a focus screen. This means the image you see in the viewfinder (or LCD) will be the same as what appears on film or as your digital image. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/SLR.html
• RESOLUTION & MEGAPIXELS
  • Megapixels or millions of picture elements, the electronic dots making up an image. A megapixel is one million pixels. It is commonly used to describe the resolution of digital cameras. For example, a 7.2 megapixel camera is capable of capturing roughly 7,200,000 pixels. The higher the megapixel number, the more detail the camera can capture. http://www.techterms.com/definition/megapixel
  • How many megapixels are best?
  • Not all megapixels are best
• LENSES
  • Digital zoom
  • Optical zoom
• STORAGE
• OPTICAL VIEWFINDERS & LCD SCREENS
  • Optical viewfinders: The optical viewfinder is the eye-level optical glass device on the camera that when you look through it, shows the image to be photographed. On a digital camera optical viewfinder is the eyepiece that you look through to frame and focus your subject before taking the picture. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/optical_viewfinder.html
  • LCD screens: The LCD (liquid crystal display) screens usually measure 2 inches or more diagonally and allow you to review the photos you take. Definition of:LCD monitor. LCD monitor. A flat panel screen that uses the liquid crystal display (LCD) technology and connects to a computer. Laptops have used LCD screens almost exclusively, and the LCD monitor is the standard display screen for desktop computers. http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/45974/lcd–monitor
• START-UP TIME, SHUTTER LAG, & CONTINUOUS SHOOTING
• BATTERY LIFE
• SHOOTING VIDEO CLIPS
  • Zoom
  • Sound
  • Storage
• TRANSFERRING IMAGES
  • Use a direct connection between your camera and your computer
  • Insert the memory card into your computer or a card reader
  • Put your camera in a cradle attached to your PC
  • Use a photo printer with a built-in card slot
  • Use a portable hard drive
  • Use a portable CD burner
  • Use an MP3 player
  • Use a photo-printing kiosk
  • Use a photo lab
  • Bring along your own card and CDs and use other’s computers

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Personal Digital Assistants & Tablet PCs

How could I use a PDA and tablets PC to help me in college?

• Personal digital assistant (PDA) is a portable device that stores personal organization tools, such as schedule planner, address book, and to-do list, along with other, more specialized software. A personal digital assistant (PDA), also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager.PDAs were discontinued in early 2010s after the widespread adoption of smartphones. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_digital_assistant

How a PDA Works

What things should I know about PDA operation?

• DATA STORAGE
• POWER SOURCES
• TRANSFERRING FILES

The Future of PDAs

In what ways could PDAs evolve?

• DISPLAYING TELEVISION & PHOTOGRAPHS
• HANDHELD WEATHER METERS
• GPS LOCATORS

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The New Television

Interactive, Personalized, Internet, & Smart TVs & Entertainment PCs

• INTERACTIVE TV
  • Lets you interact with the show you’re watching. Interactive TV (ITV or iTV) is an approach to television advertising and programming that creates the opportunity for viewers to communicate with advertisers and programming executives by responding to a call to action. whatis.techtarget.com/definition/interactive–TV–interactive–television
• PERSONALIZED TV
  • Consists of hard-drive-equipped personal video recorders (PVRs), also known as digital video recorder (DVRs). Personal TV Channels are people’s personal Web sites that have been converted to become their own Internet TV channel. Personal TV channels might contain home videos and programs that are meant to be shared among family, personal friends or others who wish to view them. http://www.itvdictionary.com/definitions/personal_tv_channel.html
• INTERNET TV
  • Which lets you read email, internet text, and web pages on your television set, using a set-top box. Internet television (Internet TV) is the process of broadcasting or delivering televised content to end user computing devices over the Internet. Internet TV makes it possible to view the same television channels on an Internet-enabled device rather than cable, satellite, antenna or other conventional telecasting technologies. http://www.techopedia.com/definition/13523/internet-television-internet-tv
• SMART TV
  • Television sets equipped with hard drives and Wi-Fi capability that allows users to connect to wireless networks. A smart TV, sometimes referred to as connected TV or hybrid TV, (not to be confused with IPTV, Internet TV, or with Web TV) is a television set or set-top box with integrated Internet and Web 2.0 features, and is an example of technological convergence between computers and television sets and set-top boxes. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_TV
• ENTERTAINMENT PCs
  • Multifunctional computers based on Microsoft’s Media Center Edition 2005 that are generically called entertainment PCs

Three Kinds of Television: DTV, HDTV, SDTV

• DIGITAL TELEVISION (DTV)
  • Which uses a digital signals, or series of 0s and 1s. Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of audio and video by digitally processed and multiplexed signal, in contrast to the totally analog and channel separated signals used by analog television. Digital TV can support more than one program in the same channel bandwidth. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television
• HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION (HDTV)
  • Works with digital broadcasting signals and has a wider screen and higher resolution than standard television.
    1. High–definition television (HDTV) provides a resolution that is substantially higher than that of standard-definition television. HDTV may be transmitted in various formats: 1080p: 1920×1080p: 2,073,600 pixels (~2.07 megapixels) per frame. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High–definition_television
• STANDARD-DEFINITION TELEVISION (SDTV)
  • Which has a lower resolution, a minimum of 480 vertical lines, and a picture quality similar to that required to watch DVD movies. Standard–definition television (SDTV) is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either high-definition television(1080i, 1080p, 1440p, 4K UHDTV, and 8K UHD) or enhanced-definition television (EDTV 480p). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard–definition_television

The Societal Effects of the New TV

• TIME SHIFTING: CHANGING WHEN YOU WATCH TV
  • Video on demand (VOD or VoD), which consists of a wide set of technologies that enable viewers to select videos or TV programs from a central server to watch when they want. Short for Video-on-Demand, an umbrella term for a wide set of technologies and companies whose common goal is to enable individuals to select videos from a central server for viewing on a television or computer screen. VoD can be used for entertainment (ordering movies transmitted digitally), education (viewing training videos), and videoconferencing(enhancing presentations with video clips). Although VoD is being used somewhat in all these areas, it is not yet widely implemented. VoD’s biggest obstacle is the lack of a network infrastructure that can handle the large amounts of data required by video. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/V/VoD.html
• SPACE SHIFTING: CHANGING WHERE YOU WATCH TV
• CONTENT SHIFTING: CHANGING THE NATURE OF TV PROGRAMS
  • IPTV short for Internet Protocol Television, in which television and video signals are sent to viewers using internet protocols. Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as a LAN or the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPTV

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Smartphones: More Than Talk

How are smartphones different from basic cellphones?

• Smartphones – cellular telephones with microprocessor, memory, display screen, and built-in modem. A smartphone is a mobile phone with highly advanced features. A typical smartphone has a high-resolution touch screen display, WiFi connectivity, Web browsing capabilities, and the ability to accept sophisticated applications. The majority of these devices run on any of these popular mobile operating systems: Android, Symbian, iOS, BlackBerry OS and Windows Mobile. http://www.techopedia.com/definition/2977/smartphone

How a Mobile Phone Works

What are the basic elements of a mobile phone?

• STORAGE
• INPUT
• OUTPUT

Smartphone Services

What smartphone services would be most useful to me?

• TEXT MESSAGING
  • Text messaging or texting, is the sending of short messages, generally no more than a couple of hundred characters in length, to a pager, PDA, smartphone, or other handheld device. Sending short text messages to a device such as a cellular phone,PDA or pager. Text messaging is used for messages that are no longer than a few hundred characters. The term is usually applied to messaging that takes place between two or more mobile devices. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/T/text_messaging.html
  • SMS stands for Short Message Service, a text message service originally designed for GSM mobile phones but now available on a range of networks. Short Message Service (SMS) is a text messaging service component of phone, Web, or mobile communication systems. It uses standardized communications protocols to allow fixed line or mobile phone devices to exchange short text messages. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Message_Service
• DOWNLOADED RINGTONES
  • Ringtone the audible sound a phone makes to announce that a call is coming in. The sound a mobile phone makes to notify the owner they have an incoming call. The term is most often used to describe the many different customizable sounds and music available for cellphone owners to download and use. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/ringtone.html
• EMAIL
• INTERNET ACCESS
• PHOTOGRAPHY
• GAMES
• RADIO & MUSIC
• TV & VIDEO
• OTHER FEATURES

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Videogame Systems: The Ultimate Convergence Machine?

How do the three principal videogame consoles compare?

• Microsoft’s Xbox 360

  • The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft, and is the successor to the original Xbox, and it is the second console in the Xbox series. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360 

• Sony Playstation 3

  The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console produced bySony Computer Entertainment. It is the successor to PlayStation 2, as part of the PlayStation series. It competes with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3

• Nintendo’s Revolution

  • A popular video game console from Nintendo (www.nintendo.com) introduced in 2006. Pronounced “wee,” it runs Wii and GameCube softwareand features a wireless motion sensing controller that looks like a TV remote rather than a game controller. After a sensor bar is placed in frontof the screen to orient the Bluetooth-based remote via infrared signals, the unit is strapped to the wrist and swung like a tennis racket, golf clubor other sports equipment. Dubbed the “Wiimote,” its internal accelerometers sense the motion on three axes, and up to four players can havetheir own controller. The speaker built into the device sounds a “thwack” when hitting the ball. http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Nintendo+revolution

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 6 COMMUNICATIONS, NETWORKS, & SAFEGUARDS THE WIRED & WIRELESS WORLD

From the Analog to the Digital Age

The Digital Basis of Computers: Electrical Signals as Discontinuous Bursts

What does “digital” means?

• Digital describes any system based on discontinuous data or events; in the case of computers, it refers to communications signals or information represented in a two-state (binary) way using electronic or electromagnetic signals. Each 0 and 1 signal represents a bit. Describes any system based on discontinuous data or events. Computers are digital machines because at their most basic level they can distinguish between just two values, 0 and 1, or off and on. There is no simple way to represent all the values in between, such as 0.25. All data that a computer processes must be encoded digitally, as a series of zeroes and ones. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/digital.html

The Analog Basis of Life: Electrical Signals as Continuous Waves

What does “analog” means?

• Analog continuously varying in strength and/or quality–fluctuating, evolving, or continually changing. Describes a device or system that represents changing values as continuously variable physical quantities. A typical analog device is a clock in which the hands move continuously around the face. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/analog.html

Purpose of the Dial-Up Modem: Converting Digital Signals to Analog Signals & Back

How does a telephone modem change analog to digital signals and the reverse?

• Modem is short for “modulate/demodulate”; a sending modem modulates digital signals for transmission over phone lines. A receiving modem demodulates the analog signals back into digital signals. A modem is a device or program that enables a computer to transmit data over, for example, telephone or cable lines. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of analog waves. A modem converts between these two forms. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/modem.html
  

Converting Reality to Digital Form

How is sampling used to express analog reality in digital form?

• The digital uses a device (called an analog-to-digital converter) to record representatives selections, or samples, of the sounds and convert the analog waves into a stream of numbers that the computer then uses to express the sounds.
• The most important is that all kinds of multimedia can now be changed into digital form and transmitted as data to all kinds of devices

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Network

What are the benefit of networks, and what are their types, components, and variations?

• Network or communications network, is a system of interconnected computers, telephones, or other communications devices that can communicate with one another and share applications and data. A network is a series of points or nodes interconnected by communication paths. http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/network

The Benefits of Networks

What are five ways I might benefit from networks?

• SHARING OF PERIPHERAL DEVICES
• SHARING OF PROGRAMS & DATA
• BETTER COMMUNICATIONS
• SECURITY OF INFORMATION
• ACCESS TO DATABASES

Types of Networks: WANs, MANs, LANs, HANs, PANs, & others

How do the sizes of networks differ?

• WIDE AREA NETWORK
  • WAN is a communications network that covers a wide geographic area, such as a country or the world. The computers are farther apart and are connected by telephone lines or radio waves. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/N/network.html
• METROPOLITAN AREA NETWORK
  • MAN is a communications network covering a city or a suburb.  A data network designed for a town or city. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/N/network.html
• LOCAL AREA NETWORK
  • LAN or local net, connects computers and devices in a limited geographic area, such as one office, one building, or a group of buildings close together.  The computers are geographically close together (that is, in the same building). http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/N/network.html
• HOME AREA NETWORK
  • HAN uses wired, cable, or wireless connections to link a household’s digital devices. A network contained within a user’s home that connects a person’s digital devices. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/N/network.html
• PERSONAL AREA NETWORK
  • PAN uses short-range wireless technology to connect an individual’s personal electronics. a computer network used for data transmission among devices such as computers, telephones and personal digital assistants. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_area_network
• HOME AUTOMATION NETWORK
  • Relies on very inexpensive, very short-range, low-power wireless technology in the under-200-Kbps range to link switches and sensors around the house. a type of local area network that develops from the need to facilitate communication and interoperability among digital devices present inside or within the close vicinity of a home. Devices capable of participating in this network–smart devices such as network printers and handheld mobile computers–often gain enhanced emergent capabilities through their ability to interact. These additional capabilities can then be used to increase the quality of life inside the home in a variety of ways, such as automation of repetitious tasks, increased personal productivity, enhanced home security, and easier access to entertainment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_network

How Networks Are Structured: Client/Server & Peer to Peer

What’s the difference between client/server and peer to peer networks?

• CLIENT/SERVER NETWORKS
  • Consists of clients, which are microcomputers that request data, and servers, which are computers used to supply data. A computer network in which one centralized, powerful computer (called the server) is a hub to which manyless powerful personal computers or workstations (called clients) are connected. The clients run programs and access data that are stored on the server. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/client%2Fserver+network
    1. File server – is a computer that acts like a disk drive, storing the programs and data files shared by users on a LAN. A computer attached to a network that has the primary purpose of providing a location for shared disk access, i.e. shared storage of computer files (such as documents, sound files, photographs, movies, images, databases, etc.) that can be accessed by the workstations that are attached to the same computer network. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_server
    2. Database Server – is a computer in a LAN that stores data but doesn’t store programs. A database server is a computer program that provides database services to other computer programs or computers, as defined by the client–server model. The term may also refer to a computer dedicated to running such a program. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_server
    3. Print Server – controls one or more printers and stores the print-image output from all the microcomputers on the system. A print server, or printer server, is a device that connects printers to client computers over a network. It accepts print jobs from the computers and sends the jobs to the appropriate printers, queuing the jobs locally to accommodate the fact that work may arrive more quickly than the printer can actually handle it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Print_server
• PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS
  • Peer-to-peer (P2P) network – all microcomputers on the network communicate directly with one another without relying on a server. Peer-to-peer (P2P) computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or work loads between peers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer-to-peer

Intranets, Extranets, & VPNs

What are the difference among intranets, extranets, and VPNs?

