Personal computing

Terms related to personal computers, including definitions about computers sold as consumer products and words and phrases about laptops, tablets and smartphones.
  • What is FTP? - File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a network protocol for transmitting files between computers over TCP/IP connections.
  • What is geolocation? Explaining how geolocation data works - Geolocation technology identifies physical locations of devices and individuals based on information such as geographic coordinates and internet protocol addresses (IP address).
  • What is Google Docs? - Google Docs is a free web-based word processor that can be used to create, edit and store digital documents.
  • What is Google Glass? - Google Glass was a wearable, voice and motion-controlled Android device that resembled a pair of eyeglasses and displayed information directly in the user's field of vision.
  • What is Group Policy Object (GPO) and why is it important? - Microsoft’s Group Policy Object (GPO) is a collection of Group Policy settings that defines what a system will look like and how it will behave for a defined group of users.
  • What is hacktivism? - Hacktivism is the act of misusing a computer system or network for a socially or politically motivated reason.
  • What is HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)? - HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a proprietary specification designed to ensure compatibility between video and audio devices over a single digital interface.
  • What is HTTP and how does it work? Hypertext Transfer Protocol - HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the set of rules for transferring files -- such as text, images, sound, video and other multimedia files -- over the web.
  • What is iCloud? - Apple's iCloud is a free service that stores subscribers' photos, videos, documents, apps and more and updates everything across users' synced devices.
  • What is image metadata and how is it used? - Image metadata is text information pertaining to an image file that is embedded into the file or saved to a separate file that is associated with the image file.
  • What is IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)? - IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) is a standard retrieval protocol for receiving email.
  • What is IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)? - Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a set of specifications from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that is responsible for identifying network devices and routing traffic across the internet.
  • What is LARP (live-action role-playing)? - LARP (live-action role-playing ), sometimes referred to as LARPing, is a form of gameplay where participants physically portray characters in a fictional setting.
  • What is LinkedIn and how does it work? - LinkedIn is a social networking site designed specifically for the business community.
  • What is malware? Prevention, detection and how attacks work - Malware, or malicious software, is any program or file that's intentionally harmful to a computer, network or server.
  • What is Microsoft Managed Desktop (MMD)? - Microsoft Managed Desktop (MMD) was a cloud-based device management service from Microsoft that helped organizations simplify device provisioning, configuration, maintenance and management, and streamline IT service management (ITSM), operations, compliance, security monitoring and response.
  • What is Microsoft OneDrive and how do you use it? - OneDrive is Microsoft's online cloud storage service.
  • What is mixed reality? - Mixed reality refers to advanced technology that combines both virtual reality (VR), a fully immersive computer-generated experience, and augmented reality (AR), which integrates digital elements into the physical world.
  • What is mobile application development? - Mobile application development is the set of processes and procedures involved in writing software for small, wireless computing devices, such as smartphones and other hand-held devices.
  • What is mobile computing? - Mobile computing refers to the set of IT technologies, products, services and operational strategies and procedures that enable end users to access computation, information and related resources and capabilities while mobile.
  • What is mobile device management (MDM)? - Mobile device management (MDM) software enables IT administrators to control, secure and enforce policies on smartphones, tablets and other endpoints.
  • What is National Electrical Code (NEC)? - National Electrical Code (NEC) is a set of regularly updated standards for the safe installation of electric wiring in the Americas.
  • What is Nvidia? - Nvidia Corporation is a technology company known for designing and manufacturing graphics processing units (GPUs).
  • What is PaaS? Platform as a service definition and guide - Platform as a service (PaaS) is a cloud computing model where a third-party provider delivers hardware and software tools to users over the internet.
  • What is PC as a service (PCaaS)? - PC as a service (PCaaS) is a device lifecycle management model in which an organization pays a monthly subscription fee to lease endpoint hardware (PCs) and management services from a vendor instead of purchasing them outright.
  • What is ping and how does it work? - Ping (Packet Internet Groper) is a basic internet program that enables a user to test and verify if a particular destination Internet Protocol (IP) address is reachable and can respond to network requests.
  • What is quantum computing? How it works and examples - Quantum computing is an emerging area of computer science focused on building computers based on the principles of quantum theory to dramatically increase computation speeds.
  • What is RCS messaging (RCS chat)? Explaining how to use it - RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is a messaging protocol used in mobile devices.
  • What is remote desktop protocol (RDP)? - Remote desktop protocol (RDP) is a secure network communications protocol developed by Microsoft.
  • What is Routing Information Protocol (RIP)? - Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is a distance vector protocol that uses hop count as its primary metric.
  • What is SaaS (software as a service)? - Software as a service (SaaS) is a software distribution model in which a cloud provider hosts applications and makes them available to end users over the internet.
