| .Mac | - | A group of online services and tools offered by Apple for an annual subscription fee.
|
| 1080i | - | A popular high definition format that displays a resolution of 1080 vertical pixels by 1920 horizontal pixels. The "i" stands for interlaced scanning which "paints" the digital picture on the screen so quickly that the eye detects only one continuous image.
|
| 1080p | - | The so-called “Holy Grail” of high-definition formats, 1080p means that the resolution of the picture is 1920x1080 with “progressive” scanning. 1080p is supposedly superior to 1080i which uses an “interlaced” format. The rub for consumers is that very little 1080p content exists at this point.
|
| 16:9 | - |  The 16:9 aspect ratio is commonly known as "widescreen" and delivers a panoramic view of movies. All HDTVs have a screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is 1.78 times as wide as it is tall.
|
| 16-mm Drivers | - | Drivers, also known as moving coil drivers or dynamic drivers, are the tiny loud speaker in headphones that convert an electrical signal to sound. 16-mm drivers, as used in Sony's MDR-EX700LP earbuds, are extremely sensitive to power input and offer extraordinary sound frequency and dynamic range.
|
| |  back to top
|
| 2G | - | 2nd Generation mobile wireless which includes CDMA networks (such as those used by Verizon Wireless and Sprint) and GSM (offered by Cingular/AT&T and T-Mobile).
|
| 3CCD imaging sensor | - | A professional-quality imaging sensor commonly used in high-end digital camcorders which uses three CCDs to produce better color by recording red, green, and blue light separately. Camcorders which use 3CCD imaging sensors are also known as "three-chip" camcorders.
|
| 3G | - | 3rd Generation wireless technology for mobile communication. 3G service, which is offered in Japan and parts of Europe but in the U.S., operates 50 times faster than 2G wireless technology. 3G service gives you the ability to use a videophone and videoconference without having to be connected to the Internet. 3G also allows you to use your mobile phone from anywhere in the world.
|
| 3LCD Technology | - | 3LCD projectors use three LCDs to crisply reproduce bright, natural images that are easy on the eyes.
|
| 4:3 | - | The 4:3 aspect ratio is found in most standard television sets. It represents four inches of width for every three inches of height.
|
| | back to top
|
| 5.1 Surround Sound | - | A popular surround sound set-up in home theaters where separate audio tracks are sent to five speakers-–two in the front of the room (on the left and right), a front center channel (handling most of the dialogue) plus left and right rear speakers behind, creating a “you’re-surrounded” feeling.
|
| 802.11g | - | A wireless standard developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for what is commonly known as “Wi-Fi.” 802.11g is the previous fastest protocol. It was recently eclipsed by a new standard – 802.11n.
|
| 80211.n | - | A wireless standard developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for what is commonly known as “Wi-Fi.” 802.11n is the current cutting edge protocol.
|
| 8-Track Cartridge | - | A now-obsolete audio storage technology that used rectangular-shaped magnetic tape cartridges, 8-Tracks were popular during the 1960s and 1970s. Invented by William Powell Lear who also invented the Learjet, 8-Track tapes fell out of fashion in the 1980s with the rise of compact tape cassettes, and eventually disappeared once Compact Disks (CDs) took over the market.
|
| AC Power | - | AC (Alternating Current) Power is a way to operate an electronic device, such as a digital camera or stereo boom box, by plugging it into the wall rather than a battery.
|
| | back to top
|
| Accelerometer | - | A device for measuring acceleration or rate of speed.
|
| Adobe Photoshop Elements | - | Adobe Photoshop Elements is the consumer version of the Adobe Photoshop image editing program. Sold for a fraction of the cost of Photoshop, Photoshop Elements offers surprisingly sophisticated editing, albuming, and presentation features, including a slide show. The current version is Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0.
|
| Adobe Premiere Elements | - | Adobe Premiere Elements is a video editing software application for non-linear video editing. It’s a scaled-down version of the professional-level Adobe Premiere Pro, and is optionally bundled with Adobe Photoshop Elements.
|
| Air modem | - | A card that fits into your laptop to provide wireless Internet access via a cellular network.
|
| Airtime | - | The actual time you spend talking on a cell phone.
|
| | back to top
|
| AMD | - | AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) is American-based manufacturer located in Sunnyvale, California which produces microprocessors. AMD is a former partner but now chief rival of Intel.
|
| Analog television | - | a traditional older television set which receives an analog broadcast signal typically via an antenna. On February 17, 2009, the U.S. will make the switch from analog TV broadcasting to all digital TV broadcasting. Owners of analog TVs will have to purchase a converter box in order to still receive a television signal.
|
| Aperture | - | Aperture is the size of the opening in a lens. In advanced cameras, such as digital SLRs, aperture can be selected by the user to control the amount of light reaching the film or digital imaging sensor. Aperture is measured in f/stops, such as f/4, f/8, etc.
|
| Apple airport card | - | An adaptor used in older Apple computers that lets you connect to the Internet wirelessly.
