Glossary

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• AI (Artificial Intelligence)

  • Artificial intelligence has been dreamt of for a long time, and despite a lot of bold claims that we have finally achieved it, there are experts philosophizing day after day about whether that is true, and if not, how close or far we are from realizing that dream.

  • The "AI" we talk about these days is more like the most unfathomably powerful calculator of averages you can imagine. It can average billions or trillions of words to determine which one is most likely to come after the one before it, and use this logic to string together sentences and paragraphs with remarkable clarity, mood, and typically, accuracy. In the same way, it can "average" together the impressions of millions of photos to produce one with the common elements you've asked for, like cats playing football in a watercolor style.

  • What we are currently calling AI, whether it is or is not really AI, is an incredible tool, and like all tools, it is dangerous if mishandled, but very powerful and enabling when used correctly. If you're curious about how AI might help you, or concerned about how to avoid being manipulated or tricked by the misuse of AI, CozyTech computer coaching can help!
     

• all-in-one

  • A computer whose core components are all built into a chassis that includes the monitor. The most famous of these is Apple's iMac. Historically, these machines were round, but as monitors got thinner, so did all-in-one computers.
     

• Android

  • The most popular operating system running on smartphones today. Android also runs on tablets, televisions, car infotainment systems, and other devices. Runs Android-only software, and is not compatible with software for other operating systems like iOS.
     

• Apple

  • The company which created the original personal computer (the Apple I), and consistently the most valuable company on the globe.

  • Apple makes "Macs", which are personal computers running macOS (see below). Apple also makes a line of smartphones called iPhone (running iOS) and a line of tablets called iPad (running iPadOS). Recently, they have introduced a mixed-reality headset called Apple Vision Pro (running visionOS).
     

• application

  • A more modern term for what we used to call a "computer program". The idea of the term application, is that the computer's electronic resources are being "applied" to the effect of...some task. The application could be a web browser, so you can visit Facebook, or it could be a simulation of Solitaire, so you can pass the time. When we talk about a self-contained "thing you want to do with your computer", we are typically talking about an application.
     

• authentication

  • Think about the term "authentic", which means "the real deal", or "the genuine article." It means something is what it claims to be.

  • In computing, "authentication" means to "determine if something or someone is what it or they claim to be." Put another way, authentication almost always means "signing in" to access something that only a certain person or certain people should have access to, like your home computer, your bank account, your social media accounts, and so forth.
     

• authorization

  • Not to be confused with "authentication"!

  • Think about the term "authorized": for example, "are you authorized to do what you're doing?" or "are you authorized to see the contents of that document?"

  • If "authentication" is about determining that you are who you claim to be, "authorization" is about determining what you are allowed to do.

  • For example, your child may not be authorized to visit certain websites due to the explicit nature of their content. You may not be authorized to make major configuration changes to your computer at work. A government agent with "secret" clearance may not be authorized to view "top secret" documents. And so forth.
     

• biometric

  • The word is composed of "bio", meaning life, and "metric", meaning "measurement". Thus, biometrics always regards using a computer to scan some life sign about a living organism (usually the person using the device).

  • The term "biometrics" is most often used these days to refer to "biometric authentication", which means, using your unique life signs, like your fingerprints, your retinas or irises, or the shape of your face to act in place of, or in addition to, a traditional password.

    • For example, most smartphones will either "scan" your fingerprint, or your face, to unlock, sign into applications, make payments, change important settings, and so forth.

  • Biometric authentication is considered an optional feature that is not always turned on by default.

  • When used as a "factor" of multifactor authentication, biometrics can be a terrific way to protect your accounts from intrusion by bad actors. That's why CozyTech turns turns them on and enables MFA for all customers of our Security Packages.
     

• bit

  • The "atom" of electronic information. When it comes to computer data, there is no smaller unit of measurement than a bit. And when it comes to computer logic, we're really dealing with electricity. Because of that, there can be no simpler way to evaluate a bit, than "on" or "off", just like a light switch. This "on / off" functionality is what gives "binary" its name: it is either one, or the other.

    • Bits are counted in what is essentially a decimal or Metric system-style format.

      • 1,000 bits = 1 Kilobit (Kb, lowercase b)

      • 1,000,000 bits = 1 Megabit (Mb, lowercase b)

      • 1,000,000,000 bits = 1 Gigabit (Gb, lowercase b)

      • ...and so forth.

  • Typically, bits are preferred to bytes when precision is more important than convenience.
     

• byte

  • Eight bits makes one byte. This is the smallest standard amount of usable information in most practical matters. It would be nice if it was counted by tens, instead of eights, but it's still pretty convenient. Like bits, bytes are counted in a decimal-like, or Metric-like manner.

