Computer network device MODEM - what does it stands for and what is its use?

MODEM (Modulator/Demodulator)
A device that serves as a bridge between your digital computer and some form of analog line used to transmit data, such as a phone line (standard modem) or analog cable connection (cable modem). The modem can receive the analog signals from the line and turn them digital, or transmit your digital signals into analog signals that are capable of being decoded digitally.

IDE and SCSI or skuzzy connection what is the difference them. Explain the significance with respect to hard drives

Integrated Device Electronics (IDE)
IDE is the standard hard drive interface for PCs. You can connect a maximum of two hard drives to an IDE connection or channel. IDE hard drives are cheaper than SCSI drives, but IDE is generally slower than SCSI and does not support sector re-mapping.

Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI)
Pronounced “skuzzy,” this is a standard data pathway used mostly for hard drives and CD-ROM drives; but it was also a common interface for scanners and even printers at one point. It is the fastest (and the most flexible) method of interfacing with hard drives. It comes in numerous varieties, and is mainly used in servers and high-end workstations. SCSI drives are much more expensive than IDE drives, but SCSI drives can have features, like 15,000 RPM spin speeds and 5-year warranties, that IDE drives currently do not.

Explain what do we mean by the term "Intellectual Property". Discuss the term with a software company as an example.

Intellectual Property (IP)
Any base of knowledge that was developed for a particular company or entity. Usually, if you work for a technical company you have to sign some sort of agreement that states that any work you do or ideas you have while on company time are that company’s intellectual property. As you can imagine, the possession and retention of intellectual property is a lawsuit-laden endeavor. For example, the intellectual property of a software company is not only its software, but also the ideas behind the software, and the methods used to program the software, and just about anything you can imagine about the software.

Generally confused technical words - how to differentiate between internet and intranet?

Internet
The global network of computers constantly connected to each other using standardized communications protocols, specifically TCP/IP.

Intranet
A local network of computers using TCP/IP as the standard communications protocol. Usually an intranet features some sort of HTML content that you can use a browser to look at. Think of it as a mini, private Internet. Many companies have intranets that contain information only of use to their employees.

Commonly confused technology terms - GPS, GPRS & GIS what is the use and difference between these acronyms.

GPS (Global Positioning System)
A system of satellites around the Earth that broadcast the time via radio signals based on an internal atomic clock. GPS devices can receive the signals from multiple satellites, and by measuring the time it took the signal to arrive they can determine your current position on the Earth.

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)
A mobile phone 2.5G technology that allows short bursts of data between a phone and a network such as the Internet. The short transmissions allow for less costly connectivity than a constant connection, but work best with specialized services designed for such types of communication.

GIS (Geographic Information System)
A system for capturing and manipulating data relating to the Earth. A common use of GIS is to overlay several types of maps (for example, train routes, elevation data, street maps) to determine useful data about a given geographic area.

Explain what does the acronym FPS stands for? What is its significance regarding display technology and computer gaming industry

Frames Per Second (FPS)
This term relates to video or 3D games, and is the amount of single full screen (or full window) pictures (or frames) that are displayed each second to generate what appears to be a moving image. Typical digital video displays at around 30 FPS. Higher frame rates are not really necessary, as the human eye cannot typically handle more than about 30 FPS. Some games will average 30 FPS or higher and look choppy. Usually this is due to intense scenes that cause the action to dip below 30 FPS for short periods of time. Rates of over 100 FPS in games are common nowadays with less complex 3D action games, but do not necessarily add to the experience of playing a game.

First Person Shooter (FPS)
This describes a video game that is played from the first person perspective, i.e., looking out of the eyes of the main character. As well, to achieve the “shooter” aspect, the main character usually has some type of weapon, and to achieve your goals you must kill off enemies. The first meaningful game of this genre was Castle Wolfenstein 3D, and other popular examples include the Doom, Quake, and Unreal series.

Shareware, Nagware, Freeware, Open Source - How to differentiate between these computer software industry related terms.

Shareware
Software that can be installed and distributed freely. Some shareware is free but requires fees to be paid to the author before all features are available. Other shareware is full-featured, but “nags” you to pay the fee with extra screens that must be bypassed. Most shareware requires you to pay for it within 30 days.

Nagware
This is shareware that has screens that pop up and require you to press a button or wait an amount of time. These nag screens go away after you pay for the software and enter a registration code.

Freeware
Software that is free for use and does not require a fee to be paid to access its full functionality.

Open Source
Software that can be freely distributed, and must be distributed along with its source code. Thus the source can be changed easily, and the program can be altered to fix bugs or add features. Depending on the Open Source license, you may be unable to redistribute altered code or charge money for the distribution of the software. Some popular examples of Open Source software are Linux and Mozilla.

Slang related to financial & equity markets - what is the meaning of the phrase belly up?

Belly Up
A slang term used to describe the complete and abject failure of an individual, corporation, bank, development project, etc. The term belly up is often used to describe a financial institution that has failed and been closed by regulators.

Interest rates, equity indexes and the yield of a fixed-income security related jargon - What does BPS stands for?

Basis Point (BPS)
A unit that is equal to 1/100th of 1%, and is used to denote the change in a financial instrument. The basis point is commonly used for calculating changes in interest rates, equity indexes and the yield of a fixed-income security.

The relationship between percentage changes and basis points can be summarized as follows: 1% change = 100 basis points, and  0.01% = 1 basis point.

So, a bond whose yield increases from 5% to 5.5% is said to increase by 50 basis points; or interest rates that have risen 1% are said to have increased by 100 basis points.

Accounting, balance sheet, economic term - what do you mean by Base Period or reference period

Base Period
A particular time period for which data is gathered and used as a benchmark against which economic data from other periods is measured.

Also referred to as "reference period."

Think of this as a yardstick for economic data. For example, if a price index has a base year of 1990, current prices are being compared to prices in that time period.

Finance and stock trading jargon - What is a Barometer Stock or Bellwether Stock

Barometer Stock
A security whose price pattern is regarded as an indicator of the state of the overall market.
All bellwether stocks are also barometer stocks

Bellwether StockA stock that is believed to be a leading indicator of the direction of a sector, industry or market as a whole. Bellwether stocks are often used to determine the direction in which an industry or market is headed in the short term.

Bellwether stocks are typically large-cap equities that when performing well signal a bullish market but when performing poorly may signal a bearish market. Many different stocks may be classified as bellwethers; however, shipping and rail stocks have historically been particularly good bellwethers for the U.S. economy.

Phrases made simple - Explain what do you mean by 'Baptism by Fire' and 'Baptism of Fire', give relevant examples

Baptism by Fire
A phrase originating from Europe that describes an employee that is learning something the hard way, like being immersed in their field of employment. Baptism by fire has its roots in battle terminology, describing a soldier's first time in battle.

Baptism by fire is used when the best way for someone to be trained is for that person to experience the actual situations rather than to just study those situations. Jobs that require baptism by fire may include: police officers, firemen, military personnel, etc.

Baptism of Fire
A difficult situation that a company or individual experiences that will result in either success or failure. Examples include Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), a new CEO hired to manage a struggling company, and hostile takeover attempts. A baptism of fire will either weaken or strengthen the entity involved.

Banking and finance sector jargon - What is Bank Discount Rate explain with an example.

Bank Discount Rate
The interest rate for short-term money-market instruments like commercial paper and Treasury bills. The bank discount rate is based on the instrument's par value and the amount of the discount.
The bank discount rate is the required rate of return of a safe investment guaranteed by the bank.

Assume an unsecured obligation (e.g., commercial paper) that matures in one year with a face value of  $1,000 and a purchase price of $970.

($1,000 - $970) = $30 discount
$30/$970 = 3.1% rate of interest

To simplify calculations when determining the bank discount rate, a 360-day year is often used.

Common terms in economics BOP and BOT - Balance Of Payments and Balance Of Trade - What is the difference between them?

Balance Of Payments (BOP)
A record of all transactions made between one particular country and all other countries during a specified period of time. BOP compares the dollar difference of the amount of exports and imports, including all financial exports and imports. A negative balance of payments means that more money is flowing out of the country than coming in, and vice versa.

Balance of payments may be used as an indicator of economic and political stability. For example, if a country has a consistently positive BOP, this could mean that there is significant foreign investment within that country. It may also mean that the country does not export much of its currency.

This is just another economic indicator of a country's relative value and, along with all other indicators, should be used with caution. The BOP includes the trade balance, foreign investments and investments by foreigners.

Balance Of Trade (BOT)
The difference between a country's imports and its exports. Balance of trade is the largest component of a country's balance of payments. Debit items include imports, foreign aid, domestic spending abroad and domestic investments abroad. Credit items include exports, foreign spending in the domestic economy and foreign investments in the domestic economy. A country has a trade deficit if it imports more than it exports; the opposite scenario is a trade surplus.

Also referred to as "trade balance" or "international trade balance"

The balance of trade is one of the most misunderstood indicators of the U.S. economy. For example, many people believe that a trade deficit is a bad thing. However, whether a trade deficit is bad thing is relative to the business cycle and economy. In a recession, countries like to export more, creating jobs and demand. In a strong expansion, countries like to import more, providing price competition, which limits inflation and, without increasing prices, provides goods beyond the economy's ability to meet supply. Thus, a trade deficit is not a good thing during a recession but may help during an expansion.

Define Backtesting. What is the scope, advantages and disadvantages of system backtesting, with respect to online stock, forex, commodities futures trading

Backtesting - The process of testing a trading strategy on prior time periods. Instead of applying a strategy for the time period forward, which could take years, a trader can do a simulation of his or her trading strategy on relevant past data in order to gauge the its effectiveness.

Most technical-analysis strategies are tested with this approach.

When you backtest a theory, the results achieved are highly dependent on the movements of the tested period. Backtesting a theory assumes that what happens in the past will happen in the future, and this assumption can cause potential risks for the strategy.

For example, say you want to test a strategy based on the notion that Internet IPOs outperform the overall market. If you were to test this strategy during the dotcom boom years in the late 90s, the strategy would outperform the market significantly. However, trying the same strategy after the bubble burst would result in dismal returns. As you'll frequently hear: "past performance does not necessarily guarantee future returns".

Securities market jargon made easy - What do you mean by the term Bear Hug

Bear Hug
An offer made by one company to buy the shares of another for a much higher per-share price than what that company is worth. A bear hug offer is usually made when there is doubt that the target company's management will be willing to sell.

The name "bear hug" reflects the persuasiveness of the offering company's overly generous offer to the target company. By offering a price far in excess of the target company's current value, the offering party can usually obtain an agreement. The target company's management is essentially forced to accept such a generous offer because it is legally obligated to look out for the best interests of its shareholders.

Disc brakes and drum brake - What is the difference between them. Which one is more efficient?

DISC BRAKES
Disc brakes are the most common and also most effective means of stopping a vehicle. This type of braking system usually consists of a disc that rotates at the same speed as the wheel to which it is attached, straddled by a brake caliper. The caliper contains brake pads which are operated by one or more small pistons that squeeze against the surface of the disc to slow it down or even stop it. Compared to the drum version, disc brakes operate much more efficiently at high temperatures and wet conditions, basically by having a more complete design.

DRUM BRAKES
A drum brake is made of a drum-shaped housing (which is usually out of cast iron) that is attached to the wheel. Inside the drum there are usually two brake shoes curved around the interior that are forced into contact with the inner drum. The contact of the pads with the inner section of the drum housing provides braking. Drum brakes are very simple and generally very effective, except under heavy or hard use and under wet conditions, which is why they are less and less common on modern cars.

What is the process of eliminating uncomfortable vibrations coming from the surface of the road called?

Damping is the motion of cushioning the vehicle's body movements in order to smooth the ride over bumpy roads and eliminate uncomfortable vibrations coming from the surface of the road.

Technical auto terms simplified - What is Curb weight with respect auto sector.

Curb weight is the weight of an empty vehicle, without cargo and driver and passengers, but including maximum amounts of fuel, oil, coolant and standard equipment, including the spare tire and tools. In the EU legislation, curb weight means the cars has to be weighed with the reservoir filled at 90%, a 68 kg driver, 7 Kg of luggage and all the other fill ups made.

Auto technical terms made easy - What is the difference between Coupe and Sedan style of design with respect to cars.

COUPE
A coupe (or coupé) is a two or four-seater vehicle with a fixed roof and only two doors. There is no globally accepted official definition for the term though. According to SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) standards, a coupe is a fixed-roof automobile which has less than 33 CuFt (approximately 934 liters) of interior volume. Any car with a greater interior volume is technically called a two-door sedan, not a coupe, even if it has only two doors.

SEDAN
The sedan is the most common configuration of a modern automobile. Sedans usually have four doors, although the term can be used to describe a two-door body also. Most of them have a three-box configuration, but two-box bodies are also common, mostly in Europe.

Common term related to automobiles - What does it mean when someone says "third brake light", what is the use of CHMSL.?

Center high-mounted stop lamp (CHMSL) - An extra rear brake lamp that's placed high inside or outside the vehicle, designed to give tailgating drivers an additional reaction time for avoiding a rear collision. The "third brake light" - the way it's sometimes called - is using LED technology on most vehicles.