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APCSP

Quiz yourself by thinking what should be in each of the black spaces below before clicking on it to display the answer.
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Term
Definition
abstraction   removing detail to simplify a complex object or concept; generalizing an idea to identify its essence  
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high level languages   programming languages most programmers use  
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assembly language   language of operating systems  
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machine language   converted to binary numbers  
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electric signals   what the machine language gets converted to  
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data   a bunch of facts that are not in any sort of order; usually unreadable  
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information   data that has been processed and organized into a meaningful format  
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analog   continuous data  
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digital   discreet pieces of data; takes less space; breaks between data  
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Two's Complement   used to add and store negative integers  
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overflow   a situation that occurs when a calculation in a computer results in a number too big for the allowable bits  
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integers   whole numbers, including zeroes and negatives  
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floating point numbers   numbers with decimals  
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radix point   "decimal" point for all bases  
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American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)   text that matches up numerical values with western language; 0-127 characters  
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Extended ASCII Table   256 characters; includes more detailed characters  
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Unicode   65,536 characters; includes characters for languages such as Chinese and Japanese; international; first 256 characters same as Extended ASCII  
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compression   taking up less space; used with data  
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lossless   when you decompress it you don't lose anything  
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lossy   when you decompress it you will lose something; compresses it smaller  
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keyword encoding   frequently used words are replaced with a single character  
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run-length encoding   capitalizes on situations involving the repetition of a single character  
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Huffman encoding   uses variable-length bit strings to represent each character  
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digitize   the process of analog to digital  
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sampling   digitizes audio  
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.wav   audio; compressed or not; older, used for windows; compression: small  
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.aiff   audio; older; Mac; low compression  
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.mp3   audio; cross-platform; high compression; lossy and lossless  
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photoreceptors   distinguish between 3 primary colors  
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pixels   one tiny fraction of an image  
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resolution   the number of pixels being stored or displayed  
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raster-graphics   breaking down an image into pixels  
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.bmp   image; Bitmap File; pretty common; not compressed; pixel by pixel file  
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.gif   image; Graphics Interchange Format; usually limits color palate; reduces storage; compressed; good format for Internet images  
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.jpeg   image; compressed but much higher quality; averages pixels together; format you use for photographic quality  
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.png   Portable Network Graphics; highly compressed; more colors and compression than gif; good for small index images  
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logic gate   building blocks for circuits; computer components that take in one or more electrical signal and produce one electrical output signal; made of transistors  
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transistors   act as a wire (conducting electricity) or as a resistor (blocking electricity) depending on the voltage of the signal; act like a switch; made up of semiconductor material  
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circuits   a combination of logic gates  
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circuit equivalence   when two circuits have the same set of outputs for the same inputs  
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half-adder   adds up two binary bits  
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full-adder   adds 3 bits; 5 gates  
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multiplexor (MUX)   chooses a path based on an input  
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integrated circuit (IC)   full name for a chip; a bunch of gates tied together  
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solder   take hot metal/allow; to permanently secure chip to board  
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Small Scale Integration (SSI)   1-10 gates (MUX)  
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Medium Scale Integration (MSI)   10-100 gates  
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Large Scale Integration (LSI)   100-100,000 gates  
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Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI)   100,000+ gates  
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Control Unit   controls what happens in the computer; directs the slow of everything  
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ALU   Arithmetic Logic Unit  
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computer architecture   the design/makeup of a computer  
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von Neumann Architecture   data and instructions can be stored in the same place  
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registers   quick access; small amounts of memory  
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buses   wires connecting all the circuits; in the motherboard  
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Central Processing Unit (CPU)   most important IC of computer; brain of computer; usually 2 inch square chip mounted on motherboard along with power control and RAM  
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Control Unit   coordinates the computer's activities; runs the fetch-execute cycle  
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Arithmetic Logic Unit   performs mathematical and logical operations  
