Jargon Buster

Access Point

Wireless communication hub that allows users to connect to a WI-FI network

ActiveX

Technology for adding extra features to an application like a web browser. ActiveX components are usually downloaded automatically, or with minimal user interaction.

Add-in

Extra features available in most Microsoft applications, but usually requiring installation from the original CD-ROM. For example, Excel's AutoSave feature is an Add-in module, and is only installed upon request.

Address

is a unique identifier assigned to a web page. The address is more commonly referred to as the Universal Resource Locator or URL

ADSL

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line is a method of connecting a computer to the internet over an ordinary phone line using Ethernet office networking technology instead of an ordinary modem, which produces a much faster (broadband) connection. Asymmetric because it is faster from internet to PC than the other way

Animated GIF

Stands for Graphics Interchange Format, a popular file format for storing graphic images, often for use on websites. An animated GIF is simply a string of these images, creating the illusion of moving pictures when played back.

API

An Application Programming Interface (API) is the interface that a computer system, library or application provides in order to allow requests for service to be made of it by other computer programs, and/or to allow data to be exchanged between them.

Applet

Small utility program within Windows, like Calculator or ScanDisk.

Application Software

Software that addresses an edn-user's specific purposes, providing specific functionality that enables him or her to acheive a specific task. Applications can be simple (e.g. a calculator) or complex (e.g a word processor or spreadsheet program).

Archive

Often compressed, archives are usually large files containing several smaller files. Commonly used archive file formats are ZIP, TAR, ARJ, LZH, and UC2

ARP

Ariaware RIA Platform (ARP) is a lightweight, pattern-based structural framework for Flash. Proper use will result in maintainable and scalable RIAs that can be efficiently developed in a team environment.

Artifical Intelligence (AI)

The science of simulating or duplicating intelligence using a computer. AI is useful for situations where clear-cut decisions are not possible and for mimicing the behaviour of humans or animals.

ASF

Advanced Streaming Format. A streaming file format from Microsoft.

ASP

Active Server Pages is a Web page that has one or more scripts embedded in it. The scripts are like small computer programs that run when an ASP-based Web page is accessed. Pages are processed on a Web server before they are transferred to a user's Web browser and typically used for pages that have dynamic, or frequently changing information. ASP scripts are typically written in Microsoft's Visual Basic programming language

ASP

can also refer to Application Service Provider

Aspect ratio

A measure of the relative width and height of a display. Traditional television screens, for instance, have an aspect ratio of 4:3 (meaning four units wide by three units high), while modern widescreen sets have 16:9 proportions.

ATAPI

Stands for Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface, which is a control technology for devices like CD-ROM and hard disk drives.

ATM

Asynchronous Transfer Mode is an International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunications Standards Section (ITU-T) standard for cell relay wherein information for multiple service types, such as voice, video, or data, is conveyed in small, fixed-size cells

ATRAC

Stands for Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding, which is Sony's proprietary audio file-compression system, similar to MP3 but with additional security features designed to prevent piracy of copyright material.

AVI

A type of video file used by windows and usually played using Windows Media Player