Technology

FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) FLAC FLAC is an open, lossless audio compression format that reduces file size without losing sound quality. Widely used for archiving, music distribution, and playback by audiophiles a…

Flash memory (non-volatile solid-state storage) Flash memory Comprehensive overview of flash memory: operation, architectures (NOR, NAND, SLC/MLC/TLC/QLC), controllers, endurance, uses, comparisons to EEPROM/RAM/HDD, performance, form factor…

Flashlight (torch): portable handheld light for illumination and signaling Flashlight A flashlight (North American English) or torch (Commonwealth) is a portable handheld spotlight that produces a directed beam of light, powered by batteries or small generators; tod…

Flat-panel display Flat panel display Comprehensive overview of flat-panel displays: technologies (LCD, OLED, LED), characteristics, history, uses and practical trade-offs for TVs, monitors and signage.

Flight Information Display System (FIDS) Flight information display system Overview of airport Flight Information Display Systems: how they work, common components and fields, historical development, operational uses, challenges, and emerging trends.

Flight recorder (black box): purpose, types, design and history Flight recorder A flight recorder records aircraft performance and cockpit audio to aid accident investigation. Built to survive extreme impact and heat, it includes flight data and cockpit voice…

Flintlock: mechanism, history, and significance of the flint firing system Flintlock Flintlock firearms use a flint striking steel to ignite powder. This article explains the mechanism, components, historical development, uses, variants, and care of flintlocks, wit…

Floating-point unit (FPU): function, architecture, history and uses Floating point unit A floating-point unit is hardware (or emulated) that performs arithmetic on real numbers. Covers operations, IEEE 754 formats, coprocessors vs integrated designs, emulation, and ty…

Floppy disk Removable magnetic storage medium used from the 1970s through the 1990s; describes sizes, capacities, formats, uses, technical details, decline and legacy in computing.

FLOPS (Floating Point Operations per Second) FLOPS FLOPS quantifies how many floating‑point calculations a system can perform per second. Used to compare CPUs, GPUs and supercomputers; reported as MFLOPS, GFLOPS, TFLOPS, PFLOPS and…

Fluorescent lamp (tubular electric light) Fluorescent lamp A fluorescent lamp is a gas-discharge light that uses mercury vapor and a phosphor coating to produce visible light; available as linear tubes and compact forms, with distinct perf…

Flux (3D authoring and viewing software) Flux (software) Flux is a software family for creating, editing and displaying interactive 3D scenes. It was distributed both as a browser plug‑in and as a standalone application and aimed at web…

Fluxbox: a lightweight X Window System window manager Fluxbox Fluxbox is a compact, configurable window manager for the X Window System. Derived from Blackbox, it favors low memory use, text-based configuration, simple UI and optional visual…

Fluxbuntu: a lightweight Ubuntu-based distribution using Fluxbox Fluxbuntu Fluxbuntu was a lightweight Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that used the Fluxbox window manager to run on older or low-resource computers; it emphasized speed, simplicity and s…

FM Towns Marty: Fujitsu's CD-based 32-bit console FM Towns Marty Japan-only CD-ROM game console from Fujitsu (1993), derived from the FM Towns PC. Early 32-bit, multimedia-focused system with FM Towns compatibility and a long production run into…

Fokker F28 Fellowship Short-range twin-engined jet airliner built by Dutch manufacturer Fokker; designed for regional routes with rear-mounted engines and a T-tail, produced from the late 1960s and used…

Folder (computing) A folder (directory) is a named container used by operating systems and file systems to group files and other folders into a hierarchical namespace for storage, navigation and acce…

Formal verification: proving correctness of hardware and software Formal verification Formal verification applies mathematical methods to prove that software or hardware implements a precise specification. It includes model checking, theorem proving and static analy…

Forth (programming language) Forth Forth is a compact, stack-based and extensible programming language and environment, known for postfix notation, interactive development, and use in embedded and control systems.

Fortran (programming language) Fortran Fortran is a high-level language created in the 1950s for numeric and scientific computing, known for fast compiled performance, array operations, and a long history of standardize…

Fossil-fuel power station A thermal electricity plant that converts heat from burning fossil fuels into mechanical and electrical energy; common fuels include coal and natural gas and operations produce CO₂…

Fountain pen — design, history, uses, and care Fountain pen A fountain pen uses a nib and internal ink reservoir to deliver liquid ink by gravity and capillary action. This article explains parts, filling methods, history, practical uses, a…

Four Great Inventions of Ancient China Four Great Inventions Overview of China's Four Great Inventions—compass, gunpowder, papermaking and printing—their origins, development, uses and lasting global impact.

Fragmentation (computing): causes, types, effects and mitigation Fragmentation (computer) Fragmentation in computing is the scattering of logically related data across noncontiguous storage or memory regions, causing performance and allocation issues. Describes types, c…

Framework: organized structures for repeated problem solving Framework A framework is an organized set of principles, conventions, and components used across fields—social systems, science, software, and hardware—to produce consistent, repeatable solu…

Free and open-source software (FOSS) Free and open-source software Software distributed with publicly available source code and licenses that permit studying, modifying, and sharing — a model used by communities, businesses, and public projects.

Free software: principles, history, and examples Free software Software that users are free to run, study, modify and redistribute. Covers core freedoms, common licenses, history with GNU and Stallman, notable projects, uses and differences fr…

Free software movement: principles, history, and distinctions from open source Free software movement Overview of the free software movement: its four user freedoms, history, notable projects, and how it contrasts with open source by prioritizing ethical arguments and user rights.

FreeBSD: Overview, design, history, uses and distinguishing features FreeBSD FreeBSD is a free, open-source UNIX-like operating system derived from BSD. It emphasizes performance, networking, storage features and a permissive license, and is used on servers…

FreeDOS — a free, MS‑DOS–compatible operating system FreeDOS FreeDOS is a free, open-source operating system compatible with MS‑DOS. It provides a DOS-compatible command environment, utilities and drivers for running legacy software, rescue…

FreeOTFE — open-source on-the-fly disk encryption software FreeOTFE FreeOTFE is a free, open-source on-the-fly disk encryption tool for Windows and Windows Mobile that creates encrypted volumes and supports many cipher algorithms.

Freespire: community Linux distribution derived from Ubuntu Freespire Freespire is a community Linux distribution based on Ubuntu components, providing a free-software default while making it straightforward to add proprietary drivers, codecs and app…

Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant (Fukushima II) Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant A four-unit boiling water reactor station in Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, operated by TEPCO; noted for its automatic 2011 shutdowns, subsequent stabilization and o…

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): principles, uses, and limitations Functional magnetic resonance imaging fMRI is a noninvasive neuroimaging method that maps brain activity by detecting changes in blood oxygenation (BOLD). It is widely used in research and clinical functional mapping.

Functional programming: principles, history, and practical use Functional programming Functional programming is a declarative programming style that treats computation as evaluation of functions, emphasizing immutability, pure functions, and higher-order functions f…

Furby: The interactive electronic toy that became a 1990s phenomenon Furby Furby is an animatronic electronic toy introduced by Tiger Electronics in 1998. It used sound, motion and a playful private language to create the impression of learning, became a…

Galaxy Nexus — Google and Samsung Nexus smartphone Galaxy Nexus The Galaxy Nexus is a 2011 flagship Nexus smartphone built by Samsung for Google; it launched with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and introduced on-screen navigation and several pl…

Galvanometer: instrument for detecting and measuring electric current Galvanometer A galvanometer is a sensitive electromechanical instrument that detects and measures electric current. This article explains its operation, main types, history, common uses and dis…

Game & Watch: Nintendo's early handheld LCD games Game & Watch Game & Watch is Nintendo's series of handheld LCD electronic games created by Gunpei Yokoi from 1980 to 1991. Simple, single-screen titles that helped launch modern portable gaming…

Game Boy: Nintendo's 1989 Cartridge-Based Handheld Console Game Boy Overview of the Game Boy: launch history, design and hardware, cartridge format, accessories, development, legacy and cultural impact on handheld gaming.

Game Boy Advance — Nintendo's 32-bit Handheld Console Game Boy Advance A concise overview of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance: hardware, models, software library, launch timeline, and its place between the Game Boy Color and the Nintendo DS.

Game Boy Camera A pocket-sized digital camera accessory for Nintendo's Game Boy line, released in 1998. It captured low-resolution monochrome images, offered simple editing and printing, and influ…

Game Boy Color Nintendo's 1998 handheld that introduced a reflective color LCD and backward compatibility to the Game Boy line; a late-era 8‑bit portable that shaped handheld gaming until the Gam…

Game Boy line — Nintendo handheld consoles, 1989–2009 Game Boy line Overview of Nintendo's Game Boy family: key models, hardware characteristics, history, notable games, and the line's influence on handheld gaming from 1989 through the 2000s.

Game Boy Player Nintendo GameCube accessory that plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance cartridges on a TV; released June 2003 and discontinued in 2007.

Game Boy Printer Portable thermal printer accessory for Nintendo's Game Boy family; produced small monochrome prints from the Game Boy Camera and compatible games, released in 1998 and discontinued…

Game controller: overview, parts, history, types and uses Game controller A game controller is a handheld or mounted input device used to operate video games. This article explains common parts, major types, historical development, and practical uses.

Game engine Software framework that provides reusable systems and tools for creating interactive real-time virtual worlds, including rendering, physics, audio, and scripting for games and simu…