This glossary includes key terms of the IoT (Internet of Things) & M2M (machine-to-machine) communications industry, including wireless and cellular technologies spanning many different markets. It is updated to present current terminology and usage. Your participation and feedback are most welcome—to submit comments, new entries, or suggestions, contact us today.
There are 6 names in this directory beginning with the letter W.
Wearables or Wearable Technology
These are technologies or computers integrated into articles of clothing or accessories that can be worn. Often, the wearble tech is used to quantify a physical process (such as heartbeat monitoring) or to augment human capabilities. Wearables may also be used to control external things, for example, with gestures. Because of the impracticality of wires to transmit sensor data, wearables are almost universally wireless, using a variety of communication protocols such as BLE. Examples include smartwatches, fitness bands, and Google Glasses.
Wi-Fi
Wireless Fidelity. This is a common form of local area network which operates on the 2.4 GHz band. Its popularity has led to a wide variety of devices to become Wi-Fi enabled, including smartphones, cameras, vehicles, and household appliances. Wi-Fi can be embedded into a device through designing in a Wi-Fi module.
