InformationDesign-Assignment#9

***News***

Windows 7 Release Candidate Changes Increase Productivity and Workflow

Did you know Microsoft trimmed down sound files so your computer can boot up faster in the Windows 7 release candidate? Here are a few changes we found amongst the over 70+ obvious UI changes.

Desktop and User Interface:

• Gadget view options
In the Windows 7 beta it was impossible to separate desktop icons from gadgets under the View setting available by right-clicking on the desktop. Now there is the option to hide just your gadgets or just your desktop icons.

Keyboard Shortcuts:

• Windows Flip (ALT + TAB) with Aero Peek
Aero Peek is now enabled for Windows Flip (or more commonly known as ALT + TAB).

• Improved Windows Logo + # keyboard shortcut
Pressing Windows Logo + # (where # corresponds to an item's order in the taskbar) in the beta would only launch the program in Windows 7. In the release candidate, it can both launch and switch between Windows. For example, if IE wasn't running and the second item on the taskbar, Windows Logo + 2 will launch the program. If IE is running with a single window, the same shortcut will now switch to the program. When IE is running with several windows or tabs, holding down the Windows Logo and tapping the 2 key repeatedly will actually cycle through the open IE items off the taskbar (with Aero Peek). Letting go simply switches to the corresponding window. It works really similarly to the ALT +TAB shortcut.

Multitouch:

• Aero Peek for touch
First, the taskbar's thumbnails now support a gesture so you can drag your finger across the taskbar and it will trigger Aero Peek. The Show Desktop button is improved so a press-and-hold will allow the customer to peek at the desktop. A regular tap still allows you to switch over.

• Windows Explorer
Multi-touch zoom is now enabled for Windows Explorer.

Power Options:

• Faster access to High Performance power plan
Clicking on the battery icon in the taskbar notification area offers two different power plans: Balanced and Power saver. Windows 7 laptops are configured to use the Balanced by default. Now in the popout menu, you can see all three options.

Taskbar:

• Increased taskbar space
There is even more increased space on the taskbar now. The release candidate will feature 24-39% more icons before the taskbar scrolls (depending upon resolution, icon size and the default notification area).

• Increased flexibility and changes to Jump Lists
When there are too many things pinned to Jump Lists, it defeats the whole purpose of easy access. Jump Lists now only automatically suggest the first 10 items (there is still the option to customize the length of the list).

Now you can also pin files and folders to programs that are not handle that file type. Pinning the item in most cases will create a new registration so that launching it from the Jump List will always open the file with that specific program (ex. a pinned HTML file to Notepad will always open the file in Notepad).

The Control Panel jump list will now list your most recent items.

• Newly installed programs
When a program is installed, it automatically and temporarily surfaces at the bottom of the Start Menu. It lets the user see it, giving them the option to launch it or drag it to the taskbar.

User Account Control:

• Increased security
There will be two changes to the release candidate to UAC settings. The first change is that the UAC control panel will run in a "high integrity" process (thus requiring elevation). The second change will now prompt for a confirmation when you are changing the level of UAC.

Source: http://i.gizmodo.com/5169801/windows-7-release-candidate-changes-increase-productivity-and-workflow

InformationDesign-Assignment#8

Network Keyterm - 5

**E-mail**
Short for electronic mail, e-mail or email is text messages that may contain files, images or other types of attachments sent through a network to a specified individual or group of individuals. E-mail was developed in 1972 by Ray Tomlinson and by 1996 more electronic mail was being sent than postal mail. Below isE-mail
Short for electronic mail, e-mail or email is text messages that may contain files, images or other types of attachments sent through a network to a specified individual or group of individuals. E-mail was developed in 1972 by Ray Tomlinson and by 1996 more electronic mail was being sent than postal mail. Below is an example and breakdown of an Internet e-mail address. an example and breakdown of an Internet e-mail address.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/email.htm

**Echo**
Term often used to describe when data is sent to a computer or other network device and that information is automatically sent back to help verify the information is received. Echo can be a command used with operating systems and/or network devices, or can be a function of a device.

