Technology

Amiga CDTV Commodore's Amiga CDTV was an early CD-based multimedia console/computer introduced in 1991, intended for living-room multimedia but hampered by price, limited software and unclear…

AMOLED — Active Matrix OLED display technology AMOLED Overview of AMOLED displays: how they work, key characteristics, history, common uses, advantages and limitations compared with other display types.

Amplifier (electronic): overview, types, operation, and applications Amplifier An electronic amplifier increases the voltage, current or power of a signal. Covers operation, common classes (A, B, AB, D, C), components, measurements, impedance, applications an…

Analog signal processing: principles, components, and applications Analog signal processing Comprehensive overview of analog signal processing: core components (filters, amplifiers, comparators), key principles, design trade-offs, typical circuits and applications in audi…

Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC): Principles, Types, and Applications Analog-to-digital converter An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converts continuous electrical signals into discrete digital values. This article explains principles, architectures, history, uses, and practi…

Analogue computer: overview, history, design, and modern relevance Analogue computer Comprehensive introduction to analogue computers: their principles, major historical devices, components and applications, and how they differ from digital systems.

AND gate (logical conjunction) AND gate A digital logic gate that outputs true only when all inputs are true. Describes behavior, notation, truth table, common implementations, uses (masking, control, arithmetic), and re…

Android (mobile operating system) Android (operating system) Android is an open-source, Linux-based operating system for mobile devices. It powers a wide range of smartphones, tablets and other devices and supports a large application ecosys…

Android (robot) An android is a robot designed to resemble a human in appearance and behavior. This article explains its features, history, uses, distinctions, and cultural impact, including the u…

Androidland — the Android-themed retail store concept Androidland Androidland was a branded retail concept that showcased Android devices in a themed environment; first opened in Melbourne in 2011 and later expanded with additional locations in 2…

Animatronics: principles, history, and applications Animatronics Animatronics blends electronics and robotics to animate lifelike puppets for film, themed attractions, and interactive exhibits; this article explains components, development, uses…

Answering machine (telephone answering device) Answering machine A device attached to a telephone line that answers calls and records messages when no one is available; historically tape-based, now largely solid-state and distinct from network v…

Antikythera mechanism: ancient Greek analogue computer and astronomical calculator Antikythera mechanism A Bronze Age-era geared instrument recovered from a shipwreck, the Antikythera mechanism modelled solar, lunar and eclipse cycles and remains the most complex known ancient mechani…

Antivirus software: purpose, methods, history, and limitations Antivirus software Antivirus software detects, blocks and removes malicious programs. This article explains how it works, main components, historical background, common uses, and practical limitation…

Apache Subversion (SVN): centralized version control system Apache Subversion Apache Subversion (SVN) is a centralized version control system for tracking changes to files and directories, supporting atomic commits, branching via copies, and common developer…

ApeXtreme — Apex Digital multimedia console ApeXtreme ApeXtreme was a multimedia-focused home console released by Apex Digital in January 2004, marketed to play discs, PC software and provide internet-connected entertainment in the li…

APF-M1000 A second‑generation home video game console released by APF in 1978, notable for its cartridge support, joystick/keypad controllers, color TV output and the built‑in game Rocket Pa…

Aphelion (Image Analysis Software Suite) Aphelion (software) Aphelion is a commercial image processing and analysis suite composed of Lab, Dev, and SDK products for prototyping, automating and integrating image‑based applications.

APK (Android application package) file format APK (file format) APK is the archive format used to distribute and install Android applications. It bundles executable bytecode, resources, native libraries and metadata in a ZIP-based package, sign…

App Store (iOS) Apple's curated digital marketplace for iPhone and iPad apps, handling discovery, downloads, payments, in-app purchases, subscriptions and developer distribution under a review pro…

Apple A4 system-on-chip Apple A4 Apple A4 is Apple's first in-house system-on-chip for mobile devices, introduced with the original iPad and later used in the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch (4th gen).

Apple Macintosh (Mac) — Personal computer line by Apple Inc. Apple Macintosh The Apple Macintosh (Mac) is a family of personal computers by Apple Inc., noted for pioneering graphical user interfaces, integrated hardware-software design, and a strong presenc…

Apple Maps Apple's built-in mapping and navigation app, integrated across Apple devices, offering turn‑by‑turn directions, 3D city views, transit and privacy‑focused location services.

Apple TV (digital media player and streaming platform) Apple TV Apple TV is a consumer streaming device and platform from Apple that brings video, music, apps and device mirroring to a television while integrating with Apple services and the tv…

Apple Watch: design, features, history and uses Apple Watch Encyclopedic overview of the Apple Watch: design, hardware, software, health and safety features, model evolution, compatibility and common uses in daily life and industry.

Applet (software): small programs embedded in web pages Applet Applet — a small program designed to run inside a web browser window. Historically associated with Java, applets provided interactive content but fell out of favor due to security…

AppleTalk: Apple’s legacy local-area networking protocol suite AppleTalk AppleTalk is a family of network protocols created by Apple to connect Macintosh computers and peripherals on local networks. It emphasized ease of use, zero-configuration addressi…

Appliance: types, uses, and notable distinctions Appliance An appliance is a device or machine built for a limited set of tasks. Covers household small and major appliances, medical devices such as prostheses, the fire-appliance meaning, h…

Application: meanings, types, and significance Application Overview of primary meanings of 'application'—software, request, physical act, and mathematical use—plus parts, history, contexts, and practical distinctions to help identify the i…

Application Programming Interface (API): Definition, Types, and Uses Application programming interface An API defines interfaces that let software components communicate. This article explains how APIs work, common types, key parts, history, uses, and important practices like securi…

Application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) Application-specific integrated circuit A custom-designed integrated circuit created for a particular task or product, optimized for size, speed, power consumption, and cost in high-volume or specialized electronic syste…

APTonCD — creating portable Debian/Ubuntu package repositories APTonCD APTonCD collects .deb packages already downloaded by APT and builds ISO images or discs to create removable offline repositories for installing packages on other Debian-based syste…

Arcade game A coin-operated entertainment machine found in public venues; includes pinball, video and redemption games. Popular for short-play sessions, social play, and prize-based or high-sc…

Area code 246 — Barbados (NANP) Area code 246 Area code 246 serves Barbados within the North American Numbering Plan (country code +1). Local telephone numbers have seven digits; internationally it is dialed as +1 246. The cod…

Area code 313 (Detroit, Michigan) Area code 313 North American telephone area code for Detroit and most of Wayne County, created in 1947; culturally linked to Detroit and now largely serves the city and nearby inner suburbs.

Area code 649 — Turks and Caicos Islands (NANP) Area code 649 Overview of area code 649, its place in the North American Numbering Plan, dialing procedures, history of the split from 809, and practical calling examples.

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) Arithmetic logic unit A core digital circuit inside CPUs and microcontrollers that carries out arithmetic and logical operations; fundamental to processor design, performance, and instruction execution.

ARM architecture: a low-power RISC CPU family for mobile, embedded, and beyond ARM architecture ARM is a family of reduced‑instruction‑set CPU architectures designed for low power consumption and wide deployment across mobiles, embedded devices, servers and some high‑performa…

Array (data structure) Array data structure An array is an indexed collection of elements of the same type stored in contiguous memory. This article describes structure, indexing, variants, uses, performance and distinctions…

Artificial neural network (ANN) Artificial neural network An artificial neural network is a computational model inspired by biological neurons that learns from data; it underpins modern machine learning and deep learning across many appli…

ASCII — American Standard Code for Information Interchange ASCII ASCII is a 7-bit character encoding standard mapping 128 control and printable characters to numeric codes. It formed the foundation of modern text handling and remains compatible…

ASIMO — Honda's humanoid robot Asimo ASIMO was Honda's bipedal humanoid robot, developed as a research and demonstration platform to explore walking, running, perception and human-robot interaction. It was introduced…

ASP.NET — Microsoft web application framework ASP.NET ASP.NET is a server-side web application framework from Microsoft for building dynamic websites, web APIs and real-time services using .NET languages like C#, F# and VB.NET.

Aspirator: Venturi-based vacuum devices and their uses Aspirator An aspirator is a device that produces suction by accelerating a working fluid (often water or gas) through a constriction. Covers types, operation, history, uses, limits and safet…

Assembler: Program that Converts Assembly Language into Machine Code Assembler An assembler translates readable assembly language into machine-executable code. This article explains how assemblers work, their types and features, historical role, and where the…

ASUS Eee PC The ASUS Eee PC is a compact, low-cost laptop line introduced by ASUS (with Intel support) that helped establish the netbook category. It emphasized portability, simplicity, and af…

Atanasoff–Berry Computer Early special-purpose electronic computing device (1937–1942) that introduced binary arithmetic, electronic switching, and capacitor memory concepts to help solve linear equations.

Atari 2600 (Atari Video Computer System) Atari 2600 Home video game console introduced in 1977 as the Atari Video Computer System (VCS). It popularized swappable game cartridges, sold over 30 million units, and shaped the early home…