Didn't think it was dirty when I first read it... but now that you mention it.

Well, I realize the grossness of what I'm about to say, but when my wife yelled thru our house the other day asking where I was, I was on the pot, having a BM. I told her I was downloading...  

 

I recognize the term from another msgboard, along with CMOS flasher- aka a piece of malware that will give you a computer that can't be booted.

 

I have no idea what "Flash" is, though. Unless it's from Macromedia/Adobe.

My old PC terminology is very rusty, but I believe the term 'flash' in this instance refers to basically erasing the info contained in the CMOS that's needed for the PC to boot up.

AFAIK, the CMOS is a circuit on the motherboard that stores some system settings and things like the system clock (which is why when you shut off your PC and power it back up it still shows the right time).

It's been too long since I took hardware design classes

Goodness. I've been a codger for half a decade now.

For some reason, I just can't stand when somebody actually says or writes something like "lol". On a computer, fine. Off of one, it just seems really strange to me.

I did nearly crack up when my writing teacher handed me my essay with lol scrawled on the side.

 

Flash memory is non volatile RAM which means it retains its contents when power is removed. Flash memory can support a limited number of write/erase cycles, typically 100K, before operation is no longer guaranteed. Flash memory is the technology that enables USB drives and memory cards.

Technically CMOS is merely a Complementary MOSFET or Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor. The point about a MOSFET is that the input signal (the gate) only causes the channel (the source to drain conduction path) to either conduct or not and in the ideal case requires no gate current (of course there is some leakage current on the order of microamp's or in some cases 100's of nanoamps).

Complementary refers to the implementation of a push-pull output stage that consists of a parallel N and P channel MOSFET, one connected between power and the output and the other connected between the output and ground. Since only one transistor is on at any one time there is no conduction path between power and ground within the device itself and therefore CMOS dissipates very little power. The only power dissipated is when the input changes and is proportional to the input frequency, however compared to BiPolar devices is probably an order of magnitude less.

CMOS is actually an entire technology of low power semiconductor devices that are the basis for probably 95% of every electronic component that exists. At the time the term CMOS became a "PC" term it was a slow technology that was used only when low power was a requirement as in a battery powered application. Since then it has pretty much become the standard.

Is this geeky enough for you?

You win, but you do it for a living

Pretty much....

Jafo is all geeked-out now...

 

Totally geekalicious..

I this case "flash" actually refers to a much older form of CMOS chip, you used to delete the data on it by "flashing" it with a UV light pulse through a clear plate on the chip.  The term was later carried over to include chips that were deleted by electric pulses as well, which is what the virus CMOS flasher used to do.

I "delete" stuff all the time in to the trash can, I don't even realize I say it until someone tells me.  

 

And, of course, I LOL and ROFL and say n00b.

I have one for first thing when I wake up and not a lot is registering: "Don't worry about me, I haven't booted up yet."

Another, when my/mrs starkers puter plays up, the contracted BSOD is expanded and becomes: " (you) Bastard Son Of (a) Derelict!"... and/or DemonSpawn, Doppleganger, etc, etc.....  There are other terms used to express my annoyance, frustration, exasperation, but not in mixed company... or for those with delicate sensibilities.

The other day we were talking about the Hadron Collider (however we spell it.) and I pointed out that on the off chance it created a black hole that sucked earth up, some aliens out there would be like wow they totally just noobed themselves!

Um, the Haldron Collider is one big scam... or should I say conspiracy!  Because Australia is such a great place, it's actually a scheme whereby Europeans can come to Oz quickly, on the cheap and bypass Oz Immigrations.... and the only 'back hole' they're creating (black because they're leaving the lights off so nobody else can see what they are doing) is the one they're digging through the Earth to reach Australia.

Hence, it will be known as the.... wait for it... the Swiss Trojan.

I just realized something. (There goes my 2008 quota.)

 

I don't actually say it, but I have a tendancy to think of stuff in resolutions. Like pictures in an art gallery. I see a highly detailed painting and think, "Wow! That's a really high-res picture."