Tech Terms Glossary

Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode. A display technology used in smartphones and TVs that provides higher refresh rates, better contrast, and lower power consumption than LCD displays.

The opening through which light passes in a camera lens. It's measured in f-stops (like f/1.8, f/2.2) - the lower the number, the wider the aperture and the more light can enter.

A wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances using radio waves. Common in smartphones, speakers, headphones, and other devices.

Central Processing Unit. The primary component of a computer that performs most of the processing inside a computer or electronic device.

Digital Single-Lens Reflex camera. A digital camera that uses a mirror mechanism to direct light from the lens to an optical viewfinder, allowing photographers to see exactly what will be captured.

Electronic Ink. A display technology designed to mimic the appearance of ordinary ink on paper, commonly used in e-readers like Amazon Kindle.

Frames Per Second. A measure of how many complete images (frames) are displayed each second in videos or games. Higher FPS results in smoother motion.

Graphics Processing Unit. A specialized electronic circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images for output to a display device.

High Dynamic Range. A technique used in imaging and photography to reproduce a greater dynamic range of luminosity than is possible with standard digital imaging or photographic techniques.

In-Plane Switching. A screen technology for LCD displays that offers better color reproduction and wider viewing angles compared to older TN (Twisted Nematic) panels.

Joint Photographic Experts Group. A commonly used method of lossy compression for digital images, particularly for those images produced by digital photography.

Kilobits per second. A measure of data transfer speed, often used when discussing internet connection speeds or audio bitrates.

Liquid Crystal Display. A flat-panel display technology found in many digital devices, including TVs, computer monitors, and smartphone screens.

Milliampere-hour. A unit of electric charge commonly used to measure the energy capacity of batteries. Higher mAh ratings generally indicate longer battery life.

Non-Volatile Memory Express. A specification for accessing solid-state drives (SSDs) attached through the PCIe bus. NVMe SSDs offer significantly faster data transfer speeds compared to SATA SSDs.

Organic Light-Emitting Diode. A display technology that can create deeper blacks and has better contrast than LCD because each pixel emits its own light and can be completely turned off.

Pixels Per Inch. A measurement of the pixel density of a digital image or display. Higher PPI generally results in sharper, more detailed images.

Quantum-dot Light-Emitting Diode. A display technology that uses quantum dots to enhance color and brightness in LCD displays, primarily used in Samsung TVs.

Random Access Memory. A type of computer memory that can be read and changed in any order, typically used to store working data and machine code.

Solid State Drive. A storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies to store data persistently, typically using flash memory. SSDs are faster and more durable than traditional hard disk drives (HDDs).

A display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area, allowing direct interaction with what is displayed rather than indirectly with a mouse or touchpad.

A USB connector system with a symmetrical connector that can be inserted in either orientation. USB-C supports faster data transfer speeds and more power delivery than previous USB standards.

Variable Refresh Rate. A display technology that allows a monitor or TV to adjust its refresh rate in real-time to match the frame rate of the content being displayed, reducing screen tearing and stuttering.

A wireless networking technology that allows devices to communicate without direct cable connections, commonly used to connect devices to the internet.

Extreme Dynamic Range. Apple's term for their high-end displays that offer exceptional brightness, contrast, and color accuracy, such as the Pro Display XDR and the displays in the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro.