ABDULLAH_SIDDIQUE

VIDEO GAME(PC)

2010-01-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

A video game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device.[1] However, with the popular use of the term "video game", it now implies any type of display device. The electronic systems used to play video games are known as platforms; examples of these are personal computers and video game consoles. These platforms range from large mainframe computers to small handheld devices. Specialized video games such as arcade games, while previously common, have gradually declined in use.

The input device used to manipulate video games is called a game controller, and varies across platforms. For example, a dedicated console controller might consist of only a button and a joystick. Another may feature a dozen buttons and one or more joysticks. Early personal computer games often needed a keyboard for gameplay, or more commonly, required the user to buy a separate joystick with at least one button.[2] Many modern computer games allow, or even require, the player to use a keyboard and mouse simultaneously.

Video games typically also use other ways of providing interaction and information to the player. Audio is almost universal, using sound reproduction devices, such as speakers and headphones. Other feedback may come via haptic peripherals, such as vibration or force feedback, with vibration sometimes used to simulate force feedback.

MICROSOFT WORD

2010-01-11T23:42:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems.[1][2][3] Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS (1983), the Apple Macintosh (1984), Atari ST (1986), SCO UNIX, OS/2, and Microsoft Windows (1989). It is a component of the Microsoft Office system; however, it is also sold as a standalone product and included in Microsoft Works Suite. Beginning with the 2003 version, the branding was revised to emphasize Word's identity as a component within the Office suite; Microsoft began calling it Microsoft Office Word instead of merely Microsoft Word.

WORD 07
The release includes numerous changes, including a new XML-based file format, a redesigned interface, an integrated equation editor and bibliographic management. Additionally, an XML data bag was introduced, accessible via the object model and file format, called Custom XML - this can be used in conjunction with a new feature called Content Controls to implement structured documents. It also has contextual tabs, which are functionality specific only to the object with focus, and many other features like Live Preview (which enables you to view the document without making any permanent changes), Mini Toolbar, Super-tooltips, Quick Access toolbar, SmartArt, etc.

Word 2007 uses a new file format called docx. Word 2000-2003 users on Windows systems can install a free add-on called the "Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack" to be able to open, edit, and save the new Word 2007 files.[14] Alternatively, Word 2007 can save to the old doc format of Word 97-2003.[15][16]

It is also possible to run Word 2007 on Linux using Wine[17].

CABLE MODEM

2010-01-11T23:18:00.001-08:00

A cable modem is a type of network bridge and modem that provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a cable television (CATV) infrastructure. Cable modems are primarily used to deliver broadband Internet access in the form of cable Internet, taking advantage of the high bandwidth of a cable television network. They are commonly deployed in Australia, Europe, and North and South America. In the USA alone there were 22.5 million cable modem users during the first quarter of 2005, up from 17.4 million in the first quarter of 2004.[citation needed].

DSL(INTERNET)

2010-01-11T23:16:00.000-08:00

DSL or xDSL is a family of technologies that provides digital data transmission over the wires of a local telephone network. DSL originally stood for digital subscriber loop, but as of 2009 the term digital subscriber line has been widely adopted as a more marketing-friendly term for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), the most popular version of consumer-ready DSL. DSL can be used at the same time and on the same telephone line with regular telephone, as it uses high frequency bands, while regular telephone uses low frequency.

The download speed of consumer DSL services typically ranges from 384 kilobits per second (kbps) to 20 megabits per second (Mbps), depending on DSL technology, line conditions and service-level implementation. Typically, upload speed is lower than download speed for ADSL and equal to download speed for the rarer Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL).
DSL (VDSL) typically works by dividing the frequencies used in a single phone-line into two primary "bands". The ISP data uses the high-frequency band (25 kHz and above) whereas the voice utilizes the lower-frequency band (4 kHz and below). (See the ADSL article for information on the subdivision of the high-frequency band.) The user typically installs a DSL filter on each phone outlet. This filters out the high frequencies from the phone line so that the phone sends or receives only the lower frequencies, and the user hears only the human voice. The DSL modem and the normal telephone equipment can be used simultaneously on the line without interference from each other provided that filters are used for all voice devices.

