Everywhere you look you’ll find something that is “digital.” Computers, smartphones, streaming movies, video game consoles, household appliances, cars and thousands of other gadgets use digital information. We use these items every day but few people understand what the term “digital” really means.
What does the word “digital” mean?
It comes from “digit,” one of ten symbols used to write numbers. Precisely speaking, the digits are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 ,5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. But in talking about computers, “digital” refers to just the digits “0” and “1.” Digital machines store and communicate information as 0’s and 1’s.
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Digital Code:
Take the letter “A.” when an “A” is typed into a computer, it is immediately translated into a string of 0’s and 1’s (called a digital code). The digital code for “A” is “01000001.” Every letter of the alphabet has its own digital code. The code for “C” is “01000011.” And the code for “T” is “01010100.”. when you type the word “CAT” the computer translates the word into digital code: “01000011 01000001 01010100.”
Language of the computer:
The language of the computer is made up simply of 0’s and 1’s. Basically, computers store and respond to various combinations of 0’s and 1’s. A specific combination of 0’s and 1’s tells the computer to do one thing. Another combination of 0’s and 1’s tells the computer to something else.
Digitized sound:
Sounds can also be digitized – represented as a string of 0’s and 1’s. Sound is a vibration, and the exact shape of the vibration can be represented as a code of 0’s and 1’s. A music CD stores 0’s and 1’s as variations of vibrations on the surface of the CD. There are hundreds of millions of such variations on the CD. A CD player, for example, turns this digital information back into Music.
Digital pictures:
Photographs and illustrations are also digitized. For example, a picture that fills a typical computer screen is actually made up of more than 300,000 “dots.” Each dot can be a different color and every color has its own code of 0’s and 1’s. (For example, red might be”10101001010100001011101.” If the color of each dot in the picture is represented by such a code, then the code for a whole picture would be a very long string of 0’s and 1’s.
Digital video:
A film or video is made up of a series of still pictures or frames. The frames are shown in rapid succession (in the video, normally at the rate of 30 frames per second) and our eyes merge the separate images together to form the illusion of motion. As with a single picture, every one of these individual frames can be translated into a code of 0’s and 1’s. In this way, film and video can be digitized, but it takes a lot of 0’s and 1’s to represent even a few seconds of video information.
Digital compression:
With special mathematical techniques, the number of 0’s and 1’s needed to represent words, sounds or pictures can be reduced for easier storage or transmission and then expanded when the information is read, heard or viewed. These techniques called “compression” and “decompression” can reduce the number of 0’s and 1’s needed to one-tenth or even one-hundredth of the original amount. But even with compression, many thousands of 0’s and 1’s are required to represent a picture and hundreds of millions are needed to represent the 1800 pictures in just one minute of video!
Information superhighway:
Digital communication channels do not distinguish between words, music, pictures or movies – it is all simply 0’s and 1’s. This means we will only need one type of communication network to meet our information and entertainment needs.
Today, the field of telecommunications (“tele” meaning transmitted over a distance) uses electricity (by telephone wire and TV cable), light (by fiber optic glass cable) and radio waves (by radio or microwave broadcasting) to carry these digital codes so fast they travel almost instantly. All of these methods of transmission make up the growing digital communication network which has been named the “information superhighway.”
The future:
As the information superhighway grows, and more and more digital information is available our lives continue to change. More and more people have access to vast quantities of information, as well as new entertainment, education, and commercial services. One thing that will not change: information, no matter what form it is in, is only valuable to the degree we use it well. The digital revolution has given us new tools; it’s up to us to decide what we will build with them.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Look up digital in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits.
Technology and computing[edit]
Hardware[edit]
- Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals
- Digital camera, which captures and stores digital images
- Digital versus film photography
- Digital computer, a computer that handles information represented by discrete values
- Digital recording, information recorded using a digital signal
- Digital camera, which captures and stores digital images
Socioeconomic phenomena[edit]
- Digital culture, the anthropological dimension of the digital social changes
- Digital divide, a form of economic and social inequality in access to or use of information and communication technologies
- Digital economy, an economy based on computing and telecommunications resources
Other uses in technology and computing[edit]
- Digital data, discrete data, usually represented using binary numbers
- Digital marketing, search engine & social media presence booster, usually represented using online visibility.
