Glossary
Here are some of the terms you'll come across when using the ittybit API.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
A broad term used in a lot of startup marketing material. We use the term 'intelligence' to describe the AI services we offer. Under-the-hood, we use a variety of machine learning, large language models, and neural networks to deliver our services. We'll cover more about this in a future blog post.
API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other. It defines the methods and data formats that applications can use to request and exchange information.
API Key
A unique string of characters that is used to authenticate requests to an API. It's used to identify the calling application and track its usage.
Aspect Ratio
The proportional relationship between the width and height of an image or video. It's usually expressed as two numbers separated by a colon, like 16:9.
Authentication
The process of verifying the identity of a user or application. In REST APIs, this is often done via API keys, tokens, or other credentials sent with a request.
Bitrate
The number of bits processed per unit of time, typically per second. For video and audio, a higher bitrate generally means higher quality and larger file size.
Codec
A portmanteau of coder-decoder, a codec is a program or device that compresses or decompresses digital data, such as a video or audio file. Examples include H.264, VP9, and AAC.
Computer Vision
A field of AI that trains computers to interpret and understand information from digital images and videos.
Container Format
A file format that bundles different data streams, such as video, audio, and subtitles, into a single file. MP4, MKV, and MOV are common container formats.
CRUD
An acronym for Create, Read, Update, and Delete, which are the four basic operations of persistent storage. These operations often correspond to HTTP methods POST, GET, PUT, and DELETE in a REST API.
Deep Learning
A subfield of machine learning that uses multi-layered neural networks to learn from large amounts of data.
Endpoint
A specific URL where an API can be accessed. Each endpoint corresponds to a specific function or resource.
Encoding
The process of converting data from one format to another. In media, it usually refers to compressing raw video or audio data using a specific codec.
Framerate (FPS)
Short for Frames Per Second, this is the rate at which individual still images (frames) are displayed in a video to create the illusion of motion.
GET
An HTTP method used to request and retrieve data from a specified resource in a REST API. It is a safe and idempotent method.
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
A lightweight, text-based data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and for machines to parse. It is commonly used for transmitting data in web applications (e.g., sending some data from a server to a client, so it can be displayed on a web page).
Latency
The time delay between a cause and effect in a system. In networking, it's the time it takes for a data packet to travel from its source to its destination.
Machine Learning (ML)
A branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science which focuses on the use of data and algorithms to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy.
Metadata
Data that provides information about other data. For a media file, this can include details like creation date, author, resolution, duration, and GPS location.
MP4
A digital multimedia container format most commonly used to store video and audio, but it can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
A field of AI that focuses on the interaction between computers and human language, in particular how to program computers to process and analyze large amounts of natural language data.
REST (Representational State Transfer)
An architectural style for designing networked applications. It relies on a stateless, client-server communication protocol, almost always HTTP. APIs that follow this style are called RESTful APIs.
SDK (Software Development Kit)
A set of tools, libraries, documentation, and code samples provided by a hardware or software vendor to help developers create applications for a specific platform or service.
Transcoding
The process of converting a media file from one encoding format to another. This is often done to ensure compatibility with different devices or to reduce file size for streaming.
Webhook
An automated message sent from apps when something happens. It's a way for an app to provide other applications with real-time information. A webhook delivers data to other applications as it happens, meaning you get data immediately.