Test Your Tech Knowledge
Are you quietly confident about your knowledge of technology? We quizzed over 1,000 people on seven questions, inspired by the UK school curriculum, to see how clued up they are when it comes to the technology we use every day.
Fewer than one in ten (9%) managed to get all seven questions correct. If you think you can score full marks, grab a pen and paper or open your notes app and have a go (answers can be found at the bottom of the page):
1. If information is stored on the Internet, this is called _____ computing?
A) Rain
B) Sky
C) Cloud
2. What is an algorithm?
A) A list of rules to follow in order to solve a problem
B) A file to save memory
C) An error on a device
. What does the ‘C’ stand for in ‘ICT’?
A) Communications
B) Computer
C) Create
4. What does URL stand for?
A) Unreliable Resource Link
B) Uniform Resource Locator
C) Untitled Reference Locator
5. Who invented the mobile phone?
A) Martin Cooper
B) Tim Berners-Lee
C) Steve Jobs
6. How many characters were originally allowed in a tweet, when Twitter launched in 2006?
A) 100
B) 140
C) 240
7. What does 5G refer to?
A) Five-gigabytes
B) Five-thousand
C) Fifth-generation
Tech knowledge answers:
1. If information is stored on the Internet, this is called _____ computing?
C) Cloud
Cloud computing is essentially the storage of information (such as databases, software and storage) over the Internet (‘the cloud’). This allows you to access your information wherever you have a connection, rather than being limited to a physical device like a laptop or computer.
2. What is an algorithm?
A) A list of rules to follow in order to solve a problem
Computers need to be told what to do, but before you write any code for solving a problem, you must create an algorithm, which is a list of rules that the computer will use to implement the code in the right order and execute the desired outcome.
3. What does the ‘C’ stand for in ‘ICT’?
A) Communications
ICT stands for Information Communications Technology. This refers to the access of information through communication technologies such as mobile phones, the Internet, and wireless signals.
4. What does URL stand for?
B) Uniform Resource Locator
A URL or Uniform Resource Locator is the address of a specific webpage on the Internet.
5. Who invented the mobile phone?
A) Martin Cooper
American Martin Cooper invented the first handheld cellular mobile phone while at Motorola in 1973 and helped develop the device and bring it to market a decade later in 1983.
6. How many characters were originally allowed in a tweet, when Twitter launched in 2006?
B) 140
The original character limit on the social networking platform Twitter was 140 characters, but as of 2017, the limit was increased to 280 characters. Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s CEO, shared the very first tweet on the platform, which was simply “just setting up my twttr”.
7. What does 5G refer to?
C) Fifth-generation
When referring to telecommunications, 5G means the fifth generation technology standard for cellular networks. Advancements in technology from predecessors include greater bandwidth enabling faster download speeds. Due to the increased speed, 5G networks may eventually be used for internet service providers alongside regular cabled internet.