USB Definition Stands for "Universal Serial Bus." USB is the most common type of computer port used in today's computers. It can be used to connect keyboards, mice, game controllers, printers, scanners, digital cameras, and removable media drives, just to name a few. With the help of a few USB hubs, you can connect up to 127 peripherals to a single USB port and use them all at once (though that would require quite a bit of dexterity). USB is also faster than older ports, such as serial and para...

USB-C Definition Stands for "Universal Serial Bus Type-C." USB-C is a type of USB connector that was introduced in 2015. It supports USB 3.1, which means a USB-C connection can transfer data up to 10 Gbps and send or receive up to 20 volts or 100 watts of power. Unlike the previous USB Type-A and USB Type-B ports, the USB-C port is symmetrical, which means you never have to worry about plugging in the cable the wrong way. The USB-C connector is the most significant change to the USB connector s...

Firewire Definition FireWire is an I/O interface developed by Apple Computer. It is also known as IEEE 1394, which is the technical name standardized by the IEEE. Other names for IEEE 1394 include Sony i.Link and Yamaha mLAN, but Apple's FireWire name the most commonly used. There are two primary versions of the FireWire interface – FireWire 400 (IEEE 1394a) and FireWire 800 (IEEE 1394b). FireWire 400 uses a 6-pin connector and supports data transfer rates of up to 400 Mbps. FireWire 800 uses a...

DVD Definition Stands for "Digital Versatile Disc." A DVD is a type of optical media used for storing digital data. It is the same size as a CD, but has a larger storage capacity. Some DVDs are formatted specifically for video playback, while others may contain different types of data, such as software programs and computer files. The original "DVD-Video" format was standardized in 1995 by consortium of electronics companies, including Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Philips. It provided a number...

Host Definition A host is a computer that is accessible over a network. It can be a client, server, or any other type of computer. Each host has a unique identifier called a hostname that allows other computers to access it. Depending on the network protocol, a computer's hostname may be a domain name, IP address, or simply a unique text string. For example, the hostname of a computer on a local network might be Tech-Terms.local, while an Internet hostname might be techterms.com. A host can acc...

CRT Definition Stands for "Cathode Ray Tube." CRT is the technology used in traditional computer monitors and televisions. The image on a CRT display is created by firing electrons from the back of the tube to phosphors located towards the front of the display. Once the electrons hit the phosphors, they light up and are projected on the screen. The color you see on the screen is produced by a blend of red, blue, and green light, often referred to as RGB. The stream of electrons is guiding by ma...

LCD Definition Stands for "Liquid Crystal Display." LCD is a flat panel display technology commonly used in TVs and computer monitors. It is also used in screens for mobile devices, such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones. LCD displays don't just look different than bulky CRT monitors, the way they operate is significantly different as well. Instead of firing electrons at a glass screen, an LCD has backlight that provides light to individual pixels arranged in a rectangular grid. Each pixel h...

Touchscreen Definition A touchscreen is a display that also serves as an input device. Some touchscreens require a proprietary pen for input, though most modern touchscreens detect human touch. Since touchscreen devices accept input directly through the screen, they do not require external input devices, such as mice and keyboards. This makes touchscreens ideal for computer kiosks, as well as portable devices, such as tablets and smartphones. While a touchscreen may look like an ordinary displa...

FSB Definition Stands for "frontside bus." The FSB connects the computer's processor to the system memory (RAM) and other components on the motherboard. These components include the system chipset, AGP card, PCI devices, and other peripherals. Because the FSB serves as the main path from the processor to the rest of the motherboard, it is also called the "system bus." The speed of the frontside bus is measured in Megahertz or Gigahertz, just like the processor. Most computers' processors run fa...

iPad Definition The iPad is a tablet computer developed by Apple. It is smaller than a typical laptop, but significantly larger than the average smartphone. The iPad does not include a keyboard or a trackpad, but instead has a touchscreen interface, which is used to control the device. Like the iPhone, the iPad runs Apple's iOS operating system. This allows the iPad to run third-party apps, which can downloaded from Apple's App Store. While apps designed for the iPhone can also be installed and...