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n. Short for Intel Architecture 64. Intel's 64-bit microprocessor architecture based on EPIC (Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing) technology. IA-64 is the foundation for the 64-bit Merced chip (expected in 2000), as well as future chips to be based on the same architecture. Unlike architectures based on thesequential execution of instructions, IA-64 is designed to implement the parallel execution defined by EPIC technology. It also provides for numerous registers (128 general registers for integer and multimedia operations and 128 floating-point registers) and for grouping instructions in threes as 128-bit bundles. IA-64 architecture also features inherent scalability and compatibility with 32-bit software. See also EPIC, Merced.
n. A notebook computer introduced by Apple in July 1999. The iBook was intended as a portable version of the iMac and is easily distinguished by its rounded shape and the bright colors of its case. Initial iBook models were powered by a 300-MHz G3 (PowerPC 750) processor and had the capability for wireless networking. See also iMac, PowerPC 750.
n. A downloadable software program developed by Mirabilis, and now owned by AOL Time-Warner Inc., that notifies Internet users when friends, family, or other selected users are also on line and allows them to communicate with one another in real time. Through ICQ, users can chat, send e-mail, exchange messages on message boards, and transfer URLs and files, as well as launch third-party programs, such as games, in which multiple people can participate.Users compile a list of other users with whom they want to communicate. All users must register with the ICQ server and have ICQ software on their computer. The name is a reference to the phrase "I seek you." See also instant messaging.
n. Short for International Computer Security Association. An education and information organization concerned with Internet security issues. Known as the NCSA (the National Computer Security Association) until 1997, the ICSA provides security assurance systems and product certification; disseminates computer security information in white papers, books, pamphlets, videos and other publications; organizes consortium devoted to various security issues; and maintains a Web site that provides updated information on viruses and other computer security topics. Founded in 1987, the ICSA is currently located in Reston, VA.
n. 1. Short for Integrated Device Electronics. A type of disk-drive interface in which the controller electronics reside on the drive itself, eliminating the need for a separate adapter card. The IDE interface is compatible with the controller used by IBM in the PC/AT computer but offers advantages such as look-ahead caching. 2. See integrated development environment.
n. See interior gateway protocol.
n. See SIIA.
n. See instant messaging.
n. A family of Apple Macintosh computers introduced in 1998. Designed for non-technical users, the iMac has a case that contains both the CPU and the monitor and is available in several bright colors. The "i" in iMac stands for Internet; the iMac was designed to make setting up an Internet connection extremely simple. The first version of the iMac included a 266-MHz PowerPC processor, a 66-MHz system bus, a hard drive, a CD-ROM drive, and a 15-inch monitor, with a translucent blue case. Later iMacs came with faster processors and a choice of case colors. See also Macintosh.
n. See immersive imaging.
n. A method of presenting photographic images on a computer by usingvirtual reality techniques. A common immersive image technique puts the user in the center of view. The user can pan 360 degrees within the image and can zoom in and out. Another technique puts an object in the center of the view and allows the user to rotate around the object to examine it from any perspective. Immersive imaging techniques can be used to provide virtual reality experiences without equipment such as a headpiece and goggles. Also called image-based rendering. See also imaging, virtual reality.
n. A specialized computer designed to perform a limited number of functions and, especially, to provide access to the Internet. Although devices such as electronic address books or appointment calendars might be considered information appliances, the term is more typically used for devices that are less expensive and less capable than a fully functional personal computer. Set-top boxes are a current example; other devices, envisioned for the future, would include network-aware microwaves, refrigerators, watches, and the like. Also called appliance.
Information Industry Association
n. See SIIA.
n. A service that alerts users when friends or colleagues are on line and allows them to communicate with each other in real time through private online chat areas. With instant messaging, a user creates a list of other users with whom he or she wishes to communicate; when a user from his or her list is on line, the service alerts the user and enables immediate contact with the other user. While instant messaging has primarily been a proprietary service offered by Internet service providers such as AOL and MSN, businesses are starting to employ instant messaging to increase employee efficiency and make expertise more readily available to employees.
n. See IA-64.
n. A protocol used for distributing routing information among routers (gateways) in an autonomous network-that is, a network under the control of one administrative body. The two most often used interior gateway protocols are RIP (Routing Information Protocol) and OSPF (Open Shortest Path First). Acronym: IGP. See also OSPF, RIP (definition 1). Compare exterior gateway protocol.