    • 8 bits = 1 Byte

    • 1,000 bytes = 1 Kilobyte (KB, capital B)

    • 1,000,000 bytes = 1 Megabyte (MB, capital B)

    • 1,000,000,000 bytes = 1 Gigabyte (GB, capital B)
       

• ChatGPT

  • The world's most famous generative AI (see below) model. This free-to-use service (which has a paid plan as well) is able to calculate language probability, to generate answers to text prompts based on the massive, massive amounts of text information it has been "trained" on from examples of natural language found all over the Internet. While it isn't entirely accurate, and its potential for misuse is significant, ChatGPT has turned out to be a world-changing tool, and it is one of the most exciting (and risky) new adventures in modern technology.
     

• chassis (case)

  • The body of the computer system. The other parts fit inside it. Sometimes referred to as a case when building a desktop computer from scratch.
     

• Chrome / Chromium

  • Chromium is an open-source but corporate-sponsored web browser, which is under-girds nearly all other modern web browsers in use today (see: open-source, below). Google is the owner of the project. Not coincidentally, Google has their own branded version of Chromium, called Google Chrome. It is easily the most popular web browser in the world today.
     

• Chromebook

  • Not to be confused with a laptop / notebook computer, a Chromebook is very specifically a Google-branded laptop running a Google-branded version of Linux called ChromeOS. Think that Chromebooks are to Google as Macs are to Apple.

  • Chromebooks use glorified smartphone parts, and are notably under-powered. The "pitch" of a Chromebook is that practically everything a person wants to do with a computer is online these days anyway, and so, Chromebooks don't need much processing power. The web servers (see: servers, below) do nearly all the processing, and simply send the rendered work to the web browser. For this reason, Chromebooks are much more affordable than traditional Windows or Mac laptops; however, they become slow and obsolete more quickly, because Web content is getting "heavier" and more taxing on hardware everyday. Because Chromebooks are under-powered right out of the gate, they feel slower and less capable much faster.
     

• ChromeOS

  • The Google-branded flavor of the Linux operating system, which primarily exists to facilitate access to Web content (websites). Based heavily on the Google Chrome web browser.
     

• code

  • Historically, a code is a semi-secret or cryptic language that is used to convey meaning. In the modern day, code usually refers to the special instructions computers use to do what humans want them to. Commonly, when people refer to computer code, they are talking about the instructions humans wrote, which were later "compiled" into "binary" instructions that the computer can understand.

  • An example of code might be this instruction, in the language Python, which will "print" the words "Call CozyTech!" to a computer screen:

    • print("Call CozyTech")

  • Another example would be the same instruction in a different language, called C++

    • std::cout<<"Call CozyTech";
       

• computer

  • broadly speaking, an electronic device which uses human logic and electrical pulses to convert electricity into information processing functionality. See also: personal computer.
     

• convertible laptop

  • a laptop whose screen allows for touch-based interaction, and which is hinged to allow the screen to "fold" backward, giving the laptop an optional tablet-style form factor. This is not unlike the way a convertible car's roof top goes up and down to change the car's presentation and the experience of using the device.
     

• CPU (processor)

  • Not to be confused with "computer", CPU stands for "central processing unit", and you can think of it as the super-powered "calculator" doing all the "thinking" in your computer.

  • Like the hard drive, some folks refer to their entire computer, or perhaps the computer's tower-shaped chassis, as the "CPU" because the CPU is inside of the computer, and does most of the "thinking". But in reality, the CPU is only one chip, and it is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

  • CPUs don't store information, like RAM (see below) or storage (see below); rather, they process information, by working out logical or mathematical operations using the data stored in the computer's RAM. An analogy would be this:

    • Your hard drive, or, storage memory, is a page of math problems you want to solve.

    • Your RAM, or random access memory, is one of those problems, as long as it hangs out in your head while you think of how to solve it.

    • Your CPU, or processor, is your the part of your brain that actually adds, subtracts, multiplies, and divides, to get the solution to the math problem.

    • To continue this metaphor: once the problem is solved, the answer now lives in your short-term memory (RAM), and if you want, you can write it down on the piece of paper (like saving a file to your hard drive, or, storage memory).
       

• cryptography

  • Cryptography is the science of taking information, and transforming it into something unreadable, and, ideally, impossible to understand, unless a person has the correct key to do so.

  • We all did cryptography in school, when we mixed up alphabet letters, to write secret notes to our friends. That's the sort of cryptography that used to be performed by Julius Caesar, who has his own cipher (rules to perform this encryption / decryption) named after him.

  • Cryptography primarily works in two directions (and for this discussion, we'll excuse hashing (see hash) to keep things simple.

    • Encryption is the process of making something cryptic, or, turning it into secret, non-sensical code.

    • Decryption is the process of taking encrypted information, and reversing the process so that it can be read and understood again.

  • Now that all of our personal, private information is online, and so much of the things we do online (like signing into things, or spending money) is based on trust, cryptography is vital to safe computer usage in the modern day!
     

• cursor

  • Not to be confused with a mouse, a cursor is the on-screen "pointer" which a user can manipulate to select different things in the computer interface. Typically, this takes the shape of an arrow, a pointing hand, or in some cases, other shapes like a crosshair.
     

• data

  • Information. That's all! But what constitutes information can get very granular, when it comes to computers!
     

