Tag: Personal computer

Microsoft Names Satya Nadella Its New CEO

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Microsoft Names Satya Nadella Its New CEO:

Microsoft Corp.  Announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Satya Nadella as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors effective immediately.  Before being named CEO in February 2014, Nadella held leadership roles in both enterprise and consumer businesses across the company.

Satya Nadella

Joining Microsoft in 1992, he quickly became known as a leader who could span a breadth of technologies and businesses to transform some of Microsoft’s biggest product offerings.

Most recently, Nadella was executive vice president of Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise group. In this role he led the transformation to the cloud infrastructure and services business, which outperformed the market and took share from the competition. Previously, Nadella led R&D for the Online Services Division and was vice president of the Microsoft Business Division. Before joining Microsoft, Nadella was a member of the technology staff at Sun Microsystems.

Satya

Originally from Hyderabad, India, Nadella lives in Bellevue, Wash. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Mangalore University, a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago. He is married and has three children.

“During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than Satya Nadella,” said Bill Gates, Microsoft’s Founder and Member of the Board of Directors. “Satya is a proven leader with hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together. His vision for how technology will be used and experienced around the world is exactly what Microsoft needs as the company enters its next chapter of expanded product innovation and growth.”

Since joining the company in 1992, Nadella has spearheaded major strategies and technical shifts across the company’s portfolio of products and services, most notably the company’s move to the cloud and the development of one of the largest cloud infrastructures in the world supporting Bing, Xbox, Office and other services. During his tenure overseeing Microsoft’s Server and Tools Business, the division outperformed the market and took share from competitors.

all

“Microsoft is one of those rare companies to have truly revolutionized the world through technology, and I couldn’t be more honoured to have been chosen to lead the company,” Nadella said. “The opportunity ahead for Microsoft is vast, but to seize it, we must focus clearly, move faster and continue to transform. A big part of my job is to accelerate our ability to bring innovative products to our customers more quickly.”

“Having worked with him for more than 20 years, I know that Satya is the right leader at the right time for Microsoft,” said Steve Ballmer, who announced on Aug. 23, 2013 that he would retire once a successor was named. “I’ve had the distinct privilege of working with the most talented employees and senior leadership team in the industry, and I know their passion and hunger for greatness will only grow stronger under Satya’s leadership.”

Microsoft also announced that Bill Gates, previously Chairman of the Board of Directors, will assume a new role on the Board as Founder and Technology Advisor, and will devote more time to the company, supporting Nadella in shaping technology and product direction. John Thompson, lead independent director for the Board of Directors, will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors and remain an independent director on the Board.

Nadella addressed customers and partners for the first time as CEO during a Customer and Partner Webcast event.

https://az169342.vo.msecnd.net/events/2014/1402/PublicEvent/media/Customer_Partner_Webcast_1000k.mp4

How peoples’ lives are changed through Microsoft technology with a Super Bowl ad. This one-minute ad celebrates what technology can do, and is narrated by Steve Gleason, former NFL player and post-Katrina hero of the New Orleans Saints, now living with ALS. Steve narrates the spot in the same way he communicates daily — using his Surface Pro to speak, via eye tracking technology

Source: Microsoft

Secret Partition on a Pen Drive

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Secret Partition on a Pen Drive:

There is no simple way to partition USB pen drives, as they show up as a removable drive on the PC. In order to do so, you need to trick the operating system into recognizing the USB pen drive as a fixed hard drive. To do this, you need to create your own set of drivers. Doing so, you can create multiple partitions and store your private data on it. Only the first partition will be visible and the other partitions will not show up on any PC other than your own. In this way, you can secretly store your personal data away from your friends and family, and also you can avoid viruses affecting this data when plugged in on another computer. To do this, all you need is a simple universal USB pen drive driver, which can be downloaded from 

http://www.mediafire.com/?oqlgdvcymzz

Download the archive, uncompress it to a folder on your Desktop and get started. Don’t forget to backup the contents of your pen drive as it will be formatted.

flash drive

Step 1: Plug your pen drive into your PC’s USB port. Next, right-click on ‘My Computer’ and click on ‘Manage’ in the context menu. Click on ‘Device Manager’ on the left pane. This will show all your hardware devices connected to your PC. Now on the right pane, scroll down to ‘Disk Drives’ and you should see your pen drive connected here. Right-click on the pen drive and select ‘Properties’.