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registers   storage cells for temporary storage of data and instructions; faster than accessing RAM  
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Main Bus   wires carrying signals  
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dual processor   2 IC's on a single chip  
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microprocessor   CPU found in smaller devices  
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Graphics Processor Unit (GPU)   separate from CPU games and graphics software; send some commands to GPU to control the screen without tying up the CPU  
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KB   1,000 bytes  
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MB   1,000,000 bytes  
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GB   10^9 bytes  
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TB   10^12 bytes  
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RAM   outside of CPU; stores data and instructions running but not being executed at the moment  
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registers   inside CPU; store instructions and data currently being processed; faster than RAM  
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cache   inside CPU; small amount of memory stores a copy of data and instructions being executed to save time sending/retrieving info to/from RAM  
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Hard Disk Drive (HDD)   spinning magnetic disk; data stored in sectors and tracks access speeds slow down speed of computer; more susceptible to damage; can be wiped by large magnet  
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Soft State Drive (SSD)   electronic storage; each data cell has an address; faster access speed; can be damaged by power outage  
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CD/DVD   optical disk; stored and read by laser; data stored in sectors and tracks; speed listed as nX, meaning data transfer is n times faster than a video DVD player  
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Flash Drive   electrical storage; stable without external power for years; no moving parts=high speed data transfer  
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SD Card   secure digital memory card; electronic storage; small; often used for photos, music, phones, etc.  
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Universal Serial Bus (USB)   generation 1, 2, 3  
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High Def Multimedia Interface (HDMI)   usually for audio/visual devices  
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Video Graphics Adaptor (VGA)   connects to display or projector  
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Ethernet   connects to router for modern networking  
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firewire   very fast data transfer; high performance devices  
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Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)   most monitors are this  
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Light Emitting Diode (LED)   cooler and longer lasting than fluorescent lighting  
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Moore's Law   a projection that the number of circuits that can be placed on a single integrated circuit will double each year  
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planned obsolescence   changing the design of a product to increase sales without really improving it  
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seek time   time it takes for the arm to move over the right track on a disk  
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latency   how long it takes the disk to rotate to the right sector  
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access time   sum of seek time and latency  
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transfer rate   how long it takes to get from secondary storage to RAM  
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Random Access Memory (RAM)   primary memory; electronic; no moving parts  
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volatile   cleared at shutdown  
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Read Only Memory (ROM)   hardwired/burned at creation; non-volatile  
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parallel computing   using multiple processors to increase capacity and/or decrease speed; must have some shared access to programs and/or memory  
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synchronous processing   multiple processors performing the same task on different data sets at the same time  
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pipeline processing   multiple processors performing different tasks on the same data set in succession OR multiple processors performing different tasks on different parts of the same data at the same time  
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information systems   software to organize, analyze and present data  
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data   raw facts  
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information   data that has been organized or analyzed  
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spreadsheets   an application that enables data analysis based on formulas that define relationships among the data  
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dynamic (spreadsheet)   changes to the data are reflected in the calculations immediately  
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circular reference   a formula in one cell references another cell that contains a formula based on the value of the first cell; creates a situation that cannot be resolved  
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database   a structured set of data  
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Database Management Systems (DBMS)   manages data  
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physical database   files that contain the data  
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database schema   structure of the data  
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database engine   program allowing user to enter, search, filter and retrieve the data  
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Structured Query Language (SQL)   database programming language for managing databases  
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digital libraries   collections of digital objects that include text, visual, audio and video files  
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digital archive   primary sources of information rather than the secondary sources found in a library; easily reproducible and may have been reduced from elsewhere  
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metadata   data to provide information about other data  
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search engines   use metadata; not necessarily the same thing as a web browser  
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spider   database that does the searching  
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e-Commerce   applications that allow the purchase and sale of goods and services via the World Wide Web  
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data mining   looking for patterns in static data collections called data warehouses; seeks to identify previously unknown patterns  
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Class Description   characterizes similar groups of data  
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Class Discrimination   identifies properties that divide groups of data  