• decryption

  • See cryptography, above.
     

• Desktop

  • a graphical user interface which uses the metaphor of a real-life desktop (and folders, and documents) to arrange the contents of a computer more easily for the user's convenience. Windows, macOS, and many versions of Linux include a Desktop "out of the box", or, it is entirely mandatory.
     

• desktop computer

  • a computer form that historically sat on top of, but may also sit below or inside, a real-life desktop. In fact, as these devices become smaller and more lightweight, they may also be mounted: for example, they can mount to the back of a monitor, or on a wall so they are out of sight.
     

• desktop operating system

  • an operating system intended to be run on a desktop computer, but which may also be found on a laptop computer. Typically operated with a keyboard and mouse, although touchscreens are sometimes available. This is distinct from smartphone or tablet operating systems, which are designed with touch input first and foremost.
     

• disc

  • A stylized spelling of disk which exclusively refers to round disks like CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs.
     

• disk

  • describes a variety of pieces of hardware which can store data in a permanent or semi-permanent way.

  • The ability to keep data even if a computer is powered off is referred to as "non-volatile".

  • Examples include hard disk drives, floppy disks, Zip disks, and "flash" storage like USB disks.
     

• diskette

  • An antiquated term for smaller disks like floppy disks. Not commonly used anymore.
     

• display

  • (see monitor, below)
     

• Edge

  • Microsoft's version of the Chromium (see above) web browser.
     

• encryption

  • See cryptography, above.

• end user

  • An IT industry term for the people "at the other end" of IT systems, "using" computers. "User" for short. The term is a little cold and clinical, but it is only meant to be literal and descriptive. No offense intended!
     

• Facebook

  • One of the largest social media websites on the Web, and a popular option for staying in touch with acquaintances, friends and loved ones, Facebook has grown to encompass more and more features as it has purchased smaller companies in order to stay relevant. Nowadays, you can use Facebook to get a date, buy secondhand goods from neighbors, arrange or find meetups to attend with like-minded people, and more.

  • Notorious for its lack of curation or governance, Facebook has become a difficult "state" to police—as far as I can tell, it looks like they've nearly given up entirely—and so Facebook is also a popular place for scamming, fraud, account takeover, and identity theft. Once these things happen to a Facebook profile, there is typically no recovering it, and so we recommend you consider CozyTech's cybersecurity packages to head such an eventuality off at the pass.
     

• Firefox

  • A popular web browser that makes up a relatively small share of the market in the modern day. Arguably the last vestige of "freedom of choice" among browsers, as practically all other modern browsers in use today are based on Google's Chromium web browser (see above). There is a popular argument that if there is a complete monopoly, by one company (Google) on how web browsers function, then all website design will have to fall in-line and comply with the whims of Google, a company whose interests are primarily financial, and not philosophical.
     

• flash memory

  • Also called "solid state" memory, because it has no moving parts. All data is stored electromagnetically.

  • While this term can describe RAM (see below), it is more likely to be used as a qualifier to describe solid state storage (as opposed to traditional storage, which uses spinning platters).

    • Because there are no moving parts, everything happens at the speed of electricity, and flash memory is much faster than traditional forms of storage.
       

• function

  • A function is simply something a computer does, or can do, in its simplest form. "Add two numbers together" could be a function. "Check everything in this list and if you find the word 'arrogant', replace it with the word 'boastful'" could be a function. When we think about computers as something that are programmed to do this, or that, functions are among the most basic things a computer can be programmed to do.
     

• generative AI

  • AI (see above) that is able to "generate" information, images, audio, video, etc. from user prompting. For example, if I ask a generative AI for a "watercolor picture of cats playing football," it will serve me up a picture of that very subject, in that very style. However, as amazing and even magical as it sounds, it is still rooted in reality, and is prone to error. More problematic is that whether it is entirely accurate or not, people tend not to realize content (text, images, etc.) generated by AI is, in fact generated by AI. We need a keen eye for this sort of content, to protect ourselves from propaganda and fake news (and that sort of training is the sort of thing CozyTech's Computer Coaching service is great for!)
     

• Google

  • Originally a website for searching (and a wildly popular one at that), using Google to find information on the web even became a verb in the dictionary! ("Let me just Google that, real quick!")

  • One of the largest companies on earth—so big, in fact, that it actually sub-divided into a variety of smaller entities, under the name "Alphabet".
     

• GPS (global positioning system)

  • A free-to-access, satellite-based infrastructure that allows for pinpoint-accurate location of a compatible device anywhere on the planet. GPS is built into modern smartphones, and many modern vehicles (although the software which uses GPS to navigate may cost money in modern cars. Incidentally, this can be avoided if the car supports smartphone mirroring, because the software that runs GPS on smartphones is free).

  • For cars without infotainment systems, or without systems that can mirror smartphones, or where users do not have phones capable of running GPS, dedicated GPS units are sold for hikers or drivers, by companies like Garmin.
     

• graphic(s)

  • Describes anything visually represented on a screen, but most closely associated with "pictures". Lines, geometric shapes, colors, photographs, 3D models, videos, and the imagery of video games all constitute graphics of one sort or another.

