What is computer firmware?

ANS In electronics and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs
and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices. Typical examples of devices containing firmware range from end-user products such as remote controls or calculators, through computer parts and devices like hard disks, keyboards, TFT screens or memory cards, all the way to scientific instrumentation and industrial robotics. Also more complex consumer devices, such as mobile phones, digital cameras, synthesizers, etc., contain firmware to enable the device's basic operation as well as implementing higher-level functions. There are no strict boundaries between firmware and software, as both are quite loose descriptive terms. However, the term firmware was originally coined in order to contrast to higher level software which could be changed without replacing a hardware component, and firmware is typically involved with very basic low-level operations without which a device would be completely non-functional. Firmware is also a relative term, as most embedded devices contain firmware at more than one level. Subsystems such as CPUs, flash chips, communication controllers, LCD modules, and so on, have their own (usually fixed) program code and/or microcode, regarded as "part of the hardware" by the higher-level(s) firmware.

Examples of firmware include: Timing and control systems for washing machines The BIOS found in IBM-compatible personal computers Open Firmware, used in computers from Sun Microsystems, Apple Computer, and Genesi RTAS (Run-Time Abstraction Services), used in computers from IBM EPROM chips used in the Eventide H-3000 series of digital music processors The Common Firmware Environment (CFE) Controlling sound and video attributes as well as the channel list in modern TVs

What is cache memory SN?

is a component that transparently stores data so that future requests for that data can be served faster. The data that is stored within a cache might be values that have been computed earlier or duplicates of original values that are stored elsewhere. When the cache client (a CPU, web browser, operating system) needs to access a datum presumed to exist in the backing store, it first checks the cache. If an entry can be found with a tag matching that of the desired datum, the datum in the entry is used instead. This situation is known as a cache hit. If requested data is contained in the cache (cache hit), this request can be served by simply reading the cache, which is comparably faster. Otherwise (cache miss), the data has to be recomputed or fetched from its original storage location, which is comparably slower. Hence, the more requests can be served from the cache the faster the overall system performance is. Application:

CPU cache

Small memories on or close to the CPU can operate faster than the much larger main memory. Most CPUs since the 1980s have used one or more caches, and modern high-end embedded, desktop and server microprocessors may have as many as half a dozen, each specialized for a specific function.

Disk cache
While CPU caches are generally managed entirely by hardware, a variety of software manages other caches. The page cache in main memory, which is an example of disk cache, is managed by the operating system kernel.

Web cache
Web browsers and web proxy servers employ web caches to store previous responses from web servers, such as web pages. Web caches reduce the amount of information that needs to be transmitted across the network, as information previously stored in the cache can often be re-used. This reduces bandwidth and processing requirements of the web server, and helps to improve responsiveness for users of the web.

SN on Universal Serial Bus (USB)?

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a specification
[1]

to establish communication between devices and a host controller

[2][3]

(usually personal computers), developed and invented by Ajay Bhatt while working for Intel.

USB has effectively

replaced a variety of interfaces such asserial and parallel ports. USB can connect computer peripherals such as mice, keyboards, digital cameras, printers, personal media players,flash drives, Network Adapters, and external hard drives. For many of those devices, USB has become the standard connection method. USB was designed for personal computers, but it has become commonplace on other devices such as smartphones, PDAs and video game consoles, and as a power cord. As of 2008, there are about 2 billion USB devices sold per year, and approximately 6 billion total sold to date.

Optical Storage? Optical storage is a term from engineering referring to the storage of data on an optically readable medium. Data is recorded by making marks in a pattern that can be read back with the aid of light, usually a beam of laser light precisely focused on a spinning disc. An older example, that does not require the use of computers, is microform. There are other means of optically storing data and new methods are in development. Optical storage differs from other data storage techniques that make use of other technologies such as magnetism orsemiconductors. Optical storage can range from a single drive reading a single CD-ROM to multiple drives reading multiple discs such as an optical jukebox. Single compact discs can hold around 700MB (megabytes)and optical jukeboxes can hold much more . The term optical drive usually refers to a device in a computer that can read CD-ROMs or other optical discs.
[1]

