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Glosario de
Trminos acerca
de Software
Ingls Tcnico

Profesora: Yesmn
Brenes
Seccin: 10-1

Estudiante: Deiby
Picado

Batch File: A batch file is a type of script that

Access: Microsoft Access, often abbreviated "MS

Access," is a popular database application for
Windows. Access allows users to create custom
databases that store information in an organized
structure.

Access Point: Example: "The coffee shop

provides an access point for customers with Wi-Fi
devices." An access point provides wireless access to
a network. Devices connected to an access point can
communicate with other devices on the network.
Active-Matrix: Active-matrix technology is used
in high-quality flat-panel displays, such as laptop
screens and thin computer monitors. The images on
active matrix screens are created by laying diodes, or
small semiconductors, over a grid of ultra-small
wires.
Add-on: An add-on is a software extension that
adds extra features to a program. It may extend
certain functions within the program, add new items
to the program's interface, or give the program
additional capabilities
Android: Android is Google's mobile operating
system (OS) that is used by several smartphones,
such as the G1, Droid, and Nexus One. Android is
open source, meaning it is not linked to a specific cell
phone manufacturer or service provider.

B
Bandwith: Bandwidth refers to how much data

contains a list of commands. These commands are

executed in sequence and can be used to automate
processes.

Beta Software: Before a commercial software

program is released to the public, it usually goes
through a "beta" phase. During this stage, the
software is tested for bugs, crashes, errors,
inconsistencies, and any other problems.

BIOS: Stands for "Basic Input/Output System. The

BIOS is a program pre-installed on Windows-based
computers (not on Macs) that the computer uses to
start up. The CPU accesses the BIOS even before the
operating system is loaded.

C
C/C++: C is a high-level programming language
that was developed in the mid-1970s. Compared to
most previous languages, C is easier to read, more
flexible (can be used for a wide variety of purposes),
and more efficient at using memory.

Captcha: A captcha is a challenge-response test

that determines whether a user is human or an

you can send through a network or modem
automated bot. A typical captcha includes an image
connection. It is usually measured in bits per second, of distorted text and a form field for the user to enter
or "bps."

the text. By requiring users to decipher and enter the

captcha text, webmasters can prevent automated
programs from sending spam or other unwanted data
through online forms.

Certificate: An SSL certificate, or secure

certificate, is a file installed on a secure Web server
that identifies a website. This digital certificate
establishes the identity and authenticity of the
company or merchant so that online shoppers can
trust that the website is secure and reliable.

memory can send data on both the rising and falling

edges of the processor's clock cycles. This nearly
doubles the amount of work the RAM can do in a
given
amount of time. DDR and DDR2 are also both types
of
SDRAM, which allows them to run faster than
conventional memory.

E
D

EIDE: EIDE is short for "Enhanced Integrated Drive

Electronics" and is an improved version of the IDE

drive controller standard. It is also referred to as "Fast
Data Type: A data type is a type of data. Of
ATA" or "ATA-2," which are technical names for the
course, that is rather circular definition, and also not same technology. EIDE hard drives can transfer data
very helpful. Therefore, a better definition of a data up to 16.6 Mbps, which is twice as fast as the original
type is a data storage format that can contain a
IDE standard.
specific type or range of values.

DDR: Stands for "Double Data Rate."

Emulation: The term "emulation" comes from the

verb "emulate," which means to imitate or

It is an advanced version of SDRAM, a type of
reproduce. Therefore, computer emulation is when
computer
one system imitates or reproduces another system.
memory. DDR-SDRAM, sometimes called "SDRAM II," This can be done using hardware, software, or a
can transfer data twice as fast as regular SDRAM
combination of the two. However, since hardware is
chips.
expensive to reproduce, most emulation is done via
software.
DDR2:Stands for "Double Data Rate 2." DDR2 RAM
is
Encryption: Encryption is the coding or
an improved version of DDR memory that is faster
scrambling of information so that it can only be
and
decoded and read by someone who has the correct
more efficient. Like standard DDR memory, DDR2

decoding key. Encryption is used in secure Web sites

as well as other mediums of data transfer.

Gibibyte: A gibibyte is a unit of data storage that

equals 2 to the 30th power, or 1,073,741,824 bytes.

GPS: Stands for "Global Positioning System." GPS is

a satellite navigation system used to determine

ground position and velocity (location, speed, and
Favicon: A favicon is a small website icon. Just like direction).
software programs can have custom file icons,
websites can have custom icons that show up in a
web browser. The term "favicon" is short for
"favorites icon," since it is saved with any bookmarks GPU: Stands for "Graphics Processing Unit." Like
the CPU (Central Processing Unit), it is a single-chip
or "favorites" you create.
processor. However, the GPU is used primarily for
computing 3D functions.

