/* Tip of the day script By JavaScript Kit (http://javascriptkit.com) Over 200+ free scripts here! */ var today_obj=new Date() var today_date=today_obj.getDate() var tips=new Array() //Configure the below variable to contain the "header" of the tip var tiptitle='
Term of the Day
' //Configure the below array to hold the 31 possible tips of the month tips[1]='
ASP.NET
ASP.NET is a set of Web development tools offered by Microsoft. ASP.NET is built on the .NET framework, which provides an application program interface (API) for software programmers. The .NET development tools can be used to create applications for both the Windows operating system and the Web.
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DNS (Domain Name System)
Stands for "Domain Name System." The primary purpose of DNS is to keep Web surfers sane. Without DNS, we would have to remember the IP address of every site we wanted to visit, instead of just the domain name.
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Mashup
A mashup describes a Web application that combines multiple services into a single application. For example, a Web forum may contain a mashup that uses Google Maps to display what parts of the world the users are posting from. Yahoo offers a mashup called Yahoo! Pipes that aggregates RSS feeds into a single page that can be navigated using a graphical interface.
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API (Application Program Interface)
Stands for "Application Program Interface," though it is sometimes referred to as an "Application Programming Interface." An API is a set of commands, functions, and protocols which programmers can use when building software for a specific operating system. The API allows programmers to use predefined functions to interact with the operating system, instead of writing them from scratch.
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Open Source
When a software program is open source, it means the program\'s source code is freely available to the public. Unlike commercial software, open source programs can be modified and distributed by anyone and are often developed as a community rather than by a single organization.
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Android
Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google. The Android operating system (OS) is based on the open Linux kernel. Unlike the iPhone OS, Android is open source, meaning developers can modify and customize the OS for each phone.
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BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
Stands for "Basic Input/Output System." Most people don\'t need to ever mess with the BIOS on a computer, but it can be helpful to know what it is. The BIOS is a program pre-installed on Windows-based computers (not on Macs) that the computer uses to start up.
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PNG (Portable Network Graphic)
Stands for "Portable Network Graphic." This format was designed as an alternative to the GIF format (which has been plagued by copyright issues). Like GIFs, PNG files are lossless, meaning they don\'t lose any detail when they are compressed.
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Vector Graphic
Unlike JPEGs, GIFs, and BMP images, vector graphics are not made up of a grid of pixels. Instead, vector graphics are comprised of paths, which are defined by a start and end point, along with other points, curves, and angles along the way.
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Captcha
A captcha is program used to verify that a human, rather than a computer, is entering data. Captchas are commonly seen at the end of online forms and ask the user to enter text from a distorted image. The text in the image may be wavy, have lines through it, or may be highly irregular, making it nearly impossible for an automated program to recognize it.
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Phishing
Phishing is similar to fishing in a lake, but instead of trying to capture fish, phishers attempt to steal your personal information. They send out e-mails that appear to come from legitimate websites such as eBay, PayPal, or other banking institutions.
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DPI (Dots Per Inch)
Stands for "Dots Per Inch." DPI is used to measure the resolution of an image both on screen and in print. As the name suggests, the DPI measures how many dots fit into a linear inch. Therefore, the higher the DPI, the more detail can be shown in an image.
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Kerning
Kerning refers to the spacing between the characters of a font. Without kerning, each character takes up a block of space and the next character is printed after it. When kerning is applied to a font, the characters can vertically overlap. This does not mean that the characters actually touch, but instead it allows part of two characters to take up the same vertical space.
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802.11n
802.11n is a wireless (Wi-Fi) standard that was introduced in 2007. It supports a longer range and higher wireless transfer rates than the previous standard, 802.11g.
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VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language)
Stands for "Virtual Reality Modeling Language." If you think this has something to do with HTML, you\'re right. While HTML is the format for Web page production, VRML is a 3D navigation specification, which enables the creation of interactive 3D Web sites.
' tips[16]='
DDL (Data Definition Language)
Stands for "Data Definition Language." A DDL is a language used to define data structures within a database. It is typically considered to be a subset of SQL, the Structured Query Language, but can also refer to languages that define other types of data.