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Cluster Analysis   looks for new ways to group data  
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Association Analysis   looks for links between groups  
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Outlier Analysis   looks for data pieces that don't comply with the group norm; used for error and fraud detection  
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Open Access   online research materials that are free of tolls and copyright restrictions  
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Creative Commons   used when an author wants to give people the right to share, use and build work they created  
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US Privacy Act of 1974   required government agencies to publish notice of their databases in the Federal Register to allow citizens to access and correct information  
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The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)   regulates the use and disclosure of protected health information by health insurers and medical service providers  
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The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act   governs access of educational information and records; gives parents access to students' education records until they are 18; gives students 18+ enrolled in any post-secondary institution right of privacy  
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Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (1978)   established FISA Court  
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FISA Court   oversees surveillance warrants against foreign spies within the US  
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artificial intelligence   the study/implementation of computer systems that model and apply the intelligence of the human mind  
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Turing Test   test to see if something is intelligent  
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Knowledge Representation   how we simulate the decision making process; uses different techniques to represent knowledge; semantic networks  
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semantic networks   mindmap; used to make decisions  
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search trees   a structure that represents all of the possible consequences of a decision  
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Expert Systems   computer systems that embody the knowledge of human experts in a specific field; asks user questions based on set of programmed rules and ultimately renders a decision; uses interference engine to determine how rules are followed  
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Neural Networks   computer systems that mimic the processing of the human brain; often used in decision making, optical character/image recognition, and explosive detection; more it runs, more it produces accurate results  
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Natural Language Processing   computer systems that process human language through voice recognition, comprehension and synthesis; breaks sounds into units called phonemes and requires database of phonetics for words  
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Robotics   autonomous, mobile robots that require Artificial Intelligence to interact with their surroundings  
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models   creating a representation of a complex system and altering that model to observe the results  
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virtual reality (VR)   computer technologies that generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations that replicate an environment and enables the user to interact with this space  
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augmented reality (AR)   superimposes a computer generated environment not he user's view of the real world  
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2-D Graphics Software   converts 2-D shapes into pixel data to produce an image that can be manipulated or animated  
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Image Processing Software   analyzes pixels in an image to identify patterns or even understand images  
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polygonal mesh   a set of polygons that cover the surface of the object  
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particle system   particles are assigned behavioral formulas to make them move to form a shape  
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rendering the scene   determining how the objects in a scene graph would appear when projected onto a 2-D projection plane  
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clipping   the process of slicing off the objects that are not in the view volume  
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scan conversion/rasterization   process of assigning patches on remaining scene graph to pixels on 2-D image by passing straight lines from camera to objects  
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Hidden Surface Removal   process of discarding points on the scene that are blocked by other points  
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animation   displaying a sequence of 2-D images in rapid succession  
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storyboard   sequence of 2-D images that tell the story  
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Operating System (OS)   the main component of the system software and it has two main jobs  
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Utility Software   programs that extend or customize the OS  
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User Interface   how the user opens and storms programs and documents  
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Graphical User Interface   icons and windows  
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Kernel   coordinates all of the computer's activities  
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Process Management   scheduling the use of the CPU  
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Memory Management   allocates space within RAM for programs and data; OS must move parts of programs in and out of RAM as needed  
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paging   moving parts of programs in and out of RAM as needed  
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File Management   coordinates the use of mass storage, the location of files, accessibility of files, storing new files  
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File Organization   allows users to organize files in folders or directories; each file has a directory path  
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Device Driver Communication   communicates with peripheral devices  
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bootstrapping   when the computer is turned on, all or part of the OS is transferred from mass storage to main memory; boot loader is stored in ROM and tells the computer to transfer OS to RAM and run it when it is turned on  
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algorithm   an ordered set of executable sets that solve a problem or complete a task  
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pseudocode   generic coding without syntax rules  
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syntax   specific commands, punctuation, arguments etc.  
