Abbreviations
Tech Table of Contents
Tech Keyword and Tech Jargon Index
Tech Abbreviations and Tech Acronyms
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| AGP |  Advanced Graphics Port. A slot inside the computer for installing hardware for improved video output. |
| AIFF | Audio Interchange File Format. An audio file format and file extension. |
| AMD | Advanced Micro Devices. A company that manufactures CPUs. A competitor of Intel. |
| AOL | America Online. A long-time Internet content and service provider. |
| API | Application Programming Interface. Computer instructions that allow one program to interact with another, useful when shared between software companies. Also see SDK. |
| APP | Application. A computer program that takes input from the user. |
| ASCII | American Standard Code for Information Interchange. The standard method of converting typed characters to computer code, and visa versa. |
| ATA | Advanced Technology Attachment. A type of hard drive. |
| A/V | Audio & Video. Inputs and outputs to connect various devices. |
| AV | Anti-Virus. A computer program to detect and prevent viruses and other malicious software. |
| AVI | Audio Video Interleave. A video file format and file extension. |
| BIOS | Basic Input/Output System. The heart of the computer that allows it to turn on. |
| BIT | Binary Digit. The basic unit of computer information. |
| BLOG | Web Log |
| BMP | Bitmap. A graphic file format and extension. |
| BOTNET | Robot Network. A group of computers controlled remotely by a hacker for nefarious purposes. |
| BYTE | Binary element string, made up of bits. |
| CAT-5 | Category 5. A type of network cable typically used for Ethernet. |
| CD | Compact Disk |
| CDMA | Code Division Multiple Access. A digital radio system which is used by some cell phone carriers. It differs from GSM. |
| CD-R | Compact Disk – Recordable. A blank CD for home recording. |
| CD-ROM | Compact Disk – Read Only Memory. Commercial CD that cannot be edited. |
| CD-RW | Compact Disk – Rewritable. A blank CD that can have data written (recorded), erased, and re-written. |
| CF | Compact Flash. A small wafer-type portable memory module, used in digital cameras, etc. |
| CMOS | Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor. A type of low-power circuit used for such things as maintaining the clock and BIOS battery in personal computers. |
| CPU | Central Processing Unit. The brains of the computer. |
| CRT | Cathode Ray Tube. The old-style heavy television or computer monitor. |
| DIMM | Dual In-Line Memory Module. A device which provides main computer system RAM. |
| DivX | A type of MPEG-4 video file format. |
| DLP | Digital Light Processing. A type of flat-screen display. |
| DNS | Domain Name System or Domain Name Server. The system for correlating domain names to IP addresses. |
| DOC | Document. A file format and file extension. |
| DP | Dot Pitch. The distance between same-color dots that make up the image on a monitor. |
| DPI | Dots Per Inch. A measure of the sharpness and clarity of a digital image. |
| DRAM | Dynamic Random Access Memory. A type of RAM. |
| DRM | Digital Rights Management. Software embedded in various types of digital media to prevent copying, playing, and converting to other formats. |
| DSL | Digital Subscriber Line. A type of broadband connection which uses standard telephone cables without interrupting telephone calls. |
| DTV | Digital Television. A method of broadcasting and delivering a television signal that improves upon analog. |
| DVD | Digital Video Disk |
| DVI | Digital Video Interface. An interface connector designed to send video to digital displays. |
| DVR | Digital Video Recorder. A video device that records directly to a hard drive. |
| EFF | Electronic Frontier Foundation. A non-proift organization which protects the rights of free speech on the Internet and in digital media. |
| EULA | End-User License Agreement. A contract which grants a license to the user and indemnifies the software provider against damages. |
| EVDO | Evolution-Data Optimized. A telecommunication standard for using radio frequencies for broadband Internet access for mobile devices. |
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions. A help page found on many websites. |
| FLOPS | FLoating point Operations Per Second. A measure of a computer’s performance based on the speed that it can do complicated scientific and mathematical calculations. |
| FTP | File Transfer Protocol. A system used for Internet file management. |