|
| Applet | - | A software component that performs a specific function within a program, such as running a movie in a web browser. The term applet is also used to describe a small standalone application in an operating system, such as a calculator program or a basic text editor.
|
| | back to top
|
| Apps | - | Slang for software applications.
|
| ATSC Tuner | - | A built-in tuner in a high definition television (HDTV) set for receiving broadcast HD programs. Also known as an HDTV tuner.
|
| Audiologist | - | A healthcare professional who tests hearing and helps patients with hearing problems, including fitting them for hearing aids.
|
| Audiophile | - | Someone who is obsessed with achieving high-quality results in the recording and playback of music.
|
| Auto-Bracketing | - | A mode where the camera fires off several frames of varying exposure in sequence automatically.
|
| | back to top
|
| Autoexposure | - | A camera setting which automatically adjusts the aperture and shutter speed to create an accurate exposure.
|
| Autofocus | - | A feature in cameras that allows them to focus automatically without the photographer having to adjust the lens manually. Autofocus is typically engaged by half pressing the shutter button.
|
| Automatic Document Feeder | - | An ADF is a tray that attaches to a scanner to allow you to scan multiple pages without having to manually feed each page into the machine.
|
| Bandwidth | - | The amount of information than can be transmitted and received in a network. Bandwidth is usually used to describe the amount of data than can flow across an Internet connection. High bandwidth means graphics, audio, and video can be sent and received more quickly.
|
| BD Live | - | A new interactive function on Blu-ray disk players that allows them to communicate with the Internet to provide additional multi-media content.
|
| | back to top
|
| BlackBerry | - | Developed by RIM (Research in Motion), BlackBerrys are best known for their ability to send and receive real-time email anywhere there is a wireless cellular network. The devices, sometimes referred to a "CrackBerries" for their addictive email functionality, have other “smart” features including organizing functionality and web browsing services.
|
| Blogs | - | Short for weblogs, blogs are personal websites featuring regularly updated entries displayed in reverse chronological order with the most recent entry at the top. Subject matter for blog entries, also known as “posts,” can run the gamut from the personal to the political though they are typically written from the first person perspective.
|
| Bluetooth | - | A popular wireless protocol used in small electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops, and printers.
|
| Blu-ray | - | Blu-ray is an optical disc format designed for high definition video and high-density data storage. Blu-ray is one of two competing high definition disc standards. The other is HD-DVD. The name Blu-ray Disc comes from the blue-violet laser used to read and write these discs. The main backers of Blu-ray Discs are Sony, Philips, Sun Microsystems, Dell, HP, Pioneer, TDK, and Apple.
|
| Bonjour | - | Apple's name for a technology it uses to help users create a local area network (LAN).
|
| | back to top
|
| Boot disk | - | A disk on which a computer’s operating system is stored.
|
| Brads | - | a common two-pronged fastener used in scrapbooking as a decoration. To secure a brad on a page, prongs are inserted through the surface and then opened butterfly style on back.
|
| Broadband | - | Taken from the words "broad bandwith," broadband is a term to describe high-speed telecommunications associated with the Internet.
|
| Buffer | - | A type of memory in a computer or other digital device such as a digital that is used to temporarily store data
|
| C++ | - | A general-purpose computer programming language developed in 1983 by Bjarne Stroustrup.
|
| | back to top
|
| Cable modem | - | A device that connects your computer to a local TV cable line to receive high-speed Internet access.
|
| CableCARD | - | An electronic plug-in card provided by a cable company to decode their scrambled signal without the need of a separate set-top box (STB). About the size of a credit card, a CableCARD also allows consumers to record digital cable television channels on digital video recorders and personal computers without an STB.
|
| Cache | - | Memory or storage area your computer can access quickly. Internet browsers also have cache which stores information about places you've been to on the Web.
|
| Card reader | - | A device for transferring images from a memory card to your computer.
|
| CDMA | - | One the more common cellular networks in the United States is called CDMA. CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access and is offered by Verizon Wireless and Sprint. CDMA coverage is generally better in the U.S. but has some limitations abroad.
|
| | back to top
|
| CD-Rom | - | Stands for Compact Disk Read-Only-Memory. CD-ROM's are similar to audio CDs but store data instead of music.
|
| Center channel | - | The center speaker in a home theater sound system. The center channel typically handles voices such as dialogue in a movie.
|
| Chat room | - | A virtual room on the Internet where groups of users can communicate in real-time by sending text, images, and other info.
|
| ChromaLife100 | - | A Canon ink system designed to prevent photo prints from fading. Prints made from this system should last a long time before the colors show any noticeable change: 100 years in dark storage (an archival-quality photo album); 30 years on display in a glass frame indoors, without direct sunlight or other high-intensity light; and 10 years of resistance to gases found in indoor air (ozone, nitrous oxides, sulfur oxides.)
|
| Circuit board | - | An array of electronic components wired together on a thin sheet of non-conductive material. Circuit boards are common used in computers and other electronic devices.