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Step 2: In the properties window that just opened up, click on the ‘Details’ tab. From the scroll down menu under ‘Property’, choose ‘Device Instance Path’. You should see a string of characters highlighted in the ‘Value’ window below, which should read something like ‘USBSTOR\DISK&VEN_&PROD……Right‑click on this value and select ‘Copy’. Now close all the windows without saving changes.

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Step 3: Now open the folder that you uncompressed after downloading the universal USB flash drive driver. In this folder, find and open the file named ‘cfadisk.inf’ in ‘Notepad’ or any test editor you prefer (Notepad++ is ideal. Download from notepad-plus-plus.org).

 Step 4: Now locate the words ‘device_instance_id_goes_here’, which is available at line 26. You need to replace these words with the string you just copied to the clipboard from the Device Manager. Save the file and close the editor.

 Step 5: Now go back to the ‘Device Manager’ page (repeat step 1). This time, click on the ‘Driver’ tab and click the button ‘Update driver’.

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Step 6: On the next window, choose ‘Browse my computer for driver software’ when the system asks how you want to search for the driver software. Then on the next window, choose ‘Let me pick from a list of drivers…. ‘.

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 Step 7: On the next window, un check the box ‘Show compatible hardware’ and click on the ‘Have disk button’. Now click on ‘Browse’ and from the universal USB driver folder on your Desktop, select the ‘cfadisk.inf’ file and click on the ‘Open button’, followed by the ‘OK’ and then ‘Next’ buttons on the previous windows.

 Step 8: An update driver warning message should show up stating that you are trying to install a driver which is not compatible with your hardware. Ignore the message and click on ‘Yes’. Don’t worry; it is safe to do so. The system will start installing the driver and show up another warning that the driver is not a verified or authentic driver. Ignore this one too and click on ‘Install this driver software anyway’. Let the system update the driver and you will receive a message of a successful driver update.

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Note: you can use this modified driver for this pen drive only. To use another pen drive, you will need to perform the whole process again.

 Step 9: That’s all you needed to do. Once you are back to the ‘Computer Management’ window, click on ‘Disk Management’ from the left pane and start partitioning your pen drive as you would with a regular hard drive. You can create multiple partitions.

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Note: You can access all the partitions on the pen drive only from your PC (see Figure-9) Other PCs will only be able to see the first partition (see Figure-10). Make a copy of the driver on the first partition of the pen drive and you can install it on other PCs in case you need to access the other partitions. In this way, you can plug in the pen drive on a shared PC without allowing access to your data. Others won’t know that the other partition even exists another. To reset everything back to normal, simply delete the partitions and uninstall / delete the driver for the pen drive from the Device Manager.

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source: tech2, chip

When did viruses, Trojans and worms begin to pose a threat?

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When did viruses, Trojans and worms begin to pose a threat?

Most histories of viruses start with the Brain virus, written in 1986. But that was just the first virus for a Microsoft PC. Programs with all the characteristics of viruses date back much farther. Here’s a timeline showing key moments in virus history.

1949 Self-reproducing “cellular automata”

John von Neumann, the father of cybernetics, published a paper suggesting that a computer program could reproduce itself.

1959 Core Wars

H Douglas Mcllroy, Victor Vysottsky, and Robert P Morris of Bell Labs developed a computer game called Core Wars, in which programs called organisms competed for computer processing time.

1960 “Rabbit” programs

Programmers began to write placeholders for mainframe computers. If no jobs were waiting, these programs added a copy of themselves to the end of the queue. They were nicknamed “rabbits” because they multiplied, using up system resources.

1971 The first worm

Bob Thomas, a developer working on ARPANET, a precursor to the Internet, wrote a program called Creeper that passed from computer to computer, displaying a message.

1975 Replicating code

A K Dewdney wrote Pervade as a sub-routine for a game run on computers using the UNIVAC 1100 system. When any user played the game, it silently copied the latest version of itself into every accessible directory, including shared directories, consequently spreading throughout the network.

1978 The Vampire worm

John Shoch and Jon Hupp at Xerox PARC began experimenting with worms designed to perform helpful tasks. The Vampire worm was idle during the day, but at night it assigned tasks to under-used computers. 

1981 Apple virus

Joe Dellinger, a student at Texas A&M University, modified the operating system on Apple II diskettes so that it would behave as a virus. As the virus had unintended side-effects, it was never released, but further versions were written and allowed to spread.

