Consumer Technology
Definitions about consumer technology including Internet acronyms, tech lingo, multimedia definitions, words about personal computing and peripherals as well as terms used in wireless and mobile computing.
Desktops and laptops
Terms related to PCs, including definitions about desktop computers and words and phrases about computer components.
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Ctrl-Alt-Delete
On a personal computer with the Microsoft Windows operating system, Control+Alt+Delete is the combination of the Ctrl key, the Alt key, and Del key that a user can press at the same time to terminate an application task or to reboot the operating system.
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operating system (OS)
An operating system (OS) is the program that, after being initially loaded into the computer by a boot program, manages all of the other application programs in a computer.
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Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, or UEFI, specifies how a software program connects a computer's firmware to its operating system and attached computing hardware. UEFI is considered the successor to BIOS.
End user hardware
Terms related to peripheral devices including definitions about keyboards or mice and words and phrases about printers, monitors, digital cameras and scanners.
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holographic storage (holostorage)
Holographic storage is computer storage that uses laser beams to store computer-generated data in three dimensions.
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InfiniBand
InfiniBand is an industry standard communications specification the InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) developed.
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cathode ray tube (CRT)
A cathode ray tube (CRT) is a specialized vacuumtube in which images are produced when an electron beam strikes aphosphorescent surface.
Internet acronyms and lingo
Terms related to Internet acronyms and lingo, including slang definitions and jargon about texting, Twitter and other social networking sites.
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click fraud (pay-per-click fraud)
Click fraud -- sometimes called 'pay-per-click fraud' -- is a type of fraud that artificially inflates traffic statistics for online advertisements.
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instant messaging
Instant messaging, often shortened to IM or IM'ing, is the exchange of near real-time messages through a standalone application or embedded software.
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white hat hacker
A white hat hacker -- or ethical hacker -- is an individual who uses hacking skills to identify security vulnerabilities in hardware, software or networks.
Internet technologies
This WhatIs.com glossary contains terms related to Internet technologies, including definitions about port numbers, standards and protocols and words and phrases about how the Internet works.
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Rijndael
Rijndael (pronounced rain-dahl) is an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm.
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instant messaging
Instant messaging, often shortened to IM or IM'ing, is the exchange of near real-time messages through a standalone application or embedded software.
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access log
An access log is a list of all requests for individual files -- such as Hypertext Markup Language files, their embedded graphic images and other associated files that get transmitted -- that people or bots have made from a website.
Multimedia and graphics
Terms related to multimedia, including graphics, animation and video definitions and words and phrases about images and sound.
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2D barcode (two-dimensional barcode)
A 2D (two-dimensional) barcode is a graphical image that stores information horizontally as one-dimensional barcodes do, as well as vertically.
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video streaming
Video streaming is a continuous transmission of video files from a server to a client.
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charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device (CCD) is a light-sensitive integrated circuit that captures images by converting photons to electrons.
Personal computing
Terms related to personal computers, including definitions about computers sold as consumer products and words and phrases about laptops, tablets and smartphones.
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InfiniBand
InfiniBand is an industry standard communications specification the InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) developed.
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grid computing
Grid computing is a system for connecting a large number of computer nodes into a distributed architecture that delivers the compute resources necessary to solve complex problems.
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CCTV (closed circuit television)
CCTV (closed-circuit television) is a television system in which signals are not publicly distributed but are monitored, primarily for surveillance and security purposes. CCTV relies on strategic placement of cameras, and observation of the camera's input on monitors somewhere. (Continued)
Printers
Terms related to printers, including definitions about scanners and words and phrases about inkjet, laser, photo and all-in-one printers.
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printer
A printer is a device that accepts text and graphic output from a computer and transfers the information to paper, usually to standard-size, 8.5" by 11" sheets of paper.
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offset printing (offset lithography)
Offset printing, also called offset lithography, is a method of mass-production printing in which the images on metal plates are transferred (offset) to rubber blankets or rollers and then to the print media.
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rafts, skirts and brims
Rafts, skirts and brims are structures created at the base of the bottom of a 3D print. These structures are temporary and used to improve print reliability and quality.
Wireless and mobile
Terms related to wireless and mobile technology, including definitions about consumer mobile technology devices and communication technologies such as Wi-Fi, WiMAX and LTE.
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mobile platform as a service (mPaaS)
Mobile platform as a service (mPaaS) is a specialized type of PaaS designed to provide an integrated development environment (IDE), deployment platform, lifecycle management and analytics for mobile/web applications.
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2D barcode (two-dimensional barcode)
A 2D (two-dimensional) barcode is a graphical image that stores information horizontally as one-dimensional barcodes do, as well as vertically.
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satellite
A satellite is any object that orbits something else, as, for example, the Earth orbits the sun.