• INTRANETS: FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
  • Intranet is an organization’s internal private network that uses the infrastructure and standards of the internet and the web. A computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to share information, operational systems, or computing services within an organization. This term is used in contrast to extranet, a network between organizations, and instead refers to a network within an organization. Sometimes, the term refers only to the organization’s internal website, but may be a more extensive part of the organization’s information technology infrastructure, and may be composed of multiple local area networks. The objective is to organize each individual’s desktop with minimal cost, time and effort to be more productive, cost efficient, timely, and competitive. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intranet
• EXTRANETS: FOR CERTAIN OUTSIDERS
  • Extranet are private intranets that connects not only internal personnel but also selected suppliers and other strategic parties. a computer network that allows controlled access from outside of an organization’s intranet. Extranets are used for specific use cases including business-to-business (B2B). In a business-to-business context, an extranet can be viewed as an extension of an organization’s intranet that is extended to users outside the organization, usually partners, vendors and suppliers, in isolation from all other Internet users. It is in context of that isolation that an extranet is different from an intranet or internet. In contrast, business-to-consumer (B2C) models involve known servers of one or more companies, communicating with previously unknown consumer users. An extranet is similar to a DMZ in that it provides access to needed services for channel partners, without granting access to an organization’s entire network. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extranet
• VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORKS
  • VPNs private networks that use a public network (usually the internet) to connect remote sites. VPN is a network that is constructed by using public wires — usually the Internet — to connect to a private network, such as a company’s internal network.  There are a number of systems that enable you to create networks using the Internet as the medium for transporting data. These systems use encryption and other securitymechanisms to ensure that only authorized users can access the network and that the data cannot be intercepted. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/V/VPN.html

Components of a Network

What are the various parts of a network?

• WIRED AND/OR WIRELESS CONNECTIONS
• HOSTS & NODES
  • Host computer a mainframe or midsize central computer that controls the network. The main computer in a network: controls or performs certain functions for other computers. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/host+computer
  • Node is any device that is attached to a network−for example, a microcomputer, terminal, storage device, or printer. is either a connection point, a redistribution point or a communication endpoint (some terminal equipment). The definition of a node depends on the network and protocol layer referred to. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Node_(networking)
• PACKETS
  • Packets is a fixed-length block of data for transmission. A piece of a message transmitted over a packet-switching network. See under packet switching. One of the key features of a packet is that it contains the destination address in addition to the data. In IP networks, packets are often called datagrams. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/packet.html
• PROTOCOLS
  • Protocol or communications protocol, is a set of conventions governing the exchange of data between hardware and/or software components in a communications network. Is the special set of rules that end points in a telecommunication connection use when they communicate. http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/protocol
• NETWORKS LINKING DEVICES: HUB, SWITCHES, BRIDGES, GATEWAYS, ROUTERS, & BACKBONES
  • Hubs is a common connections point for devices in a network−a place of convergence where data arrives from one or more directions and is forwarded out in one or more other directions. A common connection point for devices in a network. Hubs are commonly used to connect segments of a LAN. A hub contains multiple ports. When a packet arrives at one port, it is copied to the other ports so that all segments of the LAN can see all packets. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/hub.html
  • Switches is a devices that connects computers to a network. In networks, a device that filters and forwardspackets between LAN segments. Switches operate at the data link layer (layer 2) and sometimes the network layer (layer 3) of the OSI Reference Model and therefore support any packet protocol. LANs that use switches to join segments are called switched LANs or, in the case of Ethernet networks, switched Ethernet LANs. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/switch.html
  • Bridges is an interface used to connect the same types of networks. A device that connects two local-area networks (LANs), or two segments of the same LAN that use the same protocol, such as Ethernet or Token-Ring. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/bridge.html
  • Gateways is an interface permitting communication between dissimilar networks.  A node on a network that serves as an entrance to another network. In enterprises, the gateway is the computer that routes the traffic from a workstation to the outside network that is serving the Web pages. In homes, the gateway is the ISPthat connects the user to the internet. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/G/gateway.html
  • Routers is a special computer that directs communicating messages when several networks are connected together. A router is a device that forwards data packets alongnetworks. A router is connected to at least two networks, commonly two LANs or WANs or a LAN and its ISP’s network. Routers are located at gateways, the places where two or more networks connect. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/router.html
  • Backbones consists of main highway−including gateways, routers, and other communications equipment−that connects all computer networks in an organization. Another term for bus, the main wire that connects nodes. The term is often used to describe the main network connections composing the Internet. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/backbone.html
• NETWORK INTERFACE CARDS
• NETWORKS OPERATING SYSTEM

Network Topologies: Bus, Ring, & Star

What are three popular configurations for networks?

– The logical layout, or shape, of a network is called a topology. In communication networks, a topology is a usually schematic description of the arrangement of a network, including its nodes and connecting lines. There are two ways of defining network geometry: the physical topology and the logical (or signal) topology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topology

• BUS NETWORK
  • All nodes are connected to a single wire or cable, the bus, which has two endpoints Each communications device on the network transmits electronic messages to other devices. A bus network is a network topology in which nodes are connected in a daisy chain by a linear sequence of buses. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_network
• RING NETWORK
  • Is one in which all microcomputers and other communications devices are connected in a continuous loop. A ring network is a network topology in which each node connects to exactly two other nodes, forming a single continuous pathway for signals through each node – a ring. Data travel from node to node, with each node along the way handling every packet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_network
• STAR NETWORK
  • Is one in which all microcomputers and other communications devices are directly connected to a central server. Star networks are one of the most common computer network topologies. In its simplest form, a star network consists of one centralswitch, hub or computer, which act as a conduit to transmit messages. This consists of a central node, to which all other nodes are connected; this central node provides a common connection point for all nodes through a hub. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_network

Two Ways to Prevent Messages from Colliding: Ethernet & Token Ring

How do the two methods of keeping messages from colliding work?

• ETHERNET
  • Is a LAN technology that can be used with almost any kind of computer and that describes how data can be sent in packets in between computers an other networked devices usually in close proximity. a family of computer networking technologies for local area (LAN) and larger networks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet
• TOKEN RING
  • Is a LAN technology that transmits a special control message frame. A type of computer network in which all the computers are arranged (schematically) in a circle. A token, which is a special bit pattern, travels around the circle. To send a message, a computer catches the token, attaches a message to it, and then lets it continue to travel around the network. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/T/token_ring_network.html

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Wired Communication Media

What are types of wired communications media?

• Communications media or communications channels, carry signals over a communications path, the route between two or more communications media devices. Communication media refers to the means of delivering and receiving data or information. In telecommunication, these means are transmission and storage tools or channels for data storage and transmission. http://www.techopedia.com/definition/14462/communication-media

Wired Communications Media: Wires & Cables

What is the difference between the three types of wired communications media?

• TWISTED-PAIR WIRE
  • Consists of two strands of insulated copper wire, twisted around each other. This twisted-pair configuration (compared to the straight wire) somewhat reduces interference (called “crosstalk”) from electrical fields. Twisted pair cabling is a type of wiring in which two conductors of a single circuit are twisted together for the purposes of canceling out electromagnetic interference from external sources; for instance, electromagnetic radiation from unshielded twisted pair cables, and crosstalk between neighboring pairs. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twisted_pair 
• COAXIAL CABLE
  • Commonly called “coax,” is a high-frequency transmission cable of insulated copper wire wrapped in a solid or braided metal shield and then in an external plastic cover. Coaxial cable is the kind of copper cable used by cable TV companies between the community antenna and user homes and businesses. searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/definition/coaxial-cable
• FIBER-OPTIC CABLE
  • Consists of dozens or hundreds of thin strands of glass or plastic that transmit pulsating beams of light rather than electricity. A technology that uses glass (or plastic) threads (fibers) to transmit data. A fiber optic cable consists of a bundle of glass threads, each of which is capable of transmitting messages modulated onto light waves. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/F/fiber_optics.html

Wired Communication Media for Homes: Ethernet, HomePNA, & HomePlug

What is the difference between the three types of wired communications media used for home networks?

• ETHERNET
• HOMEPNA: USING THE HOME’S EXISTING TELEPHONE WIRING
  • Technology, a standard that allows a household to use a home’s existing telephone wiring for a home network. The HomePNA Alliance (formerly the Home Phoneline Networking Alliance, also known as HPNA) is an incorporated non-profit industry association of companies that develops and standardizes technology for home networking over the existing coaxial cables and telephone wiring within homes. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HomePNA
• HOMEPLUG: USING THE HOME’S EXISTING ELECTRIC-POWER WIRING
  • Technology is a standard that allows users to send data over a home’s existing electrical (AC) power lines. HomePlug is the name of the specification that defines the home networking technology that connects devices to each other through the power lines in a home (see power line networking). http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/HomePlug.html
    

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Wireless Communications Media

The Electromagnetic Spectrum, the Radio-Frequency (RF) Spectrum, & Bandwidth

What is the electromagnetic spectrum, and how do electromagnetic waves differ?

• THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
  • Is the basis for all telecommunications signals, carried by both wired and wireless media. The “electromagnetic spectrum” of an object has a different meaning, and is instead the characteristic distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by that particular object. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_spectrum
  • Radio-frequency (RF) spectrum fields of electrical energy and magnetic energy that carry most communications signals. The entire spectrum of electromagnetic frequencies used for communications; includes frequencies used for radio and radar and television. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/radio-frequency+spectrum
• BANDWIDTH
  • Is the range, or band, of frequencies that a transmission medium can carry in a given period of time. The amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time. For digital devices, the bandwidth is usually expressed in bits per second(bps) or bytes per second. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/bandwidth.html
    

    “The wider a medium’s bandwidth, the more frequencies it can use to transmit data and thus the faster the transmission.”

  • There are three general classes of bandwidth−narrow, and broad−which can be expressed in hertz but also in bits per second
    • Narrowband
      • Also known as voiceband, is used for regular telephone communications. Narrowband refers to data communication and telecommunications tools, technologies and services that utilize a narrower set or band of frequencies in the communication channel. These utilize the channel frequency that is considered flat or which will use a lesser number of frequency sets. http://www.techopedia.com/definition/8497/narrowband
    • Medium band
      • Is used for transmitting data over long distances and for connecting mainframe and midrange computers. The medium can be coaxial cable, optical fiber, twisted pair, DSL local telephone networks or wireless broadband. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband
    • Broadband
      • Is used to transmit high-speed data and high-quality audio and video. The term broadband is used to describe a type of data transmission in which a single medium (wire) can carry several channels at once. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/broadband.html
• WAP: WIRELESS APPLICATION PROTOCOL
  • WAP is designed to link nearly all mobile devices to your telecommunications carrier’s wireless network and content providers. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is a technical standard for accessing information over a mobile wireless network. A WAP browser is a web browser for mobile devices such as mobile phones that uses the protocol. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Application_Protocol

Four Types of Wireless Communications Media

What are the differences between the four types of wireless communications media?

• INFRARED TRANSMISSION
  • Sends data signals using infrared-light waves at a frequency too low (1-4 megabits per second) for human eyes to receives and interpret. Infrared transmission refers to energy in the region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum at wavelengths longer than those of visible light, but shorter than those of radio waves. Correspondingly,infrared frequencies are higher than those of microwaves, but lower than those of visible light. searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/infrared-transmission
• BROADCAST RADIO
  • A wireless transmission medium that sends data over long distances at up to 2 megabits per second−between regions, states, or countries. To communicate or transmit (a signal, a message, or content, such as audio or video programming) to numerous recipients simultaneously over a communication network. http://www.yourdictionary.com/broadcast
• MICROWAVE RADIO
  • Transmits voice and data at 45 megabits per second through the atmosphere as superhigh-frequency radio waves called microwaves, which vibrates at 1 gigahertz (1 billion hertz) per second or higher. Relating to or being electromagnetic radiation between radio waves and infrared waves in the electromagnetic spectrum, having frequencies between 300 megahertz and 300 gigahertz and wavelengths between 1 meter and 1 millimeter. http://www.yourdictionary.com/microwave
• COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES
  • Are microwave relay stations in orbit around the earth. Often abbreviated as comsat, a communications satellite is a satellite that has been stationed in space for the purpose of providing telecommunications. Communications satellites are commonly used for mobile phone signals, weather tracking, or broadcasting television programs. Communications satellites are artificial satellites that relay receive signals from an earth stationand then retransmits the signal to other earth stations. They commonly move in a geostationary orbit. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/communications_satellite.html
  • Satellite system may occur one of three zones in space: GEO, MEO, and LEO
    • GEO
      • The highest level known as geostationary earth orbit (GEO). An orbit whose position in the sky remains the same for a stationary observer on earth. This effect is achieved with a circular orbit 35,786 kilometers (22,236 mi) above the Earth’s equator and following the direction of the Earth’s rotation. An object in such an orbit has an orbital period equal to the Earth’s rotational period (one sidereal day), and thus appears motionless at a fixed position in the sky to ground observers. Communications satellites and weather satellites are often placed in geostationary orbits, so that the satellite antennas which communicate with them do not have to rotate to track them, but can be pointed permanently at the position in the sky where they stay. Using this characteristic, ocean color satellites with visible sensors (e.g. the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI)) can also be operated in geostationary orbit in order to monitor sensitive changes of ocean environments. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_orbit
    • MEO
      • The medium-earth orbit (MEO) is 5,000-10,000 miles. Medium Earth orbit (MEO), sometimes called intermediate circular orbit (ICO), is the region of space around the Earth above low Earth orbit (altitude of 2,000 kilometres (1,243 mi)) and below geostationary orbit (altitude of 35,786 kilometres (22,236 mi)). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_Earth_orbit
    • LEO
      • The low-earth orbit (LEO) is 200-1,000 miles. A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with an altitude between 160 kilometers (99 mi), (orbital period of about 88 minutes), and 2,000 kilometers (1,200 mi) (about 127 minutes). Objects below approximately 160 kilometers (99 mi) will experience very rapid orbitaldecay and altitude loss. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Earth_orbit

Long-Distance Wireless: One-Way Communication

How do the Global Positioning System and one-way pager systems work?

• THE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM
  • Consists of 24 earth-orbiting satellites continuously transmitting timed radio signals that can be used to identify earth locations. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Positioning_System
    • How GPS works
    • The uses of GPS
    • The limitations of GPS
• ONE-WAY PAGERS
  • Pagers are simple radio receivers that receives data sent from a special radio transmitter. A wireless telecommunications device that receives and displays numeric or text messages, or receives and announces voice messages. One-way pagers can only receive messages, while response pagers and two-way pagers can also acknowledge, reply to, and originate messages using an internal transmitter.^[1] Pagers operate as part of a paging system which includes one or more fixed transmitters (or in the case of response pagers and two-way pagers, one or more base stations), as well as a number of pagers carried by mobile users. These systems can range from a restaurant system with a single low-power transmitter, to a nationwide system with thousands of high-power base stations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pager 
    • How a pager works
    • The uses of pagers

Long-Distance Wireless: Two-Way Communication

How do I distinguish among five types of long-distance wireless technologies?

• TWO-WAY PAGERS & WIRELESS EMAIL DEVICES: BLACKBERRY
• IG (FIRST-GENERATION) CELLULAR SERVICE: ANALOG CELLPHONES
  • Analog cellphones are designed primarily for communicating by voice through a system of ground-area cells. Each cells is hexagonal in shape, usually 8 miles or less in diameter, and is served by a transmitter-receiving tower 
• 2G (SECOND-GENERATION) WIRELESS SERVICES: DIGITAL CELLPHONES & PDAS
  • Digital wireless services − which support digital cellphones and personal digital assistants−use a network of cell towers to send voice communications and data over the airwaves in digital form
  • CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access. Code division multiple access (CDMA) is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies. CDMA is an example of multiple access, which is where several transmitters can send information simultaneously over a single communication channel. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_division_multiple_access
  • GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications. GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications, originally Groupe Spécial Mobile), is a standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to describe protocols for second generation (2G) digital cellular networks used by mobile phones. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM
• 2.5G WIRELESS DIGITAL SERVICES
• 3G (THIRD-GENERATION) WIRELESS DIGITAL SERVICES
  • EV-DO: Evolution Data Only has average speeds of 400-700 kilobits per second, with peaks of 2 megabits. Evolution Data Only (EVDO) is now called Evolution-DataOptimized (EV-DO). Evolution–Data Optimized (EV-DO) is a fast wireless broadband access (3G), where you are the hotspot (meaning you don’t need a Wi-Fi hotspot to have the Internet access). Your PC or laptop requires a EVDO PC card for connection. EV-DO supports an “always-on” connection, similar to DSL. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/E/Evolution_Data_Optimized.html
  • UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems has average speeds of 22-=320 kilobits per second. A third generation mobile cellular system for networks based on the GSM standard. Developed and maintained by the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), UMTS is a component of the International Telecommunications Union IMT-2000 standard set and compares with the CDMA2000 standard set for networks based on the competing cdmaOne technology. UMTS uses wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) radio access technology to offer greater spectral efficiency and bandwidth to mobile network operators. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Mobile_Telecommunications_System
• WIMAX: PROMISING NEW LONG-DISTANCE WIRELESS STANDARD

Short-Range Wireless: Two-Way Communication

How do I distinguish among the three types of short-range wireless technologies?

