B. Glossary of Terms

This appendix provides definitions of terms discussed in this book. Terms are listed in alphabetical order.

A number of terms are used throughout this book, and if you want to read a list of definitions before you start reading the book—or just need a quick refresher—this appendix is for you. Though this book contains all the important definitions you should know about, this list isn’t exhaustive. Other definitions appear throughout this book and may also appear on the book web page on the Que Publishing website (www.quepublishing.com).

adapter A device that connects two different pieces of equipment that cannot be connected directly.

Airplane mode A setting on the Galaxy Tab A that enables you to quickly turn on and off wireless connectivity.

Android An operating system for smartphones and tablets produced by Google.

apps Short for applications. Apps are programs that are written to perform different tasks on the Galaxy Tab A.

Apps screen A screen that contains icons for all apps installed on your Galaxy Tab A.

aspect ratio The proportional relationship between the screen width and height.

back up The process of copying and archiving computer data, usually to another device or remote file storage service.

Bluetooth A technology standard to connect computers, smartphones, tablets, and other computing devices (for example, printers) wirelessly over short distances.

book reader An app that enables you to read e-books on your Galaxy Tab A. The Google Play Books reader app is preinstalled on the Tab A.

bookmark In a browser app, this is a favorite website saved in the app so you can access it easily. In a book reader app, a bookmark is a page in your book that you can tag so you can go back to that page easily.

brightness sensor A sensor that measures the ambient light around the Galaxy Tab A so the Tab A can automatically adjust the light level of the screen to help you see the screen clearly.

browser An app that enables you to view websites and web pages. The Internet and Google Chrome browser apps are preinstalled on the Tab A.

button bar An area that contains icons for performing specific tasks within an app.

cloud storage A service that enables you to upload files onto its server computers. Cloud storage services make it easy for you to share large files with others.

contact A file that stores contact information such as names, addresses, emails, and notes.

contact account A contact file for a specific person that contains all the information associated with that person.

drag You can view content on the screen by touching the top of the screen and moving your finger to drag the content the length of the screen. You can also drag from left to right within an app screen if the app allows it.

e-book An electronic version of a book designed specifically for reading in a book reader app.

email A method for distributing messages to one or more people on a computer network.

episode A separate program that is part of a larger video or podcast series.

feed A data format for providing you with regularly updated content that you subscribe to, such as news headlines.

flick The method of scrolling up and down the screen in the Galaxy Tab A. After you touch the top (or bottom) of the screen, move your finger quickly down (or up) and then lift your finger at the last moment so the content scrolls after you lift your finger.

Flipboard Briefing A social media aggregation service that’s preinstalled on the Galaxy Tab A so you can get the latest news and updates of interest to you from within one app.

force stop Manually stopping an app that is no longer working correctly.

Galaxy Tab The name for Samsung’s line of tablets that run the Android operating system.

Google A multinational computing company founded in 1998 that’s headquartered in Mountain View, California. Google is most popular for its web search engine and for its Android operating system.

Google Chrome A web browser app that is preinstalled on your Galaxy Tab A.

Google Cloud Print A web-based service that allows any web-enabled device, including the Galaxy Tab A, to access a printer that is connected to the Cloud Print service. Access the Google Cloud Print website at www.google.com/cloudprint/learn.

Google Drive A cloud storage app that is preinstalled on your Galaxy Tab A.

Google Hangouts The instant messaging app for the Galaxy Tab A.

Google Now An intelligent personal assistant app that’s preinstalled on your Galaxy Tab A. Google Now can perform tasks for you based on your location and how you’re using your Tab A.

Google Play Store A preinstalled app on the Galaxy Tab A that enables you to shop for apps, purchase an app, and download the app to your Tab A so you can use it.

Google+ A social networking website designed and operated by Google for sharing updates and multimedia files as well as chatting with other Google+ users.

GPS An acronym that stands for Global Positioning System, which makes it possible for specific apps (such as Google Maps) to use GPS satellites so those apps can find out where you are and provide location-specific information.

HD An abbreviation that stands for high-definition video, which is typically 1,280×720 (720p) or 1,920×1,080 (1080p) pixel resolution.

history list A list of all web pages you’ve visited during your browsing session stored in the browser app.

Home screen The screen that appears by default after you swipe on or enter your password, PIN, or pattern in the Lock screen. There are also two other Home screens that you can access by swiping back and forth: One Home screen shows the Flipboard Briefing app, and the other Home screen shows the Galaxy App widget, the Milk Music widget, and more app icons.

hypertext Text or images in a web page that are linked to text or images on another web page. Tap the linked text or image on the page to open the linked page that contains the other text and/or image.

Ice Cream Sandwich The nickname for Android version 4.0.x.

icon An image on the screen that represents a specific application, file, folder, or option.

IMAP An acronym for Internet Message Access Protocol, which makes the server the place where all messages are stored. Therefore, your Galaxy Tab A and computer display all email messages on the server.

instant messaging Real-time transmission of text messages between two or more users.

Internet A global system of interconnected networks that you can use to access websites as well as other services such as email.

iTunes A media player and media library app that enables you to download, play, and organize audio and video files. iTunes is available for both the Windows and Mac OS platforms.

Jelly Bean The nickname for Android versions 4.1.x, 4.2.x, and 4.3.x.

KitKat The nickname for Android version 4.4.x, which is named after the Nestlé candy bar.

Lock screen The default screen that appears on the Galaxy Tab A when it first boots. This screen shows the current date and time as well as the Wi-Fi connectivity status, battery charge status, and Smart Stay feature status in the upper-right corner of the screen.

Lollipop The nickname for Android version 5.0.x. The Galaxy Tab A uses Android 5.0.2.

magazine reader An app that enables you to read online versions of magazines on your Galaxy Tab A. The Google Play Newsstand reader app is preinstalled on your Tab A.

Maps A preinstalled app on your Galaxy Tab A that gives you the capability to get directions and pinpoint locations.

megapixel One million pixels, where a pixel is the smallest component of a digital image. A megapixel is the standard measure of the resolution of digital cameras; the higher the megapixels, the higher the resolution.

microSD An acronym for micro secure digital, a standard memory card format for portable devices such as the Galaxy Tab A.

mount The process of inserting the microSD card into the microSD slot on your Galaxy Tab A.

multitouch screen A screen that recognizes gestures using multiple finger touches to perform certain tasks, such as enlarging the size of text within a document.

network A system of connected computing devices that enables users to share data and resources such as printers.

news reader An app that enables you to view news stories from a variety of sources within the app.

notifications Messages that appear in the status bar at the top of the screen. You can also view notifications in the Quick Settings and Notifications screen, which you can open by tapping and holding your finger on the top edge of the screen and swiping your finger down.

OneDrive A remote file storage service from Microsoft that is preinstalled on the Galaxy Tab A so you can back up your Tab A data to the OneDrive server and share files with other OneDrive users.

parental controls You can set usage restrictions for one or more users on your Galaxy Tab A. For example, you can restrict the apps a user can shop for in the Google Play Store based on the maturity level setting for that app.

password A secret string of characters or a word that you must enter on your Galaxy Tab A to gain access to the resources on your Tab A.

pinch A gesture where you touch the screen with both your thumb and forefinger and bring them together in a pinching motion.

playlist A list of favorite songs that you can access easily in either the Music Hub or Music Player app. You can also add songs to and delete songs from your playlist.

podcast An episodic series of multimedia files (such as audio and/or video) that users can download to their computer, tablet, or smartphone.

POP An acronym that stands for Post Office Protocol. POP retrieves and removes email from a server. Therefore, the server acts as a temporary holding place for email.

protective screen A protective film that keeps the glass screen on your Galaxy Tab A from being scratched or collecting dust.

Quick Briefing A series of two Home screens that contain information about upcoming events, links to various apps, and information within certain apps such as email messages.

Quick Settings Settings you can turn on and off within the Quick Settings and Notifications screen, which you can open by tapping and holding your finger on the top edge of the screen and swiping your finger down.

Remote PC A remote control service that is preinstalled on the Galaxy Tab A so you can view and control your desktop or laptop PC screen on your Galaxy Tab A.

reset Restore the Galaxy Tab A to its factory defaults so it’s just like it was when you took the Tab A out of the box for the first time.

router A small physical device that connects computers and devices to the Internet and to each other through a wired and/or wireless connection.

RSS An abbreviation for Rich Site Summary (or Really Simple Syndication), which is a standard format for publishing frequently updated information such as news stories.

Scene mode One of several options in the Camera app that enables you to optimize your camera for special shooting situations.

screen capture A photo you create of the Galaxy Tab A screen interface. Take a screen capture by holding down the Power and Home buttons simultaneously.

screen orientation The way features on a page appear on the screen for normal viewing. In vertical screen orientation, the screen is higher than it is wide. However, features on the page change when you rotate the unit 90 degrees so the screen is horizontal (wider than it is high).

SD An abbreviation that stands for standard-definition video, which is either 720×486 or 720×576 pixel resolution.

server A computer and software designed to manage requests for network services, such as a data repository.

sharing Making files available on your Galaxy Tab A for others to download and view on their smartphones, tablets, or computers.

shortcut An icon placed on a Home screen so you can access an app or widget easily.

SideSync A connection app that is preinstalled on the Galaxy Tab A so you can connect the Tab A with an Android smartphone to share information between the two devices.

signature Text that you can save to the Email app or Gmail app and use when you want to place this text at the end of your email message.

skin A thin cover around your Galaxy Tab A that can help protect your Tab A from dust, nicks, and scratches.

Sleep mode A state in which the screen turns off after a period of inactivity to conserve battery power.

slider A horizontal line with a button; you can hold your finger and move the button along the line to change the setting level, such as the level of brightness on the screen.

Smart Stay A feature in the Galaxy Tab A that uses the camera to track your eye movements. If the Tab A recognizes that your eyes are looking at the screen, the Tab A screen will remain on and won’t go into Sleep mode.

Smart Switch An application produced by Samsung for Windows and Mac OS that makes it easy for you to back up to your computer, restore files from your computer to your Galaxy Tab A, and synchronize data between your Tab A and Microsoft Outlook.

social aggregator An app or website that combines all your social networking feeds onto one screen so you can view all your updates at a glance.

social network A dedicated website or app that enables users to exchange information with each other.

spam An inappropriate or irrelevant email message sent to you (and usually a large number of other recipients).

Super AMOLED Samsung technology that integrates touchscreen functionality into AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) display technology.

swipe The process of moving elements on the screen by sliding your finger across the screen and then lifting your finger off the screen.

sync You can synchronize a single set of data between two or more devices. For example, you can back up data on your Galaxy Tab A to your desktop or laptop every time you sync both devices. This way, if you lose your data on the Galaxy Tab A (or lose the Tab A itself), you can restore the data from the backed-up copies on your computer.

tab area An area on the screen with buttons that enable you to perform specific functions within an app.

tablet A mobile computer that contains the display, battery, and circuitry in a shape that resembles a stone or paper tablet.

Timer A feature in the Camera app that enables you to determine how long the Tab A should wait before the camera takes a picture.

touchscreen A screen that enables users to control the device by touching areas on the screen with one or more fingers.

unmount The instruction you give the Galaxy Tab A to prepare to remove the microSD card from its slot.

URL An abbreviation that stands for uniform resource locator, which can be a website name or a specific page in a website—for example, http://www.quepublishing.com.

USB An abbreviation that stands for Universal Serial Bus, which is an industry standard for cables and connectors that enable computing devices to communicate with each other.

user account A small file that contains information about you so you can authenticate yourself on the Galaxy Tab A and gain authorization to access various files and services on the Tab A.

VPN An abbreviation that stands for virtual private network. A VPN enables users in a public network (such as the Internet) to transfer private data by making it appear to the users that they’re in a private network of their own.

wallpaper An image that appears in the background on your Home, Apps, and/or Lock screens.

Web Short for World Wide Web, which is a system of interlinked hypertext documents you access through the Internet.

web page A document that is suitable for viewing on a browser app (usually written in Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML) that is stored on the Web.

website A location on the Internet that manages one or more web pages.

widget A small, portable piece of code that you can interact with like a miniature application. Dozens of widgets come preinstalled on your Galaxy Tab A.

Wi-Fi The technology standard by which computers and devices can connect to the Internet and/or one another wirelessly.

Wi-Fi Direct A wireless connectivity standard that allows devices to communicate with each other wirelessly without having to use a wireless access point, such as a wireless router.

Windows Media Player The default multimedia player app for Microsoft Windows that you can use to sync audio, photo, and video files between your connected Galaxy Tab A and Windows computer.

XGA An abbreviation that stands for Extended Graphics Array, which is 1,024×768 pixel resolution. Both models of the Galaxy Tab A use an XGA-resolution screen.

YouTube A website for storing, sharing, and playing videos. You can access YouTube videos using the preinstalled YouTube app on the Galaxy Tab A.