What those curly hi-tech words mean | Stuff.co.nz

Computer jargon can be a foreign language. Claire Rogers takes a crash course on some geek Greek.

? Syncing

?Want to show off those pics of your child/grandchild/puppy/sportscar store on your iPad but they're stored on your computer? Syncing can help. It's the practice of sharing content between your devices, so you can access the same photos, music, documents, applications, settings etc whether you're on your PC, smartphone or tablet.?

? Memory and RAM

Memory and RAM are often confused as the same thing. Think of RAM as your device's short term memory - storing information that can be quickly retrieved for the multiple tasks you're running at any one time. Memory is? for storing longer-term data such as the applications and software you download to your smartphone, tablet, computer and files and documents you save.

? Operating system

The software that acts like the brain of your device, allowing you to interact with it and enabling it to carry out all the activities you require it to - such as sending an email or taking a photo - by managing your device's software and hardware.

? GPS?

Stands for Global Positioning System and refers to a satellite system in space that can provide location information, for example if your smartphone supports GPS then the system can pinpoint where you are, which is handy for a range of apps including navigation apps such as Google Maps and Apple's Map app.?

? The Cloud

Not some weird weather phenomenon, The Cloud - when used in tech speak - refers to the practice of accessing software, content - such as photos and documents - and services - like Gmail - stored on remote servers (more on those later) over the internet, rather than having the software and data stored on your own computer.?

? Wi-Fi

A technology that allows devices to communicate wirelessly with each other and for many Kiwis allows them to access the internet cord-free in their homes. Wi-fi networks connect your devices - laptops, smartphones, tablets -? wirelessly with a device called a router - see below - which in turn is connected to the web.??

? Server?

A computer that responds to requests for data from other computers that connect through a local network or over the web. Websites are hosted on servers, so when you type in a web address or click on a link your computer sends a request to the server to deliver the web page.?

? IP address

A unique sequence of numbers assigned to your device when it accesses the web. The numbers act much like a home address - helping servers know which device to send requested ''mail''? - such as webpage content - back to. IP (Internet Protocol) addresses can be static, so your device has the same one all the time, or dynamic - changing with each new web session. Websites are also identified by (static) IP addresses.?

? URL

Stands for ''uniform resource locator'' and is much simpler than it sounds, it's basically a website address such as?google.com, or?stuff.co.nz.

?? Router/modem

A device that routes traffic between computer networks - such as between your wireless home network to which your smartphone etc is connected and the internet. In home networks routers typically connect to the internet through a modem - and are often built into modems.??

? Streaming

When you stream content such as a YouTube video or music the data is being transferred to your device in a steady stream and played simultaneously. The data is not stored on your device as it is when you download a video or song to your device for later consumption.?

? Bluetooth

A wireless communication technology that lets devices communicate over short ranges. Bluetooth is commonly used in hands-free systems for cars -? Bluetooth-capable smartphones communicate with Bluetooth kits so you can talk on your phone without touching it.

? HTML?

A common computer language used to create web pages. The language includes codes that instruct your web browser (or your email program if it's a webpage viewed through email) how to display the text and pictures on the page.??

Sources: WiseGeek, HowStuffWorks, About.com, PCMag.????

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Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/8515088/What-those-curly-hi-tech-words-mean

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