adj. Pertaining to a display method on raster-scan monitors in which the electron beam refreshes or updates all odd-numbered scan lines in one vertical sweep of the screen and all even-numbered scan lines in the next sweep. Compare noninterlaced.
n. A display technique designed to reduce flicker and distortions in television transmissions; also used with some raster-scan monitors. In interlace scanning the electron beam in the television or monitor refreshes alternate sets of scan lines in successive top-to-bottom sweeps, refreshing all even lines on one pass, and all odd lines on the other. Because of the screen phosphor's ability to maintain an image for a short time before fading and the tendency of the human eye to average or blend subtle differences in light intensity, the human viewer sees a complete display, but the amount of information carried by the display signal and the number of lines that must be displayed per sweep are halved. Interlaced images are not as clear as those produced by the progressive scanning typical of newer computer monitors. Interlace scanning is, however, the standard method of displaying analog broadcast television images. Also called interlacing. Compare progressive scanning (definition 1).
n. See interlace scanning.
International Computer Security Association
n. See ICSA.
International Telecommunication Union
n. See ITU.
International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector
n. See ITU-T.
n. 1. See set-top box. 2. See server appliance.
n. See IPSec.
Internet Protocol version 4
n. See IPv4.
Internet Protocol version 6
n. See IPv6.
n. See SSE.
n. Short for Internet Protocol next generation. A revised version of the Internet Protocol (IP) designed primarily to address growth on the Internet. IPng is compatible with, but an evolutionary successor to, the current version of IP, IPv4 (IP version 4), and was approved as a draft standard in 1998 by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force). It offers several improvements over IPv4 including a quadrupled IP address size (from 32 bits to 128 bits), expanded routing capabilities, simplified header formats, improved support for options, and support for quality of service, authentication, and privacy. Also called IPv6. See also IETF, IP, IP address.
n. Short for Internet Protocol Security. A security mechanism under development by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) designed to ensure secure packet exchanges at the IP (Internet Protocol) layer. IPSec is based on two levels of security: AH (Authentication Header), which authenticates the sender and assures the recipient that the information has not been altered during transmission, and ESP (Encapsulating Security Protocol), which provides data encryption in addition to authentication and integrity assurance. IPSec is expected to ensure secure transmissions over virtual private networks (VPNs). See also IETF, IP, packet, virtual private network.
n. Telephone service including voice and fax, provided through an Internet or network connection. IP telephony requires two steps: conversion of analog voice to digital format by a coding/uncoding device (codec) and conversion of the digitized information to packets for IP transmission. Also called Internet telephony, Voice over IP (VoIP). See also H.323, VoIP.
n. Short for Internet Protocol version 4. The current version of the Internet Protocol (IP), as compared with the next generation IP, which is known familiarly as IPng and more formally as IPv6 (IP version 6). See also IP. Compare IPng.
n. Short for Internet Protocol version 6. The formal name for IPng, the successor to the current Internet Protocol. See also IPng.
n. See SSE.
n. Short for Information Technology. See Information Services.
n. A Java performance engine introduced by Sun Microsystems in 1999 that is designed to run Java applications faster than just-in-time (JIT) compilers. The core of Java HotSpot, and the feature for which it is named, is its ability to perform adaptive optimization—the identification and optimization of "hot spots," or sections of performance-critical code. Improved garbage collection (freeing of memory occupied by objects no longer in use) and better multithreading are additional features designed to contribute to increased performance. See also Java.
n. See JSP.
n. A Java API designed to provide access to relational databases and other tabular material, such as spreadsheets and flat files. Using JDBC, a developer can create a cross-platform Java application that can connect with, and send SQL statements to, a number of different relational databases. Although it is commonly thought to stand for Java Database Connectivity, JDBC is the name of the technology; it is not an acronym.
n. Short for JavaServer Pages. A technology created by Sun Microsystems to enable development of platform-independent Web-based applications. Using HTML and XML tags and Java scriptlets, JSP helps Web site developers create cross-platform programs. JSP scriptlets run on the server, not in a Web browser, and generate dynamic content on Web pages, with the ability to integrate content from a variety of data sources, such as databases, files, and JavaBean components. Web site developers can concentrate on design and display of a Web site without the need for application development expertise. See also Java, JavaBean. Compare Active Server Pages.
n. An analog modem standard developed by Rockwell Semiconductor Systems (now Conexant Systems, Inc.) and Lucent Technologies for 56-Kbps modems, with download speeds of up to 56,000 bits per second (bps) and upload speeds of 33,600 bps. Until recently, the modem market was divided between K56flex and the competing technology, x2, from 3Com Corporation/U.S. Robotics. The two standards were incompatible, and users accessing Internet service providers using the competing technology experienced slower communication speeds. In September 1998, a 56-Kbps standard named V.90 was ratified by the International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T.) Both x2 and K56flex modems can be modified to support the V.90 standard with a software upgrade. Also called Kflex, 56flex. Compare V series, x2.
n. See K56flex.
n. A simple and easy-to-use executable script used to hack into a computer or network. Unlike the traditional hacker's techniques, which require detailed networking and programming knowledge, a kiddie script does not require any specialized skills or knowledge. See also script, script kiddie.
L2TP
n. Short for Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol. An Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard defined in Request for Comments (RFC) 2661 for the creation of virtual private networks over the Internet. L2TP supports multiple protocols, including non-IP protocols—such as Appletalk and IPX—and privately administered IP addresses, over the Internet. L2TP is a combination of the best features of Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) (RFC 2637) and Cisco Layer 2 Forwarding (L2F) (RFC 2341). See also virtual private network (definition 1).
See logical block addressing.n. A condition affecting inadequately maintained Web pages that results in outdated, inoperative links to other Web pages.
n. A technique in which the cylinder, head, and sector locations on a hard disk are converted to 24-bit addresses for data storage and retrieval. Logical block addressing is used with SCSI drives and is also a feature of Enhanced IDE (EIDE) disk drives, on which it breaks through the earlier 528 MB IDE limit and allows support for drives up to 8.4 GB in capacity if 24-bit logical address space is used. Address conversion is performed by an EIDE drive's disk controller, but also requires support from the BIOS and the computer's operating system. Acronym: LBA. See also EIDE, SCSI.
n. 1. A logic error in a program that manifests itself only under certain conditions, usually when least expected or desired. The term bomb implies an error that causes the program to fail spectacularly. See also logic error. 2. A type of Trojan horse that executes when certain conditions are met, such as when a user performs a specific action. See also Trojan horse. Also called time bomb. 3. See Year 2000 problem.
Lotus 1-2-3
n. An electronic spreadsheet product introduced in 1983 by Lotus Development Corporation. Notable for its inclusion of graphing and data-management (database) capabilities in addition to spreadsheet functionality, Lotus 1-2-3 is important in the history of the personal computer because it was one of the first "killer apps" that convinced businesses to buy and use a PC. Lotus Development was purchased by IBM in 1995. See also killer app.
n. See cc:Mail.
n. A groupware application introduced in 1988 by Lotus Development Corporation and now owned by IBM. Lotus Notes combines e-mail, calendar management, group scheduling, contact and task management, newsgroup access, and Web browsing capability (through the integration of Microsoft Internet Explorer) in one client application. Lotus Notes also offers search capabilities across multiple formats and file types on a network or the Web.
n. 1. In calculations that have logarithms, the positive decimal fraction of a common (base-10) logarithm. For example, the common logarithm of 16 is 1.2041; the characteristic, or whole-number portion, of the logarithm is 1 (the logarithm of 10), and the mantissa, or fractional portion, is .2041 (the logarithm of 1.6). See also characteristic, logarithm. 2. In floating-point notation, the portion expressing the significant digits of a number. For example, the floating-point representation of 640,000 is 6.4E+05. The mantissa is 6.4; the exponent (E+05) shows the power of 10 to which 6.4 is raised. Also called significand. See also floating-point notation.
n. Business mapping software introduced by Microsoft as an Office-compatible product in 1999. Designed for use by business people, MapPoint consists of a database of United States maps showing detail down to the level of individual streets and demographic data broken out by state, county, zip code, and other regions. See also Office.
massively multiplayer online role-playing game
n. See MMORPG.
adj. A reference to image resolution of one million pixels or more. The term is used in reference to devices such as digital cameras, scanners, and computer monitors and display adapters.
n. A macro virus that affects Word files in Microsoft Office 97 and Office 2000 and first appeared in the spring of 1999. Melissa is delivered as an attachment to an e-mail with the subject line "An Important Message From <user name>," a message beginning "Here is that document you asked for…," or both. When the attachment is opened, the virus propagates (if Microsoft Outlook is installed) by sending itself to the first 50 e-mail addresses in the user's Outlook address book. On the infected machine, the virus also changes the registry, infects the Normal.dot Word template (which, in turn, infects new documents), and, in Office 2000, disables the Word macro virus warning. Although the Melissa virus does not destroy data, it can affect e-mail performance through the increased volume of messages. If an infected document is open at a time when the day of the month is the same as the minute value of the current time, the virus inserts the text "Twenty-two points, plus triple-word-score, plus fifty points for using all my letters. Game's over. I'm outta here" at the current location of the cursor. The virus was named after an acquaintance of the hacker who developed it.
