FireWire
I’m sure most of you have heard this term before, one way or another, but do you have any idea what it means? FireWire is fairly new to the computer world, so it’s understandable if you’ve never really been given a definition of it. Either way, that ends today. I’m going to do my best to give you the information you want to know, so here we go!
FireWire… Continue reading
Q:
What does the term “Ping” mean?
A:
Basically, ping is short for Packet InterNet Groper and it is a utility that is most widely used to check for network errors. It’s the main utility that is used to verify whether or not a network data packet can be sent to an address (usually an IP address) without any errors.
Now, let me try… Continue reading
Dual Boot
Did you know that you can have more than one operating system on just one single computer? If you’ve never heard of the term mentioned above in the title, you’re in for a real treat today! Now, I’m sure most of you are able to figure out (even if it’s just a little) what a dual boot is just by putting the two words together. But, what all… Continue reading
Send To
So, what exactly is the Send To option for? Does it even have a purpose? Well, if you’ve ever wondered what the answer to that question is, then come along with me. I’ll explain everything!
One of the most powerful tools in the Windows operating systems is the right mouse button. That one little button opens up so many new options and it makes so many things so… Continue reading
Windows Explorer
I have one more Q&A for you today. I hope you don’t mind too much!
Q:
What exactly is Windows Explorer? I’ve heard the term mentioned several times in your tips, but I’ve never gotten a good grasp as to what it is. Please explain!
A:
You know what? This question came at the most perfect possible time. It was brought to my attention… Continue reading
I’m sure you’ve all heard of the term “avatar” before, right? Besides being a 3D movie by James Cameron, it is also a pretty common term in today’s Internet world. Still, you may have heard of it and still not know what it means or what all it entails.
This is an example of an avatar picture.
An avatar is… Continue reading
BitTorrent
The question of the day is, “What is a torrent”? And even better yet, “What is BitTorrent”? Well, as you may have guessed, the word “torrent” is derived from the term “BitTorrent.” You may have heard of these terms before, but what do they mean? BitTorrent is actually the file distribution system that the torrents (a.k.a. files) come from. So, how does all of it work? Well, allow me… Continue reading
Q:
What can you tell me about social bookmarking?
A:
Well, a lot actually! I know most of you have probably heard of bookmarking and some of you probably know what I’m talking about when I say social networking, but what about social bookmarking? Do those three things even have anything to do with each other? The answer to that is yes and no. Allow me to explain.… Continue reading
Know Your Hardware
Most people who own computers have basic hardware and they don’t even realize it. Either that or they don’t really know what each item is called. And basically, when you don’t realize when something is there, it can keep you from doing certain things that you want to do. Usually, you can do those things, but without knowing your hardware, it’s difficult to master.
So, what is… Continue reading
E-books
So, what is an e-book? I’m sure some of you have probably wondered that and it makes sense that you do, because e-books are becoming very popular as the days go by. An e-book, which is also known as an electronic book is just basically the digital equivalent of a regular printed book. Often times, e-books are also read with an e-book reader, which is just a device that… Continue reading
Melissa from MS asks:
What does OEM stand for?
You may have heard the letters OEM before, but what do they have to do with computers? Well, OEM is short for Original Equipment Manufacturer and as a whole, they are basically companies that build certain products that are then sold by another company. Those
Third Party
You’ve probably heard this term somewhere along the line in one of our previous tips, but do you have any idea what it really means? You might have a slight clue as to what it is, because the term, third party, is used for various other things, but what does it have to do with computers? Well, basically, the same thing.
A third party resource is anything that… Continue reading
Pixels
After some consideration, I realized that some of you may not know what a pixel is. I’ve been running some tips about pixels lately and I forgot that some of you may not even be familiar with the initial term. And although all of you are so smart and you’ve probably been able to figure it out, I thought I should give you a formal definition anyway. So, here… Continue reading
Dead Pixels
Ever since I wrote the tip about stuck pixels, I’ve gotten questions from several readers about the difference between those and dead pixels. Is there a difference? Well, as a matter of fact, there is. Before you go any further, read here to find out what a stuck pixel is first. That will help you in understanding this tip a lot more. Okay, once you’ve read… Continue reading
Applet Defined
We often use this term in our computer tips, so I got to thinking that it might be a good idea to tell you all what it actually is. How would you like that? Yeah, I thought you might be interested. So, here’s a brief definition of applet just for you!