1982 Apple virus with side effects

Rich Skrenta, a 15-year-old, wrote Elk Cloner for the Apple II operating system. Elk Cloner ran whenever a computer was started from an infected floppy disk, and would infect any other floppy put into the disk drive. It displayed a message every 50 times the computer was started.

1985 Mail Trojan

The EGABTR Trojan horse was distributed via mailboxes, posing as a program designed to improve graphics display. However, once run, it deleted all files on the hard disk and displayed a message.

1986 The first virus for PCs

The first virus for IBM PCs, Brain, was allegedly written by two brothers in Pakistan, when they noticed that people were copying their software. The virus put a copy of itself and a copyright message on any floppy disk copies their customers made.

1987 The Christmas tree worm

This was an email Christmas card that included program code. If the user ran it, it drew a Christmas tree as promised, but also forwarded itself to everyone in the user’s address book. The traffic paralyzed the IBM worldwide network.

1988 The Internet Worm

Robert Morris, a 23-year-old student, released a worm on the US DARPA internet. It spread to thousands of computers and, due to an error, kept re- infecting computers many times, causing them to crash. 

1989 Trojan demands ransom

The AIDS Trojan horse came on a floppy disk that offered information about AIDS and HIV. The Trojan encrypted the computer’s hard disk and demanded payment in exchange for the password.

1991 The first polymorphic virus

Tequila was the first widespread polymorphic virus. Polymorphic viruses make detection difficult for virus scanners by changing their appearance with each new infection.

1992 The Michelangelo panic

The Michelangelo virus was designed to erase computer hard disks each year on March 6 (Michelangelo’s birthday). After two companies accidentally distributed infected disks and PCs, there was worldwide panic, but few computers were infected.

1994 The first email virus hoax

The first email hoax warned of a malicious virus that would erase an entire hard drive just by opening an email with the subject line “Good Times”.

 1995 The first document virus

The first document or “macro” virus, Concept, appeared. It spread by exploiting the macros in Microsoft Word.

1998 The first virus to affect hardware

CIH or Chernobyl became the first virus to paralyze computer hardware. The virus attacked the BIOS, which is needed to boot up the computer.

1999 Email viruses

Melissa, a virus that forwards itself by email, spread worldwide.Bubbleboy, the first virus to infect a computer when email is viewed, appeared.

 2000 Denial-of-service attacks

“Distributed denial-of-service” attacks by hackers put Yahoo!, eBay, Amazon and other high profile websites offline for several hours.Love Bug became the most successful email virus yet.

2000 Palm virus

The first virus appeared for the Palm operating system, although no users were infected.

2001 Viruses spread via websites or network shares

Malicious programs began to exploit vulnerabilities in software, so that they could spread without user intervention. Nimda infected users who simply browsed a website. Sircam used its own email program to spread, and also spread via network shares.

 2003 Zombie, Phishing

The Sobig worm gave control of the PC to hackers, so that it became a “zombie”, which could be used to send spam.The Mimail worm posed as an email from PayPal, asking users to confirm credit card information.

 2004 IRC bots

Malicious IRC (Internet Relay Chat) bots were developed. Trojans could place the bot on a computer, where it would connect to an IRC channel without the user’s knowledge and give control of the computer to hackers.

2005 Rootkits

Sony’s DRM copy protection system, included on music CDs, installed a “rootkit” on users’ PCs, hiding files so that they could not be duplicated. Hackers wrote Trojans to exploit this security weakness and installed a hidden “back door.” 

2006 Share price scams

Spam mail hyping shares in small companies (“pump-and-dump” spam) became common.

2006 Ransomware

The Zippo and Archiveus Trojan horse programs, which encrypted users’ files and demanded payment in exchange for the password, were early examples of Ransomware.

 2006 First Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) identified

First coined by the U.S. Air Force in 2006 and functionally defined by Alexandria, Virginia security firm Mandiant in 2008 as a group of sophisticated, determined and coordinated attackers. APTs are equipped with both the capability and the intent to persistently and effectively target a specific entity. Recognized attack vectors include infected media, supply chain compromise and social engineering. 

2008 Fake antivirus software

Scaremongering tactics encourage people to hand over credit card details for fake antivirus products like Antivirus 2008.

2008 First iPhone malware

The US Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT) issues a warning that a fraudulent iPhone upgrade, “iPhone firmware 1.1.3 prep,” is making its way around the Internet and users should not be fooled into installing it. When a user installs the Trojan, other application components are altered. If the Trojan is uninstalled, the affected applications may also be removed.

