glossary of internet terms - r

A COMPLETE LIST OF DEFINITIONS OF THE TERMS USED THROUGHOUT OUR WEBSITE

Use the letters below to jump to a particular section or scroll down through the definitions.

misc A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Radio button - A method of selecting an option in an application dialogue box. Only one button in the control group can be selected: if you change your selection, your first choice is automatically deselected.

Rage Pro - A type of 3D graphics card made by ATI. It was excellent when first launched but is now almost obsolete. You are most likely to find it or derivatives in corporate machines or notebooks which are unlikely to be used for gaming.

RAM - Random Access Memory. The computer's working area, used for data storage while the PC is switched on. Its capacity is measured in megabytes (Mb): the more memory your PC has, the more things it can process simultaneously and the faster it will seem. Note that any information in RAM will be lost when the power is switched off.

Rambus - A design of memory claimed to offer very high performance, albeit at a high price. Developed by Rambus Inc and licensed to RAM manufacturers, it is found in Pentium III and Pentium 4 systems.

Range - In a spreadsheet, a defined block of cells. Rather than performing calculations on each cell individually, you can apply a formula to the whole range.

RCTC - Rewriteable Consumer Time Code. Used on camcorders and video recorders to keep track of recording length.

RDRAM - Rambus DRAM. A design of memory claimed to offer very high performance, albeit at a high price. Developed by Rambus Inc and licensed to RAM manufacturers, it is found in Pentium III and Pentium 4 systems.

RDS - Radio Data System. A feature of many radios, especially in cars, which can interpret coded data included with the radio signal to display the name of the radio station and interrupt other programmes with local traffic reports.

Readme file - A file created during an application installation that contains useful information. Readme files are usually found in the same Program Files folder as the application

Real time - Something that takes place on a computer at the same speed as it would in real life. In real-time games ? perhaps a flight simulator ? a minute or an hour of game time is the same as in the outside world. In real time graphics processing, the onscreen image or video is rendered as you watch, rather than relying on a pre-recorded picture.

RealPlayer - The software required to play RealAudio and RealVideo files streamed over the internet. A basic version is available as a free download while a more sophisticated version can be bought online.

Reboot - To restart a computer. Normally, this is by using the 'Restart' option on the Windows Start menu. However, it may be necessary to press Control-Alt-Delete or even to use the Reset button if one is fitted to the PC.

Record -
A single entry in a database, comprising a related group of individual 'fields'. Each entry in an address book, for example, is a record.

Recycle Bin - Where all files deleted in Windows are sent. Shown as a rubbish bin icon on the Desktop, it must be emptied if you want to get rid of deleted files for good.

Red-eye - A photographic effect where a flash reflects from the back of the subject's retinas, giving their eyes a red glow. The effect can be reduced with a flash that pulses before the photo is taken, making the iris contract and reducing the reflection.

Refresh rate - Measured in Hertz (Hz) the number of times per second that the image on your monitor is redrawn. Slight changes in the image each time it is updated combine to give the illusion of movement. For a steady image, the higher the refresh rate, the less flicker you will see. A refresh rate over 85Hz is generally accepted as being flicker-free.

Registry - A database integrated into Windows which stores information on all hardware and software installed on your PC. This includes user preferences, settings and licence information.

Removable storage device - Disk drives that use high-capacity disks which can be removed and stored remotely. Typical examples include the Iomega Zip and Jaz products.

Reservoir - In an inkjet printer, the part that actually holds the ink. In many inkjets, the reservoir is combined with the print head itself to create a single disposable unit, while others have replaceable reservoirs.

Resolution - The amount of detail shown in an image, whether on screen or printed. For a monitor, it is the number of pixels it can display (typically 1024 x 768 pixels for a 17in monitor). For printers and scanners, resolution is measured in dots per inch (dpi); the number of drops of ink or toner that can be printed in a square inch.

Reverberation - A sound effect which adds the sound of a real environment, such as a room, hall, or cathedral, to create an illusion of depth in the music.

RGB image - A colour picture created as on a monitor, by combining a value for red, green and blue channels to determine the colour of each individual pixel.

Right-click - Most actions in Windows are performed by clicking the left mouse button. However, since the arrival of Windows 95, many programs ? and Windows itself ? make use of the right mouse button click to display a pop-up menu with special functions.

RIMM - Rambus Inline Memory Module. A 'stick' of RDRAM, used in Pentium III and Pentium 4 systems with suitable motherboards.

Ring Modulation - An audio effect that produces metallic or clanging sounds. The most famous example is the voices of the Daleks.

Rip - To digitally extract the music data from a CD-ROM or audio CD. Ripping a track from an audio CD is the first stage of compressing it as an MP3 file.

Ripper - Software that can be used to automatically convert CD audio and. WAV files into compressed MP3 or WMA format for later playback, either through your PC or from a portable digital music player.

RISC processor - Reduced Instruction Set Computer processors are designed using a very limited number of simple instructions. They can combine these instructions at high speed to perform much more complex calculations.

RJ-11 (Registered Jack-11) - The type of small plug and socket used by modems to connect to a telephone socket. A converter plug is needed before an RJ-11 cable can be plugged into a standard UK telephone socket (RJ-11 is a US standard).

RMS - Root Mean Squared. A way of measuring the power output of speakers. Because the calculation gives values similar to normal use, it is the most honest way of quoting speaker power output and the best way of comparing different models.

Roaming - Using your mobile phone abroad. You must ask your mobile phone provider to enable roaming, and your operator must have a roaming agreement with the foreign operator. Your phone must be able to use the network technology in the foreign country: in Europe, this will be GSM900 or GSM1800, while GSM coverage in the USA is GSM1900.

ROM - Read Only Memory. Any memory that can be read but not written to. A PC's BIOS uses ROM to store basic system information and instructions which cannot be changed.

Router - A device which is used to connect more than one computer together and/or to the internet as an alternative to a modem. It's so-called because it determines which way data is sent.

RSA - An internet encryption and authentication system that uses an algorithm developed in 1977 by Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Leonard Adleman. The RSA algorithm is the most commonly used encryption and authentication algorithm and is included as part of the Web browser from Netscape and Microsoft. It's also part of Lotus Notes, Intuit's Quicken, and many other products.

RTC - Real-time clock. The battery-powered clock inside every PC which keeps track of time while the system is switched off.

RTF - Rich Text Format. A common file format used to transfer files between different word-processing programs. It preserves most of the formatting of a document.
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