how do things work?

The Internet is a global computer network for communication – actually nothing more than a basic computer network. The Internet simply moves data from one place to another, so that we can chat, browse and share. Data moves over the Internet in a manner called “packet switching.”

For most users, how an email message flows from the sender to a recipient's inbox is something that happens behind the scenes. When an individual or an organization sends an email, the message travels from its point of origination, such as an email client where it was composed, across the Internet to its destination.

In the most basic form, a mobile phone or a cell phone is essentially a two-way radio, consisting of a radio transmitter and a radio receiver. When you chat with your friend on your cell phone, your phone converts your voice into an electrical signal, which is then transmitted via radio waves to the nearest cell tower.

GPS stands for Global Positioning System. A special radio receiver measures the distance from your location to satellites that orbit the earth broadcasting radio signals. GPS can pinpoint your position anywhere in the world.