• Additional information about batch files including the echo command can be found on our batch file help page.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/echo.htm

**Error rate**
The degree of errors encountered during data transmission over a communications or network connection. The higher the error rate the less reliable the connection or data transfer will be.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/errorate.htm

**Exchange**
1. Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Exchange server is a software program released by Microsoft that enables administrators to easily maintain and control communications such as e-mail.
The official Microsoft Exchange Page can be found here.
2. The process of changing one thing for another thing.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/exchange.htm

**Extranet**
Similar to a corporate Intranet, an Extranet is a local network that is also accessible to specific outside users and/or businesses; however, it is still not accessible to the general public. Although a user may have access to an extranet, the extranet may only display information that he or she is privileged to see and/or only allow access to specific sections of the extranet.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/extranet.htm

InformationDesign-Assignment#7

Network Keyterm - 4

**DDR**

1. Short for Double Data Rate, DDR is a type of memory that utilizes both the rising and falling edge of the system clock that has the potential of doubling the speed of the memory. Today, the DDR technology can be found in high end Video Cards as well as computer memory such as DDR-SDRAM.
2. Short for Dial-on-Demand Routing, DDR was developed by Cisco and is a new routing technique that uses existing telephone lines to help form a WAN.
3. DDR is also short for Dance Dance Revolution. A popular arcade and console game where users must dance on a pad in conjunction with what is being displayed on the screen.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/ddr.htm

**DNS**

Short for Domain Name System or Domain Name Service, a DNS is an Internet or other type of network server that helps to point domain names or the hostname to their associated IP address that was introduced by Paul Mockapetris and Jon Postel in 1984. If a domain name is not found within the local database, the server may query other domain servers to obtain the address of a domain name.

• For example, when a user is accessing the Computer Hope domain a user would enter the easy to remember domain: computerhope.com. When entered that domain name is looked up on a Domain Name System to translate that name into an IP address that can be better understood by computer, e.g. 204.288.150.3. Using that IP address the computers can then find the computer containing the Computer Hope web page and forward that information to your computer.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/dns.htm

**DOS**

1. Short for Disk operating system, DOS is an acronym often used to describe MS-DOS.
2. Short for Disk operating system, DOS refers to any type of operating system that runs from a disk drive. Today all operating systems could be considered disk operating systems.
3. Short for Denial of Service, a DoS attack is a form of attacking another computer or company by sending millions or more requests every second causing the network to slow down, cause errors or shut down. Because it is difficult for a single individual to generate a DoS attack, these forms of attacks are often created from another company or college and/or worms are created to create zombie computers to create a DoS attack.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/dos.htm

**DSL**

Short for Digital Subscriber Line, DSL is a method for home users and small businesses to have high speed access to the Internet over standard copper lines. Capable of receiving up to 6.1 megabits per second, DSL is a great solution providing it is available in your area. Because of the technology used, you must be within a certain distance from your phone company's CO for DSL to work or be available.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/dsl.ht m

**Download**

Sometimes abbreviated as dl, download is a term used to describe the process of retrieving data from another computer, either over a network or modem. Each page you visit on the Internet you download to your computer first. The term download is often associated with downloading a software program from the Internet that can be installed and ran on your computer.

• Additional help and information about how to download a file on the Internet can be found on document CH000505.
• See document CH000839 for information about why a download may fail before being completed and what can be done. See our download page for available downloads through Computer Hope.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/download.htm

InformationDesign-Assignment#6

Network Keyterm - 3

**Cascading hubs**
Term used to describe the practice of adding additional ports when a existing hub/switch has run out of ports. A second hub/switch is connected from its uplink port to any of the regular ports on the 1st hub/switch by means of a regular network cable ( 4 pair twisted cable )/( Cat5 ).

