ICT Glossary

Question	Answer
3G	Third-generation wireless communication which allows high-speed wireless data transfer.
Acceptable use policy	Rules to which users agree, to reduce the misuse of ICT. Often found on social networking / collaborative sites.
Application (Application Software)	Software that helps users perform particular tasks.
Backup	A copy of data that is made in case the original data is lost or damaged. The backup can be used to restore the original data.
Bandwidth	The amount of data that can fit through an internet connection. You can compare it to a ten-lane motorway which can fit more cars on it than a 4 lane motorway. Bandwidth is measured in bits per second (bps). This indicates the number of bits of information that can fit down the line in one second.
Biometric	An automated method of recognising a person based on physical characteristics. Among the features measured are face, fingerprints. hand geometry, iris and voice.
Blog	A shared online journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences and hobbies.
Blue-jacking	The sending of unwanted messages to others over Bluetooth connections
Bluetooth	Allows the exchange of data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices. In order for devices to communicate they must be able to understand the Bluetooth rules (Protocols)
Blu-Ray	A disk that enables the recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video and the storing of large amounts of data. It has more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disk and 50GB on a dual-layer disk.
Broadband	A high-speed connection to the internet.
Buffering	Downloading a certain amount of data into temporary storage before starting to play a file.
Card Code Verification (CCV)	A set of numbers on the back of a credit card that help verify that the use of the credit card is legitimate.
Cloud computing	A system in which all computer programs and data is stored on a central server owned by a company (e.g. Google) and accessed vertually.
Collaboratively	Working together with other people.
Commercial	Related to a business.
Compatible	The ability of a device to communicate and share information with another device.
Computer misuse act	The law restricts people from accessing or modifying data without permission.
Convergence	When one device is developed to carry out functions that were originally performed by several different devices.
Cookies	Small text files that are sent to your computer from certain websites. They track your behaviour and transactions.
Copyright	Gives the creator of an original work exclusive rights regarding that work for a certain period of time, including its publication, distribution, and adaptation.
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act	This law protects people's original work from being used without their permission.
Credit Card	A plastic card, issued by banks, building societies, retail stores and other businesses, which enables a person to buy goods and services without the need for cash. The holder agrees to pay back the money borrowed at a later date, sometimes with interest.
Data	Symbols, Characters, Images and numbers are all types of data. When data is processed and acquires meaning it becomes information. Computers process data to produce information.
Data Protection Act	This law regulates how personal information is used and protects against misuse of personal details.
Debit Card	Similar to a credit card, but the money is taken directly from the cardholders bank account.
Digital Device	Unequal access to ICT for individuals or groups, usually due to financial, geographic, health or cultural reasons.
Digital economy Act	This law protects copyright holders from criminals who illegally distribute copyrighted material (Piracy)
Digital Rights Management	Allows the copyright holder or the owner of the media control over the number of viewings, plays and copies, even which devices the media can be played or viewed on. If you download a film from Itunes, you cannot burn it on to a DVD because of the DRM encoded in the film.
Dongle	A small piece of hardware that connects to a computer and has uses including data storage and picking up Bluetooth and 3G signals. A dongle may be portable like a USB pen.
Download	Transfer of a file, e.g. a video, from a central computer to your computer.
DVDs	DVDs offer higher storage capacity than compact disc (CDs) while having the same dimensions.
E-commerce	Buying and selling goods electronically, usually over the internet.
Electronic Waste (e-waste)	Rubbish comprising of digital materials e.g. old computers.
Encryption	For security, data is translated into a secret code according to a set of rules in a special 'key'. To convert the data back into plain text, the receiver must also have the key.
Ergonomics	The design of equipment to increase the efficiency of the way it is used by the human body, to promote the health of users.
Etiquette	A set of rules that people try to abide by out of respect for other people around them.
Firewall	A system designed to prevent unauthorised access to your computer when connected to a network such as the internet.
Flash memory card	Used for fast and easily tranferable information storage in digital devices such as mobile phones, media players and cameras. Flash memory is known as a solid state storage device, meaning there are no moving parts. Everything is electronic instead of mechanical and son it is ideal for mobile phones.
Fraud	Tricking someone for personal gain or damage them.
Geotag	To attach the exact geographical coordinates of longitude and latitude to a digital image, giving the location of where it was taken.
Globalisation	The increasing integration of economics and societies around the world, particularly through international trade.
GPS (global positioning system)	A navigational system used in many devices which gives current location.
Hacker	Someone who gains unauthorised access to a computer in order to obtain data stored on it.
HDMI (High-Definition multimedia interface)	Required for connecting devices to show high-definition video.
HDTV	High-definition TV
High definition	The picture on a TV screen is made of lines of pixels. In a conventional TV there are 625 lines, which are refreshed 25 times per second. HD has either 720 or 1080 lines, so therefore it produces a sharper picture.
Hosted software	Hosted software, also known as Software as a Service (SaaS), is accessed via a web browser rather than being installed on the user's computer.
Identity theft	A crime that involves someone pretending to be another person in order to steal money or obtain other benefits.
Information overload	Having so much information that the user feels overwhelmed.
ISP (Internet Service Provider)	A company that provides internet access to its customers.