| FUD | Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. A non-technical term often used in the tech world to describe a dishonest marketing ploy. |
| GIF | Graphics Interchange Format. A graphic file format and file extension. |
| GPS | Global Positioning System |
| GPU | Graphics Processing Unit. |
| GSM | Global System for Mobile Communication. A standard for cell phone communication used worldwide by a variety of carriers. It differs from CDMA. |
| GUI | Graphical User Interface. The system of using icons and a mouse to control the computer. |
| H.264 | An advanced MPEG-4 video file format. |
| HD | Hard Drive or Hard Disk. The main hardware in a computer for storing files. Also see HDTV. |
| HDCP | High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection. A type of DRM that controls digital media between devices. |
| HDMI | High-Definition Multimedia Interface. A type of connector and cable which transports audio and video to compliant digital devices. |
| HDTV | High-Definition Television. Television clarity that provides two to three times the number of lines as standard definition. |
| HP | Hewlett-Packard. A technology company that specializes in printers and personal computers. |
| HTML | Hypertext Markup Language. The basic coding language for web pages. Other types include SHTML, SGML, XML, and XHML. CyberToothedTiger.com is written in XHTML. |
| HTTP | HyperText Transfer Protocol. A system used for Internet navigation. The more secure version, used for commerce, is HTTPS. |
| ICANN | Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. The organization responsible for coordinating all domain names and certain Internet protocols. |
| IP | Internet Protocol address. A series of 3-digit numbers that identifies the precise address of a device on a network. Compare URL. |
| IPTV | Internet Protocol Television. TV programming delivered over the Internet. |
| ISP | Internet Service Provider |
| JPG | Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG). A graphic file format and file extention. |
| KB | Kilobyte. One thousand bytes. |
| Kbps | Kilobits Per Second |
| KBps | Kilobytes Per Second |
| LAN | Local Area Network. A network of computers that are not individually connected to the Internet, such as in a business or home. Compare to WAN. |
| LCD | Liquid Crystal Display. A type of flat-screen display. |
| LCoS | Liquid Crystal on Silicon. A type of flat-screen display. |
| MB | Megabyte. One thousand Kilobytes. |
| Mbps | Megabits Per Second. Commonly used to describe transfer speeds. |
| MIDI | Musical Instrument Digital Interface. A type of file format that records and plays musical notes, as opposed to musical sounds. |
| MoBo | Motherboard. The main circuit board inside a desktop or laptop computer. |
| MODEM | Modulator/Demodulator. A device that converts analog and digital signals in order to connect a computer to the Internet through telephone or cable TV lines. |
| MOV | MOVIE. A video file format and file extension. |
| MP | Megapixel. One million pixels. Used to describe the size and clarity of a digital photograph. |
| MP3 | Moving Pictures Experts Group Audio Layer 3. An audio file format and file extension. |
| MPEG-4 | Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG). A video file format. Other formats include MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. |
| NAS | Network Attached Storage. A shared hard drive outside of a computer that is connected directly to a network. |
| NAT | Network Address Translation. A technology in routers which controls Internet traffic within a small network. |
| NIC | Network Interface Card. A small device installed in a personal computer for connecting the network cable. |
| OCR | Optical Character Recognition. Software that converts printed or written words to digital text. |
| OS | Operating System. The basic software that makes a computer able to run programs. |
| P2P | Peer-to-Peer. A method of file-sharing across a network. |
| PALC | Plasma-Addressed Liquid Crystal. A type of flat-screen display. |
| PC | Personal Computer. Originally referred to IBM-Microsoft computers, but now means any desktop or portable computer. |
| PDA | Personal Digital Assistant. A portable device for storing, retrieving, and manipulating addresses, appointments, reminders, etc. |
| Portable Document File. A document file format and file extension developed by Adobe Systems. |
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| PIM | Personal Information Manager. A program on a PC or on a PDA for storing, retrieving, and manipulating addresses, appointments, reminders, etc. |