SCANNER

2010-01-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

In computing, a scanner is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image. Common examples found in offices are variations of the desktop (or flatbed) scanner where the document is placed on a glass window for scanning. Hand-held scanners, where the device is moved by hand, have evolved from text scanning "wands" to 3D scanners used for industrial design, reverse engineering, test and measurement, orthotics, gaming and other applications. Mechanically driven scanners that move the document are typically used for large-format documents, where a flatbed design would be impractical.

Modern scanners typically use a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a Contact Image Sensor (CIS) as the image sensor, whereas older drum scanners use a photomultiplier tube as the image sensor. A rotary scanner, used for high-speed document scanning, is another type of drum scanner, using a CCD array instead of a photomultiplier. Other types of scanners are planetary scanners, which take photographs of books and documents, and 3D scanners, for producing three-dimensional models of objects.

Another category of scanner is digital camera scanners, which are based on the concept of reprographic cameras. Due to increasing resolution and new features such as anti-shake, digital cameras have become an attractive alternative to regular scanners. While still having disadvantages compared to traditional scanners (such as distortion, reflections, shadows, low contrast), digital cameras offer advantages such as speed, portability, gentle digitizing of thick documents without damaging the book spine. New scanning technologies are combining 3D scanners with digital cameras to create full-color, photo-realistic 3D models of objects.

In the biomedical research area, detection devices for DNA microarrays are called scanners as well. These scanners are high-resolution systems (up to 1 µm/ pixel), similar to microscopes. The detection is done via CCD or a photomultiplier tube (PMT).

ANTIVIRUS(PC SOFTWARE)

2010-01-05T22:58:00.000-08:00

Antivirus (or anti-virus) software is used to prevent, detect, and remove malware, including computer viruses, worms, and trojan horses. Such programs may also prevent and remove adware, spyware, and other forms of malware.

A variety of strategies are typically employed. Signature-based detection involves searching for known malicious patterns in executable code. However, it is possible for a user to be infected with new malware in which no signature exists yet. To counter such so-called zero-day threats, heuristics can be used. One type of heuristic approach, generic signatures, can identify new viruses or variants of existing viruses by looking for known malicious code (or slight variations of such code) in files. Some antivirus software can also predict what a file will do if opened/run by emulating it in a sandbox and analyzing what it does to see if it performs any malicious actions. If it does, this could mean the file is malicious.

However, no matter how useful antivirus software is, it can sometimes have drawbacks. Antivirus software can degrade computer performance if it is not designed efficiently. Inexperienced users may have trouble understanding the prompts and decisions that antivirus software presents them with. An incorrect decision may lead to a security breach. If the antivirus software employs heuristic detection (of any kind), success depends on achieving the right balance between false positives and false negatives. False positives can be as destructive as false negatives. In one case, a faulty virus signature issued by Symantec mistakenly removed essential operating system files, leaving thousands of PCs unable to boot.[1] Finally, antivirus software generally runs at the highly trusted kernel level of the operating system, creating a potential avenue of attack.[2]

In addition to the drawbacks mentioned above, the effectiveness of antivirus software has also been researched and debated. One study found that the detection success of major antivirus software dropped over a one-year period.[3].

INTERNET

2010-01-01T10:15:00.000-08:00

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private and public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope that are linked by a broad array of electronic and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries a vast array of informationresources and services, most notably the inter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW) and the infrastructure to supportelectronic mail.

Most traditional communications media, such as telephone and television services, are reshaped or redefined using the technologies of the Internet, giving rise to services such asVoice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and IPTV. Newspaper publishing has been reshaped into Web sites, blogging, and web feeds. The Internet has enabled or accelerated the creation of new forms of human interactions through instant messaging,Internet forums, and social networking sites.

The origins of the Internet reach back to the 1960s when the United States funded research projects of its military agencies to build robust, fault-tolerant and distributed computer networks. This research and a period of civilian funding of a new U.S. backbone by the National Science Foundation spawned worldwide participation in the development of new networking technologies and led to thecommercialization of an international network in the mid 1990s, and resulted in the following popularization of countless applications in virtually every aspect of modern human life. As of 2009, an estimated quarter of Earth's population uses the services of the Internet.

The Internet has no centralized governance in either technological implementation or policies for access and usage; each constituent network sets its own standards. Only the overreaching definitions of the two principal name spaces in the Internet, the Internet Protocol address space and the Domain Name System, are directed by a maintainer organization, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The technical underpinning and standardization of the core protocols (IPv4 and IPv6) is an activity of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), a non-profit organization of loosely-affiliated international participants that anyone may associate with by contributing technical expertise.