File Extension: A file extension is the last part of

a filename, after the dot (e.g. ".pdf"). Most file
extensions are three characters long, but they can be
shorter or longer as well. File extensions are used to
define the file type of each file. The operating system
uses this information to select which application will
open the file and choose the appropriate icon for the
file.

File Format: A file format describes the way data

is stored in a file. It defines the data structure (how
the data is organized in the file) as well the type of
data that the file contains.

Handle: In online chat, the name you use is often Index: An index is a list of data, such as group of
referred to as your screen name, or handle. So if you files or database entries. It is typically saved in a
decided to name yourself MooCow123, that would be plain text format that can be quickly scanned by a
your handle. Handles are nice because they allow
search algorithm. This significantly speeds up
you to represent yourself without giving away your searching and sorting operations on data referenced
real identity.
by the index.

Hard Disk: When you save data or install

Inkjet: Inkjet printers are the most common type of

programs on your computer, the information is

typically written to your hard disk. The hard disk is a
spindle of magnetic disks, called platters, that record
and store information. Because the data is stored
magnetically, information recorded to the hard disk
remains intact after you turn your computer off.

consumer printers. The inkjet technology works by

spraying very fine drops of ink on a sheet of paper.
These droplets are "ionized" which allows them to be
directed by magnetic plates in the ink's path. As the
paper is fed through the printer, the print head
moves back and forth, spraying thousands of these
small droplets on the page.

HDMI: Stands for "High-Definition Multimedia

Interface." HDMI is a digital interface for transmitting
audio and video data in a single cable. It is supported
by most HDTVs and related components, such as
DVD and Blu-ray players, cable boxes, and video
game systems.

J
Java: The syntax of Java is much like that of C/C+

I
Impression: An impression is counted each time
a Web page is shown to a visitor. Advertisers
measure the reach of their ads by tracking ad
impressions, or the number of times their ads are
shown. The revenue that publishers generate based
on 1,000 impressions is called CPM.

+, but it is object-oriented and structured around

"classes" instead of functions. Java can also be used
for programming applets -- small programs that can
be embedded in Web sites. The language is
becoming increasingly popular among both Web and
software developers since it is efficient and easy-touse.

Joystick: A joystick is an input device commonly

used to control video games. Joysticks consist of a
base and a stick that can be moved in any direction.
The stick can be moved slowly or quickly and in
different amounts. Some joysticks have sticks that

can also be rotated to the left or right. Because of the

flexible movements a joystick allows, it can provide
much greater control than the keys on a keyboard.

L
K
Kbps: Stands for "Kilobits Per Second." Don't
confuse this with Kilobytes per second (which is 8
times more data per second). This term is commonly
used in describing data transfer rates. For example,
two common modem speeds are 33.6 Kbps and 56
Kbps.

Keylogger: A keylogger is a program that records

the keystrokes on a computer. It does this by
monitoring a user's input and keeping a log of all
keys that are pressed. The log may saved to a file or
even sent to another machine over a network or the
Internet.

LAN: Stands for "Local Area Network," and is

pronounced like "land" without the "d". (Computer
people will think you're weird if you pronounce it "LA-N"). A LAN is a computer network limited to a small
area such as an office building, university, or even a
residential home.

LCD: Stands for "Liquid Crystal Display." LCDs are

super-thin displays that are used in laptop computer
screens and flat panel monitors. Smaller LCDs are
used in handheld TVs, PDAs, and portable video
game devices. The image on an LCD screen is
created by sandwiching an electrically reactive
substance between two electrodes.

NTFS: Stands for "New Technology File System."

Macro: Macro has two computer-related definitions,

both of which involve making your computer
experience more efficient.

Malware: Short for "malicious software," malware

refers to software programs designed to damage or
do other unwanted actions on a computer system. In
Spanish, "mal" is a prefix that means "bad," making
the term "badware," which is a good way to
remember it (even if you're not Spanish).

NTFS is a file system introduced by Microsoft with

Windows NT and is supported by subsequent
versions of Windows, such as Windows 2000 and
Windows XP. NTFS has a number of advantages over
the previous file system, named FAT32 (File Allocation
Table). One major advantage of NTFS is that it
includes features to improve reliability. For example,
the new technology file system includes fault
tolerance, which automatically repairs hard drive
errors without displaying error messages. It also
keeps detailed transaction logs, which tracks hard
drive errors. This can help prevent hard disk failures
and makes it possible to recover files if the hard drive
does fail.

O
Open Source: When a software program is open

N
Newbie: A new user of a technology, such as a
computer, a certain computer program, or the
Internet, is often referred to as a "new.

source, it means the program's source code is freely

available to the public.