• • Local area networks−range 50-150 feet: These include the popular Wi-Fi standard. A computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building, using network media.^[1] The defining characteristics of LANs, in contrast to wide area networks (WANs), include their smaller geographic area, and non-inclusion of leased telecommunication lines. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_area_network
  • Personal area networks−range 30-32 feet: These use Bluetooth, ultra wideband, and wireless USB. A personal area network (PAN) is a computer network used for data transmission among devices such as computers, telephones and personal digital assistants. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_area_network
  • Home automation networks−range 100-250 feet: These use the Insteon, ZigBee, and Z-Wave standards. Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), appliances, security locks of gates and doors and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and security. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_automation
• SHORT-RANGE WIRELESS FOR LOCAL AREA NETWORKS: WI-FI B, A, G, & N
  • Wi-Fi b, a, and g
  • Wi-Fi n with MIMO: MIMO (“my-moh” and for short for “multiple input multiple output“). In radio, multiple–input and multiple–output, or MIMO (pronounced as “my-moh” or “me-moh”), is the use of multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver to improve communication performance. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIMO
• SHORT-RANGE WIRELESS FOR PERSONAL AREA NETWORKS: BLUETOOTH, ULTRA WIDEBAND, & WIRELESS USB
  • Bluetooth: is a short-range wireless digital standard aimed at linking cellphones, PDAs, computers, and peripherals up to distances of 30 feet. A wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances (using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz) from fixed and mobile devices, and building personal area networks (PANs). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth
  • Ultra wideband (UWB) is a promising technology operating in the range of 480 megabits per second up to 30 feet that uses a low power source to send out millions of bursts of radio energy every second over many different frequencies, which are then reassembled by a UWB receiver. A communications technology that employs a wide bandwidth (typically defined as greater than 20% of the center frequency or 500MHz). UWB is usually used in short-range wireless applications but can be sent over wires. http://www.maximintegrated.com/en/glossary/definitions.mvp/term/Ultra-Wideband/gpk/987
  • Wireless USB: would have a typical range of 32 feet and a maximum data rate of 480 megabits per second. A form of Universal Serial Bus ( USB ) technology that uses radio-frequency ( RF ) links rather than cables to provide the interfaces between a computer and peripherals, such as monitors, printers, external drives, head sets, MP3 players and digital cameras. whatis.techtarget.com/definition/wireless–USB-WUSB
• SHORT-RANGE WIRELESS FOR HOME AUTOMATION NETWORKS: INSERTION, ZIGBEE, & Z-WAVE
  • Insteon – Insteon is a home area networking technology developed primarily for connecting light switches and loads. Insteon devices send messages either via the power line, or by means of radio frequency (RF) waves, or both (dual-band).
    https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/Insteon-PLM-Binding
  • Zigbee – ZigBee is a specification for a suite of high-level communication protocols used to create personal area networks built from small, low-power digital radios. ZigBee is based on an IEEE 802.15 standard. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZigBee
  • Z-wave – Z–Wave is a wireless communications protocol designed for home automation, specifically for remote control applications in residential and light commercial environments. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z–Wave

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Cyberthreats, Hackers, & Safeguards

What are areas I should be concerned about for keeping my computer system secure?

• Cyber threats: denial-of-service attacks, worms, viruses, and Trojan horses. Cyber threats to a control system refer to persons who attempt unauthorized access to a control system device and/or network using a data communications pathway. This access can be directed from within an organization by trusted users or from remote locations by unknown persons using the Internet. https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/content/cyber-threat-source-descriptions
• Perpetrators of cyber mischief: hackers and crackers
• Computer safety: antivirus software, firewalls, passwords, biometric authentication, and encryption

Cyber Threats: Denial-of-Service Attacks, Worms, Viruses, & Trojan Horses

What are denial-of-service attacks, worms, viruses, & Trojan horses?

• DENIAL-OF-SERVICE ATTACKS
  • DoS attack consists of making repeated requests of a computer system or network, thereby over-loading it and denying legitimate users access to it. In computing, a denial-of-service (DoS) or distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is an attempt to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack
• WORMS
  • Is a program that copies itself repeatedly into a computer’s memory or into a disk drive. A program or algorithm that replicates itself over a computer network and usually performs malicious actions, such as using up the computer’s resources and possibly shutting the system down. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/worm.html
• VIRUSES
  • Is a “deviant” program, stored on a computer floppy disk, hard drive, or CD, that can cause unexpected and often undesirable effects,such as destroying or corrupting data. A computer virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are man-made. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/V/virus.html
• TROJAN HORSES
  • Is a program that pretends to be useful program, usually free, such as a game or sccreen saver, but carries viruses, or destructive instructions, that perpetuate mischief without your knowledge. A destructive program that masquerades as a benign application. Unlike viruses, Trojan horses do not replicate themselves but they can be just as destructive. One of the most insidious types of Trojan horse is a program that claims to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses onto your computer. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/T/Trojan_horse.html
• HOW MALWARE IS SPREAD
  • By infected floppies or CDs
  • By opening unknown email attachments
  • By clicking on infiltrated websites
  • Through infiltrated WI-Fi hot spots

Some Cyber Villains: Hackers & Crackers

What are the various kinds of hackers and crackers?

• HACKERS
  • Are defined (1) as computer enthusiasts, people who enjoy learning programming languages and computer systems, but also (2) as people who gain unauthorized access to computers or networks, often just for the challenge of it. A slang term for a computer enthusiast, i.e., a person who enjoys learning programming languages and computer systems and can often be considered an expert on the subject(s). Among professional programmers, depending on how it used, the term can be either complimentary or derogatory, although it is developing an increasingly derogatory connotation. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/hacker.html
    • Thrill-seekers hackers
    • White-hat seekers
• CRACKERS
  • Are malicious hackers, people who break into computers for malicious purposes. To break into a computer system. The term was coined in the mid-80s by hackers who wanted to differentiate themselves from individuals whose sole purpose is to sneak through security systems. Whereas crackers sole aim is to break into secure systems, hackers are more interested in gaining knowledge about computer systems and possibly using this knowledge for playful pranks. Although hackers still argue that there’s a big difference between what they do and what crackers do, the mass media has failed to understand the distinction, so the two terms — hack and crack — are often used interchangeably. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/crack.html
    • Scripts kiddies
    • Hacktivists
    • Black-hat hackers
    • Cyberterrorists 

Online Safety: Antivirus Software, Firewalls, Passwords, Biometric Authentication, & Encryption

What should I be doing to keep my computer safe against cyber threats?

• ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
  • Scans a computer’s hard disk, floppy disks and CDs, and main memory to detect viruses and, sometimes, to destroy them. Antivirus or anti-virus software (often abbreviated as AV), sometimes known as anti-malware software, is computer software used to prevent, detect and remove malicious software. Antivirus software was originally developed to detect and remove computer viruses, hence the name. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antivirus_software
• FIREWALLS
  • Is a system of hardware and/or software that protects a computer or a network from intruders. A firewall is a system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets. All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/F/firewall.html
    • If you have one computer−software firewall
    • If you have more than one computer−hardware firewall
• PASSWORDS
• BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION
  • Biometrics the science of measuring individual body characteristics. Biometrics is the science and technology of measuring and analyzing biological data. In information technology, biometrics refers to technologies that measure and analyze human body characteristics, such as DNA, fingerprints, eye retinas and irises, voice patterns, facial patterns and hand measurements, for authentication purposes. http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/biometrics
    • Hand-geometry systems
    • Fingerprint scanners
    • Iris-recognition systems
    • Face-recognition systems
    • Voice-recognition systems
• ENCRYPTION
  • Is the process of altering readable data into unreadable form to prevent unauthorized access. Encryption is the most effective way to achieve data security. To read an encrypted file, you must have access to a secret key or password that enables you to decrypt it. Unencrypted data is called plain text ; encrypted data is referred to as cipher text. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/E/encryption.html
  • Private key – A private key is a tiny bit of code that is paired with a public key to set off algorithms for text encryption and decryption. It is created as part of public key cryptography during asymmetric-key encryption and used to decrypt and transform a message to a readable format. Public and private keys are paired for secure communication, such as email. A private key is also known as a secret key. http://www.techopedia.com/definition/16135/private-key
  • Public key – A public key is created in public key encryption cryptography that uses asymmetric-key encryption algorithms. Public keys are used to convert a message into an unreadable format. Decryption is carried out using a different, but matching, private key. Public and private keys are paired to enable secure communication. http://www.techopedia.com/definition/16139/public-key

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The Future of Communications

What are the characteristics of the next generation of wired and wireless communications?

Satellite-Based Systems

What are possible new developments in satellites?

Beyond 3G to 4G

How might I benefit from 4G wireless technology?

Photonics: Optical Technologies at Warp Speed

How would photonics speed up to fiber-optics lines?

Software-Defined Radio

What would software-defined radio do?

A New Way to Compute: The Grid

How would “the grid” operate?

CHAPTER 5 HARDWARE: INPUT & OUTPUT TAKING CHARGE OF COMPUTING & COMMUNICATIONS

Input & Output

• Input hardware consists of devices that translate data into a form the computer can process. an input device is a peripheral (piece of computer hardware equipment) used to provide data and control signals to an information processing system such as a computer or other information appliance. Examples of input devices include keyboards, mouse, scanners, digital cameras and joysticks. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Input_device
• Output hardware consists of devices that translate information processed by the computer into a form that humans can understand.
  An output device is any piece of computer hardware equipment used to communicate the results of data processing carried out by an information processing system (such as a computer) which converts the electronically generated information into human-readable form. An output device is any piece of computer hardware equipment used to communicate the results of data processing carried out by an information processing system (such as a computer) which converts the electronically generated information into human-readable form. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Output_device

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Input Hardware

Keyboards

– is a device that converts letters, numbers, and other characters into electrical signals that can be read by the computer’s processor. A typewriter-style device, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_keyboard

• Specialty keyboards and terminals
  • Dumb terminals also called a video display terminal (VDT), has a display screen and a keyboard and can input and output but cannot process data
  • An Intelligent terminal has its own memory and processor, as well as a display screen and keyboard
  • AN Internet terminal provides access to the internet

Pointing Devices

– control the position of the cursor or pointer on the screen and allow the user to select opinions displayed on the screen. An input interface (specifically a human interface device) that allows a user to input spatial (i.e., continuous and multi-dimensional) data to a computer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointing_device 

• The mouse and its variants—trackball, pointing stick, and touchpad
  • Mouse a device that is rolled about on a desktop mouse pad and directs a pointer on the computer’s display screen
  • Trackball is a movable ball, mounted on top of a stationary device, that can be rotated using fingers or palm
  • Pointing stick looks like a pencil eraser protruding from the keyboard between the G, H, and B keys. When you move the pointing stick with your finger, the screen pointer moves accordingly
  • Touchpad is a small, flat surface over a which you slide your finger, using the same movements as you would with a mouse
• Touch screen is a video display that has been sensitized to receive input from the touch of a finger
• Pen Input: pen-based system, light pens, and digitizers
  • Pen-based computer systems allows users to enter handwritting and marks onto a computer screen by means of a penlike stylus rather than by typing on a keyboard
  • Light pen is a light-sensitive penlike device that uses a wired connection to a computer terminal
  • Digitizer uses an electronic pen or a mouselike copying device called a puck that can convert drawings and photos to digital data

Scanning & Reading Devices

• Source data-entry devices create machine-readable data on magnetic media or paper or feed it directly into the computer’s processor
• Scanner or optical scanners, use light-sensing (optical) equipment to translate images of text, drawings, photos, and the like into digital form
• Resolution refers to the clarity and sharpness of an image and is measured in dots per inch (dpi)—the number of columns and rows of dots per inch. The higher the number of dots, the clearer and sharper the image
  • Flatbed scanner or desktop scanner, which works much like a photocopier–the image being scanned is placed on a glass surface, where it remains stationary, and the scanning beam moves across it
• Bar-code readers:
  • Bar codes are the vertical, zebra-striped marks you see on most manufactured retail products
  • Bar-code readers are photoelectric (optical) scanners that translate the symbols in the bar code into the digital code
• Mark-recognition and character-recognition devices:
  • Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) is a character recognition system that uses magnetizable ink and special character
  • Optical mark recognition (OMR) uses a special scanner that reads “bubble” marks and converts them into computer-usable form
  • Optical character recognition (OCR) software converts scanned text from images (pictures of the text) to an editable text format (usually ASCII) that can be imported into a word processing application and manipulated
• Fax machines or facsimile transmission machine—scans an image and sends it as electronic signals over telephone lines to a receiving fax machine, which prints out the image on a paper
  • Dedicated fax machines are specialized devices that do nothing except send and receive fax documents
  • Fax modems is installed as a circuit board inside the computer’s system cabinet. It is a modem with fax capability that enables you to send signals directly from your computer to someone else’s fax machine or computer fax modem

Audio-Input Devices

• Audio-input device record analog sound and translates it for digital storage and processing
  • Sound board is an add-on circuit board in a computer that converts analog sound to digital sound and stores it for further processing and/or plays it back, providing output directly to speakers or an external amplifier
  • MIDI board pronounced “middie,” stands for “Musical Instrument Digital Interface“—uses a standard for the interchange of musical information between musical instruments, synthesizers, and computers

Webcams & Video-Input Cards

Webcam a video camera to a computer to record live moving images that can then be posted on a website in real time. A video camera that feeds or streams its image in real time to or through a computer to computer network. When “captured” by the computer, the video stream may be saved, viewed or sent on to other networks via systems such as the internet, and email as an attachment. When sent to a remote location, the video stream may be saved, viewed or on sent there. Unlike an IP camera(which connects using Ethernet or WI-Fi), a webcam is generally connected by a USB cable, or similar cable, or built into computer hardware, such as laptops. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webcam

Digital Camera

– uses a light-sensitive processor chip to capture photographic images in digital form and store them on a small diskette inserted into the camera or on flash-memory cards. A camera that encodes digital image and videos digitally and stores them for later reproduction. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_camera

Speech-Recognition System

– using a microphone (or a telephone) as an input device, converts a person’s speech into digital signals by comparing the electrical patterns produced by the speaker’s voice with a set of prerecorded patterns stored in the computer. Is the translation of spoken words into text. It is also known as “automatic speech recognition” (ASR), “computer speech recognition”, or just “speech to text” (STT). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech_recognition

