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.HSD - MOB
- HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) - High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is a packet-based mobile telephony protocol used in 3G UMTS radio networks.
- HTML5 mobile app - HTML5 mobile apps are developed through that version of the Web content standard.
- hyperconnectivity - Hyperconnectivity is a state of unified communications (UC) in which the traffic-handling capacity and bandwidth of a network always exceed the demand.
- i-Mode - i-Mode is the packet-based service for mobile phones offered by Japan's leader in wireless technology, NTT DoCoMo.
- iBeacon - iBeacon is a small-scale network device that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and acts as a transmitter to detect and track smartphones.
- IBM MobileFirst - IBM MobileFirst is a group of products designed to simplify and accelerate mobile adoption by offering mobile application development and management in a single package.
- IBM MobileFirst Platform Foundation (formerly IBM Worklight) - IBM MobileFirst Foundation, formerly known as IBM Worklight, is a suite of software development products that allow developers to build and deliver mobile applications for the enterprise.
- ICE (In Case of Emergency) - ICE (for In Case of Emergency) is an abbreviation that a cell phone user can enter into the device's directory to identify the telephone number of a primary contact, such as next of kin.
- iCrime (Apple picking) - iCrime, also known as "Apple picking," is the theft of Apple devices such as iPhones, iPods and iPads.
- iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network) - iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network) is a wireless technology from Motorola combining the capabilities of a digital cellular telephone, two-way radio, alphanumeric pager and data/fax modem in a single network.
- Identity of Things (IDoT) - The Identity of Things (IDoT) involves assigning unique identifiers with associated metadata to devices and objects (things), enabling them to connect and communicate effectively with other entities over the Internet.
- IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) - IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a 15- or 17-digit code that uniquely identifies mobile phone sets.
- in-app purchase (IAP) - An in-app purchase (IAP) is something bought from within an application, typically a mobile app running on a smartphone or other mobile device.
- inductive charging - Inductive charging is a wireless charging method used for charging mid-sized items such as cell phones, MP3 players and PDAs.
- infrared transmission - Infrared transmission refers to energy in the region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum at wavelength s longer than those of visible light, but shorter than those of radio.
- Instagram Stories - Instagram Stories is a feature within the Instagram app where users can capture and post related images and video content in a slideshow format.
- Intel Atom - Atom is Intel's family of x86 and x86-64 processors that are optimized for small computing devices, such as smartphones and mobile Internet devices (MIDs).
- Intel Curie - Intel’s Curie module is a tiny system-on a-chip (SoC) based on the Intel Quark SE.
- Intel Quark - Intel Quark is an embedded system-on-a-chip (SoC) processor design intended for smaller mobile devices like wearable computers.
- intelligent system - An intelligent system is a machine with an embedded, Internet-connected computer that has the capacity to gather and analyze data and communicate with other systems.
- Internet.org - Internet.org is an initiative to make the Web affordable and accessible for people in developing and disadvantaged areas of the world.
- iOS 7 - iOS 7 is the seventh version of Apple’s proprietary mobile operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPodTouch.
- iOS 8 - IOS 8 is the eighth version of Apple’s mobile operating system.
- iOS Erase - iOS Erase is a feature that obliterates everything stored in the iOS encrypted file system’s user partition.
- IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) - The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is a concept for an integrated network of telecommunications carriers that would facilitate the use of IP (Internet Protocol) for packet communications in all known forms over wireless or landline.
- IP PBX (private branch exchange) - An IP PBX is a private branch exchange (telephone switching system within an enterprise) that switches calls between VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol or IP) users on local lines while allowing all users to share a certain number of external phone lines.
- iPad Air - Apple’s iPad Air is an iOS tablet that is lighter and thinner than the company’s previous tablets.
- iPad Mini - The iPad Mini is an Apple tablet PC that will offer many of the features of the full-size iPad but in a smaller format, similar in size and weight to the Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet.