|
| | back to top
|
| CompactFlash card | - | A matchbook-sized removable memory card used in digital cameras. Though many point-and-shoot digital cameras have switched to smaller SecureDigital (SD) cards, CompactFlash cards are still popular in higher-end cameras, such as digital SLRs, because they can store more images. Like SD Cards, a CompactFlash (CF) card uses flash memory to store information. There are two kinds of Compact Flash cards, Type 1 and a slightly thicker Type II.
|
| Component cable | - | Also known as an RCA cable, a component cable has three red, green and blue plugs and is commonly used for connection audio components -- such as a CD player -- to a receiver in a typical stereo.
|
| Computer desktop | - | Like a traditional desktop, a computer desktop is the virtual area where all of a user's folders, files and programs are placed. It's the first area you see after your computer has finished starting up.
|
| Cookies | - | A small piece of data from a web page that's downloaded to your computer's hard disk and is accessible by your Internet browser. Cookies allow web pages to "remember" you so you don't have to reenter user info including your name and password each time you visit.
|
| Corel Paint Shop Pro | - | Image editing and enhancing software from the makers of WordPerfect. Corel Paint Shop Pro is a competitor of the popular Adobe Photoshop imaging software.
|
| | back to top
|
| Cover Flow | - | A way to three-dimensionally view album cover art and other graphics and photos using Apple iTunes or the Macintosh finder on your computer. Cover Flow is also available on other Apple products such as the iPhone or iPod Touch.
|
| Cyberspace | - | A word coined by the writer William Gibson in his 1984 science fiction novel Neuromancer. The word is meant to describe the abstract world of information and communications that connects humans and computers. Cyberspace is commonly associated with, but not limited to, the Internet or the World Wide Web.
|
| DC mode | - | A special setting on the Apple Hi-Fi which manages energy to enhance battery life and sound.
|
| Depth of Field | - | Depth of field identifies the range in a photo in which subjects are in focus.
|
| Dialog box | - | A window that "pops up" in a computer application to allow the user to enter options or change settings.
|
| | back to top
|
| Digital frame | - | Also called a digital photo frame or a digital picture frame, a digital frame is an electronic device that looks like a traditional picture frame but is designed for displaying digital images instead of photo prints. The other main difference between a digital and a traditional frame is that a digital frame can display images in a slideshow format or include other types of media such as video or audio. Digital frames can be used as a stand-alone device or while attached by cable or via WiFi to a computer.
|
| Digital Image Stabilization | - | A type of image stabilization which automatically increases a camera's ISO light sensitivity and shutter speed to reduce image blur. Digital image stabilization is considered to be inferior to optical image stabilization -- which moves an element inside a camera (typically the lens or imaging sensor) to reduce blur – because shooting at a higher ISO can increase image "noise."
|
| Digital photo album | - | Taking your digital photos and turning them into professionally bound photo books.
|
| Digital SLR (DSLR) Camera | - | In a digital SLR (DSLR), light passes through the lens and is reflected by a mirror onto the optical viewfinder, giving the user a clear image of their subject. When the shutter button is pressed on a DSLR, the image is projected onto a imaging sensor.
|
| Digital television | - | A new television format which will become the standard in the U.S. on February 17, 2009. Digital television is more flexible and offers more resolution (including high definition) than a traditional analog signal.
|
| | back to top
|
| Digital turntable | - | Also known as a USB turntable, a digital turntable is a way to digitize music from traditional vinyl records through a USB connection to a computer with the help of software.
|
| Digital Zoom | - | Digital zoom is actually not really zoom at all but rather a way to "crop" the digital image or digital video footage in the camera to enlarge the subject. This cropping can degrade image quality, especially in lower resolution cameras.
|
| Direct View TV | - | A geekier name for a traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) TV set.
|
| DirecTV | - | One of the major satellite television providers in the U.S. which offers several high-definition channels.
|
| DLP | - | Digital Light Processing (DLP) is a technology created by Texas Instruments and used in projectors and projection televisions. DLP technology creates images by reflecting light off hundreds of thousands of tiny rotating mirrors.
|
| | back to top
|
| Dora the Explorer | - | An animated television series for pre-schoolers about an intrepid traveler named Dora. Dora the Explorer has also made into a series of video game titles.
|
| Download | - | To transfer a file or group of files to your computer from another computer. Most downloads are done over the Internet.
|
| DPI | - | Printing term that means the number of “dots per inch” used to create an image, such as a photo. The higher the DPI, the higher the resolution of the image.
|
| Drag-and-drop | - | Moving an element, such as a folder or an icon, from one location to another on a computer by dragging it with the mouse.
|
| DRAM | - | Short for "Dynamic Random Access Memory," DRAM is a common form of RAM which can hold data for only a short time. The "Dynamic" means DRAMs need to be constantly refreshed electronically by the computer to keep the stored data.
|
| | back to top
|
| DRM | - | DRM, or Digital Rights Management, is a blanket term for technology that’s used to prevent unauthorized copying of digital content, typically music.
|
| DSL | - | DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a type of high-speed Internet connection that transmits data over the regular copper wire phone lines.
|
| Dual-core Processor | - | A dual-core processor combines two independent Central Processing Units (CPUs) to better perform multiple computing tasks at the same time.
