Personal computing

Terms related to personal computers, including definitions about computers sold as consumer products and words and phrases about laptops, tablets and smartphones.
  • Rich Text Format (RTF) - Rich Text Format (RTF) is a file format that lets you exchange text files between different word processors in different operating systems.
  • RickRoll - On the Internet, a RickRoll is a prank where a visitor who clicks on a specific link is intentionally misdirected to a video of pop star Rick Astley's hit "Never Gonna Give You Up.
  • Robert Metcalfe - Robert 'Bob' Melancton Metcalfe, born April 7, 1946, is an American engineer, entrepreneur, professor, writer and venture capitalist.
  • role-playing game (RPG) - A role-playing game (RPG) is a game in which each participant assumes the role of a character that can interact within the game's imaginary world.
  • room-scale virtual reality (VR) - Room-scale (or roomscale) virtual reality (VR) is the use of clear space to allow movement for someone using a VR application such as a VR game.
  • route summarization (route aggregation) - Route summarization -- also known as route aggregation -- is a method to minimize the number of routing tables in an Internet Protocol (IP) network.
  • Routing Information Protocol (RIP) - Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is a distance vector protocol that uses hop count as its primary metric.
  • routing table - A routing table is a set of rules, often viewed in table format, that's used to determine where data packets traveling over an Internet Protocol (IP) network will be directed.
  • RPC over HTTP - Remote Procedure Call over HTTP (RPC over HTTP) is a Microsoft protocol that enables Microsoft Outlook clients to access Microsoft Exchange servers over HTTP.
  • Samsung Galaxy - Samsung Galaxy is a product line of Android smartphones, tablets and internet of things devices manufactured by Samsung Electronics.
  • scanner - A scanner is a device that captures images from photographic prints, posters, magazine pages and similar sources for computer editing and display.
  • scareware - Scareware is a type of malware tactic used to manipulate victims into downloading or buying potentially malware-infested software.
  • screen door effect - The screen door effect is the occurrence of thin, dark lines or a mesh appearance caused by the gaps between pixels on a screen or projected image.
  • script kiddie - Script kiddie is a derogative term that computer hackers coined to refer to immature, but often just as dangerous, exploiters of internet security weaknesses.
  • SDP (Session Description Protocol) - SDP (Session Description Protocol) is a set of rules that defines how multimedia sessions can be set up to allow all end points to effectively participate in the session.
  • search operator - A search operator -- sometimes referred to as a search parameter -- is a character or string of characters used in a search engine query to narrow the focus of the search.
  • search string - A search string is the combination of text, numbers and sometimes special characters that a user enters into an application's search form to find specific types of information.
  • 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.
  • Sender Policy Framework (SPF) - Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a protocol designed to restrict who can use an organization's domain as the source of an email message.
  • Serial ATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or SATA) - Serial ATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or SATA) is a command and transport protocol that defines how data is transferred between a computer's motherboard and mass storage devices, such as hard disk drives (HDDs), optical drives and solid-state drives (SSDs).
  • shadow banning (shadowban) - Shadow banning, in discussion forums and social media, is the practice of making a particular user's posts visible only to that user.
  • Short Message Service (SMS) - 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.
  • short message service center (SMSC) - The short message service center (SMSC) is the portion of a mobile phone network that handles text message operations.
  • Siri - Siri is Apple's virtual assistant for iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS devices that uses voice recognition and is powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
  • skeuomorphism - Skeuomorphism is when something is designed with extra ornamentation to make it resemble another object so it is more familiar.
  • smartphone - A smartphone is a cellular telephone with an integrated computer and other features not originally associated with telephones, such as an operating system (OS), web browsing and the ability to run software applications.
  • smartphone addiction (cellphone addiction) - Smartphone addiction (cellphone addiction) is a disorder involving compulsive overuse of mobile devices, usually quantified as the number of times users access their devices and/or the total amount of time they are online over a specified period.
  • smartwatch - A smartwatch is a wearable computing device that closely resembles a wristwatch or other time-keeping device.
  • SMS gateway - An SMS gateway is a website that allows users to send SMS messages from a web browser to people within the cell served by that gateway.
  • soap opera effect (motion interpolation) - The soap opera effect is the colloquial name for a visual effect caused by motion interpolation on television sets that some people find undesirable.
  • social comparison - Social comparison can lead to issues caused by the fear of missing out (FOMO), including anxiety, depression and a lack of self-esteem.
