|
Term |
Definition |
|
Ban |
To prohibit or deny access. For example, a user may
be banned from a chat server because he or she has
disobeyed the rules or may be banned from a server
or game for cheating. |
|
Bandwidth |
The capacity of a networked connection. Bandwidth
determines how much data can be sent along the
networked wires. Bandwidth is particularly important
for Internet connections, since greater bandwidth
also means faster downloads. |
|
Bandwidth |
The amount of data you can send through a
connection. |
|
Battery |
A
hardware device that supplies power to a device or
appliance and enables that device or appliance to
work without a power cord. The standard battery will
power a small device or appliance for a length of
time dependent on how much the device or appliance
is used and how much power is required. Once fully
utilized, the standard battery is disposed of.
Today, many high-end devices such as computer
laptops and cell phones use rechargeable batteries
that allow a user to recharge the battery once it
has been depleted of power. |
|
Battery backup |
Hardware device used to keep a computer or related
peripherals on for short periods of time if the
power happens to be low or removed. The battery
backup allows the computer to shutdown safely or
continue to run if the power is off shortly. Large
battery backups are commonly used for large
corporate networks to safely shutdown servers if
power is out for a long period of time or keep the
servers running if the power happens to be out for a
short period of time. |
|
BD |
Short for Blu-ray Disc, BD or BD-ROM is an optical
disc jointly developed by thirteen consumer
electronics and pc companies such as Dell, Hitachi,
Hewlett Packard, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Sony,
TDK, and more. The blu-ray was first announced and
introduced at the 2006 CES on January 4, 2006 and is
capable of storing up to 25 GB on a single layer
disc and 50 GB on a dual layer disc. Today Blu-ray
is backed by Apple, Dell, Philips, Pioneer, Sony,
Sun, TDK and other companies mentioned above and won
HD DVD in the high definition disc format wars. On
February 19, 2008 HD DVD called it quits making the
Blu-ray players the primary HD players available.
|
|
BD-Rom |
Short for Blu-ray Disc, BD or BD-ROM is an optical
disc jointly developed by thirteen consumer
electronics and pc companies such as Dell, Hitachi,
Hewlett Packard, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Sony,
TDK, and more. The blu-ray was first announced and
introduced at the 2006 CES on January 4, 2006 and is
capable of storing up to 25 GB on a single layer
disc and 50 GB on a dual layer disc. Today Blu-ray
is backed by Apple, Dell, Philips, Pioneer, Sony,
Sun, TDK and other companies mentioned above and won
HD DVD in the high definition disc format wars. On
February 19, 2008 HD DVD called it quits making the
Blu-ray players the primary HD players available.
|
|
Benchmark |
Test used to measure or judge the performance of a
hardware peripheral, software or the overall
computer. These tests can be used to help compare
how well a product may do against other products.
Generally, the higher the benchmark the faster the
component, software or overall computer is. |
|
Beta |
A
program that has not yet been introduced to the
public but is being released to a select few to
test, examine and report problems they may
experience so that those errors can be fixed before
the final release. This type of product should never
be purchased. Often there are two types of beta
testing, open beta and closed beta. Open beta refers
to a type of beta testing that is open to any user.
Closed beta refers to a type of beta testing that is
only available to a select few individuals or to
company individuals. |
|
Binary Code |
The most basic language a computer understands, it
is composed of a series of 0s and 1s. The computer
interprets the code to form numbers, letters,
punctuation marks, and symbols. |
|
BIOS |
Basic Input/Output System | more |
|
Bit |
The smallest piece of computer information, either
the number 0 or 1. |
|
Bit Torrent |
A
file sharing service that breaks a file into pieces
and distributes them among several participating
users. When you download a torrent you are also
uploading it to another user. |
|
Blog |
A
web journal. Updating is blogging. |
|
Blue Book |
Book that defines the standards of the Enhanced
Music CD specification, also known as CD-Extra or
CD-Plus. These discs allow for data as well as audio
to be contained on one disc and not cause damage to
players not capable of reading data. |
|
Boosting |
In computer gamming boosting is the method that
allows a player to look over a high object or jump
onto a higher object by jumping on another players
back who is crouched down. Although this is part of
the game many players consider this type of playing
cheating. |
|
Boot |
To start up a computer. Cold boot—restarting
computer after having turned off the power. Warm
boot—restarting computer without having turned off
the power. |
|
Bots |
Short for robots, a bot is a fictitious character,
programmed character or a piece of software designed
to mimic a real character or player. A bot may also
be a software program designed to do a specific task
such as gather a listing of web sites with the
latest news. Shorthand for Back On Topic, BOT is
commonly used in chat rooms and other text message
communications. Below is an example of how this
could be used. |
|
Broadband |
Connection to internet via cable modem. |
|
Bronzing |
Also known as CD bronzing, bronzing is a type of
corrosion that is similar to CD rot that is caused
by a manufacturing defect. When bronzing occurs the
top and/or bottom of the disc changes colors often
changing from a silver color to a bronze, brown,
yellow, or gold tint and over time can cause the CD
to stop working. The company largely responsible for
this defect was Philips & DuPont Optical (PDO) in
Lancashire, United Kingdom with discs manufactured
between 1988 and 1993. Because this is an actual
manufacturing defect no matter how the disc is
handled if its defective it will eventually become
bad. However, as mentioned above this issue widely
only affected discs manufactured in the late 80s and
early 90s by PDO. |
|
Browser |
Software used to navigate the Internet. Netscape
Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are todays
most popular browsers for accessing the World Wide
Web. |
|
Browser |
A
program you use to view web sites. |
|
Buff |
In computer games a buff often refers to a bonus
that is given to a game character that extends his
or her ability. Often a buff is gained from an
in-game item, from another players ability, and/or a
spell. For example, in the MMORPG game EverQuest a
popular buff is the SoW (Spirit of Wolf) buff that
increased the movement speed of your character. |
|
Bug |
A
malfunction due to an error in the program or a
defect in the equipment. |
|
Burn |
Term used to describe the action of creating a CD or
other recordable disc. |
|
Burner |
Slang used for CD-ROM Burner, more commonly known as
a CD-R. |
|
BYOC |
Short for Bring Your Own Computer, BYOC is a term
used to tell users who may be attending a computer
related party to bring their own computers if they
wish to participate. |
|
Byte |
Most computers use combinations of eight bits,
called bytes, to represent one character of data or
instructions. For example, the word “cat” has three
characters, and it would be represented by three
bytes. |
