How to explain an iPhone using only the 1,000 most common English words

If you’ve ever tried to talk about tech or science with a five-year-old, 85-year-old, or speaker of another language, you’re familiar with this problem: It’s really hard to explain everyday one-word concepts like “wifi,” “GPS,” “Bluetooth,” “atoms,” “orbit,” and “energy.” This kind of conversation can become an endless semiotic exercise, in which words only have meanings insofar as their meanings have meanings.

In his playful explanation of a smart phone, or “hand computer,” Munroe explains the tiny motor that allows the phone to vibrate:

“Pocket mover: This piece of metal turns very fast to make the phone move. That way, it can get your attention without making too much noise. (Unless it’s sitting on a hard table; then it can make a lot of noise.)”

The GPS sensor is a “direction feeler,” an SD card slot is an “extra memory holder,” and the chip that communicates with your wifi, a “hot spot talker."

Courtesy : www.quartz.com [http://qz.com/558571/how-to-explain-an-iphone-using-only-the-1000-most-common-english-words/]