|
| DURABrite Ultra Pigment Ink | - | An inkjet system from Epson that uses long-lasting pigment-based inks. Photos created with this system have a projected fade resistance of up to 100 years – not only for prints made on special photo paper, but even for prints made on good-quality plain paper.
|
| DVI | - | Short for Digital Video Interface, DVI is a video connector designed to maximize the picture quality of digital display devices such as digital projectors and LCD screens. It was developed by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG), an industry consortium.
|
| | back to top
|
| Dye-sub printer | - | A dye-sub printer (short for dye-sublimation) uses heat to transfer dye to paper to create a color image. The dye-sublimation process uses a ribbon with color panels to lay one color at a time until the full-color image is complete. A final laminate overcoating seals in the ink and protects the print against fading from UV light and air while making it water-resistant.
|
| Earbuds | - | Small stereo listening devices that fit inside the ears rather than over the ears as do headphones. Earbuds became increasingly more common with the introduction of the iPod.
|
| eBay | - | The world's most well-known Internet auction site.
|
| Ethernet | - | A common way to create a local area network (LAN) connecting various computers and electronic devices. The Ethernet protocol was first developed by Xerox in the late 1970s.
|
| Ethernet cable | - | A coaxial cable for connecting to an Ethernet local-area network (LAN). Typically used to connect a computer to a modem to access the Internet.
|
| | back to top
|
| Ethernet port | - | A socket on a computer for connecting to an Ethernet local-area network (LAN).
|
| EV-DO | - | EVDO stands for Evolution Data Only or Evolution Data Optimized and is a a wireless radio broadband data protocol being adopted by some cellular phone providers. In the United States, EVDO is currently offered through Verizon Wireless and Sprint. By sliding an EVDO card -- sometimes called an Air Modem -- into your laptop, EVDO lets you have fast wireless access to the Internet from practically anywhere.
|
| Executable file | - | A file with a built-in program that is automatically run by the computer once it's opened.
|
| External hard drive | - | External hard drives – like embedded hard drives – store data on rapidly rotating magnetic disks. They’re typically housed in a protective plastic case and receive power through an A/C connection. They connect to a computer either by a USB or Firewire (IEEE1394) cable.
|
| F/Stop | - | The numbers on a lens signifying the width of the aperture. Technically a fraction of the focal length.
|
| | back to top
|
| FaceBook | - | A social networking website similar to MySpace but aimed toward college and university students.
|
| Face-Detection | - | A feature in some recent digital cameras which automatically detects faces in a scene and adjusts for sharpness and exposure to produce more pleasing portraits.
|
| Firewall | - | Computer hardware and/or software that prevents hackers from getting into a computer system. The term is taken from construction where a firewall – or fireproof wall – is installed to prevent fire from spreading from one section of a building to another.
|
| FireWire | - | FireWire is Apple Inc.’s name for the IEEE1394 high-speed connection standard. Similar to USB 2.0, FireWire is a fast and versatile serial bus interface often used to connect DV cameras and electronic devices to computers. It offers transfer rates of 400 megabytes per second.
|
| Firmware | - | Firmware is software embedded in a hardware device such as a computer or digital camera. Firmware, which usually can be updated by a user, is written into the device’s read-only memory (ROM).
|
| | back to top
|
| Flash | - | Adobe-owned multi-media software that helps add animation or video to web pages.
|
| Flat-screen TV | - | Flat-screen, or flat-panel, TVs take up very little room and can be hung on the wall. Because of their flat design, they offer a sharp, colorful picture from any angle, even in a brightly lit room. There are two competing flat-screen technologies – plasma and LCD.
|
| Focal range | - | The range in which a lens can focus. Often written as 3x zoom, 4x zoom, 10x zoom etc.
|
| Foveon chip | - | An image sensor known formally as the Foveon X3, it was designed to mimic film by directly capturing three layers of red, green, and blue light at each point in an image during a single exposure. Foveon X3 imaging sensors are currently found in Sigma cameras.
|
| Freeware | - | Software that is distributed free of charge, typically on the web.
|
| | back to top
|
| Giclée | - | A term used to describe a fine-art inkjet print.
|
| Gigabyte | - | A gigabyte is a unit of information or storage equal to approximately 1000 megabytes, or one billion bytes. Hard drive storage on computers are often measured in gigabytes.
|
| Gmail | - | A free, web-based email service from Google.
|
| GPS Tracking | - | GPS (Global Positioning System) is a satellite-based radio navigation system developed and operated by the US Department of Defense (DOD) and now available on a variety of consumer electronics devices. GPS helps track the coordinates of a person or object anywhere in the world.
|
| GSM | - | GSM, which stands for Global System for Mobile Communication, is a cellular network offered by Cingular (now AT&T) and T-Mobile. While GSM service is fairly prevalent in the United States, it’s much more common overseas. (GSM is the standard in Europe, for instance.) GSM phones, unlike CDMA phones, use a SIM card, allowing you to use different handsets while still keeping your phone number and list of contacts.
