Technology words for Alias — gadgets, apps, internet

Phone, charger, wifi and screenshot. The words you touch every day.

A set about the tech that is always within reach: phones and chargers, apps and messages, the wifi that drops at the worst moment. From the button on the remote to the neural network. No brand or app names — they make explaining too easy and go stale fast.

Who this set is for

Anyone with a phone will clear the first level. Then come router, sync and cloud — words everyone has heard but not everyone can explain. The third level is for people who have reinstalled a system at least once or read what a blockchain is.

Who this set is for

A group where someone is on their phone even at the table. Teenagers and their parents do equally well: the kids grab stream and meme faster, the adults take socket and printer. The third level belongs where there is at least one IT person, or simply someone who is not scared of the word driver.

Screenshot

Works: “you press two buttons and the screen becomes a picture.” A finger movement everyone has made. Does not work: “a capture of the display” — it is almost the word itself, and the room waits for you to say something else and gets lost.

Router

Works: “the little box with antennas you restart when the internet is gone.” Everyone has switched it off and on at least once. Does not work: “a device that distributes the network” — the room starts with wifi, modem, hotspot and burns half a minute.

Cloud

Works: “your photos are not on the phone but somewhere out there, and you can see them from the laptop.” Through the familiar effect, not the servers. Does not work: “remote data storage” — correct but dry, and the room says drive, server, backup before the word you want.

Where groups go wrong

The first trap is brand and app names. “It is like the one from ...” feels like the fastest route, but the rules forbid same-root hints, and the room gets used to explaining with logos instead of words. The second: a technical word begs a technical explanation. “A data transfer protocol” helps nobody; “the rules two devices agree on before they talk” helps everyone. The third is action words: restart, undo, unplug want to be explained with a synonym, when they should be explained through the moment you actually do them.

Come in through the situation: "what you do to the router when the internet is gone" is a restart.
Explain hardware by looks and location: "the little box with antennas on the shelf" beats any function.
No brand names. Find the everyday effect: "your photos show up on every device at once" is the cloud.

Easy

Familiar words that land on the first clue. For warming up, for kids and for mixed groups.

phone, smartphone, tablet, laptop, computer, screen, keyboard, mouse, button, charger, battery, cable, socket, headphones, speaker, camera, photo, video, selfie, internet, wifi, password, app, game, music, message, call, chat, emoji, sticker, like, subscription, blogger, website, search, browser, tab, file, folder, download, update, virus, antivirus, printer, scanner, pendrive, disk, memory, microphone, earbuds, smartwatch, television, remote, console, joystick, robot, drone, navigator, map, alarm, calculator, flashlight, sound, volume, brightness, vibration, silent, mode, settings, icon, wallpaper, cursor, click, scroll, screenshot, ringtone, email, inbox, spam, account, login, profile, avatar, nickname, comment, repost, story, stream, follower, advert, code, program, programmer, hacker, error, restart, unplug, switch, freeze, case

Medium

Takes a few sentences and some imagination. The default setting for an ordinary evening.

processor, graphics, chip, motherboard, server, cloud, backup, sync, bluetooth, router, modem, provider, traffic, roaming, sim, carrier, plan, balance, top-up, terminal, cashpoint, payment, widget, powerbank, adapter, dongle, dock, monitor, projector, webcam, headset, trackpad, stylus, sensor, fingerprint, recognition, lock, pin, encryption, verification, authorisation, registration, confirmation, notification, reminder, calendar, notes, recorder, player, playlist, podcast, streaming, buffering, pixel, megapixel, gigabyte, megabyte, format, archive, compression, conversion, encoding, algorithm, interface, menu, toolbar, shortcut, bin, clipboard, copy, paste, cut, undo, save, autosave, driver, version, licence, piracy, torrent, messenger, videoconference, broadcast, live, feed, hashtag, trend, meme, viral, trolling, ban, moderator, admin, spammer, phishing, scammer, captcha, bookmark, history, incognito

Hard

Rare or abstract words. More failed rounds, and more laughing at them.

chatbot, blockchain, cryptocurrency, mining, quantum, semiconductor, transistor, resistor, capacitor, microcontroller, firmware, emulator, virtualisation, container, compiler, interpreter, script, library, framework, repository, commit, debugging, testing, deployment, scaling, latency, lag, ping, protocol, bandwidth, firewall, gateway, proxy, tunnel, certificate, authentication, biometrics, cryptography, hash, vulnerability, exploit, backdoor, trojan, worm, botnet, ransomware, leak, anonymity, censorship, moderation, algorithmic, recommendation, personalisation, targeting, analytics, metric, monetisation, donation, crowdfunding, startup, investor, prototype, iteration, release, patch, rollback, compatibility, obsolete, upgrade, automation, robotics, detector, gyroscope, accelerometer, thermostat, digitisation, telemetry, geolocation, satellite, repeater, antenna, frequency, spectrum, modulation, interference, insulation, grounding, voltage, current, wattage, efficiency, accumulator, lithium, wear, overheating, cooling, fan, heatsink, overclocking, throttling