Jargon Buster
Bust more jargon in our A-Z book: www.snipca.com/21616
32bit A measure of how much information a computer can process at once. Most older computers are 32bit. 4G Technology that delivers faster mobile broadband. 4K Video with a resolution of at least 3840x2160 pixels.
64bit A technology that processes information in larger chunks. Most modern computers are 64bit.
Accelerometer A sensor that detects movement. Used in phones to determine portrait or landscape orientation.
AMOLED Active-matrix Organic Light-emitting Diode. An alternative technology to LCD for creating flat-panel displays.
Aperture An opening that controls the amount of light entering a camera lens.
Architecture A set of rules and methods that govern how hardware and software work.
Benchmarking Comparing software and products with an accepted standard. Beta A version of software that’s being tested. Cache A temporary space for storing information.
Calibration The process of checking that colours are accurate on a monitor. Client A program used to access and manage email.
Contention ratio The maximum number of customers that at any one time can connect to an internet service provider’s network. Cookie A small text file stored on your computer by a website.
CPU Central Processing Unit. Another term for a computer processor.
Crowdfunding A process where a company gets the financing to launch a new product from prospective customers online.
CUDA Compute Unified Device Architecture. A system built by Nvidia to increase computing performance.
Daisy-chained A wiring system in which multiple devices are connected together in sequence.
Dark net Websites that can only be accessed using specific privacy networks.
Defragger Software that reorganises data on a hard drive so files can be accessed quickly.
Directx A Microsoft technology required to run many games in Windows.
Driver A file that tells Windows how to work with a peripheral device, such as a mouse.
DSLR Digital single-lens reflex. A digital camera that uses a moving mirror so its viewfinder looks out through the lens. Dual boot To set up a PC with two operating systems. Emoji An icon showing a facial expression, such as a smile. Extension A program that adds extra features to your browser.
Firewall Software or hardware that prevents unauthorised access to a computer over a network. Firmware Basic software stored on a device to control its operation.
GPU Graphics Processor Unit. A chip designed to create 3D graphics.
Graphics card A component in a computer that produces the image shown on the monitor.
HTTPS Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure. The secure version of HTTP.
IP address Internet Protocol Address. A unique set of numbers used to identify computers and websites on the internet.
IPS A screen technology that provides wider viewing angles and better, more accurate-looking colours.
ISO The light sensitivity of a camera. Higher ISO numbers allow you to shoot without flash. LED Light-emitting Diode. An electronic device that emits light. M.2 A standard specification for internal PC expansion cards.
Megapixel A measure of the amount of detail that can be recorded by a digital image. Memory module A narrow circuit board that holds memory chips.
Microsd A small type of memory card. Can be converted to SD size using an adapter.
Microusb A miniature version of USB, often found on smartphones, tablets and portable hard drives.
Oled Organic light-emitting diode. A thin-film organic light-emitting diode used in PC and TV screens. Open source Software that can be modified by anyone.
Opencl A programming standard that can be used across multiple platforms. Opengl A programming standard used for work such as 3D modelling.
Overclocking Making a processor work faster at the cost of it requiring more power.
Partition A large hard drive can be split into two or more partitions or ‘virtual’ drives.
Proof of concept Showing how a system can be hacked without building malware to do so.
PUP Potentially Unwanted Program. A program that may not be desired, despite the user consenting to it being downloaded.
Plug-in A small program that adds extra features to software or to your web browser. RAM Random-access memory. The computer’s working area.
Ransomware Malware run by hackers who lock files on your PC and demand a payment to release them.
Rootkit Software that gives a malicious user administration rights and access to a computer.
Safe Mode A way of starting Windows so that various programs are prevented from working.
Scaling How operating systems display text from different programs to make it readable on screen. SD card Secure Digital card. A popular type of memory card.
Security certificate A file used to verify the identity of the company running a website.
S/PDIF Sony/philips Digital Interface. A standard for transferring digital audio information between devices.
SRGB A standard RGB colour space for use on monitors, printers and the internet.
SSD Solid-state drive. Storage that, unlike a hard drive, uses no moving parts.
Subwoofer A special type of speaker designed to reproduce deep bass sounds only.
System restore point The collection of system files stored by System Restore on a given date. Thunderbolt 3 A very fast port for connecting external storage to a PC.
Traffic management The practice of ISPS restricting download and upload speeds to ensure everyone gets a stable connection. Transcoding To convert files between formats. USB 2.0/3.0 Faster successors to USB. USB Type-c A new connector that’s reversible.
Virtual desktop A desktop you can expand beyond the physical confines of your PC’S screen.
VPN Virtual private network. A technology for keeping all internet communication safe and private. ZIP file A file that can contain compressed documents or files.