Sensors

– is an input device that collects specific data directly from the environment and transmits it to a computer. A device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment. The specific input could be light, heat, motion, moisture, pressure, or any one of a great number of other environmental phenomena. The output is generally a signal that is converted to human-readable display at the sensor location or transmitted electronically over a network for reading or further processing. http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/sensor

Radio-Frequency Identification Tags

– (RFID) tags are based on an identifying tag bearing a microchip that contains specific code numbers. These code numbers are read by the radio waves of a scanner linked to a database. A technology that uses electronic tags placed on objects, people, or animals to relay identifying information to an electronic reader by means of radio waves: a toll road equipped with an RFID payment system. dictionary.reference.com/browse/rfid

Human-Biology-Input Devices

Biometrics the science of measuring individual body characteristics. Biometric identifiers are often categorized as physiological versus behavioral characteristics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biometrics

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Output Hardware

• Softcopy is data that is shown on a display screen or is in audio or voice form; it exists only electronically. A soft copy (sometimes spelled “softcopy”) is an electronic copy of some type of data, such as a file viewed on a computer’s display or transmitted as an e-mail attachment. Such material, when printed, is referred to as a hard copy. http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/soft-copy
• Hardcopy is printed output. A printout of data stored in a computer. It is considered hard because it exists physically on paper, whereas a soft copy exists only electronically. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/hard_copy.html

Traditional Softcopy Output: Display Screens

• Display screens also variables called monitors, CRTs, or simply screens—are output devices that show programming instructions and data as they are being output and information after it is processed
• Screen clarity—dot pitch, resolution, color depth, and refresh rate:
  • Pixel for “picture elements,” is the smallest unit on the screen that can be turned on and off or made different shades
  • Dot pitch (dp) is the amount of space between the centers of adjacent pixels; the closer the pixels, the crisper the image
  • Resolution refers to the image sharpness of the display screen; the more pixels, or dots there are per square inch, the finer the level of detail
  • Color depth or bit depth, is the amount of information, expressed in bits, that is stored in a dot
  • Refresh rate is the number of times per seconds that the pixel s are recharged so that their glow remains bright
• Two types of monitors—CRT and flat panel:
  • CRT (cathode-ray tube) is a vacuum tube used as a display screen in a computer or video display terminal
  • Flat panel displays are made up of two plates of glass separated by a layer of a substance in which light is manipulated.
  • One flat-panel technology is Liquid crystal display (LCD), in which molecules of liquid crystal line up in a way that alters their optical properties, creating images on the screen by transmitting or blocking out light
• Active-matrix versus passive-matrix flat-panel displays:
  • Active-matrix display, also known as TFT (thin-film transistor) display, each pixel on the flat-panel screen is controlled by its own transistor
  • Passive-matrix display, a transistor controls a whole row or column of pixels on the flat-screen display
• Color and resolution standard for monitors—SVGA, XGA, SXGA, UXGA, and QXGA:
  • SVGA (super video graphics array) supports a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels, or variations, producing up to 16 million possible simultaneous colors
  • XGA (extended graphics array) has a resolution of up to 1,024 x 768 pixels, with 65,536 possible colors
  • SXGA (super extended graphics array) has a resolution of up to 1,280 x 1,024 pixels
  • UXGA (ultra extended graphics array) has a resolution of up to 1,600 x 1,200 pixels and supports up to 16.8 million color
  • QXGA (quantum extended graphics array) has a resolution of up to 2,048 x 1,536 pixels

Traditional Hardcopy Output: Printers

Printer is an output device that prints characters, symbols, and perhaps graphics on paper or another hardcopy medium. A peripheral which makes a persistent human-readable representation of graphics or text on paper or similar physical media. The two most common printer mechanisms are black and white laser printers used for common documents, and color ink jet printers which can produced high-quality photograph-quality output. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printer_(computing)

The resolution, or quality of sharpness, of the printed image is indicated by dpi (dot per inch), which is a measure of the number of rows and columns of dots that are printed in a square inch. Indicates the resolution of images. The more dots per inch, the higher the resolution. A common resolution for laser printers is 600 dots per inch. This means 600 dots across and 600 dots down, so there are 360,000 dots per square inch. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/dpi.html

• Impact printers: An impact printer forms character or images by striking a mechanism such as a print hammer or wheel against an inked ribbon, leaving an image on paper
• Nonimpact printers: Nonimpact printer form characters and images without direct physical contact between the printing mechanism and paper
  • Laser printer creates images with dots. However, as in a photocopying machine, these images are produced on a drum, treated with a magnetically charged ink-like toner (powder), and then transferred from the drum to paper
  • Laser printers run with software called a page description language (PDL). This software tells the printers how to lay out the printed page, and it supports various fonts
  • Ink-jet printers spray onto a paper small, electrically charged droplets of ink from four nozzles through holes in a matrix at high speed
  • Thermal printers used colored waxes and heat elements to produce images by burning dots onto special paper
• Plotters: A Plotter is a specialized output device designed to produce high-quality graphics in a variety of colors
• Multifunction printers—printers that do more than print: Multifuntion printers combine several capabilities, such as printing, scanning, copying, and faxing

Mixed Output: Sound, Voice, & Video

• Sound output: Sound-output devices produce digitized sounds, ranging from the beeps and chirps to music
• Voice output: Voice-output devices convert digital data into speech like sounds
• Video output: Video consists of photographic images, which are played at 15-29 frames per second to give the appearance of full motion
  • Another form of video output is Videoconferencing, in which people in different geographic locations can have a meeting—can see and hear one another—using computers and communications

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The Future of Input & Output

Towards More Source Data Automation

• Input help for the disabled
• More sophisticated touch devices
• Better speech recognition
• Smaller electronic cameras
• Pattern-recognition and biometric devices
• Brainwave devices

Towards More Realistic Output

• Display screens—better and cheaper
• Audio—higher fidelity
• Video—movie quality for PCs
• Three-dimensional output

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Input & Output Technology & Quality of Life: Health & Ergonomics

Health Matters

• Repetitive stress injuries: Repetitive stress (or strain) injuries (RSIs) are wrist, hand, arm, and neck injuries resulting when muscle groups are forced through fast, repetitive motions. any of a group of debilitating disorders, as of the hand and arm, characterized typically by pain, numbness, tingling, or loss of muscle control and caused by the stress of repeated movements. dictionary.reference.com/browse/repetitive+strain+injury
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a debilitating condition caused by pressure on the median nerve in the wrist, producing damaged and pain to nerves and tendons in the hands. a median entrapment neuropathy that causes paresthesia, pain, numbness, and other symptoms in the distribution of the median nerve due to its compression at the wrist in the carpal tunnel. The mechanism is not completely understood but can be considered compression of the median nerve traveling through the carpal tunnel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpal_tunnel_syndrome
• Eyestrain and headaches:
  • Computer vision syndrome (CVS) consists of eyestrain, headaches, double vision, and other problems caused by improper use of computer display screens. A temporary condition resulting from focusing the eyes on a computer display for protracted, uninterrupted periods of time. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_vision_syndrome
• Back and neck pains
• Electromagnetic fields:
  • Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are waves of electrical energy and magnetic energy. An electromagnetic field, sometimes referred to as an EM field, is generated when charged particles, such as electrons, are accelerated. All electrically charged particles are surrounded by electric fields. Charged particles in motion produce magnetic fields. http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/electromagnetic-field
• Noise

Ergonomics: Design with People in Mind

The purpose of ergonomics is to make working conditions and equipment safer and more efficient. A science that deals with designing and arranging things so that people can use them easily and safely. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ergonomics

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REFLECTION:

I learned in these chapter 5 about the Hardware of Input and Output. These chapter 5 brings the meaning of input and output, input hardware, output hardware, the future of input and output, and input and output technology and quality of life of health and ergonomics. The most important part that I’ve learned in these chapter is knowing the ergonomics. Ergonomics means is the proper way to sit and using the laptop/computer properly. The tips of ergonomics of using the desktop helps my body feel relax and comfortable when using the laptop as browser for the internet.

CHAPTER 4 HARDWARE: THE CPU & STORAGE HOW TO BUY A MULTIMEDIA COMPUTER SYSTEM

MICROCHIPS, MINIATURIZATION, & MOBILITY

From Vacuum Tubes to Transistors to Microchips

• Transistor is essentially a tiny electrically operated switch, or gate, that can alternate between “on” and “off” many millions of times per second
• Integrated circuit an entire electronic circuit, including wires, formed in  a single “chip,” or piece, of special material, usually silicon
• Solid-state device the electrons travel through solid material
• Silicon is an element that is widely found in clay and sand. It is used not only because its abundance makes it cheap but also because it is a semiconductor
• Semiconductor is material whose electrical properties are intermediate between a good conductor of electricity and a nonconductor of electricity
• Chip or microchip, is a tiny piece of silicon that contains millions of microminiature electronic circuits

Miniaturization Miracles: Microchips, Microprocessors, & Micromachines

• Microprocessor (“microscopic processor” or “processor on a chip”) is the miniaturized circuitry of a computer processor—the CPU, the part that processes, or manipulates, data into information. A silicon chip that contains a CPU. In the world of personal computers, the terms microprocessor and CPU are used interchangeably. At the heart of all personal computers and most workstation sits a microprocessor. Microprocessors also control the logic of almost all digital devices, from clock radios to fuel-injection systems for automobiles. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/microprocessor.html

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THE SYSTEM UNIT

The Binary System: Using On/Off Electrical States to Represent Data & Instructions

• Binary system has only two digits: 0 and 1
• Bit each 0 or 1 is called a bit, which is short for “binary digit”
• Byte a group of 8 bits is called a byte, and a byte represents one character, digits, or other value
• Kilobyte a kilobyte (K, KB) is about 1,000 bytes
• Megabyte a megabyte (M, MB) is about 1 million bytes
• Gigabyte a gigabyte (G, GB) is about 1 billion bytes
• Terabyte a terabyte (T, TB) is about 1 trillion bytes
• Petabyte a petabyte (P, PB) is about 1 quadrillion bytes

Letters, numbers, and a special characters are represented within a computer system by means of binary coding schemes

• ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is the binary code most widely used with microcomputers
• EBCDIC (Extended Binary Code Decimal Interchange Code) is a binary code used with large computers, such as  mainframes
• Unicode uses two bytes (16 bits) for each character, rather than one byte (8 bits)

The Parity Bit is a bit that can do extra bit attached to the end of a byte for purposes of checking for accuracy. A bit added to the end of a string of binary codethat indicates whether the number of bits in the string with the value one is odd or even. Parity bits are used as the simplest form of error detecting code. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parity_bit

The Machine Language  a binary-type programming language built into the CPU that the computer can run directly. The lowest-level programming language (except for computers that utilize programmable microcode) Machine languages are the only languages understood by computers. While easily understood by computers, machine languages are almost impossible for humans to use because they consist entirely of numbers. Programmers, therefore, use either a high-level programming language or an assembly language. An assembly language contains the same instructions as a machine language, but the instructions and variables have names instead of being just numbers. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/machine_language.html

Bay is a shelf or opening used for the installation of electronic equipment. Short for drive bay, this refers to a site in a personnel computer where a hard or floppy disks drive, CD-ROM drive or tape drive can be installed. Thus, the number of drive bays in a computer determines how many mass storage devices can be internally. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/bay.html

Power Supply

• Surge Protector or surge processor, is a device that protects a computer from being damaged by surges (spikes) of high voltage. A surge protector (or surge suppressor) is an appliance designed to protect electrical devices from voltage spikes. A surge protector attempts to limit the voltage supplied to an electric device by either blocking or by shorting to ground. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surge_protector
• Voltage Protector or line conditioner, is a device that protects a computer from being damaged by insufficient power—”brownouts” or “sags” in voltage. A surge protector (or surge suppressor) is an appliance designed to protect electrical devices from voltagespikes. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surge_protector
• UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is a battery-operated device that provides a computer with electricity if there is a power failure.
  An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device that allows your computer to keep running for at least a short time when the primary power source is lost. It also provides protection from power surges. AUPS contains a battery that “kicks in” when the device senses a loss of power from the primary source. searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/definition/uninterruptible-power-supply

The Motherboard & the Microprocessor Chip

• Expansion is a way of increasing a computer’s capabilities by adding hardware to perform tasks that are beyond the scope of the basic system
• Upgrading means changing to newer, usually more powerful or sophisticated version
• CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing), which are used mostly in PCs and in conventional mainframes, can support a large number of instruction
• Intel-type chips for PCs are made principally by Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), but also by Cyrix, DEC, and others
• Motorola-type chips—for Macintoshes: Motorola-type chips are made by Motorola for Apple Macintosh computers

Processing Speeds: From Megahertz to Picoseconds

• System clock which controls how fast all the operations within a computer take place
• For microcomputers–megahertz and gigahertz
  • Megahertz (MHz) a measure of frequency equivalent to 1 million cycles (ticks of the system clock) per second
  • Gigahertz (GHz) a billion cycles per second
• For workerstation, mid-size computers, and mainframes–MIPS: MIPS stands for “millions of instruction per second“
• For supercomputers–flops: flops stands for “floating point operations per second”
• For all computers–fractions per second

How the Processor or CPU Works: Control Unit, ALU, & Registers

• Word Size is the number of bits that the processor may process at any one  time
• CPU (central processing unit) is the “brain” of the computers; it follows the instruction of the software (program) to manipulate data into information. The CPU consist of two parts:
  1. The control unit
  2. The arithmetic/logic unit (ALU), both of which contain registers, or high-speed storage areas
• Control unit deciphers each instruction stored in the CPU and then carries out the instruction
• Machine Cycle the CPU:
  1. Fetches an instruction
  2. Decodes the instruction
  3. Executes the instruction
  4. Stores the result
• Arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) performs arithmetic operations and logical operations and controls the speed of those operations
• Registers are high-speed storage areas that temporarily stores data during processing
• Buses or bus line, are electrical data roadways through which bits are transmitted within the CPU and between the CPU and other components of the motherboard

How Memory Works: RAM, ROM, CMOS, & Flash

• RAM (random access memory) chips temporarily hold:
  1. software instruction
  2. data before and after it is processed by the CPU
• Volatile the contents are lost when the power goes off or is turned off
• Several types of RAM chips are used in personal computer:
  DRAM, SDRAM, DDR-SDRAM, SRAM, AND RDRAM
  • DRAM (dynamic RAM)
  • SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM)
  • DDR-SDRAM (double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM)
  • SRAM (synchronous RAM)
  • RDRAM (rambus dynamic RAM)
• ROM chips to store fixed start-up instruction; ROM (read-only memory) cannot be written on or erased by the computer user without special equipment
• Write to transfer data from the computer’s CPU or memory to an output device
• Read to transfer data from an input source into the computer’s memory or CPU
• CMOS chips (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) chips are powered by a battery and thus don’t lose their contents when the power is turned off
• Flash memory chips can be erased and reprogrammed more than once

Cache temporarily stores instructions and data that the processor is likely to use frequently. A memory cache, sometimes called a cache store or RAM cache, is a portion of memory made of high-speedstatic RAM (SRAM) instead of the slower and cheaper dynamic RAM (DRAM) used for main memory. Memory caching is effective because most programs access the same data or instructions over and over. By keeping as much of this information as possible in SRAM, the computer avoids accessing the slower DRAM. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/cache.html

Virtual memory that is, some free hard-disk space is used to extend the capacity of RAM. An imaginary memory area supported by some operating system (for example, Windows but not DOS) in conjunction with the hardware. You can think of virtual memory as an alternate set of memory addresses. Programs use these virtual addresses rather than real addresses to store instructions and data. When the program is actually executed, the virtual addresses are converted into real memory addresses. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/V/virtual_memory.html

Ports & Cables

A port is a connecting socket or jack on the outside of the system unit into which are plugged different kinds of cables. An interface on a computer to which you can connect a device. Personal computers have various types of ports. Internally, there are several ports for connecting disk drives, display screens, and keyboards. Externally, personal computers have ports for connecting modems, printers, mice, and other peripheral devices. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/port.html

• Serial ports transmitting slow data over long distances: A line connected to a serial port will send bits one at a time, one after another
• Parallel ports transmitting fast data over short distances: A line connected to a parallel port allows 8 bits (1 byte) to be transmitted simulation
• SCSI ports transmitting fast data to up to seven devices in a daisy chain: a SCSI (small computer system interface) port allows data to be transmitted in a “daisy chain” to up to seven devices at speeds (32 bits at a time) higher than those possible with serial and parallel ports
• USB ports (universal serial port) transmitting data to up to 127 devices in a daisy chain. Can theoretically connects up to 127 peripheral devices daisy-chained to one general-purpose port
• plug and play which allows peripheral devices and explanation cards to be automatically configured while they are being installed
• FireWire port for camcorders, DVD players, and TV. It was developed to improve PC/peripheral connections and to compete with USB

Expandability: Buses & Cards

• Expansion slots are sockets on the motherboard into which you can plug expansion cards.
• Expansion cards also known as expansion boards, adapter cards, interface cards, plug-in boards, controller cards, add-ins, or add-ons are circuit boards that provide more memory or that control peripheral devices
• ISA bus for ordinary low-speed uses: The ISA (industry standard architecture) bus used to be the most widely used expansion bus
• PCI bus for higher-speed uses: The PCI (peripheral component interconnect) bus is a higher-speed bus, and at 32 or 64 bits wide it is over four times faster than ISA buses
• AGP bus for even higher speeds and 3D graphics: The AGP (accelerated graphics port) bus transmits data at even higher speeds and was designed to support video and three-dimensional (3D) graphics
• Graphics card convert signals from the computer into video signals that can be displayed as images on a monitor
• Sound cards for speakers and audio output. Is used to convert and transmit digital sounds through analog speakers, microphones, and headsets
• Modem card for remote communication via phone lines
• Network interface card (NIC) allows the transmission of data over a cable network
• PC cards are thin, credit-card size (2.1 by 3.4 inches) devices used principally on notebook computers to expand capabilities

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Secondary Storage

Secondary storage hardware

– devices that permanently hold data and information as well as programs. Secondary storage (also known as external memory or auxiliary storage), differs from primary storage in that it is not directly accessible by the CPU. The computer usually uses its input/output channels to access secondary storage and transfers the desired data using intermediate area in primary storage. Secondary storage does not lose the data when the device is powered down—it is non-volatile. Per unit, it is typically also two orders of magnitude less expensive than primary storage. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_data_storage

• Floppy disks often called a diskette or simply a disk, is a removable flat piece of mylar plastic packages in a 3.5 inch plastic case
• Tracks data is recorded in concentric recording bands
• Sectors a disk is formatted, the disk’s storage locations are divided into wedge-shaped sections, which break the tracks into small arcs
• Read/write head is used to transfer data between the computer and the disk
• Floppy-disk cartridges or higher-capacity removable disks
• Zip disks are disks with a special high-quality magnetic coating that have a capacity of 100, 250, or 750 megabytes

Hard Disks are thin but rigid metal, glass, or ceramic platters covered with a substances that allows data to be held in the form of magnetized spots. A data storage davices used for storing and retrieving digitalinformation using rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic material. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk_drive

• Nonremovable hard disk also known as a fixed disk, is housed in the microcomputer system unit and is used to store nearly all programs and most datafiles. Hard disks use one or more metal or glass platters covered with a magneticcoating. In this drawing, the cover is removed. http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/hard+disk
• Removable hard disks or hard-disk cartridges, consist of one or two enclosed along with read/write heads in a plastic case, which is inserted into a microcomputer’s cartridges drive. A type of disk drive system in which hard disks are enclosed in plastic or metal cartridges so that they can be removed like floppy disks. Removable disk drives combine the best aspects of hard and floppy disks. They are nearly as capacious and fast as hard disks and have the portability of floppy disks. Their biggest drawback is that they’re relatively expensive. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/removable_hard_disk.html

RAID (redundant array of independent) storage system, which consists of two or more disk drives within a single cabinet or connected along a SCSI chain, sends data to the computer along several parallel paths simultaneously. a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple disk drive components into a logical unit for the purposes of data redundancy or performance improvement. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID

Optical Disks: CD & DVDs

• Optical disk is a removable disk, usually 4.75 inches in diameter and less than one-twentieth of an inch thick, on which data is written and read through the use of laser beams
• CD-ROM (compact disk read-only memory) is an optical-disk format that is used to hold prerecorded text, graphics, and sound
• CR-R (compact disk-recordable) disks can be written to only once but can be read many times
• CR-RW (compact disk-rewritable) disk, also known as an erasable optical disk, allows users to record and erase data, so the disk can be used over and over again
• DVD-ROM (digital versatile disk or digital video disk, with read-only memory) is a CD-style disk with extremely high capacity, able to store 4.7 or more gigabytes
• DVD-R (DVD-recordable) disks allow one-time recording by the user

Magnetic Tape

• Magnetic tape is thin plastic tape coated with a substance that can be magnetized. Data is represented by magnetized spots or non-magnetized spots. A medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic film. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_tape
• Tape cartridges modules resembling audio cassettes that contain tape in rectangular, plastic housing. A cartridge containing an endless loop of magnetic tape and designed for automatic use on insertion into a compatible sound or video recorder or computer system. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/tape+cartridge

Smart Cards

• Smart Cards look like a credit card but has a microprocessor embedded in it. A small electronic device about the size of a credit card that contains electronic memory, and possibly an embedded integrated circiuts. Smart cards containing an IC are sometimes called Integrated Circuit Cards (ICCs). http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/smart_card.html
• Optical cards are plastic, laser-recordable, wallet-type cards used with an optical-card reader. A form of optical storage in which the medium is in credit-card form, intended for uses similar to those of a magnetic-stripe card but with much higher capacity (several megabytes). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O11-opticalcard.html

Flash memory cards or flash RAM cards, consist of circuitry on credit-card-size PC cards that can be inserted into slots connecting to the motherboard on notebook computers. data storage device used for storing digital information. They are commonly used in many electronic devices, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players and video game consoles. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_card 

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Future Development in Processing & Storage

Future Developments in Processing

• Selling processing power over the internet
• Combining functions on a single chip
• Nanotechnology
• Optical computing
• DNA computing
• Quantum computing
• Other possibilities—molecular and dot computers

Future Developments in Secondary Storage

• Higher-density disks
• Molecular electronics—storage at the subatomic
• The age of “storewidth”

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REFLECTION:

I learned that using and knowing the part of the computer will help me develop my understanding in programming it. It helps me know the hardware of the CPU and the storage. This chapter provides me to the between of microchips, miniaturization, mobility, system unit, secondary storage, and future development in processing and storage. These keys will me to gain the process in naming the important parts of the computer system.

CHAPTER 1-3 REFLECTION USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Reflection

The Information Technology describe everything about how to operate the system and functions of the internet. It tells that technology can determine the purpose of machine that stimulate a small amount of quality. It chooses the basic of accessing the internet to window explorer. It intimidate the high speed process that avail to the connection of the computer. The computer can access in the internet through the WiFi of wired or wireless connection. It has the modem of ICANN, ISP, DSL, and many that cannot access without any error. In the internet we can use the HTTP or HTML to watch or play music by browsing the entire site. It helps us to maintain the PC by using the application software to feature the documents, database, web page, home page, and many more of the application tools.

CHAPTER 3: APPLICATION SOFTWARE: FOR PRODUCTIVITY & CREATIVITY

Application Software: For Sale, for Free, or for Rent

Application Software – the subject of this chapter is software that has been developed to solve a particular problem for users-to perform useful work on specific tasks or to provide entertainment. A set of one or more programs designed to carry out operations for a specific application. Application software cannot run on itself but is dependent on system software to execute. Examples of application software include MS Word, MS Excel, a console game, a library management system, a spreadsheet system etc (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_software)

System Software –  interact with computer

• Commercial Software – proprietary software or packaged software that offered for sale. Commercial software, or sometimes payware, is computer software that is produced for sale or that serves commercial purposes. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software)
  • copyright – exclusive legal right that prohibits copying of intellectual property without the permission of the copyright holder
  • software license sign a contract in which you agree not to make copies of the software to give away or resell
    1. site license – software to be used on all computer at a specific location
    2. concurrent-use license – certain number of copies of the software to be used st the same time
    3. multiple-user license – specifies the number of people that may used the software
    4. single-user license – limits software use to one user at a time
• Public-domain software – not protected by copyright and thus may be duplicated by anyone at will. Public domain software is software that is not protected by a copyright and so there is no particular owner or the author has given up ownership rights, leaving the software available for everyone for use. (http://www.yourdictionary.com/public–domain–software)
• Shareware – copyrighted software that is distributed free of charge but requires that users make a monetary contribution, or pay a registration fee, to continue using it. a type of proprietary software which is provided to users for a certain limited trial basis and pursuant to a license which restricts any commercial benefit, use or exploitation of the software. While there may not be an initial up-front payment, the license pursuant to which the software is provided limits and restricts usage and typically restricts any distribution for commercial purposes and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability (it may be functional for a limited time period only), or convenience (the software may present a dialog at startup or during usage, reminding the user to purchase it; “nagging dialogs“). Shareware is often offered as adownload from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a magazine. Shareware is a portmanteau word combining share and software. The rationale behind shareware is to give potential users the opportunity to try out the program on a limited basis for a limited time and judge its usefulness before purchasing a license for the full version of the software. Firms with superior software thus have an incentive to offer samples unless their product is already well known, or if they do not want to be listed in direct competition with other products on shareware repositories. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shareware)
• Freeware – copyrighted software that is distributed free of charge. software that is available for use at no monetary cost, but with one or more restricted usage rights such as source code being withheld or redistribution prohibited. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed at no cost for a business or commercial purpose in the aim to expand the market share of a “premium” product. According to the Free Software Foundation, “freeware” is a loosely defined category and it has no clear accepted definition, although FSF says it must be distinguished from free software (libre).Well known examples of closed-source freeware include Adobe Reader and Skype. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeware)
• Rentalware – a software that users lease for a fee and download whenever they want it.
• Pirated software – software obtained illegally. The use of works protected by copyright law without permission, infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, such as the right to reproduce, distribute, display or perform the protected work, or to make derivative works. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_infringement)
• Abandonware – supports by its publisher. Computer software (such as an operating system , word processor, interactive game, or audio file) that is no longer marketed or distributed by the company that created it, but is obtainable from some other source. Some popular products that have been at least temporarily abandoned include NeXT Step, the operating system for the NEXT computer; Open Step, its successor; and many interactive games that were replaced by more sophisticated products. In some cases, a company or Web site gets permission from the creator to distribute the abandoned program; but sometimes they don’t. To use abandonware that you download, you often need a license string that the software recognizes as entitling the user to install it. In this case, the downloading site provides a license string that is known to work. (http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/abandonware)

Custom software – created by software engineers and programmers. A computer program or Web site written specifically for your company, according to your company’s way of doing business. The opposite of custom software is off-the-shelf software, also known as pre-packaged or pre-written software. (http://www.datacorp.net/custom_software.html)

Tutorials & Documentation

• Tutorials – an instruction book or program that helps you learn to use product by taking you through a prescribed series of steps. a method of transferring knowledge and may be used as a part of a learning process. More interactive and specific than a book or a lecture; a tutorial seeks to teach by example and supply the information to complete a certain task. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutorial)
• Documentation – information that describes a product to users, including a user guide or reference manual that provides a narrative and graphical description of a program. a set of documents provided on paper, or online, or on digital or analog media, such as audio tape or CDs. Example are user guides, white papers, on-line help, quick-reference guides. It is becoming less common to see paper (hard-copy) documentation. Documentation is distributed via websites, software products, and other on-line applications. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentation)

A Few Facts About Files+& the Usefulness of Importing & Exporting

1. Named collection of data
2. program that exists in a computer’s secondary storage
   • Document files – created by word processing programs and consist of documents such as reports, letters, memos, and term paper
   • Worksheet files – created by electronic spreadsheets and usually consist of collections of numerical data such as budgets, sales forecasts, and schedules
   • Database files – created by database management programs and consist of organized data that can be analyzed and displayed in various useful ways

• Importing – defined as getting data from another source and then converting it into a format compatible with the program in which you are currently working. Computers. to bring (documents, data, etc.) into one software program from another. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/import)
• Exporting – defined as transforming data into a format that can be used in another program and then transmitting it

Types of Application Software

Productivity software – a word processing programs, spreadsheets, and database managers whose purpose is to make users more productive at particular tasks

Microsoft Office examples: Word, Excel, and Access-word processing, spreadsheet, and database programs, respectively

Specialized software: presentation graphics, financial, desktop-publishing, drawing and painting, video/audio editing, project management, computer-aided design,and web page design software

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 Common Features of Software

User interface – the user-controllable display screen that allows you to communicate, or interact, with the computer

• Special-purpose keys – are used to enter, delete, and edit data and to execute commands.  A keyboard key that is used to perform functions such as launching a specific application, opening a folder or playing music or videos. Special function keys are added to many keyboards to provide shortcuts for widely used tasks. (http://www.yourdictionary.com/special-function-key)
• Function keys – labeled “F1,” “F2,” and so on, are positioned along the top or left side of the keyboard. They are used to execute commands specific to the software being used. the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is effective operation and control of the machine on the user’s end, and feedback from the machine, which aids the operator in making operational decisions. Examples of this broad concept of user interfaces include the interactive aspects of computer operating systems, hand tools, heavy machinery operator controls, and process controls. The design considerations applicable when creating user interfaces are related to or involve such disciplines as ergonomics and psychology.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_interface)
• Macros – keyboard shortcut, is a single keystroke or command-or a series of keystrokes or commands-used to automatically issue a longer, predetermined series of keystroke or commands
  • pointer appears as an arrow , although it changes shape depending on the application. the mouse is used to little symbols, or icon

The GUI (graphical user interface) – allows you to use a mouse or keystrokes to select icons (little symbols) and commands from menus (lists of activities) a type of interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and visual indicators such as secondary notation, as opposed to text-based interfaces, typed command labels or text navigation. GUIs were introduced in reaction to the perceived steep learning curve of command-line interfaces (CLIs), which require commands to be typed on the keyboard.