- Digital media, media stored as digital data
- Digital radio, which uses digital technology to transmit or receive
- Digital television, television systems which broadcast using digital signals
- Digital signal (electronics), signals formed from a discrete set of waveforms, rather than continuous ranges
- Digital signal (signal processing), sampled analog signals represented as a sequence of digital values
Art, entertainment, and media[edit]
- Digital: A Love Story (2010), an indie video game by Christine Love
- Digital (album), an album by KRS-One
- «Digital» (Goldie song) (1998)
- «Digital» (Joy Division song) (1978)
- «Digital (Did You Tell)», a song by Stone Sour (2010)
- «Digital», a song by Soulja Boy from The DeAndre Way
- «Digital», a song by T-Pain from Three Ringz
- Digital painting, a method of creating visual art using computers
Brands and enterprises[edit]
- Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) or Digital, a computer company
- Digital Research (DR or DRI), a software company
Other uses[edit]
- Relating to the fingers
- Digital exam, in proctology
- Digital bank or Neobank
- Digital Party, a political party in Uruguay
- Vitalis Takawira or Digital, professional football player
See also[edit]
- Digit (disambiguation)
- Digital download (disambiguation)
- Digital fingerprint (disambiguation)
- Binary code
- Boolean algebra
- Category:Digital media
- All pages with titles beginning with Digital
- All pages with titles containing Digital
Last Update: Jan 03, 2023
This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!
Asked by: Syble Nader DDS
Score: 4.5/5
(45 votes)
Digital data, in information theory and information systems, is information represented as a string of discrete symbols each of which can take on one of only a finite number of values from some alphabet, such as letters or digits. An example is a text document, which consists of a string of alphanumeric characters.
What exactly does digital mean?
Digital describes electronic technology that generates, stores, and processes data in terms of two states: positive and non-positive. Positive is expressed or represented by the number 1 and non-positive by the number 0. Thus, data transmitted or stored with digital technology is expressed as a string of 0’s and 1’s.
What is a digital example?
Digital is defined as something relating to a device that transmits information by discrete numerics. An example of digital is an mp3 player. Characterized by widespread use of computers.
What does digital mean to businesses?
Defining Digital
Digital businesses use technology to create new value in business models, customer experiences and the internal capabilities that support its core operations. The term includes both digital-only brands and traditional players that are transforming their businesses with digital technologies.
What is digital technology?
Digital technologies are electronic tools, systems, devices and resources that generate, store or process data. Well known examples include social media, online games, multimedia and mobile phones. Digital learning is any type of learning that uses technology.
42 related questions found
What is the purpose of digital technology?
Digital technology enables immense amounts of information to be compressed on small storage devices that can be easily preserved and transported. Digitization also quickens data transmission speeds. Digital technology has transformed how people communicate, learn, and work.
What are the disadvantages of digital technology?
17 Digital Technology Disadvantages
- Data Security.
- Crime and Terrorism.
- Complexity.
- Privacy Concerns.
- Social Disconnect.
- Work Overload.
- Digital Media Manipulation.
- Job Insecurity.
Is digital and online the same thing?
Here’s how I like to explain the two terms. Online means that someone or something currently is connected to the Internet. Digital, meanwhile, is a format or a process. … Digital can thus be both online and offline—for example; a digital audio file can both be streamed online and stored on a disc or hard drive.
How is digital different from it?
Well, one difference is easy: digital is an adjective, and IT is a noun. Looking at how the term is used, “digital” has several meanings. … In other words, it is ‘something to do with IT’. But in IT circles, it is used to indicate ‘important IT’ (leaving us wondering what to call IT that is not so important).
What is the best example of digital system?
The digital computer, more commonly called the computer, is an example of a typical digital system. A computer manipulates information in digital, or more precisely, binary form.
What is digital in your own words?
1 : relating to or using calculation directly with digits rather than through measurable physical quantities. 2 : of or relating to data in the form of numerical digits digital images digital broadcasting. 3 : providing displayed or recorded information in numerical digits from an automatic device a digital watch.
What is digital media and its examples?
Anytime you use your computer, tablet, or cellphone, opening web-based systems and apps, you’re consuming digital media. Digital media might come in the form of videos, articles, advertisements, music, podcasts, audiobooks, virtual reality, or digital art.
What is digital world in simple words?
The digital world is the availability and use of digital tools to communicate on the Internet, digital devices, smart devices and other technologies.
Why do we need to go digital?
More than 90% people start with online search before they make a buying decision. Even if they buy from local business they first start with an online research. Going digital provides you an opportunity to get in front of these people who are planning to buy something that you may be selling.
What are the main areas of digital transformation?
It’s about technology, data, process, and organizational change. Over the years we’ve participated in, advised on, or studied hundreds of digital transformations.
What is an example of digital transformation?
Bringing artificial intelligence into your service organization is a prime example of the power of digital transformation. AI-powered chatbots that answer simple customer inquiries serve as a welcoming presence on your website, reducing the time customers have to wait to reach an agent.
Where does the term digital come from?
The origins of the word Digital date back to late 15th century where the Latin word digitus (or digitalis or digital) meant a finger or a toe! For most of its historical life, the word digital was a relatively unimportant term but it underwent an explosion in usage and in meaning during early to mid-twentieth century.
What are digital technology skills?
Digital skills are defined as the ability to find, evaluate, use, share, and create content using digital devices, such as computers and smartphones.
What is the difference between online and digital learning?
E-learning is learning by using electronic media and it is only allows learning through the internet. Digital learning means learning using digital age technologies (computer, mobile devices, internet, etc) that can provides a wide range of solutions to enhance knowledge and performance in real life.
Why is Internet is an example of Digital Age?
The time period in which we live now where Internet and email are available is an example of the digital age. … Although computers began to penetrate the business world in the 1960s and 1970s, personal computers in the 1980s combined with the Internet in the 1990s dramatically increased the presence of digital devices.
What is digital learning in the classroom?
Digital learning is an instructional practice that ultimately helps students. It makes use of a broad range of technology-enhanced educational strategies. It includes blended learning, flipped learning, personalized learning, and other strategies that rely on digital tools to a small or large degree.
What is the downside of technology?
And the problem with the technology is that it sometimes failed and didn’t work properly, and it takes a lot of time to recovery. It’s very dangerous for people. They can lose money, privacy, and even the lives of people. So, these are the disadvantages of modern technology on youth for society.
What are the advantages of owning a digital device?
Digital technology means that devices can be more compact, faster, lighter, and more versatile. Huge amounts of information can be stored locally or remotely and moved around virtually instantaneously.
Why is technology bad for you?
Social media and mobile devices may lead to psychological and physical issues, such as eyestrain and difficulty focusing on important tasks. They may also contribute to more serious health conditions, such as depression. The overuse of technology may have a more significant impact on developing children and teenagers.
What is the meaning of the word digital?
1 : of or relating to the fingers or toes digital dexterity. 2 : done with a finger a digital rectal examination. 3 : of, relating to, or using calculation by numerical methods or by discrete units.
Why are computers called digital?
Computers are digital machines because at their most basic level they can distinguish between just two values, 0 and 1, or off and on. All data that a computer processes must be encoded digitally, as a series of zeroes and ones. The opposite of digital is analog.
When was the word digital made?
While the word started out in the mid-17th century, it’s evolved from referring to digits, i.e., fingers, to numerical digits, entering the 20th century through the radio and recording technologies to the 1950’s world of computers.
What does digital mean in Latin?
digital (adj.) mid-15c., “pertaining to numbers below ten;” 1650s, “pertaining to fingers,” from Latin digitalis, from digitus “finger or toe” (see digit). The numerical sense is because numerals under 10 were counted on fingers.
Is digitally a real word?
Meaning of digitally in English in a way that uses or relates to digital signals and computer technology: Sound and pictures can be stored digitally. All outgoing calls will be digitally recorded.
What is digital in simple words?
Digital describes electronic technology that generates, stores, and processes data in terms of two states: positive and non-positive. Digital technology is primarily used with new physical communications media, such as satellite and fiber optic transmission.
What is Digital example?
Examples of digital media include software, digital images, digital video, video games, web pages and websites, social media, digital data and databases, digital audio such as MP3, electronic documents and electronic books. Digital media has a significant, wide-ranging and complex impact on society and culture.
What three words would you use to describe digital?
As you’ve probably noticed, words related to “digital” are listed above. According to the algorithm that drives this word similarity engine, the top 5 related words for “digital” are: computer, electronics, computing, electronic, and analog.
What is another name for digital?
What is another word for digital?
| computerisedUK | computerizedUS |
|---|---|
| electronic | automated |
| automatic | cyber |
| cybernated | online |
| programmed | technological |
How do you use the word digital in a sentence?
Digital sentence example
- The only non-business items were a digital clock and two framed pictures.
- A complete Digital Echo of your life.
- His digital speedometer read 54 miles an hour, faster than he had ever ridden in his life, and his eyes watered from the rush of cold air.
What is the difference between analog and digital information?
An analog signal is a continuous signal that represents physical measurements. Digital signals are time separated signals which are generated using digital modulation. It uses a continuous range of values that help you to represent information. Digital signal uses discrete 0 and 1 to represent information.
Is WIFI analog or digital?
Signals themselves are neither digital nor analog; those words refer to two different means of encoding information on to a given signal. From that perspective, a wifi signal generally carries information encoded in digital form.
What are the disadvantages of digital?
17 Digital Technology Disadvantages
- Data Security.
- Crime and Terrorism.
- Complexity.
- Privacy Concerns.
- Social Disconnect.
- Work Overload.
- Digital Media Manipulation.
- Job Insecurity.
What are the disadvantages of digital transmission?
Disadvantage of Digital Signals :
- Sampling may cause loss of information.
- A/D and D/A demands mixed-signal hardware.
- Processor speed is limited.
- Develop quantization and round-off errors.
- Systems and processing is more complex.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of digital systems?
What are advantages and disadvantages of digital system?
- Have made possible many scientific, industrial, and commercial advances that would have been unattainable otherwise.
- Less expensive.
- More reliable.
- Easy to manipulate.
- Flexibility and Compatibility.
What are the pros and cons to be analog or digital?
Difference between Analog signals and Digital signals
| Analog Signal | Digital Signal |
|---|---|
| Analog hardware can never offer flexible execution. | Digital hardware offers flexibility in execution. |
| Analog signals are preferable for audio and video transmission. | Digital signals are preferable for Computing and digital electronics. |
What are the advantages and disadvantages of analog and digital?
The advantages of an analog recording system are the absence of aliasing distortion and quantization noise; the wide dynamic range; and performance in overload conditions. Digital systems, meanwhile, have better audio recording quality and an easier integration to personal computers and software applications.
What is the best example of digital system?
Digital Calculators, Digital Computers, and Digital Watch are good examples of Digital Systems.
What is digital device and example?
A physical unit of equipment that contains a computer or microcontroller. Today, myriad devices are digital including a smartphone, tablet and smartwatch. In contrast, there are numerous non-digital (analog) devices, such as a thermometer, electric fan and bicycle.
What are the two types of digital systems?
There are two categories of digital computer systems, including general purpose and special purpose.
Where the digital system are used?
Digital systems are designed to store, process, and communicate information in digital form. They are found in a wide range of applications, including process control, communication systems, digital instruments, and consumer products.
How digital systems are used at home?
Education & Training uses of digital devices include interactive whiteboards, virtual learning environments & online learning websites. This has made education more easily accessible, even from home. Personal uses of digital devices include entertainment, online shopping and banking & home appliances.
What are main advantages of digital systems?
Advantages of Digital Systems
- Ease of programmability. The digital systems can be used for different applications by simply changing the program without additional changes in hardware.
- Reduction in cost of hardware.
- High speed.
- High Reliability.
- Design is easy.
- Result can be reproduced easily.
What are the applications of flip flop?
Applications of Flip-Flops
- Counters.
- Frequency Dividers.
- Shift Registers.
- Storage Registers.
- Bounce elimination switch.
- Data storage.
- Data transfer.
- Latch.
What’s a flip flop?
1 : the sound or motion of something flapping loosely. 2a : a backward handspring. b : a sudden reversal (as of policy or strategy) 3 : a usually electronic device or a circuit (as in a computer) capable of assuming either of two stable states.
What are the types of flip flop?
The most common types of flip flops are:
- SR flip-flop: Is similar to an SR latch.
- D flip-flop: Has just one input in addition to the CLOCK input.
- JK flip-flop: A common variation of the SR flip-flop.
- T flip-flop: This is simply a JK flip-flop whose output alternates between HIGH and LOW with each clock pulse.
What is the difference between D flip flop and T flip flop?
D Flip-Flop: When the clock rises from 0 to 1, the value remembered by the flip-flop becomes the value of the D input (Data) at that instant. T Flip-Flop: When the clock rises from 0 to 1, the value remembered by the flip-flop either toggles or remains the same depending on whether the T input (Toggle) is 1 or 0.
Which is better D flip flop or T flip flop?
D- FF is data /delay type FF means its output only follow input but in synchronisation with clock and hence delayed by a clock. Its output doesn’t change if clock is disabled. Whereas T flop is toggle FF which complements its output when input, T=1 and keep its output unchahe for input, T=0.
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A digital system is a something that represents information by using digits. Each digit represents a small amount of information because each digit comes from a small set of choices. A digit can be decimal (one of the ten choices from 0 through 9), as in the display of a digital clock. A digit can be binary (either 0 or 1). A binary digit is called a bit. Digital computers and digital communication like the internet usually use binary. The meaning of each bit depends on the place where it is used. For example, a bit can represent ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, or it can represent ‘True’ or ‘False’. A large amount of information, like a picture, can be represented by using a list of many bits.
A digital system is different than an analogue (US- analog) system, which represents information in a continuous way.
The word digital is most commonly used in computing and electronics.
Usage[change | change source]
- Digital electronics
- Computer