n. Code name for the next-generation 64-bit microprocessor designed by Intel and Hewlett-Packard and due to be released in 2000. Based on the IA-64 architecture, Merced will contain upwards of 10 million transistors and is expected to be used primarily in servers and high-performance workstations. See also IA-64.
n. An applicationfor mobile phones that allows users to access the Internet to send and receive e-mail and browse the Web. Microbrowsers don't have the full functionality of a Web browser on a PC. For instance, microbrowsers are capable of loading only stripped-down text versions of Web pages. Most microbrowser products are built to utilize the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) standard. See also Wireless Application Protocol.
n. A special-purpose, single-chip computer designed and built to handle a particular, narrowly defined task. In addition to the central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller usually contains its own memory, input/output channels (ports), and timers. When part of a larger piece of equipment, such as a car or a home appliance, a microcontroller is an embedded system. See also embedded system.
n. See Access.
Microsoft Active Accessibility
n. See Active Accessibility.
n. See Excel.
n. See MapPoint.
n. See Money.
n. See Office.
n. See Outlook.
n. See PowerPoint.
n. See Visual InterDev.
n. See Visual Studio.
n. See Word.
n. Short for multichannel multipoint distribution service. A fixed wireless service proposed for use as an alternative when DSL or cable modem options are not practical or desirable. The MMDS spectrum was originally used for distance learning and wireless cable video services before attracting interest for fixed broadband wireless services. See also broadband.
n. Short for massively multiplayer online role-playing game. A type of online game in which thousands of users can participate simultaneously. MMORPG games such as Ultima Online, Asheron's Call, and EverQuest feature complex social interaction in a persistent virtual world. Users subscribe to the game and create characters who lead entire lives within the game's world, growing and changing in response to users' actions. The games are set up within a scalable online environment that has the capacity to allow thousands of players to interact simultaneously.
n. 1. Short for modulator/demodulator. A communications device that converts between digital data from a computer or terminal and analog audio signals that can pass through a standard telephone line. Because the telephone system was designed to handle voice and other audio signals and a computer processes signals as discrete units of digital information, a modem is necessary at both ends of the telephone line to exchange data between computers. At the transmit end, the modem converts from digital to analog audio; at the receiving end, a second modem converts the analog audio back to its original digital form. In order to move a high volume of data, high-speed modems rely on sophisticated methods for "loading" information onto the audio carrier—for example, they may combine frequency shift keying, phase modulation, and amplitude modulation to enable a single change in the carrier's state to represent multiple bits of data. In addition to the basic modulation and demodulation functions, most modems also include firmware that allows them to originate and answer telephone calls. International standards for modems are specified by the International Telecommunications Union, or ITU. Despite their capabilities, modems do require communications software in order to function. See also amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, quadrature amplitude modulation. Compare digital modem. 2. Any communications device that acts as an interface between a computer or terminal and a communications channel. Although such a device may not actually modulate or demodulate analog signals, it may be described as a modem, because a modem is perceived by many users to be a black box that connects a computer to a communications line (such as a high-speed network or a cable TV system). See also digital modem.
n. Microsoft's Windows-based financial-management software for individuals, families, and small businesses. Money includes tools for managing bank accounts and investments, budgeting, tax estimating and financial planning, and paying bills.
n. A practice employed by some Web sites in which the back and exit buttons of a visitor's Web browser are disabled and attempts to leave the site are redirected to other pages on the site or to other sites against the visitor's will. Mousetrapping is most often associated with adult-oriented Web sites. Compare page-jacking.
n. See encoder (definition 2).
n. Short for Microsoft Active Accessibility. See Active Accessibility.
n. The code name, or working name, of Windows Media Audio, before the technology was released by Microsoft. See also Windows Media Audio.
n. See MMDS.
n. See address munging.
n. A grouping of one or more names that represent individual objects within the group in a shared computing environment, such as a network. The names within a namespace are unique, are created according to the same rules, and can be resolved into a particular identifying item of information, such as an IP address or a network device. A namespace can be either flat—a single collection of unique names—or hierarchical, as is the Internet's DNS (Domain Name System), which is based on a treelike structure that is refined through successive levels beginning with the root server and the Internet's top-level domains (.com, .net, .org, and so on). In everyday terms, a namespace is comparable to a telephone book, in which each name is unique and resolves to the phone number and address of a particular individual, business, or other entity.
