[b][size=150]What are image [i]layers[/i]?[/size][/b]

Layers are like sheets of stacked acetate. You can see through transparent areas of a layer to the layers below. You move a layer to position the content on the layer, like sliding a sheet of acetate in a stack. You can also change the opacity of a layer to make content partially transparent.

Transparent areas on a layer let you see layers below.

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/k7es2Fc.png[/img][/center]

You use layers to perform tasks such as compositing multiple images, adding text to an image, or adding vector graphic shapes. You can apply a layer style to add a special effect such as a drop shadow or a glow.

[b][size=150]What are image [i]channels[/i]?[/size][/b]

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/Uw2MGNC.png[/img][/center]
An Image is a "Channel Sandwich"

An image is basically a "channel sandwich" with one channel each for red, green and blue in an RGB image or cyan, magenta, yellow and black in a CMYK image.

There would be 3 channels in an RGB image and 4 in a CMYK image to start with.

[b][size=150]What is an [i]emoticon[/i]?[/size][/b]

An emoticon is a pictorial representation of a facial expression using punctuation marks and letters, usually written to express a person's mood. Emoticons are often used to alert a responder to the tenor or temper of a statement, and can change and improve interpretation of plain text; emoticons for a smiley face :-) and sad face :-( appear in the first documented use in digital form. The word is a portmanteau word of the English words emotion and icon. In web forums, instant messengers and online games, text emoticons are often automatically replaced with small corresponding images, which came to be called emoticons as well. Certain complex character combinations can only be accomplished in a double-byte language, giving rise to especially complex forms, sometimes known by their romanized Japanese name of kaomoji.

The use of emoticons can be traced back to the 19th century, and they were commonly used in casual and humorous writing. Digital forms of emoticons on the Internet were included in a proposal by Scott Fahlman of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in a message on 19 September 1982

[b][size=150]What is an [i]Icon[/i]?[/size][/b]

An [b]icon [/b]is a graphic image, a small picture or object that represents a file, program, web page, or command. Icons help you execute commands, open programs or documents quickly. To execute a command by using an icon, click or double-click on the icon. It is also useful to recognize quickly an object in a browser list. For example, all documents using the same extension have the same icon.

Icons are different from standard images. They are have standard sizes (usually small): 16x16, 32x32, 48x48... One icon is composed of several images. Each of them with a different size and number of colors (mono, 16 colors, 256 colors, 16.8M...). And the most important property of an icon is the ability to include transparent areas. This allows seeing the screen background behind the icon within its square image

[b][size=150]What is a [i]watermark[/i]?[/size][/b]

A [b]watermark [/b]is a visible embedded overlay on a digital photo consisting of text, a logo, or a copyright notice. The purpose of a watermark is to identify the work and discourage its unauthorized use. Though a visible watermark can't prevent unauthorized use, it makes it more difficult for those who may want to claim someone else's photo or art work as their own.

If you are going to use a watermark, care should be taken to ensure that the watermark is effective, not only for proving that an image was modified, but also for educating the would-be pirates about copyright and ownership. Ideally, the watermark should be a copyright symbol along with the name of the owner, and the URL of the owner's web site, if applicable. This not only conveys the message of copyright, but it gives others an opportunity to contact the original owner of the image.

Watermark placement can be a bit of a balancing act. The watermark should be placed carefully so as not to detract from the image too much, but you also don't want to place the watermark in a area of solid color or a textured area where removal would be easy to conceal. The example on this page was designed to show an extreme example of watermarking and would be is far too distracting for a portfolio photograph. In practice, the watermark should make up a smaller percentage of the overall image area compared to this example.

[size=150][b] What is a [i]Product key[/i]?[/b][/size]

A [b]product key[/b], also known as a [b]Software key[/b], is a specific software-based key for a computer program. It certifies that the copy of the program is original. Activation is sometimes done offline by entering the key, or with software like Windows 7, online activation is required to prevent multiple people using the same key. Not all software has a product key, as some publishers may choose to use a different method to protect their copyright, or in some cases, such as open source software, copyright protection is not used.

Computer games use product keys to verify that the game has not been illegally copied; for example, one could not play Battle.net powered games such as Diablo II or StarCraft online without an original/unique product key. Likewise, one is not allowed to play online with two identical product keys at the same time.

Product keys consist of a series of numbers and/or letters. This sequence is typically entered by the user during the installation of computer software, and is then passed to a verification function in the program. This function manipulates the key sequence according to a mathematical algorithm and attempts to match the results to a set of valid solutions.

[size=150][b]What is a '[i]Netbook[/i]'?[/b][/size]

A [b]netbook [/b]is a mini-laptop computer designed for mobility, wired and wireless online access, word processing and general office applications. Weighing in at 2-3 pounds (.9 – 1.4 kilograms) and featuring LCD screens between 6-10 inches (15-25 cm), the netbook is a perfect companion for people on the go who want connectivity without lugging a much heavier, full-sized laptop along. Many manufacturers offer netbook models including Asus® Acer®, Hewlett Packard®, Dell®, MSI® and others.

To achieve the lightest weight, netbooks do not have integrated compact disk players. Instead most feature two or more Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, a video-out port, SD card reader, integrated speakers and microphone and headphone jacks. Netbooks also feature a built-in camera for video blogging and Skype. Keyboards are 5% - 20% smaller than a standard board, and memory and disk drive space vary, dependent in part on the operating system installed. Battery life also varies between models, ranging from two to seven hours.

