Oftentimes we hear tech terms thrown around with ease, but we aren’t entirely sure of their true meaning. We might understand that a phone or a computer needs a “chip”, but we may not know exactly what it does. In 3 Tech Terms: Part 3, we are going to look at 3 terms that you might not know as well as you think.
Chip
Speaking of chips, and not the kind you eat, a chip is essentially what makes your computer run. It’s a teeny intricate circuit that stores your computer’s memory as well as processes everything you ask it to do. It’s usually manufactured from silicon (silicon is produced through silica sand) and metal. The metal, or transistors, align to create an electrical signal and voila, you have yourself a computer. It’s obviously a lot more complicated than that, but you get the idea that while small, it’s basically the whole shebang.
Cookie
A cookie in the tech world is mostly for user experience. When you, the user, visit a website, that website sends a cookie (a short amount of information), to your hard drive. That website will then keep track of your activity while you’re there. If you were shopping, it would know what you added to your cart, coupon codes, or if you clicked on a specific item for a closer look. That cookie only applies to that website and can’t track other sites you visit. Unless of course, it’s a “third-party cookie”.
Third-Party Cookies are when you like or share something, such as when you are on social media. That platform might then send cookies to feed you targeted ads. Often cookies have been seen as negative, but they’re not always meant to be nefarious, they are more to provide users with an easier experience.
Java
Many of us like our cup of java in the morning, but this is not that kind of java. Java is actually a computer-based programming language. It was originally created by a man named James Gosling in 1991 and released by Sun Microsystems in 1995. Java has many different editions depending on what you are trying to program but it can be used on pretty much any computer type device including tablets and smartphones, as well as devices like your tv or air conditioner, and applied to any platform. Chances are, you’re currently using it in some form or another.
Hopefully, this “not food” version of tech terms hasn’t made you too hungry but has shed more light on your tech term glossary, and you are more familiar with the devices and technology you use every day. Don’t forget to check out Tech Terms 1 and Tech Terms 2 to catch up.
Photo by Mirasbek Nurseit on Unsplash