  • social computing - Social computing is the collaborative and interactive nature of online behavior.
  • social contract - A social contract is an agreement to adhere to acceptable behaviors and meet obligations in a particular environment, such as a nation, a business or a social media site.
  • social media - Social media is a collective term for websites and applications that focus on communication, community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration.
  • social networking - Social networks are websites and apps that allow users and organizations to connect, communicate, share information and form relationships.
  • SODOTO (See One, Do One, Teach One) - SODOTO (See One, Do One, Teach One) is a methodology of teaching and learning skills and best practices through direct observation of a task, hands-on practical experience performing the task and teaching the task to another person.
  • soft copy - A soft copy (sometimes spelled 'softcopy') is an electronic copy (or e-copy) of some type of data, such as a file viewed on a computer's display or transmitted as an email attachment.
  • soft reset - A soft reset is a restart of a device, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop or personal computer (PC).
  • software agent - A software agent is a persistent, goal-oriented computer program that reacts to its environment and runs without continuous direct supervision to perform some function for an end user or another program.
  • solar power - Solar power is a renewable form of energy harvested from the sun for the purpose of producing electricity or thermal energy (heat).
  • sound card - A sound card is a computer component responsible for generating and recording audio.
  • spam filter - A spam filter is a program used to detect unsolicited, unwanted and virus-infected emails and prevent those messages from getting to a user's inbox.
  • spambot - A spambot is an automated system that sends unwanted, unsolicited messages to users, known as spam.
  • spear phishing - Spear phishing is a malicious email spoofing attack that targets a specific organization or individual, seeking unauthorized access to sensitive information.
  • spoliation - Spoliation is the destruction, alteration, or mutilation of evidence that may pertain to legal action.
  • spool (simultaneous peripheral operations online) - To spool (which stands for "simultaneous peripheral operations online") a computer document or task list (or "job") is to read it in and store it, usually on a hard disk or larger storage medium so that it can be printed or otherwise processed at a more convenient time (for example, when a printer is finished printing its current document).
  • Squid proxy server - Squid is a Unix-based proxy server that caches Internet content closer to a requestor than its original point of origin.
  • stablecoin - Stablecoin is a fixed-price cryptocurrency whose market value is attached to another stable asset.
  • stateful inspection - Stateful inspection, also known as dynamic packet filtering, is a firewall technology that monitors the state of active connections and uses this information to determine which network packets to allow through the firewall.
  • static IP address - A static IP address is a 32 bit number that is assigned to a computer to be its address on the internet.
  • steampunk - Steampunk is a design style inspired by Victorian-era industrialism.
  • Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) - Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) is a connection-oriented network protocol for transmitting multiple streams of data simultaneously between two endpoints that have established a connection in a network.
  • streaming media - Streaming media is video or audio content sent in compressed form over the internet and played immediately over a user's device, rather than being saved to the device hard drive or solid-state drive.
  • substrate - A substrate is a solid substance or medium to which another substance is applied and to which that second substance adheres.
  • Sun Microsystems - Sun Microsystems (often just called "Sun"), the leading company in computers used as Web servers, also makes servers designed for use as engineering workstations, data storage products, and related software.
  • SYN flood attack - A SYN flood attack is a type of denial-of-service (DoS) attack on a computer server.
  • tablet (tablet PC) - A tablet is a wireless, portable personal computer with a touchscreen interface.
  • takedown request - A takedown request, also called a DMCA takedown or a notice and take down request, is a procedure for asking an internet service provider (ISP) or search engine to remove or disable access to illegal, irrelevant or outdated information.
  • technology addiction - Technology addiction is an impulse control disorder that involves the obsessive use of mobile devices, the internet or video games, despite the negative consequences to the technology user.
  • TED talk - A TED talk is a recorded public-speaking presentation that was originally given at the main TED (technology, entertainment and design) annual event or one of its many satellite events around the world.
  • telegraph - A telegraph is a communication system that sends information by making and breaking an electrical connection.
  • Text message abbreviations and acronyms - This handy fast reference will help you quickly understand hundreds of Text, Twitter and Chat abbreviations and acronyms that are popularly used in text messages and social media.
  • texture mapping - Texture mapping is a graphic design process in which a two-dimensional (2-D) surface, called a texture map, is "wrapped around" a three-dimensional (3-D)object.
  • thick client (fat client) - A thick client (sometimes called a fat client) is a form of client-server architecture.
  • thumbnail - A thumbnail is a small image representation of a larger image, usually intended to make it easier and faster to look at or manage a group of larger images.
  • TikTok - TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to create, share and discover short-form videos.
  • time-to-live (TTL) - Time-to-live (TTL) is a value for the period of time that a packet, or data, should exist on a computer or network before being discarded.
  • timeline - A timeline is a visual representation of a chronological sequence of events along a drawn line that helps a viewer understand time relationships.
  • TL;DR (too long; didn't read) - TL;DR is an abbreviation for "too long; didn't read.
  • ToFu, MoFu and BoFu - ToFu, MoFu and BoFu is a method used by sales and marketing professionals to pace and cater their approach to sales leads within a sales funnel, depending on the customer’s current phase of the purchase decision.
  • Top 10 spyware threats - The top 10 spyware list describes the 10 common spyware threats behind famous spyware attacks and is frequently identified by Webroot's Spy Audit, a free spyware scanner tool.
  • Tor browser - The Tor (the onion routing) browser is a web browser designed for anonymous web surfing and protection against traffic analysis.
  • touch screen - A touch screen is an electronic display screen that is also an input device.
  • trackball - A trackball is a computer cursor control device used in many laptop computer keyboards and older versions of computer mice.
  • TrackPoint (pointing stick) - A TrackPoint, also called a pointing stick, is a cursor control device found in Lenovo ThinkPad notebook computers.
  • trolling - Trolling, in the context of the web, is the act of responding to online content or comments in a purposely disruptive fashion.
  • TrueView ad - TrueView is a video ad format that gives the viewer options, typically the ability to skip the advertisement after five seconds.
  • Tumblr - Tumblr is a free microblogging site.
  • tweet - A tweet is a post on Twitter.
  • Twitter - Twitter is a free social networking site where users broadcast short posts known as tweets.
  • U (measurement) - A U is a standard unit of measure for designating the height in computer enclosures and server rack cabinets.
  • UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) - A UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) is the microchip with programming that controls a computer's interface to its attached serial devices.
  • UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration) - UDDI, or Universal Description, Discovery and Integration, is an Extensible Language Markup (XML)-based standard to describe, publish and find information about web services.
  • Ultra High-Definition TV (UHDTV) - Ultra-high-definition (UHD) television, also abbreviated UHDTV, is a digital television display format in which the horizontal screen resolution is on the order of 4000 pixels (4K UHD) or 8000 pixels (8K UHD).
  • uncanny valley - The uncanny valley is a common unsettling feeling people experience when androids or humanoid robots and audio/visual simulations closely resemble humans in many respects but aren't quite convincingly realistic.
  • unified communications (UC) - Unified communications (UC) is an umbrella term for the integration of multiple enterprise communication tools -- such as voice calling, video conferencing, instant messaging (IM), presence and content sharing -- into a single, streamlined interface, with the goal of improving user experience (UX) and productivity.
  • Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) - A Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) is a character sequence that identifies a logical (abstract) or physical resource -- usually, but not always, connected to the internet.
  • Universal Naming Convention (UNC) - The Universal Naming Convention (UNC) is a standard for naming resources -- such as files and devices -- that are shared by computers on a network.
  • uploading - Uploading is the transmission of data from a local device to a remote device.
  • URN (Uniform Resource Name) - A URN (Uniform Resource Name) is a permanent identifier for internet resources that employs the urn scheme.
  • USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed USB) - USB 3.0 is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) data transfer standard that is backwards compatible with USB 2.
  • USB-C - USB-C, or Universal Serial Bus Type-C, is a standard connection type for mobile and portable devices.
  • 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.
  • User Principal Name (UPN) - In Microsoft Active Directory, a User Principal Name (UPN) is a username and domain in an email address format.
  • Uuencode (Uuencode/Uudecode) - Uuencode (also called Uuencode/Uudecode) is a popular utility for encoding and decoding files exchanged between users or systems in a network.
  • vector graphics - Vector graphics are computer images created through a sequence of commands or mathematical statements that place lines and shapes in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional space.
  • Viber - Viber is a VoIP and instant messaging application with cross-platform capabilities that allows users to exchange audio and video calls, stickers, group chats, and instant voice and video messages.
  • video streaming service - A video streaming service is an on-demand online entertainment source for TV shows, movies and other streaming media.
  • Vimeo - Vimeo is a U.
  • virtual asset - A virtual asset is a digital representation of an item that has value in a specific environment.