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.1XR - EVI
- 1xRTT (Single-Carrier Radio Transmission Technology) - 1xRTT (Single-Carrier Radio Transmission Technology) is an operational mode for CDMA2000 wireless communications that specifies a single (1x) 1.
- 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.
- 3G (third generation of mobile telephony) - 3G refers to the third generation of cellular technology that enables mobile telephony.
- 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) - The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaborative project between a group of telecommunications associations with the initial goal of developing globally applicable specifications for third-generation (3G) mobile systems.
- 4G (fourth-generation wireless) - 4G is the short name for fourth-generation wireless, the stage of broadband mobile communications that supersedes 3G (third-generation wireless) and is the predecessor of 5G (fifth-generation wireless).
- 5G New Radio (NR) - 5G New Radio (NR) is a set of standards that replace the LTE network 4G wireless communications standard.
- 802.11 - 802.11 is an evolving family of specifications for wireless local area networks (WLANs) developed by a working group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
- 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) - 802.11ac, also known as Gigabit Wi-Fi, is a specification in the IEEE 802.
- 802.11n - 802.11n is an IEEE standard for wireless networking that boosts the speed, dependability and range of wireless transmissions in wireless local area networks (WLANs).
- A2P messaging (application to person messaging) - A2P messaging (application to person messaging), also known as enterprise or business SMS, is a type of SMS messaging technique where a text is sent from a software application run by an enterprise to a consumer's device.
- Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) - The Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) is a query and response protocol that defines services offered by an access point (AP), typically at a Wi-Fi hot spot.
- airplane mode - Airplane mode is a setting on cell phones, smartphones and other mobile communication devices that prevents the device from sending or receiving calls and text messages.
- Android Factory Reset - Android Factory Reset is a feature that erases all device settings, user data, third-party applications, and associated application data from an Android device’s internal flash storage to return the device to the condition it was in when shipped from the factory.
- Android for Work - Android for Work is a program for devices running on the Google Android mobile operating system that allows IT to manage and secure business applications on a work-specific profile.
- Android Open Source Project (AOSP) - The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is an initiative created to guide development of the Android mobile platform.
- Android Oreo - Android 8.0 Oreo is the eighth major update to the Android operating system that contains new features and enhancements for application developers.
- Android OS - Android OS is a Linux-based mobile operating system that primarily runs on smartphones and tablets.
- Android System WebView - Android System WebView is a system component for the Android operating system (OS) that allows Android apps to display web content directly inside an application.
- antenna - An antenna is a specialized transducer that converts electric current into electromagnetic (EM) waves or vice versa.
- app store (application store) - An app store (application store) is an online portal through which software programs are made available for procurement and download.
- app wrapping (application wrapping) - App wrapping is the process of applying a management layer to a mobile app without requiring any changes to the underlying application.
- Apple - Apple Inc. (formerly Apple Computer Inc.
- Apple 3D Touch - Apple 3D Touch is a pressure-sensitive feature first included in iPhone 6s and 6s Plus that triggers different actions based on how much force the user puts on the screen.
- Apple Authorized Service Provider (Apple AASP) - An Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) is a business that provides repair services for Apple products.
- Apple Business Manager - Apple Business Manager (ABM) is an online portal for IT administrators who deploy Mac OS, iOS and tvOS devices in an enterprise or educational setting.
- Apple Device Enrollment Program (DEP) - The Apple Device Enrollment Program (DEP) is an online service that automates the enrollment and configuration of Apple iOS devices in an organization’s mobile device management software.
- Apple iTunes - Apple iTunes is software that allows computer users to purchase, download and manage music, videos, applications and other media.
- Apple Passbook - Apple Passbook is a mobile application on an iPhone or iPod Touch that allows users to store .
- Apple Push Notification service (APNs) - Apple Push Notification service (APNs) is a cloud service that allows approved third-party apps installed on Apple devices to send push notifications from a remote server to users over a secure connection.
- application sandboxing - Application sandboxing, also called application containerization, is an approach to software development and management and mobile application management (MAM) that limits the environments in which certain code can execute.
- augmented reality (AR) - Augmented reality (AR) is the integration of digital information with the user's environment in real time.
- autocorrect - Autocorrect is a word processing feature that identifies misspelled words, and uses algorithms to identify the words most likely to have been intended, and edits the text accordingly.
- Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) - Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) is a broad set of technologies used to collect information from an object, image or sound without manual data entry.
- band - In telecommunication, a band - sometimes called a frequency band - is a specific range of frequencies in the radio frequency (RF) spectrum, which is divided among ranges from very low frequencies (vlf) to extremely high frequencies (ehf).