Desktop,Icons, & Menus

• Desktop – the system’s main interface screen, displays pictures (icons) that provide quick access to programs and information. The desktop is the primary user interface of a computer. When you boot up your computer, the desktop is displayed once the start up process is complete. It includes the desktop background (or wallpaper) and icons of files and folders you may have saved to the desktop. In Windows, the desktop includes a task bar, which is located at the bottom of the screen by default. In Mac OS X, the desktop includes a menu bar at the top of the screen and the Dock at the bottom.(http://www.techterms.com/definition/desktop)
• Icons and rollovers:
  • Icons – small pictorial figures that represent program, data file, or procedures
  • Rollover – a small text box explaining mouse pointer over the icon.
• Menus:
  • menu – offers you a list of option
  • pull-down menu – a list of options that pulls down from the menu bar at the top of the screen
  • cascading menus – fly back to the left or explode out to the right
  • pull-up menu – list of options that pulls up from the menu bar at the bottom of the screen
  • pop-up menu – list of command  options that can “pop up” anywhere on the screen when you click the right mouse button

Documents, Title Bars, Menu Bars, Toolbars, Taskbars, & Windows (Small “w”)

• Title bar: runs across the very top of the display window and shows the name of the folder you are in
• Menu bar: shows the names of the various pull-down menus available
• Toolbar: below the menu bar, displays menus and icons representing frequently used options or commands
• Taskbar: the bar across the bottom of the desktop screen that contains the Start and that appears by default
• Windows: a rectangular frame on the computer display screen. Through this frame you can view a file data-such as a document, spreadsheet, or database-or an application program

The Help Command

• Help command – a command generating a tale of contents, an index, and a search feature that can help you locate answers. In computing, help is a command in various command line shells such as COMMAND.COM, cmd.exe, 4DOS/4NT, Windows Power Shell, Bash, Singularity shell, Python and GNU Octave. It provides online information about available commands and the shell environment. It is analogous to the Unix man command.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HELP_(command))

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Word Processing

• Word processing software – allows you to use computers to create, edit, format, print, and store text material. writing, editing, and production of documents, as letters, reports, and books, through the use of a computer program or a complete computer system designed to facilitate rapid and efficient manipulation of text.(dictionary.reference.com/browse/word+processing)

Creating Documents

• Cursor – movable symbol on the display screen that shows you where you may next enter data or commands
• Scrolling – moving quickly upward,downward, or sideways through the text or other screen display
• Word wrap – automatically continues text to the next line when you reach the right margin

Editing Documents

• Insert and delete
  • Insert – adding to the document
  • Delete – act of removing text
• Find and replace
  • Find – allows you to find any word, phrase, or number that exists in your document
  • Replace – automatically replace it with something else
• Cut/copy and paste:
  • Copy or cut – command to move it to the clipboard
• Spelling checker – which tests for incorrectly spelled words
• Grammar checker – highlights poor grammar, wordiness, incomplete sentences, and awkward phrase
• Thesaurus – which will present you with the appropriate word or alternative words

Formatting Documents with the Help of Templates & Wizards

• Formatting – determines the appearance of a document
• Template – a preformatted document that provides basic tools shaping a final document
• Wizard – answers your question and uses the answers to lay out and format a document
  • Font – typeface and type size
  • Spacing and columns – single-spaced or double-spaced
  • Margins and justification – left, right, top, and bottom
  • Headers, footers, and page numbers:
    • Header – printed at the top of every page
    • Footer – printed at the bottom of every page
  • Other formatting – borders, shading, tables, and footnote

Default settings – automatically used by a program unless the user specifies otherwise, thereby overriding them. computer science, refers to a setting or a value automatically assigned to a software application, computer program or device, outside of user intervention. Such settings are also called presets, especially for electronic devices.(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Default_(computer_science))

Saving documents

Saving – storing, or preserving, a document as an electronic file permanently.

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Spreadsheets

Spreadsheet – allows users to create tables and financial schedules by entering data and formulas into rows and columns arranged as a grid on a display screen. computer application program for organization and analysis of data in tabular form. Spreadsheets developed as computerized simulations of paper accounting worksheets. The program operates on data represented as cells of an array, organized in rows and columns. Each cell of the array is a model–view–controller element that can contain either numeric or text data, or the results of formulas that automatically calculate and display a value based on the contents of other cells. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreadsheet)

The Basics: How Spreadsheets Work

• Labels – are any descriptive text that identifies categories
• Columns and rows meet
  • Cell – a place where column and row intersect
  • Cell address – position
  • Range – a group of adjacent cells
  • Cell pointers – where data is to be entered
• Formulas, functions, recalculation, and what-if analysis
  • Formulas – instructions for calculations; they define how one cell relates to other cells
  • Recalculation – the process of recomputing values
  • What-if analysis – allows the user to see how changing one or more numbers changes the outcome of the recalculation
• Using worksheet templates
  • Worksheet template – custom-designed for particular work
  • Multidimensional – link one spreadsheet to another

Analytical Graphics: Creating Charts

Analytical graphics – business graphics, are graphical forms that make numeric data easier to analyze than when it is organized as rows and columns of number

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Database Software

Database – a collection of interrelated files in a computer system. designed software applications that interact with the user, other applications, and the database itself to capture and analyze data. A general-purpose DBMS is a software system designed to allow the definition, creation, querying, update, and administration of databases. Well-known DBMSs include MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, SAP HANA, dBASE, MongoDB, FoxPro, IBM DB2, LibreOffice Base, FileMaker Pro, Microsoft Access andInterSystems Caché. A database is not generally portable across different DBMSs, but different DBMSs can interoperate by using standards such as SQL and ODBC or JDBC to allow a single application to work with more than one database. There are different types of database, some of them are as follows: Operational Database, Specific Database, External Database, Hypermedia Database (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database)

Database software – a program that sets up and controls the structure of a database and access to the data. a business information system and provides file creation, data entry, update, query and reporting functions. The traditional term for database software is “database management system” (see DBMS). (http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/40883/database–program)

The Basics: How Databases Work

• How a relational database is organized-tables, record, and fields:
  • Relational database – which data is organized into related tables
• How various records can be linked-the key:
  • Key – called key field, sort key, index, or keyword
  • Field – used to sort data
• Finding what you want-querying and displaying records
• Sorting and analyzing records and applying formulas
• Putting search result to use-saving, formatting, printing, copying, or transmitting

Personal Information Managers

• Personal information manager (PIM) – a software that helps you keep track of and manage information you use on a daily basis,such as addresses, telephone numbers, appointments, to-do lists, and miscellaneous notes. a desktop computer or PDA, PIM software is a program that enables you to take the daily stream of information that comes across your desk and organize it in a manner that suits your personal style, e.g. appointments, weekly meeting reminders, to do lists, etc. (http://www.bitpipe.com/tlist/Personal–Information–Management-Software.html)

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Specialty Software

Presentation Graphics Software

Use graphics, animation, sound, and data or information to make visual presentation. tools that let people make slideshows of charts, diagrams and graphics on the computer that can be show to a group using a projector. (http://www.yourdictionary.com/presentation–graphics–software)

• Using templates to get started
• Getting assistance on content development and organization
• Dressing up your presentation

Financial software

Financial software – a growing category that ranges from personal-finance manager to entry-level accounting programs to business financial-management packages. typically described as any type of computer software designed to help individuals or corporations manage finances and business ledger and other accounting needs. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/F/financial_software.html)

personal-finance managers – keep track of income and expenses, write checks, do online banking, and plan financial goals

• Tracking of income and expenses
• Checkbook management
• Reporting
• Income tax

Desktop Publishing (DTP)

mixing text and graphics to produce high-quality output for commercial printing, using a microcomputer and mouse, scanner, laser or ink-jet printer, and DTP software. DTP software is used to arrange text and graphics into professional looking publications which can then be printed out. A word processing package is generally used to deal with large quantities of text, whereas aDTP package allows you much more flexibility with the layout of text and graphics. (http://www.teach-ict.com/as_a2_ict_new/ocr/AS_G061/313…/pg3.htm)

• Mix of text with graphics
• Varied type of layout styles
• Use of files from other programs

Drawing & Painting Programs

• Drawing programs – graphics software that allows users to design and illustrate objects and products. A graphics program that enables you to draw pictures, then store the images in files, merge them into documents, and print them. Unlike paint programs, which represent images as bit maps, draw programs use vector graphics, which makes it easy to scale images to different sizes. In addition, graphics produced with a draw program have no inherent resolution. Rather, they can be represented at any resolution, which makes them ideal for high-resolution output.(http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/draw_program.html)
• Painting programs – graphics programs that allow users to simulate painting on screen. a piece of software that allows a user to draw pictures on screen indifferent colours, with different styles of brush and special effects. (http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/paint-program)

Video/Audio Editing Software

Video – allows import to and video footage on computer

Editing – allows import to and editing of sound files on PC

Project Management Software

A program used to plan and schedule the people, costs, and resources required to complete a project on time

Computer-Aided Design (CAD)

Programs intended for the design of products, structures, civil engineering drawings, and maps

Computer-aided design/manufacturing (CAD/CAM) – Software allows products designed with CAD to be input into an automated manufacturing system that makes the products. the use of computer software to control machine tools and related machinery in the manufacturing of work pieces. This is not the only definition for CAM, but it is the most common; CAM may also refer to the use of a computer to assist in all operations of a manufacturing plant, including planning, management, transportation and storage. Its primary purpose is to create a faster production process and components and tooling with more precise dimensions and material consistency, which in some cases, uses only the required amount of raw material (thus minimizing waste), while simultaneously reducing energy. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_manufacturing)

Web Page Design/Authoring Software

Used to create web pages with sophisticated multimedia features

Portable Document Format (PDF) – a file format develop by adobe system. a file format used to present documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. Each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout flat document, including the text, fonts, graphics, and other information needed to display it. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_Document_Format)

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: YOUR DIGITAL WORLD

Infotech Is Commonplace: Cellphones, Email, the Internet, & the E-World

Information technology (IT)

The application of computers and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data, often in the context of a business or other enterprise. The term is commonly used as a synonym for computers and computer networks, but it also encompasses other information distribution technologies such as television and telephones. Several industries are associated with information technology, including computer hardware, software, electronics, semiconductors, internet,telecom equipment, e-commerce and computer services. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology)

• Computer Technology – the activity of designing and constructing and programming computers. Its a programmable, mutiuse machine that accepts data-raw facts and figures-and processes, or manipulates, it into information we can use (http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=computer%20technology)
• Communication Technology – Information and communications technology is often used as an extended synonym for information technology, but is a more specific term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications, computers as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware. It also called telecommunications technology, consists of electromagnetic devices and systems for communicating over long distances.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_and_communications_technology)

Online – using a computer or some other information device, connected through a network, to access information and services from another computer or information device.

The Telephone Grows Up

In 1973, the first cellphone call was invented. The user can make calls for more than 45 calls a day and it has the sign of * and # were added to the keypad. They introduced computer to cellphone in their discussion that they first made is the new smartphones then it became to Toshiba, Treo, Sanyo, and Kyocera. They added World Wide Web in the cellphone to send and receive email to anyone or make calls or text each other. The web has everything in it that it can research, translate, or get information about sports, weather, or even helpful tips. The phone and computer has a special program data that can connect each other to convert into one mechanics.

“You’ve Got Mail!” Email’s Mass Impact

In 1981 the email became the most popular of the year that reaches over 10 million users. No technology has ever done so fast and surprisingly good about this.

Email – “electronic mail,” messages transmitted over a computer network, most often the internet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email)

Electronic mail, most commonly referred to as email or e-mail since ca. 1993, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the same time, in common with instant messaging. Today’s email systems are based on a store-and-forward model. Emailservers accept, forward, deliver, and store messages. Neither the users nor their computers are required to be online simultaneously; they need connect only briefly, typically to a mail server, for as long as it takes to send or receive messages. Historically, the term electronic mail was used generically for any electronic document transmission. For example, several writers in the early 1970s used the term to describe fax document transmission. As a result, it is difficult to find the first citation for the use of the term with the more specific meaning it has today.

An Internet email message consists of three components, the message envelope, the message header, and the message body. The message header contains control information, including, minimally, an originator’s email address and one or more recipient addresses. Usually descriptive information is also added, such as a subject header field and a message submission date/time stamp.

Originally a text-only (ASCII) communications medium, Internet email was extended to carry, e.g. text in other character sets, multi-media content attachments, a process standardized in RFC 2045 through 2049. Collectively, these RFCs have come to be called Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME). Subsequent RFCs have proposed standards for internationalized email addresses using UTF-8.

Electronic mail predates the inception of the Internet and was in fact a crucial tool in creating it, but the history of modern, global Internet email services reaches back to the earlyARPANET. Standards for encoding email messages were proposed as early as 1973 (RFC 561). Conversion from ARPANET to the Internet in the early 1980s produced the core of the current services. An email sent in the early 1970s looks quite similar to a basic text message sent on the Internet today.

Email is an information and communications technology. It uses technology to communicate a digital message over the Internet. Users use email differently, based on how they think about it. There are many software platforms available to send and receive. Popular email platforms include Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, Outlook, and many others.

Network-based email was initially exchanged on the ARPANET in extensions to the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), but is now carried by the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), first published as Internet standard 10 (RFC 821) in 1982. In the process of transporting email messages between systems, SMTP communicates delivery parameters using a message envelope separate from the message (header and body) itself.

Network – a communications system connecting two or more computers; the internet is the largest such network (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/N/network.html)

A network is a group of two or more computer systems linked together. There are many types of computer networks, including:

• local-area networks (LANs) : The computers are geographically close together (that is, in the same building).
• wide-area networks (WANs) : The computers are farther apart and are connected by telephone lines or radio waves.
• campus-area networks (CANs): The computers are within a limited geographic area, such as a campus or military base.
• metropolitan-area networks MANs): A data network designed for a town or city.
• home-area networks (HANs): A network contained within a user’s home that connects a person’s digital devices.

There are two different kinds of calling electronic email a telephone and writing a conventional letter

• Email to telephone – Device that coverts sound and electrical waves into audible relays, and is used for communication. The telephone consists of two essential parts; a microphone and a speaker. This allows the user to speak into the device and also hear transmissions from the other user. (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/telephone.html#ixzz3DB0FzTLe)
• Email to writing a conventional letter – a written or printed communication addressed to a person ororganization and usually transmitted by mail. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/letter)

The Internet, the World Wide Web, & the “Plumbing of Cyberspace”

The cyberspace was coined by William Gibson and wrote a novel Neuromancer that describe futuristic computer network. Cyberspace – encompasses not only the online world and the internet in the particular but also the whole wired and wireless world of communications in general.  “The notional environment in which communication over computer networks occurs.”^[1] The term was first used in science fiction and cinema in the 1980s, was adopted by computer professionals and became a household term in the 1990s. During this period, the uses of the internet, networking, and digital communication were all growing dramatically and the term “cyberspace” was able to represent the many new ideas and phenomena that were emerging. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberspace)

• Internet – “mother of all network” is a worldwide computer network that connects hundreds of thousands of smaller networks. These networks link educational, commercial, nonprofit, and military entities, as well as individuals. a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to link several billion devices worldwide. It is an international network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government packet switched networks, linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries an extensive range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertextdocuments and applications of the World Wide Web (WWW), the infrastructure to support email, and peer-to-peer networks for file sharing and telephony. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet)
• World Wide Web – “the multimedia part of the internet” usually called simply the “web” -an interconnected system of internet computers (called servers) that support specially formatted documents in multimedia form. An information system on the Internet that allows documents to be connected to other documents by hypertext links, enabling the user to search for information by moving from one document to another. System of interlinked hypertext documents that are accessed via the Internet. With a web browser, one can view web pages that may contain text, images, videos, and other multimedia and navigate between them via hyperlinks. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Web)

The E-World & Welcome to It

In the American over 165.2 million use internet for using the letter “e” as in e-business, e-shopping, and e-commerce. According to the American researcher the teenager use TRU (Teenager Research Unlimited) to show what teens what they want to choose for the internet brands.