OpenGL: OpenGL, or the Open Graphics Library, is

a 3D graphics language developed by Silicon
Graphics.

images, and even formatting of documents from a

variety of applications.

Q
P

Quad-Core: Quad-core CPUs have four processing

cores. These cores act as separate processors, but
reside in a single chip.

Partition: A partition is a section of a hard disk.

QWERTY: This term is used to describe a standard
When you format a hard disk, you can usually choose
(Latin alphabet-based) keyboard. Why? Because the
the number of partitions you want.
first six keys in the upper-left part of the keyboard
spell out Q-W-E-R-T-Y.
PDF: Stands for "Portable Document Format." PDF
is a multi-platform file format developed by Adobe
Systems. A PDF file captures document text, fonts,

R
Refresh: Refresh is a command that reloads the

Sample: A sample is a digital representation of an

analog signal. Both digital video and digital audio
files are created using samples. The quality of the
sample is determined by the sampling rate, or the bit
rate the signal is sampled at.

contents of a window or Web page with the most

current data.

SATA: Stands for "Serial Advanced Technology

Attachment," or "Serial ATA." It is an interface used to
connect ATA hard drives to a computer's
Remote Desktop: Remote desktop technology motherboard. SATA transfer rates start at 150MBps,
makes it possible to view another computer's
which is significantly faster than even the fastest
desktop on your computer. This means you can open 100MBps ATA/100 drives.
folders, move files, and even run programs on the
remote computer, right from your own desktop.

became popular in the 1970s for high-level

computing, but not on the consumer level. Since a lot
of Internet services were originally hosted on Unix
machines, the platform gained tremendous
Terabyte: A terabyte is 2 to the 40th power, or
1,099,511,627,776 bytes. It can be estimated as 10 popularity in the 1990s. It still leads the industry as
the most common operating system for Web servers.
to the 12th power, or 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. A
terabyte is 1,024 gigabytes and precedes the
petabyte unit of measurement.

UPS: Stands for "Uninterruptible Power Supply." In

the technology world, UPS is more than just a brown

Telecommunications: Telecommunications is shipping company. It is also a type of power supply

the transmission of analog or digital signals over a
long distance. This includes telephone calls, radio
and television broadcasts, and data transfers over
the Internet.

that uses battery backup to maintain power during

unexpected power outages.

V
U
Unix: Also known as UNIX, though the letters do not
stand for anything. The Unix operating system was
first created in Bell Labs way back in the 1960s. It

VGA: Stands for "Video Graphics Array." It is the

standard monitor or display interface used in most
PCs. Therefore, if a montior is VGA-compatible, it
should work with most new computers. The VGA
standard was originally developed by IBM in 1987
and allowed for a display resolution of 640x480
pixels. Since then, many revisions of the standard
have been introduced.

Visual Basic: Visual Basic is a programming

Webcam: The term webcam is a combination of

language and development environment created by "Web" and "video camera." The purpose of a webcam
Microsoft. It is an extension of the BASIC
is, not surprisingly, to broadcast video on the Web.
programming language that combines BASIC
Webcams are typically small cameras that either
functions and commands with visual controls.
attach to a user's monitor or sit on a desk.

X
W

X86: x86 is the generic name for Intel processors

released after the original 8086 processor. These
include the 286, 386, 486, and 586 processors.

WAN: Stands for "Wide Area Network." It is similar

XML: Stands for "Extensible Markup Language."

to a Local Area Network (LAN), but it's a lot bigger.

Unlike LANs, WANs are not limited to a single
location.

(Yes, technically it should be EML). XML is used to

define documents with a standard format that can be
read by any XML-compatible application. The
language can be used with HTML pages, but XML
itself is not a markup language.

Web Host: In order to publish a website online,

you need a Web host. The Web host stores all the
pages of your website and makes them available to
computers connected to the Internet. The domain
name, such as "sony.com," is actually linked to an IP
address that points to a specific computer.

Y
Y2K: Stands for "Year 2000." However, this term is
more often used to refer to the "Millenium Bug." This
bug is a little creature that lives inside older
computers. When the year 2000 rolls around, the
little bug will self-destruct, blowing up the computer
it was residing in. The chain of explosions across the
world will be catastrophic, causing global panamonia
and LA riots.

Z
ZIP: Windows users will see this term a lot when looking
for files on the Internet. A zip file (.zip) is a "zipped" or
compressed file. For example, when you download a file, if
the filename looks like this: "filename.zip," you are
downloading a zipped file. "Zipping" a file involves
compressing one or more items into a smaller archive. A
zipped file takes up less hard drive space and takes less
time to transfer to another computer.