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/c/caschubs.htm

**Coaxial cable**
A cable that is used in video, communications and audio. This type of cable has high bandwidths and greater transmission capacity. Most users relate to a coaxial or coax cable as a cable used to connect their TVs to a cable TV service. However, these types of cables are also used in networks and today are often connected to cable modems to provide users with broadband Internet access.
To the right is a picture of what a coaxial cable looks like. As can be seen in this example the cable is a thick cable with a metal male connector end that is screwed onto a female connector.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/c/coaxialc.htm

**Computer name**
The name and/or number of a computer. The computer name is used to help identify or locate a computer on a network. If your computer shares the same computer name as another computer, it is likely you will be unable to log onto the network.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/c/compname.htm

**Crimping tool**
A crimping tool is a tool designed to crimp or connect a connector to the end of a cable. For example, network cables and phone cables are created using a crimping tool to connect the RJ-45 and RJ-11 connectors to the end of the cable. To the right is an example of what a crimping tool looks like, this example shows a tool capable of doing both RJ-11 and RJ-45 connectors.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/c/crimp.htm

**Cross-platform network**
A type of network that consists of more than one platform of computer. For example, a network that consists of IBM compatible computers and Apple Macintosh computers.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/c/crosplat.htm

InformationDesign-Assignment#5

Network Keyterm - 2

**Bandwidth**
When referring to your own connection, bandwidth is the total maximum capacity of your network or modem connection. A MODEMs bandwidth is measured in BPS. The more bandwidth you have, the faster you will be able to receive and/or send information.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/b/bandwidt.htm

**BitTorrent**
BitTorrent is a file sharing utility that shares files between all clients currently getting the file and continues to share the file on their computer. What makes bitTorrent so successful is that it shares the files between all users, which means if the file is popular, the bandwidth is likely to increase and will not overload or stop the download because so many users trying to get the file at the same time.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/b/bittoren.htm

**Bridge**
A computer bridge is a device that connects two local-area networks (LANs), or two segments of the same LAN. Unlike a router, bridges are protocol -independent. They simply forward packets without analyzing and re-routing messages.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/b/bridge.htm

**Broadband**
Sometimes abbreviated as bb or referred to as a wideband transmission, broadband refers to telecommunications that provide a variety of channels of data over a single communication medium (wire). Today, there are a wide variety of broadband technologies available in most areas, two of the more commonly found and used technologies are cable and DSL broadband.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/b/broadban.htm

**Broadcast**
When referring to computers, a broadcast is used to describe a message sent to all individuals in an area. In computer networking, the broadcast address is used to distribute a signal across a network, commonly used to declare to other devices on a network that a new device has connected to the network and to give those other devices information about the newly connected device. The broadcast address on a network is commonly an address that ends with "255". For example, a broadcast netmask is "255.255.255.255".

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/b/broadcas.htm

InformationDesign-Assignment#4

Network Keyterm - 1

**Access point**
Term used to describe a location of a wireless receiver that enables a user with wireless access to connect to a network and/or the Internet. This term is used to describe Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/a/accepoin.htm

**ADSL**
Short for Asymmetric DSL, ADSL is called Asymmetric because of its two-way bandwidth devoted to the downstream and a small section devoted to upstream transfer allowing for users to get a much higher download transfer rate, rates up to 6.1 megabits per second

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/a/adsl.htm

**Agent**
1. In computer networking, an agent is a part of the system that prepares information for the server or client.
2.A software program or script used to perform a specific task.

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/a/agent.htm

**Aloha**
Protocol for satellite and terrestrial radio transmissions. In pure Aloha, a user can transmit at any time but risks collisions with other users' messages. Slotted Aloha reduces the chance of collisions by dividing the channel into time slots and requiring that the user send only at the beginning of a time slot. Aloha was the basis for Ethernet, a local area network protocol

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/a/aloha.htm

**Anonymous**
Term used to describe an individual or computer that cannot be identified.
Additional information about being anonymous on the Internet can be found on document CH000982

Source: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/a/anonymou.htm