  • This term is usually distinct from on-screen text, although the hardware used to render text and images is the same.
     

• graphical user interface (GUI)

  • The application of graphics to allow a user to interact with a computer, as opposed to a computer which only allows a user to interact via on-screen text.
     

• hard disk drive (hard drive, HDD)

  • Not to be confused with "computer" or "tower", and often referred to simply as "hard drive", a device that allows for large volumes of data to be stored in a way that persists even when the computer is powered down.

  • People sometimes confuse the term "hard drive" for "computer", because the hard drive sits inside the computer chassis. Don't make this mistake!

    • In fact, hard drives can exist outside of computers, too. They are, naturally, called external hard drives. These hard drives often require their own power supply (to drive the moving parts), and are valued for their portability. External hard drives can be added to or removed from a computer as quickly as they can be plugged in or disconnected.

  • Hard drives contain a stack of metal platters, which spin like records or CDs to write and read data storage. This can make them prone to damage if they are moved, bumped, or dropped while in motion. Those platters spin quickly, too! The slowest speed is 5,400 rotations per minute!
     

• hash

  • Hashing is a lot like encryption (see above), where sensible information is turned into nonsensical gibberish. But unlike encryption, the gibberish produced by hashing (and that gibberish is called a "hash" or a "digest", by the way!) cannot be reversed.

  • What's the point of that? you might be asking. Well, an interesting thing happens when you create a hash. If you run a file through a hashing algorithm (which I like to think of as a butcher's meat grinder), the resulting digest which comes out, will always be the same, as long as you use that same file, and that same hashing algorithm.

    • If I have a file called "my_file.txt", and it contains the sentence, "I love CozyTech!", and hash it, I'll get a digest like this:

      • 621696edb07931cc4ff9d14b86f6169db04f0d0cdc5a4aad65ab4d65a1634748

    • No matter how many times I hash that file, the result will always be the same long string (which ends in 748). If, however, I change anything about it—anything at all!—the output will change completely. Look what happens when I adjust the sentence from "I love CozyTech!" (with an exclamation point) to "I love CozyTech." (with a period):

      • 552fa7749c5c6d523191a46fcade306d8aa5dd94246f4f2bd22321104a5f4c56

    • The hash is completely different!

  • Because a hash is entirely different if anything about the file changes, hashing can be used to tell if a file has changed, or worse, been tampered with. If I email you a file, and say, "the hash of the file is (such and such, ending in abc)", and then, you hash the file yourself, and the result is (such and such, ending in xyz), you'll know something has changed, and the file you're receiving isn't what I sent! What if a hacker intercepted the email, and changed the file? In fact, hashing is part of a system of checks that ensure that every email you send and receive is checked for authenticity in this very way, and if the email fails that check, it is discarded for the safety of the recipient!
     

• infotainment system

  • The audio-visual element of an automotive vehicle which facilitates more than simple radio, cassette, or CD playback, but includes additional "smart" attributes like GPS map navigation or smartphone mirroring.
     

• internet of things (IoT)

  • A blanket term for "smart" versions of devices which were, in days gone by, never "smart" or network-connected.
     

• Internet

  • Originally created by DARPA, the internet is the underlying structure that supports all modern inter-network connectivity. That means, the WiFi in your house, alone, is not "the Internet," and the websites you visit like Facebook are not "the Internet" either. Rather, your home WiFi network, which would allow your devices to talk to each other with or without the Internet, can be connected to the Internet by your Internet Service Provider, and your favorite sites, like Facebook, are actually part of the World Wide Web, which sits "on top" of the underlying Internet infrastructure.

  • The revolutionary part of the Internet is in its name: networks exist all over the world, but routing their "traffic" so that they can communicate with one another is what the Internet actually does.
     

• Internet Service Provider (ISP)

  • The entity you pay for your access to the Internet and the World Wide Web which sits "on top" of it.
     

• iOS (and iPadOS)

  • Originally based on macOS, iOS is the operating system at the heart of Apple's iPhone. It is distinct to iPhone hardware, and not compatible with software made for other operating systems such as Android or Windows, or even macOS.

  • iOS used to run on the iPad, but because of differences in how smartphones or tablets are used, and what features are required or desired by end users, Apple decided in 2019 to separate the two, calling the operating system for iPad, naturally, "iPadOS".
     

• iPhone

  • Apple's flagship product, and the first modern "smartphone" to set the standard for what smartphones would become. It was the first cellular phone to drop the physical keyboard or number pad entirely, and replace it with an all-touchscreen interface. iPhones are sometimes stereotyped as more expensive, although Android-based smartphones now compete in that regard. They are also stereotyped as 'plain' or restrictive, compared with Android devices, which is a fair assessment. However, that plainness and 'they all look and function more or less the same' factor makes them preferable for owners who do not want their phones to be complicated or unpredictable. Apple also uses a "walled garden" approach to what software is allowed to run on iOS. This is another "glass half full or glass half empty" matter, as this helps keep the devices (and their users) safe and secure, although it comes at the cost of some computing liberty.
     