WEBSITE

2010-01-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

A website (also spelled web site) is a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are addressed with a common domain name or IP address in an Internet Protocol-based network. A web site is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internetor a private local area network.

A web page is a document, typically written in plain text interspersed with formatting instructions ofHypertext Markup Language (HTML, XHTML). A web page may incorporate elements from other websites with suitable markup anchors.

Web pages are accessed and transported with the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which may optionally employ encryption (HTTP Secure, HTTPS) to provide security and privacy for the user of the web page content. The user's application, often a web browser, renders the page content according to its HTML markup instructions onto a display terminal.

All publicly accessible websites collectively constitute the World Wide Web.

The pages of a website can usually be accessed from a simple Uniform Resource Locator (URL) called the homepage. The URLs of the pages organize them into a hierarchy, although hyperlinking between them conveys the reader's perceived site structure and guides the reader's navigation of the site.

Some websites require a subscription to access some or all of their content. Examples of subscription sites include many business sites, parts of many news sites, academic journal sites, gaming sites,message boards, web-based e-mail, services, social networking websites, and sites providing real-timestock market data.

computer softwares

2010-01-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

Computer software, or just software is a general term primarily used for digitally stored data such ascomputer programs and other kinds of information read and written by computers. Today, this includes data that has not traditionally been associated with computers, such as film, tapes and records.^[1] The term was coined in order to contrast to the old term hardware (meaning physical devices); in contrast to hardware, software is intangible, meaning it "cannot be touched".^[2] . Software is also sometimes used in a more narrow sense, meaning application software only.

COMPUTER NETWORKING

2010-01-01T00:17:00.000-08:00

A computer network is a group of computers that are connected to each other for the purpose of communication. Networks may be classified according to a wide variety of characteristics. This article provides a general overview of types and categories and also presents the basic components of a network.

data tape

2009-12-31T04:44:00.000-08:00

HP SDLT storage media is ideally suited for data centre and departmental backups where capacity, performance and cost are critical. SDLT technology offers up to 160 GB of storage capacity and a 16MB/sec sustained data transfer rate (native mode).2nd generation Super DLT II 600GB Data Cartridge offers high capacity and low cost per GB for customers with prior investments in DLT backup technology. Super DLTtape II cartridges support DLTSage for improved media and drive diagnostics.

High-performance: up to 32MB/sec compressed transfer rate
Comprehensive: read-backwards compatible with DLTtape
High-capacity: supports capacities up to 320GB
Reliable: combines the best of proven optical and magnetic technologies to offer users improvements in capacity and performance
HP SDLT cleaning cartridges: provide 20 cleans
With 600GB capacity and 72MB/sec transfer rate, HP SDLT II 600GB Data Cartridges offer high capacity and low cost per GB for customers with prior investments in DLT backup technology.
Super DLTtape II uses a new Super PET (S-PET) base film enabling an overall thickness reduction of 10%. This results in a longer tape with more capacity versus a Super DLTtape I cartridge.
Optical servo guide information is coded on the rear of the media, increasing the number of recording tracks on the data-bearing media surface. This enables higher capacity tape cartridges like Super DLT II.

VGA CABLE

2009-12-31T04:28:00.000-08:00

A VGA connector (also RGB connector, D-sub15, mini sub D15, and mini D15 connector), is a three-row 15-pin DE-15 connector, of which there are four versions: (i) the original VGA15 pinout connector, (ii) DDC2 pinouts, (iii) the older, less flexible DE-9 connector, and (iv) the Mini-VGA used for laptop computers.

The 15-pin VGA connector is common to most video cards, computer monitors, and high definition television sets that support VGA-connector devices. It usually is known as an “HD-15” (High Density 15) or “DE-15”, distinguishing it from connectors of like form factor, but with only 2 rows of pins. Occasionally, this connector is incorrectly referred to as a “DB-15” or as an “HDB-15”.^{[citation needed]} VGA connectors and cables are used solely to carry analog componentRGBHV (red - green - blue - horizontal sync - vertical sync) video signals, a Display data channel (DDC2) digital clock, and data. When device size is a spatial constraint (i.e. laptop computers), a mini-VGA port occasionally is in place of the full-sized VGA connector.

