Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

(POINTERS FOR FINAL EXAMINATION)

Analog vs. Digital Signals

The information carrying signals are divided into two broad classes;

1. Analog
2. Digital

Analog Signals

Analog signals are continuous electrical signals that vary in time as shown in figure 4a. Most of the time,
the variations follow that of the non-electric (original) signal. Therefore, the two are analogous hence the
name analog.

Figure 4a: Analog Signal

Not all analog signals vary as smoothly as the waveform shown in Figure 4a. Analog signals represent
some physical quantity and they are a ‘MODEL’ of the real quantity.

Example:

Telephone voice signal is analog. The intensity of the voice causes electric current variations. At the
receiving end, the signal is reproduced in the same proportion. Hence the electric current is a ‘MODEL’ but
not one’s voice since it is an electrical representation or analog of one’s voice.

Digital Signals

Digital signals are non-continuous, they change in individual steps. They consist of pulses or digits with
discrete levels or values. The value of each pulse is constant, but there is an abrupt change from one digit
to the next. Digital signals have two amplitude levels called nodes. The value of which are specified as one
of two possibilities such as 1 or 0, HIGH or LOW, TRUE or FALSE and so on. In reality, the values are
anywhere within specific ranges and we define values within a given range.

Figure 4b: Digital Signal

Modem - The word modem is actually short for Modulator/Demodulator. (There's something you can really impress
your friends with). A modem is a communications device that can be either internal or external to your computer. It
allows one computer to connect another computer and transfer data over telephone lines. The original dial-up modems
are becoming obsolete because of their slow speeds and are being replaced by the much faster cable and DSL modems.

Web browser - You are probably using a browser to read this right now. A Web browser, often just called a "browser," is
the program people use to access the World Wide Web. It interprets HTML code including text, images, hypertext links,
Javascript, and Java applets. After rendering the HTML code, the browser displays a nicely formatted page. Some
common browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator, and Apple Safari.

Search engine - Google, Excite, Lycos, AltaVista, Infoseek, and Yahoo are all search engines. They index millions of sites
on the Web, so that Web surfers like you and me can easily find Web sites with the information we want. By creating
indexes, or large databases of Web sites (based on titles, keywords, and the text in the pages), search engines can locate
relevant Web sites when users enter search terms or phrases. When you are looking for something using a search
engine, it is a good idea to use words like AND, OR, and NOT to specify your search. Using these boolean operators, you
can usually get a list of more relevant sites.

LAN - Stands for "Local Area Network," and is pronounced like "land" without the "d". (Computer people will think
you're weird if you pronouce it "L-A-N"). A LAN is a computer network limited to a small area such as an office building,
university, or even a residential home. Most mid to large-sized businesses today use LANs, which makes it easy for
employees to share information. Currently, the most common type of LANs are Ethernet-based and use software from
Novell or Oracle. However, with the emergence of wireless networking, wireless LANs have become a popular
alternative.

WAN - Stands for "Wide Area Network." It is similar to a Local Area Network (LAN), but it's a lot bigger. Unlike LANs,
WANs are not limited to a single location. Many wide area networks span long distances via telephone lines, fiber-optic
cables, or satellite links. They can also be composed of smaller LANs that are interconnected. The Internet could be
described as the biggest WAN in the world. You could even call the Internet a Super WAN BAM if you wanted to. Or
maybe not.

Internet - Believe it or not, the Internet was created way back in 1969, during the Cold War, by the United States
military. It was meant to be a "nuke-proof" communications network. Today, the Internet spreads across the globe and
consists of countless networks and computers, allowing millions of people to share information. Data that travels long
distances on the Internet is transferred on huge lines known collectively as the Internet backbone. The Internet is now
maintained by the major Internet service providers such as MCI Worldcom, Sprint, GTE, ANS, and UUNET. Because these
providers make huge amounts of revenue off the Internet, they are motivated to maintain consistent and fast
connections which benefits everyday Internet users like you and me.

Many people think the Internet and the World Wide Web are the same thing. They're not! The World Wide Web is what
you are browsing right now. It is one of the many features of the Internet. E-mail, FTP, and Instant Messaging are also
features of the Internet.

Ethernet - Just to be clear, the first syllable is pronounced "eath" as in "Heath Bar," not like "eth" as in Bethany. Some
people find this out the hard way (ridiculing laughter), but at least you don't have to. Ethernet is the most common type
of connection computers use in a local area network (LAN). An Ethernet port looks much like a regular phone jack, but it
is slightly wider. This port can be used to connect your computer to another computer, a local network, or an external
DSL or cable modem.

Two widely-used forms of Ethernet are 10BaseT and 100BaseT. In a 10BaseT Ethernet connection, data transfer speeds
can reach 10 mbps (megabits per second) through a copper cable. In a 100BaseT Ethernet connection, transfer speeds
can get up to 100 mbps. There is also a new technology called "Gigabit" Ethernet, where data transfer rates peak at
1000 mbps. Now that's fast.
Networking - When you have two or more computers connected to each other, you have a network. The purpose of a
network is to enable the sharing of files and information between multiple systems. The Internet could be described as a
global network of networks. Computer networks can be connected through cables, such as Ethernet cables or phone
lines, or wirelessly, using wireless networking cards that send and receive data through the air.

Freeware - Like shareware, freeware is software you can download, pass around, and distribute without any initial
payment. However, the great part about freeware is that you never have to pay for it. No 30 day limit, no demo
versions, no disabled features -- it's totally free. Things like minor program updates and small games are commonly
distributed as freeware. Though freeware does not cost anything, it is still copyrighted, so other people can't market the
software as their own.

Windows Explorer – is a term most commonly used to describe the file management aspect of the operating system,
the Explorer process also houses the operating system’s search functionality and File Type associations (based on
filename extensions), and is responsible for displaying the desktop icons, the Start Menu, the Taskbar, and the Control
Panel. Collectively, these features are known as the Windows Shell.

E-mail - It's hard to remember what our lives were like without e-mail. Ranking up there with the Web as one of the
most useful features of the Internet, e-mail has become one of today's standard means of communication. Billions of
messages are sent each year. If you're like most people these days, you probably have more than one e-mail address.
After all, the more addresses you have, the more sophisticated you look...

E-mail is part of the standard TCP/IP set of protocols. Sending messages is typically done by SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol) and receiving messages is handled by POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3), or IMAP (Internet Message Access
Protocol). IMAP is the newer protocol, allowing you to view and sort messages on the mail server, without downloading
them to your hard drive.

Though e-mail was originally developed for sending simple text messages, it has become more robust in the last few
years. Now, HTML-based e-mail can use the same code as Web pages to incorporate formatted text, colors, and images
into the message. Also, documents can be attached to e-mail messages, allowing files to be transfered via the e-mail
protocol. However, since e-mail was not originally designed to handle large file transfers, transferring large documents
(over 3 MB, for example) is not allowed by most mail servers. So remember to keep your attachments small!

Bookmarking - With the advent of social bookmarking, shared bookmarks have become a means for users sharing
similar interests to pool web resources, or to store their bookmarks in such a way that they are not tied to one specific
computer or browser. Web-based bookmarking services let users save bookmarks on a remote web server, accessible
from anywhere.

Newer browsers have expanded the "bookmark" feature to include variations on the concept of saving links. Mozilla
Firefox introduced live bookmarks in 2004,[4] which resemble standard bookmarks but contain a list of links to recent
articles supplied by a news site or weblog, which is regularly updated via RSS feeds. "Bookmarklets" are JavaScript
programs stored as bookmarks that can be clicked to perform a function.

Data Protection Act - The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament which defines UK law
on the processing of data on identifiable living people. It is the main piece of legislation that governs the protection of
personal data in the UK. Although the Act does not mention privacy, in practice it provides a way in which individuals can
control information about themselves. Most of the Act does not apply to domestic use, [1] for example keeping a personal
address book. Anyone holding personal data for other purposes is legally obliged to comply with this Act, subject to
some exemptions. The Act defines eight data protection principles.

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) - is the general word that is used to describe the prolonged pain experienced in shoulders
or hands or neck or arms. Repetitive Strain Injury is the common word used for referring the types of soft tissue injuries
like the nerve spasms, trigger finger and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Grandfather-father-son backup - refers to the most common rotation scheme for rotating backup media. Originally
designed for tape backup, it works well for any hierarchical backup strategy. The basic method is to define three sets of
backups, such as daily, weekly and monthly. The daily, or son, backups are rotated on a daily basis with one graduating
to father status each week. The weekly or father backups are rotated on a weekly basis with one graduating to
grandfather status each month. Often one or more of the graduated backups is removed from the site for safekeeping
and disaster recovery purposes.

Digital Signature – A digital signature (not to be confused with a digital certificate) is an electronic signature that can be
used to authenticate the identity of the sender of a message or the signer of a document, and possibly to ensure that
the original content of the message or document that has been sent is unchanged. Digital signatures are easily
transportable, cannot be imitated by someone else, and can be automatically time-stamped. The ability to ensure that
the original signed message arrived means that the sender cannot easily repudiate it later.

A digital signature can be used with any kind of message, whether it is encrypted or not, simply so that the receiver can
be sure of the sender's identity and that the message arrived intact. A digital certificate contains the digital signature of
the certificate-issuing authority so that anyone can verify that the certificate is real.

Phishing - Phishing is similar to fishing in a lake, but instead of trying to capture fish, phishers attempt to steal your
personal information. They send out e-mails that appear to come from legitimate websites such as eBay, PayPal, or
other banking institutions. The e-mails state that your information needs to be updated or validated and ask that you
enter your username and password, after clicking a link included in the e-mail. Some e-mails will ask that you enter even
more information, such as your full name, address, phone number, social security number, and credit card number.
However, even if you visit the false website and just enter your username and password, the phisher may be able to gain
access to more information by just logging in to you account.

Phishing is a con game that scammers use to collect personal information from unsuspecting users. The false e-mails
often look surprisingly legitimate, and even the Web pages where you are asked to enter your information may look
real. However, the URL in the address field can tell you if the page you have been directed to is valid or not. For
example, if you are visiting an Web page on eBay, the last part of the domain name should end with "ebay.com."
Therefore, "http://www.ebay.com" and "http://cgi3.ebay.com" are valid Web addresses, but
"http://www.ebay.validate-info.com" and "http://ebay.login123.com" are false addresses, which may be used by
phishers. If URL contains an IP address, such as 12.30.229.107, instead of a domain name, you can almost be sure
someone is trying to phish for your personal information.

If you receive an e-mail that asks that you update your information and you think it might be valid, go to the website by
typing the URL in your browser's address field instead of clicking the link in the e-mail. For example, go to
"https://www.paypal.com" instead of clicking the link in an e-mail that appears to come from PayPal. If you are
prompted to update your information after you have manually typed in the Web address and logged in, then the e-mail
was probably legitimate. However, if you are not asked to update any information, then the e-mail was most likely a
spoof sent by a phisher.

Most legitimate e-mails will address you by your full name at the beginning of the message. If there is any doubt that the
e-mail is legitimate, be smart and don't enter your information. Even if you believe the message is valid, following the
guidelines above will prevent you from giving phishers your personal information.

Prepared by:

CARLOU JOHN S. LETIGIO, MSIT

Info Tech – Instructor