2009 Conficker hits the headlines

Conficker, a worm that initially infects via unpatched machines, creates a media storm across the world.

2009 Polymorphic viruses rise again

Complex viruses return with a vengeance, including Scribble, a virus which mutates its appearance on each infection and used multiple vectors of attack.

2009 First Android malware

Android FakePlayerAndroid/FakePlayer.A is a Trojan that sends SMS messages to premium rate phone numbers. The Trojan penetrates Android-based smartphones disguised as an ordinary application. Users are prompted to install a small file of around 13 KB that has the standard Android extension .APK. But once the “app” is installed on the device, the Trojan bundled with it begins texting premium rate phone numbers (those that charge). The criminals are the ones operating these numbers, so they end up collecting charges to the victims’ accounts.

2010 Stuxnet

Discovered in June 2010 the Stuxnet worm initially spreads indiscriminately, but is later found to contain a highly specialized malware payload that is designed to target only Siemens supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems configured to control and monitor specific industrial processes. Stuxnet’s most prominent target is widely believed to be uranium enrichment infrastructure in Iran.

2012 First drive-by Android malware

The first Android drive-by Malware is discovered, a Trojan called NotCompatible that poses as a system update but acts as a proxy redirect. The site checks the victim’s browser’s user-agent string to confirm that it is an Android visiting, then automatically installs the Trojan. A device infected with NotCompatible could potentially be used to gain access to normally protected information or systems, such as those maintained by enterprise or government.

My Technorati Claim Token : 5E93YY3UTKZ7

Source: sophos

Mobile Security: 10 Simple Things You Can Do

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Mobile Security: 10 Simple Things You Can Do:

BYOD (Bring-Your-Own-Device) concept is a popular trend in recent times. As per surveys just 23 percent of enterprise employees are using company sanctioned mobile devices, remaining 77 percent of employees using their own devices.

Mobile devices are more prone to malware attacks compared to earlier. Either you are using your personal mobile device or company sanctioned mobile device at work, you should be aware of latest security threats.

To understand the threat better, it’s important to review the stats found in recent study of IT Professionals:

  1. 51% organizations had experienced data loss, 59% organizations experienced an increase in malware infections as a result of insecure mobile devices in the workplace.
  2. Found 59% employees circumvent or disengage mobile security features, such as passwords and key locks, on corporate and personal mobile devices.

A single successful mobile attack can open the door to possible identity theft or worse, results in financial loss to either you or your organization.

Most of the mobile devices vulnerable because of the apps, users use to download from the internet.

In case of iPhone Apple strictly controls and inspects its App store which apps are approved for listing, but it’s not clear exactly what security measures they are checking for.

Android is more open with more distribution channels including third-party market places. Security researchers startled to find that Android malware (malicious apps) grew 3,325 percent in 2011 alone.

 App store have been very quick to remove malware once discovered, but that is typically after the damage is done.

 F-Secure has found that between Q1 2011 and Q1 2012, the number of Android malware families has increased from 10 to 37, and the number of malicious Android APKs has increased from 139 to 3,069.

For full F-Secure mobile threat PDF report, check the below link:

http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/MobileThreatReport_Q1_2012.pdf

It’s time to start protecting our smartphones just like we all learned a decade ago to protect our laptops and PCs from online threats and to think seriously after looking at the sobering facts on rising mobile attacks.

10 Ways to Secure Your Mobile Gadget:

1.    Use Password protected access controls:

All mobile devices come with the ability to set a lock requiring a passcode or pattern for access. Some mobile users don’t employ even this basic safety feature! It may take you a couple extra seconds to unlock your smartphone before using it, but it could take a thief a very long time to figure out your PIN.

PINs aren’t the only locking mechanisms in use.

 Grid-based pattern locks work fine, but they leave smudge marks on the touchscreen that may be easier to guess than passwords.

 Some devices are rolling out facial recognition as an access mechanism, but this technology isn’t perfected yet so it’s not recommended.

 2.  Control Wireless Network & Service Connectivity:

 Turn Wi-Fi off completely and turn it on only when you need it, which will also save your battery power.

 It’s safest to set your phone to automatically connect only to your trusted networks, and to ask you before connecting to any other network it finds. The general rule is to limit your phone’s automatic connection capabilities to just the networks that you know.

 Select Bluetooth connectivity option also manual.

3.    Control Application Access & Permissions:

 Many of the apps store sensitive data that must be protected.