BLUETOOTH

2009-12-31T04:21:00.000-08:00

Bluetooth is an open wireless protocol for exchanging data over short distances (using short length radio waves) from fixed,PC and mobile devices, creating personal area networks(PANs). It was originally conceived as a wireless alternative to RS-232 data cables. It can connect several devices, overcoming problems of synchronization.

USB EXTENSION CABLE

2009-12-31T04:15:00.001-08:00

Do you need to extend the distance from your computer to a USB device such as a printer or scanner? According to the USB specification, you can use passive extension cables (i.e., cables without an active repeater chip in them) for distances up to 16 feet. Beyond sixteen feet, you need a cable that will boost the signal in order to avoid losing data or, worse yet, damaging USB equipment.

The maximum distance that you can reach by chaining Active USB Extension Cables together is 80 feet. By using 16 foot cables (the most common length available) you can safely chain up to 4 of these together without risking data loss or damage to your device (in addition to the 4-active extension cables you will use a regular device cable at the end that can be up to 16 feet - this is how you achieve the maximum distance of 80 feet).
In order to use a USB Extension Cable with a device, you plug the extension cable directly into the USB port on your desktop or notebook. On the other end of the cable, you will have a type A female port where you can plug your device cable in, which will be connected to the device on the other end.

CARD READER

2009-12-31T04:10:00.000-08:00

A memory card reader is a device used for communication with a smart card or a flash memory card. A business card reader is a scanning device used to scan and electronically save business cards. Amagnetic card reader is a device used to scan cards containing magnetic data strips. A punched card reader is a device used to read holes in punched cardboard cards.

video card

2009-12-30T23:13:00.000-08:00

A video card, video adapter, graphics-accelerator card, display adapter or graphics card is an expansion card whose function is to generate and output images to a display. Many video cards offer added functions, such as accelerated rendering of 3D scenes and 2D graphics, video capture, TV-tuner adapter, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 decoding, FireWire, light pen, TV output, or the ability to connect multiple monitors (multi-monitor), while other modern high performance cards are used for more graphically demanding purposes such as PC games.

Video hardware can be integrated on the motherboard, as it often happened with early computers; in this configuration it was sometimes referred to as a video controller or graphics controller.

WEBCAM

2009-12-30T23:04:00.000-08:00

A webcam is a video capture device connected to a computer orcomputer network, often using a USB port or, if connected to a network, ethernet or Wi-Fi.

The most popular use is for video telephony, permitting a computer to act as a videophone or video conferencing station. This can be used in messenger programs such as Windows Live Messenger,Skype and Yahoo messenger services. Other popular uses, which include the recording of video files or even still-images, are accessible via numerous software programs, applications and devices.

Webcams are known for low manufacturing costs and flexibility.^[1]

The term "webcam" may also be used in its original sense of a video camera connected to Web continuously for an indefinite time, rather than for a particular session, generally supplying a view for anyone who visits its Web page. Some such webcams, for example those used as online traffic cameras, are expensive, rugged professional-grade hardware.

PRINTER

2009-12-30T23:00:00.000-08:00

In computing, a printer is a peripheral which produces a hard copy (permanent readable text and/or graphics) of documents stored in electronic form, usually on physical print media such as paper or transparencies. Many printers are primarily used as local peripherals, and are attached by a printer cable or, in most newer printers, aUSB cable to a computer which serves as a document source. Some printers, commonly known as networkprinters, have built-in network interfaces (typically wireless and/or Ethernet), and can serve as a hardcopy device for any user on the network. Individual printers are often designed to support both local and network connected users at the same time. In addition, a few modern printers can directly interface to electronic media such as memory sticks or memory cards, or to image capture devices such as digital cameras, scanners; some printers are combined with a scanner and/or fax machine in a single unit, and can function as photocopiers. Printers that include non-printing features are sometimes called Multifunction printers (MFP), Multi-Function Devices (MFD), or All-In-One (AIO) printers. Most MFPs include printing, scanning, and copying among their features.

A Virtual printer is a piece of computer software whose user interface and API resemble that of a printer driver, but which is not connected with a physical computer printer. Instead of producing a hard copy of documents on paper (or other print mediums), virtual printers are interfaces for creating PDF files of the printed document, or sending faxes over the telephone using a connected modem.