- iPhone - IPhone is a smartphone made by Apple that combines a computer, iPod, digital camera and cellular phone into one device with a touchscreen interface.
- iPhone 3G - iPhone 3G is the second generation of iPhone, a smartphone made by Apple that combines an iPod, a tablet PC, a digital camera and a cellular phone.
- iPhone 5 - The iPhone 5 is the sixth version of Apple's touch-based smartphone.
- iPhone 5s - iPhone 5s is a smartphone from Apple that runs the iOS 7 operating system (OS) and is powered by a 64-bit dual-core A7 processor, which Apple claims to be 2X faster than the A6 chip from the iPhone 5.
- IR wireless (infrared wireless) - IR wireless is the use of wireless technology in devices or systems that convey data through infrared (IR) radiation.
- IT distributor - An IT channel distributor is a business that acts as an intermediary between vendors and value-added resellers (VARs) or system integrators (SIs) in the distribution of software or hardware.
- IT reseller - An IT reseller is an intermediary entity in the distribution channel that purchases software and/or hardware from the manufacturer or some other entity, such as a wholesaler or a distributor, and sells it to consumers.
- iTunes U - iTunes U is a dedicated section of Apple's iTunes Music Store that features educational audio and video files from universities, museums and public media organizations for free download to PCs and mobile devices.
- J2ME (Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition) - J2ME (Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition) is a technology that allows programmers to use the Java programming language and related tools to develop programs for mobile wireless information devices such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
- jailbreaking - Jailbreaking, in a mobile device context, is the use of an exploit to remove manufacturer or carrier restrictions from a device such as an iPhone or iPad.
- keitai - Keitai (pronounced k-tie) is a Japanese word meaning "portable.
- kickstand - A kickstand, in a computing context, is an accessory or an attachment that props up a mobile device up so it stands and the user doesn't have to hold it.
- Kindle Fire - Kindle Fire is a low-priced tablet computer from Amazon.
- landline - A landline is a telephone that transmits signals converted from audio data through physical media, such as wire or fibre optic cable, rather than through wireless transmission as is the case with mobile phones.
- leaky app - A leaky app is a small software program – typically a mobile app – that transmits user data across the Internet.
- Lemon Wallet - Lemon Wallet is a digital wallet application that allows users to store digital copies of identification, insurance, loyalty and payment cards, providing a backup in case a physical wallet is lost, stolen or left at home.
- Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga - The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga is a line of convertible tablet computers that run the Windows operating system.
- LevelUp - LevelUp is a mobile payment (m-payment) and rewards service for consumer business transactions using smartphones.
- Life360 - Life360 is a family communication, location and alert app for smartphones that allows users to share their locations with each other.
- line of sight (LOS) - The level of obstruction in a line of sight determines not only the visibility from one point to another but also the quality of signal reception for wireless transmissions, such as Wi-Fi.
- liquid computing - Liquid computing is the capacity for data and applications to remain consistent and current across multiple devices so that the user could, for example, stop working on a document on a desktop before leaving the office and start from the same point on a tablet from another location.
- lithium polymer battery (LiPo) - A lithium-polymer battery (LiPo) is a rechargeable battery that, in the case of true LiPo, uses solid polymer for the electrolyte and lithium for one of the electrodes.
- live USB (operating system on a stick) - Windows To Go is a feature of Windows 8 Enterprise edition that allows administrators to put a full blown copy of Windows 8 on an external USB 3.
- LMDS (Local Multipoint Distribution System) - LMDS (Local Multipoint Distribution System) is a system for broadband microwave wireless transmission direct from a local antenna to homes and businesses within a line-of-sight radius, a solution to the so-called last-mile technology problem of economically bringing high-bandwidth services to users.
- local wipe - Local wipe, also known as auto-wipe, is deletion of a device's data which is initiated by software on the device itself, rather than through remote administration.
- location awareness - Location awareness is a component of presence technology that delivers information about a device's physical location to another user or application.
