Bits and Data Representation

1. Binary Representation of Data – Computers store and process data in binary (0s and 1s).

2. Octal – A base-8 number system (digits 0-7), often used in computing as a shorthand for binary.

3. Hexadecimal – A base-16 number system (digits 0-9, A-F), used for memory addresses and color codes.

4. ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) – A character encoding system using 7-bit binary values for text representation.

5. UNICODE – A universal character encoding standard supporting multiple languages and symbols.

6. Data – Information stored and processed by a computer.

7. Metadata – Data about data, such as file size or creation date.

8. RGB (Red, Green, Blue) – A color model where different intensity levels of red, green, and blue create various colors.

9. Steganography – A technique for hiding data within other data, such as embedding text in an image.

Questions

1. Base Conversions – You’ll need to practice these with the provided worksheets.

2. How does a computer distinguish a photo from a text file? – The file type and metadata help distinguish them. Different file formats have specific headers that indicate whether the data should be interpreted as text, an image, or another type.

3. Lossy vs. Lossless Compression –

   • Lossy Compression reduces file size by discarding some data (e.g., JPEG, MP3).

   • Lossless Compression preserves all data, allowing perfect reconstruction (e.g., PNG, FLAC).

4. Which compression type to use?

   • (a) Brain surgery image → Lossless (important details must be preserved).

   • (b) Personal webpage image → Lossy (smaller size for faster loading).

   • (c) YouTube background music → Lossy (small file size is preferred over perfect quality).

   • (d) .zip file of documents → Lossless (must be perfectly restored when unzipped).

   • (e) Thumbnail image → Lossy (small file size for quick display).

5. Compression Classification:

   • JPEG → Lossy

   • GIF → Lossless (but limited to 256 colors)

   • BMP → Not compressed (raw image format)

   • MP3 → Lossy

   • WAV → Not compressed (or lossless, depending on encoding)

   • PNG → Lossless

6. RGB color (220, 65, 43) - Closest to RED – The red component (220) is the highest, making the color appear mostly red.

Blown to Bits Chapter 3

1. Warren and Brandeis claimed that privacy is the right to be left alone.

2. In the United States, freedom of speech stood in tension with privacy rights.

3. Digital footprints vs. digital fingerprints:

   • Digital Footprint – Data left behind intentionally, e.g., social media posts.

   • Digital Fingerprint – Data collected without the user’s knowledge, e.g., website tracking.