 Most of the apps require a network connection to operate. They may store data in the cloud, constantly track your location, or push updates to your smartphone. Get to know the permission settings of each app or service and what data or systems they access. You may be permitting services to access your phone without prior approval, or your apps may be pushing alerts and updates when you aren’t specifically requesting them. You can restrict all notifications at once by looking under your device’s settings.

 Turn off location based services entirely as well, so your phone isn’t constantly broadcasting your GPS location, no matter which apps request it.

4.  Keep Your OS & Firmware Current:

 Your device has an operating system that runs all of its apps and services, as well as firmware which runs the device hardware itself. It’s definitely important that you routinely accept the major updates from Apple, Google, or whoever the manufacturer is.

 Criminals are innovative; their attacks are at an alarming rate, with growing sophistication. Connect often and download security patches and other minor updates that are released to block the latest exploits. Most of these updates will be free of charge. No manufacturer wants a major attack to cripple its users, so they have a vested interest in helping you stay up-to-date.

 Android users currently using outdated firmware and OS versions that can’t be updated due to hardware incompatibility. Upgrade your device every couple years, if and when promotions are offered by your carrier.

5. Back Up Your Data:

 Small and compact, mobile devices are easy to lose or steal. Take time to backup your data, it is useful in case your phone lost, stolen or corrupted. Take data backup daily, weekly or monthly depends on your mobile usage.

6. Wipe Data Automatically if Lost or Stolen:

 Enroll your phone in a “find my phone” service. It will help you to locate your device when it is lost or stolen. These services typically have the ability to wipe your phone data remotely.

On some devices you can add extra protection such as a total device reset if the PIN is guessed incorrectly a certain number of attempts.

7. Never Store Personal Financial Data on Your Device:

 As a behavior that all mobile users should adopt, this one is pretty straightforward. Never store personally identifiable information such as such as Social Security Numbers, credit card numbers, or checking account numbers on your smartphone, especially in text messages.

8.  Beware of Free Apps:

 The problem is, more and more free and innocent apps are trying to make money from their offerings, so sometimes they track your personal information with limited disclosure or authorization, then sell your profile to advertising companies. The app developers in question may not even be aware of their privacy violations – leaking your location, gender, age and other personal data to embedded mobile ad networks while in the pursuit of revenue. Free apps are just wrappers for malware, unfortunately.

9.  Try Mobile Antivirus Software or Scanning Tools:

 The well-known PC antivirus vendors are now offering similar services to mobile users that scan and protect your smartphone just as they did your desktop.

 Some even offer additional mobile security services such as download protection, SMS/call-screening services, parental controls, and anti-phishing features.

10. Use MDM Software:

Mobile Device Management or MDM is being increasingly employed by IT departments to secure, manage and support all mobile devices that are authorized to access enterprise networks. These services control and protect sensitive and confidential business data by distributing mobile application.

 The goal of MDM is to optimize the functionality and security of your mobile computing experience, not to impede the way you like to work.

 If your organization doesn’t offer MDM, there are other options like SIM card locks and credential storage functions protect the phone by requiring a passcode to use network dependent services, and operate similar to screen/key access PINs. SIM locks prevent anyone from making unauthorized calls with your smartphone, or from removing your SIM and using it in another phone.

source: veracode,f-secure

BYOD

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BYOD: Bring Your Own Device:

A phrase that has become widely adopted to refer to mobile workers bringing their own mobile devices, such as smartphones, laptops and PDAs, into the workplace for use and connectivity. Today, many consumers expect to be able to use personal smartphones and mobile devices at work, which is an IT concern. Many corporations that allow employees to use their own mobile devices at work implement a “BYOD policy” to help IT better manage these devices and ensure network security.

I think BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is a great idea. It’s an excellent way to save money and to give employees what they want: device freedom.

The reality is that companies must find ways to decrease overhead without sacrificing product quality. They must increase profitability to attract investment money to continue to grow, to innovate and to explore. One significant way to do that is to allow employees to bring their own devices (laptops, smart phones, tablets) to work and use them.

There are both advantages and drawbacks to this kind of policy. In order for it to be feasible, employees must agree that lost or stolen devices can be remotely wiped (with software such as Computrace and Computrace Mobile).

Advantages of a BYOD policy:

  • Reduces IT hardware costs
  • Enables staff to work from anywhere
  • Increases feasibility of remote staff
  • Employees can meet their own demands for the most up-to-date device
  • Employees are more productive using devices with which they’re comfortable.

