Tech glossary A–Z
Jargon, decoded. Short definitions first, the full explanation one click away.
General Data Protection Regulation: the European Union's law governing how organizations collect, use, and protect personal data. Cybersecurity
Graphics Processing Unit: a processor with thousands of small cores designed for parallel work, used for graphics and AI. Hardware & Industry 4.0
Applying game elements such as points, badges, levels, and leaderboards to non-game activities to boost engagement and motivation. EdTech
The transaction fee paid to process an operation or run a smart contract on a blockchain network such as Ethereum. Web3 & Blockchain
AI systems that create new content, such as text, images, audio, video, or code, based on patterns learned from training data. Artificial Intelligence
Adapting content so it is accurately found, cited, and summarized by AI-powered search and chat tools that generate answers. Business & Retail Tech
A circular orbit about 35,786 km above the equator where a satellite circles at the same rate Earth rotates, so it appears fixed in the sky. Space Tech
A free, open-source distributed version control system that tracks changes to code and lets many developers collaborate safely. Software Development
A way of managing infrastructure and deployments where the desired system state is stored in Git and automatically applied by software agents. Cloud & DevOps
A free listing from Google that shows a business's details, such as hours, location, photos, and reviews, in Search and Maps. Tech for Local Business
A query language and runtime for APIs that lets clients request exactly the data they need in a single request. Software Development
Designing, using, and disposing of computers and IT systems in ways that reduce energy use and environmental impact. Green Tech
Connecting an AI model's answers to verified sources or real data so its responses are based on facts rather than guesswork. Artificial Intelligence
A data-driven, experiment-heavy approach to marketing and product design focused on rapidly finding ways to grow a business. Business & Retail Tech