Computers & Technology

One byte is equivalent to how many bits?

• 32

• 12

• 8

• 64

Answer explanation

A byte is the basic unit of information in computer storage and processing. A byte consists of 8 adjacent binary digits (bits), each of which consists of a 0 or 1.

Who coined the term "bug" to refer to unexplained computer failures?

• Ada Lovelace

• Grace Hopper

• Anita Borg

• Jean Bartik

Answer explanation

Grace Hopper, an American mathematician and rear admiral in the U.S. Navy, was a pioneer in developing computer technology and is known for coining the term "bug" to refer to unexplained computer failures.

What is the name of the digital file format that was devised in 1987 to reduce the size of images and short animations?

• GIF

• TIFF

• PNG

• JPEG

Answer explanation

GIF (graphics interchange format) is a digital file format that was devised in 1987 by the Internet service provider CompuServe as a means of reducing the size of images and short animations. Because GIF is a lossless data compression format, meaning that no information is lost in the compression, it quickly became a popular format for transmitting and storing graphic files.

Which computer language was designed to extract data from a database?

• BASIC

• COBOL

• SQL

• FORTRAN

Answer explanation

SQL, or structured query language, is a computer language that was designed for eliciting information from databases. SQL works by providing a way for programmers and other computer users to get desired information from a database using something resembling normal English.

Which company released its first notebook computer, the 316LT, in 1989?

• Lenovo

• Hewlett-Packard

• Apple

• Dell

Answer explanation

Dell released its first notebook computer, the 316LT, in 1989. In 1991 Dell’s first color notebook computer went on sale, and in 1994 Dell was the first company to offer long-lasting lithium-ion batteries.

What operating system did Google develop?

• Windows

• Android

• BlackBerry OS

• iOS

Answer explanation

Android, which is based on Linux, was first developed by Google Inc. The first cellular telephone to feature this operating system was the T-Mobile G1, released in October 2008.

Who is known as the first computer programmer?

• Alan Turing

• Ada Lovelace

• Steve Jobs

• Charles Babbage

Answer explanation

English mathematician Ada Lovelace has been called the first computer programmer. She was an associate of Charles Babbage, for whose prototype of a digital computer she created a program in the 19th century.

A network designed to allow communication within an organization is called:

• the World Wide Web

• a browser

• an intranet

• the Internet

Answer explanation

An intranet is a private computer network, usually within an organization or group and is limited to its members for sharing information.

Which of these is not a peripheral, in computer terms?

• keyboard

• monitor

• motherboard

• mouse

Answer explanation

A peripheral is a device that attaches to a computer. The motherboard is within the computer and controls its ability to receive and process electronic signals.

What feature is often used to identify whether a visitor to a Web site is human or not?

• CAPTCHA

• General Problem Solver

• DENDRAL

• CYC

Answer explanation

CAPTCHA is a visual interface feature or code to stop automated computer programs, known as bots and spiders, from gaining access to Web sites. A CAPTCHA, which may consist of letters, numbers, or images, is distorted in some manner to prevent recognition by computers but not so distorted that a human with normal vision cannot identify the code and retype it.