IST Chapter 8

cellular telephones

(also called cell phones) Phones that provide two-way radio communications over a cellular network of base stations with seamless handoffs.

voice portal

A Web site with an audio interface.

pervasive computing (also called ubiquitous computing)

A computer environment where virtually every object has processing power together with wireless or wired connections to a global network.

wireless local area network (WLAN)

A computer network in a limited geographical area that uses wireless transmission for communication.

personal area network (PAN)

A computer network used for communication among computer devices close to one person.

ultra-wideband (UWB)

A high-bandwidth wireless technology with transmission speeds in excess of 100 Mbps that can be used for applications such as streaming multimedia from, say, a personal computer to a television.

mesh network

A network composed of motes in the physical environment that "wake up" at intervals to transmit data to their nearest neighbor mote.

mobile portal

A portal that aggregates and provides content and services for mobile users.

mobile computing

A real-time connection between a mobile device and other computing environments, such as the Internet or an intranet.

Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)

A set of standards for wireless local area networks based on the IEEE 802.11 standard.

hotspot

A small geographical perimeter within which a wireless access point provides service to a number of users.

mobile wallet

A technology that allows users to make purchases with a single click from their mobile devices.

infrared

A type of wireless transmission that uses red light not usually visible to human eyes.

satellite radio (also called digital radio)

A wireless system that beams uninterrupted, near CD-quality music to your radio from satellites.

microwave transmission

A wireless system that uses microwaves for high-volume, long-distance, point-to-point communication.

global positioning system (GPS)

A wireless system that uses satellites to enable users to determine their position anywhere on earth.

radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology

A wireless technology that allows manufacturers to attach tags with antennas and computer chips to goods and then track their movement through radio signals.

satellite transmission

A wireless transmission system that uses satellites for broadcast communications.

wireless access point

An antenna connecting a mobile device to a wired local area network.

propagation delay

Any delay in communications due to signal transmission time through a physical medium.

mobile commerce (m-commerce)

Electronic commerce transactions that are conducted with a mobile device.

location-based commerce (L-commerce)

Mobile commerce transactions targeted to individuals in specific locations, at specific times.

wireless sensor networks (WSN)

Networks of interconnected, battery-powered, wireless sensors placed in the physical environment.

wireless

Telecommunications in which electromagnetic waves carry the signal between communicating devices.

near-field communications (NFC)

The smallest of the short-range wireless networks, designed to be embedded in mobile devices such as cell phones and credit cards.

telemetry

The wireless transmission and receipt of data gathered from remote sensors.

radio transmission

Uses radio-wave frequencies to send data directly between transmitters and receivers.

radio-frequency (RF) jamming,

a person or a device, whether intentionally or unintentionally, interferes with your wireless network transmissions.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs)

are networks of interconnected, battery-powered, wireless sensors called motes (analogous to nodes) that are placed into the physical environment.

ubiquitous computing

is a world in which virtually every object has processing power together with wireless or wired connections to a global network.

War driving

is the act of locating WLANs while driving (or walking) around a city or elsewhere (see www.wardriving.com). To war drive or walk, you simply need a Wi-Fi detector and a wirelessly enabled computer.

rogue access

point is an unauthorized access point to a wireless network. The rogue could be someone in your organization who, although meaning no harm, sets up an access point without informing the IT department.

Eavesdropping

refers to efforts by unauthorized users to access data traveling over wireless networks.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID)

technology allows manufacturers to attach tags with antennas and computer chips to goods and then track their movement through radio signals.

Bluetooth Chip

technology that enables short-range connection (data and voice) between wireless devices.