- location-based service (LBS) - A location-based service (LBS) is a software application for a mobile device that requires knowledge about where the mobile device is located.
- locked down device (LDD) - A locked down device (LDD) is a mobile device, typically a smartphone, that is shipped by a vendor with the ability to accept only the SIM card that originally came with it.
- Lookout Mobile Security - Lookout Mobile Security is an antimalware, data backup and remote management app for smartphones and tablets.
- LTE (Long Term Evolution) - Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a standard for 4G wireless broadband technology that offers increased network capacity and speed to mobile device users.
- LTE-Advanced (Long Term Evolution-Advanced) - Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-Advanced) is a cellular networking standard that offers higher throughput than its predecessor, the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard.
- MacBook Air - MacBook Air is a thin, lightweight laptop from Apple.
- machine-to-machine (M2M) - Machine-to-machine, or M2M, is a broad label that can be used to describe any technology that enables networked devices to exchange information and perform actions without the manual assistance of humans.
- Maemo (Nokia Maemo) - Maemo is a Linux-based operating system and mobile platform from the Finnish communications and information technology corporation, Nokia.
- managed mobility services (MMS) - Managed mobility services (MMS) is the procurement, deployment and management of mobile devices and apps, PC software and services connecting out-of-office workers to the enterprise environment.
- manufactured sapphire - Manufactured sapphire is synthetic crystalline aluminum oxide that is transparent like glass, but harder.
- MEO satellite (medium earth orbit satellite) - A medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite is one with an orbit within the range from a few hundred miles to a few thousand miles above the earth's surface.
- Metro apps - Metro apps are touch-screen-friendly apps written especially for Microsoft's WinRT programming interfaces.
- MFSK (multiple frequency shift keying) - MFSK (multiple frequency shift keying), also called multi-frequency shift keying, is a method of signal modulation in which discrete audio tone bursts of various frequencies convey digital data.
- micro USB - Micro USB is a miniaturized version of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface developed for connecting compact and mobile devices such as smartphones, MP3 players and digital cameras.
- micro-HDMI - Micro-HDMI (HDMI type D) is a miniaturized version of the High Definition Multimedia Interface specification.
- microblogging - Microblogging is a web service that allows the subscriber to broadcast short messages to other subscribers of the service.
- microphone hacking - Microphone hacking is the unauthorized interception of audio data captured through the microphone on a computer, smartphone or other device.
- Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync Web Administration Tool - The Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync Web Administration Tool is a software application that provides a network administrator with a Web interface for mobile device management.
- Microsoft HoloLens - Microsoft HoloLens is a virtual reality (VR) headset with transparent lenses for an augmented reality experience.
- Microsoft Live Mesh - Live Mesh is a software-plus-services platform from Microsoft that synchronizes data between multiple computers, mobile devices and online services.
- Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager (MSCMDM) - Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager (MSCMDM) is server-based software that allows enterprise IT professionals to manage and automate tasks for Windows Mobile devices.
- microwave integrated circuit (MIC) - A microwave integrated circuit (MIC) is an integrated circuit (IC) designed for operation at frequencies of approximately 1 gigahertz (GHz) or more.
- MiFi - MiFi is a portable broadband device that allows multiple end users and mobile devices to share a 3G or 4G mobile broadband Internet connection and create an ad-hoc network.
- MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) - MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) is an antenna technology for wireless communications in which multiple antennas are used at both the source (transmitter) and the destination (receiver).
- miniaturized satellite - A miniaturized satellite is an earth-orbiting device having lower mass and smaller physical dimensions than a conventional satellite, such as a geostationary satellite.
- MISO (multiple input, single output) - MISO (multiple input, single output) is an antenna technology for wireless communications in which multiple antennas are used at the source (transmitter).
- mLife - mLife is a multi-million dollar advertising campaign sponsored by AT&T to promote their wireless products and services.