|
| | back to top
|
| GUI (Graphical User Interface) | - | Pronounced "goo-ee," a GUI (Graphical User Interface) uses graphics such as icons, pictures, and assorted objects instead of text to let the user interact with a computer or electronic device.
|
| Halo | - | An immensely popular science fiction video game created by Bungie Studio exclusively for the Microsoft xBox. Halo 3, the third installment in the series, had the highest grossing opening day in entertainment history, taking in $170 million in sales.
|
| Hard disk drive | - | A digital storage device, also known as a hard drive or a hard disk, that uses a rapidly spinning platter with a magnetic surface to store data.
|
| HD DVD | - | HD DVD is a high-density optical disc format designed for high-definition video high-density data storage. HD DVD (which stands for High-Density Digital Versatile Disc) is one of two competing high definition disc standards. The other is Blu-ray. HD DVD is supported by Toshiba, NEC Corporation, Microsoft, and Intel.
|
| HDMI | - | An all-digital audio/video interface capable of transmitting uncompressed streams. The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) provides a connection between any compatible digital audio/video device such as DVD player or a High Definition television.
|
| | back to top
|
| HDTV | - | High-definition televisions (HDTV) feature eye-popping resolution that is up to five times sharper than traditional television formats. HDTV signals are digital and broadcast in a wider aspect ratio (16:9) than traditional signals which are in standard aspect ratio. (4:3).
|
| High Definition Video (HDV) | - | High Definition Video (HDV) is a video format designed to record compressed HDTV video on standard DV media such as DV or MiniDV cassette tape. In HDV, resolution can be 720p or 1080i. HDV 720p uses a resolution of 1280x720 square pixels. HDV 1080i uses a resolution of 1440x1080 pixels, but is still displayed with an aspect ratio of 16:9
|
| Home Theater in a Box | - | A Home Theater in a Box (HTIB) system includes the receiver, speakers and (sometimes) DVD player required to create a movie theater audio experience in the home. All the components in an HTIB have been pre-selected to work well together, complete with cables and easy setup instructions.
|
| HTML | - | Short for HyperText Markup Language, HTML is a computer language used for designing web pages.
|
| iChat AV | - | Software on Apple computers that allows for instant text and video messaging. iChat AV can be used over the popular AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) service. The current version supports up to four people in a video conference and ten people in an audio conference.
|
| | back to top
|
| Image Buffer | - | The number of images you can shoot before they are processed by the camera and stored to the memory card. A digital camera with a large image buffer can keep shooting a long sequence without having to wait for internal processing to catch up.
|
| Image editing software | - | Software designed to help you manipulate and enhance your digital images. The most popular professional image editing software is Adobe Photosho but there are dozens of other programs out there -- including many easy-to-use consumer-oriented applications -- to help you improve and tweak your digital photos.
|
| Image scanner | - | A device which electronically analyzes a physical image, such as a photograph, and converts it into a digital image.
|
| ImageLink | - | The ImageLink print system is a industry standard, created by Kodak, designed to simplify at-home printing. With ImageLink, you can place any compatible digital camera directly on an ImageLink printer dock and then press a single button to make snapshot-size pictures in seconds.
|
| IMAP | - | Short for Internet Message Access Protocol, IMAP is a protocol for retrieving email from a mail server on the Internet. It’s slightly more sophisticated than POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) and is seen as its successor.
|
| | back to top
|
| Inkjet printer | - | An inkjet printer shoots out tiny droplets of liquid ink onto paper to create text or a graphic or image. While standard inkjet printers often use four colors to print, inkjet photo printers typically use six, seven, or eight different colors. The more colors, the better the quality of the photo.
|
| Instant messaging | - | Instant Messaging (IM) is a real-time text or video “chat” between two or more users who are online simultaneously. Some of the more popular instant message services include AOL Instant Messenger, Microsoft Windows Live Messenger or Yahoo Messenger.
|
| Internal memory | - | Storage for digital information that is already built into the device.
|
| Internet browser | - | Software that helps you surf the Internet. Some of the more popular browsers include Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Netscape.
|
| iPhoto | - | A software application from Apple designed to manage and edit digital photos. iPhoto is part of Apple’s iLife suite of applications and comes bundled with all the latest Mac computers.
|
| | back to top
|
| iPod | - | Launched in October 2001, the iPod is on its 5th generation music player from Apple, which now also plays video content. The “classic” iPod uses a hard disk drive and a click wheel to access digital content.
|
| iPod FM Transmitter | - | A device which connects to you iPod and beams the tunes to an empty channel on the car’s radio.
|
| iPod Nano | - | A small and lightweight Apple iPod digital audio player that replaced the iPod Mini in 2005. Unlike the traditional iPod, the Nano does not have a built-in hard drive but instead uses flash memory storage, allowing a more petite design.
|
| iPod Shuffle | - | A postage stamp-sized music player from Apple that has no display. The iPod Shuffle uses flash memory to store songs and other data.
|
| ISO | - | An international standard used to denote film speed that has been carried over to digital cameras. A digital camera’s ISO speed corresponds to how sensitive the imaging sensor is to light. The higher the ISO, the better the camera is for capturing images in low light without a flash.
