Monday, June 30, 2003		ITerminology

Blue screen of death: Abbreviated BSOD, an error that can appear on computers running in a Windows environment. This includes even the earliest versions of Windows, such as Windows 3.0 and 3.1, and still occurs in later versions such as Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, and Windows 2000. Jokingly called the blue screen of death because when the error occurs, the screen turns blue, and the computer almost always freezes and requires rebooting.

MRAM: Short for magnetoresistive RAM, or magnetic RAM, a non-volatile RAM memory technology that uses magnetic charges to store data instead of electric charges, such as those used in SRAM and DRAM technologies.

Potentiometer: An electronic component that is used to vary, or control, the amount of current that flows through an electronic circuit. A potentiometer is also referred to as a pot.

Webcast: To use the Internet to broadcast live or delayed audio and/or video transmissions, much like traditional television and radio broadcasts. For example, a university may offer on-line courses in which the instructor Webcasts a pre-recorded or live lecture, or an enterprise may Webcast a press conference in lieu of or in addition to a conference call. Users typically must have the appropriate multimedia application in order to view a Webcast.