Technology jargon busters

Barrel Distortion - Barrel Distortion is a common form of distortion in wide angle lenses where images tend to get 'spherized' or rounded towards the sides. Such distortion is more prominent in images which have many straight lines.

Uses Bluetooth for data transfer

Bluetooth – A wireless method of communion between devices for either data transfer or remote access and control. Bluetooth profiles include: 

EDR – Bluetooth (BT) with Enhanced Data Rate offers faster rates of communication between Bluetooth enabled devices.

A2DP - Advanced Audio Distribution Profile allows Bluetooth enabled media devices to communicate with receivers in Stereo Bluetooth headsets for better audio experiences.

AVRCP - Audio/Video Remote Control Profile allows BT-enabled devices to communicate and control and interface with other BT-enabled devices not just for data transfer but in a more in-depth sense. For example one can control your PC’s media player via Bluetooth from a mobile handset equipped with Bluetooth that also has an AVRCP profile.

CDMA - Code division multiple access is another form of mobile/cellular technology that allows users to use the entire spectrum of frequencies available that are capable of providing better sound and data communication. Some CDMA handsets have built in SIM cards, so specific handset models have been designed for this technology. The range of mobile handsets available with CDMA are a little more limited as compared to GSM. CDMA is a military technology first used during World War II by English allies to foil German attempts at jamming transmissions. 

Brightness - Brightness indicates how much light is given out by the screen. It is measured in cd/m2 or candela per square meter. A higher value means more light, which gives a brighter picture.

Burst - The "burst" or "continuous" mode allows you to take multiple shots one after the other. The number of shots taken are measured via fps or frames per second, and are different in different makes and models of cameras. To be a little more technical: the fps decides how many times the shutter releases and an image is processed in a second, defining how many pictures are taken in a short span of time.

CMOS Sensor – Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor are most widely used in mobile handset cameras. The reason for this is  these sensors require fewer components (perfect for space constraints) and lesser power so it also reduces the cost. 

Colour fringing - Colour fringing is an aberrance caused by the lens used on cameras. It’s more visible on some cameras than others. It’s commonly seen as a blue or purple band lining a bright light source.

Component Video - This has three connectors (usually red, green and blue RCA jacks) that transmit and receive component video signals. The combination of these signals conveys all the picture information.

Composite Video - This is a low quality video connection, and combines the entire video signal into a single cable. Obviously, a lot of picture quality is lost in the process. This is barely used, unless an older piece of equipment has to be used.

Contrast Ratio - Contrast ratio is a measure of a screen’s blackest black and whitest white, which are then compared and stated as a ratio. Higher contrast is always good, as the picture looks more vibrant and lifelike, with better colours.

7-inch Super AMOLED display showcased (image credit engadget.com)

Displays

TFT LCD - Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display. TFT LCD type screens are also used in TVs and computer monitors.

QVGA – Quarter Video Graphics Array is 240 x 320 pixels, this is pretty standard for most mobile handsets

VGA - Video Graphics Array is 640 x 480 pixels for handsets with larger displays

WVGA - Wide Video Graphics Array has a pixel resolution of 800 x 480.

OLED - Organic Light-Emitting Diode. Nokia’s popular N85 used this type of display.

AMOLED - Active Matrix OLED. An enhanced version of OLED screens, AMOLED screens used very commonly now.

Super AMOLED - Super AMOLED refers to touchscreens where the layer that detects touch is integrated onto the screen rather than being a layer on top of it. This leads to increased brightness and clarity. The Samsung Galaxy S bears this type of screen.

Retina Display - First used in Apple's iPhone 4, the Retina Display is an IPS LCD screen that packs has a very high pixel density (number of pixels per inch), making it very hard for the naked eye to distinguish between pixels and therefore leading to seemingly higher quality.

There are plenty of other resolutions and technologies that fall in between these but these terms are more frequently used when discussing mobile handset displays.