Technology / Computers Glossary

K56Flex: A technology developed by Lucent Technologies and Rockwell International for delivering data rates up to 56 Kbps over plain old telephone service (POTS). It was long believed that the maximu . . . View Full Definition

Kerberos: The name 'Kerberos' was derived from Greek mythology which refers to the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of Hades. Kerberos is most widely used in a network to provide secure network . . . View Full Definition

Kernel: The central module of an operating system. It is the part of the operating system that loads first, and it remains in main memory. Because it stays in memory, it is important for the kernel . . . View Full Definition

Keyboard Macro: A series of keystrokes that are automatically input when a single key is pressed. Used often in Office application delivery for improved speed of performance and in PC gaming to take the pla . . . View Full Definition

Keyboard-Video-Mouse Switch (KVM): A piece of hardware that connects two or more computers to a single keyboard, monitor and mouse. Imagine you have a row of 4 computers that all serve as file servers. Why waste money buying . . . View Full Definition

Keygen: (Key Generator). Refers to a program that will automatically generate a registration or serial number. Its usual purpose is to eliminate software piracy.

Kilobyte (KB): This is about a thousand bytes of space. In reality, it's two to the 10th power or 1,024 bytes.

L1 Cache: Stands for level one cache. A memory cache that is built into the CPU core to temporarily hold data being processed.

L2 Cache: Stands for level two cache. A memory cache housed outside the processor core, but still a part of the CPU. Typically larger and slower than the L1 cache.

Laptop Computer: A computer system that is smaller than a briefcase but larger than a notebook. Typically has a clamshell design where the keyboard and display are on separate halves of the system. Named for . . . View Full Definition

Laser Printer: A type of printer that is a combination of an electro-static copying machine and a printer. An electro-static charge is used to transfer toner onto the page, which is then fused onto the pap . . . View Full Definition

Layer: In networking, layers (also called Levels) refer to software protocols. Each layer builds on the layer beneath it as part of an overall interactive transmission system.

Light-Emitting Diode (LED): Abbreviation of light emitting diode, an electronic device that lights up when electricity is passed through it. LEDs are usually red. They are good for displaying images because they can be . . . View Full Definition

LimeWire: A peer-to-peer Gnutella file sharing client which allows network users share files. LimeWire is a free open source software.

Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD): A feature that helps users to troubleshoot their networks. LLTD automatically detects multiple network devices and gives a graphical presentation of the connected hardware to identify config . . . View Full Definition

Linker: A program specifically designed to combine or link together a large number of programs forming a single executable instruction set for these programs that can be loaded in to the systems mem . . . View Full Definition

Linux: A version of UNIX that runs on a variety of hardware platforms including x86 PCs, Alpha, PowerPC and IBM's product line. Linux is open source software, which is freely available; however, th . . . View Full Definition

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD): A type of display used in digital watches and many portable computers. LCD displays utilize two sheets of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution between them. An electric current . . . View Full Definition

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