Printers are designed for low-volume, short-turnaround print jobs; requiring virtually no setup time to achieve a hard copy of a given document. However, printers are generally slow devices (30 pages per minute is considered fast; and many inexpensive consumer printers are far slower than that), and the cost per page is actually relatively high. However this is offset by the on-demand convenience and project management costs being more controllable compared to an out-sourced solution. The printing press naturally remains the machine of choice for high-volume, professional publishing. However, as printers have improved in quality and performance, many jobs which used to be done by professional print shops are now done by users on local printers; see desktop publishing. The world's first computer printer was a 19th century mechanically driven apparatus invented by Charles Babbage for his Difference Engine.[1]

LAN CARD

2009-12-30T22:53:00.000-08:00

A network interface card, network adapter, network interface controller (NIC), or LAN adapter is a computer hardware component designed to allow computers to communicate over a computer network. It is both an OSI layer 1 (physical layer) and layer 2 (data link layer) device, as it provides physical access to a networking medium and provides a low-level addressing system through the use ofMAC addresses. It allows users to connect to each other either by using cables or wirelessly.

Although other network technologies exist, Ethernet has achieved near-ubiquity since the mid-1990s. Every Ethernet network card has a unique 48-bit serial number called aMAC address, which is stored in ROM carried on the card. Every computer on an Ethernet network must have a card with a unique MAC address. Normally it is safe to assume that no two network cards will share the same address, because card vendors purchase blocks of addresses from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)and assign a unique address to each card at the time of manufacture.

Whereas network cards used to be expansion cards that plug into a computer bus, the low cost and ubiquity of the Ethernet standard means that most newer computers have a network interface built into the motherboard. These either have Ethernet capabilities integrated into the motherboard chipset or implemented via a low cost dedicated Ethernet chip, connected through the PCI (or the newer PCI express) bus. A separate network card is not required unless multiple interfaces are needed or some other type of network is used. Newer motherboards may even have dual network (Ethernet) interfaces built-in.

The card implements the electronic circuitry required to communicate using a specific physical layer and data link layer standard such as Ethernet or token ring. This provides a base for a full network protocol stack, allowing communication among small groups of computers on the same LAN and large-scale network communications through routable protocols, such as IP.

There are four techniques used to transfer data, the NIC may use one or more of these techniques.

Polling is where the microprocessor examines the status of the peripheral under program control.
Programmed I/O is where the microprocessor alerts the designated peripheral by applying its address to the system's address bus.
Interrupt-driven I/O is where the peripheral alerts the microprocessor that it's ready to transfer data.
DMA is where an intelligent peripheral assumes control of the system bus to access memory directly. This removes load from the CPU but requires a separate processor on the card.

A network card typically has a twisted pair, BNC, or AUI socket where the network cable is connected, and a few LEDs to inform the user of whether the network is active, and whether or not there is data being transmitted on it. Network cards are typically available in 10/100/1000 Mbit/s varieties. This means they can support a notional maximum transfer rate of 10, 100 or 1000 Megabits per second.

A network interface controller (NIC) is a hardware device that handles an interface to a computer network and allows a network-capable device to access that network. The NIC has a ROM chip that contains a unique number, the multiple access control (MAC) Address burned into it. The MAC address identifies the device uniquely on the LAN. The NIC exists on both the 'Physical Layer' (Layer 1) and the 'Data Link Layer' (Layer 2) of the OSI model.

Sometimes the words 'controller' and 'card' are used interchangeably when talking about networkingbecause the most common NIC is the network interface card. Although 'card' is more commonly used, it is less encompassing. The 'controller' may take the form of a network card that is installed inside a computer, or it may refer to an embedded component as part of a computer motherboard, a router,expansion card, printer interface or a USB device.

A MAC address is a 48-bit network hardware identifier that is burned into a ROM chip on the NIC to identify that device on the network. The first 24-bit field is called the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI) and is largely manufacturer-specific. Each OUI allows for 16,777,216 Unique NIC Addresses. Smaller manufacturers that do not have a need for over 4096 unique NIC addresses may opt to purchase an Individual Address Block (IAB) instead. An IAB consists of the 24-bit OUI plus a 12-bit extension (taken from the 'potential' NIC portion of the MAC address.)

POWER SUPPLY

2009-12-30T22:46:00.000-08:00

Power supply is a reference to a source of electrical power. A device or system that supplies electricalor other types of energy to an output load or group of loads is called a power supply unit or PSU. The term is most commonly applied to electrical energy supplies, less often to mechanical ones, and rarely to others.