|
| | back to top
|
| iTunes | - | A digital music player from Apple Inc. that allows you to play and organize digital music and video files, Podcasts, downloads of TV shows and movies, and Internet radio stations.
|
| Jump Drive | - | Another name for a portable USB drive.
|
| Landline | - | A telephone connection that uses actual fiber optic, metallic or copper phone lines. A traditional or non-wireless telephone line.
|
| LCD | - | Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screens can be found on many electronic devices including digital cameras. LCD television sets have also been gaining in popularity as an alternative to plasma TVs.
|
| LCD Screen | - | The Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen found on the back of a digital camera to help you compose a shot, review an image, or set menu items.
|
| | back to top
|
| LCD TV | - | As indicated by its name, an LCD TV uses liquid crystal display technology (generally TFT) for its visual output, as opposed to cathode ray or plasma.
|
| Legend of Zelda | - | A series of video games created by famed game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (inventor of Donkey Kong) for Nintendo. The series, which began in 1986, are set in a fantasy world and mix action, adventure and role-playing.
|
| Li-ion battery | - | Common rechargeable batteries found in consumer electronics such as laptops computers, digital cameras and camcorders, and cellular phones.
|
| Line-in jack | - | A connector on audio equipment to which a device like a CD-player or DVD player may be attached.
|
| Live View | - | A way to preview your image on the LCD screen of your digital camera before you take the picture. This feature has been available on point-and-shoot digital cameras for some time now though camera designers have recently figured out a way to add Live View to digital SLRs.
|
| | back to top
|
| Lumen | - | A measurement of illumination on a screen or other surface. As a rule of thumb, one lumen is equal to one candle of light.
|
| Macintosh OSX | - | Mac OS X is the latest version of the Mac OS, the operating system software for Macintosh computers.
|
| Macro | - | A setting for close-up photography. In Macro mode, or when you use a macro lens, you can focus extremely closely to the subject to capture minute detail.
|
| Macro Lens | - | A lens that can focus extremely closely to the subject to capture minute detail. A macro lens is ideal for taking close-ups of subjects such as flowers or insects.
|
| Madden NFL | - | A popular football video game from EA Sports named after John Madden, an NFL commentator and former coach.
|
| | back to top
|
| Media card | - | Also known as memory cards, media cards are small removable chips in digital cameras that use “flash memory” to store image files. Memory cards come in a variety of formats, the most popular being CompactFlash (CF), Secure Digital (SD), and xD-Picture Cards.
|
| Media Center PC | - | A computer that's optimized for music, photography, digital video, games, DVD playback and Web-based entertainment, but still has practical computer applications.
|
| Megapixel | - | Where a pixel is a single “picture element” in a digital image, a megapixel is equal to a million “picture elements,” or pixels.
|
| Memory cards | - | Small removable chips in digital cameras that use 'flash memory' to store image files. Memory cards come in a variety of formats, the most popular being CompactFlash (CF), Secure Digital (SD), and xD-Picture Cards.
|
| Metal Gear Solid | - | A popular series of "stealth" video game titles created and directed by Hideo Kojima for the Konami game company. The series, which just reached its completion with the release of the new "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" game for Sony Playstation 3, follows retired solider Solid Snake as he battles renegade special forces operatives and confronts the Metal Gear fighting machine, which is sort of a tank with legs that's capable of launching nuclear weapons.
|
| | back to top
|
| Microsoft Outlook | - | A program from Microsoft that helps you organize all of your personal and business information including email, a calendar, tasks, contacts, and web browsing. Also sometimes referred to as "Outlook," the full name of the program is Microsoft Office Outlook.
|
| MiniDV tape | - | MiniDV (Digital Video) tapes were once the standard format for recording digital video. About three inches long and capable of recording up to 90 minutes of footage, MiniDV tapes first emerged in the mid-1990s but have begun to wane in popularity as DVD camcorders have become to dominate the market.
|
| MiniDVDs | - | MiniDVDs are an increasingly popular format for recording digital video. About three inches in diameter, miniDVDs can record up to 30 minutes of footage in the highest quality setting. Camcorders that record to miniDVD have grown increasingly popular in recent years.
|
| Minijack | - | Standard 1/8" jack/plug commonly used to connect headphones or audio components.
|
| Minilab | - | Short for Mini Laboratory, a minilab is used in photographic processing to create prints from negatives, slides, or digital media.
|
| | back to top
|
| Motherboard | - | The main circuit board of a computer.
|
| Mouse | - | A hand-held device for moving the cursor or pointer on the computer screen.
|
| MP3 | - | A popular audio format for digital music which uses compression to create CD-like sound quality in a relatively small file size. MP3 stands for MPEG Audio Layer-3.
|
| MP3 Player | - | A music player, such as an iPod, that plays digital audio files. MP3 is a popular audio format for digital music which uses compression to create CD-like sound quality in a relatively small file size. MP3 stands for MPEG Audio Layer-3.
