Computer components, architecture, memory, and storage mechanisms. Consumer product identities remain in Consumer Tech.
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
What does an inkjet printer spray onto paper to form an image?
The drops are so small that a printed photograph can look smooth even though it consists of separate dots.
What rolls against the desk underneath a mechanical computer mouse?
Dust carried in by the ball collects on internal rollers, which is why older mice needed regular cleaning.
How does a thermal inkjet printer force ink out of its nozzles?
The expanding vapor bubble pushes a drop outward, then collapses so fresh ink can refill the chamber.
Which three colored inks commonly accompany black in a basic color inkjet printer?
Colored inks absorb parts of white light reflected by the paper, unlike screens, which mix colored light.
What kind of memory stores photos on a digital camera's SD card?
An SD card has no moving parts, which helps it withstand the bumps of everyday camera use.
Which company developed flash memory through the work of engineer Fujio Masuoka?
The name refers to erasing memory all at once, like the sudden burst of a camera flash.
What material formed the casing of Douglas Engelbart's original computer mouse prototype?
The prototype used two wheels set at right angles to track movement, rather than the rolling ball found in later mice.
What does rolling a computer mouse wheel usually do on a long web page?
Many mouse wheels also work as a middle button when pressed, letting users open links in a new browser tab.
Why can an inkjet printer develop clogged nozzles after sitting unused?
A cleaning cycle pushes ink through the nozzles to help clear blockages, using some ink even without printing a page.
Which repeated activity gradually wears out flash memory cells?
Storage controllers spread new writes across different cells so one busy area does not wear out first.