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The “All-Purpose Machine”: The Varieties of Computers

All Computers, Great & Small: The Categories of Machines

• Supercomputer – high-capacity machines with thousands of processors that can perform more than several trillion calculations per second.  A computer at the frontline of contemporary processing capacity – particularly speed of calculation which can happen at speeds of nanoseconds. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercomputer)
• Mainframe computers – water or air cooled computers that cost 5,000 dollars to 5 millions dollars and vary in size from small, to medium, to large, depending on their use. are computers used primarily by corporate and governmental organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning and transaction processing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainframe_computer)
  • Terminal – has a display screen and a keyboard and can input and output data but cannot by itself process data.
• Workstations – expensive, powerful personal computers usually used for complex scientific, mathematical, and engineering calculations and for computer-aided design and computer-aided design manufacturing. A type of computer used for engineering applications(CAD/CAM), desktop publishing, software development, and other types of applications that require a moderate amount of computing power and relatively high quality graphics capabilities. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/workstation.html)
• Microcomputer – personal computers(PCs), which cost 500 dollars to 5,000 dollars, can fit next to a desk or in a desktop or can be carried around. A small, relatively inexpensive computer with a microprocessor as its central processing unit (CPU). It includes a microprocessor, memory, and input/output (I/O) facilities. Microcomputers became popular in the 1970s and 80s with the advent of increasingly powerful microprocessors. The predecessors to these computers, mainframes and minicomputers, were comparatively much larger and more expensive (though indeed present-day mainframes such as the IBM System zmachines use one or more custom microprocessors as their CPUs). Many microcomputers (when equipped with a keyboard and screen for input and output) are also personal computers (in the generic sense). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcomputer)
• microcontroller – embedded computers, are the tiny, specialized microprocessor installed in “smart” appliances and automobiles

 Several types of microcomputers:

• Desktop PCs – microcomputers whose case or main housing sits on a desk, with keyboard in front and monitor (screen) often on top
• Tower PCs – microcomputers whose case sits as a “tower,” often on the floor beside a desk, thus freeing up desk surface space
• Notebook computers – laptop computers, are lightweight portable computers with built-in monitor, keyboard, hard disk drive, battery, and AC adapter that can be plugged into an electrical outlet; they weigh anywhere from 1.8 to 9 pounds
• Personal digital assistants (PDAs) – handheld computers or palmtops, combine personal organization tools-schedule planners, address books, to-do lists-with the ability in some cases to send email and faxes

Servers

Server or network server, is a central computer that holds collections of data (database) and programs for connecting or supplying services to PCs, workstations, and other devices, which are called clients. These clients are linked by a wired or wireless network. The entirer network is called a client/server network. 

a running instance of an application (Software) capable of accepting request from the client and give response accordingly. Servers can run on any computer or dedicated computer, which is also often referred to as “the server”, In many cases, a computer can provide several services and have several servers running. The advantage of running servers on dedicated computer is security. For this reason most of the servers are daemon processes and designed by the designers in such a way that it can run on specific computer(s).

Servers operate within a client-server architecture. Servers are computer programs running to serve the requests of other programs, theclients. Thus, the server performs some tasks on behalf of clients. The clients typically connect to the server through the network but may run on the same computer. In the context of Internet Protocol (IP) networking, a server is a program that operates as a socket listener.^[1]

Servers often provide essential services across a network, either to private users inside a large organization or to public users via theInternet. Typical computing servers are database server, file server, mail server, print server, web server, gaming server, and application server.

Numerous systems use this client server networking model including Web sites and email services. An alternative model, peer-to-peer networking enables all computers to act as either a server or client as needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_(computing))

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Understanding Your Computer: How Can You Customize Your Own PC?

How Computers Work: Three Key Concepts

First :

• Data – consists of the raw facts and figures that are processed into information. Facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/data)
• Information – data that has been summarized or otherwise manipulation for use in decision making. Information (shortened as info or info.) is that which informs, i.e. that from which data can be derived. Information is conveyed either as the content of a message or through direct or indirect observation of some thing. That which is perceived can be construed as a message in its own right, and in that sense, information is always conveyed as the content of a message. Information can be encoded into various forms for transmission and interpretation. For example, information may be encoded into signs, and transmitted via signals. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information)

Second:

• Hardware – consists of all the machinery and equipment in a computer system. Hardware is a comprehensive term for all of the physical parts of a computer, as distinguished from the data it contains or operates on, and the software that provides instructions for the hardware to acoomplish tasks. The boundary between hardware and software is slightly blurry – firmware is software that is “built-in” to the hardware, but such firmware is usually the province of computer programmers and computer engineers in any case and not an issue that computer users need to concern themselves with. (http://www.openprojects.org/hardware-definition.htm)
• Software – programs, consists of all the electronic instructions that tell the computer how to perform a task. It is a generic term for organized collections of computer data and instructions, often broken into two major categories: system software that provides the basic non-task-specific functions of the computer, and application software which is used by users to accomplish specific tasks. (http://www.openprojects.org/software-definition.htm)

Third:

• Input – whatever put in to a computer
• Processing – the manipulation a computer does to transform data into information
• Storage operation : 
  1. Primary storage – internal computer circuitry that temporarily holds data waiting to be processed
  2. Secondary storage – refers to the device and media that store data or information permanently
• Output – whatever is output from the computer system-the result of processing, usually information
• Communications operation

Input Hardware: Keyboard & Mouse

• Keyboard – an input device that converts letters, numbers, by the processor. As the name implies, a keyboard is basically a board of keys. Along with the mouse, the keyboard is one of the primary input devices used with a computer. The keyboard’s design comes from the original typewriter keyboards, which arranged letters and numbers in a way that prevented the type-bars from getting jammed when typing quickly. This keyboard layout is known as the QWERTY design, which gets its name from the first six letters across in the upper-left-hand corner of the keyboard. (http://www.techterms.com/definition/keyboard)
• Mouse – a nonkeyboard input device (“pointing device”) that is used to manipulate objects viewed on the computer display screen.  a hand-operated electronic device that controls the coordinates of a cursor on your computer screen as you move it around on a pad; on the bottom of the device is a ball that rolls on the surface of the pad; “a mouse takes much more room than a trackball”. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/computer+mouse)

Processing & Memory Hardware” Inside the System Cabinet

• Case and power supply: known as the system unit, the case or system cabinet is the box that houses the processor chip (CPU), the memory chips, and the motherboard with power supply, as well as some secondary storage devices
• Processor chips – (CPU central processing unit) a tiny piece of silicon that contains millions of miniature electronic circuits
• Memory chip – (RAM random access memory) chips, represent primary storage, or temporary storage; they hold data before processing and information after processing, before it is sent along to an output are storage device. A memory chip is an integrated circuit made out of millions of capacitors and transistors that can store data or can be used to process code. Memory chips can hold memory either temporarily through random access memory (RAM), or permanently through read only memory (ROM). Read only memory contains permanently stored data that a processor can read but cannot modify. Memory chips comes in different sizes and shapes. Some can be connected directly while some need special drives. Memory chips are essential components in computer and electronic devices in which memory storage plays a key role. (http://www.techopedia.com/definition/27619/memory-chip)
• Motherboard – also called system board, the motherboard is the main circuit board in the computer. If you ever open your computer, the biggest piece of silicon you see is the motherboard. Attached to the motherboard, you’ll find the CPU, ROM, memoryRAM expansion slots, PCI slots, and USB ports. It also includes controllers for devices like the hard drive, DVD drive, keyboard, and mouse. Basically, the motherboard is what makes everything in your computer work together. (http://www.techterms.com/definition/motherboard)
  • expansion slots – expanding the PC’s capabilities-which give you places in additional circuit boards. An opening in a computer where a circuit board can be inserted to add new capabilities to the computer. Nearly all personal computersexcept portables contain expansion slots for adding more memory,graphics capabilities, and support for special devices. The boardsinserted into the expansion slots are called expansion boards,expansion cards , cards , add-ins , and add-ons. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/E/expansion_slot.html)

Storage Hardware: Floppy Drive, Hard drive, & CD/DVD Drive

• Floppy-disk and Zip drives: 
  • Floppy-disk drive – storage device that stores data on removable 3.5 inch diameter diskettes. is a hardware device that reads data storage information. It was invented in 1967 by a team at IBM and was one of the first types of hardware storage that could read/write a portable device. FDDs are used for reading and writing on removable floppy discs. Floppy disks are now outdated, and have been replaced by other storage devices such as USB and network file transfer. (http://www.techopedia.com/definition/24861/floppy-disk-drive-fdd)
  • Zip-disk drive – a storage device that stores data on removable flopp-disk cartridges with 70-170 times the capacity of the standard floppy. A high-capacity floppy disk drive developed by Iomega Corporation. Zip disks are slightly larger than conventional floppy disks, and about twice as thick. They can hold 100 or 250 MB of data. Because they’re relatively inexpensive and durable, they have become a popular media for backing up hard disks and for transporting large files. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/Z/Zip_drive.html)
• Hard-disk drive – a storage device inside the computer case that stores billions of characters of data on a nonremovable disk platter. a data storage device used for storing and retrieving digital information using rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic material. An HDD retains its data even when powered off. Data is read in a random-access manner, meaning individual blocks of data can be stored or retrieved in any order rather than sequentially. An HDD consists of one or more rigid (“hard”) rapidly rotating disks (platters) with magnetic heads arranged on a moving actuator arm to read and write data to the surfaces. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk_drive)
• CD (compact-disk)/DVD (digital video-disk) drive or – a storage device that uses laser technology to read data from optical disks

Output Hardware: Video & Sound Cards, Monitor, Speaker, & Printer

• Peripheral device – any component or piece of equipment that expands a computer’s input, storage, and output capabilities
• Video card – converts the processor’s output information into a video signal that can be sent through a cable to the monitor
• Sound card – enhances the computer’s sound-generating capabilities by allowing sound to be output through speakers
• Monitors – the display device that takes the electrical signals from the video card and forms an image using points of colored light on the screen
• Speakers – devices that play sounds transmitted as electrical signals from the sound card
• Printer – an output device that produces text and graphics

Communications Hardware: Modem

• Modem – a standard modem is a device that sends and receives data over telephone lines to and from computers

Software

• System software – helps the computer perform essential operating tasks and enables the application software to run
• Application software – enables you to perform specific tasks-solve problems, perform work, entertain yourself

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Where Is Information Technology Headed?

Three Directions of Computer Development: Miniaturization, Speed, & Affordability

1. Miniaturization – the trend to manufacture ever smaller mechanical, optical and electronic products and devices. Examples include Miniaturization of mobile phones, computers and vehicle engine downsizing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniaturization)
2. Speed
3. Affordability

Three Directions of Communucations Development: Connectivity, Interactivity, & Multimedia

1. Connectivity – refers to the connection of computers to one another by a communications line in order to provide online information access and/or the sharing of peripheral devices
2. Interactivity – refers to two-way communication; the user can respond to information he or she receives and modify what a computer is doing
3. Multimedia – refers to technology that presents information in more than one medium-such as text, pictures, video, sound, and animation-in a single integrated communication

When Computers & Communications Combine: Convergence, Portability, & Personalization

• Convergence – describes the combining of several industries through various devices that exchange data in the format used by computers
• Portability – portability or mobility, meant trading off computing power and convenience in return for smaller size and weight
• Personalization – the creation of information tailored to your preferences

“E” Also Stands for Ethics

Ethics – set of moral values or principles that govern the conduct of an individual or a group. An area of study that deals with ideas about what is good and bad behavior : a branch of philosophy dealing with what is morally right or wrong. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic)

• Speed and scale
• Unpredictability
• Complexity
• Have a strategy for what you memorize and what you don’t
• Learn how to make your personal “multitasking” efficient
• Be aware that “smart mobs” could also be dumb mobs

CHAPTER 2: THE INTERNET & THE WORLD WIDE WEB: EXPLORING CYBERSPACE

Choosing Your Internet Access Device & Physical Connection: The Quest for Broadband

Bandwidth – an expression of how much data- text,voice, video, and so on-can be sent through a communications channel in a given amount of time. Bandwidth describes the maximum data transfer rate of a network or Internet connection. It measures how much data can be sent over a specific connection in a given amount of time. For example, a gigabit Ethernet connection has a bandwidth of 1,000 Mbps, (125 megabytes per second). An Internet connection via cable modem may provide 25 Mbps of bandwidth. (http://www.techterms.com/definition/bandwidth)

Baseband – one signal at a time. Baseband refers to the original frequency range of a transmission signal before it is converted, or modulated, to a different frequency range. For example, an audio signal may have a baseband range from 20 to 20,000hertz. When it is transmitted on a radio frequency (RF), it is modulated to a much higher, inaudible, frequency range. (http://www.techterms.com/definition/baseband)

Broadband – very high speed-connection. Refers to the wide bandwidth characteristics of a transmission medium and its ability to transport multiple signals and traffic types simultaneously. The medium can be coaxial cable, optical fiber, twisted pair, DSL local telephone networks or wireless. In contrast, baseband describes a communication system in which information is transported across a single channel. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband)

Physical connection – connecting to the internet using wired and wireless.

• telephone modem
• several high speed phone lines-ISDN, DSL, and T1
• cable modem
• wireless-satellite and other through-the-air links

bps (bits per second) – In data communications, bits per second (abbreviated bps or bit/sec) is a common measure of data speed for computer modems and transmission carriers. (http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/bits-per-second)

Kbs (kilobits per second) – 1 thousands bits per second. A measurement of peripheral data transfer or network transmission speed. The correct abbreviation is “b” for bits and “B” for bytes; however, “b” and “B” are often interchanged. See space/time, Mbps and Gbps. (http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/45740/kbps)

Mbps (megabits per second) – 1 million bits per second. Stands for “Megabits Per Second.” One megabit is equal to one million bits or 1,000 kilobits. While “megabit” sounds similar to “megabyte,” a megabit is roughly one eighth the size of a megabyte (since there are eight bits in a byte). Mbps is used to measure data transfer speeds of high bandwidth connections, such as Ethernet and cable modems. (http://www.techterms.com/definition/mbps)

Gbps (gigabits per second) – 1 billion bits per second. Stands for “Gigabits per second.” 1Gbps is equal to 1,000 Megabits per second (Mbps), or 1,000,000,000bits per second. Gbps is commonly used to measure data transfer speeds between hardware devices. (http://www.techterms.com/definition/gbps)

Download  – transmission of data from a remote computer to a local computer. This is the process in which data is sent to your computer. Whenever you receive information from the Internet, you are downloading it to your computer. For example, you might have to download an upgrade for your computer’s operating system in order to play a new game (especially if you’re using Windows). Or you might download a demo version of a program you are thinking about buying from the software company’s Web site. The opposite of this process, sending information to another computer, is called uploading. (http://www.techterms.com/definition/download)

Upload – the transmission data from a local computer to a remote computer. To move or copy (a file, program, etc.) from a computer or device to a usually larger computer or computer network. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upload)

Telephone (Dial-Up) Modem: Low Speed but Inexpensive & Widely Available

Modem – a device that sends and receives data over telephone line to and from computers. The word modem is actually short for Modulator/Demodulator. (There’s something you can really impress your friends with). A modem is a communications device that can be either internal or external to your computer. It allows one computer to connect another computer and transfer data over telephone lines. The original dial-up modems are becoming obsolete because of their slow speeds and are being replaced by the much faster cable and DSL modems. (http://www.techterms.com/definition/modem)

High-Speed Phone Lines: More Expensive but Available in Most Cities

ISDN (integrated service digital network) – consists of hardware and software that allow voice, video, and data to be communicated over traditional copper-wire telephone lines.  A set of communication standards for simultaneous digital transmission of voice, video, data, and other network services over the traditional circuits of the public switched telephone network. It was first defined in 1988 in the CCITT red book.^[1] Prior to ISDN, the telephone system was viewed as a way to transport voice, with some special services available for data. The key feature of ISDN is that it integrates speech and data on the same lines, adding features that were not available in the classic telephone system. There are several kinds of access interfaces to ISDN defined as Basic Rate Interface (BRI), Primary Rate Interface (PRI), Narrowband ISDN (N-ISDN), and Broadband ISDN (B-ISDN). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_Services_Digital_Network)

DSL (digital subscriber line) – use regular phone lines, a DSL modem and special technology to transmit data in megabits per second. It is medium for transferring data over regular phone lines and can be used to connect to the Internet. However, like a cable modem, a DSL circuit is much faster than a regular phone connection, even though the wires it uses are copper like a typical phone line. (http://www.techterms.com/definition/dsl)

T1 line – essentially a traditional trunk line that carries 24 normal telephone circuits and has a transmission rate of 1.5 Mbps.