|
| MySpace | - | A free Internet service in which users create and customize their own profiles in order to interact with each other online. Sometimes called a social networking interface, MySpace offers photo and video sharing, music, blogs, email, bulletin boards, and groups, as well as other media-rich features.
|
| | back to top
|
| Napster | - | A free peer-to-peer online music sharing service created by Shawn Fanning. Legal challenges from the music industry regarding copyright violations eventually shut Napster down. The Napster name was purchased by Roxio in 2002 and turned into a paid subscription music service.
|
| Nav bar | - | A shortened, slang term for "Navigation Bar." A Nav bar is the tool bar often found on the side or top of a website which helps you navigate through a site's various features and sections.
|
| Nintendo Wii Fit | - | Nintendo Wii Fit works directly with your Wii console and new Wii Balance Board accessory to bring health and balance back into your life, offering fun and exciting activities that everyone can enjoy! Get fit with over 40 activities including strength training, aerobics, yoga and balance games.
|
| Noise | - | That ugly digital fuzz that turns up in your photos when you try to take a picture in low-light without a flash. While digital cameras have gotten better in reducing noise -- which results from not enough light getting to the imaging sensor -- it is still a problem in some cameras, particularly small point-and-shoot models.
|
| Noise-cancelling headphones | - | Headphones which use "active noise control" technology to reduce external ambient sound. Noise-cancelling headphones typically employ an external microphone near the ear to sample external sound and then produce an anti-noise signal to let you better hear the music in your headphones and not the hum of your surroundings.
|
| | back to top
|
| OnStar | - | A decade-old subscription service from GM that lets drivers make hands-free calls, track a stolen car, or receive driving directions.
|
| Opera | - | A free web browser and Internet suite developed by the Opera Software company. Opera, the fourth most popular web browser behind Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safarai, includes many cutting-edge features that have been borrowed by competing browsers including fast overall performance, tabbed browsing, page zooming and built-in security functionality including anti-phishing and malware protection.
|
| Optical image stabilization | - | An automatic adjustment that physically shifts an element in a camera or a camera lens to compensate for hand shake, preventing image blur.
|
| Optical Viewfinder | - | The eyepiece on a camera you look through to see your subject before you take a picture. Many compact digital cameras are getting rid of optical viewfinders in favor of just LCD viewfinders.
|
| Optical zoom | - | To magnify an image, an optical zoom will adjust the lens either manually or automatically. By contrast, a digital zoom will crop the digital image to get closer which degrades the quality of the picture.
|
| | back to top
|
| OSX | - | Apple Inc.'s current operating system for all its latest Macintosh computers. OSX was launched in 1999 and is now on Version 10.5, also known as Leopard.
|
| Panwapa Island | - | A fictitious island found online at Panwapa.com where kids can learn how to become better global citizens. Panwapa.com is an educational site created by Sesame Workshop.
|
| PCMCIA slot | - | PCMCIA is an acronym for Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, a trade group that has created a standard size for small expansion cards – such as to gain wireless internet access – for laptops. The PCMCIA slot (also known as PC slot) is the port on your laptop where you fit these PC cards.
|
| PDF | - | Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format developed by Adobe Systems that can be viewed without needing the original application software, hardware, or operating system that was used to create the document.
|
| Photo Kiosk | - | – A self-service machine, about the size of an ATM, for making prints. Typically found in a photo or drug store, photo kiosks accept memory cards, CDs and other media. They have built-in printers and make your prints while you wait.
|
| | back to top
|
| Photoshop | - | A popular professional image editing, enhancement and design program from Adobe.
|
| PictBridge | - | PictBridge is an industry open standard that allows images to be printed directly from a digital camera to a printer, without having to go through a computer. It was created by the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA).
|
| Plasma TV | - | A plasma display panel (PDP) is a type of flat panel display commonly used for large TV sets -- typically above 32 inches. Plasma display technology uses many tiny cells between two panels of glass to hold an inert mixture of noble gases (neon and xenon). The gas in the cells is electrically turned into a plasma which then excites phosphors to emit light.
|
| Plug-in | - | A program that adds a specific function or service to a larger software system. The most popular plug-in applications are used to add further image editing functionality to Adobe Photoshop.
|
| Podcast | - | An audio or video file posted on the Internet that can be played on a website or downloaded and listened to and/or watched later.
|
| | back to top
|
| Polaroid i-Zone | - | An instant camera from Polaroid that printed photos on 1.5" x1" strips of pull-out paper. One of the distinctive features of photo paper from an i-Zone camera was its sticky back which let you mount your pictures on a variety of surfaces. The simple i-Zone cameras, which were discontinued in 2006, were very popular among children and teens.
|
| POP3 | - | Short for Post Office Protocol 3, POP3 is a standard protocol for collecting e-mail from a mail server on the Internet.
|
| powerline networking | - | A way to create a home network by using the electrical wiring in your house.
|
| Preamp | - | An electronic devices that processes an audio signal before it reaches the amplifier to improve sound quality.
|
| Processor | - | Also known as the Central Processing Unit (CPU), the processor is the part of the computer that works with data and runs programs. The processor is sometimes referred to as a computer’s “brain.”
