Computer Science and Technology

Augmented Reality and Input Devices

• Augmented reality is the integration of digital information with the user's environment in real-time.
• Examples of input devices: Controller, Point-of-sale device, Barcode scanner.

Biometric and NFC

• Biometric refers to the use of human traits for identification, including fingerprints, eye retinas and irises, facial bone structure, palm prints, stride, typing patterns, and speech recognition.
• Near Field Communication (NFC) is a wireless technology with a short transmission range, used in new smartphones and other devices.

Computer Hardware

• Monitor resolution refers to the number of pixels a screen can display, with higher resolutions generally meaning better image quality.
• Computer hardware refers to the physical parts of a computer system, including the motherboard, which holds the computer's main microprocessor (Central Processing Unit).
• Examples of embedded computers: digital watches, which accept input, process data, provide output, and store data as part of a larger device or system.

Server and Processor

• A server is a computer system in a network shared by multiple users, also referred to as a host computer.
• Examples of servers: network, web, and file servers.
• Supercomputers are the most powerful type of computer, used to evaluate complex data quickly.
• The processor (Central Processing Unit) is the brain of the computer, where most calculations take place.
• Random Access Memory (RAM) is a type of memory found on the motherboard, which has no moving parts and is used to execute tasks.

Data Storage and File Sharing

• A bit is the basic unit of digital data storage, with 8 bits equal to 1 byte.
• Units of data storage: kilobyte (KB), megabyte (MB), gigabyte (GB), and terabyte (TB).
• Cloud storage refers to saving files to servers located on the Internet, with data stored in logical pools and managed by a data hosting company.
• Solid-state drives (SSDs) are all-electronic storage devices used in various digital devices.
• The BitTorrent protocol allows users to share large files over the Internet using a peer-to-peer structure.

Internet and Networking

• The Internet refers to all the networks around the world connected to each other using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
• Data is transferred over the Internet in small data groupings called packets.
• The Internet uses packet switching to transfer data and information between hosts, with addressing information and data included in each packet.
• The volume of data that can be carried on an Internet transmission media in a certain amount of time is called bandwidth.
• Broadband is a high-speed Internet connection that is always on, measured in megabits per second (MBPS).

Cloud Computing

• Cloud computing is the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data.
• 5 essentials of cloud computing: on-demand services, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service.
• Benefits of cloud computing: cost reduction, disaster recovery, scalability, and flexibility.
• Cloud deployment models: private, hybrid, community, and public.

Internet Privacy and Security

• Internet privacy refers to the right of personal privacy concerning the storing, distributing, and displaying of information about oneself via the Internet.
• Intellectual property includes trademarks, trade secrets, and patents.
• Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is the technical term for electronic or online banking.
• Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) allows for the electronic communication of business-oriented transactions and information between people and organizations.
• Types of e-commerce: B2C (Business to Consumer), C2C (Consumer to Consumer), and B2B (Business to Business).

Cybercrime and Cybersecurity

• Cybercrime refers to a crime in which a computer is the object of the crime or is used to commit a criminal offense.
• Cybersecurity exploit: a tool or technique for taking advantage of a cybersecurity vulnerability to break into a system and cause harm.
• Types of cyberattacks: malware, viruses, trojan horses, and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.
• Cybersecurity measures: firewall software, internet filters, and Network Address Translation (NAT).

Computer Programming

• Converting a task into commands that a computer can use to perform the task is one definition of programming.
• Steps in the Programming Development Life Cycle (PDLC): define the problem, analyze the problem, create a plan or algorithm, write the code, test and debug the code, and maintain the code.
• Developed in the 1970s, the C programming language is the most popular programming language of all time.
• Common programming languages: Java, JavaScript, and HTML.

Data Analytics and AI

• A database is a collection of related data that can be sorted, logically organized, searched, and stored.
• A Database Management System (DBMS) maximizes the benefits a database can provide.
• Data hierarchy: single characters of data, organizing the data into fields, organizing the related fields into records, and the records making up a table.
• Data mining: a research and analysis technique that uses mathematical tools and artificial intelligence (AI) to search large volumes of data and discover less-obvious patterns and trends.
• Descriptive analytics: trying to answer questions such as "what happened?", "what is occurring?", or "what was the ROI?".
• Data Driven Decision Making (DDDM) builds a data-driven community, agility in analytics and data analysis, and data proficiency.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI): the study and application of processes that combine computer and data science to enable computer-assisted or automated problem-solving.
• AI bias: the variance that exists in the output provided by AI algorithms.
• Cognitive bias: conscious or unconscious errors in cognition that impact an individual's judgments, assumptions, and decision-making.