CS110 FINAL EXAM

carbon footprint

carbon footprint

used to describe the amount of carbon dioxide a person or machine emits

UAV/drone

remote controlled/operated either by a remote control or a flight plan

digital divide

the gap between those who have access to internet service and those who do not. also used to describe the people who are able to functionally use the internet/tech and those who cannot. these divides are usually caused by location, and/or socioeconomic status.

cloud computing

using servers remotely over the internet to store/access one’s data/programs instead of using a computer drive

chatgpt

AI created from an open source AI program, it has been programmed to answer questions/tell stories in a human-like manner

artificial intelligence (AI)

used to describe human-like intelligence in computers and other automated machines; it, like numbers, can learn and become smarter the more information they are exposed to.

algorithmic bias

when computer programs create unfair results that benefit one group through systematic errors

citizen science

when the general public helps games information, conduct experiments, and interpret results voluntarily

crowdfunding

a way for companies or individuals to raise money for projects. popular way for startup developers to raise funds to create video/computer games

private cloud

best for companies or individuals who deal with sensitive data and need extra security. it’s only used by said company/person and does not share information

public cloud

best for companies or individuals who do NOT need extra security and are NOT dealing with sensitive data. used a shared infrastructure.

crowdsourcing

utilizes the online community for contributions to a project. it allows the person/company to draw from a wider pool of talent and instead of having to pay a salary/hourly wage, you can utilize a commission based pay model

scalability

in cloud computing, it is used to describe the ability to add or take away resources as needed

elasticity

in cloud computing, it is used to describe the ability to compress or expand resources as needed

redundancy

in cloud computing, it is used to describe the ability to copy functions of a computer system to help with availability and reliability

open-source software

distributed software that has its source code available, that allows it to be modeled, used, and distributed

hybrid cloud

a combination of private and public clouds, with the provider managing the public cloud and the consumer utilizing the private cloud

name at least 2 cloud computing applications that you regularly use

instagram, amazon, netflix, facebook

describe how the increase in the production of technological devices negatively impacts our environment

with the increase in production in technology we see that this industry alone creates 1% of the whole world’s energy consumption, in addition to creating massive amounts of harmful waste as chip designs are not utilizing the materials in an eco-friendly manner

what is meant by a carbon footprint?

every time we use our electronic devices, or even creating nanotechnologies, we are contributing to increasing our carbon footprint or the amount of carbon dioxide that is being created by one person or a community/country as a whole

list the 3 dangers of deep fakes

1) political issues - making it seem like a politician said something

2) extortion

3) national security - terrorism

list 3 examples of how drones are used for commercial, industrial, or military use

1) deliveries

2) surveying hard to reach areas

3) border surveillance

what is meant by open-source software and how is it different from (or related to) crowdsourcing and crowdfunding?

open source software is software that has the code readily available for people who purchase the software, and is related to crowdsourcing because it allows a group to make changes to a program/game and then upload changes to the public for free (ex: modding games like skyrim)

give one example of algorithmic bias

facial recognition software

what steps can be taken to eliminate the digital divide?

• using social media ads to help fund closing the gap through “romer taxes”

• removing the bureaucracy that allows internet service providers to throttle, overcharge, and underserve

• ISP’s should be held accountable for their promises to help the underserved while accepting government funding

• there should be a bigger push for public-private partnerships that would quickly help those who need it the most, while giving private companies incentives to participate

• improve the quality of assistance programs already in place

• implement policies that would protect broadband services as our needs increase in the future

• fund digital literacy programs

what is the purpose of captcha-recaptcha?

captcha is used to prove that a human and not an automated system is using the site, while recaptcha is used to digitize old publications that cannot be read by a computer

how can the text that is presented in recaptcha be used?