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W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
Stands for "World Wide Web Consortium." The W3C is an international community that includes a full-time staff, industry experts, and several member organizations. These groups work together to develop standards for the World Wide Web.
' tips[18]='
Subnet Mask
A subnet mask is a number that defines a range of IP addresses that can be used in a network. (It is not something you wear on your head to keep subnets out.) Subnet masks are used to designate subnetworks, or subnets, which are typically local networks LANs that are connected to the Internet.
' tips[19]='
Bandwidth
Bandwidth refers to how much data you can send through a network or modem connection. It is usually measured in bits per second, or "bps." You can think of bandwidth as a highway with cars travelling on it. The highway is the network connection and the cars are the data. The wider the highway, the more cars can travel on it at one time. Therefore more cars can get to their destinations faster.
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Mbps (Megabits Per Second)
Stands for "Megabits Per Second." One megabit is equal to one million bits or 1,000 kilobits. While "megabit" sounds similar to "megabyte," a megabit is roughly one eighth the size of a megabyte (since there are eight bits in a byte). Mbps is used to measure data transfer speeds of high bandwidth connections, such as Ethernet and cable modems.
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Blu-ray
Blu-ray is an optical disc format such as CD and DVD. It was developed for recording and playing back high-definition (HD) video and for storing large amounts of data. While a CD can hold 700 MB of data and a basic DVD can hold 4.7 GB of data, a single Blu-ray disc can hold up to 25 GB of data.
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Blog
Short for "Web Log," this term refers to a list of journal entries posted on a Web page. Anybody who knows how to create and publish a Web page can publish their own blog. Leicar can help design a blog template for popular blogging applications, such as WordPress.
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Zip
Windows users will see this term a lot when looking for files on the Internet. A zip file (.zip) is a "zipped" or compressed file. For example, when you download a file, if the filename looks like this: "filename.zip," you are downloading a zipped file. "Zipping" a file involves compressing one or more items into a smaller archive. A zipped file takes up less hard drive space and takes less time to transfer to another computer.
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HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)
Stands for "High-Definition Multimedia Interface." HDMI is a digital interface for transmitting audio and video data in a single cable. It is supported by most HDTVs and related components, such as DVD and Blu-ray players, cable boxes, and video game systems.
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BASIC (Beginner\'s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)
Stands for "Beginner\'s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code." BASIC is a computer programming language that was developed in the mid-1960s to provide a way for students to write simple computer programs. Since then, the language has evolved into a more robust and powerful language and can be used to create advanced programs for today\'s computer systems.
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Cron
Also known as a "cron job," a cron is a process or task that runs periodically on a Unix system. Some examples of crons include syncing the time and date via the Internet every ten minutes, sending an e-mail notice once a week, or backing up certain directories every month.
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Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity)
Short for "Wireless Fidelity." Wi-Fi refers to wireless networking technology that allows computers and other devices to communicate over a wireless signal. It describes all network components that are based on one of the 802.11 standards, including 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n.
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PDF (Portable Document Format)
Stands for "Portable Document Format." PDF is a multi-platform file format developed by Adobe Systems. A PDF file captures document text, fonts, images, and even formatting of documents from a variety of applications. You can e-mail a PDF document to your friend and it will look the same way on his screen as it looks on yours, even if he has a Mac and you have a PC. Since PDFs contain color-accurate information, they should also print the same way they look on your screen.
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IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)
Stands for "Internet Message Access Protocol" and is pronounced "eye-map." It is a method of accessing e-mail messages on a server without having to download them to your local hard drive. This is the main difference between IMAP and another popular e-mail protocol called "POP3."
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Firmware
Firmware is a software program or set of instructions programmed on a hardware device. It provides the necessary instructions for how the device communicates with the other computer hardware.
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Font
A font is a specific typeface of a certain size and style. Most word processing programs have a Font menu that allows you to choose the typeface, size, and style of the text. In order to use a font, you must have it installed on your computer. Windows provides access to fonts using the Fonts control panel. The Mac OS stores fonts in a Fonts folder and includes a separate "Font Book" application for managing fonts.
' document.write(tiptitle) document.write(tips[today_date])