| PIN | Personal Identification Number. A numeric password usually associated with a credit or debit card. |
| PiP | Picture-In-Picture. A television technology that allows more than one channel or video input to be displayed simultaneously. |
| PIXEL | Picture Element. An individual dot in a digital image. |
| PND | Personal Navigation Device. A hand-held GPS device. |
| PNG | Portable Network Graphics. A graphic file format and file extension. |
| POP | Post Office Protocol. A technology for transmitting email. |
| PPM | Pages Per Minute. A measure of the speed for printers and fax machines. In chemistry, ppm refers to parts per million. |
| PVP | Protected Video Path. A type of Digital Rights Management aimed at video on a computer. |
| PX | See PIXEL |
| RAM | Random Access Memory. Memory that the computer uses for the task being done. |
| RFID | Radio Frequency Identification. Passive RFID is a short-range technology often used on retail products to sense if they are being taken out the door. Active RFID is a longer-range technology used to find items in a confined space. |
| ROM | Read Only Memory. Can apply to computer chips or compact disks. |
| RPM | Revolutions Per Minute. Once used to describe vinyl record speeds; now used to describe hard drive speeds. |
| RSS | Really Simple Syndication. A technology for automatically sending web content to a subscriber. |
| RTF | Rich Text Format. A simple type of document file format and file extension. |
| SATA | Serial Advanced Technology Attachment. A type of hard drive. |
| SCSI | Small Computer Systems Interface. A type of connection between devices inside a computer. |
| SDK | Software Development Kit. A set of software tools that allow new programs to be created to work with other programs and devices. More comprehensive than an API. |
| SDRAM | Synchronous DRAM. A type of RAM. |
| SDTV | Standard Definition Television. Regular television clarity before the introduction of high-definition television. |
| SIMM | Single In-Line Memory Module. A device which provides main computer system RAM. |
| SKU | Stock Keeping Unit. A unique identification number assigned to retail products for the purpose of computerized inventory. |
| SMS | Short Message Service. A text messaging system designed for mobile devices such as cell phones. |
| SSL | Secure Sockets Layer. A web technology for creating a secure connection for commerce. |
| SXRD | Silicon Crystal (X-tal) Reflective Display. A type of flat-screen display. |
| TIF | Tagged Image File Format (TIFF). A graphic file format and file extension. |
| TLD | Top Level Domain. The major classification of domain names. |
| TXT | Text. The simplest file format and file extension. |
| UI | User Interface. The system which allows a person to control a computer or computer program, such as a keyboard, touchscreen, mouse clicks, joystick, or voice control. Also see GUI. |
| UPS | Uninterruptible Power Supply. A battery backup device that protects electronic equipment in the event of power surges and outages. |
| URL | Uniform Resource Locator. The text name designation of a website or webpage address. Compare IP address. |
| USB | Universal Serial Bus. An interface connector that allows all types of peripheral devices to connect to a computer. |
| VGA | Video Graphics Array. A high resolution graphics display, later advanced to other formats SVGA, SXGA, XGA, and WXGA. |
| VoIP | Voice over Internet Protocol. A technology for using the Internet for transmitting voice phone calls. |
| VPN | Virtual Private Network. A technology used to create a network inside another network. Often used for secure connections across the Internet, for example, to connect remotely to a company’s intranet. |
| VR | Virtual Reality. A technology used to simulate real life within a computer program. |
| VRAM | Video Random Access Memory. A type of RAM. |
| W3C | World Wide Web Consortium. An organization that sets protocol standards for the World Wide Web |
| WAN | Wide Area Network. A network of computers that encompasses a wide geographic area or connects to other geographic areas. Compare to LAN. |
| WAV | Waveform Audio. An audio file format and file extension. |
| Wi-Fi | Wireless Fidelity. The technology for short-range wireless connection of digital devices on a LAN. |
| Wi-MAX | Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. The technology for long-range wireless connection of digital devices. |
| WMA | Windows Media Audio. An audio file format and file extension. |
| WMV | Windows Media Video. A video file format and file extension. |
| WWW | World Wide Web. |