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Chapter 8 |
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| # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
| analog | Waves that illustrate the loudness of a sound or the brightness of the colors in an image at a given moment in time. |
| analog-to-digital converter chip | Converts analog signals into digital signals. |
| base transceiver station | A large communications tower with antennas, amplifiers, and receivers/transmitters. |
| Bluetooth technology | A type of wireless technology that uses radio waves to transmit data over short distances (approximately 30 feet for Bluetooth 1 and 60 feet for Bluetooth 2). Often used to connect peripherals such as printers and keyboards to computers or headsets to cell phones. |
| cellular phone (cell phone) | A telephone that operates over a wireless network. Cell phones can also offer Internet access, text messaging, personal information management (PIM) features, and more. |
| codec | A rule, implemented in either software or hardware, which squeezes a given amount of audio and video information into less space. |
| copyleft | A simplified licensing scheme that enables copyright holders to grant certain rights to a work while retaining other rights. |
| data plan | A connectivity plan or text messaging plan in which data charges are separate from cell phone calling charges and are provided at rates different from those for voice calls. |
| derivative work | Intellectual property that is based on an original work but is modified in some way. |
| digital signal processor | A specialized chip that processes digital information and transmits signals very quickly. |
| flash memory | Portable, nonvolatile memory. |
| Global Positioning System (GPS) | A system of 21 satellites (plus 3 working spares), built and operated by the U.S. military, that constantly orbit the earth. They provide information to GPS-capable devices to pinpoint locations on the earth. |
| Internet tablet | A very light, portable computing device without a keyboard. |
| microbrowser | Software that makes it possible to access the Internet from a PDA/smartphone. |
| mobile switching center | A central location that receives cell phone requests for service from a base station. |
| multimedia message service (MMS) | An extension of short message service (SMS) that enables messages that include text, sound, images, and video clips to be sent from a cell phone or PDA to other phones or e-mail addresses. |
| netbook | A computing device that runs a full-featured operating system but weighs two pounds or less. |
| peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing | The process of users transferring files between computers. |
| portable media player (PMP) | A small portable device (such as an iPod) that enables you to carry your MP3s or other media files around with you. |
| resolution | The clearness or sharpness of an image, which is controlled by the number of pixels displayed on the screen. |
| sampling rate | The number of times per second a signal is measured and converted to a digital value. Sampling rates are measured in kilobits per second. |
| short message service (SMS) | Technology that enables short text messages (up to 160 characters) to be sent over mobile networks. |
| smartphone | A device that combines the functionality of a cell phone, a PMP, and a PDA into one unit. |
| syncing (or synchronizing) | The process of updating data on portable devices (such as a cell phone or iPod) and computer so that they contain the same data. |
| telephony | The use of equipment to provide voice communications over a distance. |
| ubiquitous computing | The condition in which computing is so woven into the fabric of everyday life that it becomes indistinguishable from it. |
| VoIP | (Voice over Internet Protocol). |
| wireless Internet service provider (wireless ISP) | An ISP that provides service to wireless devices such as PDA/smartphones. |
| Wireless Markup Language (WML) | A format for writing content viewed on a cellular phone or personal digital assistant (PDA) that is text-based and contains no graphics. |
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