n. A field of science dealing with the development of mechanical devices built at the molecular or atomic level. The aim of nanotechnology is molecular manufacturing—manipulating individual atoms to create computer chips and other devices thousands of times smaller than is now possible. Nanotechnology is especially promising in the fields of computing, communication, and medical science.
n. An Internet music search application that allows users to search for and swap MP3 files over the Web. In response to a user request for a song or artist, Napster searches the hard drives of all other Napster users online. When the requested item is found, the file is downloaded to the computer making the request. Napster also includes a chat room and a library of most popular items. The introduction of Napster in 1999 sparked heated debate over copyright and digital distribution issues. See also MP3.
National Computer Security Association
n. See ICSA.
n. 1. Short for National Center for Supercomputing Applications. A research center located at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. NCSA was founded in 1985 as a part of the National Science Foundation, specializing in scientific visualization tasks, but is best known as the home of NCSA Mosaic, the first graphical Web browser, and of NCSA Telnet. See also Mosaic, NCSA Telnet. 2. See ICSA.
n. See handle.
n. A computing environment that combines portable computers with portable communications to permit remote network access with no noticeable difference from direct access. Nomadic computing aims to allow users and programs to be effective in any environment; each computer automatically adjusts to the processing, communications, and access available at the moment. Desirable characteristics of nomadic computing are independence of location, motion, platform, device, and bandwidth with maintenance of access to remote systems and servers.
adj. Pertaining to a display method on raster-scan monitors in which the electron beam scans each line of the screen once during each refresh cycle. Compare interlaced.
n. Microsoft's family of individual and business application software suites for the Windows and Macintosh platforms. Office is built around three core products: Word for word processing, Excel for spreadsheets, and Outlook for e-mail and collaboration. Office 2000, the most recent version for the Windows platform, is available in several versions: the Office 2000 Standard version, which includes Outlook, Excel, and Word; the Office 2000 Small Business version, which adds Publisher and Small Business Tools; Office 2000 Professional, which adds Access and PowerPoint; and Office 2000 Premium, the most inclusive, which offers all the programs in Office 2000 Professional plus FrontPage and PhotoDraw. Office 98 Macintosh Edition is the most recent version for the Macintosh and includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook Express. See the table. See also Access, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word.
Table: Microsoft Office Applications
| Product | Function | Platform |
| Word | Word processing | Windows, Macintosh |
| Excel | Spreadsheets | Windows, Macintosh |
| Outlook | E-mail, collaboration | Windows, Macintosh |
| Publisher | Desktop publishing | Windows |
| Small Business Tools | Business and customer management | Windows |
| Access | Database management | Windows |
| PowerPoint | Presentation graphics | Windows, Macintosh |
| FrontPage | Web site creation | Windows |
| PhotoDraw | Business graphics | Windows |
n. A collaborative initiative by Microsoft and Adobe to unify support for Microsoft TrueType and Adobe PostScript Type 1 fonts. The OpenType font format enables font creators and users to work with the font type that best suits their needs without having to worry about whether the font is based on TrueType or PostScript technology. Also called TrueType Open version 2. See also PostScript font, TrueType.
n. A Web browser developed by Opera Software S/A. Opera is notable for its strict W3C standards support. Opera is often chosen by Web developers to test Web sites for W3C compliance. See also W3C, Web browser.
n. 1. A type of mouse that uses a CMOS digital camera and a digital signal processor to detect motion. The camera photographs the surface over which the mouse moves 1500 times per second, and the digital signal processor uses the photographs to convert the mouse movement into onscreen movements of the cursor. IntelliMouse Explorer and IntelliMouse with IntelliEye, two optical mouse models with no moving parts and requiring no special mouse pad, were introduced by Microsoft in 1999. See also mouse. 2. A type of mouse that uses a pair of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a special reflective grid pad to detect motion. The two lights are of different colors, and the special mouse pad has a grid of lines in the same colors, one color for vertical lines and another for horizontal lines. Light detectors paired with the LEDs sense when a colored light passes over a line of the same color, indicating the direction of movement. See also mouse. Compare mechanical mouse, optomechanical mouse.
n. Microsoft's messaging and collaboration application software. A member of the Microsoft Office suite, Outlook includes e-mail and integrated calendar, contact-management and task-management features, and also provides support for building customized tools, such as special-purpose forms, for collaborative functions.
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Last Updated: Saturday, July 7, 2001