|
| | back to top
|
| RAM | - | RAM (Random Access Memory) is used by a computer to juggle multiple programs. The more RAM a computer has, the “faster” it will run when it’s multi-tasking between, for example, word processing, watching videos on YouTube, and editing images in Photoshop.
|
| RAW | - | An unprocessed digital image file. RAW files are also sometimes referred to as a digital negative because they contain the full amount of image information. On the downside, RAW image files are typically 2 to 4 times larger than "compressed" file formats such as JPEGs.
|
| RCA cable | - | A cable commonly used for connecting audio components – such as a CD player – to a receiver in a typical stereo.
|
| RCA plug | - | A plug common for connecting audio components – such as a CD player –
to a receiver in a typical stereo.
|
| Rear Projection TV | - | In a rear projection TV, an image is projected and reflected onto the screen from behind, unlike traditional video and film projection in which the projector itself is placed in front of the screen, such as in a movie theater.
|
| | back to top
|
| Resolution | - | Image resolution in a digital photo is measured by the number of pixels it has. Higher resolution images have more pixels, or more picture detail.
|
| Ringtones | - | Customizable sounds on a cell phone to indicate an incoming call.
|
| Scan | - | To convert text, a photo, or artwork into a digital image by using an electronic scanner.
|
| Scanner | - | A device which converts text, a photo, or artwork into a digital image. The most common type of scanner is a "flatbed" scanner which lets you lay your document or photo flat on the device's glass to be scanned and then digitized.
|
| SD Card Slot | - | A slot on a digital camera, computer, television set or other electronic device that accepts Secure Digital (SD) Cards. The advantage to having an SD Card slot is that it allows you to easily transport and transfer digital content – such as images or videos – from one device to another.
|
| | back to top
|
| SD Memory Card | - | A common type of memory card used in digital cameras. Also known as a Secure Digital Card. Memory cards are small removable chips that use "flash memory" to store image files.
|
| SDRAM | - | Short for "Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory," SDRAM is faster than standard DRAM because it operates in sync with the clock speed of the computer's CPU (Central Processing Unit).
|
| Set-top box | - | Similar to a cable box, a Set-top box (STB) receives, converts and sends a signal to your television. If your HDTV-ready TV has no built-in HDTV tuner you must connect it to a compatible HDTV STB first.
|
| Shareware | - | Software that can be used for free on a trial basis for evaluation purposes.
|
| Shutter lag | - | That annoying delay in digital cameras between pressing the shutter release button and actually taking the picture.
|
| | back to top
|
| Shutter speed | - | The amount of time the shutter is open in a camera. The faster the shutter speed, the more clearly a moving object can be shot.
|
| Shutterfly | - | An online service for processing, organizing, editing, and archiving your digital images. Shutterfly is similar to other online digital photo sites such as Snapfish and Kodak EasyShare Gallery, and will allow you to print your images in photo books or on unique items such as mugs, magnets and tote bags.
|
| Siemens Centra Active | - | A digital hearing aid made by Siemens.
|
| Siemens Company | - | A U.K.-based technology company that has been in business for over 160 years. Siemens manufacturers everything from digital hearing aids to home appliances.
|
| Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) Camera | - | In a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, light passes through the lens and is reflected by a mirror onto the optical viewfinder, giving the user a clear image of their subject. When the shutter button is pressed in a film camera, the SLR’s focal plane shutter opens, and the image is projected onto film.
|
| | back to top
|
| Sirius Satellite Radio | - | One of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada. The other is XM Satellite Radio.
|
| Skins | - | Customized digital graphics allowing users to change the look of their computer desktops, Internet browsers, or web pages without changing their functionality.
|
| Skype | - | Skype is a free VOIP (Voice-Over-Internet Protocol) service that lets users have voice conversations over the Internet with the help of software. Skype also offers a fee-based service that lets users communicate with traditional phones.
|
| Slow Sync Flash | - | A flash technique, often offered in an automatic mode, that fires the flash in conjunction with a slow shutter speed. When used correctly, slow sync flash can expose both subject and background for a natural-looking result. Slow sync flash can also be used to create surreal light trails in an image to suggest motion.
|
| Smart Phone | - | A cellular device that combines the calling features of a cell phone with the organizational and Internet based communication features of a PDA. The main difference between a smart phone and a cell phone is the existence of a “QWERTY” keyboard or a touch screen which allows smart phone users to access the Internet and check email. Most cell phones can, at best, just send text messages to other cell phones.
|
| | back to top
|
| SMS | - | SMS (Short Message Service) allows short text messages to be sent to a mobile phone.
|
| Sony Playstation 3 | - | Though it's the most expensive mainstream gaming console on the market, the Sony Playstation 3 has the best graphics and boasts some impressive extras including a built-in Blu-ray player for playing high-defintion DVDs; built-in wireless networking; a 60GB hard drive; HDMI output, and free online gaming.
|
| Sound Card | - | A circuit card in a computer that allows it to produce sounds through internal or external speakers.
|
| |
