A Quick Cheat Sheet of Common Terms

3G

Third-generation mobile network. The types of applications, capacity, and speed supported by the mobile network are based on the "generation" (G) of the network. 1G is an analog network and 2G is a digital personal communications service (PCS) network. Both are voice-centric, with the main difference in the voice quality, although 2.5G networks support some data services, such as mobile instant messages (IM) and push-to-talk (PTT) services. To date, most mobile broadband is offered via 3G networks, which offer improved voice quality, spectrum utilization, and additional data capacity. 3G networks typically support data stream rates of 3–14 Mbps. The next evolution is 4G mobile networks, which promise to deliver speeds up to 100 Mbps and are positioned to better support the applications and services of the near future than their hardwired brethren.

Antispam

Software that combats the proliferation of unsolicited messages to reduce unwanted (junk) and dangerous email messages that contain malware.

Antivirus

Software that scans files in your email application and miscellaneous web traffic to find a match for specific attack patterns, referred to as signatures, that pose a risk to computing systems. File-level protection measures can detect a variety of malware, including but not limited to viruses, worms, and Trojans.

Avatar

A virtual persona that you can create for yourself to enter and participate in the virtual world.

Backbone

The core of the ...

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