Technology Atlas

The Technology Atlas is a reference collection that serves as a dictionary for the terms, technologies and standards you meet in the digital world. Look up the term you saw in a news story or on a box and learn it in its plainest form.

Scope: terms, technologies, standards

The atlas holds three kinds of record: the terms you hear in daily life, such as processor, resolution and bandwidth; the technologies working in the background, such as types of wireless connection, encryption and cloud architecture; and the standards you see printed on product boxes. Each record answers three questions. What is this? Where will you meet it? And why does it matter to you?

Filters and the links between records

You can sift the records by subject area: connectivity, storage, image and sound, security, software. The terms are tied to one another, so by moving from one record to the related ones you can weave the surroundings of a subject step by step. If you meet these terms while choosing a device, the Devices Atlas is beside you, and for security terms the Cyber Threats Atlas is.

The language of the definitions

Every definition is built first in everyday language, with an analogy or an example; technical precision is added only as far as you need it. If you read a definition and still ask "so what does this mean for me?", that record has not done its job; you can report such cases through the Support Centre. For those who want to learn the concepts in sequence, the Technology section and the Academy offer a more structured route.

Records (10)

Backup

A backup is a copy of important data kept somewhere separate. It is the only assurance of recovering data after a device fault, a loss or an accidental deletion.

Cloud Storage

Cloud storage is a service that keeps your files in secure data centres reached over the internet, rather than on your own device.

Encryption

Encryption is the process of converting data into a form that only the person holding the right key can read. It is the foundation of modern digital security.

Hardware

Hardware is the name given to every physical part of a computer or a phone that you can actually touch: the processor, the screen, the memory, the keyboard and the rest.

Operating System

An operating system is the core software that manages the hardware, runs applications and forms the bridge between the user and the device. Windows, macOS, Android and iO

RAM

RAM is the very fast, temporary memory holding the data a device is working on at that moment. Its contents are erased when the device is switched off.

Software

Software is the whole body of instructions that tells hardware what to do. Applications, games and operating systems are all software.

Storage

Storage is the component in which computers and phones keep files permanently. The data stays there even when the device is switched off.

Synchronisation

Synchronisation is keeping the same data current and consistent across more than one device. A contact you add on your phone appearing on your computer as well is the res

Two-Step Verification

Two-step verification is a security method that asks for a second proof — a code, an approval or a key — after the password when you sign in to an account. It protects th

Frequently asked questions

What if the term I am looking for is not in the atlas?

You can suggest it through the Support Centre. Frequently asked terms are added first; the atlas is a living dictionary and grows regularly.

How technical are the definitions?

They are explained first in everyday language, with technical detail layered on according to need. The aim is not an engineering dictionary but the dictionary of an informed user.

Who should use this atlas?

Anyone curious about a term in a news story, wanting to understand the label on a box, or hoping to speak the same language as a specialist. No prior knowledge is needed.

First published: 2026-08-12Last reviewed: 2026-08-12Editorial status: working editionReport an error