JARGONS IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY 2

Words	Meanings
Bitcoin	A digital currency and some associated protocols which allow online payments to be made worldwide. It works with no central authority and runs on free, open-source software. Bitcoins are stored in virtual wallets which can reside on a computer, a mobile device or in a wallet stored online. They can be transferred without the need for an intermediate financial authority.
Botnet	A network of computers that have been infected with malware that allows them to be remotely controlled without the knowledge of their owner. Botnets become powerful distributed computing platforms capable of co-ordinated attacks against websites, sending spam and enabling large-scale identity theft. It's important to keep your security software up-to-date to safeguard your machine from being co-opted into a botnet.
Cache	In computing terms, cache is a quantity of fast memory or storage that transparently stores frequently used data kept on a slower medium such as a hard disk or slower memory. A computer's CPU incorporates a small amount of cache to speed up access to your main system RAM, and you can use an SSD cache to speed up access to a hard drive.
CMOS battery	Used to maintain the settings stored in your PC's BIOS or UEFI setup, such as the date and time, a CMOS battery usually resembles a medium-sized silver coin. It can be found installed in your PC's motherboard.
Display Port	A high-performance digital interface for connecting displays to PCs and laptops. Like HDMI, it can also include audio information, but adds support for other forms of data transmission, such as USB. It is backward-compatible with VGA and DVI via adaptors, and is capable of higher resolutions than HDMI.
E-book aggregator	Such services act as middle man between an author and an e-book store. They can offer a more convenient way for an author to publish to multiple stores, and often offer additional services, such as cover design and layout. They will charge an upfront fee or take a cut from any sales.
Firmware	Firmware is program code stored in non-volatile memory in an electronic device. It often forms a bridge between the hardware device itself and the higher-level software that runs on it. A typical example would be a PC's BIOS and UEFI software. In modern devices such as smartphones, the entire operating system could be thought of as firmware, with new versions of Android, iOS or Windows Phone being considered firmware updates.
Gamut (monitor or printer)	The range of colours displayable by a device is known as its ‘gamut'. On monitors, this is determined largely by the choice of backlight and red, green and blue filters used to create the picture. With printers it's down to the formulation and colour of the printing inks along with the colour of the paper.
Gibibyte	A gibibyte (GiB) is a unit of digital information storage used to denote the size of data. It is equivalent to 230 or 1,073,741,824 bytes and equal to 1,024 mebibytes.
Google Chrome OS	Created by Google and found on its Chromebook range of laptops, Chrome OS is an operating system that's designed almost exclusively for use via the Chrome web browser. It also has the ability to run specially-written applications coded in HTML5.
Haptic Feedback	Haptic feedback involved conveying information to the user through the sense of touch. This is usually designed to mimic the effect of interacting with real objects with the fingers, adding a sense of feel to tell the user when certain on-screen items have been touched or activated. Many mobile phones employ haptic feedback in this manner by making subtle use of the vibrating alert.
Hashtag	A hashtag is a word, phrase or just a collection of letters preceded by a hash (#) symbol. It's simply a way of creating a label by which people can refer to the same thing. The # means 'this is a tag' and enables other users to search for content marked with the same label by searching for the same hashtag. Although they've been around for many years, it's their use on Twitter which has pushed them further into mainstream use. They are also used on services such as Instagram and Facebook. There is no official directory of hashtags as they can be invented by users at any time and inserted into posts. Promotional hashtags in the media can be a good way of creating a buzz. For example, displaying a hashtag on a TV show can be a handy way of initiating group discussion and generating fan interest.
Heartbleed	Heartbleed is the name given to a flaw in very widely-used digital cryptography software. The software was fixed in April 2014, but a large proportion of Web servers had already been vulnerable to the attack which could have revealed personal details such as email addresses and passwords available to hackers before the problem was fixed.
HTML	Hypertext Markup Language. A standard file format used to store web pages. An HTML file includes formatting instructions called "tags" that tell the browser how its contents are to be displayed. HTML is written in the form of HTML elements consisting of tags enclosed in angle brackets (like <html>). 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	Hypertext Transfer Protocol. A protocol that allows web pages to be transmitted over the Internet. When a browser requests a page from a web server, the two computers communicate using HTTP. This accounts for the prefix "http" at the beginning of a web address.
