Analog

[Magaret]

As humans, we perceive the world in analog. Everything we see and hear is a continuous transmission of information to our senses. This continuous stream is what defines analog data. Digital information, on the other hand, estimates analog data using only ones and zeros.
For example, a turntable (or record player) is an analog device, while a CD player is digital. This is because a turntable reads bumps and grooves from a record as a continuous signal, while a CD player only reads a series of ones and zeros. Likewise, a VCR is an analog device, while a DVD player is digital. A VCR reads audio and video from a tape as a continuous stream of information, while a DVD player just reads ones and zeros from a disc.
Since digital devices read only ones and zeros, they can only approximate an audio or video signal. This means analog data is actually more accurate than digital data. However, digital data can can be manipulated easier and preserved better than analog data. More importantly, computers can only handle digital data, which is why most information today is stored digitally. But if you want to transfer video from old analog video tapes into your computer so you can edit them, youre not out of luck. You can use a digital to analog converter (DAC) to convert the analog information into a digital signal that can be recognized by your computer.
For more information on analog and digital technology, view the Help Center article.

[Britney]

Analog is an adjective that describes a continuous measurement or transmission of a signal. It is often contrasted with digital, which is how computers store and process data using ones and zeros.
While computers are digital devices, human beings are analog. Everything we perceive, such as what we see and hear, is a continuous transmission of information to our senses. This continuous stream of input is not estimated, but received and processed by our brains as analog data.
Though we live in an era called the digital age, many analog devices still exist. For example, a turntable (or record player) is an analog device, since the needle continuously reads the bumps and grooves on a record. Conversely, a CD player is digital since it reads binary data that represents an audio signal. A thermometer that displays the temperature using a mercury level or needle is considered analog, while one that displays the temperature on a screen is digital.
While analog data has its advantages, digital data is far easier to manage and edit. Since computers only process digital data, most information today is stored digitally. Digital data is also easier to duplicate and preserve. An exact copy of a CD or hard drive can be created over and over again, while copying an analog tape will eventually degrade the quality.
It is possible to convert analog data to digital and vice versa. For example, you can use an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), to convert analog VHS tapes into digital movies that can be played on your PC. Similarly digital audio data can be converted to an analog signal that can be played through a speaker. This is done using a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), which may exist in either the playback device (such as a computer) or the speaker.
NOTE: If a speaker receives a digital input (such as a USB or Toslink connection), it must use a built-in DAC to convert the signal to analog. If it receives an analog input, such as a 1/8 audio cable, RCA jack, or speaker wire, the analog signal can be output directly through the speaker.
A turntable – a classic analog electronic device

[Tina]

A way of representing information that uses a [continuous] range of values. Opposite of digital-- while a CD is digital, a tape is [analog]; while a computer is digital, an [abacus] is analog.

[Dianne]

What people who use [Electronic] Cigarettes call a regular [tobacco] [cigarette].

[Ernesto]

The act of [defecating] without entertaining oneself with digital devices. The use of [log] refers to the log-shaped nature of [poops].