GUI A graphical user interface (GUI), often pronounced gooey,

[1]

is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with

programs in more ways than typing such as computers; hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players

or gaming devices; household appliances and office equipment with images rather than text commands. A GUI offers graphical icons, and visual indicators, as opposed to text-based interfaces, typed command labels or text navigation to fully represent the information and actions available to a user. The actions are usually performed through direct manipulation of the graphical elements.
[2]

The term GUI is historically restricted to the scope of two-dimensional display screens with display resolutions capable of describing generic information, in the tradition of the computer science research at the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). The term GUI earlier might have been applicable to other high-resolution types of interfaces that are nongeneric, such asvideogames, or not restricted to flat screens, like volumetric displays. CLI A command-line interface (CLI) is a mechanism for interacting with a computer operating system or software by typing commands to perform specific tasks. This text-only interface contrasts with the use of a mouse pointer with a graphical user interface (GUI) to click on options, or menus on a text user interface (TUI) to select options. This method of instructing a computer to perform a given task is referred to as "entering" a command: the system waits for the user to conclude the submitting of the text command by pressing the "Enter" key (a descendant of the "carriage return" key of a typewriter keyboard). A command-line interpreter then receives, analyses, and executes the requested command. The command-line interpreter may be run in a text terminal or in a terminal emulator window as a remote shell client such as PuTTY. Upon completion, the command usually returns output to the user in the form of text lines on the CLI. This output may be an answer if the command was a question, or otherwise a summary of the operation. The concept of the CLI originated when teletypewriter machines (TTY) were connected to computers in the 1950s, and offered results on demand, compared to batch oriented mechanical punched card input technology. Dedicated textbased CRT terminals followed, with faster interaction and more information visible at one time, then graphical terminals enriched the visual display of information. Currently personal computers encapsulate all three functions (batch processing, CLI, GUI) in software. The CLI continues to co-evolve with GUIs like those provided by Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and the X Window System. In some applications, such as MATLAB and AutoCAD, a CLI is integrated with the GUI, with some benefits of both.
[3]

Windows Firewall?
is a software component of Microsoft Windows that provides firewalling and packet filtering functions. It was first included in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Prior to the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 in 2004, it was known asInternet Connection Firewall. Security log capabilities are included, which can record IP addresses and other data relating to connections originating from the home or office network or the Internet. It can record both dropped packets and successful connections. This can be used, for instance, to track every time a computer on the network connects to a website. This security log is not enabled by default; the administrator must enable it.

What are Pirated Software?

Pirated software is software which has been duplicated and distributed without authorization. A number of activities could be considered software piracy, with the classic example being someone who makes multiple copies of a program and sells the copies. Piracy of software is generally prosecuted under copyrightinfringement laws, under the argument that piracy infringes upon the copyrights held by the developer of the software. If software is copied and given away, some people do not consider it piracy, but simple copyright infringement. This activity is still illegal, but it does not provide monetary benefits for the person doing the copying and distribution. The line blurs even further when people do things like installing a piece of software on multiple computers when the software license only allows one copy to be installed, or when people make backups of software for personal use. outright piracy, is harmful because it deprives them of profits. It can also damage their reputations, as pirated software may be faulty or loaded with malware, in which case users may express anger with the product and the company. A number of types of software are pirated, ranging from games to office productivity software. Operating systems are also popular targets for piracy. Some people may engage in piracy unwittingly, as in the case of an office which installs more copies of an operating system or program than it has licenses for.

What is personal information manager ?

A personal information manager (often referred to as a PIM tool or, more simply, a PIM) is a type of application software that functions as a personal organizer. The acronym PIM is now, more commonly, used in reference to Personal information management as a field of study.
[citation needed]

As an information management tool, a PIM tool's purpose is to

facilitate the recording, tracking, and management of certain types of "personal information". Some PIM software products are capable of synchronizing data with another PIM tool over a computer network, including mobile ad-hoc networks, or MANETs. This feature usually does not allow for continuous, concurrent data updates, but rather enables point-in-time updating between different computers, including desktop computers, laptop computers, and personal digital assistants.

Personal information can include any of the following:

Personal notes/journal Address books Lists (including task lists) Significant calendar dates Birthdays Anniversaries Appointments and meeting

Reminders Email, instant message archives Fax communications, voicemail