Instagram	Instagram is an online service for capturing and sharing photos and video. Acquired by Facebook in 2012, Instagram runs primarily as an app on iOS and Android devices and, as of February 2013, served over 100 million active users. A variety of simple graphical filters are available to enhance users photos with various effects and pictures can be tagged and hashtagged to allow searching by other users. The service provides integration with other social networking services where its trademark square-format pictures can be automatically shared and users can be "followed" in a similar style to Twitter.
The Internet of Things	Sometimes abbreviated to the ‘IoT’, the Internet of Things describes an ecosystem of interconnected objects and devices, which are able to communicate and interact without human intervention often using built-in sensors and wireless networks.
IP address	Rather like a phone number for networks, an IP address is a number used to identify a particular computer or device on a network that uses the Internet Protocol (IP). This network could be within our home or organisation, or part of a much wider network, such as the internet. The most commonly-used version of IP is version 4 (IPv4) which uses 32-bit numbers for addresses, allowing for around four billion unique addresses. This will eventually be superseded by version 6 (IPv6), which uses 128-bit numbers, allowing for up to 2128 unique addresses and expansion of the internet beyond the four billion address limit.
ISO (digital photography)	Digital cameras use a sensor to capture the image produced by the lens. The sensitivity of the sensor can be varied according to the international standard ISO 12232:2006, commonly referred to simply as "ISO", which is analogous to the ISO speed designation found on film stock. A setting of ISO 200 is twice as sensitive as ISO 100 and will result in an image twice as bright (assuming all other parameters remaining equal). Higher ISO numbers incur a penalty in the form of increased image noise or grain. Cameras able to shoot at high ISO settings with minimal noise exhibit superior low-light performance.
ISO standards	The short form "ISO" stands for the International Organization for Standardization, a body which sets a wide variety of standards covering everything from Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001) to the specification for an official wine-tasting glass (ISO 3591). Digital cameras calibrate light sensitivity according to ISO 12232:2006.
Megapixel	A collection of a million pixels or picture elements. These are the individual coloured dots which represent a digital image, the more of them you have contained within an image, the higher its potential resolution becomes. Camera sensors with many megapixels are often able to capture more image detail than those with fewer. Be wary of assuming that more megapixels mean better quality photos, though. Cramming more pixels onto the same-size sensor usually reduces quality and the lens also plays a big part in quality.
mSATA	Mini-SATA, more commonly referred to as 'mSATA', is a compact version of the SATA interface designed for use in smaller devices such as netbooks and the thinnest laptops. Rather than using the standard SATA power and data connectors, mSATA uses a connector, which is physically the same as a PCI Express Mini Card interface.
Multitouch	A touch-input system that supports multitouch is capable of detecting a touch from more than one figure at a time, enabling features such as pinch-to-zoom and gestures that involve swipes.
Murfing	Murfing is a slang term for the act of browsing the Internet on a mobile device such as a cellphone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA) or tablet phone. Murfing is a play on the term surfing, and combines the term mobile surfing. Murfing differs from surfing in that it is typically limited to websites or applications designed for mobile architecture.
MiFi	MiFi is a personal device that facilitates wireless access by acting as a Wi-Fi hotspot. Typically, one MiFi can form a local ad hoc network by providing a connection to up to 10 other devices.
Mebibyte (MiB)	A mebibyte (MiB) is a multiple of the unit byte. It represents a unit of digital information storage used to denote the size of data. It is equivalent to 220,or 1,048,576, bytes.
Near Field Communication  (NFC)	A wireless system that allows suitably equipped devices to transfer data over very short distances – usually of just a few centimetres – or by coming into physical contact with each other. NFC can be used for contactless payments or function as an electronic key. NFC-enabled Android smartphones can use Android Beam to transfer files. This uses an initial NFC connection to set up a Bluetooth file transfer.
Nerd Sniping	Nerd sniping is a slang term that describes a particularly interesting problem that is presented to a nerd, often a physicist, tech geek or mathematician. The nerd stops all activity to devote attention to solving the problem, often at his or her own peril.