the text that is presented in recaptcha is used to prove that you are human and not an automated system trying to access the site while at the same time; by typing the words shown, we help the computer identify words from old texts that they are unable to recognize

application software

any program, group of programs, designed to be used directly by the end user (ex: word processors, firefox, google chrome, web browsers)

abstraction

the process of picking out (abstracting) common features of objects and procedures. a programmer would use abstraction, for example, to note that 2 functions perform almost the same task and can be combined into a single function

hardware

refers to objects that you can actually touch, like disks, disk drives, display screems, keyboards, printers, boards, and chips

software

set of instructions, data, or programs, used to operate a computer and execute specific tasks (aka tells a computer how to function). used to refer to applications, scripts, and programs that run on devices such as PCs, mobile phones, tablets, and other smart devices

bit

unit of measuring data. a single bit is the smallest unit of information on a machine and can only hold one of two values: 0 or 1. these values can represent a variety of binaries, including yes/no, positive/negative, on/off, true/false, and positive/negative.

byte

unit of digital information used in computer processing and storage. a standard byte is made of eight binary digits, which are called bits.

BIOS

basic input output system, the “spine” of the computer. a chip that is a special kind of ROM that handles interactions between the software running on the computer and the machine’s hardware components

volatile

memory that loses its contents when the power is turned off

nonvolatile

memory that does NOT lose its contents when the power is turned off

random access

data file that enables you to read or write information anywhere in the file

sequential access

you can only read and write information sequentially, starting from the beginning of the file

input/output devices

any hardware that allows a human operator or other systems to interface with a computer

peripherals

a computer device, such as a keyboard or printer, that is not part of the essential computer (i.e. the memory and microprocessor). these auxillary devices are intended to be connected to the computer and used

device drivers

a software program without a user interface (UI) that manages hardware components or peripherals attached to a computer and enables them to function with the computer smoothly

computer malware

short for malicious software, malware is any program or file designed to harm or exploit any programmable device or network. umbrella term for viruses, worms, trojans, and ransomware, among others, used to cause destruction or gain access to sensitive information

operating systems

the software the supports a computers’ basic functions, such as scheduling tasks, executing applications, and controlling peripherals

DDOS

distributed denial of service, a mass attack from malware

what is the difference between ROM and RAM?

ROM is read only memory that can’t write new data to it but remains even after the computer is turned off. RAM is random access memory that can have new data written to it but is deleted after the computer is turned off (temporary)

how does RAM affect a computer’s performance?

RAM affects a computer’s performance by allowing it to surf the web then quickly change to downloading an app or writing in word

how many bytes in a gigabyte? in a kilobyte?

gigabyte = 1,073,741,824 bytes

kilobyte = 1,024 bytes

list from smallest to largest: kilobyte, megabyte, byte, bit, terabyte, gigabyte

bit, byte, kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, terabyte

alice has 600MB of data, bob has 2000MB of data, will it all fit in alice’s 4GB thumb drive?

600MB = 0.6GB

2000MB = 2GB

2.6GB < 4GB (YES!)

alice has 200 small images, each of which is 600KB. how much space do they take up overall in MB?

200 × 600 = 120000KB

120000KB = 120MB!

how is data represented in a computer?

binary format

what is the job of an operating system? list 3 operating systems

• the job of an operating system is to manage all of the software and hardware in the computer

• microsoft windows, macOS, linux

when we refer to an operating system, are we referring to hardware or software?

software

list from most general (most abstract) to most specific (least abstract): USB flash drive, byte, secondary storage

secondary storage, byte, USB flash drive

list from most general to most specific: microsoft office, software, excel

software, microsoft office, excel

what are the advantages of a multi-core processor?

can work on more than one problem at a time as well as a larger problem more efficiently

what is the difference between a modem and a router?

router is a small box that allows multiple computers to join the same network. most are now wireless. modem connects to your ISP (internet service provider) and connects you to either cable or DSL internet services

list the following in device connection order of their connections to each other. assume that the modem and router are 2 separate devices: modem, ISP, router, laptop, computer, internet

laptop → computer —> router —> modem —> ISP —> internet

what units are used to measure:

a) RAM? how much would be a reasonable choice when purchasing a computer?

b) hard drive capacity? how much would be a reasonable choice when purchasing a computer?

c) processor speed? what’s good here?

a) megabytes and gigabytes; 8GB when purchasing a computer

b) gigabytes; 256-500GB is enough for the average user

c) 2.4GHz is good

what is the difference between a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid state drive (SSD)?