IP (Internet protocol) address	The personal address of your computer (just like your home address), so that servers know where to send the information you have requested.
Lag	Slow computer functionally often caused by high latency or low performance hardware.
Latency	The time delay between the moment something is initiated and the moment it becomes detectable.
Locally installed software	Software which is installed on the user's computer.
Microblog	Short messages which may include short sentences, individual images or video links. An example is twitter.
Multifunctional	Having the ability to do many different things using the same device.
Near Field Communication (NFC)	Allows the wireless exchange of data between two devices by touching them together or holding them very close to each other.
Non-physical goods	Items for sale which are delivered digitally e.g. music files from Itunes. Sometimes called DLC (Downloadable Content)
On-demand entertainment	Technology that allows users to view programmes at the time of their choosing by streaming them.
Online banking	A service offered by banks that allows account holders to view their account information online and carry out various financial transactions.
Online community	A group of members of a website who communicate and share ideas online, often about a shared interest.
Open source software	Software that is available to download free of charge, e.g. OpenOffice.org, which is a suite of applications.
Overheads	The ongoing expenses of operating a business, e.g. rent, fuel bills, salaries.
Peer-To-Peer (P2P)	Sharing files among groups of people who are logged on to a file-sharing network.
Peripherals	External devices connected to a computer e.g. printer, microphone.
Personalised learning	Learning that is tailored towards the individual to allow them to make progress.
Personalised techniques	Ways of making content relevant to a particular customer using their interests, geographical position, etc.
Phishing	A form of internet fraud that aims to steal valuable information such a credit card details, usernames and passwords.
Physical goods	Items for sale which can be touched and must be delivered by post in some way.
Plagiarism	Copying someone else's work and presenting it as your own.
Privacy	The protection of personal data.
Proprietary software	Software for which you have to pay for a licence to use (e.g. Microsoft word)
Protocol	A set of rules used by computers to communicate with each other across a network.
Public domain	Materials that are available for anyone to use for any purpose (not subject to the laws of copyright)
Query	To search, usually when talking about a database.
Repetitive strain injury (RSI)	Damage caused to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves or joints, usually because of repeating the same action.
RSS feeds	A web feed format used for content which is frequently updated e.g. news, in a standard format so it can be added to a variety of websites.
Sat Nav	A device, usually used in a car, that gives directions based on information received from a series of satellites.
SD and SDHC cards	Secure Digital (SD) cards are one type of flash memory card which store up to 2GB of data. Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) cards are another type of flash memory card and they are ideal for video cameras because they can store up to 32GB of data.
Search engine index	A list of websites which has been complied by the search engine which drastically increases speed of searching. The search engine will search its index, which takes milliseconds, rather than millions of files which could take hours.
Social Bookmarking	A way of organising, storing and managing links to online resources, allowing users to search them easily.
Social networking site	An online community where people can communicate and share information.
Smartphone	A phone offering advanced features, e.g. the ability to send emails, surf the internet.
Spyware	Software that can be installed on your computer without your knowledge, which collects information about your logins and passwords and sends details to another computer on the internet.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)	A method of encrypting data to provide security for communications over networks such as the internet. TLS (Transport Layer Security) is a later version of the SSL.
Stream	Content is sent in compressed form over the internet and displayed by the viewer in real time. When streaming video, a web user does not have to wait to download a file to play it. Instead, the media is sent in a continuous stream of data and is played as it arrives on a special player.
Sustainability	Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations.
Target audience	A description of the people your products are aimed at. It could include their age, the language they speak, their special needs, or any other characteristics relevant to the scenario you are given.
Targeted marketing	Identifying a specific target audience by identifying preferences or other personal details and then creating promotional or advertising campaigns to match their preferences.
Teleworking	Working from a home but staying in touch with others with the help of technology.
Third party payment processor	A business that offers customers an alternative fast, safe method to pay for online goods and services.
Transactional data	Data which is gathered as a part of a user's online activity. When buying something online, this could include information about the product bought but also personal details from the buyer such as address and payment details.
Trojan	A programme that appears legitimate but which performs some harmful activity when it is run. It may be used to locate password information, or make the system more vulnerable to future entry, or simply destroy programmes or data on the hard disk drive. A trojan is like a virus except it does not replicate itself.
Upload	Transfer a file from your computer to a central computer, e.g. your ISP
User-generated reference sites	User-generated reference sites allow users to generate content collaboratively on a website to which others can refer to inform their research.
Validity	Based on truth, or reason. It is important to judge whether information found online is valid because it could not be biased or untruthful.
Viral Marketing	A marketing strategy that encourages people to pass on a marketing message to their friends. It uses interesting and entertaining content that people will want to share. Viral marketing uses multimedia to make the message memorable.
Virtual learning environment	An online system for education with areas for homework, classes, teacher and pupil space etc.
Virus	A program designed to cause other programs on a computer to malfunction or stop working altogether.
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)	This technology is used to make telephone calls via the internet, usually at a cheaper cost.
Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity)	It is similar to Bluetooth in that it is used to exchange data wirelessly, but the signals can travel greater distances.
Wikis	A type of website that encourages collaboration by allowing users to add, edit and remove content.

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	Created by George Patient over 8 years ago