| D/A conversion |
Digital to Analog conversion. The translation of digital information (1s and 0s) into analog information, such as sound waves.
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| D/L |
Download. To receive a data transmission.
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| D1 |
Broadcast-quality digital video format that is "raw," or not compressed. Uses 1MB for each frame.
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| D2 |
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| D3 |
Broadcast-quality digital video format recorded on half-inch tape. Is a cheaper alternative to D1 recording.
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| D4 |
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| D5 |
Broadcast-quality digital video format recorded on half-inch tape. Cheaper alternative to D1 recording.
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| DA |
Desk Accessory. A small, useful program that is analogous to an item on a real office desktop, such as a clock, calculator, calendar, and message pad. Macintosh desktop accessories can be made easily available by putting them in the Apple menu. Windows desk accessories are in the Accessories group.
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| DAC |
Digital to Analog Converter. An electronic circuit that converts digital information (for example, from a CD or CD-ROM) into analog information, such as sound and audio signals.
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| DAD |
- Database Action Diagram. Describes the processing of data in a database. 2. Digital Audio Disk, or compact disk (CD).
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| daemon |
A UNIX program that runs continuously in the background, until it is activated by a particular event. This word is often used to refer to programs that handle e-mail. The word daemon is Greek for "an attendant power or spirit."
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| DAI |
Distributed Artificial Intelligence.
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| daisy chain |
A configuration in which devices are connected to each other in sequence, like a chain of daisies.
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| daisywheel printer |
A impact printer that uses a rotating plastic wheel with the type characters on it. The wheel spins to line up the correct character to print. Daisywheel printers produced high-quality type, and were common in the 1980s but fell out of use when laser printers became affordable.
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| DAL |
Data Access Language. An Apple database interface that enables Macintosh computers to access certain databases on other computers and platforms.
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| DAM |
(Digital Automatic Music). DAM CDs contain music in both MP3 and standard CD audio format. They can be played from an MP3 player or CD player. They often include special releases not available elsewhere.
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| DAM CD |
(Digital Automatic Music). DAM CDs contain music in both MP3 and standard CD audio format. They can be played from an MP3 player or CD player. They often include special releases not available elsewhere.
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| dancing baloney |
Animated images and other small moving objects that decorate a Web site.
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| Dante |
A nonprofit organization that aids European research communities in enhancing network capabilities, primarily focusing on building a high-speed computer network infrastructure. Located at www.dante.net. Established in 1993.
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| DAP |
Directory Access Protocol. In an X.500 directory system, the protocol used in communications between a Directory User Agent (DUA) and a Directory System Agent (DSA).
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| dark fiber |
Fiber-optic cable when it is not carrying a signal. When a signal is being carried, it is called lit fiber.
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| DARPA |
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The Federal agency that began as ARPA, and started the Internet. It became ARPA again in 1990.
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| DASD |
Direct Access Storage Device. A peripheral device for a mainframe computer, such as a disk or drum, that can be directly addressed.
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| DAT |
Digital Audio Tape. A kind of magnetic tape originally designed for audio format, now also used in computers to back up data. DAT cassettes are about the size of audio cassettes, and can store up to 12GB.
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| data |
Information; raw facts. Data can be input into a computer and processed in various ways. For a computer to process data, it must be translated into a form the computer can handle. The smallest discrete element of data that a computer can understand is a bit, or "binary digit". The human brain also processes data fed to it by the sensory organs.
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