Noob	Noob is a slang term that is used to refer to inexperienced players in a multiplayer gaming environment. Noob is derived from “newbie” and is considered to be a derogatory term. A low-level character may also be referred to as a noob regardless of the skill of the player controlling it. Noob may also be spelled as newb or n00b. Certain behavior may also be called noobish.
Open Source software	Software designated as 'open source' is offered with all the programming code or "source code", along with the rights to change and distribute it for any purpose. Benefits of this approach include rapid porting of the software to new platforms (operating systems) and the increased speed of collaborative development and bug-fixing. Prominent open source products include Linux, Android and the Firefox browser.
Operating system	This is the software that talks directly to a PC's hardware and provides an environment for applications to be run on it. It manages resources such as memory, and access to devices including hard drives and keyboards. Common operating systems include Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X.
PenTile display	Colour displays on smartphones and PC monitors use a grid of coloured dots, or pixels, which are themselves each made from red, green and blue subpixels. A standard RGB display typically uses one subpixel of each primary colour to create each pixel, varying the intensity of each to create the full range of displayable colours. The PenTile system uses a different layout with more green subpixels than red or blue, reducing the total number of subpixels required for a given display resolution and relying on image processing to reconstruct the full-resolution image. In LCD panels, a different PenTile technology is used, adding a white subpixel to the matrix that can allow for significant power savings as more of the backlight can be allowed to shine through. Technically, PenTile displays offer lower image resolution than standard RGB ones, but in modern HD displays this difference is rarely perceptible.
Phablet	Bridging the gap between a large smartphone and a small tablet, a phablet combines the portability of the former with the large-screen usability of the latter. With screen sizes typically between five and seven inches, they are often just small enough to use as a phone, but provide a preferable screen size for multimedia viewing. Examples include the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z1.
Propeller Head	Propeller head is an urban slang term for someone who is exceptionally knowledgeable, especially in a technical field. This slang has become synonymous with computer geek or techno-geek. Propeller head was first used in 1982, and is still used in technology development companies and organizations. The term was taken from cartoon characters of techie fans who happen to wear a child’s beanie cap with a propeller sticking out at the top of it. A propelller head may also be called a prophead.
Pebibyte	A pebibyte (PiB) is a unit of digital information storage used to denote the size of data. It is equivalent to 250, or 1,125,899,906,842,624, bytes and equal to 1,024 tebibytes.
Pagejacking	Pagejacking is the process of illegally copying legitimate website content (usually, in the form of source code) to another website designed to replicate the original website. To accomplish pagejacking, a fraudulent pagejacker copies a favorite Web page from a reputable site, including its actual HTML code. A pagejacker's intention is to illegally direct traffic from the original site to cloned Web pages. Pagejackers rely on search engines to index bogus site content to enable search result ranking and display with the original site.
QR code	A Quick Response or "QR" Code is a type of two-dimensional barcode. Unlike the conventional barcodes found on items such as supermarket groceries, a QR code can be read quickly by devices such as cameras and the codes have therefore become popular when designed to be read by smartphones. Usage could be the encoding of a web URL or additional information stored in a code on a printed advertisement. Only scan QR codes you trust. Scammers can make QR codes which link to fake websites that trick you into giving away personal details.
Ransomware	This is a form of malware that attempts to extort money from its victims by holding their data to ransom until a fee is paid. A recent example is CryptoLocker, which securely encrypts the victim's documents, offering a decryption key only when the ransom has been paid.
RAW image files	These can be created by high-end and enthusiast cameras and certain Nokia Lumia smartphones. They contain picture data taken directly from the image sensor in the camera prior to conversion to the more compact JPEG format. As such, they contain more picture information and can allow for higher-quality images to be processed later on your computer. They also require specialised software to process them and take up considerably more disk space. The actual format of the data is often unique to the specific model of camera used.
Rocket eBook	A Rocket eBook is a 22-ounce portable reading device with an LCD display manufactured by NuvoMedia in 1998. The company proclaimed it to be the first mass-marketed electronic book reader. It has a rechargeable battery averaging 20 to 25 hours per charge and could be connected to a PC. It has memory for up to 4,000 pages (about 10 novels) of text, which could be downloaded from the Internet. In addition to simulated page turning, the Rocket eBook has features to highlight text, annotate, search, adjust type size, and create bookmarks. It is ergonomically designed to be easy to hold with natural controls and has an accommodating design for left-handed users.