  • What is Samsung Galaxy? - Samsung Galaxy is a product line of Android smartphones, tablets and internet of things devices manufactured by Samsung Electronics.
  • What is Secure Digital Extended Capacity card (SDXC)? - A Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) card is a very small flash memory card that has greater storage capacity than the original SD (Secure Digital) memory cards.
  • What is short message service center (SMSC)? - The short message service center (SMSC) is the portion of a mobile phone network that handles text message operations.
  • What is SMS (Short Message Service)? - SMS (Short Message Service), commonly referred to as 'text messaging,' is a service for sending short messages of up to 160 characters (224 character limit if using a 5-bit mode) to mobile devices, including cellular phones, smartphones and tablets.
  • What is SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)? - SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a TCP/IP protocol used in sending and receiving emails over a network such as the internet.
  • What is social media? - Social media refers to websites and applications that focus on communication, community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration.
  • What is social networking and how does it work? - Social networks are websites and apps that allow users and organizations to connect, communicate, share information and form relationships.
  • What is the dark web (darknet)? - The dark web is an encrypted portion of the internet not visible to the general public via a traditional search engine such as Google.
  • What is the domain name system (DNS)? - The domain name system (DNS) is a naming database in which internet domain names are located and translated into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.
  • What is the principle of least privilege (POLP)? - The principle of least privilege (POLP) is a concept in computer security that limits users' access rights to only what is strictly required to do their jobs.
  • What is the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)? - Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a specification for a software program that connects a computer's firmware to its operating system (OS).
  • What is User Datagram Protocol (UDP)? - User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a communications protocol primarily used to establish low-latency and loss-tolerating connections between applications on the internet.
  • What is user-generated content? - User-generated content (UGC) is published information that an unpaid contributor provides to a website.
  • What is virtual reality? How it's used and how it will evolve - Virtual reality, or VR, is a simulated three-dimensional (3D) environment that lets users explore and interact with a virtual surrounding in a way that approximates reality, as it's perceived through the users' senses.
  • What is voice recognition and how does it work? - Voice or speaker recognition is the ability of a machine or program to receive and interpret dictation or to understand and perform spoken commands.
  • What is VR locomotion (virtual reality locomotion)? - VR locomotion refers to the techniques and technologies that allow users to move within a virtual reality (VR) environment.
  • What is X (formerly Twitter)? - X (known as Twitter until 2023) is a free social networking and microblogging site where registered users can broadcast short posts, commonly known as tweets.
  • WhatsApp - WhatsApp is a free cross-platform messaging service.
  • whitelist (allowlist) - A whitelist (allowlist) is a cybersecurity strategy that approves a list of email addresses, IP addresses, domain names or applications, while denying all others.
  • wiki - A wiki is a web-based collaborative platform that enables users to store, create and modify content in an organized manner.
  • Windows 7 - Windows 7 is the Microsoft Windows operating system (OS) released commercially in October 2009 as the successor to Windows Vista.
  • Windows as a service - Windows as a service is the approach Microsoft introduced with Windows 10 to deploy, update and service the operating system.
  • Windows event log - The Windows event log is a detailed record of system, security and application notifications stored by the Windows operating system that is used by administrators to diagnose system problems and predict future issues.
  • Windows key (winkey) - The Windows key (winkey) is a button on a Windows computer keyboard.
  • Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) - Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is a specification for a set of communication protocols to standardize the way wireless devices, such as mobile phones and radio transceivers, can be used for internet access, including email, the web, newsgroups and instant messaging.
  • World Wide Web (WWW) - The World Wide Web -- also known as the web, WWW or W3 -- refers to all the public websites or pages that users can access on their local computers and other devices through the internet.
  • WXGA - WXGA, which stands for wide XGA, is a term used in product specifications to describe a display screen that is appropriate for business but is also suitable for watching DVDs.
  • WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) - WYSIWYG (pronounced wiz-ee-wig) is a type of editing software that allows users to see and edit content in a form that appears as it would when displayed on an interface, webpage, slide presentation or printed document.
  • XACML (Extensible Access Control Markup Language) - XACML (Extensible Access Control Markup Language) is an attribute-based access control policy language (ABAC) or XML-based language, designed to express security policies and access requests to information.
  • XML (Extensible Markup Language) - XML (Extensible Markup Language) is used to describe data.
  • XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language) - XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language) is a family of standards that specifies how to define Extensible Markup Language (XML) document transformation and presentation.
  • yak shaving - Yak shaving is programming lingo for the seemingly endless series of small tasks that have to be completed before the next step in a project can move forward.
  • zero client - Zero client, also known as ultrathin client, is a server-based computing model in which the end user's computing device has no local storage.
  • Zoom fatigue (virtual meeting fatigue) - Zoom fatigue, also known as 'virtual meeting fatigue,' is the feeling of exhaustion that often occurs after attending a series of virtual video meetings.