Info Tech Guide

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) In the technology world, UPS is more than just a brown shipping company. It is also a type of power supply that uses battery backup to maintain power during unexpected power outages.

A typical consumer UPS is a surge protector that contains a high-capacity rechargeable battery. Smaller UPS devices look like bulky power strips, while larger ones may stand upright and look almost like small computers. Many businesses use uninterruptible power supplies to keep their equipment running in case of a power failure. While a UPS may only keep a computer running for 15 minutes after the power is lost, it is usually sufficient time to save all necessary documents and properly shut down the computer. That extra time can be invaluable to someone who is working on an important document or project that has not been recently saved.

VDU (Visual Display Unit) displays images generated by a computer or other electronic device. The term VDU is often used synonymously with “monitor,” but it can also refer to another type of display, such as a digital projector. Visual display units may be peripheral devices or may be integrated with the other components. For example, the Apple iMac uses an all-in-one design, in which the screen and computer are built into a single unit.

ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) is a type of CPU socket on a computer motherboard that allows for the simple replacement or upgrade of the Processor. Processors that use a ZIF socket can easily be removed by pulling a small release lever next to the Processor and lifting it out. The replacement Processor is then placed in the socket and secured by pushing the lever in the opposite direction — hence the phrase, “zero insertion force.” I suppose there is some force required to push the lever, but it is significantly less than non-ZIF sockets, which require special tools to force the Processor out.

UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) is an extension of this idea that expands the range of Plug and Play devices to networking equipment. Universal Plug and Play uses network protocols to allow a wide range of devices to be interconnected and work seamlessly with each other.

UPnP devices can be connected via wired (i.e. Ethernet and Firewire) or wireless (i.e. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) connections. As long as a product supports UPnP, it can communicate with other UPnP devices within a network. The connections are typically created using the DHCP networking protocol, which assigns each connected device a unique IP address.