A nook is an e-reader that Barnes & Noble produced, which is similar to the Kindle and Sony Reader. The Nook is available in several different models that range in size and color, some of which include touch screen support. The Nook is able to store a wide variety of e-books in its built-in hard drive, display a full screen book layout when turned on its side, and connect to the Internet for access to more e-books. While Barnes & Noble sells thousands of e-books for the Nook, readers can Read More

HyperTransport is a CPU to I/O and CPU to CPU bus design. HyperTransport is an open standard which has been incorporated into AMD's Opteron and Athlon64 64-bit x86 processors, Transmeta's Efficeon x86 processor, Broadcom's BCM1250 64-bit MIPS processor, and PMC-Sierra's RM9000 64-bit MIPS processor family. Integrating HyperTransport into the CPU enables the elimination of the Front Side Bus along with the performance penalties usually associated with that bus. HyperTransport affects more than the CPU though. HyperTransport is a complete system bus which integrates PCI, PCI-X, USB, FireWire, AGP 8x, InfiniBand, Read More

A print server is a computer or device that is connected to one or more printers and handles all of the processes for each printer. Any computer that is connected to a printer can be considered a print server. Print servers allow the user to have a central control center for all printers in use and allow the user to configure, troubleshoot, and use any printer in the network. This article will provide a more in-depth explanation of what a print server is, what it can do, situations in which Read More

Magnetic bearings use magnetic force to support machine parts without there being any physical contact between the supporting mechanism and the device. The bearings’ magnetic force lifts the supported piece of machinery, permitting it to move while suspended in the air. Unlike traditional bearings, no friction is experienced, which results in significant savings and reduction in maintenance. Magnetic bearings have replaced traditional bearing types such as the ball bearing. How do Magnetic Bearings Work? Magnetic bearings are similar to traditional bearings in that they support machinery designed to rotate. Unlike Read More

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is an IETF standard multimedia conferencing protocol, which includes voice, video, and data conferencing, for use over packet-switched networks. SIP is an open standard replacement for the ITU's H.323. SIP is described in RFC 3621 – SIP: Session Initiation Protocol. SIP is an application-layer control (signaling) protocol for creating, modifying, and terminating sessions with one or more participants. These sessions include Internet telephone calls, multimedia distribution, and multimedia conferences. SIP invitations used to create sessions carry session descriptions that allow participants to agree on a set Read More

The system that helps connect a computer to an Ethernet network is called an Ethernet card. Another name for such a card is Network Interface Card (NIC). It can be inserted into one of the slots provided on the motherboard of the computer. Each of these cards has a unique identification number, known as the MAC address. Ever since their inception by the Xerox Company, Ethernet cards have managed to find their way into nearly every single computer in the world. The Ethernet Card – An Easier Alternative for Data Read More

The Rainbow Books are a set of Department of Defense documents on computer security. The Rainbow Books are called that because each book is bound in brightly colored paper. Orange Book DoD 5200.28-STD Department of Defense Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria. Green Book CSC-STD-002-85 Department of Defense Password Management Guideline. Yellow Book CSC-STD-003-85 Computer Security Requirements — Guidance for Applying the Department of Defense Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria in Specific Environments. Yellow Book CSC-STD-004-85 Technical Rationale Behind CSC-STD-003-85: Computer Security Requirements. Guidance for Applying the Department of Defense Trusted Read More

An Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA), also known as the Analog Telephony Adapter, is an electronic device used to enable one or more analog telephones or facsimile machines for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls and faxes. An Analog Telephone Adapter basically creates a physical connection by use of telephone and Internet cables between a conventional phone or fax and a computer or an Ethernet gateway. The ATA usually comes with a digital phone and Internet plan provider but it can also be bought independently. The Analog Telephone Adapter makes voice Read More

CPU is an acronym that stands for central processing unit. The central processing unit is responsible for performing all of the mathematical calculations that are required for a computer to function properly. Because a computer cannot function without the CPU (which may also be referred to as the central processor or just the processor), it is not uncommon to hear people refer to the CPU as the "brains" of a computer. How does the CPU work? To properly perform its job, the CPU must complete a cycle of four steps. Read More

No one person invented electricity, but its modern day use is the result of the work of inventors, scientists, and researchers who toiled over the subject for millennia. In order to fully understand electricity in our modern world, one has to first understand the pioneers who date back to as early as the ancient Greeks, and contemplate their work to harness the natural power of electricity and turn it into something useful to the average person. The Role of Thales of Miletus The history of electricity begins not with electricity Read More