- bandwidth (network bandwidth) - Network bandwidth is a measurement indicating the maximum capacity of a wired or wireless communications link to transmit data over a network connection in a given amount of time.
- base station - In telecommunications, a base station is a fixed transceiver that is the main communication point for one or more wireless mobile client devices.
- battery life - Battery life is a measure of battery performance and longevity, which can be quantified in several ways: as run time on a full charge, as estimated by a manufacturer in milliampere hours, or as the number of charge cycles until the end of useful life.
- battery management system (BMS) - A battery management system (BMS) is an electronic regulator that monitors and controls the charging and discharging of rechargeable batteries.
- battery memory effect - The battery memory effect is a reduction in the longevity of a rechargeable battery's charge, due to incomplete discharge in previous uses.
- beamforming - Beamforming is a type of radio frequency (RF) management in which a wireless signal is directed toward a specific receiving device.
- bezel - A bezel is the border between the screen and frame of a computer monitor, smartphone or any other computing device.
- bluesnarfing - Bluesnarfing is a hacking technique in which a hacker accesses a wireless device through a Bluetooth connection.
- Bluetooth - Bluetooth is a telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile devices, computers and other devices can easily communicate with each other using a short-range wireless connection.
- Bluetooth 2.0+EDR - Bluetooth 2.
- Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) - Also marketed as Bluetooth Smart, Bluetooth LE was introduced in the Bluetooth 4.
- body area network (BAN) - A body area network (BAN) is the interconnection of multiple computing devices worn on, affixed to or implanted in a person’s body.
- body cam (bodycam) - A body cam (bodycam) is an audio/video recording device that is clipped to one’s clothing, on the torso.
- bone conduction headphones - Bone conduction headphones -- sometimes called 'bonephones'-- are headphones that transmit sound waves through the bones in a user's skull instead of their ear canal.
- burner phone - A burner phone, or 'burner,' is an inexpensive mobile phone designed for temporary, sometimes anonymous, use, after which it may be discarded.
- BYOD (bring your own device) - BYOD (bring your own device) is a policy that allows employees in an organization to use their personally owned devices for work-related activities.
- capacitive touchscreen - A capacitive touchscreen is a control display that uses the conductive touch of a human finger or a specialized input device for input and control.
- captive portal - A captive portal is a webpage that the user of a public-access network is required to view and interact with before they can access the network.
- CAPWAP (Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points) - CAPWAP (Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points) is a standardized protocol that enables wireless LAN (WLAN) controllers to centrally manage a group of wireless access points (APs).
- carrier-to-noise ratio - In communications, the carrier-to-noise ratio, often written as CNR or C/N, is a measure of the received carrier strength relative to the strength of the received noise.
- CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) - Citizens Broadband Radio Service, or CBRS, is the set of operational rules given to a slice of the shared wireless spectrum and the technologies used in that spectrum.
- CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access) - CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access) refers to any of several protocols used in second-generation (2G) and third-generation (3G) wireless communications.
- charge cycle - The number of charge cycles a rechargeable battery can withstand before performance degrades is the accepted method of measurement for rating rechargeables’ charge cycles.
- Chromecast - Chromecast is a streaming media adapter from Google that allows users to play online content such as videos and music on a digital television.
- churn rate - Churn rate is a measure of the number of customers or employees who leave a company during a given period.
- circuit - In electronics, a circuit is a complete circular path that electricity flows through.
- cloud radio access network (C-RAN) - Cloud radio access network (C-RAN) is a centralized, cloud computing-based architecture for radio access networks.
- coded orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (COFDM) - Coded orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (COFDM) is a telecommunications modulation scheme that divides a single digital signal across 1,000 or more signal carriers simultaneously.
- coexistence testing - Coexistence testing, similar to compatibility testing, is a method of measuring the ability of multiple devices to interact in a single environment with limited bandwidth.
- cognitive radio (CR) - Cognitive radio (CR) is a form of wireless communication in which a transceiver can intelligently detect which communication channels are in use and which ones are not.
- common short code (CSC) - Common short codes (CSC) are short telephone numbers, usually consisting of five digits, that are used to address SMS and MMS messages from cellular telephones.
- configuration profile (CP) - A configuration profile (CP) is an XML file that an IT administrator can use to customize settings on an end user's Apple iOS or Mac OS X device.
- contactless payment - A contactless payment is a wireless financial transaction in which the customer authorizes monetary compensation for a purchase by moving a security token in close proximity to the vendor's point of sale (PoS) reader.
- context awareness - Context awareness is the ability of a system or system component to gather information about its environment at any given time and adapt behaviors accordingly.
- COPE (corporate-owned, personally enabled) - COPE (corporate-owned personally-enabled) is a business model in which an organization provides its employees with mobile computing devices and allows the employees to use them as if they were personally-owned notebook computers, tablets or smartphones.
- cord cutting - Cord cutting, in a telecommunications context, is the practice of stopping a cable or satellite television service in favor of less expensive options, or getting rid of your landline phone and relying solely on cellular or VoIP (voice over IP) service.
- Counter Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol (CCMP) - Counter Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol (CCMP) is an encryption protocol based on the U.
- creative destruction - Creative destruction is a process through which something new brings about the demise of whatever existed before it.
- CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance) - CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance) is a protocol for carrier transmission in 802.
- customer proprietary network information (CPNI) - Customer proprietary network information (CPNI) in the United States is information that telecommunications services -- such as local, long-distance and wireless telephone companies -- acquire about their subscribers.
- CYOD (choose your own device) - CYOD (choose your own device) is an alternative model to BYOD (bring your own device) that involves allowing employees to select the device they want from among a limited number of options.
- data cap (broadband cap) - A data cap is a specific amount of mobile data that a user account can access for a given amount of money, usually specified per month.
- data plan (mobile data plan) - Since the advent of the smartphone made mobile Internet possible, most carriers offer data plans at varying rates based on the amount of data transfer allowed before a data cap is imposed.
- dead zone (Wi-Fi dead zone) - A dead zone (Wi-Fi dead zone) is an area within a wireless LAN location where Wi-Fi does not function, typically due to radio interference or range issues.
- dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) - Dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) is a wireless communication technology designed to allow automobiles in the intelligent transportation system (ITS) to communicate with other automobiles or infrastructure technology.
- device ID (device identification) - A device ID (device identification) is an anonymous string of numbers and letters that uniquely identifies a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet or smartwatch.
- device-agnostic (device agnosticism) - Device agnosticism, or device-agnostic, is the capacity of a computing component to work with various systems without requiring any particular adaptations.
- digital tattoo - With more than one meaning, a digital tattoo is to a temporary tattoo that is outfitted with electronics, such as sensors or a near field communication (NFC) chip.
- digital wallet - In general, a digital wallet is a software application, usually for a smartphone, that serves as an electronic version of a physical wallet.
- digital wellness (digital wellbeing) - Digital wellness (digital wellbeing) is the use of technology to ensure an employee's physical and mental health.
- discontinuous transmission (DTX) - Discontinuous transmission (DTX) is a method of momentarily powering-down, or muting, a mobile or portable wireless telephone set when there is no voice input to the set.
- disposable phone number - A disposable phone number is a virtual phone number that is usable temporarily.
- distributed antenna system (DAS) - A distributed antenna system (DAS) is a way to deal with isolated spots of poor coverage inside a large building by installing a network of relatively small antennas throughout the building to serve as repeaters.
- downlink and uplink - These terms should not be confused with downstream and upstream.
- driver assistance - Driver assistance, also known as advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), are technologies used to make motor vehicle travel safer by automating, improving or adapting some or all of the tasks involved in operating a vehicle.
- dual Wi-Fi antenna - A dual Wi-Fi antenna is a pair of identical antennas on a wireless router or Wi-Fi-equipped device, intended to eliminate signal fading and dead spots.
- dual-SIM phone - A dual SIM phone is a mobile phone, typically a smart phone, with the capacity to use two subscriber identity module (SIM) cards.
- dumbphone (dumb phone) - A dumbphone (also seen as dumb phone) is a mobile telephone that, unlike a smartphone, has little-to-no computing or internet capacity.
- E911 (Enhanced 911) - In the United States, E911 (Enhanced 91 is support for wireless phone users who dial 911, the standard number for requesting help in an emergency.
- electric vehicle charging station - An electric vehicle charging station is equipment that connects an EV to a source of electricity to recharge electric cars, neighborhood electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
- electrostatic field - When two objects in each other's vicinity have different electrical charges, an electrostatic field exists between them.
- embedded device - An embedded device is part of a larger computing system and has a specific purpose.
- emoji - An emoji is a small image, either static or animated, that represents an emotion, an item or a concept (among other possibilities) in digital communications.
- enterprise mobility management (EMM) - Enterprise mobility management (EMM) is software that allows organizations to securely enable employee use of mobile devices and applications.
- ephemeral messaging - Ephemeral messaging is the mobile-to-mobile transmission of multimedia messages that automatically disappear from the recipient's screen after the message has been viewed.
- evil twin attack - An evil twin attack is a rogue Wi-Fi access point (AP) that masquerades as a legitimate one, enabling an attacker to gain access to sensitive information without the end user's knowledge.