Cable Modem: Close Competitor to DSL

Cabel Modem – connects a personal computer to a cable-TV

Wireless Systems: Satellite & Other Through-the-Air Connection

• Satellite:
  • Communication satellite – a space station that transmits radio waves called microwave from earth-based stations. Often abbreviated as comsat, a communications satellite is a satellite that has been stationed in space for the purpose of providing telecommunications. Communications satellites are commonly used for mobile phone signals, weather tracking, or broadcasting television programs. Communications satellites are artificial satellites that relay receive signals from an earth station and then retransmits the signal to other earth stations. They commonly move in a geostationary orbit. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/communications_satellite.html)
• Other wireless connection
  • Wifi (wireless fidelity) – local area wireless technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data or connect to the internet using 2.4 GHz UHF and 5 GHz SHF radio waves. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi)
  • 3G and 4G – Third generation and fourth generation

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Choosing Your Internet Service Provider (ISP)

ISP (internet service provider) – a company that connects you through your communications line to its servers, or central (host) computer, which connect you to the internet via another company’s network access point. An organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the Internet. Internet service providers may be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise privately owned. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_service_provider)

• AOL (american online)
• MSN (nicrosoft network)
• earthlink
• At&T WorldNet

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How Does the Internet Work?

Internet network that connects hundreds of thousands of smaller networks

POP (point of presence) – Its collection of modems and equipment in a local area. The user, when subscribing to an ISP, is given local telephone numbers for the ISP’s POP. So, when the user connects to the ISP, the POP acts as a local gateway to the ISP’s network. An Internet point of presence is an access point to the Internet. It is a physical location that houses servers, routers, ATM switches and digital/analog call aggregators. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_presence)

Backbone – high-speed, high-capacity transmission line that use the newest communications technology to transmit data across the internet

IP (internet address) – every computer o the internet consist of four sets of numbers between 0 and 255. The Internet Protocol is one of the elements that define the Internet. The dominant internetworking protocol in the Internet Layer in use today is IPv4; the number 4 is the protocol version number carried in every IPdatagram. IPv4 is described in RFC 791 (1981). The successor to IPv4 is IPv6. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Protocol)

TCP/IP, the /Internet Society, & ICANN

Protocol – a set of conventions (standard on rules), that govern the format of data transmitted electronically. A protocol (from the Greek protocol on, which was a leaf of paper glued to a manuscript volume, describing its contents) is the special set of rules that end points in a telecommunication connection use when they communicate. (http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/protocol)

TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol) – protocol that enables all computers to use data transmitted on the internet. The name used to define the complete set of protocols that moves data across the Internet.(http://www.e-traffik.com/resource-center.html)

ICANN (internet corporation for assigned names and numbers) – was estblished to regulate human friendly domain names-those addresses ending with .com, .org, .net, and so on, that overlie IP addresses and identity. A nonprofit organization that is responsible for the coordination of maintenance and methodology of several databases of unique identifiers related to the namespaces of the Internet, and ensuring the network’s stable and secure operation.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICANN)

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Sending & Receiving Email

Email Software & Careers

• Get email program as part of other computer software
• Get email software as part of your ISP packages
• Get free email services
• Buy email softwae

Instant Messaging

• Instant nessaging (IM) – any user on a given email system can send a message and have it POP up instantly on the screen of anyone else logged onto that system. a set of communication technologies used for text-based communication between two or more participants over the Internet or other types of networks. IM–chat happens in real-time. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_messaging)
• Window – a rectangular area containing a document or activity.

Security

• Lacks of privacy
• common standard
• time wasters

Mailing Lists: Email-Based Discussion Groups

Listerv – is an automatic mailing-list server that sends to subscribers who regularly participate in discussion topics. registered trademark licensee, L-Soft International, Inc., as LISTSERV) has been used to refer to a few early electronic mailing list software applications, allowing a sender to send one email to the list, and then transparently sending it on to the addresses of the subscribers to the list. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LISTSERV)

Netiquette: Appropriate Online behavior

netiquette or network etiquette – appropriate online behavior

• FAQ (frequently asked question) – explain expected norms of online behavior for a particular group
• Avoid flaming – writing an online message that use derogatory, obscure, or inappropriate language
• Don’t shout
• Be careful with jokes
• Avoid sloppiness, but avoiding criticizing others sloppiness
• Don’t send huge file attachments, unless requested
• When replying, quote only the relevant portion
• Don’t forward

Spam: Unwanted Junk Mail 

Spam – unsolisticated email, or junk mail, in the form of advertising or chain letters. Spam is most often considered to be electronic junk mail or junk newsgroup postings. Some people define spam even more generally as any unsolicited email. However, if a long-lost brother finds your email address and sends you a message, this could hardly be called spam, even though it is unsolicited. Real spam is generally email advertising for some product sent to a mailing list or newsgroup. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/spam.html)

• Delete without opening the message
• Never reply to a spam mesage
• Enlost the help of your ISP or use a spam filters.
• Fight back

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The World Wide Web

1. Multimedia form
2. Use of hypertext
   • Hypertext – a system in which documents scateered across many internet sitesare directly linked-with hyperlinks-so that word or phrase in one document becomes a connection to a document in a different pllace. a computer display or other electronic devices with references (hyperlinks) to other text which the reader can immediately access, or where text can be revealed progressively at multiple levels of detail (also called StretchText). The hypertext pages are interconnected by hyperlinks, typically activated by a mouse click, keypress sequence or by touching the screen. Apart from text, hypertext is sometimes used to describe tables, images and other presentational content forms with hyperlinks. Hypertext is the underlying concept defining the structure of the World Wide Web,^[1] with pages often written in the Hypertext Markup Language (aka HTML). It enables an easy-to-use and flexible connection and sharing of information over the Internet. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertext)

Hypertext markup language (HTML) – set of special instructions (called “tags” of “markups”) that are used to specify document structure, formatting, and links to other multimedia documents.HTML tags most commonly come in pairs like <h1> and </h1>, although some tags represent empty elements and so are unpaired, for example <img>. The first tag in a pair is the start tag, and the second tag is the end tag (they are also called opening tags and closing tags). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML)

The Web & How It Works

• Website – the domain on the computer. a set of related web pages typically served from a single web domain. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet address known as a Uniform resource locator. All publicly accessible websites collectively constitute the World Wide Web. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website)
• Webpage – documents on a website; a document on the World Wide Web that can include text, pictures, sounds, and video. a web document that is suitable for the World Wide Web and the web browser. A web browser displays a web page on a monitor or mobile device. The web page is what displays, but the term also refers to a computer file, usually written in HTML or comparable markup language, whose main distinction is to provide hypertext that will navigate to other web pages via links. Web browsers coordinate web resources centered around the written web page, such as style sheets, scripts and images, to present the web page.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_page)
  • Home page – or welcome page, which identifies the website and contains links to other pages at the site. A home page is generally the first page a visitor navigating to a website from a search engine will see, and may also serve as a landing page to attract the attention of visitors.The home page is used to facilitate navigation to other pages on the site, by providing links to important and recent articles and pages, and possibly a search box.^[2][3] For example, a news website may present the headlines and first paragraphs of top stories, with links to the full articles, in a dynamic web page that reflects the popularity and recentness of stories.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_page)
• Browser – software connecting with website. a software application for retrieving, presenting and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI/URL) and may be a web page, image, video or other piece of content. Hyperlinks present in resources enable users easily to navigate their browsers to related resources. (http://www.webopedia.com)
  • Web browser – software that enables users to locate and view web page and to jump from one page to another. a software application for retrieving, presenting and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI/URL) and may be a web page, image, video or other piece of content. Hyperlinks present in resources enable users easily to navigate their browsers to related resources. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_browser)
• URL – addresses for web page
  • URL (uniform resource locator) a string of characters that points to a specific piece of information anywhere on the web.  a specific character string that constitutes a reference to a resource. Most web browsers display the URL of a web page above the page in an address bar. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_resource_locator)
• HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) – communication rules that allow browser to connect with web server. an application protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems.^[1]HTTP is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertext_Transfer_Protocol)

Using Your Browser to Get Around the Web

• Starting out from home
• Personalizing your home page
• Getting around-back, forward, home, and search features
• History lists
• Bookmarks or favorites
• Interactivity – hyperlinks, radio buttons, and fill-in text boxes
• Scrolling and frames
  1. Scroll arrows – small up/down and left/right and left/right arrows
  2. Scrolling – clicking on scroll arrows with you mouse pointer moves the screen so that you can see the rest of the web page, a movement
  3. Frame – an independently controllable section of a web page
• Looking at two pages simultaneously

Web Portals: Starting Point For Finding Information

Web portal – a type of gateway website email offers a broad array of resources and weather, stock quotes, travel information, and links to other popular subject categories. a website that functions as an entry point to the Internet, as by providing useful content and linking to various sites and features on the World Wide Web. (dictionary.reference.com/browse/portal)

When you log on a portal you can do three things:

1. Check the home page for general information
2. use the directories to find a topic you want
3. use keyword to search for a topic

Four types of Search Engines: Human-Organized, Computer-Created, Hybrid, & Metasearch

Search Engines – When you use a keyword to search for a topic, you are using a piece of software. Search engines are programs that search documents for specified keywords and returns a list of the documents where the keywords were found. A search engine is really a general class of programs, however, the term is often used to specifically describe systems like Google, Bing and Yahoo! Search that enable users to search for documents on the World Wide Web. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/search_engine.html)

• Human-organized search sites
• Computer-created search sites
• Hybrid search sites
• Metasearch sites

Tips for Smart Searching

• Choose you search terms well, and watch your spelling
• Use phrases with quotation marks rather than separate words
• Put unique words first in a phrase
• Use operators-AND, OR, NOT, and 1  and 2 sign
• Use wildcards

Multimedia on the Web

• Plug-in – also called a player or a viewer-is a program that adds a specific features to a browser, allowing it to play or view certain files. a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing software application. When an application supports plug-ins, it enables customization. The common examples are the plug-ins used in web browsers to add new features such as search-engines, virus scanners, or the ability to utilize a new file type such as a new video format. Well-known browser plug-ins include the Adobe Flash Player, the QuickTime Player, and the Java plug-in, which can launch a user-activated Java applet on a web page to its execution a local Java virtual machine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_(computing)
• Developing multimedia-apples, Java, and Visual Studio,NET
  • Applets – small programs that can be quickly downloaded and run by most browsers. any small application that performs one specific task that runs within the scope of a dedicated widget engine or a larger program, often as a plug-in. The term is frequently used to refer to a Java applet, a program written in the Java programming language that is designed to be placed on a web page. Applets are typical examples of transient and auxiliary applications that don’t monopolize the user’s attention. Applets are not full-featured application programs, and are intended to be easily accessible. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applet)
  • Java – a complex programming language that enables programmers to create animated and interactive web pages. Java is a programming language expressly designed for use in the distributed environment of the Internet. It was designed to have the “look and feel” of the C++ language, but it is simpler to use than C++ and enforces an object-oriented programming model. (http://searchsoa.techtarget.com/definition/Java)
• Text and image
• Animation – a rapid sequencing of still images to create the appearance of motion. the process of creating motion and shape change illusion by means of the rapid display of a sequence of static images that minimally differ from each other. The illusion—as in motion pictures in general—is thought to rely on the phi phenomenon. Animators are artists who specialize in the creation of animation. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animation)
• Video (streaming video) – the process of transferring data in a continuous flow so that you can begin viewing a file even before the end of the file is sent. Streaming video is content sent in compressed form over the Internet and displayed by the viewer in real time. (http://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/definition/streaming-video)
• Audio (streaming audio) – allowing you to listen to the file while the data is still being downloadable to your computer

Push Technnology & Webcasting

• Push technology – software that automatically downloads information to your computer. Push technology is a relatively new means for automating the delivery of news and information to computer “desktops” on the Internet and on internal organizational intra- nets. (http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/97/notes/V4n6.pdf)
• Webcasting – customized text, video, and audio are sent to you automatically on a regular basis. a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand. Essentially, webcasting is “broadcasting” over the Internet. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webcast)

The Internet Telephone & Videophone

• Internet telephony – using the net to make phone calls; either one to one or for audio conferring. Another term for IP telephony and VoIP. In the late 1990s, some people made a distinction between Internet Telephony and VoIP: Internet telephony referred to voice over the public Internet, while VoIP referred to voice over private IP networks. (http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/45260/internet–telephony)

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The Online Gold Mine: More Internet Resources

• FTP (file transfer protocol) – a method whereby you can connect to a remote computer called an FTP site anf transfer files to your own microcomputer’s hard disk via TCP/IP over the internet. The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used to transfer computer files from one host to another host over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and uses separate control and data connections between the client and the server. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Transfer_Protocol)
• Telnet – to connect to remote computer. A protocol that runs on top of TCP/IP and allows you to connect to remote computers on the internet by using a user name and a password and to run programs on those computers.Telnet is a network protocol used to provide a command line interface for communicating with a device. (http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termstz/g/telnet.htm)
• Newsgroup – for online typed discussions on specific topics:
  • Usenet – a worldwide public network of servers that can be accessed through internet. a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It was developed from the general purpose UUCP dial-up network architecture. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet)
  • newsreader – program included with most browsers that allows you to access a newsgroup and read or type message
• Real-time chat – typed discussions among online participants
  • Real-time chat (RTC) – participants have a typed discussion (“chat”) while online at the same time. Real-time communications (RTC) is any mode of telecommunications in which all users can exchange information instantly or with negligible latency. In this context, the term “real-time” is synonymous with “live.” (http://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/definition/real-time-communications)
• Blogs – keeping journals, or web logs-called blogs for short-accessible to other uses. a discussion or informational site published on the World Wide Web and consisting of discrete entries (“posts”) typically displayed in reverse chronological order. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog)
• Relationships – online match making
• Education – the rise of distance learning
  • Distances learning – the name given to online education programs
• Health – patient self-education
• Entertainment – amusing yourself
• E-commerce – e-commerc (electronic commerce)- conducting business activitiesonline
• Auction – linking individuals buyers and sellers
• Online Finance – trading, banking, and e-money
• Online job hunting
• B2B commerce (business to business) – electronics sales or exchange of goods and services directly between companies, cutting out traditional intermediaries