Drawbacks of a BYOD policy:

  • It’s difficult to make sure all employee devices have been registered and updated with remote-wiping software
  • Increased risk for introducing malware to the corporate network
  • Network access must be revoked when no longer applicable.

               Rather than dismiss a BYOD policy because of the drawbacks, IT can develop a policy to help mitigate the risks.

The VMware Company is in the process of launching Horizon Mobile, software that allows you to run both business and personal phones from one handset.

This means that should the phone be lost, or the employee leaves, any company data on the phone can be remotely wiped. The work phone can also be switched off leaving the personal phone still connected.

   The trend is powered not only by the growth in mobile devices, but by cloud computing, with companies able to buy ready-to-go virtual desktops.

IT managers on BYOD:

  • 52% accept some form of network access
  • 64% believe it is too risky to allow personal devices to be integrated
  • 49% believe the future of their organisation requires integration
  • 50% believe it can increase productivity
  • 82% have a policy in place regarding the use of personal devices at work.

Jargon Buster:

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Jargon Buster:  A

Computing terms explained in plain English

1.  AAC

Advanced Audio Coding. A type of music file.

2.  Access point

Links wireless network users to a wired network.

3.  ActiveX

Technology for adding extra features to a web browser.

4.  Add-in

Generic term for a piece of software that adds extra features to another program.

5.  Address bar

An area of a web browser into which internet addresses can be typed. Pressing enter then directs the browser to that exact page. The address bar is sometimes confused with a search bar. Typing addresses into a search field will produce a list of websites that may or may not match what you are looking for.

 6.  ADF

Automatic Document Feeder. A device that feeds sheets of paper into a photocopier or scanner, one by one.

 7.  ADSL

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A technology that converts a standard phone line into a broadband internet connection.

 8. ADSL2

A newer, faster type of ADSL broadband.

 9. Adware

Software that displays adverts.

10. Aero

The technology that provides fancy window effects in Windows 7 and some versions of Vista.

 11. AGP

Accelerated Graphics Port. A slot used to connect graphics cards in older computers.

12. AI

Artificial Intelligence. A computer program designed to mimic the behaviour of humans or animals.

 13. AIFF

Audio Interchange File Format. A digital audio format often associated with Apple Mac computers.

 14. Ajax

Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. A technology that allows websites to fetch fresh information from the web without loading a new page.

15. Analogue

A signal whose value varies over time, as opposed to a digital signal which is either on or off.

16. Android

An operating system for portable computers and mobile phones, based on the Linux system that is used on some PCs.

 17. Animated GIF

A type of simple animation found on the internet.

18. Annotation

A comment on a document, rather like a note jotted down on a paper document.

 19. Anti-virus

Software that protects against and removes computer viruses.

 20. Aperture

An opening that controls the amount of light entering a camera lens.

 21. API

Application Programming Interface. A system built into a program so that other programs can work with it.

22. App

A small program designed to run on a phone or handheld computer (short for application). Could be a game, utility or any other type of program.

23. App

A small program designed to run on a phone or handheld computer (short for application). Could be a game, utility or any other type of program.

24. Applet

A small program, often one that runs within a larger program to perform a specific task.

 25. Application

A computer program that performs a specific task, such as Microsoft Word for creating documents.

 26. Aspect ratio

A measurement of the shape of a display. Traditional computer screens are 4:3. Widescreen displays are 16:9 or 16:10.

 27. ATRAC

Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding. A type of music file used by some older Sony players.

28. Attachment

A computer file, such as a word-processing document, sent along with an email.

29. Audible

A company that sells downloadable audio books. Also used to describe the files it uses.

30. Audio book

A book read aloud and recorded on tape, CD or as a digital file.

31. Autocorrect

A technology that corrects words as you type them.

 32. Auto play

A Windows feature that allows a program to be automatically started when a disk is connected to a computer

 33. Auto sum

A tool in Excel that provides a quick total of the selected cells.

 34. Auto trace

A tool in some photo editors that attempts to trace an image, converting it into vector graphics that can be resized.

 35. AV

Audio/Visual. Any device that can show video or play sound.

 36. Avatar

A graphic or icon used to represent a computer user, either online or in a video game.

 37. AVCHD

Advanced Video Coding High Definition. A standard for storing high-definition video. AVCHD discs can be played by most Blu-ray players.

38. AVI

Audio Video Interleave. A type of video file. AVI is known as a container format, as it can hold many types of audio and video.

39. AV Sender

A device that sends audio and video signals wirelessly.

source:computeractive