[b][size=150]What is the [i].PDF[/i] format?[/size][/b]

[b]Portable Document Format[/b] (PDF) is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner [u]independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems[/u]. Each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout flat document, including the text, fonts, graphics, and other information needed to display it.

In 1991 Adobe Systems co-founder John Warnock outlined a system called "Camelot" that evolved into the Portable Document Format (PDF).

While the PDF specification has been available free of charge since at least 2001, PDF was originally a proprietary format controlled by Adobe. It was officially released as an open standard on July 1, 2008, and published by the International Organization for Standardization as ISO 32000-1:2008. In 2008, Adobe published a Public Patent License to ISO 32000-1 granting a royalty-free rights for all patents owned by Adobe that are necessary to make, use, sell and distribute PDF compliant implementations.

[b][size=150]What are [i]Infocom text adventures[/i]?[/size][/b]

Infocom games are text adventures where users direct the action by entering short strings of words to give commands when prompted. Generally the program will respond by describing the results of the action, often the contents of a room if the player has moved within the virtual world. The user reads this information, decides what to do, and enters another short series of words. Examples include "go west" or "take flashlight".

Infocom games were written using a roughly LISP-like programming language called ZIL (Zork Implementation Language or Zork Interactive Language—it was referred to as both) that compiled into a byte code able to run on a standardized virtual machine called the Z-machine. As the games were text based and used variants of the same Z-machine interpreter, the interpreter had to be ported to new computer architectures only once per architecture, rather than once per game. Each game file included a sophisticated parser which allowed the user to type complex instructions to the game. Unlike earlier works of interactive fiction which only understood commands of the form 'verb noun', Infocom's parser could understand a wider variety of sentences. For instance one might "go west", or "go to festeron".

With the Z-machine, Infocom was able to release most of their games for most popular home computers of the day simultaneously—the Apple II family, Atari 800, IBM PC compatibles, Amstrad CPC/PCW (one disc worked on both machines), Commodore 64, Commodore Plus/4, Commodore 128,[3] Kaypro CP/M, Texas Instruments TI-99/4A, the Mac, Atari ST, the Commodore Amiga and the Radio Shack TRS-80. The company was also known for shipping creative props, or "feelies" (and even "smellies"), with its games.

[b][size=150]What is a (ppc) [i].CAB[/i] file?[/size][/b]

One of the most overlooked ways of installing a programs to your Pocket PC is a .cab file. "What is a .cab file"? You ask? A cabinet (CAB) file is a compressed file that holds all of the items necessary for installing a program on your Pocket PC. .cab files are extremely portable because you do not need a desktop or laptop in order to install a program on your Pocket PC. As long as the .cab file is on your device, then you can perform the install.

[b][size=150]What is [i]DOSBox[/i]?[/size][/b]

DOSBox is a DOS-emulator that uses the SDL-library which makes DOSBox very easy to port to different platforms. DOSBox has already been ported to many different platforms, such as Windows, BeOS, Linux, MacOS X...

DOSBox also emulates CPU:286/386 realmode/protected mode, Directory FileSystem/XMS/EMS, Tandy/Hercules/CGA/EGA/VGA/VESA graphics, a SoundBlaster/Gravis Ultra Sound card for excellent sound compatibility with older games...

You can "re-live" the good old days with the help of DOSBox, it can run plenty of the old classics that don't run on your new computer!

DOSBox is totally free of charge and OpenSource.

[b][size=150]What is VPN / PPTP?[/size][/b]

[b][u]VPN[/u][/b]
[list]A virtual private network (VPN) is a network that uses primarily public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide remote offices or traveling users an access to a central organizational network.

VPNs typically require remote users of the network to be authenticated, and often secure data with encryption technologies to prevent disclosure of private information to unauthorized parties.

VPNs may serve any network functionality that is found on any network, such as sharing of data and access to network resources, printers, databases, websites, etc. A VPN user typically experiences the central network in a manner that is identical to being connected directly to the central network. VPN technology via the public Internet has replaced the need to requisition and maintain expensive dedicated leased-line telecommunication circuits once typical in wide-area network installations.

Virtual private network technology reduces costs because it does not need physical leased lines to connect remote users to an Intranet.[/list]

[b][u]PPTP[/u][/b]
[list]The Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) is a method for implementing virtual private networks. PPTP uses a control channel over TCP and a GRE tunnel operating to encapsulate PPP packets.

The PPTP specification does not describe encryption or authentication features and relies on the PPP protocol being tunneled to implement security functionality. However the most common PPTP implementation, shipping with the Microsoft Windows product families, implements various levels of authentication and encryption natively as standard features of the Windows PPTP stack. The intended use of this protocol is to provide similar levels of security and remote access as typical VPN products.
[/list]

[b][size=150]What is [i]FTP[/i]?[/size][/b]

FTP is an acronym for File Transfer Protocol. As the name suggests, FTP is used to transfer files between computers on a network. You can use FTP to exchange files between computer accounts, transfer files between an account and a desktop computer, or access online software archives. Keep in mind, however, that many FTP sites are heavily used and require several attempts before connecting.

[b][size=150]What is [i]phishing[/i]?[/size][/b]

Phishing is the act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The e-mail directs the user to visit a Web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has. The Web site, however, is bogus and set up only to steal the user's information.

[b][size=150]What is the [i]'Microsoft Camera Codec Pack'[/i]?[/size][/b]

The Microsoft Camera Codec Pack enables the viewing of a variety of device-specific file formats.

More info and download from Microsoft here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/de ... x?id=26829 .