The language of silicon dreams and stack overflows.
Your internet service provider's way of saying 'you've been too successful, so we're slowing you down now.'
An artist or creator who uses artificial intelligence as their primary creative tool to generate or enhance artwork, music, or other media. It's the modern remix of 'artist,' except your collaborator is an algorithm.
A consumer electronics retailer and computer manufacturer that sold personal computers and accessories through Radio Shack stores from the late 1970s onward, known for affordable, budget-friendly machines like the TRS-80 and Color Computer. Tandy computers were accessible entry points for home computing.
A large, freestanding television set housed in a substantial wooden cabinet, popular from the 1950s through 1970s that also served as furniture and a focal point of living rooms. These sets often contained radio and record player components built into the same cabinet.
A devoted Apple devotee who absolutely must own every product in the ecosystem—iPhones, Macs, AirPods, and probably an Apple Watch they don't really need. It's brand loyalty at its most obsessive.
What happens when your IRC nickname account gets demoted to guest status because you couldn't verify your identity in time—basically the internet equivalent of being put in timeout for forgetting your password.
A telecommunications application and service that enables users to make voice calls, conduct video conferences, and send instant messages over the internet. Acquired by Microsoft in 2011, Skype became one of the primary platforms for remote communication.
The quality or state of having human form, characteristics, or attributes; the degree to which something displays or possesses human-like qualities or appearances.
A hugely popular home computer released by Commodore in 1982, featuring 64 KB of RAM and known for its distinctive beige case and superior graphics and sound capabilities compared to competitors. It became one of the best-selling computers of all time and defined a generation of gaming and programming.
Metal or rubber strips attached to the lower edge of a vehicle's front bumper that touch the curb, helping the driver gauge proximity to the curb when parking.
A wristwatch that displays time using a digital numeric display (LED or LCD) rather than analog hands, first popularized in the 1970s. Digital watches replaced mechanical watches as affordable, accurate, battery-powered alternatives.
China's answer to eBay, famous for rock-bottom prices and equally rock-bottom quality—your knockoff gadgets ship faster than your expectations can crash. If it's impossibly cheap and made in mainland China, it probably came from here.
A serialized digital audio or video program distributed via the internet, typically episodic and available for on-demand listening or viewing. Named as a blend of 'iPod' and 'broadcast'.
An animated paperclip character that served as an 'intelligent' virtual assistant in Microsoft Office 97-2003, offering contextual help and suggestions. It became infamous for its intrusive behavior and is widely regarded as one of the most annoying software features ever created.
A retail service, typically offered by drugstores and photo labs, that promised to develop film and print photographs within one hour instead of the typical 3-7 days. This innovation made amateur photography more convenient and accessible throughout the 1980s and 90s.
A slot or compartment on a vending machine, payphone, or similar device where coins are dispensed if the transaction is cancelled or if overpayment occurs. Users retrieve their money by opening or tapping the return slot.
To duplicate or reproduce text, code, images, or other content for reuse elsewhere; in marketing, short for 'copywriting' (the text used in advertising). As a noun, a reproduction of an original work.
Worthless free software bundled on CDs/DVDs (like old AOL discs) that's either outdated upon arrival or full of bloatware, making it useful only as a drink coaster to protect your furniture. It's peak late-90s/early-2000s internet junk.
The scientific study of caves and their formation, often used metaphorically in business to describe deep-diving into obscure data, legacy systems, or organizational documentation that nobody has touched in years. The corporate speleologist emerges from the depths with either critical insights or a horrifying discovery of technical debt.
Either permanently destroying your tech (rendering it as useful as a brick), or the surprisingly wholesome act of building things out of LEGO bricks—two wildly different outcomes for the same word, much like your phone's factory reset button.
A dense, silvery-white transition metal (element 77) that is one of the rarest elements on Earth and extremely resistant to corrosion and heat. It is often used in alloys, spark plugs, and scientific instruments due to its exceptional durability.
A pioneering commercial online service founded in 1969 that provided email, forums, file libraries, and other services to computer users via dial-up modem. It was one of the largest online communities before the World Wide Web, known for its forum-based social interaction and resource-sharing.
The delightful accumulation of food debris, dust, and mystery crumbs that collects under your keyboard keys—a hazard especially common among developers who treat their desk as both office and dining establishment. Named for the visible crusty layers that make your spacebar stick and your coworkers gag.
The boring backend systems that make everything work but nobody cares about until they catastrophically fail at 2 AM on a Sunday. The unsung hero of technology.