• IP Address

  • IP is short for "Internet Protocol", and it is the language of inter-networking (see: routers, Internet). It's hard to explain without getting in the weeds, but you should know that behind every human-readable address like "https://www.facebook.com/" or "https://cozytech.llc" is an IP address. A simple example is 8.8.8.8, which is owned by Google. Another address, likely in use inside of your home, is 192.168.1.1.

  • There are two kinds of IP address in use today: versions 4 and 6.

    • IPv4 addresses look like the examples I've given above, with four 'numbers' separated by periods, or "dots". In reality, those numbers represent 32 bits of information (see: bits, above). Here's what 192.168.1.1 looks like in binary:

      • 11000000101010000000000100000001

      • You can see how converting the binary to normal base-ten numbers is much easier than reading all those 1's and 0's!

    • IPv6 addresses are too complicated to get into here! But you don't have to worry about that, because they are not commonly in use yet.
       

• laptop computer

  • Just what it sounds like: a personal computer so small that it can rest on one's lap. As a matter of tradition, tablets do not typically fall under this category, although some laptops can contort, to function like tablets. These are referred to as "convertible laptops" and are detailed in an entry higher up the page.
     

• Linux

  • A free and open-source operating system which is quietly powering most of the computers on earth. Originally created by one man, Linus Torvalds, when he was young, because he wanted a Unix-like computer, but as just one man could never afford to license Unix. Instead, he sought to make something just like Unix that anyone could use, for free. The project ballooned as more volunteers got involved, and today, it is the crowning achievement of the "open-source software" movement.

  • Linux is a "kernel", meaning the deepest, most basic skeleton and organs of an operating system. Think of the "desktop" and the "applications" as clothing and accessories. Linux often comes bundled with these things, and is called a "distribution" (or "distro", for short) when that is the case. There are hundreds, or thousands of distributions.

    • In fact, Android, which runs on most of the world's smartphones, is a version of Linux custom-designed by Google. Because Linux is free, anyone can copy it and build whatever they want on top of it!

    • And because anyone can build anything they want with Linux, it isn't just for desktop PCs. It "serves" content and functionality on the Web, and within business organizations. It is the "smarts" inside your smart appliances, like refrigerators, thermostats, and even alarm clocks.

    • Put it this way: practically any electronic device today which does not run Apple's macOS or Microsoft's Windows, if it has any "smarts" to it at all, is probably running Linux.

  • Linux is an increasingly popular alternative to Apple's macOS (which can only typically be run on Apple's own hardware, which is sometimes considered prohibitively expensive, and which is almost invariably impossible to upgrade and keep running as the years roll along), and Microsoft's Windows (which, in each new release, becomes "heavier", requiring more modern hardware to run, and which feels to some users to be slower, and which, according to privacy advocates, is being sold nowadays with the aim of harvesting user data to process and sell.

  • Because Linux is, or can be, so "lightweight", and because maintainers of Linux distributions may tailor them to fit such niche situations, Linux can often be installed on old, outdated hardware, to breathe new life into it. In fact, I have an old IBM ThinkPad laptop that I love to type on, because of its tall screen and terrific keyboard...but it is 19 years old, and much too old to run a modern copy of Windows! So I installed a version of Linux made just for old machines, and now, not only do I not have to throw it away, but I can use it every day!
     

• ​macOS (Macintosh)

  • The operating system that runs on all Apple desktop / laptop computers. Formerly called Macintosh (which was the reason we still call Apple computers "Macs", macOS is the mainstream alternative to Windows for most people. These days, most software has a Mac version and a Windows version, but there are some situations where software may only be available on one OS versus the other.

  • macOS's great strength is its tight integration with Apple's other products. This is commonly referred to in the industry as Apple's "ecosystem". If a person uses a Mac computer, an iPhone, an iPad, a set of AirPods headphones, an Apple Watch, etc., special features will be available between them that will not be available to people without those devices.

    • For example, if you have an iPhone, you can view your text messages and send messages from your laptop, using your full-sized keyboard. (I admit this has been a big part of why I still use a Mac as my laptop).

    • For another example, if you use AirPods wireless headphones, they will "move" seamlessly between playing the audio from your iPhone, to playing the audio from your Mac computer, or your iPad, depending on which device you are using. You don't have to configure anything, or manually change the connection: the Apple devices "know" what you want to be listening to, based on what you are actively doing, and only the correct device sends an audio signal to your headphones.

    • For a final example (although there are others), the iPad, with its large screen, can be used as a "sidecar" monitor for a Mac computer. This gives a user extra screen "real estate", as if the iPad was a second computer monitor.
       

• memory

  • Broadly, 'memory' is the space where computer information is stored. But wait! Are we talking about short-term memory? (Read the section below on Random Access Memory.) Or are we talking about long-term memory? (Read the section below on Storage.)
     

• microcomputer

  • Practically every computer we use today! It's an antiquated term, but a good one to know for trivia night! The original computers, you may recall, were the size of entire rooms! Those things used vacuum tubes and had to be closely temperature controlled.

  • Then, there were minicomputers, which were the size of very thick vending machines.

  • Microcomputers were, and still are, the devices that we can fit on top of a desk (or in our laps, or in our pockets, or on our wrists...)
     

• Microsoft

  • One of the biggest software (and to an extent, hardware) companies on the planet, Microsoft's biggest claim to fame is being the purveyors of the most-used desktop operating system on the planet, Microsoft Windows! Closely associated with its now-retired founder, Bill Gates, Microsoft has been at the forefront of many major achievements and controversies over the years. Like Google, it is famous for buying up smaller companies and integrating their innovative technologies into its overall product plan. Its latest major acquisition is a 49% stake in OpenAI, the company pioneering generative "AI" software like ChatGPT (see above)
     

• mirroring

  • Broadly, the idea of copying "this thing" over "there" in real time (like sending the same image to two computer monitors at once).

  • Also used to describe a special feature in modern cars and modern smartphones, where some basic features of the smartphone (like phone calls, text messaging, GPS map navigation, and music or audiobook playback) is displayed on the car's infotainment screen as a special interface. This type of 'phone mirroring' projects a simplified interface that is meant to be safer and less distracting to use, than it would be if you were holding your phone while driving and trying to use any of these features.
     

• modem

  • Not to be confused with a "computer" or a "router". A modem is a device which translates an internet signal so your computer. These are required to take a phone signal, which ordinarily carries the sound of your voice, and turn it into a dial-up internet connection. These are required to take a cable signal, which ordinarily carries the audio and video of your television channels, and turn it into high-speed internet connection.

  • Part of why these are often confused with routers, is that they are sometimes bundled together (where you receive one of each from the Internet Service Provider), or they are built into a dual-function device which acts as both modem and router. These are sometimes referred to as gateways.
     

• monitor

  • Also called a display, this is the "screen" where a computer's graphics are directed, so the computer user can see what is happening, and interact with the computer using a graphical interface.
     

• mouse

  • Not to be confused with a cursor, the mouse is a wired (or wireless) computer peripheral, meant to be held in the right or left hand, to manipulate the on-screen cursor and make selections based on pointing. Mouses typically have physical buttons which can be clicked to do different things, like select, "drag", or interact in other ways.
     

• network

  • The shared connection between any two electronic devices capable of "talking" to each other. This could be the connection between a wireless headphone and a smartphone, or the connection between a wireless laptop and a home WiFi router, or the Internet cable running along the ocean floor from the United States to Europe, allowing us to share the same World Wide Web.

  • The internet is a network, but not every network is the internet.
     

• open-source

  • All computer programming is initially written as some kind of computer code. The original instructions, as written by a human, are called "source code". When code is "open-source", it means that anyone can view the code, and "compile" it themselves to run. They can also make any changes they want, and, if the license allows for it, they may be able to redistribute or even sell their version of the code.

  • There are many 'asterisks' to apply to the term "open-source", but most commonly, it is a "by the people, for the people" method of writing computer programs. Often, open-source code has many paid or (more likely) volunteer contributors working to make the best product they can. Making the code available for anyone to look at helps them spot errors and fix them.

  • The most famous and successful open-source project of all time is an entire operating system called Linux, which is available in a variety of distributions, nearly all of which are free.
     

• operating system

  • The most basic, integral elements of a computer system, which are required to run all higher-level software. Beneath your web browser, beneath the Desktop "layer", is a collection of system software that works together to allow the "higher" software to work.

  • These collections of low-level functions are designed in standardized, branded packages, like Microsoft Windows or Apple macOS, or Linux.
     

• personal computer (PC)

  • ​A microcomputer that the average person can own, like a desktop PC, a laptop, a tablet, smartphone, or other all-purpose computing solution. Typically, personal computers support the addition of new software that did not come from the original manufacturer (like an application you download online, or buy on an App Store).

  • The term "personal computer"applies to Macs, even though Apple likes to make a distinction between "PC and Mac".

  • The term "personal computer" more typically applies to computers running traditional "Desktop operating systems" like Apple macOS or Microsoft Windows. It technically applies to things like the Apple iPad, but is not commonly used in that way.
     

• Random-Access Memory (RAM)

  • Also simply called "memory" in the context of personal computers, RAM (or, memory) is not to be confused with 'storage' (where you keep your documents and applications; see the Storage section below).

  • RAM is not where you save files and programs. Instead, you can compare it to your own "working" or "short-term" memory. If your child is asking you about dinner, while you are washing the dishes, and you are looking at the calendar from the corner of your eye, these are all things your brain is keeping "in memory". A computer works the same way.

  • Just the way you can forget all your day's concerns when you go to sleep, a computer will forget everything in its memory when it is powered off. After all, it isn't "thinking" about those things anymore.

  • Because the contents of a computer's memory can vanish when the power is cut, RAM is sometimes referred to as "volatile" memory.
     

• router

  • Routers allow one network to talk to one or many other networks. This could be your home network talking to the network hosting your favorite website, or your network connecting to the network of your office, or two totally different networks communicating with one another to get any number of things done. Without routers, networks would have to stay contained within small areas, like your house, or your office. Routers are the key to inter-networking, or: the Internet.

  • Some routers have a wireless access point built into them, and it is fair to call them "WiFi routers". These are the most common routers the average person will encounter these days.
     

• server

  • A specialized computer or piece of software which "serves" some function or content. When you visit a website, it is being "served" to you over the internet by a server. When you log into a PC at your workplace, your username and password are being checked by an authentication server. And so forth
     

• smartphone

  • A mobile phone which is able to run applications beyond those which were expected in the early 2000s (phone calls, text messages, contacts list). Practically all phones these days are "smart", and are much more like pocket-sized supercomputers which can make phone calls than traditional phones. Still, classic-style phones (now called feature phones) are still on sale, and, if you can believe it, rising in popularity among a younger generation who find themselves raised on, and burned out by an over-exposure to constant digital stimuli.
     

• solid state drive (SSD)

  • A storage drive, just like a hard disk drive, except that there are no moving parts. Everything that happens on the disk is purely electromagnetic, which makes things much faster than HDDs.

  • They still wear out, like HDDs do, but in a different way. For most people, this isn't much of a concern, as SSDs only wear when they are being written do, and not when they are being read from. The amount of wear an average user will put on an SSD is likely to be very limited, and SSD upgrades are a great option for many people. Especially when a computer has become unbearably slow! My first recommendation in a situation like that is always to try an SSD before moving on to something heavy-duty like replacing the computer. I've saved plenty of customers hundreds of dollars by keeping their old PC in service with a new SSD rather than their having to replace the entire machine.
     

• storage

  • "long-term" storage for files, including the computer's operating system itself. This is where you "save" your documents.

  • Often confused or conflated with "memory", storage describes "non-volatile" memory, which persists even if power is disconnected.

    • Remember: all storage is memory, but not all memory is storage.
       

• tablet

  • A touchscreen-based computer, larger than a smartphone and smaller than a full-sized computer. Some tablets have become quite large, these days! But they are always flat, with glass or plastic touchscreens to interact with, and they are useful for unique applications, like using a stylus to write or draw (where traditional computers typically only use a mouse or keyboard for user input).
     

• touchpad (trackpad)

  • The rectangle (or, in days gone by, other shapes) below the keyboard of nearly all laptops, which is sensitive to human touch, and takes the place of a mouse as the input device which allows a user to move a cursor around the computer environment. The terms "touchpad" and "trackpad" are interchangeable, and depend primarily on brand.
     

• touchscreen

  • Any computer display that allows the user to "poke" or "tap" it to interact. Touchscreen interfaces can be helpful for users with disabilities, and people who prefer to point at the things they want to interact with. Glass touch screens (which can resist more weight and sharpness) are useful to artists and people who prefer writing by hand, because styluses can be used to simulate the effects of drawing or scribbling.

  • Touchscreens are foundational to the smartphones and tablets that dominate much of the consumer hardware market these days.
     

• TPM (Trusted Platform Module)

  • A specialized chip inside of modern computers that exclusively handles encryption (see above) work. In this case, that work includes generating cryptographic keys and hashes (see above), storing those keys and hash values, and also, doing encryption and decryption (see Cryptography, above).

  • Note: TPM2.0, the current version of TPM, is required for a person to upgrade a computer's operating system to Windows 11.
     

• traffic

  • Refers to the electronic information (data) sent between computer devices. These signals (frames, or packets, depending on the context) are referred to as "traffic" because in network situations, there are often many devices sending messages at the same time, and those messages have to share the same wires or wireless radio waves to get where they're going.
     

• ultraportable

  • Refers to an especially small, thin, or lightweight computer.
     

• Unix

  • An especially important operating system originally developed by Bell Labs. Unix is no longer relevant to most people, except that it was the inspiration for systems which exist today, like Linux, or the modern macOS.

  • The Unix philosophy is that there should be more, smaller programs that each do one thing especially well; and that those many small functions should be able to be piped (stiched? strung? choose your metaphor, but in Unix, we call it piping) together to achieve more advanced functionality.
     

• URL

  • "Universal Resource Locator", but no one calls them that. A better term might be "web address".

  • Referring to the IP address section above, you may recall that all network addresses are actually strings of bits, which we represent as a chain of numbers (like 192.168.1.1).  Web addresses, or, URLs, are the text-based labels (like https://www.facebook.com/) that allow us to easily navigate to this website, or that, without having to remember all those numbers.
     

• user

  • The person actively engaging with a computer. See also: "end user" (above)
     

• user interface (UI)

  • Designed by computer programmers, the user interface is everything you, the user, interact with to "interface" with your computer. In the old days, you might have used a computer with a black screen and green text, that used cryptic commands to launch software from a floppy disk. That black screen with a green text prompt awaiting commands was the UI for that machine. Beginning in the late 1970s, graphics (see above) like the Desktop, and "windows" were introduced, and the world of skeuomorphic designs (where digital abstractions look like their real-life counterparts) began. These interfaces, which make up nearly all of the computer interaction average people take advantage of, are called GUIs (pronounced "gooey"), for "graphical user interface".
     