RAM	Random Access Memory. The most common type of computer memory. Data stored in RAM is lost when the power is switched off.
Sailfish OS	This is a mobile-optimised operating system based on the open source MeeGo OS previously owned by Nokia. Based on Linux, it has the advantage of being able to run Android apps, although not via the Google Play store.
Secure Boot	A standardized method of ensuring that a PC will boot only from trusted firmware and operating systems, Secure Boot prevents malware from installing and hiding underneath the operating system, where it would be difficult to detect or remove.
Skeuomorphism	In the world of computer interface design, skeuomorphism is the imitation of real-world objects and materials, usually with the intention of creating a feeling of instant familiarity. Examples include Windows Sticky Notes which resemble real pieces of coloured sticky paper or Apple’s iBooks store which presents titles as real books on realistic wooden shelves. Apple has recently removed many skeuomorphic items in version 7 of iOS.
Streaming media	This refers to media content, typically audio or video, which is delivered to the user at the time they are consuming it rather than being downloaded beforehand. This offers the advantage of being able to start enjoying the digital content almost immediately without having to wait for a download. It also means no complete copy of the content remains downloaded on the user's device. A disadvantage is that the connection needs to be maintained to the streaming service so you can't watch or listen to such media where no network connection is available.
Spam Blog (Splog)	A spam blog (splog) is a blog designed for the purposes of link spamming. Splogs usually sell links to other websites to increase the buyer's page rank or are set up by the websites themselves for the same purpose. Spam blogs often scrape their content from other websites and may be recognized by the unusual number of links they contain, all of which often point to a single site. A spam blog should not be confused with "spam in blogs," which refers to comment spam. This is added by a blog's visitors, not by the blog's administrator.
Smurfing	In an IT context, smurfing is a type of denial-of-service attack that relies on flooding a network with a large volume of traffic through the manipulation of IP addresses in that network. This type of attack can result in a high volume of excess activity, which can overwhelm a server or IT setup.
Selfie	A selfie is an informal term used to describe a self-portrait photo that is uploaded and posted on social networking sites. The subject usually takes the picture at arm's length. Another method used to take a selfie is to take a picture of one's reflection in a mirror. Selfies are a way for a subject to control how he or she is presented online, but when overused, they are often viewed as narcissistic.
Thunderbolt	A computer interface which allows high-speed connections between a varieties of peripherals. It uses a mini Display Port connector, and combines the capabilities of Display Port, PCI Express and DC power over a single cable. Devices such as monitors and hard drives can be connected via Display Port as well as other interfaces such as USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and Ethernet. Current versions allow data throughput of up to 10Gbps per device.
Toolbar	A toolbar is a user interface element consisting of a strip of icons, buttons or similar controls. Usually found at the top or the sides of an interface window, they offer a quick and convenient way to access frequently used controls without having to navigate a full menu system. A browser's toolbar is a particular type of toolbar, specific to web browsers, and stays on the screen as you surf the internet. There are, however, many toolbars you may not want and which may be smuggled onto your system as part of the installation of an unrelated program.
Trolling (an internet Troll)	Trolling is a slang term for behaviour (generally online) designed to disrupt or de-rail online discussions - often for humorous effect, but sometimes more malicious in intent. Obvious examples include posting a deliberately controversial opinion in an attempt to goad readers into an angry response. More recent use of the term has expanded to include sometimes criminal levels of offensive posting, designed to cause offense or upset to others. This has resulted in jail sentences for the worst offenders.
Tweak Freak	A tweak freak is someone who modifies hardware and/or software to enhance performance beyond normal and acceptable standards. Tweak freaks are obsessed with uncovering the root of all technical problems, regardless of their relevance. However, many tweak freaks engage in tweaking as entertainment, as a learning experience or to satisfy a high interest level. Tweak freak is also the name of a program designed as an enhancement tool with options to control Mac OS X.
Trojan Horse	A Trojan horse is a seemingly benign program that when activated, causes harm to a computer system. A Trojan horse is also known as a Trojan virus or Trojan.
Technodeterminism	Technodeterminism is a reductionist theory created by an American sociologist, Thorstein Veblen, which states that the improvement of society’s cultural values and social structure is driven by the technology it possesses. Technological advancements as a whole have become a key aspect influencing change and history. Other technodeterminists include Clarence Ayes, John Dewey, and William Ogburn. Technodeterminism is also known as technological determinism.
Tebibyte (TiB)	A tebibyte (TiB) is a unit of digital information storage used to denote the size of data. It is equivalent to 240, or 1,099,511,627,776, bytes and 1,024 gibibytes.
Ultrabook	A marketing term for a laptop that has been built to a specification set by Intel, in order to ensure a high-quality user experience. The requirements change as new chips are released and, for Ivy Bridge systems, currently include fast startup, a maximum thickness that varies according the screen size, and a battery life of at least 5 hours.
URL	Uniform Resource Locator. An address that specifies the location of a file or web page on the Internet. For example the URL of this page is http://www.it-station.co.uk/jargon.html.
USB	USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a type of cable connection that is used to connect an external device to your tablet or computer. This type of cable became very popular due to the ease of connecting devices like Printers/Scanners/Mice/Keyboards and even mobile phones to a computer. The most common version is MicroUSB, which is generally used for mobile phones and tablets.
Virtual PC	A virtual PC is effectively a software version of a physical PC which is able to run its own operating system and applications. Typically a virtual PC will boot up in its own window and is often used to run a different operating system to the one installed on the host pc on which it runs. You could therefore use it to try out a version of say, Linux, without having to install it on your main system. Microsoft's free Virtual PC software has been available to do this in versions of Windows up to and including Windows 7, but has been superseded in Windows 8 by the faster and more robust Hyper-V system which is incompatible with other virtualization software.
VPN	A virtual private network, or VPN, allows you to extend a private network across a public network – usually the Internet. To the end user, it will appear as though their device were connected directly to the private network in the remote location. A VPN is often used in business environments where remote workers require secure access to the corporate network. Because the local device appears to be connected to the remote network, VPN can also be used to circumvent local restrictions such as firewalls and the blocking of certain traffic. It can also result in the local device appearing to be situated geographically in the location of the remote network, overcoming geographical restrictions to some sites.
Web scraping	Web scraping is the automated collection of data from websites using an interface designed for human, rather than computer, interaction. It is typically used as a way of extracting unstructured data and importing it into a database for later use. Examples could be reading price or share value information directly from a website or posting queries to an online service and reading the results into an app. Steps are often taken to prevent the scraping of data by machines, so sometimes the most basic approach of copying and pasting by hand as the only solution.
Wireless charging	Also known an ‘inductive charging', wireless charging uses magnetism to charge a battery without a cabled connection between the charger and the device. It works by creating a magnetic field in a coil located in the charger, which them induces a similar field in a coil in the device and is converted into power. A newer technique called ‘resonance charging' also uses a pair of coils, but can operate over a distance of a few centimetres rather than requiring physical contact.
WMF file	A Windows metafile, usually saved with the file extension .WMF, is a now less often used image format. It can contain bitmap graphics, but has also been popular for storing the vector graphics required for re-sizable clipart.
Yottabyte (YB)	A yottabyte (YB) is a unit of digital information storage used to denote the size of data. It is equivalent to a quadrillion gigabytes, 1,000 zettabytes or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes.
Zero-day bug	A security vulnerability for which no fix or patch is available. Developers of the affected program have zero days to produce a patch before malicious exploitation of the bug can occur. The term could also be used to refer to a zero-day virus, which is a piece of malware that currently cannot be removed by security software.
Zombie Network	A zombie network is a network or collection of compromised computers or hosts that are connected to the Internet. A compromised computer becomes a zombie that is wirelessly controlled through standards based networking protocols like HTTP and Internet Relay Chat (IRC). A zombie network is also known as a botnet.
Zettabyte (ZB)	A zettabyte (ZB) is a unit of digital information storage used to denote the size of data. It is equivalent to 1,024 exabytes or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes.