Mac OS Definition
This is the operating system that runs on Macintosh computers. It is pronounced, “mack-oh-es.” The Mac OS has been around since the first Macintosh was introduced in 1984. Since then, it has been continually updated and many new features have been added to it. Each major OS release is signified by a new number (i.e. Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9).
Since the core of the Mac OS was nearly decades old, Apple decided to completely revamp the operating system. In March of 2001, Apple introduced a completely new version of the Mac OS that was written from the ground up. The company dubbed it “Mac OS X,” correctly pronounced “Mac OS 10.” Unlike earlier versions of the Mac OS, Mac OS X is based on the same kernel as Unix and has many advanced administrative features and utilities. Though the operating system is much more advanced than earlier versions of the Mac OS, it still has the same ease-of-use that people have come to expect from Apple software.
E-ZPass is a toll collection system in the northeastern U.S. that uses RFID technology to allow a driver to pass through a tollbooth and pay the toll without stopping the vehicle. Typically, the driver pre-pays a month of access tolls and is issued a transponder (a tag about the size of a deck of cards) that gets mounted on the inside of the windshield. When approaching a toll, the E-ZPass driver passes through a special booth that has an antenna. The antenna emits a radio frequency (RF) field that activates the driver’s transponder, which in turn, sends back information about the driver’s account to the antenna. The toll is then deducted from the driver’s pre-paid account. E-Z Pass significantly cuts down on labor costs for toll collection and keeps the lines of traffic moving faster.
Mobil Corporation uses a similar technology to enable drivers to purchase gasoline by using a transponder that attaches to the driver’s key ring. Both E-ZPass and Mobil are experimenting with licensing their transponder payment systems to non-competitive vendors, such as McDonald’s, who wish to move traffic through their fast food take-out windows more efficiently.
In California, a system similar to E-ZPass is called FasTrak.