• virtual reality (VR)

  • Any interface where a user covers their eyes (and perhaps their ears, hands, etc.) with wearable technology in order to "replace" their natural senses with devices that simulate natural senses. The most famous example, and the one that works the best for this, is the "VR goggle", which has small, eyeball-sized screens inside of it, and straps over a user's head and eyes, to give them the sensation of being somewhere else, by seeing things that are only in the digital world. Hand-held controllers contribute to the sense of interaction, and VR in the modern day is much more impressive and capable than in the 1980s or 1990s.
     

• wearable

  • Any computer you can wear on your body, like an Apple Watch, a Fitbit, or a VR Headset.
     

• web browser

  • A piece of software able to render websites on a computer for the user to view or interact with.
     

• window

  • A metaphor, and an abstraction in many modern computing environments (most famously, in the eponymous Microsoft Windows operating system, but also in macOS, and any Linux distribution that uses a desktop environment with windows).

  • Windows contain the visual contents of a computer application, and can typically be moved around the screen or re-sized freely to allow the user the greatest amount of flexibility in how they experience the software.
     

• Windows

  • (with a capital W!) Microsoft's flagship software, and the best-selling operating system on earth, since the mid-to-late 1980s. Like macOS and Linux, some software is only compatible with Windows, but a lot of modern software has versions available for various different operating systems.

  • Most noteworthy: because Windows is the most popular operating system, and has been for decades, this is most likely what the average person thinks of when they thing of the experience of using a computer.
     

• Windows versions

  • A lot of computers today are still running older versions of Windows, and that can be very problematic, because after so many years, Microsoft no longer issues security patches for these operating systems. It's important to know which version of Windows you're using, and whether you need to upgrade for the sake of your security.

    • Windows XP

      • Released in 2001, Windows XP is now over two decades old, and it's not just insecure, it is dangerously insecure! In 2024, a test was conducted, in which Windows XP was installed, fresh, on a computer; then, that computer was plugged into the Internet. Without clicking anything, and without visiting a single website, the computer was infected with a virus in only two minutes flat! If you're using Windows XP, you simply must reach out to CozyTech to find out what options you have for upgrading to a safer option. We can likely accommodate your needs with a free operating system called Linux, or, if you'd like to buy a newer computer, we can point you in the right direction!

    • Windows Vista

      • Windows Vista released in 2007, and it is nearly two decades old. Mainstream support of the system ended in 2012, which means there hasn't been a single security patch issued in over a decade. Let's explore your upgrade options!

    • Windows 7

      • In my opinion, Windows 7 was a great operating system! But its mainstream support ended in 2020, meaning there have been no security updates in at least four years! Windows 7 hardware may still be viable under the right circumstances, though, so let's talk about how we might upgrade you to something more secure.

    • Windows 8

      • Windows 8 was an odd duck among operating systems, as Microsoft (in a panic, to compete with the iPad) completely overhauled the traditional desktop-style operating system to make it more compatible with touchscreen tablets. A neat idea, but Microsoft put the cart before the horse on this one, and they were quickly pressured into reversing course. Windows 8 hardware may be compatible with modern upgrades like Windows 11, but even if not, we can likely meet your needs by installing a free operating system called Linux. Contact CozyTech and we can find out the right next steps for you!

    • Windows 10

      • A terrific operating system, now facing its sunset, Windows 10 will lose mainstream support from Microsoft in October of 2025. This means there will be no additional security patches, unless you pay $30 a year for extended support. Even that extended support will only last for a few years, so you should think about your upgrade path now. Will you upgrade to Windows 11? Subscribe to the $30/year extended support option for as long as you can? Or would you like to explore a free replacement, like Linux? CozyTech can help you figure out how to proceed!

    • Windows 11

      • Windows 11 is Microsoft's newest operating system, and it requires a modern TPM (see above) module in order to install. Windows 11 includes Microsoft's latest (and supposedly greatest) technology, but not everyone can upgrade to it. If you'd like to know more about whether you can, or can't, and what you might do in either circumstance, CozyTech would be glad to help! Give us a call!
         

• wireless access point (WAP)

  • The source of a WiFi network signal. Wireless access points are sometimes stand-alone units, mounted to walls or ceilings. This is common in business organizations, schools, and other large campus buildings. But WAPs are also often built into small office / home routers, which is how most people interact with them on a day-to-day basis. As such, many people do not realize that WAPs and routers are not inherently the same thing.
     

• World Wide Web

  • The "high level" layer that most people think of as "the Internet". The World Wide Web is the real big tent attraction living on the internet, and it is the space in which all websites exist. Whenever you navigate to Google or Facebook, Craigslist, or any other website, you are browsing the World Wide Web.