An applet is one part of a software program that actually works within another program. The term… Continue reading
AdSense
After mentioning this term in one of the tips last week, I received several e-mails from all of you wondering what exactly it is. I’m sure most of you can figure out that it has something to do with advertisements, but what else does it entail? Where does the term come from, etc., etc.? Those are all good questions and I’m here to answer them for you right now!… Continue reading
Zero-Day Defined
Have you heard of the term Zero-Day before? You may have, but do you know what all a Zero-Day flaw entails? The term itself isn’t very complicated to understand once you know the bottom line of what makes them exist, but if you ever just wanted a simple definition of a Zero-Day flaw, today is your day. That’s exactly what I’m going to give you right now!
These… Continue reading
ISO Images
Ever wonder what this term involves? You may know that it has something to do with the digital world, but what exactly does it entail? Well, I’m here to fill you in today!
First of all, an ISO image is known as a .iso file and it is just another term for a disk image or any optical disk image. It’s basically an exact copy of an already… Continue reading
Q:
What exactly is Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Advantage? I had a problem with it the other day and I would like to know more about it. Please help!
A:
Yes, this happens quite often. I’m sure you’re not the only one who has been struck by the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) pop up balloon and I know you won’t be the last. Basically, the WGA is… Continue reading
Q:
What exactly is a hijack and are there different kinds that I should look out for when I’m using my computer?
A:
That’s a wonderful question! I’m actually quite surprised that we’ve never gone over this in a tip before. With that in mind, now is the perfect time to do so. Like any virus or piece of spyware that invades your computer, a hijack is similar… Continue reading
Webisode
Have you ever heard of a webisode? It’s a new term that is on the rise in the world of computers. Chances are, if you already know about it, you either heard it on the Internet or maybe you even heard someone talking about it on TV or the radio. So, let’s learn a little more about this up and coming technology, shall we?!
Basically, a webisode is exactly… Continue reading
Timothy from IL asks:
I ran into the letters DRM the other day and I have no idea what they mean. Can you help?
DRM is short for Digital Rights Management and it mainly deals with copyright protection issues on CDs, DVDs, etc. DRM is the technology that publishers
NTLDR
Have you ever run into the “NTLDR is missing; press any key to restart” error when you’re booting up your computer? I hadn’t either until the other day and I wondered what it meant, so I found out and I thought I would tell you all about it too. First of all, NTLDR is short for NT Loader. It’s basically the boot loader for Windows NT, along with the… Continue reading
Q:
What is a serial port and is it any different than a COM port?
A:
This can be a little confusing, so I’m glad you asked. We have touched on this topic before, but it wasn’t a very in depth description, so I do believe it’s time we change that! And that’s what I’m here to do for you all today. Keep reading to learn all about… Continue reading
Jewel Cases
Have you ever heard of the term jewel case? You may have seen it mentioned in some of our advertisements that we include in the newsletters. Often times, our software programs come packaged in a jewel case. Know what I’m talking about now?
Well, either way, a jewel case is the two piece plastic case that CDs come in. Okay, I’m sure you know what I’m referring to… Continue reading
Mail To
Are you an avid Web page designer? Well, maybe you’re not a complete pro yet, but you like to experiment with the different features that your Web site program (FrontPage, Dreamweaver, etc.) offers, right? Well, we all know that it takes a lot to put a Web page together and every program does things a little differently, but there is one thing that always stays the same within… Continue reading
Programmers
Have you ever wondered who creates the computer programs and other software you use on a daily basis? Especially if it’s a program you really enjoy using? Don’t you just wish you knew who made such a great piece of software? Well, I can’t give out any names, but I can tell you that those people are called computer programmers. Here’s a little about them.
Programmers, also referred to… Continue reading