ROM

2009-12-30T22:43:00.000-08:00

Read-only memory (usually known by its acronym, ROM) is a class of storage media used in computers and other electronic devices. Because data stored in ROM cannot be modified (at least not very quickly or easily), it is mainly used to distribute firmware (software that is very closely tied to specific hardware, and unlikely to require frequent updates).

In its strictest sense, ROM refers only to mask ROM (the oldest type of solid state ROM), which is fabricated with the desired data permanently stored in it, and thus can never be modified. However, more modern types such as EPROM and flash EEPROM can be erased and re-programmed multiple times; they are still described as "read-only memory"(ROM) because the reprogramming process is generally infrequent, comparatively slow, and often does not permitrandom access writes to individual memory locations. Despite the simplicity of mask ROM, economies of scale and field-programmability often make reprogrammable technologies more flexible and inexpensive, so mask ROM is rarely used in new products as of 2007.

CD

2009-12-30T22:39:00.000-08:00

A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an optical discused to store digital data. It was originally developed to store sound recordings exclusively, but later it also allowed the preservation of other types of data. Audio CDs have been commercially available since October 1982. In 2009, they remain the standard physical storage medium foraudio.

Standard CDs have a diameter of 120 mm and can hold up to 80 minutes of uncompressed audio (700 MB of data). TheMini CD has various diameters ranging from 60 to 80 mm; they are sometimes used for CD singles or device drivers, storing up to 24 minutes of audio.

The technology was eventually adapted and expanded to encompass data storage CD-ROM, write-once audio and data storage CD-R, rewritable media CD-RW, Video Compact Discs (VCD), Super Video Compact Discs (SVCD), PhotoCD, PictureCD, CD-i, and Enhanced CD.

CD-ROMs and CD-Rs remain widely used technologies in the computer industry. The CD and its extensions are successful: in 2004, worldwide sales of CD audio, CD-ROM, and CD-R reached about 30 billion discs. By 2007, 200 billion CDs had been sold worldwide.^[1]

FLOPPY

2009-12-30T22:31:00.000-08:00

A floppy disk is a data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible ("floppy") magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic shell.

Floppy disks are read and written by a floppy disk drive orFDD, the initials of which should not be confused with "fixed disk drive", which is another term for a (nonremovable) type of hard disk drive. Invented by IBM, floppy disks in 8-inch (200 mm), 5¼-inch (133.35 mm), and 3½-inch (90 mm) formats enjoyed many years as a popular and ubiquitous form of data storage and exchange, from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s. While floppy disk drives still have some limited uses, especially with legacy industrial computer equipment,^[2] they have now been largely superseded byUSB flash drives, external hard disk drives, CDs, DVDs, andmemory cards.

USB

2009-12-30T22:29:00.000-08:00

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a specification^[1] to establish communication between devices and a host controller (usually personal computers).^[2] USB is intended to replace many varieties of serial and parallel ports. USB can connect computer peripherals such as mice,keyboards, digital cameras, printers, personal media players, flash drives, and external hard drives. For many of those devices, USB has become the standard connection method. USB was designed for personal computers^{[citation needed]}, but it has become commonplace on other devices such as smartphones, PDAs and video game consoles, and as a power cord between a device and an AC adapter plugged into a wall plug for charging. As of 2008, there are about 2 billion USB devices sold per year, and approximately 6 billion total sold to date.^[3]

The design of USB is standardized by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), an industry standards body incorporating leading companies from the computer and electronics industries. Notable members have includedAgere (now merged with LSI Corporation), Apple Inc.,Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft, Sony and NEC.

JOYSTICK

2009-12-30T22:26:00.001-08:00

A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks are often used to control video games, and usually have one or more push-buttons whose state can also be read by the computer. A popular variation of the joystick used on modern video game consoles is the analog stick.

The joystick has been the principal flight control in the cockpit of many aircraft, particularly military fast jets, where center stick orside-stick location may be employed (see also Center stick vs side-stick).

Joysticks are also used for controlling machines such as cranes, trucks, underwater unmanned vehicles, wheelchairs, surveillance cameras and zero turning radius lawn mowers. Miniature finger-operated joysticks have been adopted as input devices for smaller electronic equipment such as mobile phones.