| Introduction |
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xvii | |
| Part 1: What Makes a Computer a Computer |
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2 | (50) |
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Chapter 1 The Ghostly LEGOs of Computing |
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6 | (12) |
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How Waves Take the Universe on a Joy Ride |
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8 | (2) |
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How Information Rides the Waves |
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10 | (2) |
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How Electromagnetism Is the Ghost in the Machine |
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12 | (2) |
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How We Control Electricity |
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14 | (2) |
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How Computers Create Our World Using Numbers |
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16 | (2) |
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Chapter 2 How Computers Remember |
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18 | (10) |
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How a Little Transistor Does Big Jobs |
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20 | (2) |
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22 | (2) |
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24 | (2) |
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How Flash Memory Remembers When the Switch is Off |
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26 | (2) |
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Chapter 3 How a Little Microprocessor Does Big Things |
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28 | (14) |
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How a Processor Tracks Numbers |
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32 | (2) |
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How a Processor Does Math |
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34 | (2) |
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How a Processor Moves Data |
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36 | (2) |
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How Multi-Core Processors Work |
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38 | (2) |
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How Desktop CPUs Keep It Complex |
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40 | (1) |
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How Mobile CPUs Keep It Simple |
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41 | (1) |
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Chapter 4 How Motherboards Conduct a Symphony of Data |
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42 | (10) |
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How a Motherboard Brings It All Together |
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46 | (2) |
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How the Chipset Directs Traffic |
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48 | (2) |
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How PCI-Express Breaks the Bus Barrier |
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50 | (2) |
| Part 2: Software-The Computer's Own Poetry |
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52 | (74) |
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Chapter 5 How Words Are Stitched into Programs |
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64 | (10) |
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How a Program Is a Roadmap |
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68 | (2) |
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How Software Interpreters Generate Action |
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70 | (2) |
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How a Compiler Churns Out Software |
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72 | (2) |
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Chapter 6 How Applications Work So You Can Play |
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74 | (22) |
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How Text SHOUTS and Whispers |
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76 | (2) |
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How Databases Track Everything |
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78 | (2) |
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80 | (2) |
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How Databases Make Connections |
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82 | (2) |
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How Spreadsheets Solve Formulas |
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84 | (2) |
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How Numbers Become Pictures |
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86 | (2) |
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How Art Is Compressed to Save Space |
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88 | (2) |
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How Imaging Software Paints by Numbers |
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90 | (2) |
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How Photo Editors Revive Old Memories |
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92 | (2) |
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How Apps Fuel Mobile Devices |
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94 | (2) |
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Chapter 7 How Games Create New Worlds |
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96 | (10) |
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How Computers Plot a 3D World |
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98 | (2) |
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100 | (2) |
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How Shaders Control the World |
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102 | (2) |
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How Games Populate New Worlds |
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104 | (2) |
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Chapter 8 How Security Software Fights Off Invaders |
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106 | (20) |
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How Computer Hackers Break In |
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108 | (2) |
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How Spyware Reports Everything You Do |
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110 | (2) |
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How Viruses Invade Your Computer |
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112 | (2) |
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How Viruses Hitch Rides in Your Email |
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114 | (2) |
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How Antivirus Software Fights Back |
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116 | (2) |
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How Firewalls Keep Hackers Out |
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118 | (2) |
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120 | (2) |
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How Antispam Software Sniffs Out Phony Email |
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122 | (2) |
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How Prime Numbers Protect Prime Secrets |
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124 | (2) |
| Part 3: How Computers Evolve |
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126 | (74) |
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Chapter 9 The Origins of Computer DNA |
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130 | (24) |
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Fossils of the Premobilian Era |
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132 | (2) |
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Persistent Relics: The Mouse |
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134 | (2) |
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Persistent Relics: The Keyboard |
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136 | (2) |
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How the Workaday Floppy Drive Ruled |
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138 | (2) |
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How the CRT Was the Grande Dame of Displays |
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140 | (2) |
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How the Impact Printer Was Right on the Spot |
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142 | (2) |
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The Unlikely Progenitor to the Internet: The Dialup Modem |
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144 | (2) |
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How Cabling Was Worse: Serial |
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146 | (2) |
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How Cabling Was Worse: Parallel |
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148 | (2) |
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How the Power Supply Hasn't Changed |
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150 | (2) |
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How the iPhone Made It Slick |
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152 | (2) |
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Chapter 10 How Small Mutations Pay Off Big |
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154 | (14) |
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How USB Really Is Universal |
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156 | (2) |
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How Little Bits Add Up to Big Changes |
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158 | (2) |
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How File Compression Makes Files Smaller |
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160 | (2) |
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How Solid State Drives Command the Instant |
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162 | (1) |
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How Solid State Drives Take Out the Trash |
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163 | (1) |
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How PCs Use Light to Remember |
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164 | (2) |
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How Optical Disc Drives Write with Light |
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166 | (2) |
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Chapter 11 Honey, I've Shrunk the PC |
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168 | (12) |
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How Computers Get Smaller...and Better |
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170 | (2) |
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172 | (2) |
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How elnk Puts Words on Your eReader |
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174 | (2) |
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How All Those Smarts Got Packed into a Smartphone |
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176 | (2) |
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How Google Glass Makes Us Cyborgs |
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178 | (2) |
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Chapter 12 Evolution of the Super Computer |
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180 | (12) |
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How Video Cards Break the Game Barrier |
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182 | (2) |
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How Overclocking Multiplies Time |
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184 | (2) |
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186 | (2) |
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How Advanced Cooling Refrigerates Your PC |
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188 | (2) |
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How Jailbreaking Frees Your Devices |
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190 | (2) |
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Chapter 13 How Cameras Capture Memories |
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192 | (8) |
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How Digital Cameras Capture the Moment |
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194 | (2) |
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How Autofocus Clears the Picture |
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196 | (2) |
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How Cameras Choose an Exposure |
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198 | (2) |
| Part 4: How Computers Expand Our Senses |
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200 | (48) |
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Chapter 14 How We Stay in Touch |
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204 | (20) |
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How Your Smartphone Knows Where You Are |
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206 | (2) |
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How Devices Recognize Our Touch |
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208 | (1) |
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How Glass Becomes Strong and Supple |
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209 | (1) |
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How Game Controllers Let You Play |
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210 | (2) |
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How Game Controllers Let You Feel the Force |
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212 | (2) |
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How Smartphones Get Good Vibrations |
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214 | (2) |
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How Devices Capture Light |
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216 | (2) |
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How a Flatbed Simplifies Scanning |
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218 | (2) |
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How Codes Keep Track of Everything (Everything!) |
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220 | (2) |
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How Optical Character Recognition Works |
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222 | (2) |
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Chapter 15 How a Computer Creates Visions |
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224 | (14) |
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How an LCD Creates Glowing Colors |
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226 | (2) |
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228 | (2) |
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230 | (2) |
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How OLED Lights Up a New Generation of Displays |
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232 | (2) |
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234 | (4) |
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Chapter 16 How Computers Tickle Your Ears |
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238 | (10) |
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240 | (2) |
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242 | (2) |
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How Digital Sound Tricks Your Ear |
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244 | (2) |
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How 3D Audio Surrounds You |
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246 | (2) |
| Part 5: The Little Net That Grew |
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248 | (64) |
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Chapter 17 How Networks Tie Computers Together |
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254 | (12) |
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How Computers Connect to Each Other |
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256 | (2) |
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How Data Travels Between Computers |
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258 | (2) |
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How Wi-Fi Makes the Internet Portable |
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260 | (2) |
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How Bluetooth Keeps Devices Connected |
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262 | (2) |
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How NFC Lets Smart Devices Make Close Calls |
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264 | (2) |
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Chapter 18 How the Internet Brings Us the World |
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266 | (20) |
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How Broadband Crams in the Data |
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268 | (2) |
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How DSL Turbocharges a Phone Line |
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270 | (2) |
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How Cable Brings the Internet to Your Neighborhood |
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272 | (2) |
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How Fiber Optics Lights Up the Future |
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274 | (2) |
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How Computers Make Phone Calls |
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276 | (1) |
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277 | (1) |
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How Networks Talk with Each Other |
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278 | (2) |
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How Information Travels the Internet |
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280 | (2) |
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How Online Services Serenade You |
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282 | (2) |
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How Movies Flow into Your Home |
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284 | (2) |
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Chapter 19 How the Web Puts It All at Your Fingertips |
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286 | (12) |
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How a Browser Opens Pages |
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288 | (2) |
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How a Browser Displays Web Pages |
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290 | (2) |
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How Cookies Trade Crumbs of Data |
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292 | (2) |
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How Google Knows Everything |
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294 | (2) |
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How eBay Sells Everything |
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296 | (2) |
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Chapter 20 How We Keep in Touch the Internet Way |
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298 | (14) |
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How Email Outraces Snail Mail |
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300 | (2) |
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How Facebook Lets Your Cat Go Viral |
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302 | (2) |
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How Twitter Changes Communication |
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304 | (2) |
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How Internet File Sharing Works |
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306 | (2) |
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How BitTorrents Spread the Wealth |
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308 | (2) |
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How Clouds Encompass Us All |
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310 | (2) |
| Part 6: How Printers Put Data in Our Hands |
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312 | (26) |
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Chapter 21 How Black and White Printing Works |
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316 | (8) |
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How Printers Make Cookie Cutter Text |
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318 | (2) |
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How Outline Fonts Set the Imagination Free |
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320 | (2) |
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How a Printer Writes with Light |
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322 | (2) |
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Chapter 22 Printing Gutenberg Never Imagined |
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324 | (14) |
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How Printers Create Color |
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326 | (2) |
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Ho an Ink-jet Sprays Images |
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328 | (2) |
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How a Printer Spits Out Photographs |
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330 | (2) |
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How a Laser Printer Creates in Color |
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332 | (2) |
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How a Solid Ink Color Printer Works |
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334 | (2) |
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How Printers Create in 3D |
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336 | (2) |
| Part 7: So, What's Next? |
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338 | (10) |
| Index |
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348 | |