SSDs store data in flash memory, while HDDs store data in magnetic drives

how do you delete files from your computer? how are you sure that no one can access your deleted files (or any files?)

to completely delete files on a computer after you delete the items and empty out your trash can, you need a third party tool (for windows) which will overwrite the vacant space on your drive with random data so the original files and folders can’t be brought back. without that short of destroying your computer, there is no way to completely erase files.

binary representation of data

a type of data that is represented or displayed in the binary numeral system. binary data is the only category of data that can be directly understood and executed by a computer. numerically represented by a combination of zeros and ones.

octal

refers to base-8 number system, which uses just 8 unique symbols (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) programs often display data in octal format translated into binary format easily

• octal number: 3456

• binary: 011 100 101 110

hexadecimal

refers to the base-16 number system, which consists of 16 unique symbols: the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F. for example, the decimal number 15 is represented as F in the hexadecimal system. the hexadecimal system is useful because it can represent every byte (8 bits) as 2 consecutive hexadecimal digits

• hexadecimal: 0x3F7A

• binary: 0011 1111 0111 1010

ASCII

american standard code for information interchange - code representing 128 english characters as numbers, with each letter assigned a number from 0 to 127. for example, the ASCII code for uppercase M is 77. most computers use ASCII codes to represent text, which makes it possible to transport data from one computer to another.

unicode

a standard for representing characters as integers. unlike ASCII, which uses 7 bits for each character, unicode uses 16 bits, which means that it can represent more than 65,000 unique characters

data

any sequence of one or more symbols; datum is a single symbol of data. data requires interpretation to become information. digital data is data that is represented using a binary number system of ones and zeros instead of analog representation

metadata

describes how and when and by whom a particular set of data was collected and how the data is formatted. metadata is essential for understanding information stored in data warehouses and has become increasingly important in the XML-based web applications.

RGB

refers to a system representing the colors used on a digital display screen. red, green, blue, can be combined in various proportions to obtain any color in the visible spectrum.

steganography

practice of hiding or concealing a message within a message that is not a secret, such as hiding a secret script inside of a microsoft word document. goal is to practice secrecy or deceit.

how does a computer distinguish between a photo and a text file if everything is stored as bits?

the computer distinguishes between different types of files through file extensions. an extension such as .doc, .txt, or .rtf indicates a text. an extension of .jpeg, .jpg, or .psd indicates a picture. these extensions tell the operating system what file it is and how to open it.

how does the computer distinguish between lossy and lossless compression? which would be most appropriate for each of the following?

a) an image saved to be studied by brain surgeons while performing delicate surgery

b) an image uploaded to use on a personal webpage

c) a sound file used as background music for a home video where the song and video are to be uploaded to youtube

d) a .zip file used to store a directory of documents

e) an image used as a thumbnail on your computer

lossy is usually used for video, sound, and photos. lossless is usually used for text, spreadsheets, or gifs

a) lossless

b) lossy

c) lossy

d) lossless

e) lossy

classify each of the following file types as lossy compression, lossless compression, or not compressed: JPEG, BIG, BMP, MP3, WAV, AND PNG

• JPEG: lossy compression

• GIF: lossless compression

• BMP: not compressed

• MP3: lossy compression

• WAV: lossless compression

• PNG: lossless compression

an RGB color represented by the triplet (220, 65, 43) is closest in color to red, green, or blue?

red - uses 220 bits, green only 65, blue only 43.8

network interface card (NIC)

a hardware component that enables a device to connect to a network by providing a physical interface for communication, typically via ethernet cables or wireless signals

circuit switching

establishes a dedicated communication path between 2 nodes before the actual data transfer. the path remains reserved for the duration of the communication session

packet switching

breaks data into packets, which are then individually routed over a shared network. each packet can take a different route to reach its destination, and they are reassembled upon arrival

asynchronous transmission

data transmission method where individual characters or data blocks are sent independently of one another, typically with the sender and receiver using their own clocks to time the transmission

synchronous transmission

data transmission method where data is sent in a continuous stream and is synchronized by a clock signal shared between the sender and receiver, ensuring data integrity and reliable timing

BPS

“bits per second” - a unit of measurement used to quantify the rate of data transmission in a network or commuication channel

ethernet

a widely used networking technology for connecting devices in a local area network (LAN), characterized by its speed and reliability. ethernet typically uses twisted pair of fiber optic cables

bluetooth

a wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances between devices, commonly used for connecting peripherals like keyboards, mice, and headphones to computers and mobile devices

broadband

refers to high speed internet access that is always on and provides faster data transmission rates compared to traditional dial-up connections

DSL/cable

DSL (digital subscriber line) - a technology that uses existing telephone lines to provide high-speed internet access. DSL allows for simultaneous voice and data transmission over the same line

cable - high-speed internet service provided through the same coaxial cables that deliver cable television. cable internet typically offers faster speed than DSL

internet protocols

set of rules and conventions that govern how data is transmitted over the internet. this includes protocols like TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol), which define how data is broken down into packets, routed, and reassembled at the destination

define the term network and list 3 advantages provided

network: a collection of interconnected devices and systems that can communicate and share resources with each other

advantages: resource sharing, communication, and collaboration

compare and contrast peer-to-peer networks with client server networks

peer-to-peer: each device in the network can act as both a client and a server, sharing resources directly with other devices

client-server: devices are divided into clients and servers, with servers providing resources and services to clients upon request

tdlr: in peer-to-peer, there’s no centralized control, while client-server networks have a centralized server managing resources. peer-to-peer is simpler and cheaper to set-up, while client-server offers better security and scalability

a school with 20 stand alone PCs is considering networking them together and adding a file server. give 3 possible benefits.

1) centralized storage

2) data backup

3) improved collaboration

draw examples of the following LAN configurations: ring, star, mesh, bus, give an advantage or disadvantage of each configuration.

ring:

• advantage: simple to install and maintain

• disadvantage: failure of one device can disrupt the entire network

star:

• advantage: centralized management and easy troubleshooting

• disadvantage: dependency on the central hub; failure can disrupt the entire network

mesh:

• advantage: redundancy and fault tolerance

• disadvantage: complex and expensive to implement

bus:

• advantage: simple and inexpensive

• disadvantage: susceptible to cable failure, which can disrupt the entire network

what is the difference among LAN, MAN, WAN, and PAN? list them in order of size from smallest to largest.

LAN (local area network) - within a small area such as buildings or campus

WAN (wide area network) - covers a much larger geographic area, such as a state, or a country

PAN (personal area network) - interconnection of your personal digital devices

MAN (metropolitan area network) - public high speed network with range of about 50 miles; covers a town or city

PAN —> LAN —> MAN —> WAN

describe the process followed by packet switching in transfer

at each interconnected node, packets are received, stored briefly, and then forwarded based on the routing information in the header. upon reaching their destination, packets are reassembled into the original data stream. this process allows for efficient use of network resources and enables data to take different paths to reach its destination, enhancing reliability and speed

list 4 essential pieces of information contained in a packet

1) source address

2) destination address

3) payload/data

4) header information

list the necessary components of a wireless network

1) network interface card (NIC)

2) access point (AP)

3) router

what is the difference between bandwidth and latency?

bandwidth represents the measure of computer network used. latency refers to delays incurred in processing data. low latency is desirable.

open standards

specifications or protocols that are publicly available and not owned by any single company or organization. they promote interoperability and compatibility among different systems and software.

hotspot

a physical location, typically in public areas like cafes, airports, or hotels, where wireless internet access is available to all users with compatible devices

internet

a global network of interconnected computers and devices that use standardized communication protocols to exchange data and info

WWW (world wide web)

an information space on the internet that allows users to access websites and web pages linked by hyperlinks. it’s one of the many services available on the internet

static ip address

an IP address that remains constant and does not change over time. manually configured and assigned to a device

dynamic ip address

an ip address that is automatically assigned to a device by a DHCP server and may change periodically