Smartphone

A smartphone is a mobile phone (also known as cell phones) with an advanced mobile operating system which combines features of a personal computer operating system with other features useful for mobile or handheld use. Smartphones, which are usually pocket-sized, typically combine the features of a mobile phone, such as the abilities to place and receive voice calls and create and receive text messages, with those of other popular digital mobile devices like PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANTS (PDAS), such as an event calendar, media player, video games, GPS navigation, digital camera and digital video camera. Most smartphones can access the Internet and can run a variety of third-party software components ("apps"). They typically have a color display with a graphical user interface that covers 70% or more of the front surface. The display is often a touchscreen, which enables the user to use a virtual keyboard to type words and numbers and press onscreen icons to activate "app" features.

In 1999, the Japanese firm NTT DoCoMo released the first smartphones to achieve mass adoption within a country. Smartphones became widespread in the late 2000s. Most of those produced from 2012 onward have high-speed mobile broadband 4G LTE, motion sensors, and mobile payment features. In the third quarter of 2012, one billion smartphones were in use worldwide. Global smartphone sales surpassed the sales figures for regular cell phones in early 2013. As of 2013, 65% of mobile consumers in the United States owned smartphones. By January 2016, smartphones held over 79% of the U.S. mobile market.

Wi-FI

Wi-Fi or WiFi is a technology that allows electronic devices to connect to a wireless LAN (WLAN), mainly using the 2.4 gigahertz (12 cm) UHF and 5 gigahertz (6 cm) SHF ISM radio bands. A WLAN is usually password protected, but may be open, which allows any device within its range to access the resources of the WLAN network.

The Wi-Fi Alliance defines Wi-Fi as any "wireless local area network" (WLAN) product based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 802.11 standards."Wi-Fi" is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. The "Wi-Fi Certified" trademark can only be used by Wi-Fi products that successfully complete Wi-Fi Alliance interoperability certification testing.

Devices that can use Wi-Fi technology include personal computers, video-game consoles, smartphones, digital cameras, tablet computers, digital audio players and modern printers. Wi-Fi compatible devices can connect to the Internet via a WLAN network and a wireless access point. Such an access point (or hotspot) has a range of about 20 meters (66 feet) indoors and a greater range outdoors. Hotspot coverage can be as small as a single room with walls that block radio waves, or as large as many square kilometers achieved by using multiple overlapping access points.

                                       

Depiction of a device sending information wirelessly to another device, both connected to the local network, in order to print a document.

Depiction of a device sending information wirelessly to another device, both connected to the local network, in order to print a document.

Wi-Fi is less secure than wired connections, such as Ethernet, precisely because an intruder does not need a physical connection. Web pages that use TLS are secure, but unencrypted Internet access can easily be detected by intruders. Because of this, Wi-Fi has adopted various encryption technologies. The early encryption WEP proved easy to break. Higher quality protocols (WPA, WPA2) were added later. An optional feature added in 2007, called Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), had a serious flaw that allowed an attacker to recover the router's password. The Wi-Fi Alliance has since updated its test plan and certification program to ensure all newly certified devices resist attacks.

INTERNET OF THINGS

The Internet of things (stylized Internet of Things or IoT) is the internetworking of physical devices, vehicles (also referred to as "connected devices" and "smart devices"), buildings and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity that enable these objects to collect and exchange data. In 2013 the Global Standards Initiative on Internet of Things (IoT-GSI) defined the IoT as "the infrastructure of the information society."The IoT allows objects to be sensed and/or controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure,  creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, and resulting in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit. When IoT is augmented with sensors and actuators, the technology becomes an instance of the more general class of cyber-physical systems, which also encompasses technologies such as smart grids, smart homes, intelligent transportation and smart cities. Each thing is uniquely identifiable through its embedded computing system but is able to interoperate within the existing Internet infrastructure. Experts estimate that the IoT will consist of almost 50 billion objects by 2020.

Human Capital Management (HCM)

Human Capital Management (HCM)

Human capital management (HCM) is an approach to employee staffing that perceives people as assets (human capital) whose current value can be measured and whose future value can be enhanced through investment. The term human capital management can be controversial because the word "capital" has an impersonal connotation, implying that employees are simply an expensive operating cost that should be minimized whenever possible. A responsible human capital management strategy, however, is built upon the understanding that an organization's employees are its most valuable asset -- and spending time and energy on keeping records that allow managers to effectively manage staff development and promote employee engagement will help the organization achieve both its short and long-term monetary goals. Successful human capital management requires a lot of documentation and HCM software can streamline and automate many of the day-to-day record-keeping processes. When an organization evaluates an HCM system investment, it must weigh the benefits of a standalone HCM approach against those of an all-in-one enterprise resource planning (ERP) suite that includes HCM modules. In a large enterprise, having one integrated platform with a single database for everything can save on the cost of maintaining and upgrading individual software applications and application program interfaces (APIs). In a small or midsize company, however, it may just be easier to manually enter the same data into multiple systems.

Cloud Backup

Cloud Backup

Cloud backup, also known as online backup, is a strategy for backing up data that involves sending a copy of the data over a proprietary or public network to an off-site server. The server is usually hosted by a third-party service provider, who charges the backup customer a fee based on capacity, bandwidth or number of users. Online backup systems are typically built around a client software application that runs on a schedule determined by the level of service the customer has purchased. If the customer has contracted for daily backups, for instance, then the application collects, compresses, encrypts and transfers data to the service provider's servers every 24 hours. To reduce the amount of bandwidth consumed and the time it takes to transfer files, the service provider might only provide incremental backups after the initial full backup.

Sock Puppet Marketing

Sock Puppet Marketing

Sock puppet marketing is the use of a false online identity to artificially stimulate demand for a product, brand or service.  The false identity is called a sock puppet. A primary goal of sock puppet marketing is to increase sales by posting positive comments about a product, service or brand on web sites. Alternatively, a sock puppet might be used to post negative comments that denigrate a competitor. Sock puppet marketing and sock puppetry in general are unethical. When exposed, sock puppet marketing can damage the reputation and brand of a product or service.

Dynamic Pricing

Dynamic Pricing

Dynamic pricing, also called real-time pricing, is an approach to setting the cost for a product or service that is highly flexible. The goal of dynamic pricing is to allow a company that sells goods or services over the Internet to adjust prices on the fly in response to market demands. Changes are controlled by pricing bots, which are software agents that gather data and use algorithms to adjust pricing according to business rules. Typically, the business rules take into account such things as the time of day, day of the week, level of demand and competitors' pricing. With the advent of big data and big data analytics, business rules can be crafted to adjust prices for specific customers based on criteria such as the customer's zip code, how often the customer has made purchases in the past and how much the customer typically spends.