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variable   name of a memory location used to store a value  
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input   when you get a value from the user it must be assigned to a variable  
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output   value of variable or specific string  
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nesting   putting decision statements inside other decision statements  
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computer network   two or more computers connected via communication devices and media  
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Internet   a collection of networks that link billions of businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and individuals  
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NPL   British network; nationwide; established in 1965  
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ARPANET   US network; nationwide; established in 1969  
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CYCLADES   French network; nationwide; established in 1973  
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World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)   oversees research and sets standards and guidelines  
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Internet 2 (I2)   develops and tests advanced Internet technologies  
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Internet Service Provider (ISP)   company that provides access to the Internet to users or subscribers of its service  
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Tier 1 ISP   very high capacity WANs operated by very large telecom companies  
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Tier 2 ISP   regional WANs operated by large telecom companies  
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Local Access ISP   smaller WANs  
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dial-up access   home or business; computer, modem, regular telephone line  
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high speed access   home or business; digital subscriber line; cable modem  
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digital subscriber line (DSL)   provides high speed Internet connections over regular copper telephone line  
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cable modem   provides high speed Internet connections through cable television network  
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World Wide Web   an information space of the Internet where electronic documents are identified by URL, interlinked by hyperlinks  
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URL   name of file that is website  
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HTML   language of website  
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web browser   addition to ISP; software application that allows you to access and view web pages via their URL  
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search engine   software program that searches for information on the Web; maintains information by running an algorithm on a web crawler  
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web crawler   a bot that constantly browses web sites to update an index  
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Personal Area Network (PAN)    
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Local Area Network (LAN)   a single building/campus  
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Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)   a community/city  
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Wide Area Network (WAN)   cities/countries  
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star topology   computers are connected to a central computer; all communications must go through a central computer; the basis for most Wifi networks  
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bus topology   all computers on the network can communicate with each other; Ethernet networks use this  
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hub   small pus with several inputs connecting computers in a small area to the bus network  
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repeater   device to connect two bus networks; amplifies signals  
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bridge   device to connect two bus networks; any signals intended for a computer on the origin side is returned  
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switch   like a bridge but it connects more than 2 bus networks  
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router   a computer for connecting incompatible networks  
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twisted-pair wire   regular phone lines; simplest and slowest  
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coaxial cable   standard cable lines; copper wires surrounded by thick insulation  
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fiber optics   fast, accurate, durable; electrons translated into light pulses  
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Client/Server Model   clients make requests; device on network is considered a server and other networks are considered clients; servers satisfy the requests of clients  
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Peer to Peer (P2P) Model   devices on network provide service to and receive services from each other; collaboration  
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distributed system   type of network communication; programs that are executed on different computers  
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Cluster Computing   many independent computers work together to provide computating services comparable to a larger computer  
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Grid Computer   members of the grid volunteer their computing power to the grid while not in use for themselves  
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Cloud Computing   generally owned; huge pools of shared computers can be allocated for use by clients as needed  
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redundancy   additional instances of network devices, equipment and communications mediums are installed within the network infrastructure to ensure network availability in case a device fails or is unavailable  
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latency   amount of time a signal takes to traverse a network  
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sensor network   devices distributed throughout a network to monitor environmental conditions like temperature, sound, pressure, etc.  
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Network Interface Cards (NICs)   expansion card to connect to Ethernet  
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Bluetooth   a type of short range wireless interconnection  
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bandwidth   bit-rate of available information capacity  
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protocols   rules that govern electronic communication  
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Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)   used for most emails  
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Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP)   used for most web pages  
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Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)   encrypted; supposed to be more secure  
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Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)   sets up and monitors transmission; manages sending and receiving of packets; makes sure message is divided up properly and addresses with origin and destination IP addresses when sent  
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Internet Protocol (IP)   handles transmission of data on the Internet; manages how data travels on the Internet  
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Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)   allocates blocks of IP addresses to 5 regional RIRs that distribute the addresses to ISPs within their systems  
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IPv4   current 32-bit IP address format; allows for roughly 4 billion unique addresses  
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IPv6   multi-year transition to 128-bit IP address format happening right now; 340 undecillion unique addresses  
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packet routing   most messages are too large to travel over the Internet; broken into smaller units called packets  
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routers   devices on Internet to keep packets moving; chooses best path to take at each intersection  
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scalable   work with large and small numbers  
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redundant   have repeated elements  
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fault tolerance   because of redundancy, networks won't collapse when part of it breaks down  
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web page   electronic document; must follow HTTP protocol  
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World Wide Web   collection of web pages  
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website   collection of related web pages  
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hyperlinks   built-in connections to other documents  
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Domain Name System (DNS)   associates text names with device IP addresses  
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DNS Servers   connect to Internet set up in a hierarchy to store and look up IP addresses  
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DNS Spoofing   when a hacker breaks into a DNS server and assigns the wrong IP address to a domain name; sends web page users to an imposter website where they are vulnerable  
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registrars   agencies assigned by ICANN  
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Top Level Domain (TLD)   suffix on the end of domain name  
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Sub Domains   user that registers a domain name can extend that name to obtain identifiers for items that belong to that domain  
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Uniform Resource Locator (URL)   unique address for a web page; includes protocol, domain name, and file directory path and document  
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web cookies   stored on browser with information that identifies you; sent to web page so that it will remember you  
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Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)   programming language used to create documents to be displayed on the Web  
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tags   markup codes  
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Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)   style definitions used in HTML  
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Java Applets   programs embedded into an HTML document; executed by the browser  
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Java Scriplets   small pieces of executable code intertwined with traditional HTML content that are executed by the computer hosting the web page  
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information security   the protection of data from being leaked  
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confidentiality   prevents your personal data from being leaked  
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Data integrity   makes sure only certain people/software have access to change data  
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malware   malicious software transferred to/executed on a computer  
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virus   inserts itself into existing programs to corrupt data  
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worms   autonomous program forwards itself to other computers  
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Trojan Horses   enters disguised as harmless program  
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spyware/sniffing software   collects info about computer activities and reports back to instigator  
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phishing   obtaining info from victim and pretending to be benign  
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Denial of Service (DoS)   overloads a computer with messages to distort activity; to hack a website  
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spoofing   a computer pretending to be another computing by faking its IP address  
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spam   unwanted junk email; not generally malicious  
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firewall   network software that blocks dangerous/inappropriate messages from going in or out  
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proxy server   limits access; software between client and server shielding the client from harmful actions of the server  
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antivirus software   software to detect and remove viruses and/or spyware  
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spam filter   firewall intended to block unwanted mail; learns to identify spam by user's reactions  
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passwords   controls access to network but not the data once it leaves the network  
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biometrics/smart cards   fingerprints; retina scans; cards with chips/stripes  
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encryption   coding and decoding messages so that if they are intercepted they cannot be interpreted  
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Symmetric Encryption   sender and receiver have to have same encryption code  
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public key encryption   public and private keys  
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digital certificates   used by HTTPS to ensure website downloading is actually a secure website  
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CAPTCHA   software to verify that a web form is submitted by a human not a machine  
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intellectual property   original work to which one has the rights and for which one may apply for a patent, copyright or trademark  
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copyright   the exclusive legal right to print, publish, sell etc. the expression of an idea and authorize others to do the same  
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patent   for inventions  
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trademark   for identifiers like company names and logos  
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World Intellectual Property Organization   an agency of the United Nations to promote and protect intellectual property  
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Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA)   a 1998 US copyright law intended to protect the rights of both the copyright owners and consumers which as usually in conflict  
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Creatie Commons License   license that enables free distribution of copyrighted work; owner sets up rules for sharing of and building upon their work; can apply to any copyrighted material  
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Open Source Software   license for software that makes the source code available for others to study, change and distribute of any purpose; encourages a collaborative environment  
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Crowd Sourcing   getting input or information from a large number of people; paid or unpaid  
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Citizen Science   when professional scientists and people from the general public collaborate on specific studies  
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net neutrality   the principle that Internet service providers and governments regulating the Internet should treat all data on the Internet the same, not discriminating or charging differentially  
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