Jargon Buster
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Backup
A second copy of valued files, kept in case the originals are damaged.
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Back up
The process of making a copy of valued files in case the originals are damaged.
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Banding
Unwanted stripes on a printed page or display.
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Bandwidth
A measure of how much information can be transferred through a connection at one time.
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Baud
A measure of data transfer speed. One baud indicates one signal sent per second.
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Bayesian
A technique used by junk email filters to identify junk based on past experience.
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BD-R
A write-once recordable Blu-ray disc format.
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BD-RE
A rewriteable Blu-ray disc format.
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BD-Rom
Blu-ray disc read-only memory. A type of optical disc that cannot have files added to it. Commonly used for distributing videos content and games.
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Behavioural advertising
Online ads targeted at users based on their web usage or email history – people who frequent pet forums might see more ads for dog food, for instance.
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Beta
A version of software that’s almost, but not yet finished. Beta versions are often released so they can be tested.
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Bezel
The plastic or metal border that surrounds a computer or TV screen.
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Binary
A system for counting and storing information as a series of ones and zeros.
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Biometrics
Using measurable personal characteristics, such as fingerprints, for identification.
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BIOS
Basic Input Output System. Essential software built into every PC which connects the vital components. It’s visible for a few seconds when the PC starts.
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Bit
A contraction of ‘Binary Digit’, this is the smallest item of information a PC can handle. A bit can hold the value 1 or 0.
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Bitmap
A type of image file made up from a grid of pixels. Bitmaps have a fixed size and cannot be resized without losing quality.
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Bit rate
A measure of data transfer speed, or of the quality of digital video or audio files.
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Bittorrent
A technology for downloading files. Allows even very large files to be downloaded quickly.
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Blacklist
A list of files, email addresses or websites known to be bad.
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Blanking plate
A piece of plastic fitted to a PC, and designed so it can be removed when adding a new part in its place.
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Bleed
A printing term for the areas of an image or document that don’t fit on the printed page.
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Blog
Short for Web Log, blogs are websites that contain individual entries; new entries are added at the top. Often used for diaries and news.
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Bluetooth
A technology that allows devices to communicate wirelessly over short distances.
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Blu-ray
A type of optical disc used to store high-definition films, or up to 50GB of files.
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BMP
Bitmap. A type of image file.
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Bookmark
A favourite site stored in the Firefox web browser. Internet Explorer bookmarks are called Favorites.
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Boolean
Logical statements such as AND, IF and OR used in programming. Named after the mathematician George Boole.
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Boot
The process of starting up a PC after it has been turned off.
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Boot disk
When it starts the computer looks on one disk for instructions. This is normally the hard disk, but in case of problems other boot disks can be used.
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Boot sector
The area on the hard disk where the computer looks for instructions on how to start Windows.
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Botnet
A group of infected computers connected together via the internet, and used to infect other PCs, send junk email and perform other criminal tasks.
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Broadband
A fast, permanently connected internet connection such as ADSL or cable internet.
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Browser
Short for web browser. A program used to view and interact with websites.
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Buffer
Memory fitted to a device so it can store any information that arrives more quickly than it can be processed.
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Bug
A mistake in an application’s computer code that leads to unintentional or unexpected results.
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Burn
To write data onto a CD, DVD or Blu-ray disc.
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Byte
A measure of data. One byte is eight bits, or enough to hold one character. 1,024 bytes make a kilobyte (KB).