Jargon Buster

1080p high-definition best quality: Of the 1920x1080 common video, this types pixels. is the of 32bit/64bit much can process information at A measure once. a computer Most of older how computers ones are 64bit. are 32bit, more modern 4K least Video 3840x2160 with a resolution pixels. of at 720p definition A common video: 1280x720 resolution of pixels. highAMOLED Light-emitting Active-matrix Diode. An Organic alternative creating flat-panel technology screens. to LCD for Augmented the real world reality on a screen Lets you and view add elements from the digital world. Beta being A tested. version Beta of software versions that’s are often ironed released out. so problems can be Cache A temporary space for storing information. Can be memory used on a computer processor, or space on a hard drive used by a web browser. Condenser microphone Most commonly used in studios, they pick up more subtle sounds than stage mics. Also called capacitor microphones. Cookie A small text file stored on your computer by a website. Used to store browsing preferences, website log-in details and so on. CUDA Compute Unified Device Architecture. A system to increase computing performance by harnessing the power of the GPU. Directx A Microsoft technology required to run many games in Windows. Driver A file that tells Windows how to work with an external device.

DSLR Digital single-lens reflex. A digital camera that uses a moving mirror so its viewfinder looks out through the lens. DSLRS use interchangeable lenses and large sensors for high-quality photos.

Dual band A router that can work at two radio frequencies, so it can be used in the UK and another part of the world. Format To delete the data from a hard drive so it can be used by an operating system. Gadget A small program such as a calendar that runs on the Windows desktop. Gesture Finger movements on a screen that perform an action, such as pinching to zoom. Graphics card A component in a computer that produces the image shown on the monitor. Hardware acceleration Using a graphics card to radically improve video and games performance. HDMI High-definition media interface. A type of connection that transmits high-definition video and audio signals. HDR High-dynamic range. A camera that takes more than one photo with different levels of colour and contrast. Hotkey A key or keyboard shortcut set up to perform a complex action. HTML Hypertext Markup Language. The language used to write most web pages. Hyperlink A clickable link that takes you to a new website. IP address Internet Protocol address. A unique set of numbers used to identify computers and websites on the internet. LCD Liquid-crystal display. The technology used to create almost all flatscreen monitors. Microsd card A small type of memory card. Can be converted to SD size using an adapter. Microsoft Precision standard A touchpad standard Microsoft is asking manufacturers to adhere to. Motherboard The main circuit board inside every PC into which all other parts connect.

MS-DOS System. The Microsoft standard Disk PC Operating operating system before Windows. NTFS New Technology File System. A file system used by all recent versions of Windows. NVME Non-volatile Memory Express. An interface that lets solid-state drives work faster. OCR Optical character recognition. The process by which printed text is scanned and converted into documents that can be edited.

Opengl A programming standard used for work such as 3D modelling. Setting a game to use Opengl can greatly improve the quality of the graphics. Open source Software that can be modified by anyone, rather than just by the employees of the company that created it. Optical stabilisation A mechanism built into digital cameras that compensates for any shaking or vibrations that occur during shooting. Overclock Make a processor work faster to boost performance at the cost of it getting hotter and requiring more power. Plug-in A small program that adds extra features to software or to your web browser. PPG File format used by Microsoft’s Powerpoint. Product key A unique serial number that must be typed by the user before a program will launch for the first time. Quad core A computer that has four processors on a single chip. Ransomware Malware run by hackers who lock files on your PC and demand a payment to release them. Script A short program that is stored on a web server to control part of a website. Sound card An expansion card that lets a PC create game sound effects, music, and other audio.

Spear phishing An email scam targeted towards a specific individual, organisation or business. Although often intended to steal data for malicious purposes, cybercriminals may also intend to install malware on a targeted user’s computer. SRGB A standard RGB colour space for use on monitors, printers and the internet. SD card Secure Digital card. A popular type of memory card. SSD Solid-state drive. Storage that, unlike a hard drive, uses no moving parts. Faster but more expensive than conventional hard drives. SSID Service Set Identifier. A name used to identify a wireless network. Steamvr The operating system that runs on some virtual-reality gaming headsets. System restore point The collection of system files stored by System Restore on a given date and time to which Windows can revert if a problem occurs. Tag A keyword used to describe a file or web page. Many programs use tags to organise related information quickly. Temporary file A file created by a browser to store website data. Travel The distance the keys of a keyboard have to be pressed before the keystroke is recognised. Unibody Term used to describe phone or tablet cases made from a single piece of metal. Whitelist A list of allowed websites, email addresses and applications used by security software to ensure you only visit safe websites and download safe programs. Wireless network key Password that connects your devices to the internet via your router. ZIP file A file that can contain a number of compressed documents or files.